in those two things doth the Kingdome of God consist it is the ground of all the priviledges we have we have them therefore because we be in Christ It is the ground of all the graces we have because we are in Christ therefore wee are New Creatures therefore wee have the Image of God repaired in us which is nothing but the bundle of all graces as the old man is the bundle and heape of all corruption and sinne Now we will shew what it is to be in Christ and of what moment it is then we will make use of it The two first are so neere conjoyned that we will handle them together what it is to be in Christ and of what moment it is to be in Christ that is to be united to Christ. A man then is said to be united to him when he may truly say that which is in the Canticles My Beloved is mine and I am his When a man can say Christ is mine and I am Christs then we are in Christ for then we are his Now that this may be done there must be a mutuall act of giving and receiving that is it is God that gives his Sonne and Christ that gives himselfe as the Apostle speakes He loved me and gave himselfe for me When this is done on Gods part and we have taken him that makes Christ ours So there must be a giving and taking to unite us unto Christ there must be a giving that is the Father must give Christ now giving is nothing else but Quod meum est efficere tuum nullo jure cogente This definition the Civill Lawyers give of it and it is a true one So the Lord gives Christ to us he makes him ours nothing compels him to it for if it were by law it were not by gift but by debt I say he gives Christ and freely and to give him is nothing else but to make him ours But to give him is nothing it is not enough except we take him likewise for giving and taking are Relatives remove one and the other is taken away Though God give his Sonne freely yet except we take him that gift is no gift therefore there must be a taking on our part and when these two are done when God hath given Christ and we have taken him then we are united to Christ and we are in Christ and he in us as in marriage the husband gives himselfe to the wife and she takes him againe the wife gives her selfe to the husband and he takes her and when this is once done and done really they are united together And such a match is made betweene Christ and us there is a mutuall giving and taking on both sides and when this match is made Christ is said properly to be in us and we in him Yea to goe a little further Marriage is a neere union yet but a Relative union but there is something more in this Christ hath taken our Nature He is bone of our bone and flesh of our fâ—esh And againe he hath given us his Spirit that the very same Spirit dwels in us as doth in him that we may be said to be spirit of his Spirit This is more than is in marriage this is a neerer union therefore the Scripture useth a neerer expression we are as members of the same Body he the Head we the members we have the same Spirit that he hath we are flesh of the same flesh and bone of the same bone so neere an union there is betweene us So then there is more than a Relation in our being in Christ he indeed comes in to us as the Sun is said to come into the house You know the Sunne is in the heaven but when the light comes in we say the Sun comes into the house for there comes a reall light which is an effect of the Sunne So the Sonne of God IESUS CHRIST though he be in heaven yet he comes into the heart by his Spirit as the Sunne doth by the light which revives us and quickens us and workes a change in us Againe we grow into Christ as the branches grow into the Vine into the Root into the Stocke so that we are one in another and we grow one in another as the branches grow in the Vine and the Vine groweth in the branches Such a mutual union there is between us And thence comes all the benefits which is the second thing I will shew you that is of what moment it is I say hence come all the benefits we have by him in that we are united to him after this manner that we are in him as the branches in the Vine thence it is that we are made New Creatures that is there is a new Sap shed into the branches which weares out the old Sap the old man originall sinne which was there before and changeth it by the ingredience of the new Sap. So doth Christ Therefore we are said to be ingrafted into the similitude of his Death and Resurrection that is the old nature in us is worne out by the comming in of the new now as Christ did die but revived againe so we put on another nature so we have this benefit by this union we are made New Creatures Besides this we have an hundred others when we are in Christ we are under covert he hath interest in all our debts and we have interest in all his riches as the husband is bound to pay all the debts of the wife when he hath married her she is under covert she hath interest in all her husbands riches So we have interest in all the wealth of Christ and that is a very large wealth as you have it expressed in 1 Cor. the last Chapter Paul and Apollo c. and the world is yours it is a wealth beyond all that men can give you The world is yours no man in the world can goe so farre Princes may reach thorow their owne Kingdomes but the World is yours that is Christ who hath the command of it causeth every thing there to serve your turne even every Creature that man cannot command the wind and the seas obey him for your good for you have interest in all his riches there is nothing in the world but is yours Things present and things to come are ours If men can helpe you to things present yet things to come are beyond their reach If the things of this life be theirs yet death is not theirs but herein Christ likewise furnisheth you In a word you have interest in all his wealth looke how farre he can goe beyond a man so farre are you advantaged by him and have interest in all his riches he hath interest in all your debts you are under covert and nothing can hurt you the gates of Hell Men Devils Sinne and all the Creatures in heaven and earth are not able to hurt you because you are in him you are as Coneyes in their Burrowes he covers you
for his glory and if it be not for his glory then certainely the power of God must not bee brought downe for the working of it And as it is against his glory so it is against his wisdome for the Lord doth nothing to no purpose hee doth nothing in vaine hee never wrought miracles when they might be spared where the thing might be done without a miracle Since this might be done without a miracle all that we have by Christ all that is represented in the Sacrament what necessity is there and if there be no necessity it beseemes not the wisedome of God to doe it Againe would not the smallest miracle really and visibly exposed to sense helpe more than such a miracle as this Besides all this I say it is not possible make your owne senses judges you see nothing but bread now this is a sure rule that of all demonstrations of reason that we have to prove things nothing is so firme as that which is taken from sense to prove the fire is hot we feele it hot or honey to be sweet when we taste it to be sweet There is no reason in the world makes it so firme as sense As it is true in these cases so it is an undoubted truth in Divinity that in all matters of sense sense is a competent judge Indeed if it be a matter of reason there sense is not able to judge the eye is able to judge of his owne sense of sounds it cannot judge but I say objects proper to sense peculiar to sense in these sense is a competent judge And therefore Christ himselfe in this very businesse when he would prove that he had a true bodie he sends them to their senses A spirit hath not flesh and bloud as you see me have And Thomas he bids Put thy hand into my side and feele c. He sends them to their senses Looke thorow the Scriptures and see if there be one miracle there if sense be not a competent judge according to that part of the miracle that concernes the sense would you not thinke it strange if Christ should have come to the master of the feast when he wrought the miracle and have said Sir you must beleeve that this is wine though you see nothing though you taste nothing but water yet you must beleeve that it is turned into wine And if GOD should have said unto Moses Though you see nothing but a Rod thou must beleeve it is turned into a Serpent If there had beene no change indeed and such as sense might see we would think it a ridiculous thing and next doore to an Imposture And therefore certainly in matters of sense sense is a competent judge and therefore when all the senses tell us that it is bread when we taste when the eye and the touch when every thing makes it evident that it is bread why should wee say there is any thing else but bread Besides if we will adde to sense reason it is against reason as well as against sense It is against reason that Christ should be in heaven and yet have ten thousand bodies on earth and yet Christ hath but one body and a body can be but in one place And againe this body must be without all circumscription and qualities and properties of a bodie And again that the bread that we see should be no bread say they there is the whitenesse of bread there is the taste of bread there is the quantitie of bread and that is all I would but aske them one thing when this bread is eaten since there is nothing there but these accidents there is nothing but the meere quantity and the like I would aske whether it nourish the body or no they must needs answer no if they follow their principles because the body of Christ is not there they say it is removed as soone as the bread is destroyed when it begins to turne into flesh it loseth these accidents well the bread returnes not againe there is nothing but accidents of the bread and yet certainly it doth nourish for it is reported by credible Authors that some have beene so holy that they would feed upon nothing else but the Eucharist for a Priest may consecrate a Cellar of wine and as much bread as he will and may feed upon this and with these he may be nourished and yet there is nothing but accidents of bread In a word the Schooles that traverse this so accutely are not satisfied at all in this but they leave it as a wonder as a thing that cannot be explained So it is against reason as it is against sense But you will say faith is beyond sense and reason it is true it is beyond both but it is not contrary to both faith teacheth nothing contrary to reason for sense and reason are Gods workes as well as grace now one worke of God doth not destroy another if they should there must be an imperfection in the workeman and therefore grace and faith contrary not sense and reason indeed it elevateth reason and makes it higher it makes it see further than reason could it is contrary indeed to corrupt reason but to reason that is right reason it is not contrary only it raiseth it higher And therefore faith teacheth nothing contrary to sense and reason But besides these if we shew them Scripture too what will they have then to say when we say it is against sense and reason say they the Scriptures affirme it if it do we will yeeld Let us examine the words if the Scripture affirme it Yes say they the Scripture saith This is my body they are Christs words but if the Scriptures say so yet the Scripture saith no where that that bread is turned into the bodie that no where saith that there is such a Transubstantiation onely those words used which as you heard may have a metaphoricall tropicall figurative sense But besides this what if the Scripture say the contrary you shall finde this in the next Chapter five times called Bread and after it is consecrated too as the Apostle saith The Cup of Blessing that we blesse and the bread that we breake After he had blessed the bread then he tooke it and after hee had tooke it then hee brake it hee thus tooke that which is called Bread Againe they say the body of Christ is not broken but that is broken which is alwayes after the words of Consecration but it is the bread that we breake Againe if it could be understood otherwise you see what a Tautologie would be in the words The Bread that wee breake it is the Communion of the body of Christ if the meaning was that it is the body here the words must be thus rendred The body that we breake is it not the communion of the body But I say five times you shall finde it in this next Chapter that it is Bread after the words of Consecration and you know it is said to
EFFIGIES IOHANNIS PRESTONI VIRI CLARISSIMI SS THEOLOGIAE DOCTORIS How can this shaddow please thee when thou know'st The substance was but Dust at best at most Goe rather view his Volume and there finde A picture farre more curious more refinde Pervse thou This and yet neglect not That That tells thee Who he was the to ther What. What here thou see'st salute and passe it o're THE SAINTS QVALIFICATION Or A TREATISE I. Of HUMILIATION in Tenne Sermons II. Of SANCTIFICATION in nine Sermons WHEREVNTO IS ADDED A Treatise of Communion with Christ in the Sacrament in three Sermons PREACHED By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of IESVS CHRIST IOHN PRESTON Doctor in Divinitie Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometime Preacher of Lincolns INNE When men are cast downe then thou shalt say There is lifting up and be shall save the humble person Iob. 22.29 Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby yee have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit c. Ezek. 18.13 He that eats my flesh and drinkes my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Ioh. 6.56 LONDON Printed by R. B. for NICOLAS BOURNE and are to be sold at his shop at the Royall Exchange 1633. ILLVSTRISSIMO NOBILISSIMO VIRO PHILIPPO PEMBROCHIAE ET MONTIS GOMERICI COMITI BARONI HERBERT DE CARDIFFE ET SHERLAND ORDINIS GARTERII EQVITI REGIAE DOMVS CAMERARIO REGIAE MAIESTATI A SECRETIORIBVS CONSILIIS c. TRIPLICEM HVNC IOHANNES PRAESTONI S.S. THEOLOGIAE D ri COLLEGII IMMANNUELIS NVPER MAGIST ET REGIAE MAIEST A SACRIS TRACTATVM DE HUMILIATIONE DE NOVA CREATURA DE PRAEPARATIONE AD SACRAM DE SYNAXIN INDEVOTISSIMAE TAM AVTHORIS QVAM IPSORVM OBSERVANTIAE TESTIMONIVM L.M.D.D.D. RICHARDUS SIBS IOHANNES DAVENPORT TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THE good acceptance the Sermons of this worthy man have found amongst well disposed Christians hath made us the willinger to give way to the publishing of these as comming from the same Author The good they may thus doe prevailes more for the sending of them forth than some imperfections that usually accompany the taking of other mens speeches may doe to suppresse them Something may well be yeelded to publike good in things not altogether so as we wish They are inforced upon none that shall except against them they may either reade or refuse them at their pleasure The argument of them is such as may draw the more regard being of matters of necesarie and perpetuall use For Humiliation wee never so deeply see into the grounds of it sinfulnesse of nature and life or so farre as we see looke upon it with that eye of detestation we should and therefore a holy heart desireth still further light to be brought in to discover whatsoever may hinder communion with God and is glad when sin is made loathsome unto it as being its greatest enemy that doth more hurt than all the world besides and the only thing that divides betweene our chiefest good and us As this humiliation increaseth so in the like proportion all other graces increase for the more we are emptied of our selves the more wee are filled with the fulnesse of God The defects of this appeare in the whole frame of a Christian life which is so far unsound as wee retaine any thing of corrupted selfe unhumbled for The foundation of Christianitie is layd verie low and therefore the treatise of Humiliation is well premised before that of the New Creature God will build upon nothing in us We must be nothing in our selves before we be raised up for a fit Temple for God to dwell in whose course is to pull downe before hee build Old things must be out of request before all become new and without this newnesse of the whole man from Vnion with Christ no interest in the new heavens can be hoped for whereinto no defiled thing shall enter as altogether unsutable to that condition and place Nothing is in request with God but this New Creature all things else are adjudged to the fire and without this it had beene better be no Creature at all By this we may judge of the usefulnesse of discourses tending this way One thing more thou art to be advertised of Courteous Reader and that is of the injurious dealing of such as for private gaine have published what they can get howsoever taken without any acquainting either of those friends of the Authors that resided in Cambridge to whose care hee left the publishing of those things that were delivered there or of us to whom he committed the publishing of what should be thought fit for publike view of that which was preached in London Hereby not onely wrong is done to others but to the deceased likewise by mangling and misshaping the birth of his braine and therefore once againe we desire men to forbeare publishing of any thing untill those that were intrusted have the review And so we commit the treatise and thee to Gods blessing RICHARD SIBS IOHN DAVEN-PORT A BRIEFE COLLECTION OF THE principall Heads in the ensuing Treatises Part 1. Doct. 1. HVmiliation must goe before Iustification Page 6 Two things in Humiliation 8 Reas. 1. In reference to Iustification 13 Reas. 2. In reference to Sanctification 14 Vse 1. To labour for Humiliation 18 Five helpes to Humiliation 26 Vse 2. The best men should labour to be Humbled 30 Doct. 2. The nature of man is full of all Vnrighteousnesse and Vngodlinesse 33 Mans nature evidenced to bee so by the Law 34 Originall Sinne 40 The corruption of the Vnderstanding in five things 43 The corruption of the Will in foure things 48 The corruption of the Memory in two things 53 The corruption of the Conscience in three acts of it 54 The corruption of the Sensitive appetite 58 The corruption of the Affections 63 Actuall Sinnes 68 Mans Nature shewed to be corrupt by the rule of the Gospell 76 Vse 1. The ignorance of those that know not the corruption of Nature 78 Vse 2. To Labour to prize CHRIST the more 81 Vse 3. Our Sinfulnesse should drive us to Christ 82 Circumstances agravating Sinne 89 Excuses of Sin 101 Helpes against those Excuses 108 Doct. 3. There is a revelation of wrath against all Vnrighteousnesse of men 111 Vse 1. To teach us what Sin is 118 Vse 2. To labour for a Sense of GODS wrath 119 Vse 3. To make us goe to Christ 121 Doct. 4. All men before regeneration with hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse 126 The greatnesse of this Sin in three things 136 Vse 1. To Humble us 931 Vse 2. The miserie of men that are neare and not in the Kingdome of God in three things 143 How farre men Vnconverted may goe shewed in five things 151 How far they come short in five things 153 Vse 3. Most sin out of love to Sin 163 Vse 4. The danger of disobeying the Truth 167 Vse 5. To give the Truth leave to rule 169
Wouldest thou not have that removed which restraines thee Couldest thou not wish that there were no such strict law as Gods Law is Couldest thou not wish that there were not any Iudge to call thee to account Every naturall man had rather be at liberty hee wishes with all his heart that there were no such God no such Iudge Now if thou wishest God were not certainely thou hatest God when we wish a man not to be to be taken out of the nature of things out of the subsistence of being this man we properly hate and thus every man hates God Therefore Rom. 5.10 the Apostle speaking generally of mankind sayes When you were Enemies It is the condition of every man hee is an Enemie to God and sins out of Enmity and what obedience he performes is out of a false servile feare that is the first Secondly that is not all but he denies God dethrones him and sets up another god naturall men little thinke they doe so when they follow their Covetousnesse Lusts Honours Ambitions they little thinke they doe it But they doe Tit. 1. ult They professe that they know God but in their workes they deny him When they are charged with this that they thinke there is no God and told of the greatnesse of the fault as it is the greatest Treason to deny the King to be the King this Atheisme every man is ready to disclaime he thinkes it is not so with him But I beseech you consider there be two kindes of Thoughts in a mans heart some we call reflex thoughts when a man thinkes a thing and knowes that he thinkes it other we call direct thoughts which are in the heart but a man knowes it not and these must be found out by the Actions for they are discovered by the fruits But God that knowes the meaning of the spirit knowes likewise the meaning of the flesh Now saith the Text they professe they know him but in deeds they deny him that is in truth they deny God there bee certaine direct thoughts which have not such reflection in the heart of every naturall man by which he denies God for he honours not God as he ought hee denies the Power the Omni-presence the Iustice and Omni-science of God and if you can see this in his workes you may say there be such thoughts in him because he lives as if there were no God But you will object every man thinks there is a God It is true there is naturally some light in them but where there be two different Principles there be two different conclusions there is some light planted in them that teaches that there is a God but take the darknesse that is in their heart set aside from this light there is nothing but Atheisme he sets God aside and puts up something else in stead of him some make pleasures their god some make their riches their god some make their belly their god c. But we cannot stand on this Thirdly they despise God in the Commission of sin see it in the sin of lying wherein a man respects man more than God and so despises God he cares not though God knowes it and is a witnesse to it and so it is an injury to God a contending with God We little thinke it is so but see that place 1 Cor. 10.22 the Apostle speaking there of one particular sin that is of eating meat offered to Idols saith Will you continue to doe it Will you provoke God to jealousie Are you stronger than he It is as if you set your selves against him of purpose to doe him an Injury And these affections are in the sin of every naturall man And that is the first Circumstance A second Circumstance to aggravate sin is when it is committed against Knowledge and indeed no Circumstance does it more than this that a man sins against the light he hath when he knowes it to be a sin and it may be bethinks himselfe of it and yet commits it You know how it is with men An offence committed an Injury offered to a King after Proclamation comes to be a rebellion because his will was made knowne And so it is with God when he hath revealed a Truth to mee that I know this to be a sin and am convinced of it and yet goe on in it this alters the nature of a sin it is not now a bare Transgression of the Law but a Rebellion and so God is provoked in an high degree for in a sinne against Knowledge there is more harme more disobedience more presumption If a Prince be in a place where he is not knowne and findes not respect sutable to his worth hee matters it not hee wiâ—l not take it amisse for he is not knowne but if hâ— be known and taken notice of and yet neglected it is great dis-respect and taken for a great offence So when men sin against light given it aggravates sin exceedingly As in the one and twentieth verse of this Chapter this that the Apostle laid to the charge of the Romans aggravated their sin they knew God but they glorified him not as God as if he had said If you had not knowne him it were another case but to know God and not to practise according to knowledge to know God and not to glorifie him as God this God will not take in good part it shewes you are sinners and in a condition of death Therefore in Acts 17. saith dthe Apostle The times of Ignorance God regarded not but now he admonishes every one to repent that is when the Gentiles walked in their owne wayes before the Gospell came before God published and made knowne his will he wincked at it but now regards it not a yeare nor a day shall now passe without an account for it the axe is now laid to the root of the Tree he will deferre no longer he will take it no more as he did heretofore Therefore the Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13. saith I was a persecutour and blasphemer but am received to mercy because I did it ignorantly Why doth he adde that Because if he had had knowledge and so had done it wittingly and willingly his sin had beene out of measure sinfull and exceedingly aggravated it Therefore Daniel tels Balthazar as an addition to his sins Thou knowest all this and yet hast not humbled thy selfe if thou hadst not knowne it if thou hadst not had an example if it had not bin revealed to thee thy sin had beene so much the lesse and perhaps God would have suffred thee to live but thou knowest all this and yet didst not humble thy selfe But of all places take that in Rom. 7.13 Was that then which was good made death unto me God forbid But sin that it might appeare sinne working death in me by that which is good that sinne by the Commandement might become exceeding sinfull The meaning is this When a man knowes that the Law of God
let it goe at liberty if it may pacifie and purifie thy heart if thou be much in contemplating thy priviledges in Christ thou shalt finde the sweet of it And so I may say of love and patience and every grace Knowledge of things is like Wâ—ne or Cordials standing on the table thou canst view them and looke on them then and have them presented to thee but if thou feed on them by practise how doe they warme thy spirits and quicken thee and put life into thee if they be digested and distributed into all the parts into all the faculties for that is digesture till they turne to flesh and bloud and spirits as it were then thou shalt finde their sweetnesse even more than any man can expresse who himselfe hath not felt it But now all the question is how shall a man be able to doe this It may be many will be ready to say I could be content to doe it but I am not able I have many good purposes and desires and am willing to practice what I know but I am weake in performance I will onely point to the heads by these meanes thou shalt doe it First thou must seeke to God beseech him to set this Truth at liberty be convinced of thine owne disability in thy selfe that if thou goe about it by thine owne strength thou shalt lose thy labour In his owne strength no man shall be strong it is Gods power must doe it Psal. 119.22 I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart David had this Truth but it was not in his power to set it at liberty therefore he goes to God acknowledgâ—s his owne insufficiencie desires God to enlarge his heart and when he hath set it at liberty the harshnesse will be taken off and thou wilt run freely the way of Gods Commandements The like is in 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are mighty but how Through God to bring downe the strong holds in our hearts these be strong holds in men certaine reasons in the understanding certaine lusts in the will and affections and these cannot be beaten downe by all the wit in the world and all understanding that thou canst learne out of any Morall Writer or the Scriptures themselves but there is a power through God to doe it to bring downe these strong holds to bring all into subjection therefore goe to God beg it earnestly and let him give thee no deniall Secondly as thou must goe to him so thou must do something thy selfe thou must practise thy selfe and the more thou dost so the more thou shalt be set at liberty the more thou settest thy selfe to worke the more ground thou shalt get the more Truth will be enlarged as it is in marble the more you rub it the more it will shine so the more this Truth is used the brighter it will be in our actions the more thou puttest it in practice the more power shalt thou have in thy life as Christ sayes If ye beleeve my sayings yee shall understand my words Therefore if you will have this power be doing have a good Conscience for that is the seale of this Truth How did Paul doe to give this Truth liberty to rule in his life Why saith he I exercise my selfe to keepe a good Conscience that is If I knew any thing that was to be done I set my selfe about it and as the Musitian by often practising his lesson or as one that writes by practising his hand doth increase his skill So in these Truths the more thou dost the more thou mayest doe letting them lye still extinguishes them and for that God often gives men up to a reprobate sense On the other side if thou dost use them doubt not but God will delight to enlarge them As in other Talents labouring to improve them is the way to encrease them Againe adde this to it The Communion of Saints you shall finde a great meanes to enlarge this Truth and to set it at liberty by walking with the wise you will be more wise and what is said of Wisdome may be said of Truth for they are the same Saul when he was among the Prophets had a sparke of the Spirit of Prophecie which though it was but a common action in a wicked man yet this sparke of a naturall and common gift of the Spirit Saul had when he came among the Prophets It is the Apostles direction Provoke one another to love and good workes As one souldier encourageth another and a fast goer stirres up one that is slow so good Company whets Graces On the other side ill Company imprisons the Truth If thou wilt keepe company with them that are not good thou must correspond with them and this will cause thee to choake this Truth for many times thou canst not doe duties without shame because thou canst not hold in with them and with dutie too It is not for nothing that David uses that phrase Psal. 119.115 Away from me yee evill doers for I will keepe the Commandements of my God As if he had said When I goe about to keepe the Commandements of God if I have Company about mee that is not good they will be a barre unto me and as fetters to my soule so that it is true both wayes the company of Saints enlarges Truth the other straitens it Saint Paul and others were good men yet when they were mistaken in that you shall see what a fetter it was When Saint Paul was to goe to Ierusalem to preach the Gospell of CHRIST they at Cesarea wept and wailed desiring to stay him But sayes he What doe you breaking mine heart You may see by that speech they were a great Impediment to him And as CHRIST said to Saint Peter Get thee behind me Satan And as David said to the sonnes of Zerviah 2 Sam. 16.10 What have I to doe with you yee sonnes of Zerviah when they advised him to take off Shemei his head So if you would have the Truth to have liberty take heed of ill company As Iames saith of refraining the Tongue I am 1.26 He that refraineth not his tongue his Religion is in vaine So we may say of Company Hee that lookes not to his Company his Religion is in vaine hee shall finde it so for this Truth will never be at libertie except it be among them among whom it will have its libertie The end of the Sixth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Seventh SERMON ROMANS 1.19 20. Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse WE have purposed still to goe on in this point of Humiliation and then God willing we will proceed
in the world what outward imployment soever wee exercise our selves in yet our maine businesse is in heaven we be ready on all occasions to look to the face of the Ruler of the Physition of men and creatures but we forget that the swaying of the ballance this way or that way is from the Lord When Iacob had prayed earnestly to be delivered from Esau God answers him thou hast prevailed with God and thou shalt prevaile with men so whatsoever businesse you have on earth if you will bring your enterprize to passe prevaile with God and you shall be sure to prevaile with men turne him and all is turned with him for all depends upon him Whatsoever is done on earth is first done in heaven and concluded there and then we feele and taste the fruit of it here From this generall we may descend to particulars and from hence you may learne That it is not our Army by Land nor our Navy at Sea that shall secure us at home or prevaile abroad though it bee well that these things bee done and therefore you doe well in contributing cheerefully to his Majesty for the maintenance thereof for the common good yet still remember that all your businesse is in heaven and that you must trust more to your faithfull prayers then to your preparations for successe in all enterprises It is not our woodden wals that will guard us it is not the Sea wherewith you are invironed nor our policy counsell and strength that will secure us and defend us but it is turning to the Lord and cleansing the Land from the sinnes wherewith he is provoked that will doe the deed Turne to him and then he will turne to you that shall bee a blessing on us and all our enterprises This is to see God in all things this is to sanctifie and exalt him for God in our hearts and without this all is nothing I will end this point with this briefe direction you know there is in every man I speake now of every man that is holy and not of others who are strangers from God the flesh and the spirit there is faith and sense and one of these two every man sets on worke to take a view of the things that are before them If you set faith and the spirit on worke to looke on things they will tell you it matters not what outward things are what the Creature is for it is God that doth all set the flesh on worke set sense and carnall reason on worke and they will bring quite contrary newes like the wicked Spies that were sent into the Land of Canaan who when they did but cast their eye on the state of things there they were first discouraged themselves and then discouraged the hearts of the people Oh there bee Gyants and wals reaching up to heaven Whereas the good Spies that looked on things with another eye brought another kinde of message Iust thus it is with us in sending out our Spies to looke upon the state of things before us if we send forth the Flesh Sense and Reason they bring report of terrible Wals and cruel Giants their power is so great their forces so strong that there is no medling with them but send Faith and the Spirit and the Will like good Spies looke on things with a right Iudgement and indeed that is all the difference betweene an holy man and another the one lookes on things with another eye hee sees a vanity in the Creature which the other doth not he sees an All-sufficiencie in God which the other cannot And therefore he hath onely an eye to the Lord all his care is to serve him and please him in all things So he hath no ill newes from heaven he cares for nothing on earth The other cares not how matters stand betwixt God and him so all things bee well below so his Mountaine stands strong and therefore that we may judge of things with a righteous judgement we must be carefull to see them in their true nature which onely Faith and the Spirit will present And so much shall serve for that point You see then that it is the wrath of God that doth all hurt and the favour of the Lord that doth all the good We come now to the second point which will come in well upon the former That it is sinne that causes wrath sin and wrath are knit together they are inseparable So that as Elisha said when Iehoram sent a messenger unto him to take away his life when he was sitting in the house with the rest of the Elders Shut the doore upon him and hold him fast for is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him So I say to every man If sinne and wrath come together then first shut the doore of sin which is the Messenger suffer it not to come in give it no entertainment for is not the sound of his Masters feet behinde him Doth not the wrath of God follow And shall not that wrath take away our head as Elisha said Therefore if you will keepe out GODS anger keepe out sinne But you will say I feele no such thing I have committed sinne and yet have no experience of his wrath following so close upon it I answer you must know this that as diseases must have a time of ripening so must sinne You know the poison of a disease enters not into the heart at first Sin hath certaine Vestigia which are set downe Iames 1.14 When Lust is conceived it brings forth sinne and when sinne is ripened and perfected it brings forth death The reason why it brings not death presently is because it is not perfect because it is not ripe The sinnes of the Amorites saith God are not yet full Ahab had committed a sinne he had got the Vineyard and slaine Naboth and yet heard nothing of it but when he had killed and taken possession too then came the Messenger of wrath and execution followed God let Iudas goe on till he had made the match taken recompence and betrayed his Master but than wrath came in upon him God stayed a great while till the sinne of Pharaoh was perfected till his hardnesse of heart was come to a ripenesse and then he was drown'd in the Red-sea Therefore in the second to the Romans it is said There is a Treasure of wrath Now in a Treasure there are three things First when a man is once able to treasure up any thing he is still adding to it and by degrees it growes and in that sense the Lord hath a Treasure of wrath as we adde sinnes he addes drops to the viall of his wrath till it be full Secondly it is a Treasure for a Time it lies still a while for else it were not Treasure And thirdly when the time of expence comes then it is opened And so it is with the wrath of the Lord it is gathered by
Christ Iesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature LONDON Printed by R. B. for NICOLAS BOURNE and are to be sold at his shop at the Royall Exchange 1633. CERTAINE SERMONS VPON THE NEW CREATVRE 2 COR. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature WE have propounded to our selves this method First to shew what we are out of Christ and there our worke was to humble men Secondly to shew what we have by Christ and how we are made partakers of him and that is done by faith The third is to shew what we should doe for Christ and here begins the worke of Sanctification for as I told you these were the three parts of the Apostles Ambassage To preach the Law first that it might be a Schoole-master to bring us to Christ And then to preach Iustification by Christ Thirdly to preach Sanctification Now we have chosen this Text as a ground for the last having finished the two former We will shew you in a word how it depends upon what goes before that you may see the scope of the Apostle in these words In the thirteenth and fourteenth verses of this Chapter the Apostle tells them that hee was ill used by them Some of you saith hee thinke we are no better than out of our wits It is no matter whether we are in our wits or out of our wits yet we must goe through the worke of the Ministery of the Gospell committed to us for Christs sake that is wee looke not to you It is the love of Christ that constraineth us we can doe no otherwise When he had said this hee gives the reason why the love of Christ carried him along to doe his duty whether he had wages or not whether he had good report or not yet for the love of Christ he did it For saith he we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead that they that live should not henceforth live to themselves but to him that died for them As if hee had said Is there not reason that wee should thus neglect our selves for Christ seeing hee died for this end that wee should no longer live to our selves but to him that is he hath bought us at a deare rate therefore we should no longer make our selves our end but we must live to him wee must thinke what Christ would have us doe what worke he will set us about Now when he had said this hee insisteth in one particular wherein he shewed that he did not live to himselfe but to Christ Wherefore henceforth we know no man after the flesh no not Christ himselfe that is we doe not regard any man for any outward respects we do not magnifie any man for any outward honour and excellencie that he hath Againe we doe not vilifie any man for the want of any outward excellencies but we magnifie every man as hee excels in grace yea Christ himselfe though hee had outward excellencies as other men yet we love him now only in spirituall respects as he is our Mediatour we behold now every thing according to the Spirit Now when he had gone thus farre he drawes this conclusion Therefore if any man be in Christ let him bee a new Creature As if he should say this is a consequence that must needs follow If this bee true that Christ died that every man that lives should live to him then if any man will have part in Christ if any man thinke he have any interest in him to be justified by him he must be another man than he was before he must be a new Creature hee must know no man nor thing after the flesh he must live to the Lord and not to himselfe in all things So that now hee drawes it from himselfe and raiseth it to a more high and generall conclusion It is required saith he of every man living that if he be in Christ hee must be a new Creature that is hee must put off himselfe altogether he must be no more the same man he was hee must lay aside himselfe and put on Christ Iesus he must be made like him We will not stand longer to open the words because wee shall doe that in the handling of the severall points that shall be delivered to you out of them And first wee will take this plaine point that the words afford us That Sanctification must needs follow Iustification Or if you will take it in the words that are laid downe in the Text Whosoever is in Christ that is whosoever will be justified by Christ must have a new Nature created in him by God for that is the meaning of it whosoever is in Christ must be made a new man he must have another Nature which is created in him by GOD that is intimated by this word Creature Now in the handling of this point we will doe these two things First we will shew how Sanctification ariseth from Iustification because that is the main scope for which we chose this Text. Secondly wee will shew you the reasons why they are inseparable why the one must needs follow the other and then further open this doctrine to you that whosoever is in Christ must have a new Nature created in him by God The first thing that we have to do is to shew you how Sanctification ariseth from Iustification and it hath a double rise The one is from the Spirit that is infused into us presently after we are justified or at the same time only there is a difference in the order of Nature Secondly it ariseth from some actions wrought in the minde whereby a man comes to this conclusion If Christ have accepted me for his if he be mine and will justifie me and free me from my sinnes then I will serve him in all things For the first as soone as any man hath taken Christ and received that Righteousnesse of his by faith there is an union betweene Christ and him and upon this union the Spirit of Christ is shed into him Gal. 4.6 Because you are sonnes God hath set the Spirit of his Sonne into you that is as soone as you receive him you have the same Spirit sent into your hearts that dwells in Christ and so Gal. 5.2 Received you the Spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith preached that is by hearing the doctrine of faith I say as soone as a man is justified he receives the Spirit So likewise Rom. 8.9 You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit c. and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his that is as soone as we are justified God sends the Spirit of his Sonne into us and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is not yet justified And the like you have Rom. 6.2 when some had made this objection If grace abound why doe we not sinne the more that grace may more
abound The Apostle saith It is impossible that those that are dead to sinne should live any longer therein as if he should say Set aside all your carnall reasonings it is impossible for him that is dead to sinne to live yet therein how can he as if he should say Whosoever is in Christ the Spirit of Christ is sent into his heart that mortifies sin so that he cannot live any more in it there is such a change wrought in him hee is a new Creature if hee be once in Christ that is the first rise as soone as we are justified the Spirit of Christ is sent into our hearts But is not the Spirit sent into our hearts before when he workes faith It is true but the meaning is when wee are once in Christ the Spirit of Sanctification is shed more plentifully and in a greater degree than before for there is a certaine work of the Spirit that begetteth faith and the same worke of the Spirit in its time begetteth the degrees of Sanctification But now that this may not be in notion only we will shew you how the Spirit workes this that you may not think these to be things carried in clouds and to have place only in our understandings but that you may know it in the experience that every man finds in himselfe that after hee hath taken Christ there is indeed such a Spirit shed into his heart that changeth him For the understanding of this know that when wee come to invite men to come into Christ as it is all our businesse to invite men to the marriage all the world stands out and every man gives that answer that they did in the Gospell they have bought farmes and married wives every man is so set on these outward things that his carnall heart carrieth him to that they will not hearken to us so that we may preach in vaine you see to how many Christ himselfe preached in vaine and the Apostles had preached in vaine if there had been no more than their owne preaching So likewise now the Spirit is sent into the hearts of men that when wee come and invite men to come into Christ the Spirit also secretly compels them to come in Wee are indeed bidden to compell men to come in but unlesse there bee another compeller that is except there be the Spirit within to doe it the worke is not done unlesse there be two compellers at the same time the Holy Ghost within preaching to your hearts when we preach to your eares except there be two callers that when wee call men the Lord send his Spirit to call you too it is in vaine And that you may understand this you must know that it is as hard a thing to move a man to leave his pleasures and divers lusts and his vaine conversation as to turne the whole course of nature which I call the instinct that God hath put into every creature to move that way that it goeth as the water to move downward and the fire to goe upward Thinke with your selves now whether there must not be an Almighty Power to turne the course of nature because the heart of man naturally goes downward to sinne it descends downward with the same propensity it hath the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we call it the same forwardnesse and pronenesse to evill that any naturall thing hath to goe the course that is naturall to it Now unlesse there be an Almighty Power to turne this course of Nature no man will ever come to Christ. As for example That rectitude of Gods Image that is expressed in the Word come to experience and looke upon every mans heart living and see whether it be not quite contrary to it in all things even as contrary as the motion of the stone is from ascending towards the heavens but when the Spirit commeth he turneth this course of Nature Now when wee come to doe this doe you thinke that any man in the world is able to worke it in the hearts of men It is true a man may goe thus farre It is possible for a King or for a man in authority to set preferments on the one side and punishments on the other to make a man to doe much or to suffer much but all this while here is but a turning of the actions of men but to turne the inclinations of mans heart it is proper only to God man is not able to doe it in any particular If a mans heart be set upon covetousnesse Christ saith it is impossible all the men in the world can change his heart But put the case a man could doe it as no man can if he could turne a mans heart it would be but in a particular or two but to turne the whole frame of the heart to make a generall change to make him another man another Creature It is impossible for any man in the world to doe it Or put the case he could doe so it must be after long reasoning but to do it upon the sudden and at one Sermon as the Spirit sometimes doth to take one word and by it to change the heart of man it must needs be the worke of an Almighty Power Therefore in the 2 Cor. 3. Chap. and the last verse when the Apostle speakes of this great change he saith when we reade or heare the Word we see there the Image of God as one seeth his face in a glasse and are changed into it from glory to glory that is from one glorious degree to another But how is this done It is done saith he by the Spirit of the Lord. As if he should say It is impossible for a man to be turned into the glorious Image of God and not by the Spirit of God A man may as well say I will make a clod of earth a shining Starre as to say he can make the carnall and dead heart of man to be like the Image of God It must be the Spirit of God himselfe that must doe it it is a work above Nature It is therefore done by the Spirit which doth so enlighten the understanding and so bow the will that whereas before there was in man such a strong appetite such a strong propensity to ill such a strong inclination that would over-weigh all the reasons that could be brought to the contrary when the Spirit hath wrought this work there is such a contrary inclination such a propensnesse to God and to that which is good that it over-ballanceth all the temptations that the world the flesh and the Devill can lay against it Is not this a mighty Power that must doe this that whereas there was in a man before such a strong inclination to sin there is a disposition so contrary now such a desire wrought in him such a strong impression that carries him to God to Christ and to holinesse that let all the reasons in the world be brought to the contrary they cannot keepe
that we may strengthen our soules because we recover our Communion with him For what is Sanctification but a drawing neere to the Lord And then we draw neere when we renue our Communion and our Covenant with him when the match is renewed between us and if we doe so we shall goe from him every day as men refreshed at a banquet like men that have fed on fat things full of marrow as men full of wine Be you filled not with wine wherein is excesse but with the Spirit What is the meaning of that Antithesis but to shew that the Spirit is like wine it strengthens and how receive we the Spirit Is there not the same meanes of renuing of it from day to day Is not the same meanes of renuing it as there is of receiving of it at the first Didst not thou get it first by going to Christ and shall not thou still regaine and repaire thy strength by that meanes I cannot stand to presse this farther Secondly in that they are put together thus Iustification and Sanctification hence wee should be stirred up to prise it to set it at the same rate as wee doe Remission of sinnes because we see the Holy Ghost doth so For seeing this thing is promised seeing it is chosen out among the great benefits wee have by CHRIST that we shall be renued we should learne so to judge of it to set it at an high rate in our conceits to conforme our Iudgement to the Iudgement of the Scriptures Every man would bee content to be saved but to be made a New Creature men are so farre from reckoning it a priviledge that they reckon it a bondage you would fain be free from Hell you would faine goe to Heaven without such a necessity put upon you this is the common fashion of men but marke the Holy Ghost puts this among the great benefits wee have by Christ. You know the comming of the Messias how it was magnified by the Iewes what great things they should have when Christ should come What were those great things One of the chiefe was to make them New Creatures to set them at libertie from their spirituall enemies That they should be taught of God that they should have his law written in their hearts and have their hearts circumcised to love him that they should have new hearts and new Spirits given them this is that great benefit that hath beene so much magnified so many yeares before the comming of Christ. It is that which the Apostles when they came to preach the Gospell set out as so great a Priviledge learne we to prise it for certainly there is nothing in the world so precious a grace whereby we are made New Creatures It is a true saying because indeed there is no excellencie that is like it if you would rectifie your judgments and teach them to apprehend things as they are therefore let us reason with you a little for that old man those lusts that you prise so much that you will not part with that you cherish and nourish in your selves and you are Enemies to those that are Enemies to them I say consider what you doe this old man is it not the sicknesse of the soule is it not the filth and the foulenesse of the soule is it not the slavery and bondage of the soule And the new man is it not the contrary doth it not excell it Therefore as much as health exceeds sicknesse as much as cleanenesse exceeds impuritie foulenesse and filthinesse as much as liliberty exceeds slavery and bondage so much and more doth the New man excell the Old man Besides if you looke to other things take all other things which the world hath all the profits all the pleasures all the learning and knowledge whatsoever it is that in the world is precious yet to be made a New Creature goes beyond all because indeed it puts you into the same condition that Adam had in innocencie you will say to be made like Adam againe to be restored to that happinesse it is beyond all that the world can afford Now to be made a New Creature it puts you into that estate But you will say that is not so Adam was in Paradice he had outward contentments in abundance but to be made a New Creature is not so It is true there were two Conditions that Adam had one was his outward Condition being placed in Paradice the other was his happinesse to be a New Creature this was incomparably beyond the other as wee shall easily make that plaine to you Put case there were a man that had faire Pallaces and Gardens and Orchards and all things that his heart could desire to have but all this while he hath not health would he regard all this On the other side suppose he had health put him into a Cottage if he have strength would hee not beare it well enough That is our case When Adam had all that yet when he had lost Gods Image when hee had lost being a New Creature he was like a man that was fallen into a great sicknesse he was fallen into terrour and horrour of conscience what good could all that doe A man that is out of Paradise that lives as wee doe among men that hath Gods Image renued on him which hee lost that is made a New Creature he is happie when Adam was miserable Let us consider a little What was it thinke you that made Adam happy in Paradise Was it the being in a Garden full of pleasant things No it was not that but his Communion with God that made him happy Therefore you see wherein his misery consisted it consisted not in the losse of Paradise for there he was still he had all that he had before for outward things but he felt shame and horrour of conscience he felt inward trouble and anguish of spirit when he heard the voice of God walking in the Garden therefore it stands not in that but to be made a New Creature is to be put into the inward condition that Adam was in and therefore you have reason to seeke it If any thing in the world be worth the seeking it is this to be made a New Creature All other things are not the proper excellencie of a man you know the Angels and the Saints want them and the Beasts enjoy them but the excellencie of man is to be made according to the first Rule to be squared according to the Image of God after which he was first created and hee is never well till he come to that As no Creature is well till it have that excellencie belonging to the kinde of it this is an excellencie peculiar to man therefore seeke happinesse as long as you will in other things you shall never finde it but in being made New Creatures in having Gods Image repaired in being sanctified in Body and Soule and Spirit this puts you into an happy
that can never be revoked because it is the Sentence of the Gospel therefore you must know this that al the judgements that are pronounced in the Gospel they are without all reservation there is no more revoking of them therefore Paul saith Rom. 2.16 He shall judge the secrets of mens hearts according to my Gospell So that you must know that the Gospell hath a judgement and a terrible judgement as wel as the Law There is a judging by the Law that is men that have lived without the knowing of Christ they shall be judged by the Law but when we come to Christ to live under the Gospell as we all doe wee shall be judged by the Gospell What is that those that receive not Christ shall be damned that is one part of the Gospell you know therefore you see that there is a judgement there He that beleeves shall be saved but he that beleeves not shall be damned Well as it is true concerning the point of Iustification hee that beleeves not and takes not Christ shall bee damned for it So it is as true in the point of Sanctification he that is not a New Creature hee that is not borne againe he shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Iohn 3.3 There is a peremptory judgement therefore consider with thy selfe when thou commest to die what thou wilt say then Satan will then come and lay thy sinnes to thy charge thou must then thinke what thou hast to answer thou hast nothing to say but I am in Christ well but how dost thou prove that he will aske thee that question Art thou a New Creature If thou doe finde that thou art not a New Creature thou art not in Christ and thou needest not a new condemâ—ation but thou art condemned already For Christ found all the world in a state of condemnation and if thou be not in him thou art in the same estate and therefore if you should but heare these words if wee should bee silent and should but reade these words Whosoever is in Christ let him be a New Creature it may make a man tremble and looke about him and consider his state and take heed of disjoyning these things that the Lord hath joyned together if being in Christ and being a New Creature be inseparable think not that thou canst take Christ divided that thou canst take him halfe and leave the other part that thou canst take him as a Saviour and not take him as a Prophet and a King thinke not to have Iustification and to want Sanctification and therefore you see when the Gospell was preached this was the maine thing that was urged Marke 6.13 when the seventie were sent out saith the Text this was their preaching it sets downe the summe that men should amend their lives When Christ himselfe was to preach Matth. 4.17 this was the summe of his Doctrine Amend your lives for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand Paul when he would tell them what was the summe of his preaching Act. 20.21 saith hee Wee goe about preaching witnessing to Iewes and Grecians repentance towards God and faith towards Christ. So that this Repentance that makes a man a New Creature it was pressed as a thing of absolute necessity as well as the taking of Christ. You know when Iohn Baptist came what he called for Fruits worthy of amendment of life Deceive not your selves apply not the promises of the Gospell except you finde this Symptome of being in CHRIST that you are made New Creatures This distinguisheth betweene a Temporary Beleever and another both goe thus far both have an insition into the Root but the Temporary Beleever partakes not of the fatnesse of the Root he receives not life from the Root It may be thou hast taken Christ in thy sense but hast thou tasted of the fatnesse of the Root hast thou drawne life from him art thou made a New Creature as a graft that is put into a new stocke when wee are ingrafted into Christ there is an inversion of the order there the stocke changeth the graft in the other the graft changeth the stocke into its Nature Againe when thou takest Christ without this it is as putting stones one upon another when there is nothing to sement them and to glew them together whosoever is in Christ is built upon him as upon the corner-stone now an Hypocrite may be built on him as well as a true Professour but here is the difference they are living stones their Nature is altered they differ as much from themselves what they were before as living things differ from dead stones so it may be thou hast had an adhesion to the Body of Christ thou hast stucke to it as it were but if thou be a true member then thou art knit to it by ligaments and sinewes thou hast communion with the head there is an influence of bloud and spirits into thee therefore consider that with thy selfe it may be thou livest in the Church and art such a member of it as a glasse-eye is of the body but hast thou communion with the head art thou made a New Creature by being in Christ Is thy heart changed and sanctified by being in him If it be so then conclude thou art in Christ For if any be in Christ he is a New Creature Examine thy selfe in this deceive not thy selfe to whomsoever he is made Righteousnesse he is made Sanctification It is impossible they should be disjoyned as I told you in the morning his bloud hath not onely a vertue to cleanse thee from the guilt of thy sinnes but a power to purge thy conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Hebr. 9.14 And wheresoever it is a plaister to cover thy sinnes it doth likewise heale and cure them therefore thinke not that thou art in Christ except thou finde this to be thy condition Yea but you will say Is there such a condition in the world who is it that findes himselfe such a New Creature this I find that my old lusts returne the same Inclinations I had I finde them still and this experiment of being all new that all old things are passed away I have not yet had what shall we say to this Wee will answer it very briefely Though thou hast it not already yet thou must not bee discouraged thou must not say there is nothing done because al is not done for motions are denominated from the termes they tend to not from that they are already when a thing is a little white though it bee not perfectly white we say it is white when the Lord begins new qualities if it be in sincerity it is properly said to be a New Creature for in time it will come to that that will be the issue of it therefore that which stands you in hand is to consider whether you be so or no for indeed it is a difficult thing to discerne and needfull for you to consider it therefore I
mee so that you shall be my people and I will be your God For you shall turne to mee with all your heart In a word they are never disjoyned take it for a sure rule as Ezek. 26. I will wash thee from thy Idols that is from thy lusts and idolatry and will give thee a new heart and a new Spirit he never doth one without the other therefore apply it It may be there be many particular sins which thou thinkest are forgiven Sabbath-breaking Swearing Vncleannesse goe thorow any particular sin if they be not healed they be not forgiven and so thou art in a miserable condition Therefore doe not say though I sinne againe and againe yet God is mercifull and I hope ready to forgive It is very true but thou must know that he is never merciful to forgive but he is as ready to heale and cure thy sins likewise therefore deceive not yourselves in that Only before I passe from this point mistake me not my meaning is not that it is so healed that there is not the least vigour left in it that it is so dead and buried that thou shalt never heare of it againe that the Spring of originall corruption is dried up that none of it is left but the meaning is it is healed that is Sinne is pulled downe from his Regency it may assault thee as a Rebell but it comes no more as a Lord as a King it is put out of possession it may creepe in as a Theefe but it comes no more as the owner of the house for that is resigned up to grace and the New Creature Sin creepes in as it were but there is another Master of the house so that now thou mayest say I doe it not but sinne that dwelleth in me that is that creepes in thy denomination is from that that beares rule in thy heart for that is all that is done in Regeneration Sin is put out of possession and Grace is now the Ruler the Lord of the heart therefore we may say it is healed that is it is so shut out that thou hast dominion over it it may assault thee now and then it may overcome thee now and then but it dwels not in thee thou never entertainest as a guest thou never biddest it welcome thou never makest peace with it thou hast perpetuall warre with it as there was with the Amalekites Againe corrupt nature must bee lessened weakned and mortified so there must be more than nature in thee that is thou must be able to doe more than any natural man in the world can doe or then thou wast ever able to doe before this change was wrought in thee for you must know Grace doth not onely mortifie and heale Sin but it goes beyond the power of Nature as we say Physicke helpes where Nature failes and Art helpes where Nature fals short Such a thing is Grace where Nature failes there is use of Grace indeed else what were the efficacie of the Word and the vertue of the Spirit and the power of Christ If they did not enable a man to do more than Nature doth Grace comes from an higher Well-head than Nature therefore it raiseth a man to an higher pitch than Nature can ascend to Therefore consider if thou hast that which goes beyond Nature Sampson had a strength beyond Nature he could doe what a common man could not doe but God being with him he had more than the strength of Nature How do we know that He was able to carry away the gates of the Citie c. which none else could do therefore there was in him strength above Nature Now examine canst thou doe that which no man else can doe that is a meere naturall man Thou must have a strength put into thee which none can reach to that hath nothing but Nature in him that is canst thou love the Lord Iesus and the Saints An Hypocrite can counterfeit many things but not love Againe canst thou delight in the Law of God in the Inner man I aske not if thou canst approve of it but canst thou delight in it counting it as meat and drinke to doe the will of thy Father This is a thing which cannot be counterfeit So canst thou deny thy selfe I aske not if thou canst deny this or that particular sinne but the whole body of sin if thou favourest the things of the Spirit if thou canst mortifie the deeds of the Body and walke according to that Spirit In a word whatsoever it is if thou art a New Creature thou must find thy selfe able to doe that which no naturall man can doe and which thy selfe could'st never doe before for otherwise what wilt thou have to answer for thy selfe when the Destroying Angell shall come if hee finde not in thee more than Nature the Destruction shall passe on thee as it was in the Passeover except there was found bloud on the door-posts they died for it Now the bloud that this Destroying Angell must see when hee shall passe over the world is that which is more than Nature You must know the bloud of Christ leaves an impression Their garments were made white in the bloud of the Lambe that is not onely the guilt of sin is taken away but a new vertue is put on them a new efficacie is put into them and if thou hast not the vertue of the bloud of Christ as well to purge thy conscience from dead workes as to take away the guilt of sin all is nothing you must know all the old world shall be destroyed and the workes of it and whatsoever is in it whatsoever is old shall be destroyed the Lord will spare nothing but what is new he makes a new Heaven and a new Earth and what is new shall be spared when he comes to take an examination of men and findes nothing but old in thee thou art sure to be destroyed if thou be new he will spare thee there is a blessing there this is the marke in the forhead this is that new Name this is that certain watch-word which if a man know not hee is counted as an enemie you have a fashion sometimes to give markes if they have that marke that token in their hand they are knowne to be of them that are allowed So there is a certaine sealing of men to life God gives a new name a white stâ—ne with a new name written on it which none can reade but God and thy selfe I say except thou art a New Creature for that is the new name the Destroying Angell shall not spare thee but thy sinnes shall be cast on thy conscience as usually hee doth when thou are on thy death-bed he never binds the burthen till then you have it before but you never feele it till then but when God shall charge it on thy conscience what wilt thou say if thou findest not these two things a weakning of this old nature an healing of sin and something morethan
will come What will their condition be then when there is no sprinkling of the bloud on the doore-posts of thy soule It is the case of every man out of Christ What are we out of him when the avengers of bloud when the pursuers shall set on us and pursue us from whom we cannot flie And when we shall be shut out from the hornes of the Altar when we cannot come to Christ the Citie of Refuge it is a terrible thing if we consider it seriously It is said that Aaron when he caused the people to commit that sinne or was an instrument rather it is said that he left the people naked why because he deprived them of the presence of the Lord Now when Christ shall be taken from us when we are without him when we are deprived of him are we not naked is not the hedge broken downe there is nothing left to shelter us what are we without him but as the Conneyes out of the rockes that have nothing to shelter us from the devouring Lion Now Moses was but a type it is Christ that holds the hands of God that he cannot destroy us it is he that stands in the breach and keepes out the inundation of evils that we be not over-whelmed with them he is the Arke of God that causeth the house of Obed-Edom to be blessed and we have more cause to take to heart the want of him a thousand times than they had to lament the losse of the Arke when it was among the Philistims for the Arke was but a type of Christ This is the case of every man living out of Christ. I but you will say Christ is mercifull he is very ready to forgive I hope I am not out of him but he is ready to receive me It is very true he is mercifull but to whom surely not to the wicked he holds not the wicked innocent so speake plainly to you Whosoever continues in any knowne sinne be it never so small to such a man Christ will not be mercifull No sinne shall have dominion over you Rom. 6. for you are not under the Law but under Grace As if he should say there are none whom Christ takes to himselfe and puts into the condition of Grace but he frees them from the dominion of every sinne there is not one ruling lust there You know there are many paths that lead to hell the way that leads the right way is but one errour is manifold there are a thousand paths that lead the wrong way and will not one path lead to hell as well as a thousand He that is in Christ hath crucified the flesh and all the affections there is not one raigning lust there so that as Antichrist had his marke and they received the marke of the Beast So Christ hath his marke too as you have it Ezek. 9. The Writer marked all that mourned God set a marke upon them and he sets a marke upon all those that he is mercifull to You will say what is this mark of the Lord You shall finde 2 Cor. 5.17 Whosoever is in Christ he is a New Creature that is the marke of the LORD IESUS And therefore if thou wouldest know whether Christ will be mercifull to thee consider if thou finde that marke there Art thou a New Creature that is art thou made all New as if thou haddest another soule dwelling in thy body for thou must not be new by halfes thy whole spirit must be New Againe if you will come more properly to this marke you shall finde Ephes. 1. 2 Cor. 1. what it is The Seale and marke that Christ sets is his Spirit Whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his You know Merchants set seales upon their goods to know them that when they meet with their seale they may say This is my parcell of goods So it is in the multitudes of men All that Christ will be mercifull unto he sets his seale on them and where he finds his seale and his mark those he knowes to be his That Seale is his sanctifying Spirit that he hath given us it is as a Seale or earnest 2 Cor. 1. and Ephes. 1. He hath sealed us with the Spirit of Promise that is with the Spirit that he hath promised to us So consider if thou have that Spirit then to sanctifie and to change thy heart to make thee another man than thou art by nature to enable thee to do more than thou canst doe by nature If thou have not this seale of God thou art yet none of his But you will say I have the Seale I hope I have the Spirit Well it is well if thou hast but know this that Christ never gives that privie Seale and Signet of his that inward Seale that none knowes save those that have it but there is a Broad-seale likewise that followes that Seale spoken of 2 Tim. 2. This foundation of the Lord remaineth sure and hath this Seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let them depart from iniquity that call upon the name of the Lord hee addes to that other a parting from iniquitie from all kinde of iniquity there must be none exempt place in thine heart nor in thy life wherein thou wilt have a priviledge thou continuest not in the least sinne but departest from all iniquity then thou hast this Seale aswell as the other If thou want these two Seales if thou be not a New Creature if any sinne have dominion over thee if there be one living lust in thee that is not mortified that is not healed I assure thee thou never haddest yet any part in Christ and if thou be out of Christ thou seest what thou art subject to to the wrath of God and you see the particulars you are subject to death you are subject to the feare of death and to hell and this is the case of every man out of Christ and me thinkes this should somewhat move us to come in and to take him But this is not all that which we have by Christ may invite us a great deale more forcibly If we could but open the Casket and shew you the Iewels or if we could but unlocke the treasures that are hid in Christ it would bring a man in love with him it would make men doe as Paul Account all drosse and dung that they might have him Well though we cannot doe it fully yet we will endevour to doe it a little You will say What shall we have by Christ First you shall have life by him Iohn 6. the place spoken of in the beginning He that beleeves in me shall have eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day When he comes to speake of water to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. when hee would commend to us a motive to stir us up to come and take him and to drinke c. he saith Hee that drinkes this water shall thirst no more That is he
shall live for ever it is water that shall keep life in him for all eternity when she heard this she harkens to heare of water that could keepe life for ever When you reade the story in Genesis that the Angell was set with a sword shaken to keepe man from comming to taste of the tree of life you should thinke with your selves if the Angels were removed now or there were a man so happy that the Angell would give way to him that he might come and eat of the tree and when hee had eaten to live for ever you thinke that man in an happy condition Now the Lord doth say Revel 2. He that overcomes I will give to eat of the tree in the middest of the Paradice of God That is he shall eat of me and live for ever this is the great happinesse we have When Christ would use a compelling argument to move Revel 2.11 Hee that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death Why is it so great a matter Oh that is all not to be hurt of the second death The first death is nothing the first death is but the doore it is but the gate that leads to the passing thorow the first death is but a going over the threshold the breadth of it is but a step and the length of it is but a moment of time or two But the second death there are the chambers of death as Solomon speakes where you shall be led from one misery to another and where you shall dwell for ever And therefore consider this if you take Christ you shall not be hurt of the second death I beseech you consider seriosuly reckon nothing so sweet if this life be sweet that is but a spanne long is not abundance of life much sweeter It is naturall to every man to desire immortility if you could but have this life continued let every man aske his owne brest what he would give that his life might be continued that he might be immortall If there were such a thing as the Alchymists speake of I could draw out the threed of this life to keepe it firme and even as they dreame of what would you give to obtaine And will you not regard this that will doe that indeed Will you not take Christ which is life indeed which will give you another life of immortality for you must know that it is not immortality simply that man desires The Naturalists were deceived in that for a man had rather not to be than to be in misery And the soule in hell are immortall and therefore it is not immortalitie that we desire simply for death is not the extinguishing of life but the misery of life And therefore where the Scripture speakes of the losse of the soule it is to be meant thus a mans finger or his joynt is lost when it is seized on by any incurable sore So when eternal misery is on the soule then the soule is lost and yet you have the joynt still you have the soule stil you have life still and therefore it is not immortality simply that we desire if we consider what it is but it is happinesse it is such a life as is not only immortall but happy withall this life Christ hath promise we shall live and an happy life such as S. Paul expresseth 2 Cor. 5. saith he We desire not to be unclothed but to be clothed upon that immortality might be swallowed up of life As if he should say consider with your selves you that love this life so well that you neglect that which is to come saith he we love our lives as well as you we are not weary of them no more than you are we desire not to be unclothed no but we desire that immortality may be swallowed up of life how swallowed up as we see a rude draught in a picture swallowed up with the picture when it is perfected as child-hood is swallowed up of manhood as the glimmering light is swallowed up of the perfect light so their immortality is swallowed up of life that is if there be a small poore glimpse of comfort here saith Paul we would not be rid of these we would be content to have these as well as you onely wee would have them swallowed up of perfect life we would have imperfection swallowed up of perfection And therefore Iob saith I will wait till my change shall come he saith not till my destruction come till my perishing come or till my death come but I will wait till my change come and he that changeth doth it for the better If you will take Christ you shall have this immortality and life perhaps you will say but I could be content to have this temporall life continued And haply my brethren if the Lord would make that promise that he would proclaime to men that they should have immortall life here it may be he shall have more followes than now he hath when hee promiseth immortall life in heaven but to take away that in a word I say it is a foolish choice if you might have it For what have you heere Here the body is tormented with diseases the spirit is wearied with vexation and the state is assualted with losses and crosses evill things wound us with sorrow and the good things we here doe but infect our affections and weary us still and yet they whet our tired appetites with a new edge In a word every condition here is pestred and troubled with businesse one invites and drawes on another we are hampred with succeeding fetters and makes this short life more short than it would be with carefull griefe with bitter feares and with corrupt joyes and at last all cut off and end as many men many times spread their branches and flourish their estate over-swallowes their wishes their suceesse excceds their desires now on a sudden this pompe is no where to bee found their desires vanish the floud of their wealth is dried up the owners and their goods perish together they will not see this by experience What is it in this life you would have if there were immortality But I say it cannot be so that is not so you cannot have immortality in this life but as evidently as you see the heavens roll about evey day so plainly we may see if wee will take it into consideration mankinde hurried along with an unwearied motion to the West of his dayes their posterity posting after them by an unrepealeable law of succession our fathers you know are gone before and we are passing and our children shall follow us at our heeles that as you see the billowes of the Sea one tumbe on the neck of another and in the end all are dashed upon the shoare so all generations and ages in the end are split on bankes of death and this is the condition of every man Is it not our wisdome then to provide for another life Certainly if there bee any wisdome in the world it
2 62 Our Hearts should melt at Christs love 3 41 See God Hell Out of Christ wee are subject to Helâ— 3 49 Aggravations of the misery of Hell 3 50 Hid. The state of Gods children Hid 2 41 Honour Sanctification stands with Gods Honour 2 89 House What kinde of House God is 2 195 Humbled Humiliation Humiliation must goe before Iustification 1 6 Israelites how God Humbled them 1 7 Humiliation two things in it 1 8 Humiliation to bee laboured for 1 18 Triall of true Humiliation 1 22 Helpes to Humiliation 1 26 Good men shoud desire Humiliation 1 30 Humiliation a remedie against Gods wrath 1 278 Hundred-fold Hundred-fold with persecution 2 223 Hunger Hunger out of Christ 2 215 I Iealousie IEalousie of God provoked by want of zeale 1 299 Idolatrie Idolatrie to attribute that to the Creature that belongs to God 1 265 Idolatrie a sinne of Israel 1 295 Impediment Impediments not removed suppresse the Truth 1 206 Impediments of two sorts 2 152 Impossible That which GOD requires of Christians not Impossible 2 255 Transubstantiation a doctrine Impossible 3 8 Imprison See Truth Inclination Inclination wrought by the Spirit 2 16 Inclination changed 2 63 Inclination changed how to bee Knowne 2 64 Independent Independent riches make men independent 2 212 Inconsideration Inconsideration keeps men in their old state 1 240 Infirmitie Men excuse sinne from their Infirmitie 1 232 Incredulity Incredulity of mans understanding 1 45 Instigate Conscience corrupted cannot Instigate to good 1 55 Inlightned Carnall men may be Inlightned 1 152 Inconstancie Inconstancie of mans will 1 50 Instrument Ministers and ordinances Instruments 2 158 Insensible Ill signe to be Insensible of Gods wrath 1 272 Inexcusable So much revealed as makes man Inexcusable 1 219 Ioy. Ioy mortifieth Lusts 1 18 Israelites See Humbled Iubile Iubile a resemblance of libertie in the Gospell 1 19 Iustifie Iustification Why we are Iustified by anothers righteousnesse 1 3 Iustification and sanctification inseparable 2 4 Iustification how it admits degrees 2 177 The clothing of the soule in Iustification 3 95 See Humiliation and Sanctification Iudge How to Iudge of things 1 270 Iudgement Sinne in time brings forth Iudgement 1 272 Execution of Iudgement commended 1 295 Iustice. What makes men acknowledge Gods Iustice 1 13 Iustice of God on whom it appeares most 1 147 Want of Iustice a cause of Iudgement 1 295 K Kinde NAture common to the whole Kinde 2 96 Kingdome Kingdome we have by Christ 3 72 Knowledge Knowledge an aggravation of sin 1 92 Knowledge in naturall men without rellish 1 155 Knowledge sinned against imprisoneth Truth 1 195 A sin of Knowledge what 1 197 Sinne excused for want of Knowledge 1 221 It is a sinne not to encrease Knowledge 1 198 Men might have more Knowledge 1 222 Knowledge of our estate at the first conversion 2 51 What kinde of Knowledge makes new Creatures 2 76 L Law THe Law shewes mans nature to be corrupted 1 34 Law how to be understood 1 35 Law the least breach of it punished 1 36 Law compared to Aegyptian Tasks-masters 1 37 Law against which men sin is exact 1 282 Law of God approved by natural men 2 104 See Schoole-master Leaven Sinne likened to Leaven 2 128 Liberty Benefits of setting the Truth at Libertie 1 171 Meanes to set Truth at Libertie 1 172 Libertie by Christ 3 73 Libertie what ibid. See Iubile Life Life promised to the taking of Christ 3 55 Life spirituall the excellencie of it 3 56 Exhortation to partake of this Life 3 57 Life how it is a Christians 3 83 Light Light imprisoned foure wayes 1 134 Aggravations of sinnes against Light 1 146 Naturall men defective in Light 1 154 The burden of Christ in bearing growes Light 2 141 Long-suffering Wee should give God the glory of his Long-suffering 1 237 Lord. Zeale for the Lord 1 285 Sacrifice offred to the Lord 2 86 Love Love mortifieth Lusts 1 13 Men sinne out of Love to evill 1 163 Love of Christ the greatnesse of it 2 39 Love cannot be counterfeit 2 92.3 29 Perwasion of Christs Love unites to him 2 179 To serve Christ in Love a part of the Covenant 3 26 Love constant 3 28 Lusts. Lusts detained keep men in their old state 1 241 Lusts why God suffers them in his children 2 35 Excellencie of the new Creature above Lusts 2 37 Old Lusts must be mortified 2 84 M Mannah MAnnah how it is Angels food 2 215 Manifest The Law of Mans judgement Manifest foure wayes 1 181 Marke Marke of Christ what 3 53 Meanes Meanes enjoyed aggravate sin 1 99 Sin excused from want of Means 1 228 Difference of feare in respect of Meanes 1 303 Meanes of Grace tend to Sanctification 2 21 Meaning Sin excused from good meaning 1 101 Mediator Why God hath appointed us such a Mediator as Christ 1 187 Memory Memory the corruption of it in two things 1 53 Mercy Mercy of God the greatnesse of it 3 22 Mercy to whom it is shewed 3 52 Metaphor Metaphors used in the Sacraments of the old Law 3 7 Ministery Ministery to be advanced 1 298 Misery Our Misery out of Christ 2 178 Forgivenesse of sinnes takes away the cause of Misery 2 18 See Apprehension Morall vertues Morall vertues nothing without change of nature 2 102 N Naked OVt of Christ we are Naked 2 209 To be Naked what 2 213 Nature Mans Nature full of ungodlinesse 1 4 33 All in mans Nature corrupt 1 41 Badnesse of Nature aggravates sinne 1 101 Men by Nature how far they may goe 1 151 How farre men by Nature fall short 1 153 God made manifest by the light of Nature 1 181 Sinne excused from corruption of Nature 1 226 What keepes men in the state of Nature 1 240 Conversion of men are turning the course of Nature 2 8 More than Nature required in the New Creature 2 91 Those that are in Christ have another Nature 2 95 Not to be content without a new Nature 2 101 Two things in a new Nature 2 112 Naturall When a thing is said to be Naturall 2 95 Good duties must bee Naturall to us 2 107 Necessitie No Necessitie of Transubstantiation 3 3 Need. Riches helpe in time of Need 2 211 Neglect Neglect keepes men from Christ 1 12 Neglect in serving of God 1 257 Net Gospell a Net 1 23 New Creature New Creature the excellencie of it 2 37 New Creature signes of it 2 49 New Creature what 2 61 New Creature the parts of it 2 84 New Creature required 2 122 Noblenesse The Spirit workes Noblenesse of spirit 2 15 Number Consideration of the Number of former sins helps humiliation 1 27 O Oath THE Covenant confirmed with an Oath 2 24 Object Faculties knowne by their Object 2 56 Objection Objection of Papists out of Iohn 6. concerning eating Christs flesh answered 3 33 Offices Offices of Christ goe together 2 20 Offices of Christ to be improved 2 183 Old Old