day against this sin and Lord I have no strength against it now Lord help me but here is the misery of the soul it doth not go to Christ and by this means live in complaints all their life-time 4. If lastly any thing be to be done they will do it themselves as Paul Gal. 1.12 Not but that a Christian should put forth himself a Christian is not a dead-hearted Christian at all times but the grace of God which comes from Christ doth act the soul in a continuall dependance on Christ and where Christ acts not there Satan doth Now I say the Kingdome of God is come when the soul doth thus submit to the stream of the blessed Spirit of the Lord that the Lord may guide it Oh beloved here is the skill that poseth the Angels how to tell you so to yield your selves to Christ as that Christ may come so to abide in the stock that all your fruit may be from him So to lye under the Lord as that the stream of the Spirit of life may fall on thee so to be implanted in the Lord as to fetch life from him and bring forth fruit to him But try this course submit to the will of the Lord Jesus be nothing in thy own eyes and if the Lord do give thee any thing blesse the Lord for it if any strength against thy sin be vile in thy own eyes and try and see if ye finde not the Kingdome of God the glory of Heaven come into thy soul Oh the light life prayers you might have the heavenly conference ye will have together that it would do a mans heart good to be with such a Christian that those that are with you might say Verily God is in this man verily there is joy in Heaven when the Saints keep in this frame 4 When the soul yeelds thus to the will of Christ for Christs ends for such is the subtil wretchednesse of mens heart that men would have Christ glorifie himself that he may glorifie and honour them like Simon Magus that would give any money for Apostolical gifts that he might be some tody that way also Now if a man shall submit go to Christ for gifts and parts that 's to set up another King to advance a mans self and so also sin and the devil and Christ must be made a servant for this end He is now no King like a Rebel that is not content that thousands of the Kings Subjects should serve him but he will have the Prince serve him also Every man will say this doth utterly overthrow the Kingdom of such a Prince When a man shall secretly fight against the Lord and be for himself and for the devil and sin within When a man shall make all the creatures serve him the souldiers of his army meat drinke and outward comforts this is a marvellous thing Ay but when a man shall make Jesus Christ and God himself and profession of Christ make these to serve him to raise up his name this the Lord takes very ill Only this I would adde when the soul doth look at Christ with a single eye that Christ is sweet and precious and lyes under the blessed Spirit of Christ for that end and now looks up to Christ that he may submit to him with a single eye that the name of Christ may be glorified by life and death true it is self will be in every duty and so is contrary to the Lord in all and not for the Lord. Yet though it be thus there is another thing in the soul that is wholly for God and Christ and hence seeks that he may do his work his heart loves him and so seeks him and he begs it with many teares Oh that my children might serve and love this God nay that all the world might see and blesse and admire this God and the Lord inlargeth his heart herein Psal 72.19 and truely now the Kingdome of God is come to thy soul Rom. 5. 17. As sin and Satan do reigne by death So Jesus Christ doth reigne by life to eternall life Matth. 25.14 He is the true Subject that improves his Talents for the King Christ will subdue all his to himself Psal 66.3 Through the greatnesse of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves to thee Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdome of God is not in meat and drinke but in righeousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost When a man shall be picking fault with things and this and that offends him get ye gone the Kingdome of God consists not in that But when the soul do's go to the Lord maintain his peace with God and love to the people of God and joy in the holy Ghost here is the Kingdom of God He that serves Christ in these things the Kingdome of God is come into his soul He that thus submits to the Lord Christ he must first be a man wearie of his own counsels and must loath himself When the Lord hath wearied a man of his own wayes he sayes What am I that the Lord should shew me any mercy And when the Lord calls him to any service Lord What am I that I should now pray to thee Blesse the Lord when the Lord doth keep thy heart in this frame but now when men will honour Christ and yet Saul-like have Christ honour them Many poor creatures they think it a credit to be in Church-fellowship and they will seek to know Christ that they may attaine Church-fellowship and have honour but know it till the Lord do pull down thy base ends and make thee loath thy self and so to submit to his blessed will truely till then the Kingdome of God is not come to thy soul Think of these things for if the Kingdome of God be in our hearts then look for good dayes Brethren let New-England be confident of it but if this be gone from the soules and hearts of men and women in their severall families and places though they may have the outward Kingdome of Christ yet the inward Kingdome being not set up I say no more but what he said Go to Palestina and Bohemia Certainly if they had not cast off the Lords government they had nevever seen those lamentable dayes they had outward Ordinances Oh but here was the thing the inward Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Christ and subjection to the will of the Lord Jesus and to be for the Lord Jesus this the Lord saw was not in them therefore the Lord hath left them to be lamentable spectacles Therefore dear brethren I do beseech you pray and beg for this Kingdome Thou sayest I fall short of this Know this Kingdome of God is at first like a grain of Mustard-seed some little lying under the will of Christ if it be in truth blessed be God for it The Kingdome of God is come and the soul doth weep and mourne after the Lord that the Lord would bring every thought into subjection Know it the Kingdome of
Verse 16. Then they spake often one to another there was good effect of his Sermon now what follows Chapter 4.1 Hence the wicked shall come and cut off Branch and Root in Antiochus time there is a burning day a coming that shall burn down house root and branch and hence Matthew 21.43 The kingdome shall be given to them that bring forth fruit You will say we do No thy own mouth shall condemne thee you do not you finde no good by all the ordinances of God and hence come those Questions what warrant for such an ordinance the bottome is they never felt good of it and hence grow weary of it well if it be your burthen the Lord will ease you of it 2. When you see men professing the feare of God mutually naturally contentions and continuing so I say contentious with Saints which they say they love and which by covenant bound to love either from some conceived wrong and hence cannot forgive as Christ doth them or from aprejudicate groundlesse opinion they care not for me nor I for them or from a spirit of scornful Censoriousnesse what are such and such or because distasted because of some reproofe in their sinne or by some opinion or by sōe worldly conveniency or laying out lots or restraint of some liberty c. or because of some sin Now can sit and censure and I say when this is mutual for a godly man may be contended with but he prayes mournes and pitties unlesse it be at some time but when it shall continually abide so fierce and implacable Eccles 7.9 Anger resteth in the bosome of fools when a man shall be glad of an occasion of difference that so he may depart and have something to quiet conscience for breach of Covenant that there can be no healing but Bellies of pigs are more deare then bowels of Saints and when quiet upon the least occasion apt to pick holes and quarrel Now it 's time for the Lord to give over to another government Zach. 11.14.15 When Brother-hood is broken then an Idol-shepheard is set up Exodus 2. Moses was sent to deliver Israel but he findes two Hebrews oppressed striving and must not be checkt neither well then fare-well deliverance if you be of that spirit you shall love one another better if ever the Lord doth that for you It hath been the wisdome of some Princes when their subjects have been at Civil warres to call them forth to a common enemy and there they can agree Oh brethren there is no sinne like this and yet none so slighted You shall know what it is either by being yoked under enemies or sinnes The first of these breaking bonds of union to Christ the other with his members Vse 4. Vse 4 Hence see the reason why many men are delivered up to the bondage of their own lusts the most sad bondage and power of Satan who have seemed to be delivered from it truely they have cast off the government of the Lord. Men wonder why in this countrey men are more vile then ever they were men that gave great hopes the reason is this they have seemed to be under Christs government but secretly cast it off And hence filthy and vile lusts are their Apparitors and Pursevants c. Objection Object The Saints feel a bondage how shall one know the difference Answer The first and greatest inthralment is Answ 1 when Satan and sinne so rule as that they know them not this is lamentable that like those John 8.33 when Christ told them if they continued in the truth it should make them free they would not believe that ever they were in bondage so here a man thinkes himself free when he is a slave thus Psalm 81.13 God gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they were led by their own Councels The Saints may be much carried away by the power of Satans temptations but never so far as to think their bondage is their freedome and to have reasons and arguments prevailing against the good wayes of Gods grace and to have reasons to maintaine their sinfull courses and that is in such as have wit and parts and knowledge which through the righteous judgement of God are left so farre to abuse it as to make use of it to maintain their sin-ful lusts 2. Answ 2 When men if they see their bondage yet have no heart to come out of it in using all means for that end When the will is in captivity no captivity like it no gally-slave like it A childe of God hath a bondage and is led into captivity but Oh miserable man he cries but these Prov. 17.10 have a price in their hand but no heart to make use of it Ezra 1.5 So many whose hearts the Lord stirred they gat up to go to Jerusalem But the Lord never stirs the hearts of these poor creatures they know and feare yet have no heart to get out of that condition nay rather willingly are so They sell themselves to their lusts and sins and Satan here is saith Satan this gaine neglect prayer for it tell a lie for it breake Covenant for it lose thy peace for it here is this honour and credit look big on it here is this estate carry thy countenance high and thus apparrel thy selfe with these trappings walke thus with thy bootes French-like here is this pleasure and mirth keep thou this company loose thy heart neglect thy God give thy selfe over to it here is this ease deferre thy repentance be cold in prayer neglect thy family and a man sells himselfe to his lust pleasures and honours thou art thus provok't and therefore now thou must fret and murmur and rage and hold thy own and so ease thy heart thus men set themselves to sale willingly 3. Answ 3 When men have some heart to come out of it but the Lord leaves men to an indifferency and consequently to apostasie as it was with Agrippa almost perswaded and like the Iraelites that refused to go into that good land Numbers 14. And hereupon the Lord was wroth and said they should not but they repentedand would faine have had some pitty shewed in regard of their misery but their enemies fell upon them and destroyed them al the plea of the Arminians is for this which is nothing else but mens misery Luke 14. those that were invited made their excuses and said I must needs go and see it But found no necessity to come to Christ Now the Saints the Lord never leaves them to a spirit of indifferency but keepes them in a spirit of necessity I must come out of this miserable condition saith the poore soul they say not flesh is weak but I must have helpe Psalm 110. because 't is the day of the Lords power they will not rest contented without helpe and if the Lord delayes them and hears not they will follow the Lord so much the harder 4. If they have any resolution to come out and think it must
Christ then thou art so long as there is credit for the truth so long it is entertained but now suppose it be costly that it shouldbring beggery affliction with it is it now sweet to you doth this support thy heart I am in Gods way canst lye down and subscribe to the equity of Christs proceedings with thee though he should never shew favour to thee if it be not thus I dare not say thou art under the Kingdome of Christ And so for the correcting will of Christ many sad afflictions the Lord tries thee withall the Lord tries men marvellously when thou art under the hand of the Lord those very things that should make men cry to heaven and wean thee from the world those very things do harden thee and make thee grudge and repine The Lord be merciful to thee if this be thy frame the Kingdome of Christ never came into that heart you are begging for mercy and the Lord sayes you mercy you have abused it no saith the Lord Go to your lust that have despised the day of grace and so now you cast off the Lord because the Lord will not give you mercy when you would have it Will you now quarrel with the Lord no down proud heart pray still and mourn still and turne to the Lord and say Lord do with me what thou wilt I am clay in thine hand thou may'st make me a vessell of dishonour I deserve not the least bit of bread such a one as is above the Lord and his will is not under the Lord therefore submit thy self to the good will of Christ 3. When the soul doth thus submit to the will of Christ by vertue of the power and Spirit of Christ i. e. when the soul doth not submit by vertue of its own power strength or ability for this is forre gne power But as it do h seek to submit to the will of Christ so it would have Christ himself act it and rule it and so inable it to submit there unto Now is the Kingdome of God come neere to that heart And herein Christs Kingdome is different from Princes they give lawes that men may keep them by there own might hence they command no imimpossible things but the will of Christ is so crosse to a carnal heart that 't is impossible man of himself should submit to it But the Lord doth it for this end chat the soul should then come to Christ in its need that he would do all the good pleasure of his will and now the Lord himself reignes and that gloriously Rom. 8 1 2. For the law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death Acts 5.31 A Prince and Saviour for to give repentance and remisspon of sint It is part of his Princely power for to give remission of sins both in turning from sin and to God and all the wayes of God and now you exalt him when he is thus set up 1 Cor. 4.20 The Kingdome of God is not in word but in power The power of Christ Jesus is come into thy soul and the soul is under the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus when it doth lye under the mighty power of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 1. 11 12. We pray alwayes for you that the Lord would work and fulfil the good pleasure of his will and the work of faith in power that Christ may be glorified Yea then is Christ glorified when God omnipotent reignes over sin and unbelief and when the Lord doth this not only the Kingdome of God is now come but the Kingdome of Christ in glory is come there is many a poor soul thinks Christ rules him not because he cannot do this nor that became he findes his heart unable and unwilling for to submit to the will of Christ I finde no strength at all saith the soul and I go to Christ and finde not strength conveyed and now he thinks he is not under the Kingdome of Christ I answer that is not the question but hath the Lord made thee willing in the day of bis power when the soul doth lye under the power of the Lord Jesus Christ when che soul doth lye like wax before the Lord Jesus when the soul saith Lord there was never any change of my nature the good Lord change it and if there be any change the good Lord increase and stir up the graces of thy Spirit in my soul and do thou lead me and guide me Brethren the Kingdome of Christ is come to this soul John 5.40 You will not come to me for life He doth not say you do not quicken your selves or ye cannot come to me but will not here is their wound they will not come to Christ for life Rom. 6.19 As ye have yeelded your members servants to sin and Satan so now yeeld up your selves servants to righteousnesse and to holinesse Psal 119.5 6. Thou hast commanded that we should keep thy precepts continually Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy precepts continually Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy statutes When a Christian is grapling with his own heart ye will never be able to overcome the unsubduednesse thereof but when ye bring them to the Lord Jesus Christ that he would take a course with them 1. Now ye please Christ 2. Ye take a sure course to have the will of God done he being in office for that end for Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Saviour to Israel When the soul doth look up to the Lord Jesus and lye under the power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus 3. You now make the yoke of Christ sweet and his name glorious nothing glorifies Christ so much as this when Jesus doth work in a Christian now the Kingdome of Christ is come to the soul and that in power But now when men will not submit thus far to Christ 1. They can do nothing but will not come to him on whom God hath laid salvation you say you cannot understand nor edifie by the Sermons ye hear and you cannot part with your lusts Ay but now this is thy condemnation thou wilt not go to a Saviour that he may teach thee and help thee when men will not have the Lord Jesus to reigne over them or 2. If men do come they will not come to him where he may be found but say I can do nothing Christ must do all and so neglect the means wherein he will be found or 3. Will submit and come in means to him but not then at the speciall time when He is to be sought and may be found viz. in time of temptation But then forget and forsake him and cry not Hosanna Lord now save now help me against this lust When temptation comes when passion and pride come do you now go to Jesus Christ When the world begins to draw thy heart away dost thou say thus Lord I have prayed this
the Lord will have it so to be nothing be content thus and though thou dost not finde any benefit from the Ordinance of the Lord as yet yet notwithstanding loath thy own heart but love them yet seek after the Lord and look to the Lord in them And this is certain the Lord hath blessings for his people not only in this life but as he there speaketh to his Disciples when they say to him Lord what shall we have saith the Lord to them You that have followed me you shall sit on thrones But take heed of this if once ye come to slight Ordinances and cast off Ordinances because of these straits and wants and so forth And what are your Ordinances c and a generation of men risen up I think Christians should send forth their gronings to the Lord that the terrour of the Lord may fall upon them they deny all the Ordinances of the Lord and the Spirit must teach us only 'T is true the Spirit must do it but will ye therefore take away the means and hence the very Scripture is made an Alphabet for children and so they do destroy the Ordinances of the Lord. Beloved if it be from this principle take heed of it for if it be ye will certainly finde bondage 4. When men do not thus pull down the Ordinances the throne of Christ but drive the Lord Jesus away out of his Ordinances though they have his Ordinances with them by their secret defilings pollutions spiritual pollutions of the glorious Ordinances of Christ this the Lord frequently complaineth of in Jerem. and Ezek. The very great reason why the Lord did leave his Temple where their fathers did praise the Lord they had polluted and defiled it that was the reason of it They had driven the Lord away from his throne and this doth pull down the princely power of the Lord in his Churches I know there be many sins and defilements and the sons of men have hidden wayes of polluting the Ordinances of the Lord that a man shall sit under all the Ordinances of the Lord and as it is said of Mount Gilboah not any dew fall upon him never see good when good comes the Lord is not dear that is the reason of it Oh thy secret defilements of the Ordinances of the Lord have driven the Lord farre from you There are many I shall only name three principally that there may be a little heed taken of them First When there is a secret contempt grown upon a mans spirit of the Ordinances of Christ attended with a secret wearinesse of them this doth now pollute the Ordinances of the Lord and this doth drive the Lord from his Ordinances Mal. 1.7 Ye have offered polluted bread wherein have we done it say they this was the cause of it Ye say that the Table of the Lord is contemptible the meaning is you do despise my Table and Ordinances and so now do despise me too and so ye do vilifie and contemne the Ordinances of the Lord Therefore saith the Lord in the conclusion of that Chapter vers 11. From the rising of the Sun my name it shall be known As if he should say I am not bound to you I can have a people among whom my name shall be great For saith the Lord I am a great King If one should have asked men in those dayes what good is in your sacrifices what great glory can ye see in them the Saints can see a great deal of glory in mean outsides Now when this is wanting the name of the Lord is polluted and so the Lord driven from his Ordinances Heb. 12.15 Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil root of bitternesse springing up and many thereby be defiled When men do live in secret lusts or open profanenesse a man that hath a profane heart such a heart as doth contemne the portion of mercy the Lord doth offer to him who like Esau did sell his birth-right for a messe of pottage Secondly Unbrokennesse of heart in the enjoyment of Ordinances when men live not in a daily sense of the extreme need they stand in of mercy Isa 66.1 2. Heaven is my throne and the Earth is my footstool Now observe what the Lord doth there speak To him will I look that is poor in spirit and contrite such a poor soul saith the Lord will I look to and to these are opposed such as have not such hearts but do look only to the Ordinances of the Lord Now saith the Lord to such He that offereth a lamb is as if he cut off a dogs neck and he that offereth incense as he that blesseth an Idol These were a people that did plead for the Temple of the Lord and had the Ordinances of the Lord according to his command but here was their wound they were not broken under the Ordinances of the Lord This you shall finde the Saints have many sins and wants under the Ordinances of the Lord but little does the world know their gronings before the Lord and the Lord hath mercy for such soules as are sensible of their need they stand in of the Ordinances of the Lord. But now when men have found the Lord in an Ordinance subduing some particular sin there are other sins remaining in their hearts and they stand unremoveable in their hearts and hence are the strongest and dearest of all the rest Now I say when men having these sins and knowing these sins in their hearts and spirits when as because I cannot subdue these sins and they have attended on the Lord in the use of means and the Lord helps them not and because they hope to be saved at last for all these Hence they come to a truce with their sin and never go mourning to the Lord nor say the Lord hath begun to subdue some of these lusts Now Lord go on but the soul is at truce with his sinnes Beloved if there be any pollution of the Ordinances of the Lord here it is that men come with unbroken hearts to the Ordinances of the Lord that never feel your need of them and wounds and sores that are in your hearts that men do stand with those very sins that they think they cannot subdue and because they cannot ease themselves of them therefore they give way to them When men keep these sins with unsensible hearts of them ye do resist the holy Ghost ye feel not your need of the Lord therefore ye keep your sins and your woes you shall have for them Thirdly Where there is a spirit of unbelief that there is not a seeking to Christ Jesus to wash away the pollutions of his heart and life in his attending upon the Lord in his Ordinances Tit. 1. 15. To the unbelieving nothing is pure but even their minde and conscience is defiled Exod. 30.29 It is said Every thing that touched the Altar was clean and hence without this all is unclean When a poor soul shall come to
death to differ or side or make a party one against another 2. Earnest prayer for the Church and all in it besides thy self and that with striving with God till an answer it given Sretcht out prayers as they made for Peter Acts. 12.5 James 5.16 Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed And so Jude 20. But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost This is a means to edifie one another when there is inlargednesse of heart to pray one for another Psal 122.8 For my brethrens sake I 'le wish thy peace Sometimes a Christian can do others little good yet he will wrastle for him in his prayers to God One knowes not the good comes hereby if withall a man keeps a good Conscience making conscience of his wayes And 't is one of the greatest priviledges that a man hath when once he hath a share in all the prayers of the Saints as his own and it answers that Quere What is a Christian the better for the liberties of the Church Matth. 18.19 Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing they shall aske it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven vers 20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the mida'st of them Now when people are false herein to their brethren and to their Covenant to their God and to their own soules for there is no one prayer thou makest that shall be lost but if it attaine not a blessing for others it shall returne again into thy bosome When there shall be no heart to spend prayer or shed tears for them whom Christ hath shed his blood for now you cast off the Kingdome of Christ Oh Brethren consider of it when there shall be many a soul in a Church taken by Satans temptations and held in temptations and ready to be overcome by temptations and it may be would not be so but because thou dost not pray publick Ordinances the ministery of the word little good done thereby because thou hast no heart to pray Acts 4.31 And when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were met together and they were all filled with the holy Ghost This is the reason the hearts of thy children servanrs and fellow-brethren remaine secure and unshaken by all the Sermons they heare nothing doth them good nothing will pierce or penetrate their adamant-like hearts because thou hast no heart to pray for them or at least not to purpose 3. Timely Exhortation when brethren are dead-hearted and heartlesse in their Christian course Heb. 3.12 13. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another whiles it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin Brotherly exhortation is a remedy against Apostasie of heart for though a man cannot convince another yet he may exhort him and 't is to be done in season whiles it 's called today with due respect and taking notice of what good there is with much wisdome and a spirit of humility or else thou spoilest all thou medlest withall putting your selves in their estate and with hearty unfeigned prayer that the Lord would accompany the same with his blessing Heb. 10.24 Consider one another to provoke unto love and good works Look over the Congregation and consider such a Brothers or Sisters estate one is poor and low another falling another very much altered Now in some cases a private Brother may do more then a Minister the Lord help us and stir us up to this work Now when this is neglected many soules are hardned 4. Instructing and teaching one another as occasion serves Rom. 15.14 And I my selfe also am perswaded of you my brethren that you also are full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge able to admonish one another They were able for to instruct and teach one another Isa 54.13 They shall be all taught of God What God teacheth thee that do thou teach others what thou gainest by hearing or by praying or meditation by putting questions to others sometimes to teach and sometimes to be taught and this do if possible in all occasional meetings and worldly discourses mixe with it some sweet truth that God hath taught thee But now on the other side when Christians shall meet and a man is the worse for their fruitlesse discourse no savour of any thing of God Let them meet never so long or often walking or sitting this is sad 5. In Comforting those that be sad 1 Thes 5.14 and 4. ult Comfort the feeble-minded and supprt the weak wherefore comfort one another with these words There are many sad hearts in Gods Church and sad things are as wounds to a mans limbes that make him halt or fall Oh Brethren be much in this work 2 Cor. 1.4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God That a soul may say such a one came to me and spake some few words to me but they were as seasonable as though the Lord had sent an Angel from heaven to speak to me and of more worth then if he had given me many pounds But now when this also is neglected that one Christians hath not a word of encouragement to another but dry and savourless discourse this the Lord takes very ill at the hands of his people that have received comfort from himself in the day of their sorrow and distresse 6. Restoring a Brother fallen with a spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 2. Brethren if any be overtaken with a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one with a spirit of meeknesse Oh how will a poor soul blesse the Lord for such a Brothers prayers admonitions and exhortations when the Lord shall have brought his heart back again to himself although before he did most of all disesteem and vilifie him Now when these are not used or not with a spirit of meeknesse improved that a man never blesseth God for these the Lord Jesus is pulled down from his throne when not done according to the ability time and place that the Lord affords And this I wish the Churches mourn not for another day For my own part I do adjudge my self before God and men as most guilty of this that I enjoy many sweet Ordinances and we improve them not and hence the glory of the Lord fills not his Tabernanacle abides not on his Churches either to draw others to them or to make others abundantly blesse God for them Now here I will shew you the causes of this 1. Not gaining much in private dutties in Prayer Meditation Reading and daily Examination of a mans own heart And hence they cannot
gives but a little consolation consider'd in it self it shall give marvelous consolation One would wonder to see what one word will do when the Lods time of blessing it is come 2. After that a Christian hath had the feeling of the efficacy of the word he may lose the feeling of it again and yet the being of it may remain and the reason is this partly because there is not alwayes need of feeling the like efficacy in the word A man may have by the word a marvelous deal of assurance of Gods love and sense of mercy and joy in the holy Ghost he may have this in the feeling of it This word it did ly hid for a time afterward it springs up and gives him peace But he loses his peace again his Sun do's set and it is midnight with him within twenty four hours and he is as much in the dark as before Now the being of this peace is there but he hath no need of the feeling of it at all times the Lord he will reserve that till some time of tentation that he shall meet withall As Paul he had marvelous Revelations but Paul had more need of humiliation then exaltation and there was not that use of Pauls having those glorious manifestations to him I will glory in my infirmities There was need for Paul to know the evils of his heart that he might walk humbly and it did not make so much for the glory of the Lord as this that Paul should say I have this misery and darknesse and sins and yet Jesus Christ he will take away all There was not need for Paul to have those joyes at all times that he had at one time So the Lord he gives a Christian joy and peace now there is no need for a Christian to have it alwayes I will pour floods of water on dry ground Beloved if there should be nothing but raine raine every day and night the ground would be glutted with raine and so turned into a puddle but when the land is dry and thirsty now the ground hath need of raine Let the Earth make use of that raine it hath and when it is dry and thirsty I will give more saith the Lord. So the Lord he gives the soul joy and peace Now if it should continue the very peace and joy of God would not be pleasant to the soul or at least not so pleasant as it will be when the Lord takes it away and gives it the soul again A Christian comes to the meeting-house and the Lord fills the sailes of a poor soul that he wonders the Lord should meet him and speak so suitably to him But as soone as he is gone out again this is the complaint of the soul all is lost again now the soul it falls a mourning again It is not for the glory of God to give the soul such peace out of his Ordinances as he doth in them the soul it would not prize the Ordinances of the Lord so much yet there it is and when they come again the Lord he either gives them the same refreshings again or else there is a new spring 3. The eternall efficacy of the word and voice of God it may be preserved in an internall spirit of prayer for the continuance of it while a man hath it and for the return of it when it is lost Ps 119.4 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently David he knew his own weaknesse yet he intimates with what power it came on his heart Oh! that my soul were directed to keep thy statutes When the soul sees the beauty of a command and the good will of God how sweet it is and how amiable the way and work of God is Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy statutes And so when it is gone Psal 63.3 My soul thirsteth after thee Lord saith David that I may see thy glory and power as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary He doth not say that I may see thy glory and power in thy sanctuary though that might be too no but that I may see thy glory and power as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary David he did finde a want of seeing him as he had done yet the vertue of it did remaine in a spirit of thirsting and desire My soul thirsteth for thee as in a dry land where no water is that I may see thee A Christian may have at sometime such a glimpse in hearing the word of Gods grace of the exceeding riches of Gods grace and the love of God to him that he may be in a little heaven at that time ravished in the admiration of that mercy that ever God should look to him It is so and the word sayes so and the soul is ravished with wonderment at it yet God is gone again and the soul loses it Now the soul thinks I have lost the efficacy of Gods word but it is not so for thus it may be preserved Oh that I may see this God as I have done And all his life-time the soul may finde the want of this and yet it may be preserved in a spirit of prayer For whom the Lord hath given once a glimpse of his glory the soul it cannot be at rest but it breatheth for more of that mercy and presence a Christian may finde his spirit marvelously refreshed at the word he may taste how good the Lord is and he may lose it again but this may be preserved in a spirit of longing after this God and presence again And I will say this Brethren A Christian may finde no good by the word to his apprehension he sees the admirable blessed estate of the Saints and exceeding riches of God in Christ sees the swetnesse of the wayes of God goes home and thinks within himself Happy they that are in this condition Blessed are they that can walk thus with God But I cannot saith the soul I say it may finde it thus when he cannot finde the reall efficacy of the word as he would do he may receive the benefit of that word if the Lord do but only give him a heart to desire it Oh that the Lord would but thus manifest himself to me the soul may go away poor and hungry from the word and the Lord may yet reserve a spirit of thirsting after that good which a man desires to finde and there is the efficacy of the word there As now there are two golden vessels one a man fills and it is everyday dropping and he preserves it another vessel he do's not fil but with something that he hath he is every day widening of it So some Christians the Lord he 's a filling of them others the Lord he do's not fill them with such peace and joy ay but though the Lord is not filling of them he is a widening of them there is such a vertue that the lord do's enlarge the heart with secret desires and longings after more of Gods
he sets the soul at an everlasting distance with his sin never to be reconciled and looks to the Lord that by his Word and Spirit he would subdue them that so he may see the death of them and he sides with the Lord in the use of all means comes to the Word and comes to Prayer and sayes Speak against my sin Lord Lord waste these distempers and so the soul is thus at variance with his sin although his temptations do get winde and hill of him he goes again and to them again and though he perisheth and never have mercy from the Lord yet Lord that I may never sin against thee more help therefore Lord by this promise and mercy and meanes and here he keeps him and here he holds Truly brethren here is an eternal vertue and such a vertue as no hypocrites have that have some sting of conscience and after they have some peace they are at truce with their sins No there is an everlasting conflict and warfare and I do assure you there is an everlasting power gone forth Mat. 12 20. Christ will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax till judgement come to victory Therefore there may be judgement but it may not come to victory there may be smoak and fire and it may almost go out and he Lord he blowes it up again and at the last though it be weak and little and he think with himself he shall never get strength again yet the Lord will give victory in his time Only becautious here I told you there is an incompleat victory the Lord never sets his people at variance with their sin but they have victory but it is an incompleat victory Saith the Lord I will drive out the Hittites and Canaanitess and Perizzites before you but I will do it by little and little There is many a Christian that findes within himself a Spirit of warfare against his sin and did he examine himself he should finde a Spirit of victory but he thinks he hath none because his victory is not compleat If he had a heart so to believe as never to doubt more and such quickning as never to be dead more never to depart from God more now I should think the Word comes with power but I finde that these evils prevaile against me There is many a one does scorn the kindnesse of Christ because he findes not compleat victory but darknesse remaines still and sinful lusts remaine still therefore the Word doth me no good at all saith he The Lord he hath given thee a Spirit of Conflict and hath set thee at an everlasting distance with thy sin and he doth give thee some victory Beloved a Christian may decay in the power of the grace of Christ which he hath received from the Word and voice of God in the Word and he may decay and grow to a very low estate yet be shall finde this the Word of the Lord hath come with power to him it will recover his soul again and so the efficacy of the Word is eternal Psal 72. it s said of Christ that his People shall feare him so long as Sun and Moon shall endure that is continually all their life-time It may be said there he many that finde decay of their service and obedience and they lose their feare of the Lord and their dread and their humble walking before him He shall come as the raine on the mowen grasse many times a Christian hath his flourishing time as the grasse but when the grasse is mowen it is as a dry chip so the soul it may grow dry as dry as a chip Now where is your sap and savour but I tell you if you belong to the Lord Jesus the raine it will fall again the Word of God set on by the Spirit of Christ it shall fall up on you as the raine on the mowen grasse and you know that it recovers little by little and puts on a green coat again Here is the eternal love of the Lord Jesus to his People and thus the eternal efficacy of the word does continue 3. Vse is of exhortation 3. Vse Oh Brethren and beloved in the Lord Jesus may a Christian heare the Word of God spoken and yet never hear God speak may he hear it externally and not internally then rest not in external hearing and with some little movings and affections and stirrings of the Word of Gods grace in hearing Let not the Word be to you as the sound of many waters and a noise no efficacy of the Word that do remaine on your soules Brethren and beloved in Christ I lay my finger on the sore in these times Oh the contempt of the Gospel of Christ though I believe it hath its efficacy in the heart of the Elect that is the thing that I presse never be content with external hearing though thou mayest have some affection and know new things unlesse thou finde the Lord speaking with an eternal efficacy to thy soul I conceive two things are to be done that the word may come with an everlasting efficacy although something is to be done by Ministers that is to preach truth and Gospel-truth fetch 't from heaven wich many prayers and soaked truth with many teares Ye shall know the truth and that truth shall make you free Convicting truth We preach saith the Apostle in the demonstration of the Spirit The Spirit of God when he cometh he convinceth the world of sin Let Ministers do so Preach convincing truth and Gospel-truth fetch'd from heaven and bathed in teares Oh brethren let the fire burn clear let there not be more smoake then fire it will never come with power then convincing Gospel-truth set on by the demonstration of the Spirit of the Lord and this will set a Christian at liberty there is never such a Sermon that the faithful ones of God preach to you if it come not with a power to loosen you and call you home it comes with a power to blinde you it is an axe at the root of the trees but I leave this What means ought the people to use that the Word of God may come with efficacy Them that are in their unregenerate estate the Lord only knowes how to work on their hearts they must come to the outward meanes I speak to the Saints of God I leave others to the infinite mercy of the Lord It is not in him that willeth or runneth but in the Lord that sheweth mercy In the use of meanes 1. Meanes Do not only see thy infirmities and weaknesse but pray to God to give thee a heart bleeding under the sense of thy many infirmities Many times men slight them and are not sensible of them I do not say wickednesses and wilfulnesses but thy infirmities and weaknesses get a heart mourning under them A Christian is made up of infirmities and weaknesses a man would not think there is that in another which he knowes by himself Oh brethren
labour for a broken heart in the sense of your many infirmities and weaknesses darknesse and enmity vanity and unsavourinesse the Lord will have his time to speak to such a soul Break up the fallow ground of your hearts lest my wrath break out with fire the Lord hath promised to dwell with the poor and contrite Look as it was with our Saviour Christ they brought the sick and the lame ones to him and vertue went but from Christ to heal them all Bring thy sick and blinde heart to Christ and vertue shall go forth from Christ to heal it 2. Draw near to God in the Word by looking on it as God speaking to thee We are far from God and therefore we cannot hear him draw near to him when you come to the external Word when you come to heare the Word heare it as the voice of God You heard the Word at the Word of God which you felt in you 1 Thes 2.3 I do not speak that the soule should take every thing that Ministers speak as the Word of God but that which is the Word of God take it as God speaking I am not able to expresse the infinite unknown sweetnesse and mercy and presence of God that you shall finde thus coming I know it is a common truth but I am not ashamed to tell you I have not for many a year understood this truth and I see but little of it yet ye have heard of it but ye do not understand what it is to hear God speaking When God hath an intent to harden a mans heart and to damn him either he shall have aprejudice against the man or else if he hath not a prejudice against the man there is a secret loathing of the truth in regard of the commands of it and that is all and the Lord he hardens and blindes and prepares for eternal ruine all the men in the world by this meanes that live under the meanes When the Lord spake to Samuel Samuel heard a voice but he heard it not as spoken by God but when he took Elies counsel and saw it was the Lord that spoke now he listens to the voice of the Lord and now the Lord opens all his minde to him 3. Do not trust to the external word It is a heaven on earth to hear the Word exalted a glorious thing to hear the Word of God as Gods Word but trust to the free grace of God in it and the Spirit of God in Christ to set on that Word When they brought the lame and blinde and halt to Christ they looked for the Word and the Power of it Speak the Word Lord and thy servants shall be whole so bring your blinde lame and halt soules to Christ and trust to the free grace of the Lord Iesus Christ The Work of the Lord it shall prosper in his hand so the Word of the Lord it shall prosper in his hand also Lastly so seek the Lord and so heare the Word so seek the truth and so hear the truth as that you lay up your happinesse in this world in closing with the truth and with the word Brethren what is a mans happinesse in heaven but to close with God and Christ I cannot come to God now the most that I can have of God now is in his word if it be happinesse in heaven to close with God in Christ truly then it is a mans happinesse to close with God in his word on earth and if it be your happinesse lay up your happinesse in it My son saith Solomon if thou wilt hear my word Prov. 3. let them not depart from thine eyes keep them in the middest of thy heart place thy happinesse in them So shall they be life to thy soul Vers 22. Neverthelesse Brethren let a mans soul be set upon any thing in the world when he comes to hear besides the word if he lay not up his happinesse in closing with the word truely the word it will be like a song to him The Prophet Ezekiel tells them Their hearts were gone after their covetousnesse When a man comes to hear a Sermon there is a Sermon and the Market there is a Sermon and a friend to speak withall and so many young people will go abroad to hear Sermons What is the end of it It is that ye may get wives and husbands many of you but it is not your blessednesse to close with the Lord in his word I have known some men that have had a distaste against the truth of the Lord and I have known them for many a day they have not been able to understand the truth of the Lord. When it shall be thus with a man that a mans heart is set on something else besides the word of the Lord that it is not my happinesse to close with the truth of the Lord such a man shall never understand the truth of the Lord. Though the word be sweet to you sometimes if your blessednesse do not lye in this to enjoy God Oh this Gospel of God and these Commands of God that your blessednesse do not lye in cleaving to the Lord in his word I say it is a certain truth you shall be blinded and hardned by the word For here is a Rule Whatsoever a mans heart is set on as his chiefest good the presence of that good it comes with power So here the precious Gospel of Christ when the presence of it commands the heart nothing is good enough for it and it closeth with it and with Christ in it I beseech you therefore Beloved in Christ set upon the use of these meanes think within your selves What if the Lord had left me without the word I will tell you what ye would have been Look upon these poor Indians herds of Beasts look upon others on their Ale-benches enemies to the Lord such a one thou hadst been This blessed word and woice of God every very tittle of it cost the blood of Christ written all the lines of it in the blood of Christ Oh make much of it and it will make much of you it will comfort you and strengthen you and revive you and if the word come not with power ye shall be under the power of something else if not under the power of the word then under the power of some lust What is the reason that these poor creatures that are come to the tryall for life and death that have fallen into such sins as were never heard of What is the reason that they are under the power of their lusts I will tell you what Solomon saith My son if wisdome enter into thy heart and discretion be pleasant to thy soul it shall keep thee from the strange woman sinful companion If it be pleasant here is the reason the word of Gods grace it never came with power or if it came with power powerless the word of Gods grace hath been to them and because it hath not come with
Lord negligently and therefore spending usually two or three whole dayes in preparing for the work of the Sabbath and having his sermons finished upon friday night He hath sometime exprest himself thus in publicke God will curse that mans labours that lumbers up and down in the world all the week and then upon Saturday in the afternoon goes to his study when as God knows that time were little enough to pray and weep in and to get his heart in frame c. He affected plainenesse together with power in preaching not seeking abstrusities nor liking to hover and soare aloft in dark expressions and so to shoot his arrowes as many Preachers do over the heads of his hearers It is a wretched stumbling block to some that his Sermons are somewhat strict and as they terme it legal some souls can relish none but meal-mouth'd Preachers who come with soft and smooth and toothles words byssina verba byssinis viris But these times need humbling Ministeries and blessed be God that there are any for where there are no Law-Sermons there will be few Gospel-lives and were there more Law-peaching in England by the men of gifts there would be more Gospel-walking both by themselves and the People To preach the Law not in a forc'd affected manner but wisely and powerfully together with the Gospel as Christ himself was wont to do Mat. 5. and elsewhere is the way to carry on all three together sense of misery the application of the remedy and the returnes of thankfulnesse and duty Nor is any doctrine more comforting then this humbling way of God if rightly managed It is certain the foundations of after-sorrowes and ruines to the Church have ever been laid in the dayes of her prosperity and peace and rest when she injoyes all her pleasant things This the watchmen of Israel should foresee and therefore what should they do but seek to humble and awaken and search and melt mens hearts and warne every one night and day with teares that in the day of their peace they may not sinne away the things of their Peace There are therefore three requests which we would desire to beg of God with bended knees for England to perpetuate the present prosperity and peace thereof and let us commend them to the mourning and praying ones amongst us that they would be the Lords remembrancers in these Petitions I. A right understanding and sober use of liberty For when People come first out of bondage they are apt to be not only somewhat fond of their liberties but to wax giddy and wanton with liberty and instead of shaking off the bloody yokes of men to cast off at least in part the Government and blessed yoke of Christ also Hence it comes about that a day of rest from persecution which should be a day of liberty to the Saints to serve God may become a day of great seduction and of liberty to seducing Spirits to deceive and damne and mislead them from the truthes and wayes of God But the machinations of men though in conjunction with the powers and gates of hell shall certainly fall at last before Truth and Prayer And of this is the first Treatise which is seasonably publish't To be fast bound to the rule with all the bonds and cords of God and Man is the Perfection of liberty Hence there is not a surer Corner-stone of ruine to a Christian Common-wealth that God will break them with unparallell'd destructions by some overflowing scourge when the day of vengeance is in his heart then to think that Religion is none of their Liberties and yet how maay sonnes of Belial are there void of counsel neither is there any understanding in them who imagine vain things and say Let us break his bands asunder and cast away his cords from us How do men run into extremes either stretching and paring every one to the Gyants bed and thereby denying liberty to the Saints to serve him according to the measure of their stature in Christ or else on the other hand opening the door so wide as to plead for liberty to all the disguised enemies and sins against Christ thereby instead of uniting the Saints in one indeavouring through a dreadful mistake to unite Christ and Belial It is a sad thing when a man is come to this passe that he is not able to resolve his conscience whether Baal be God or the Lord be God and therefore would not have the worshippers of Baal punisht for fear lest Baal should be God Is liberty nothing but indifferency irresolution of spirit in the things of God wo to the valley of vision even to a sinful Nation laden with iniquity and led away from the truth as it is in Jesus and to the Host of the high ones that sit on high in the day of his visitation if this be the spirit of these times for in the day when he visits God will visit for these things 2. That his Word especially the Word of his Gospel may be precious and powerful may run and be glorified in England Alas as there is much preaching but few serious few heart-breaking Sermons so there is much hearing but little effectual hearing Men stand like the Oakes of Bashan before the words of the God of Israel no terrour of the Lord no newes of everlasting destruction no evidence of the fierce anger of God upon them which burnes down to the bottom of hell can take hold upon their spirits or awaken their consciences to make inquiries after God in this their day yea if the barres of the pit of hell were broken and if the devils of hell should come flying up amongst us in our solemn Assemblies from the fiery corners of the Pit below with everlasting burnings about their eares and with chaines of darknesse ratling at their heels they might fright men out of their wits perhaps or from the acts of sin it may be for a time but it would not work upon their hearts their desperate dead besotted hearts The fooles in Israel will have their swinge in their lusts and go to hell in a full cariere let God do his best Oh the hardnesse of mens hearts And the maine reason of it is because they hear but a sound of words but they do not hear the Lord in that Wrrd they hear words that are spoken by God but they heare not they see not God himself therein If ever thou wouldest profit by reading or hearing take every word as a special message to thee from God and of this fruitlesse hearing and the rules of hearing aright is the other Treatise 3. Conscience of his Sabbaths Of which there is an elaborate discourse of this Author formerly publish't by himself Therefore we shall adde no more The blessing oâ— heaven go with these to make us a willing People in the day of his power to submit to his Word and to come under the wing of the Government of Jesus Christ as esteeming these spiritual mercies
That they may know my service c. For explication 1. What is meant by service Answ There are two things in service 1. Government 2. Subjection cheerfull obedience to that government Both the Hebrew word as also the nature of the thing it selfe hath these two God sets up his government over a people his people do or should subject cheerfully to this government By my service is therefore meant my government and your subjection wrought by me to this government 2. They shall know 1. Not by the knowledge of the brain for that they know now but knowledge of experience as it 's said in Ezek. 6. ult When I shall have made the Land desolate in all their habitations they shall know that I am the Lord. Now what shall they know of it Ans The difference between them the sorrow of the one the sweet of the other the misery of the one and blessednesse of the other the bondage of the one and the liberty of the other There might be many things observed from the words but I note only the generall Obser Doctr. 1 That when any people of God forsake the Lord and cast off his government over them they provoke the Lord to put them under the bondage of another government They that abuse Gods liberty must be under bondage the Lord hath a Kingdome in this world most glorious hence when men will not be under it if they will not be ruled by him they must be ruled by the whip and if Christs laws cannot binde Christs chains must Jer. 5.19 And it shall come to passe when ye shall say Wherefore doth the Lord all these things unto us then shall thou answer them Like as ye have forsaken me and served strange gods in your land so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours Psal 107.10 11. Such as sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death being bound in affliction and iron because they rebelled against the words of God and contemned the counsell of the most high Ezek. 20.24 25. Because they had not executed my Judgments but had despised my Statutes and polluted my Sabbaths c. Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good and judgements whereby they should not live c. Zach. 11.15 16. And the Lord said unto me Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish Shepherd Vers 16. For lo I will raise up a shepherd in the land which shall not visit those that be cut off nor seeke the young one nor heal that that is broken nor feed that that slandeth still c. When people break covenant with God and loath him then saith the Lord I 'le not feed and then he sets over them Idol-shepherds This is certain when the soule will not subjecl it selfe to God he goes about to subject God to him nay to his Iusts Isa 43.24 Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins For one of them must stoop and a man would have the Lord be mercifull patient and pittifull to him when he is in league with his lusts now this the Lord will not do And hence if he does not destroy him he with-draws himseif from serving of the creatune and hence other evils take hold of it and bring it under When Adam stood and was for God all creatures served him and the riches of Gods goodnesse preserved him the Lord communicated the sweet of his government or service to him but when he turned away from the right ways of God Now if the Lord should serve him by governing of him in goodness he should serve a lust and bow to the creature nay to a lust which is a vilet thing then for one creature to fall downe and worship another Therefore now hence it comes to passe because the Lord will not be a servant to any mans lust there must be some other government that must seize upon them Hence set all the Saints in the Churches with their faces subjected to the Lord his good will and righteous wayes and then his goodness shall flow down upon them in and through Christ for otherwise we have nothing to do with good but when we are set right for God Hos 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse in judgment in loving kindnesse and mercy c. The Lord will then command all creatures to be serviceable to his Church and people Vers 21 22. But on the contrary misery must needs seize upon the soule that doth cast off the government of the Lord Jesus Thus much for the general explication of the point Now in particular 1. What is this government or service of God 2. What is that bondage he captivates his unto 3. Why doth the Lord do thus Quest 1. What is this government or service of God Quest 1 which being shaken off the Lord gives them over to bondage Ans There is a double government of the Lord over his people Answ 1. Internall or inward of which our Saviour speaks Luk. 17.21 The kingdome of God saith Christ comes vot by observation and outward pomp For behold the kingdome of God is within you And this is nothing else in generall but when the Lord doth bv his Spirit in the word of his grace cause the whole soule willingly to submit and subject it self to the whole will of God so farre as it 's made known to it this is the inward kingdom of God government of Christ in the soul Rō 8.14 So many as areled by the Spirit are the sont of God Ps 110.2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion c. 2 Cor. 10.4 Far the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Vers 5. Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ There are mighty boisterous distempers but the Lord when he comes in his Kingdome to sit upon the royall throne of the hearts of his people now they flie and this is the inward Kingdom of Christ like a poore Subject pardoned and received to favour he is before the face of the Prince continually attending on him Revel 7.14 15. These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Vers 15. Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple c. Now this is meant in part by Gods service in these dais do you think the Lord cared for thousands of Rams no but to walke humbly Mica 6. Did he care for Temple and Ordinances no but Isa 1.19 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the land Neb. 9.20 In those dayes he gave them his good Spirit to instruct them 2. Externall or outward the end and institution of which was to set up and help forward the inward for externall Ordinances are nothing in themselves meane
suffer violence and the violent take it by force so that the kingdome of God is come into the hearts of all the elect of God when the soul uses a holy violence and the Lord does draw the heart to an entertainment of the Lord himself Many difficulties there be between them and Christ and yet they break through all This is the condition of all men by nature they are strangers to Christ and live without God and Christ in the world and Christ from them and so Satan takes possession and rules them and so men are under the kingdome of darknesse so that the divel himself possesses every natural man as the Apostle speaks he worketh in the children of disobedience and runne on so and remain so Now the Gospel of the kingdome and the means to advance Christ in his kingdome makes a free offer of Christ himself indeed it offers pardon grace mercy life glory but all these are in Christ himself and we possesse them by possessing and receiving of Christ himself as a poor woman hath all the wealth of the man by entertaining of the man So that the Gospel firstly and primarily offers Christ himself and faith doth pitch on Christ himself and doth open those everlasting doores that the King of glory may come in Iohn 1.12 't is said So many as received him he gave power to be the sonnes of God 1 Iohn 5.12 He that hath the son hath life so that now let a man refuse or reject the Lord himself as he is thus offered in the Gospel he does refuse the kingdome of the Lord and does refuse to be under the power of the Lord. True it may be said the kingdom of God hath been nigh to him when Christ is offered in the Gospel and God layes as it were nothing shall please me so much as this if thou dost receive me Luke 10. Go and preach to these and these Cities and if they will not receive you shake off the dust of your feet and let them know the kingdome of God hath been nigh to them then Christ comes into the soul when the whole soul takes the Lord for himself Christ and all that Christ hath Christ in a pardon and Christ in a promise at that very day the Lord gave the heart to receive him then is the kingdome of God come in that heart and with him all life peace joy and glory God Spirit and all Now the whole soul receives him when 1. The minde sees him in the glory of his grace that though it had low mean thoughts of Christ before for which it mournes yet the rising of this glorious Sun upon him he esteemes all things losse for him that he may win Christ and be found in Christ I in him and He in me in Vocation and not having my own righteousnesse in Justification And to feel the life of Christ and death also in sanctification and to attain to the resurrection of the dead in glorification and now nothing is dear to the soul but Christ 2. When the will after the soul hath had some hopes the Lord may look towards it in his grace and having had many heart-breaking teares before the Lord the Lord is now pleased by the glad tidings of the Gospel to give the will power not only to receive and entertaine the Lord but gladly to receive him The soul wonders that ever the Lord should bow down to him and offer mercy to him and when as together with this by the sweet savour of his Grace chat he doth let into the heart the soul doth receive the Lord with most dear imbracings into his soul that now there is none like to the Lord. Cant. 1.3 Thy name is like an oyntment poured out where the very feet of the messengers of glad tidings are beautiful But the Lord himself is the only crown and Joy of the soul when the least look of love to a cast-away is more sweet then kingdoms ay and much more that 's love it self Isaiah 52.9 Brtak forth into joy sing together ye Wast places of Jerusalem for the Lord hath comforted his People When kings shall stop their mouths as vile in themselves and not able to set forth that glory they never heard of before and the soul for Joy sells away all to buy this pearl that it sayes with David Hon do I love thy Lan Now beloved when the soul does thus receive the Lord the kingdome of God is come to that soul and therefore try and examine is it thus with you or hath the Lord begun to deal thus with thee to give himself the glory of Angels the wonderment of heaven the mighty God of heaven to come to thy heart thou art then under the government of the kingdome of God But now on the contrary if thou canst be content to receive the ordinances of Christ or the consolations of Christ or some of the commands of Christ and that is all and the Lord never gave thee a heart to close with Christ himself it 's a strange thing to thee that which is the main thing the Diamond in the Ring of the Gospel thou art yet farre enough off from the kingdome of God I dare not say nor think for all the world that ever the kindome of God came to thy heart Again if you have received Christ but not with thy whole soul that now the offer promises blood life grace glory in the Gospel are grown common things to thee that the Lord never sent thee home wondering at the glory of Gods grace to a poor wretch never yet said'st Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord the Lord never yet lay next thy heart or if thou hast had some liking and some love and affections in pangs yet the Lord is not only precious and exceeding dear in thy heart thy heart breaks not for grief that thou hast so much slighted him so little born him on thy heart It is a signe that the Lord hath begun to reveal himself to thy soul when he gives thee a heart to mourne for thy standing out against him but this never came to thy soul Certainly here is the wound of many men The Gospel of God never hath its proper effect till the Lord help thee to give thy whole heart thus to a Saviour to a God to the Prince of peace and till this is done the Gospel is ineffectual it doth nothing It was a sweet prayer of him Make thy Sonne dear very dear exceeding dear only dear and precious or not at all If thou hadst a thousand hearts it was too little for Christ to love him and do'st grudge him one when thou hast imparted thy heart and esteem to thy lusts and creature do'st thou love the Lord with part of thy heart but a vile lust a poor creature must have a share and the remnant will serve Christ is he not the only pearl of thy heart to give him daily communion no this thou art a stranger
binding to any and hence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ordinance of men Hence it is a foolish vanity to aske a warrant in Scripture for such a forme of Government for humane wisdome may teach this though not in Church-government Yet this supreme and inferiour Government hath been in all Kingdomes 1 Pet 2.13 14. to both which subjection is required to refuse to give it is to cast off the Lords Government and there are couched foure reasons in that place to prove this 1. Do it for the Lords sake for the name of Christ and that honour and majesty of Christ stamped on them submit hence cast them off you cast by respect unto nay the name of Christ Jesus 2. Because they are in the roome of the Lord to do the work of the Lord In punishing evildoers and for the praise of them that do well It 's true they may abuse their power otherwise bur yet their power is one thing and their abuse of it another 3. Because this is the will of Christ and you do well in it and so you shall stop the mouthes of foolish men apt to speak against you for sin 4. Because this is the liberty of Christ vers 16. and you are servants to Christ in it and to do otherwise is licentiousnesse and their liberty to exempt themselves from the power of lawfull authority was but a cloak of it For so it seems in those dayes some held it part of their Christian liberty to be free from all bonds and said that Christ had made them Kings on Earth c. So that if they did cast off subjection they did cast off the name of Christ power of Christ will of Christ liberty of Christ Jesus Even under heathen Magistrates what then do they that cast it off under others Quest 2 Quest. 2. When is Christs Government cast off in respect of the supreme power Answ Answ Those that know the questions about the power of Princes and people especially revived in these last dayes cannot but know the field is large where now I am I shall be wholly silent unlesse I saw greater cause of speaking then I do and only point out two or three particulars to prevent such sins as stand next to the door to break in upon this power 1 When men cast off secretly dread and fear and reverence of the Majesty Dominion and Sovereignty that God stamps upon authority and so come to have low mean thoughts of them and contempt of them It 's true none should be elected but such as men can honour for some eminency or other and that of God seen in them Able men fearing God chief amongst the people was the councell of God by Jethro and Moses but when they be Elected now to despise them and hence not to bow the knee or stir the hat and speak rudely before them it 's casting off not only their power in sight of God but the very root of it which is honour And hence in the 5th Commandment all duties to them are comprehended under the word Honour And who sees not but this is a sin which is apt to attend the spirits of men in a place of liberty and in our weak beginnings and day of small things Reports are abroad that no men or worth are respected and hence the Countrey is neglected I cannot say so after many thoughts for I am perswaded no place in Europe more ready to honour men of publick spirits of eminency in piety and humility without the seeing of which no Countrey more apt to vilifie because grace is the glory in the eye of a Countrey led by Religion But take heed lest such a spirit befal us lest the Lord put out our Lamps and cast our Crown down to the ground 2. When men seek to pluck the sword of revenge for sinne hurting the Common-wealth out of their hands without which the greatest power in a Common-wealth is but a pageant and a meer vanity almost a nullity Hence Rom. 13.4 He is Gods Minister yes when he gives good councell and when he is a revenger to execute wrath on him that doth evill So that be the evil what it will be if it hurt the Common-wealth or be against any wholesome Law thereof he is Gods Minister to punish it civilly In the first Reformation of Geneva there were as many heresies and errours almost as truths of God Servetus he denyed the Deity of Christ whereupon the Magistrate put him to death who died with extream horror Whereupon heresies being begun to be snibb'd and blasted Bellius writes a book 1. That men should punish no heresie at all but be merciful and meek is Christ was to the adulterous woman 2. If they did yet that Magistrates they should not punish for errors or heresies 3. If they did yet not with such severity as they begun To all which Beza hath given a most learned and solid answer detesting the hypocrisie of the man and the sad consequences of such opinions if their power should be diminished I conceive 't is calling off Christs power to take away power from Magistrates to punish sins against the first Table of which errors and heresies in Religion are part It 's as clear as the Sun that the Kings of Judah that were godly did it and were commended for it and 't is as clear they were commended for it not as types of Christ but because they did therein that which was right in Gods eyes and according to the commandment of the Lord Which judicial commandments concerning the punishing of Sabbath-breakers false Prophets Hereticks c. Gods fence to preserve morall lawes they are of morall equity and so to be observed to this day of Christian Magistrates c. To exempt Clergy-men in matters of Religion from the power of the civil sword is flat Popery by means of which Antichrist hath risen and hath continued in his pompe and power so long together The indulgence of Princes towards the Papal function in matters of Religion hath undone Christendome 'T is true every error is not to be immediately committed but when 't is like a gangrene of a Spreading nature then the Magistrate in due time must cut it off speedily Object Leave them to the Church Object Answ True leave them 1. there Answ But 2. Sometimes the Church will not sometimes they are not of any Church A Papist an Arminian may come in and leaven and damne many a soul for which they had better never been If it were but one and if he sayes I do it with a meek spirit their trick of late and none must meddle because mercy must be shewen to these wolves A wise shepherd had rather let a hunter come in and kill one of his sheep then let a wolfe or fox escape Act. 20.29 and see his people persecuted then their soules worried Heresie and Error hath this property it ever dies by severe opposition and truth ever riseth the more because Christ is against the