further then God is pleased by a mightie hand to break open the heart of a man and to enlighten it whether he will or no as a man may say 2 Tim. 3 6 7. this is observed to be the main cause why men are ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth They are very good Churchmen as they say often in the Church alwaies hearing and yet notwithstanding remain as poor ignorant silly sots in the main things of life and salvation as if they had lived all their dayes in the West-Indies What is the reason and ground of this The Apostle complaineth there of a certain company of widdows that were ever learning certainly then you would thinke that they were good Schollars no that they were not What was the cause what alwaies learning up early and down late and yet never come to the knowledge of the truth What is the cause The Apostle telleth you in the sixt verse They are laden with sins and led about with divers lusts And vers 8. They are of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith or as it is in the Margent of your Bibles of no judgement concerning the faith Mark like unto these carnall hearted widdows there is a sort of men in the Church of God that carry the cloak of profession upon them and will run to every Lecture and take hold of every occasion to hear a Sermon and yet alas know nothing but are as silly and ignorant in the main grounds of Religion as blind in the things of God as any in the world Will you know the reason why they thrive not Observe it They are laden with lusts and led about with divers pleasures their hearts cleave close to some corruption they harbour some bosome lust in their souls they have a form of godliness but they take not up the power of Religion because it would remove and dis-place those lusts that they love so well I beseech you observe that place Isa 6.9 10. When the Lord had a purpose to overthrow the people and to bring a desolation upon them for their obstinacie he biddeth the Prophet go and preach to them but to what purpose Not to doe them any good for he would not save them Well what course then must the Prophet take Goe saith God and tell this people Hear ye indeed but understand not and see yee indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavie and shut their eyes least they see with their eyes and hear with their cares and understand with their heart and convert and bee healed I beseech you observe this Text If they did see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand 〈…〉 God would heal them But God in his just judgement will not have them see nor hear nor understand that they might not convert and be healed and he will accomplish this work by the Ministerie of the Prophet and therefore he sendeth him to harden them by his preaching and how Make their hearts fat and then as it followeth their ears will be heavie and their eies will be shut Now observe what makes an heart fat First continuall glutting of ones self with diet with immoderate eating and drinking and then secondly continuall idenesse these two make men fat Just so it is with the soul of a sinner When as the heart of a man cleaveth to a corruption when as a mans affections are glued unto it so that he takes delight in it let it be what lust so ever it will be you shall ever finde him feeding upon it The proud man continually feeds himself upon his pride his minde is ever taken up with the thoughts of this or that fashion with this or that way of attiring and adorning himself The Adulterer is still feeding on the pleasures of his lust alwaies contemplating on those cursed delights The covetous man meet him where you will assoon as he is up in a morning presently he is talking of buying and selling of bargaining and match-making So the drunkard and the rest of sinners the meat is never out of their mouthes their hearts are continually set upon those sinfull corruptions to which they are addicted And withall mark as there must bee feeding so there must be resting for daily exercise and labour spendeth a man and therefore we know those that will feed any creature fat put it up So when a man is resolved to contiune in that course wherein he is is setled on his lees hath set up his staffe he will go no further but there he will stay such a mans heart is fat and what followeth his eyes will be blind Whatsoever shall come from the Minister to thwart that sinfull disposition of his to crosse that lust which lieth in his bosome any way to disease him or stir him off his dregs though it be never so clear and plain and delivered with never so much evidence and demonstration of the Spirit of God it self yet he cares not for it he is resolved to do what he pleaseth and to take his own course let them all say what they will Hence it cometh to passe that in these daies of light wherein the means of knowledge run through the greatest part of the land and abound as the rivers from the sea and yet men remain stark blind in the mysteries of salvation and altogether unreformed in their lives Doe but observe a little the temper of mens spirits and you shall finde it generally to be this Those truths out of the word of God which they conceive to crosse their quiet and disturbe their peace they will not indure Their heart is resolved to be at peace and at libertie come what come will and therefore whatsoever truth it be that causeth any disquietness or disturbance in them away with it Oh say they I will have none of that I have done with that point Surely it is no marvell that such men are not informed seeing they have shut their eies and will not see Oh say they I see no reason for this I understand not why I may not doc such and such a thing Yea you will not understand it you will not be informed because it will trouble and disquiet your hearts There is many a man my brethren who if he might have his libertie in sinfull courses allowed him and might injoy his credit and contentment and ease in the world together with the Gospel would take up many truths that are now despised by him but the main ground of his contempt lies here he must have his sin he will take his libertie he will enjoy himself what ever is said to the contrary And hence it is that God in his just judgement seeing that such men will not entertain the truth in the â—ove thereof that they might be saved they should be given up to strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie that they all might be damned who beleeved not the
hearken to any perswasions to the contrary though they be backed with never so many shews of Religion or learning But a question here may be demanded shall not a man be willing to heare better counsell happily then his own Must he heare nothing at all against such an opinion or practise as he conceives to be grounded upon divine truth and which he hath been taught by those teachers he hath depended upon Who knoweth not that a man may easily be deceived and mistake the sense of Gods Spirit in the word so as to imbrace errour instead of truth My brethren by the cunning subtilty of the enemy this conceit hath crept into the mind of all Heretiques that look what they once drink in they must ever retain it as a principle and never think of removing or unsetling from it This is an hook whereby the Devill holdeth multitudes of men in falsehood and errour and in wicked courses They will heare nothing against that which formerly they have imbraced and been perswaded unto by those they depend upon This policie the Devill useth in Popery and amongst the Familists and Anabaptists teaching them to resolve to hold whatsoever they have received either from themselves or others And here I say it is sinfull for a man to resolve to heare no counsell at all against his opinion But neverthelesse this I say When a man is perswaded that the opinion or course he takes up is such as God himselfe hath been pleased to make known unto him out of his Word he is to receive nothing against this but meerly out of the Word let nothing unsettle our judgement in a plain and revealed truth but onely hold to that As I have been settled by the truth so if ever I change my opinion the truth is that which shall reform me all the counsell I take up and all the opinions I hold shall be such as the Word of God shall reveal to mee And because my minde may be weak and my understanding frail and not able to see the sense of the spirit therefore I will hear nothing against a good course but onely out of the Word If my opinion and my course be such as I am perswaded is the truth revealed out of the word howsoever I may be deluded yet this I will attribute to the Word of God no opinion no authoritie of any other shall carry the truth from me but the word shall reform me as the word hath perswadad me and as the word hath revealed to me This you shall observe to be the counsell of God in severall places of Scripture Mark what the Apostle saith to the Philippians Phil. 1.27 he desireth this at their hands that they would stand fast in one spirit with one minde in the truth revealed and to the Colossians Col. 1.23 Continue saith he in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you have heard and which was preached unto you As if he should say If you have received that satisfaction from the word of God that you are convinced that it is the word of God and that the course you take is grounded upon it be not moved but stand fast in that truth received This is the second thing The third and last thing which concerneth the manner of our hearkning to the voice of Christ is this When thus the soul is perswaded of the will of God revealed and when the heart setleth it self upon it and hears nothing against the good pleasure of the Lord thus manifested then in the last place the soul must yeeld obedience therunto not alone in doing the thing God commandeth but in doing the will of God in so doing Mark not alone I say performing what God requireth of us but to be carried to the performance of the dutie meerly because God requireth it For these you must observe are two distinct things and of great difference A man may doe the thing which God commandeth and yet notwithstanding never doe Gods will but his own Many a man cometh to Church and there hears and understands and remembers and doth the things that God would have him doe and yet in the mean time doth not at all the will of God for he doth not therefore go to Church because God requireth it but partly either because custome or shame or the Law or somewhat else forceth him to it Here therefore is the main pitch of our obedience not alone to perform what is the good pleasure of God but to let the will of God be the first mover of our souls in the discharging of that service he calleth for at our hands to doe what we doe because it is the will of God we should doe it to perform what he requires in obedience to him because he requires it Our Saviour Christ putteth these together in his prayer to his Father Luke 22.42 If thou be willing saith he remove this Cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done He saith not that he will do the thing that God requireth but he will doe the will of God in it the will of God should be the carrier and mover of him to take upon him the great work of redemption So should it be with us in every thing we doe It is not my will that moveth me but the will of God it is not my pleasure that provokes me to this service but the pleasure of God This is the third thing requisite in our manner of hearkning to the voice of Christ And this may be sufficient for the explication of the point Onely let me adde one thing more Hence it followeth clearly That he that doth the will of God because God requireth it will obey all the good pleasure of the Lord Hee will obey him in every thing as well as in one thing in the hardest command as well as in that which is more easie in that which most crosseth his nature as well as in that which is more suteable thereunto This indeed is that which makes a Christian constant in his walking with God notwithstanding all those difficulties and discouragements he meets withall when as others are fain to baulk many things which are required of them to perform For my brethren if a man onely take up the practise of such matters in Religion as sute with his own humour or ease or profit or the like when those fail his performance of the 〈◊〉 faileth also if there be no other motive to carrie him along in the service of God but these outward and carnall considerations when they are gone his service of God is gone also And therefore we find by experience that many men can be content to give us the hearing they will come to Church and attend to the word of God but they will take up no more they will be tyed to the performance of no dutie further then it standeth with their own occasions and suteth with their own sinfull dispositions But
truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse Their heart being resolved which way to walk it is just I say with the Lord to give them up to blindnesse of minde to dulnesse of spirit to ignorance and error that they may be hurried on in the waies of destruction for ever It is Gods own word 2 Thes 2.10 Because men received not the truth the whole truth of God in the love thereof Mâ—â—y are loth to have some points to be true as that a man â—hould exactly observe the Sabbath it is just with God to give such up to a profane spirit to deny the Sabbath Others are loth to have this true that they must pray duly every morning and evening in their family it is just with God to give such up to a sottish and stupified course that they can be contended to goe to bed like beasts The like I may say of many other duties The Lord calleth for fasting and prayer and would have his people humble themselves and seek his face now because the duty is tedious and happily the world crosseth it therefore many will fall out with the Ordinance reject it have nothing to doe with it they will have their ease and their quiet their hearts are grown fat and if any thing crosse their corruptions they will not hear with that eare It is fearfull what the Lord speaks against these Rom. 1. 28. and my heart trembleth to think of the hideous curâ—e of God against such courses and his severe indignation against such persons It is said there that because the Heathen delighted not to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to doe those things which are not convenient Mark As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge as who should say Must my mind be inlightned must I be convinced and perswaded that I must lay aside my self and be content in uprightnesse of heart to imbrace every truth of God though it be with the losse of ease and credit and estate yea and of life it self must I doe this well I doe not like it I will not beleeve it all the world shall never perswade me to it And why Because you have taken a sleepy pillow before-hand you have been resolved to keep those things that these truths crosse It is just with God when men doe not love and like to retain the truth he affordeth them to give them up to a reprobate mind that is to a mind void of judgement not knowing the truth not approving the Word And you shall see these men in all their courses and opinions vanishy Why Because the Lord hath given them up to a reprobate mind a mind not able to observe what he revealeth and a heart not willing to entertain what he discovereth to be good Gather up these things This is the last and most speciall argument why the hearts of most men are estranged from God and his truth because they harbour many lusts in their soules and cleave close to some or other corruptions It is a passage worthy observation that is recorded Jer 43. The people that were left behind in the land when the King of Babylon had carried the rest away captive were resolved to goe down into Aegypt but they would first goe to the Prophet and take his advise and he must goe to the Lord and whatsoever the Lord should declare to them by the Prophet that they would doe be it good or be it evill Here was a very fair pretence But their hearts were fully resolved betore to goe down into Aegypt and therefore when the Prophet brought them the answer of God that they should not goe but that they should remain in the Land Thou speakest fatsly say they unto him the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say Goe not into Aegypt to sojourn there but Baruch the sonne of Neriah setteth thee on against us So they obeyed not the voyce of the Lord to dwell in the sand of Judah As if they should have said we had thought thou wouldest have perswaded us that it was lawfull for us to goe down into Aegypt and if thou hadst done so we would have hearkened to thee but because what thou sayest is not as we would have it because it doth not fit us nor stand with that course we are resolved to take we will not yeeld to it whether it be truth that thou speakest or no. I wish this were not so amongst many of us I doe not say carnall and profane ones the world is full of those and their spirits are too too manifest but I say I wish it were not a fault even amongst many that in some measure love and fear the Lord. We are grown sick of our peace and we must have our quiet and ease and contentment therefore though we should appear to be sincere before God in all things and zealous for the cause of the Lord of Hosts we will shuffle in divers practises rather then be disturbed and troubled in that course that we have set to our selves Now I say gather up these and I think the point is clear If it be so that men are blind in their mindes and cannot know the Word if so be they are carelesse and doe not attend to the Word nay if so be they be setled in their sinnes and corruptions from which they will not part it is no wonder that though they have means yet they are not savingly informed in the truth of God answerably to those meanes which are bestowed upon them Let me adde now but one thing for the full clearing of the Doctrine You will say we see the quite contrary For it is cleare and evident that there are many that live in the bosome of the Church that have a great measure of understanding yet are not such as God hath wrought upon effectually yea the Devill himselfe hath knowledge enough and many a man that is nought and carnall hath an abundant measure of understanding happily much more then some godly and holy men can attain to To answer this in two or three words It is true I confesse there is many a cursed hypocrite that hath a great measure of knowledge and yet in very deed hath no true understanding at all For the knowledge whereby such men are inlightned differs much from that information and understanding which the Saints of God have For look as there is wild thime and garden thime both of the same name and both growing after the same manner yet very different in their nature and qualities so it is with knowledge there is a gracious and a sanctifying knowledge garden knowledge as I may say and there is a wild and a common knowledge I will open it a little in two or three words If you goe no further but consider the understanding of both barely you shall cleerly perceive a main difference between a Saint of God and an Hypocrite 1. An Hypocrite and a carnall man like
you doe not finde your hearts loving Christ above all things if you cannot say of Christ as the Church in the Canticles Oh thou whom my soul loveth if you cannot say that Christ hath more room in your affection that there is more inlargement of heart toward him then to any thing else in the world then you are not yet in the number of them for whom Christ gave himself to redeem them from all iniquitie Therefore I beseech you quicken up your hearts towards Christ Why doth Iniquitie so abound now and the love of so many waxe cold Surely you have forgotten your selves have not you forgotten what Christ hath done how else could your affections be so little so cold towards him Remember what I have opened now unto you Christ gave himself to be a man to obey the Law to suffer the wrath of God and man and that for this end to redeem you from all iniquitie therefore love you the Lord Jesus according as he doth deserve And thus much shall serve for the first end Why Christ gave himself for beleevers That end which concerns beleevers themselves Viz. That he might redeem them from all iniquitie The Second remaineth and that is that which concernes himself But so much for this Time â‚ THE BLESSED INHABITANT OR The BENEFIT of CHRISTS BEING In BELEEVERS By that Reverend Divine THOMAS HOOKER Late Preacher in New England EPHES. 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith LONDON Printed by G. D. for Francis Eglesfield and are to be sold at the Sign of the Marigold In Pauls Church-yard 1651. The Blessed Inhabitant OR The Benefit of Christs being in Beleevers SERMON II. ROM 8.10 If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse THe Apostle Saint Paul having in the first verse of this present Chapter in the very first words of the Verse set down the blessed Priviledges of all true beleevers such as are regenerated and are in Christ he doth afterwards in many Verses lay down the Signs and Tryals whereby he doth discover who they bee that are in that blessed condition and who they bee that are not And amongst others not to stand upon the Coherence it not being necessary for the understanding of this Verse he doth in the words of the Text lay down certain cleer Signs and Tryals whereby people may know whether they are regenerated by Christ and so justified yea or no And that is the Scope and Sum of this Verse If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse In the Verse then you have these two things considerable First the state and condition of all justified persons Christ is in them in the first words If Christ be in you Secondly the Signs and Evidences whereby it may bee known whether Christ be in people yea or no in the rest of the Verse the bodie is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse I begin with the First The state and condition of all persons that are justified They have Christ in them If Christ be in you saith the Apostle supposing thus much That the Lord Christ is in every justified person in every one that is exempted from condemnation The Point is clear and evident in the words of the Text If Christ be in you The like to this you have John 14.20 I am in my Father saith our Saviour to his Disciples and you in me and I in you They are in him and he in them The like also you have John 17.21 23. There our Saviour prayeth That they may be one in us I in them and thou in mee that they may bee made perfect in one Mark I in them and thou in me Look as God the Father is in Christ so the Lord Christ also is in every beleever To this purpose also is that of the Apostle Col. 1.27 The riches of the glory of this mysterie is Christ in you the hope of glory CHRIST IN YOU You see the Point is clear Christ is in every justified person For the further understanding hereof I will let you know in a word or two for I purpose but to touch it how the Lord Jesus Christ is in all justified persons First he is in them as the Housholder or Master of the Family is in his house Therefore the Apostle saith Eph. 3.17 That he doth dwell in our hearts Look as the Master of the Family dwelleth in his house ruling commanding and ordering all things there even so is Christ in them that are justified persons Again he is in them as the food that we receive is in our stomacks Therefore he is often in the Scripture compared to meat and drink because as meat and drink are in us after we have eaten and drunken so is the Lord Jesus Christ also in all them that are justified for their refreshing nourishing and strengthning and preservation of life in them Last of all He is in them as a mans life is in him I live not saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 but Christ liveth in me Christ is in the soul of a poor sinner that beleeveth as our naturall life is in our bodies as our life doth act and move us being the principle of all those motions that are in us even so is Christ also in all justified persons But you will ask In what respect is it that the Lord Christ is said to be in justified persons I answer Amongst others Christ is said to be in them in these two respects First Because his Spirit is in them By his Spirit I do not mean his humane spirit his soul as he is a man that is proper to himself as every mans soul is but by his Spirit I mean the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost the third Person in Trinitie which is the Spirit of Christ both as he is the second Person in Trinitie so the Holy Ghost proceedeth from him together with the Father and also as he is the Mediatour of his Church so it is his Spirit because he hath merited and as it were purchased it to imploy it and to send it about for the effecting of the salvation of the Elect. Now the Lord Christ is in beleevers by vertue of his spirit because his spirit is in them This the verse before the Text and the verse after plainly prove where the Apostle maketh mention of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in the faithful If the Spirit of God dwell in you v. 9. And If the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you Verse 11. This is the first Reason why Christ is said to be in justified persons his Spirit is in them Another is Because the vertue efficacie life and operation of Christ is in them as the tree or the root may be said to be in the branches because the life and sap of the tree is put forth in the branches So
my brethren is Christ said to be in the soul of every beleever because the vertue and influence of Christ is working in them as truly as it is in himself onely differing in regard of degrees and perfection Now for the fuller illustration of the Point give me leave in the last place to shew you the means whereby Christ is in all them that are justified They are these two First the grace of Faith For this in-being of Christ in all justified persons is the consequent of their union with him Now by faith they are joyned to Christ and Christ being joyned to them and they to him Christ is in them as well as they in him Therefore in that forenamed place Eph. 3.17 Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by faith Another means is The abiding of Christs word in us John 15.7 If ye abide in me and my words abide in you In the fourth Verse our Saviour had said thus Abide in me and I in you now repeating that again he somewhat altereth it and saith If ye abide in me and my words abide in you I conceive the ground of the alteration is onely this because the abiding of Christs word in people is a means whereby Christ doth abide in them By the words of Christ I take it is meant the Gospel of Christ with all the commandments instructions and promises that are contained in it Now when this Word of Christ doth abide in people which it doth when understood remembred practised and observed by this means Christ is said and made to abide in them The words of Christ are as so many plants which he doth ingraft into a poor soul as we doe ingraft Cions into a stock Therefore the Apostle calls it the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls Jam 1.21 Now look as the stock cometh to have the nature and to bear the fruit of the Cion by having the Cion implanted and ingrafted into it even so by ingrafting the word of Christ into us we come to have the sap and life of the Spirit of Christ and consequently Christ himself to abide in us For the further understanding of the Point you must in the last place know That however the Lord Christ is in all justified persons yet he is not wholly and compleatly in them not so as to exclude sin and Satan out of them Christ is in them and sin and Satan are in them also so that Christs dwelling in them is but imperfect yet notwithstanding it is perfecting and in the end shall be consummate and then Christ shall onely be in them and sin and Satan altogether shut out This serveth my brethren to teach us all which is the readiest and surest way to become justified persons and partakers of Christ and all his priviledges to wit to get Christ to be in us In vain dost thou hope for any Christian priviledge in vain dost thou indeavour after any thing that is necessary to salvation if by faith Christ is not brought to be in thee People doe oft trouble themselves many waies but most are ignorant or negligent of this way whereas our hope of happinesse of the forgivenesse of our sins our labours and endeavours after heaven are all in vain if we doe not labour by beleeving to get the Lord Jesus Christ to be in us Many conceit that Christ will be for them but he will be for none but for them in whom he is I mean not now to dispute whether Christ be for us or in us first but this is sure he will be for none but such as he is in also Therefore saith the Apostle Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of glory The Connexion is to be observed Christ the hope of glory but Christ in you implying that as we must have no hope but Christ and therefore Christ is called our hope so we can never have Christ to be our hope if we have not Christ to be in us Learn this therefore I say above all things to labour to be joyned to Christ by a lively faith that so you may come to have him in you and then he shall be for you and never till then Thus much for the first thing The condition of all such as are justified They have Christ in them Now for the second which is the main thing the Apostle aimeth at the Evidences or Signs whereby it may be known who have Christ in them Yee have them in the next words The body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse Give me leave first to open the words unto you By Sin you know is meant the transgression of Gods law the going beside the rule of Gods Commandment either in neglecting what is enjoyned or in doing what is prohibited this is sin By Righteousness also must be meant the contrary to this For howsoever righteousness is sometime in the Scripture taken strictly for the observation of those duties that concern men which the second Table injoyneth yet sometime it is taken largely for the observation of the whole Law of God and all duties concerning God and us and thus it is usually taken when as it is not joyned with something else that doth restrain it Here it is opposed to sin and therefore as by sin is meant the going beside the Commandment of God so by righteousnesse is meant the observation or doing of the Commandment of God Thus you see what is meant by sin and what by righteousnesse But it is more difficult to know what is meant by the bodie and what by the Spirit The bodie is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse I take it here by the bodie is meant the bodie of corruption the bodie of sin that same Original corruption that is in all of us by nature It cannot be understood of the natural body because of the opposition to spirit for by the spirit here cannot be understood our soul or our spirit for it cannot be said that any mans spirit or soul is life to righteousnesse it may be said that it is enlivened to righteousness but it cannot be said to be life to righteousnesse therefore seeeing by the spirit the soul of a man cannot be meant I thinke it is clear that by the the body the bodie of man cannot be meant But by the body I conceive as I said is meant the body of sin for so Saint Paul calleth it Rom. 6.6 That the bodie of sin might be destroyed Now this Originall corruption is called a bodie in these respects 1. Because that it commeth to us by propagation from the parents of our bodies 2. To expresse the baseness of it for our bodies are but base and vile as Saint Paul calleth them Phil. 3.21 3. To expresse the fadingness of it for that is our comfort as our naturall bodies are mortall so the body of sin originall corruption is also mortall to all the Saints Therefore it is called flesh
because through the merit of Christ and the mercie of God it is transitorie to all beleevers 4. Lastly it is called a bodie because as our bodies are made up of many Integrals and consist of several members by which they act and exercise severall functions so also originall corruption is one thing consisting of many particular sins as so many integrall parts or severall members whereby it putteth forth it self in severall operations For these and such like reasons Originall corruption is called a bodie Thus you see what is here meant by bodie And now it is more easie to understand what is meant by the Spirit The Spirit is life because of righteousnesse For if by the body be meant originall corruption then by the Spirit must be meant originall righteousnesse that which is elsewhere in the Scripture called the divine nature or the seed of God or grace or holiness or the like Originall holiness or righteousness is that which I take it is here meant by the Spirit It is so called John 3.6 That which is born of the spirit is spirit and so in many other places Now this same habit of holiness is called the Spirit 1. To shew the excellency of it That as a Spirit is an excellent thing far above all bodily substances so is holiness the excellentest of Gods creatures for grace is also a creature as other things 2. To shew the durableness of it though sin shall die in the Saints and be utterly destroyed yet grace shall never be destroyed stroyed nor cease in the Saints of God 3. It is called the Spirit in regard of the Objects of it for the Objects of this grace are spirituall things 4. In regard of the Author of it It is the holy Spirit of God that begets and works it in people therefore as the child beareth the name of the Father so doth this of the Spirit Thus you see what is meant by sin namely the transgression of Gods Law either in omission or commission What by righteousness The observation of Gods Law in the duties of the first and second Table What by the bodie Originall corruption What by the spirit the habit of holiness or originall righteousnesse Now then the whole amounteth to this That if so bee the Lord Christ be in people then there is a death of sin in them and a life of righteousnesse Thus much is meant by the words let them be taken any way which way soever Expositors can carry them this must be the sence of them and therefore we need not spend further time in the Exposition but will fall directly upon the Doctrine which is this In whomsoever Christ is there is a death of sin and a life of righteousnesse The Point is very evident and expresse in the Text being the main matter scope and drift thereof as well as in other places of Scripture For the proving of it not to trouble you with many other Scriptures you may consider these things First The ends and the offices of Christ which the Apostle Paul expresseth Tit. 2.14 Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquitie and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The main end of Christ is the redemption of a people from all iniquitie which implieth not onely the removal of the guilt of sin but the destroying of the bodie of sin Therefore 1 Joh. 3.8 it is said That for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devill Not onely the guilt of sin but the power and dominion of sin is the work of the Devill now therefore for this purpose saith the Text the Son of God was manifested that he might free us from the guilt yea and from the dominion and life and power of sin There is one end Another end of Christs giving himself was To purifie us therefore he must put sin to death in us for to purifie is nothing else but to purge out corruption as the fire doth work the drosse out that is in the gold Again To purifie us that we might be a peculiar people zealous of good works Where there is a zealousnesse of good works there must be a life of righteousnesse So that by that place you plainly see that the end of Christ is the putting of sin to death and bringing in the life of righteousnesse Moreover Christ was to be the second Adam and he is so called 1 Cor. 15.45 And to speak the truth the first Adam was a Type of Christ as it is Rom. 5.14 Who is the Figure or Type of him that was to come For not onely the Ceremonies amongst the Jewes were Types of Christ but even Adam in his fall in his undoing the world in his overthrowing of mankind was a Type and Figure of Christ also Onely other Types did figure out Christ by way of similitude but Adam by way of dissimilitude and contrarietie For look what Adam did the contrary to that Christ is to doe Now Adam did cause to all in whom he was as the Parent is in the child a death of righteousnesse and a life of sin Therefore the contrary the Lord Jesus Christ must work in all those in whom he is a death of sin and a life of righteousnesse Secondly this Point is also plain from the consideration of those respects in which Christ is said to be in people Those are as you heard before First in regard of his Spirit Secondly in regard of his Vertue influence and sap that is in them Now where ever these are there must be a death of sin and a life of righteousnesse For the former even as fire doth purge away drosse and rust so the holy Ghost works out corruption and puts sin to death where ever he cometh and as light expelleth darkness even so doth he expell unrighteousnesse and sin because he is the holy Spirit Again for the vertue and life of Christ you know it was the life of righteousnesse therefore whereever this is there must be a life of righteousnesse in that man Last of all the truth of this will appear from the consideration of that communion with Christ and conformitie to him that all those must have which are in Christ and Christ in them Wherein they must have a communion with and a conformitie to Christ Saint Paul sheweth Rom. 6. from the third verse to the twelfth In the third Verse he layeth down that Union by Faith which all justified persons have with the Lord Jesus and from this he inferreth a communion with him and a conformitie unto him But in what In his death and in his resurrection If we have been planted together saith he v. 5. in the likenesse of his death mark not in the same death but in the likeness thereof wee shall bee also in the likeness of his resurrection Where the Apostle declareth that like as there was in Christ a bodily death and a bodily resurrection so there is in
remembrance of that Originall corruption that was in his soul and could never be rooted out this made him to cry out for deliverance Again Fourthly Wheresoever there is the life of righteousnesse there is a discovering and discerning of the severall Particulars of sin and of unrighteousnesse Light it doth discover all things that are foul and are amisse and life doth oftentimes discover weaknesses and illnesse and straightness we know discovers crookedness so where ever there is the life of righteousness there is a discerning of that inward contrarietie of unrighteousness that is in that heart I know that no man can discern all the evils that are in his soul because the life of righteousness is not perfect but imperfect in this world but yet notwithstanding he that hath the life or righteousness he doth in part discover every corruption in his soul he doth see in himself the corruptions that are contrary to the whole frame of righteousnes he doth see in himself the iniquities that are the transgressions of the whole Law of God Hence it is that the children of God are so humbled for a child of God one that hath the life of righteousnesse in him cannot be proud for he having a life of righteousness commeth to see the death of sin in him and to disscern in himself an universall contrarietie in part to the whole Law of God Hence it is also that they thinke worse of themselves then of any other because by the life of righteousness they discern the remnants of an universall contrarietie that is in them to the whole Law of God Lastly The fifth Effect of the life of righteousness it is this Where ever there is the life of righteousness there are all the fruits of the Spirit in some part and in some measure begun in them The life of righteousness it is not the springing up of one grace but it is the quickning of the whole body of grace in us the whole frame of holiness it is begun in them that have the life of righteousness there are all the fruits of the Spirit to be found in that soul What they are you may read in Gal. 5.22 Love joy peace long-suffering gentleness faith meekness temperance c. I say there are all the fruits of the Spirit begun in that soul so that there is no grace that the word of God calleth for that Christ hath that the Saints of God ever shewed forth but he that hath the life of righteousness can discern it in some measure begun or beginning in himself Take the lowest and meanest Christian of all others if he have the life of righteousness he can finde in himself if he doe not judge falsely at least the buddings and blossomings of the fruits of the Spirit of God of that which God requireth of his children By the beginnings and buddings of grace I mean First a discerning of the wants of grace for usually the first work of grace is a discerning of the want of grace The first work of the grace of humilitie is a discerning of the want of humilitie the first work of the grace of Faith is a discerning of the want of Faith c. So that there is I say a discerning of the want of such and such graces but that is not all hypocrites may sometime see the want of grace but there is together with a discerning of the want of grace an apprehension of the excellencie of grace a hungring and thirsting after the getting of it a high valuing of those that have it and a constant use of the Ordinances for the obtaining of it And to all these Effects of the life of righteousnesse as to the former Effects of the death of sin you must add that Propertie that it is lasting it is a never-dying life When this life of righteousness is quickned and begun in any it increaseth and groweth up it never dyeth and is finally extinguished Thus I have as briefly as I can shewed you how you may trie your selves whether you have this death of sin and life of righteousnesse that is in all those in whom the Lord Jesus Christ is Now then my brethren be exhorted I beseech you in the fear of God to put in practise and to make use of this Touchstone and looking-glasse It is of use to all of us not onely to you that are the people of God but to you that are not not onely to you that are not but to you that are the people of God These touchstones of the Scripture these scales and weights of the Sanctuarie they are of use to all sorts of people First To you that have the truth of grace in you it is of great use to you to trie your selves by for by often tryall you come to be setled and assured of the truth of your grace And for want of this you want the comfort of your interest in the Lord Christ the comfort of your justification and of your sanctification and consequently of your salvation You cannot but want comfort so long as you want assured Evidences of the truth of grace in you Again you doe not onely want comfort but you are disinabled to the service of God and growth in righteousness by discouragements Discouragements are to the people of God as the cold winde and frosts are to yong buds and whence cometh discouragements Because people are not assured of the truth of their grace And not onely so but lastly you are not so careful and thankfull to God as you should onely because you are not rooted in the certaintie of the goodness of your estate Therefore these tryals are of use to you And much more to you that are not yet in the state of grace What is the reason that so many drop into hell and are tumbled down into the pit of destruction notwithstanding they live under the Gospel and the preaching of it It is because the Devill hath begotten in them vain hopes groundless perswasions of their part in Christ of the forgiveness of their sins and salvation of their souls and so while they have vain and groundlesse hopes hence it is that they goe to hell with a dream and conceit that they go to heaven Could we but once convince people that they are not yet in a right state and that all their vain hopes and imaginarie conceits are false and will prove deceitful there were a great deal of likelihood that they would obtain true grace and so consequently come to be everlastingly saved Therefore I say it is of use to all sorts I beseech you therefore make use of those signs that the Scripture giveth you whereby you may trie your selves Doe not thinke that it is an irregular way to put people upon signs and tryals I confesse there are some particular cases wherein it is not safe for some particular persons at that time and in that case to put them to try themselves by signs But for the generall it is necessary and it is the
with the punishment of sinne such of you as doe desire as truly to be rid of sinne it selse as to escape damnation for sinne in a word such of you as are sensible of the corruption of your nature and groan under it as under the greatest misery you can possibly lie under such of you as maintain an invincible opposition against the sinnes of your nature and make them your daily conflict you are Gods people and to you I speak at this time Here my brethren is comfort for you sinne may be in thee it may foile thee it may have sometime a great power over thee yet notwithstanding be of good comfort sinne shall never have dominion over thee it shall never make thee his subject it shall never damne thee I pray take notice of the speech of God to Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12. 8 9. The Apostle was troubled with his corruptions and he prayed thrice to be rid of it here is a signe of Gods childe though he have corruptions in him yet he is restlesse under them and he never giveth over praying till God deliver him from them Paul prayed thrice that is often he could not be quiet till he were free from it it was as a thorn in his foot what answer doth God give My grace is sufficient for thee As if he should say Paul be of good comfort art thou annoyed with corruption yet notwithstanding My grace is sufficient for thee thy corruption shall never have dominion over thee well may it dwell in thee never shall it reign over thee well may it foile thee never shall it conquer thee thou shalt never come to be overcome with thy corruptions so as to give up thy selfe with full consent of will to obey thy sinnes My grace is sufficient to keep thy corruption from reigning over thee though I will not keep it from dwelling in thee My grace is sufficient to keep sinne from damning of thee though I will not yet keep it from molesting of thee Here is comfort for thy poor soule therefore that art burthened and grieved with the sense of thy corruptions As the Lord resolved that he would not for a time drive out the Canaanites from among the people of Israel but yet they should be Tributaries to them and acknowledge them for their Soveraigne so the Lord hath resolved that sinne shall dwell in thee but yet it shall be a Tributary it shall never sway the Scepter it shall never weare the Crown it shall never set on the Throne of thy soule and not prevailing to reign over thee it shall never prevaile to damne thee Be of good comfort therefore God will deliver thee from all dominion of sinne yea he hath done it already Oh how did Saint Paul crie out Rom. 7. 24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Here is a true signe of Gods childe they that have not this are none of Gods by reason of the remainders of corruption which is as death in him therefore the Apostle here calleth it the body of this death he meaneth originall corruption but calleth it a body of death because it is a death to him and he had rather suffer death then have it in him by reason of this he counteth himselfe miserable and wretched Oh miserable and wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death he would give all the world if he had it but to be delivered from the presence of sinne this is the state of Gods children nothing in the world burtheneth them so much as the presence of their corruptions they are not pleased when they break Gods Commands they doe not make it their trade to commit sinne it is the greatest griefe and shame and wound their soule hath Well how doth Saint Paul comfort himselfe against the remainders of corruption in him I thank God saith he through jesus Christ our Lord As if he should say why doe I thus dismay my selfe sinne is in me but yet notwithstanding sinne shall not have dominion over me by Christ I am delivered from the reign of sinne Oh thanks be to God through jesus Christ Here is consolation take it and incourage your selves by it against the remainders of corruption that are in you God hath left sinne in you but why It is but to serve you as the Canaanites that were left in Canaan they shall not reign over you saith God they shall be Tributaries to you to draw water and to hew wood for the service of the Sanctuary to helpe you in offering up Sacrifices they shall be your servants I speak this to your comforts onely that are the Lords sinne is left in you not to reign over you but to serve you You are Priests to God the Father and you must have Sacrifices to offer up unto God of old God made his people offer up costly Sacrifices Oxen and Sheep and Calves but now sinne serveth the turne the sinne that is in thee serveth thee for Sacrifice every sinne that thou mortifie it is as pleasing a Sacrifice to God as if thou offerest up an O xe or a Sheep thus they are thy servants and they save thee cost they serve in stead of Sacrifices they serve to draw water and cut wood thy sinnes they doe more further thygrace then any thing else they helpe thee to draw the water of godly sorrow of true repentance they helpe thee to prize the mercies of the Lord Jesus Christ they helpe thee to humility to meeknesse to a spirit of compassion to others in a word nothing doth thee so much service as the sinne that is in thee Be of good comfort therefore if thy sinnes be grieved for striven against laboured against they further thy reward for all eternity Here is the second Use The last Use is for Exhortation in as much as you that are Gods people see that sinve shall never have dominion over you be exhorted therefore to fight against your sinnes you have a good cause you are sure of victory oh then play the men Souldiers that have a good cause and have good hope of victory how manfully doe they fight and yet they are not sure of victory neither But thou that art one of Christs what cause can here be better then thine the cause of Christ against the Devill what greater assurance can there be of obtaining the victory seeing God himselfe is ingaged in the quarrell the word is gone cut of his mouth he hath said it Sinne shall not have dominion over you Oh then stand it out against sinne never yeeld the bucklers to thy corruptions that make hard upon thee make the battell fresh and strong against thy lusts though thou art foyled again and again never give over conflicting for God hath said it and his words shall never fall to the ground that sinne shall not have dominion over thee he hath engaged himselfe in the cause and if God be true and able
received The last and principall thing is the stooping of the soul and subjection of the heart to that which is understood and remembred For then indeed according to the Phrase of the Spirit of God in Scripture a man is said to hearken when the soul begineth to yeeld and subject it self and to take the impression of that truth which God is pleased to make known unto it and that is the meaning of the Phrase 1 Kings 12.15 The Text saith there of Rehoboam that when the ancient men came to counsell him he hearkned not unto them as if it should be said he heard them well enough and he understood them well enough and he retained their counsel in his memory well enough but his soul yeelded not to it his heart imbraced not that counsel he did not subject himself thereunto therefore the Text saith He hearkned not to the counsell of the old men The like Phrase we have touching the sons of Eli 1 Sam. 2.25 When their father spake to them after a cold fashion the Text saith They hearkned not unto the voice of their father They heard his words well enough and understood what he said but their souls stooped not their hearts submitted not they did not subject themselves to take in the impression of the truth upon them and to be framed to the wisdome of God revealed to them in the same So that my brethren then a man is said to hearken when his ear heareth the sound his understanding closeth with the sense and his memorie retains it and his heart cometh under it stoopeth to it yeelds up it self to the impression of the truths delivered to be disposed of thereafter In brief therefore this is the meaning A carefull attention to the word that includes the three former and obedience and subjection of heart to the word thus attended to comprized in the last Now for the party to be hearkned unto that is unto me What is meant here by the word mee If you have recourse to the beginning of this Chapter you shall see it is Wisdom And by Wisdom here you are to understand the Lord Jesus Christ so far as he hath pleased to reveal himself to us either in the Word of God or work of his grace For Christ is here especially meant but not Christ meerly or barely as God nor Christ in the second person but so far as the Lord Jesus Christ the wisdome of his Father is pleased by the work of his grace by the power of his Spirit in the Ministory of the word either written or preached to reveal himself to us So far he is said to be Wisdome The words now are clear you see what is to be understood by hearkning and who the parâ—ie is to whom we must hearken The Point then that ariseth from these two parts of the Text thus joyned together in the Explication is evident and it is to this effect Namely â—hat The voice of the Lord Jesus Christ ought onely to be attended to and must be obeyed of all his faithfull servants I say Of all his faithfull servants The Lord Christ thinketh 〈◊〉 vain to speak to others therefore he addresseth himself onely to his children These are they that must attend and obey his voice whatsoever he shall be pleased to reveal unto them they must submit themselves unto it and that before and above all others in the world The Point is clear and evident You see it is the main purpose and intent of Christ in this place and therefore hee calleth for audience he desireth to gain acceptance at the hands of men As if he should say in other terms Lay by all other advice onely hearken unto me my children let corrupt counsell carnall advice the sinfull delusions of all ungodly persons in the world let them all passe onely hear and hearken unto me entertain and unbrace my counsell submit your hearts to my instructions And not onely Christ requires this of his children in this place under the name of Wisdome but it is the injunction of God himself and that from heaven it is such a truth and of so great importance that God himself from heaven makes it known and giveth it in speciall charge to all the sons of men Matth. 17.5 When Christ was transfigured in the Mount There came a voice out of the cloud which said This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him Mark there came a voice out of the cloud It is not onely the voice of man that perswades you aâ—d enjoyns you to give audience to the Lord Jesus but God himself and that from heaven and that in mediately with his own mouth layeth this upon us as a dutie that we are to perform that we should hear his Son that is hear him above all more then all nay hear him onely and none but him It is that also which Christ himself calleth for Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart As if he should say There are many masters and teachers in the world but leave all the rest and come hither and learn of me for I am c. Yea it is not onely the charge of God and command of Christ but it hath been and is the generall resolution of the Saints of God from day to day Mic. 4.2 all the people joyned hand in hand as it were Come say they and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his waies and we will walk in his paths for the Law shall go forth of Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem As if they should have said Because from Zion cometh the Law because at Jerusalem the word of God is taught and revealed therefore it is high time for us to go thither come let us goe let us wait upon God there he will teach us of his waies and what remaineth we will walk in his paths we will stoop unto the truth delivered we will submit our selves to it and conform our hearts and lives to the will of God revealed to us from thence And you shall observe the holy Prophet David as though there had been no Temple no Priest no Teacher besides how his good soul is still breathing upward in many passages of the 119. Psalm Lord teach me Lord quicken mee Lord give understanding to thy servant c. He repaireth maâ—nly and chiefly to the Lord for guidance and direction Enough for the proof of the point But a man may aske after what manner must I hearken Hearkning I told you implyeth attention and obedience therefore you may remember that I put them both together in the Doctrine that it was our duty both to attend to the voice of Christ and to yeeld obedience unto it But how must I doe this For the opening hereof give me leave to discover unto you three particulars which are specially to be considered and are required of
now hee that is carried along in all his services by the will of God if that be the principall mover of him in all his performances then when ever that will is revealed let it bee what it will bee let it crosse him never so much or be never so contrary to his disposition yet he is the same in every thing that he is in one thing This is that which is said Acts 3.22 For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me him shall you hear in all things whatsoever hee shall say unto you Mark him shall you hear in all things that is Whatsoever he shall make known unto you to bee the will of God to that you shall yeeld obedience And this is a necessary consequent of the former For if the will of God be the first mover of the soul to every performance then being at any time revealed it casteth the ballance and commands the soul willingly to yeeld to what God requireth in every thing Thus much shall serve for the clearing of the Point The substance of all that I have said is thus much namely That the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ must be so alone hearkned to and obeyed that first of all we must seek to him and depend onely and wholly upon him for direction Secondly that we must settle our hearts and judgements upon that truth that is by him revealed unto us And lastly that wee must be moved to the performance of every dutie because God requires it and consequently that our obedience bee universall that we hear him in all things Now a Question may be here propounded How shall a man hear the voice of Christ Indeed happily may a carnall man say if the Lord Christ would reveal himself to us immediately and his word were made known to us by himself we would presently yeeld obedience thereunto without any contradiction How shall a man therefore know when the voice of Christ is made known I answer briefly the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ is made known to us two waies First the word of God in the Scripture ever hath the voice of Christ in it Whatsoever the word speaks the Lord himself speaks The Apostle Rom. 3.2 saith that unto the Jewes were committed the Oracles of God What were those Oracles of God Nothing but the Scriptures So that this everlasting truth this word of God rightly understood and truly conceived alwaies carrieth the voice of Jesus Christ with it And therefore Saint Peter speaking of the Scriptures in generall 2 Pet. 1.21 saith that those holy men of God that were the Penmen thereof spake as they were moved or inspired by the Holy Ghost thereby intimating unto us that the Scriptures are the very inspirations of God the very breath as one may say of the the Holy Ghost So that look whatsoever it is that the Scriptures make known to us God from heaven hath spoken it even as truly and as really as though he had spoken it immediately What the word saith God himself saith Secondly Whatsoever any faithfull Minister shall speak out of the Word that is also the voice of Christ The Texts are many that are to this purpose Give me leave to touch but one or two of them 2 Cor. 1â— 3 Ye seek a proof saith the Apostle of Christ speaking in me which to you-wards is not weak but is mightie in you Implying that whatsoever is spoken out of the word of God what truth soever is delivered to us by the mouth of his Ministers agreeable to the word Christ himself speaks in them Therefore our Saviour is plain Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me That which the Ministers of God speak the God of Heaven himselfe speakes and they that despise their ministry the God of Heaven will require it even as if he himselfe should speak from Heaven and men should reject his words The Apostle Peter saith that the Lord Jesus by the power of his Spirit went and preached in the time of Noah to the Spirits that are now in Hell 1 Pet. 3.29 to those people that were disobedient before the floud to whom Noah preached partly by his practise and partly by his directions Christ himselfe spake even by that Spirit whereby he quickneth all things So then the point is evident But what reason is there that a man should stoop to the voyce and command of Christ In a word first He that alone hath command over us and right to require service at our hands him onely we ought to obey Now Christ alone is our Lord and we are his servants Eli joyneth these together in his direction to Samuel 1 Sam. 3 9. Thou shalt say saith he Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth If Christ alone therefore be our Lord whom else should we hear unto whom else should we attend and yeeld obedience Secondly The direction of Christ is the surest and safest look what counsell the Lord Jesus giveth we may build upon it As for others some are ignorant and know not how to teach some negligent and idle and will not teach some corrupt in their judgement and may infect us But Christ being Knowledge it selfe and Truth it selfe neither can nor will deceive us Therefore whatsoever the Lord Christ shall make known we may rest upon it and whatsoever course we take up upon his directions we may undoubtedly perswade our selvts that it shall goe well with us in the issue Our Saviour joyneth the same reason to his exhortation Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart What then And yee shall find rest unto your soules as if he should say The counsels and directions that men give they doe not they will not they cannot give a man any rest but the counsell that I give and those directions that I reveale unto you out of my word what ever soule imbraceth them what ever heart entertaineth them shall find rest and comfort to it selfe for ever Let us perswade our selves that whatsoever the Lord speakes will not saile us there is none that trusts upon him that even shall be ashamed his counsell is seasonable and will be profitable to us if it be blessed of God Thirdly Christ onely is able to teach us Man may teach the care but the Lord onely can frame the soule and bring the heart to obedience That place Luke 24.32.45 is worth the remembring Verse 32. it is said that the Lord opened to the Disciples the Scriptures and Verse 45. that he opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures Men can onely reveale truths to us but never a man in the world is able to perswade our hearts and put understanding into our mindes but the Lord not onely openeth the sense and meaning of the Scriptures but he giveth us mindes to know and hearts to imbrace
Abraham That man that not onely enjoyeth the Priviledges of the Church but yeeldeth the obedience of faith according to the Word of God revealed and walketh in obedience that man alone shall be blessed with faithfull Abraham Two points may be hence raised but I shall hardly handle them both therefore I will passe over the first onely with a touch and that lieth closely couched in the Text That Faith causeth fruitfulness in the hearts and lives of those in whom it is Mark what I say A faithfull man is a fruitfull man Faith inableth a man to be doing Ask the Question By what power was it whereby Abraham was inabled to yeeld obedience to the Lord The Text answereth you They that walke in the footsteps not of Abraham but in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham A man would have thought the Text should have run thus They that walk in the footsteps of Abraham that is true too but the Apostle had another end therefore he saith They that walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham implying that it was the grace of faith that God bestowed on Abraham that quickned and inabled him to every duty that God required of him and called him to the performance of So that I say the Question being Whence came it that Abraham was so fruitfull a Christian what inabled him to do and to suffer what he did Surely it was faith that was the cause that produced such Effects that helped him to perform such actions The Point then you see is evident Faith is it that causoth fruit Hence it is that of almost all the actions that a Christian haah to doe faith is still said to be the worker If a man pray as he should it is the prayer of faith Jam. 5.15 If a man obey as he should it is the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 If a man war in the Church militant it is the fight of faith 1 Tim. 6.12 2 Tim. 4.7 If a man live as a Christian and holy man he liveth by fasth Gal. 2.20 Nay shall I say yet more if he die as he ought he dieth by faith Heb. 11.13 These all died in faith What is that by the power of faith that directed and ordered them in the course of their death furnished them with grounds and principles of aflurance of the love of God made them carry themselves patiently in death I can say no more but with the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether yee bee in the faith Why doth not the Apostle say Examine whether faith be in you but whether yee bee in the faith His meaning is that as a man is said to be in drinke or to be in love or to bee in passion that is under the command of drinke or love or passion so the whole man must be under the command of faith as you shall see more afterwards If he pray faith must indite his prayer If he obey faith must work If hee live it is faith that must quicken him and if he die it is faith that must order him in death And wheresoever faith is it will doe wonders in the soul of that man where it is it cannot be idle it will have footsteps it sets the whole man on work it moveth feet and hands and cies and all parts of the bodie Mark how the Apostle disputeth 2 Cor 4.13 We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeved and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak The faith of the Apostle which he had in his heart set his tongue a going If a man have faith within it will break forth at his mouth This shall suffice for the proof of the point I thought to have pressed it further but if I should I see the time would prevent me The Use therefore in a word is this If this be so then it falleth soul and is a heavie Bill of Indictment against many that live in the bosome of the Church Go thy wayes home and read but this Text and consider seriously but this one thing in it That whosoever is the son of Abraham hath faith and whosoever hath faith is a walker is a worker by the footsteps of faith you may see where faith hath been Will not this then I say fall marvellous heavie upon many souls that live in the bosome of the Church who are confident and put it out of all Question that they are true beleevers and make no doubt but that they have faith But look to it wheresoever faith is it is fruitfull If thou art fruitlesse say what thou wilt thou hast no faith at all Alas these idle Drones these idle Christians the Church is too too full of them Men are continually hearing and yet remain fruitless and unprofitable whereas if there were more faith in the world we should have more work done in the world faith would set feet and hands and eies and all on work Men go under the name of professors but alas they are but Pictures they stir not a whit Mark Where you found them in the beginning of the yeer there you shall find them in the end of the yeer as profane as worldly as loose in their conversations as formall in dutie as ever And is this faith Oh faith would work other matters and provoke a soul to other passages then these But you wil say May not a man have faith and not that fruit you speak of May not a man have a good heart to God-ward although he cannot find that abilitie in matter of fruitfulnesse My brethren be not deceived Such an opinion is a meer delusion of Satan whereever faith is it bringeth Christ into the soul Mark that Whosoever beleeveth Christ dwelleth in his heart by faith Eph. 3.17 And If Christ be in you saith the Apostle the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you that is Whosoever beleeveth in the Lord Jesus Christ dwels in such a man by faith now if Christ be in the soul the bodie cannot be dead but a man is alive and quick and active to holy duties ready and willing and cheerfull in the performance of whatsoever God requireth Christ is not a dead Saviour nor the Spirit a dead Spirit The second Adam is made a quickning spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 And wherever the Spirit is it works Effects suteable to it The Spirit is a Spirit of puritie a spirit of zeal c. and where it is it maketh pure and zealous c. When a man will say he hath faith and in the mean time can be content to be idle and unfruitfull in the work of the Lord can bee content to be a dead Christian let him know that his case is marvellously fearfull For if faith were in him indeed it would appear yee cannot keep your good hearts to your selves where ever fire is it will burn and where ever faith is it cannot be
to goe along with men in the use of the meanes is it possible that they should be effectuall Naturally men are carelesse and negligent to attend and wait upon God with faithfull painfulnesse in the use of the meanes and so they will continue till God put another spirit into them and work that in them which will enable them to doe what nature never can doe And hence it commeth to passe that so long as they continue meet naturall men they are not able to receive that sweetnesse nor reap that benefit that otherwise they might from the Word of God they have no mind to it they hear it may be but they are not whether they hear or no. Job telleth us that wicked men say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21.14 It is a place worthy some observation They say unto God Depart from us How doth a man say to the Almighty Depart from me I doe not conceive that a company of men will be so desperate as openly to out-face God in his Ordinances and bid him depart from them or openly to professe it to all the world that they desire not the knowledge of God nor of his wayes But they said it in their hearts and professed it in their lives being carelesse of God and regardlesse of the meanes of life and salvation When the Word came with counsell with reproofe with admonition and the like alas they flighted it they made no regard of it they neglected it and as they behaved themselves toward the counsels and admonitions of the Word so they are said to have behaved themselves towards God And my brethren it is all one if hearing the Minister speak unto you the word of God and bring home to you the reproofes and admonitions and counsels thereof you kick his Word from you and happily take up armes against him it is all one I say as if you take up armes against God and despised him It is a plain case our Saviour himselfe hath said it He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10 16. And so those men Job speaketh of because they manifested a carelesse esteem of the ordinances are said to bid God depart from them and to professe they desired not the knowledge of his wayes as if they should say it is a tedious thing to us to be convinced out of the Word we doe not desire to be perswaded to doe this or that we have no heart to heare such things as these This is a generall fault among most that live in the bosome of the Church to manifest a want of desire of the knowledge of the wayes of God How many severall passages are continually extended to men in the preaching of the Word both counsels and reproofes some whereof it may be they receive but such as crosse their dispositions and thwart them in any pleasant or profitable course of sinne oh how tedious are they to their hearts how unwilling are they to be informed of them how willingly doe they reject those blessed meanes that God would put into their hands to helpe them to salvation Famous it that place 2 Pet. 3.5 Those mockers there spoken of that should come in the last dayes saying Where is the promise of his comming the Apostle saith of them This they are willingly ignorant of that the Heavens were of old by the Word of God c. They are willingly ignorant as if he should say they are ignorant because they will be ignorant they doe nto desire to know that which might convince and reforme them Look how it is with a truant Scholler though the Master be never so carefull in his teaching and take never so great paines with him yet it is impossible that he should thrive in his learning for happily he comes one day to Schoole and withdraweth himselfe a week after and loseth more in two dayes then he can get in four And you that are Tradesmen know that a runnagate Apprentise cannot possibly be informed in his trade so as to behave himselfe skilfully for his Masters profit for the present or his own benefit and comfort afterwards So the truth is if you ask me the cause why so few men are savingly inlightned and informed in the wayes of life and salvation notwithstanding the abundance of meanes that they injoy Oh it is because we have so many truant Schollers in Gods Schoole so many runnagate Apprentises from the meanes of salvation this is the cause that howsoever there be meanes and teaching enough yet men are not gainers by these good occasions and opportunities which God is pleased to put into their hands This I say is the very reason Let a Minister presse a man that is somewhat loose in his life to the performance of good duties urge him to prayer with his family to the sanctifying of the Lords day to leave his swearing and his vain company or the like he will turn the deafe eare to you and though happily he will not presently flie in the face of the Minister yet he will slight all that he saith he for his part hath other businesse in hand no wonder my brethren this man profiteth not by the Word seeing his heart is not set thereunto seeing he intendeth it not hath no mind nor desire of the knowledge of the wayes of God The last and indeed the main reason why in this last age of the world wherein the light of the Gospel shineth so bright yet men sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and remain stark blind in heavenly things and though waters are hard by us yet we continue like a dry and thirstie wildernesse is The corruption of mens hearts in which they are setled and in which they are resolved to continue come what will to the contrary A setled and secret resolution that harboureth in the souls of men to maintain some private lust or other is I say a speciall reason why the mindes of men are no more inlightned nor themselves informed in the waies of life and happiness Mark it I beseech you It is a thing that we may easily find to be true in our own experience The retaining of any private lust alwaies hinders a man from attaining to saving knowledge Look how it is with the bodie of a man if one have a foul stomack full of very bad and noisome humors commonly it breedeth a rheumatick eie and a sleepie and drowsie head Just so it is also with the soul if a mans heart harbour any noysome lusts if any sinfull corruption lodge there the truth is it alwaies breeds a blear-eyed judgement it sendeth up such streams and mists into the understanding as quite dazeleth it so that it cannot discern the truths of God and hence it cometh to passe that the soul being setled on its dregs speak as long as you will perswade as much as you can yet there is no way to prevail
spirits now in prison What spirits were these which once were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah Those spirits and damned souls those damned Ghosts now in hell the spirits of wicked men now in hell what were they they were those that were disobedient in the dayes of Noah Noah a preacher of righteousnesse whose life was a continuall preaching who daily called upon them and was earnest with them to repent and there was much long-suffering and patience afforded them God waited long for their amendment yet those souls were then rebellious under such great meanes and they are now cooped up in Hell A man would thinke it strange when he shall read the storie of Cain that he notwithstanding God himself came from heaven to teach him should yet remain obstinate and stout-hearted and yet you know the storie Gen. 4. you see it was so Cain began to be dismaid and his countenance fell because God regarded not his sacrifice Well God came from heaven and takes Cain to taske Cain what meaneth all this stir Why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest ill sin lieth at the door and unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him A man I say would thinke that one should be instructed when God himself teacheth yet notwithstanding after all this Instruction of God himself whith in reason would be thought as effectuall as could be Cain forsakes God and flyeth off from the commandement of God stoopeth not nor yeeldeth obedience thereunto This is that which the Prophet I saiah hath Chap. 26. 10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked yet he will not learn righteousnesse in the land of uprightnesse will he deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Though there be many helps afforded to him though he be planted in the Church of God where all things call and cry to him for amendment of life though the holinesse and mercy and goodnesse of God compasse him about though he have holy and religious neighbours about him though he have a good Minister in the Parish where he is yet he will not learn righteousnesse but will deal unjustly notwithstanding all the washing he will remain black still notwithstanding all the means that God vouchsafeth for his good yet he will be naught still One example you shall see of this in a passage of a Parable Mark 12. which makes good the Point in hand A certain man saith the Text planted a vineyard and set a hedge about it and digged a place for the wine fat and built a Tower here was much pains and a great deal of cost bestowed Well he let out this vineyard to husbandmen and went into a far countrey and at the season he sent to the husbandmen that he might receive of the fruit of the Vineyard Did he receive any fruit No they beat one and stoned another and killed another and all the messengers they sent away emptie At last he sent his son his welbeloved but they took him and killed him and cast him out of the Vineyard In a word The Vineyard is the Church of God and the Husbandmen were the Scribes and Pharisees they were those to whom God as it were had let out his Church He sendeth his messengers his servants the Prophets rising early and sending them his Apostles and Disciples to call for fruit for the fruits of holiness of faith and obedience but they abused his servants they made him no return of fruit but when he looked for grapes behold they brought forth wild grapes At last the Lord sent his Son the Lord Jesus Christ he came amongst them he that spake as never man did speak so that even all the world wondred at the gracious words which did proceed out of his mouth certainly saith God they will reverence my Son they will hear him they will be governed by his directions they will stoop at his command No they were then most outragious and malicious against him they all banded themselves together Come say they let us slay him they joyned heart and hand and all for his ruine I will not dwell longer upon the proof of it See it in nature The Physitian observeth it of the stomack that is naught that the best meat that a man giveth it the more cordials the better diet the worse are the humors that are bred by it Even so it is with a naughtie heart and it is an argument of a most wretched disposition when the best Physick the best Remedies the best diet as I may say that God can afford a man for his spirituall cure shall make the heart the worse And truly when the heart is naught it groweth stark naught under the best means No men are so bad as they that live where are the best helps for amendment The thing you see is evident in the proof of it we will a little further discover the nature of such men as live under the means and yet harden their necks and how that corruption that is in the heart doth discover it self most where the best means are And you shall see it made good in these two particulars That wicked men corrupt hearts are the worst under the best meanes though they have admonition after admonition though they are often reproved First of all The hearts of those men grow usually most rebellious against the Lord and against that truth that cometh with greatest power upon them either discoveriing sin to them or working effectually upon the soul and conscience The disposition of men usually that are naught is so that they manifest a marvailous fiercenesse of soul whereby they carry themselves violently against the blessed truth and Word of God and the more because it is the more powerfull we have a rule in reason that contraries when they meet the more violent one is the more the other will work against it as we may see it in fire and water So it is here the greater violence and Spirit and power the Word hath in any place the more violent the heart will shew it self in gainsaying the Ministry thereof The more home the Word cometh to the conscience and the more powerfully it is applied either in the convincing of sin or perswasion to holiness of life the greater risings and stirrings of heart there is against it You shall observe this in a passage of the story of the men of Sodom Gen. 19.9 When the cursed Sodomites came about the house and would have taken the Angels that came to Lot Lot he came out to them and spake very lovingly to them but because that which he said tended to crosse them in their wicked and unnaturall courses mark how they answered him Stand back say they This one fellow came in to sojourn and he will needs be a Judge now will we deal worse with thee than with them and they pressed sore
upon the man even Lot and came neer to break the door And why was all this because his arguments were good and seasonable by which he advised them against their wicked purpose because he opposed them in that wicked course of theirs therefore they could not now hold themselves but burst out into a strange distemper of spirit We will now say they deal worse with thee than with them And so in Acts 7. It is a very observable place vers 56. When Stephen had made a long relation to the Jews of the rebellion and stubbornness of their Fathers they heard him all along without manifesting any virulencie of spirit but at last when he came out with that Yee stiffenecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears you doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so doe you then when they heard these things when Stephen made a powerfull application of what he had said to them in particular and told them that they had been the betrayers and murtherers of that just One of whose coming the Prophets before had shewed they were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth and they cryed out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord These were the workings of their corrupt hearts the more forcible Stephen was in the power of the word the more violent they were in gainsaying that Word I need say no more onely that is observable in Rom. 7. The Text saith there That sin becommeth out of measure sinfull because of the Commandment How is that It is as if he had said Sin is the greater and the more notorious doth it manifest it self by how much the more the Commandment of God is the more openly published sin becommeth out of measure sinfull because that God in the Commandment gainsayeth it and the more the Commandement is pressed the more sin opposeth it and gainsaies it and becometh the more violent and so grows out of measure sinfull Briefly look as it is with a stream and current or Rivolet set but a little dam there and it will run over it easily of it selfe but if the dam be strong and high the River grows deep and cometh to be great and large Why so because it is stopped So it is here the Commandment of God is the dam as I may say every naturall man hath a stream of corruption that is alwaies issuing forth in a continued current if it be so now that the Word of God stoppeth him at every turn in every ungodly practise admitteth of no vent giveth no way to any sinfull course gainsays him in every carnal and sensuall delight barrs him of the sinfull enjoyment of pleasures and worldly lusts then the heart of a sinner beginneth to rise up against God and against his word and Commandment and that onely because the Word of God crosseth him and gainsayes him And therefore observe it if there be but a sleepie-headed Magistrate or a carelesse Minister in a Congregation that will lot a great deal of the water go give leave for the stream and current of corruption to passe let men have a vent for their lusts all will be at great peace and the stream will run as calme as can be that Magistrate shall never have an ill word that Minister that any way permits a vent to corruption he and his Parish shall agree as quietly as may be but if a man be stout and couragious either Magistrate or Minister hee shall finde violent opposition and marvailous strivings and workings of heart against him and that word which he delivers and the means of grace which God vouchsafeth to a people Again as this corruption discovers it self in opposing the good word of God so in the second place observe another passage wherein the wickednesse and rebellion of mens hearts appeareth notwithstanding God affordeth them the most excellent means of salvation They cleave the closer and cling the more eagerly to their corruptions and sins because they seem to be crossed in the eager and violent pursuit of them As you know it is the nature of stubborn spirits the more they are forbidden a thing the more resolved they are to doe it I have my self observed it in some stubborn servants that have answered their masters Why if you had not said any thing I would never have done it but because you keep such adoe I will doe it the more You shall see a proof of it Jer. 18.12 God there had sent his Prophet early and late to that people to shew them the good and ancient waies how they should walk with God and so prevent those Judgements that were threatned and hung over their heads But mark the Spirit of this people the more earnest and violent the Prophet was out of tender compassion to their poor souls to win them to God the more desperately did they resolve upon a course of sin we will walk say they after our own devices and we will every one doe the imagination of his evill heart As if they should have said say what you will we are resolved what to doe we will have our sin we will not forsake our corruptions nay wee will rather cleave the closer to them because you labour to pluck us from them This is the nature of every man in the world I appeal to your own consciences is it not so Is it not in every son of Adam more or lesse in wicked men wholly in the Saints partly observe it in your own experience when that happily the truths of God come and lay siege close to your consciences that you cannot finde a way and vent for your base and sinfull practises but the Word of God crosseth you how doe your hearts swell and repine at the Word How weary are you of your Minister How doe your spirits vex at him And so sometime at the Magistrate if he be more zealous to reform abuses amongst men then ordinary There is I say a secret indignation of soul that every man may finde in himself against the word of God and the reproofs thereof Let us come now to see the reason why men should be so sencelesse and unreasonable to grow the worse because God is the better to them What ground is there for this Great ground my brethren The Reasons are double and both most evident and plain The first is taken from that inward and intimate love the soul of a wicked man hath to his sin This is an everlasting rule there is never a naturall man in the world but he loveth his sin as he loveth his soule Nay he makes his sin his God And my brethren the case is evident we need no proof of it take a tryall of it in your own experience Let the command of God be revealed let the word of God be never so clearly made manifest to the hearts of men let it shine never so bright even in their very faces and let there be a beloved
to the lure of a poor Minister to be at his beck and to stand at his command Alas my brethren doe you think we preach our selves Indeed in carnall reason if a Minister should come in his own name and lay upon you his own commands it were fitter for him to say nothing then to goe about such a work in regard of the great distance there is between the men of the world and him in outward respects But we come in the name of the Lord of heaven and it is his word that we preach and the Word of God is powerfull and will make the sturdiest heart to bow or break under it it is mighty in operation like a two-edged sword dividing asunder between the joints and the marrow searching even into the very thoughts of the heart Now because the heart of a naturall man is not able nor indeed willing to stoop to the authority and power of the word loth to be at the beck of Gods command such naturall pride and arrogancy of spirit there is in carnall men that in stead of submitting and yeelding thereunto they take up arms the more against it by how much the more powerfull the word it It is a pretty passage that we read of the Philistines when the Israelites brought the Ark into the field now the Ark was a Type of Jesus Christ mark the Philistines resolution when they heard of it Woe unto us for here hath not been such a thing heretofore Wo unto us who shall delive us out of the hands of these mighty Gods Be strong therefore and quit your selves like men O ye Philistines that you be not servants unto the Hebrews c. 1 Sam. 4. 8 9. So it is here when the word of God commeth with a certain kind of commanding power as it doth when it is delivered in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit if a man indeed preach under the hatches as I may say as he may easily doe and trouble no man he shall meet with no resistance but if a man bring the Ark into the field that is set up the power of Gods Ordinance labour to advance the Throne and Scepter of the Lord Christ in the hearts of men then mark to the end that men may not be brought into subjection to the Ordinances of God that they may not stoop and be brought under the yoke of Gods Commandment they joyn hand in hand and side one with another and fight for their liberties as it were counting it a matter of basnesse and pusillanimitie to be subject to the Word of God You have an example of this spirit that is in wicked men in Jer. 2.21 Wee are lords say they there wee will ceme no more at thee And it is observable in that place I named before Gen. 19.9 This fellow came to sojourn with us and shall he be a judge there lay the pith of the Argument and that which moved their wicked spirits against Lot if Lot had ruled them by his counsell then he should have been master over them therefore say they Shall he bee a judge I could tell you wofull experience that we finde of this Wicked men when they are gainsaid and when the word of God is with that Evidence and power of the Spirit discovered to them that it will either stoop them or work upon their galled hearts and consciences they are not able to bear it they cannot endure to be under the government of it therefore they will rebell against it and resolve what shall the Minister rule us Doth he thinke to bring us under his girdle to make us doe what he will and follow what course he will have us take Shall he be lord over us It is the same also with Magistrates and with private families Any means that God useth any admonition whatsoever findeth such entertainment as this with wicked and carnall hearts Let this suffice for a second Argument and reason why wicked men are so marvailous opposite against the word of God and the means of grace even then when it is most powerfull in gainsaying them and their corruptions because of the pride of heart that is in all naturall men whereby they are not able to stoop and submit to the yoke and rule thereof but though they are often admonished yet they harden their necks Wee will now come to the Use And to let all other Uses that might be made of this truth thus cleared and confirmed alone I will onely intimate two unto you What now can we gain from hence thinke you The case you see is evident and every man must subscribe to this as an everlasting truth That wicked men are the worse under the best means You have seen the manner of it and you have seen the grounds of it What gain can we get from this truth Briefly thus much First it is a Use of Examination And next a Use of Exhortation A man may hence clearly see his own soul as in a glasse and discern very plainly what kind of person he is what kinde of course he leadeth in what state and condition he standeth whether he be a gracious man or a gracelesse man whether a wicked man or one that God hath a part in yea or no. It concerneth us all my brethren very deeply to thinke of it Consider well therefore of what hath been said I would not have you conceive that all this that we have spoken is meerly to spend out the hour No my brethren you must labour to bring your souls to be under the power of the truths delivered And know this that whatsoever the Lord saith unto you out of his word he will require it of you when you come to give up your accounts at that day Every Sermon a man heareth he is thereby nearer either to heaven or hell either he is made better or worse by it All mens estates in this world are either holy or unholy either they are in a state of grace and salvation or in a state of sin and condemnation Hence therefore you may take a scantling of your conditions and plainly and clearly see how it is with you Whether you be of the number of those that have infallible Evidences of the work of Gods Spirit in the Ministerie of the word tending to holiness and sanctification or whether you be yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquitie Whether you be as you came into the world the children of wrath still or whether you be begotten again by the immortall seed of the Word to a lively hope and to an inheritance with the Saints in light Observe what the frame and temper of thy soul is and how it standeth affected to the word of God when it is revealed to thy conscience If the word prevail not over thee and over-power thee if thy heart submit not to the Scepter of the Lord Christ and yeeld to his commands certainly thou art not right in the sight of God Wee
say of good seed if it be very good it prospereth in all good grounds if it thrive not in one the ground we say is naught If the physick be good and it work not kindly upon the body the body we say is naught if it work not at all we reckon that body to be desperately ill and in a dangerous estate So it is here the Word of God is this seed it is this physick if when it is plainly and powerfully discovered in the evidence and declaration of the Spirit of God it work not upon us to the mortification and purging out of the corruption of nature if it take not root in the heart and grow there and spring up to everlasting life that heart is naught and as yet such a one is in a miserable condition and never yet had any true experience of the work of grace upon him never yet found any found and saving operation of the spirit in him so long as the Word of God in the ministry of it proves ineffectuall so long doth a man continue under the power of Satan and a slave to divers lusts If Christ in his Word get not the mastery of the heart certainly that heart is in the possession of the Devill It is a place of observable Rom. 8.7 The wisedome of the flesh by flesh there is meant the corruption of nature is enmity against God and saith the Text it is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can it be It is an undoubted argument of a corrupt and unregenerate heart of an ungracious and fleshly heart that is not nor cannot be subject to the power of the truth of God I doe not say but the power of the word in judgement may oftentimes awaken a man and terrifie the conscience and yet the man remain still in the state of nature and unconverted but I say it is an ill signe when the soule of a man is not able to stoop to that purity and holinesse and goodnesse that is revealed in the Word when a man cannot say with the Apostle The Law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good even then when it gainsayes him in his most dearest sinne and directly crosses him in his wicked courses My brethren God is holy and his Word is holy that heart therefore that opposeth the Word and stands out against it and refuseth to give entertainment to it must needs be an unholy heart where there is a likenesse and similitude there is an agreement it is impossible for the Word of God that is pure in it selfe to find any place in an impure heart he therefore that withstandeth the Word in the powerfull ministry thereof hath just cause not onely to suspect but to conclude of himselfe that he is yet farre from the kingdome of God and that there is as much difference between God and him as is between heaven and hell Mark for this end I beseech you a passage or two in the Scripture and suffer not your selves to be deluded by Satan and your deceitfull hearts Howsoever a man may make a tush of the truth of God now and think to plead a pretended hope of mercy whatsoever the Minister saith yet see what the Spirit of God concludeth of such men as withstand the power of the Word of God in the faithfull ministry thereof Observe therefore that place in 2 Tim. 3 8. It is the description of a naughty and wicked heart As Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses so doe these men What are these men Men of corrupt mindes and reprobate concerning the faith If there be a Jannes and Jambres resisting Moses standing out against the Word of God opposing the Ministers thereof who have hearts rising up against the truth of God when it is evidently and plainly revealed by his Messengers What are these in the judgement of God They are men of corrupt mindes and reprobate concerning the faith That is they have mindes not knowing hearts not approving the good Word of God and this is the just judgement of God upon them their mindes are so besotted and their hearts so hardned that they are fo farre from doing what God requireth that they desperately resist it and take up armes against it You have another passage of the Apostle to this purpose in Phil. 3. Many saith he are the enemies of the crosse of Christ but how shall we know them whose god is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things and what is the end of these men whose end is destruction It is a clear place suffer not Satan to blind your mindes my brethren if this be the truth of God as it is most true that it is so then certainly if any man find his heart guilty of these sinnes he must know himselfe to be in the state of damnation I appeal to any mans heart here present Is not the Word of God holy Is it not a gracious word Is it not a heavenly truth doubtlesse every heart will yeeld to it that it is a good Word of God There are none so senselesse I presume that dare openly professe that they care not for the Word of God and that there is not such holinesse and such goodnesse in it as is said to be in it I dare not think that there harboureth such a thought scarce in the heart of a man that liveth in the bosome of the Church It is true my brethren it is a holy and a good and a heavenly Word What then shall we think of that soule that opposeth this holy and gracious Word must we not conclude him to be an unholy and gracelesse man must not he that opposeth this heavenly Word of God be a hellish man Certainly it must be a marvailous profane and devillish heart that must goe against that heavenly truth whereby the soules of the Saints are converted and brought to heaven and made capable of the sight of the face of God who is holinesse it selfe Let men therefore be perswaded of this truth and take this Word home with you I doubt not but there be some in this Congregation that are yet in their naturall condition that are not subject to the Law of God that if you pursue them with the power of the Word they will turn back and resist it and gainsay it such swine as our Saviour speakes of that when Pearles are thrown before them will turn back and flie in the faces of those that dispence them and all to rend them Consider of it if thy heart therefore when the Word of God commeth directly and powerfully home to thee and laves hold upon thy conscience and telleth thee these and these sinnes thou hast committed such and such hypocrisies were in thy duties and performances such wayes of holinesse and precisenesse thou must walk in and such courses of sinne you must forsake if I say thy heart gainsay this truth and thou art carryed violently against the Word Alas poor soule think of it content
not your hearts with your conditions but confesse it confesse thou hast a graceless and naughty heart this is the next way to be a Christian It is a speciall ornament of a Christian man to be contented to be checked by the Word of God labour therefore to yeeld to the truth when it is revealed And this is the first Use a word of Examination The second is a word of Exhortation and so I will conclude We are all to be exhorted in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to take notice of this evill that is in our hearts I say all of us for howsoever wicked men doe professedly oppose the truth of God and his Word in the faithfull ministry thereof yet the Saints of God themselves so farre as they are flesh have resistances in them but with this difference a godly man when he perceiveth his heart stubborn and rebellious against God in his Word he yet notwithstanding joyneth and sideth with the Word and laboureth to oppose that corruption of the flesh so it was with Saint Paul in the place before named A child of God that hath a holy disposition wrought in him by the Spirit of God when he seeth his heart unwilling to yeeld to Christ and his Word he cryeth shame upon himselfe that after so much hearing so many mercies received so many gracious promises revealed to him the good Word of God so often laid home to his conscience that his heart should yet remain in any measure rebellious against God and therefore he resteth not in this condition but takes up armes against this rebellion of heart as well as against any corruption else whatsoever This I say is the disposition of a gracious heart But with a wicked man it is clean contrary So then I say though it concerneth all naturall men in a speciall manner to suffer this word of exhortation but seeing every man even the Saints of God themselves so farre as there is corruption in them have in them this rebellion of nature it is therefore an exhortation to all to be perswaded if we tender our own good and comforts not to content our selves to be bare hearers to injoy the means of grace and to live under the powerfull preaching of the Gospel but to labour to bring our hearts to yeeld and submit to the truths revealed and to give way to the Word of God to be contented to be governed by the good Word of God It is better never to have known the Word of God then to have it made known and to gainsay and stand out against it Let us therefore be carefull to subject our selves and to take up the yoke of the Lord to give way to every truth revealed being willing and contented to yeeld to whatsoever the Word of God shall make known whether it declare what is amisse to take that away or whether it revealeth what is to be done to practise that This is a blessed frame and disposition of spirit and by this we shall come to have comfort and benefit by all our hearing this is the onely way to get that good that God intendeth in all those helpes and means that he hath appointed in his Church It is the commendation of Josiah that his heart melted at the hearing of the Law read 2 Kings 22.19 And I know not a greater ornament to a Christian then to have such a heart that look as it is with soft things they will take any impression that is put upon them whatsoever the stamp or seale setteth upon them they will take it print for print be it of what nature or kind soever such ought to be the temper of every soule to have a tender yeelding melting heart to be of a pliable teachable disposition to give way to whatever is made known out of the Word I beseech you therefore take this home to your soules and suffer the words of exhortation let the Word of God take place in your hearts I would have every Christian soule to look up to heaven when he commeth into the Congregation and to say speak Lord thy servant is desirous to hear and contented to hear and obey whatsoever thou shalt in this Sermon make known to me And if the Lord will have any thing give it him if he exact any thing from thee yeeld to him This is a melting heart But you will say to me I will conclude in a word or two How shall a man come to bow his neck and take up the yoke of Christ Here is all the labour my brethren and if we could once obtain this the businesse would be done God is not lesse mercifull then he was the Word is not lesse powerfull then it was but these hearts of ours are stubborn and loth to yeeld to the truth Labour therefore for this and have all But what course shall we take to compasse this In a word the means that I would suggest for the present are these First labour to work upon thy own soul a kind of reasonable contentednesse to part with that beloved corruption that lieth in thy bosome I doe not say thou canst doe it but I say labour to bring thy heart to a reasonable kind of contentednesse this way For my brethren here is all the quarrell between you and the Minister of God it all lyeth here the Lord saith thou must forsake thy sins or else I must damn thy soul For we come for souls when we come to preach we doe not come here onely to spend an hour and so an end of the matter No but we see a poor company of creatures in the Congregation and we know that many among them are yet hardned and blinded and going headlong to perdition it is now our labour and care to prevent your ruine and therefore many a prayer we put up and many a tear we shed on your behalf Oh suffer your Minister therefore because he desireth and studieth your good he sees you walking in a way in which you must needs perish and therefore he draweth the sword of the word of God against you Oh stoop to the word of God revealed Here now I say is all the quarrell the Minister saith you must leave your sins the soul saith I will not I will have those fins and I will practise those courses and therefore thou stomackst the Minister and thy heart works against the Word of God Alas Why doe you contend against him and murmure against him we seek not our selves but you nor doe we aim at our own ends but at the salvation of your precious souls and notwithstanding all your oppositions here is the comfort of a Minister that one converted soul is better then a whole world therefore well may he sweat his heart for it whatsoever you say But I say if the Minister labour thus with God and with thee for thy souls good why is all this controversie Why dost thou not labour with thy heart to part with thy sins It is the desire
your hearts be a wed with it howsoever it is true you may gainsay the commands of the Word yet you shall never be able to flie the curse of the Word A Minister may speak from God to you and labour with God for you and all may be cast aside but the Word it self remaineth and will have its effect one way or other and that which you now reject shall have dominion over you Alas my brethren the Word we preach it is not our own it is the Word of God of the God of Heaven and know this that that which will not now be obeyed in the precepts of it will hereafter be found in the curse of it I would fain hear the sinner that now takes up arms against God and his truth that makes nothing of the Commands he hears and in effect sayes that he will not obey them I would faine have such a one consider what he will say at the fearfull day of Judgement Now God bids thee repent and beleeve and obey the Gospel and thou wilt not the Lord then shall say to thee depart from me into everlasting fire I would faine hear a sinner say Lord I will not goe down to hell and be in that pit for ever My brethren you are too weak to strive with the Lord his word may now be gainsaid but then the Lord shall say by this Word that thou hast disobeyed thou shalt be condemned and that Word shall send thee down to the pit when there will be found no resistance Therefore I beseech you be perswaded rather chuse the good that your soules may live and know who you have to deal withall it is the voyce of God that speakes to you that voyce that shook heaven and earth once and will doe it again Therefore let every soule be a wed at the mighty word of God that being framed according to the rules of it now you may be blessed for ever by it Fourthly and lastly Work thou when God works and move thou when God moveth There is a time when the Spirit of God moves upon the hearts of men in the hearing of the word when God leaveth some impression behind him at a Sermon that a man may say me thought this day I was almost perswaded the thought it was reason that the Minister spoke On work now when God works take that Word home with thee and go aside and lift up thy hands to heaven and beseech the Lord to blesse that good word now that the heart hath been stirred and in some measure perswaded now intreat the Lord buckle and bow they soul in perfect obedience to his Majestie Thinke well of this counsell my brethren There is never a wicked man in the world that slights the power of the word now but he shall be terrified under it and feel the power of it whether he will or no. If God therefore be pleased to stir up any thought in thee of this kinde doe not put it out of thy heart by going about other businesse or into wicked company no take home that stroke of God make it worke more effectually upon thee converse with that word every night and labour to bring thy heart to be affected with it still more and more This is the next way to be sure to work when God works The Devill stealeth terror out of the hearts of men it should be our course therefore that what ever powerfull work God works in any of us in any measure that thou art almost a Christian as Agrippa make one step further joyn with God go home and intreat the Lord to set it deeper upon thy soul that thou mayest not onely be almost good but altogether good and be ever constant in this course FINIS Courteous Reader These Books following are printed and are to be sold by Francis Eglesfield at his Shop at the Marigold in Pauls Churchyard EXcellent Instructions for the keeping of Merchants Books and Accounts by way of Debitor and Creditor after the Italian manner by John Carpenter Gent. in Folio Aelians Tacticks or the Art of Imbattelling an Armie in folio Animadversions of War by Robert Ward Gentleman and Commander in Folio The Works of John Taylor the Water-poet collected into one Volume in Folio Heywood of Angels in folio Parcus on the Revelation in English in folio Goulston in Rhetoricam Aristotelis gr lat in quarto The Works of that famous Mathematician Edmund Gunter sometime Professor of Astronomie in Gressam Colledge London in Quarto The Works of Sir Richard Baker Viz Meditations and Disquisitions on the Lords Prayer in 4to On the First Psalm in 4to On the seven Penitentiall Psalms in 4to On the seven Consolatorie Psalms in 4to His Cato Variegatus or Cato's Morall Disticks translated into English Verse 4to On the Creed in 12. Motives for prayer upon the seven dayes of the Week in 12. The Soliloquie of the Soul in 12. An Apologie for Lay-mens writing in 12. Decimall Arithmetick or the use of Napiers bones by William Barton in 8to Butlers Historie of Bees in 4to The Seamans Secrets with the Tables new calculated very usefull for young Seamen in 4to Commentaries on the first Psalm by Phinehas Fletcher in 4to The Purple Island being Poeticall Miscelanies in 4to Joy in tribulation or Consolations for afflicted Consciences The Golden Scepter with the Churches marriage and the Churches carriage in three Treatises by that learned Divine Dr. Preston in 4to His five Sermons upon severall occasions preached at Court The needles Excellencie or a Book of Cut-works in 4to Light from Heaven by Dr. Sibbs in 4to Lydias Conversion or the Riches of Mercie by Dr. Sibbs in 12. The whole Works of that Eloquent Divine Thomas Playfer D. D. collected into one Volume 8to The Handmaid to Arithmetick refined by Nicholas Hunt 8to The Art of Dialling by John Foster in 4to An Introduction to the right receiving of the Sacrament by W. Pemble in 12. I he burthen and unburthening of a loaden conscience in 12. Spirituall food and Physick being a large Catechisme by John Mico in 8to Nichols Catechisme in 8to Corpus Christi together with the demonstration of Antichrist in 12. The Historie of Heliodorus in ten Books turned into English by W. Lisle in Quarto Aesops Fables in Prose and Verse grammatically translated illustrated with Pictures together with the Historie of his Life in 12. Divine Emblems and Hieroglyphicks by Francis Quarles in 8to The usefulnesse and excellency of Christ by C. Jelinger in 8to The Office and Dutie of Constables Churchwardens and other Officers excellently set forth by Nicholas Layer Counsellor A Collection of Speeches by Sir Edward Deering in 4o. A Discourse of proper Sacrifice by Sir Edward Deering in 4o. Posselii Syntaxis 8o. Greek Gods's Summons to a generall repentance by Adam Harsuet in 12o. Juelli Apologia in 8o. Greek and Latine Divers Sermons upon severall occasions by John Bond Master of the Savoy in 4º The Doctrine of the Bible in 8o. Gospel