A GLEANING IN GODS HARVEST FOVRE CHOYCE HANDFVLS The Gate to Happinesse Wounded Saviour Epicures Caution Generation of Seekers By the late Judicious Divine HENRY RAMSDEN sometime Preacher in London IUDO 8.2 Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better then the vintage of Abiezer LONDON Printed for J. D. and R. M. and are to bee sold by Thomas Slater at the Swan in Duck-lane 1639. The Epistle to the Reader GOOD READER THe Author of these Sermons having served his time and being fallen asleepe before their time came to looke out and doe service in the world I conceived it might beare the construction of a peece of some light charitie to lead them out in their Orphan-like condition by the hand of a recommendatorie Epistle into the world Men for the most part desire in Bookes to know first what is said of them before they care to know what they say and sometimes an Author worthy of prime inspection for want of an Agent to make his worth his harbenger may lie as long neglected and unread as the poore Cripple at the poole of Bethsaida lay uncured for want of one to cast him into the water The subject indeed here principally discoursed and brought out of darknesse into light Christian mortification seemeth to disdaine all mediation and petitioning for it it being of so great weight and transcendent importance that it commands all hearts and eyes to looke up unto it and threatens with power and authoritie from on high even the greatest on earth that shall turne their backe and not their face upon it There are three things especially among others that will say well to make this rough and hidden way of Mortification smooth and plaine The first is the greatnesse of the Author and founder of that honourable order of Mortification and who was the glorious President of it himselfe Even the Lord Iesus Christ the apprehension and sense of such fellowship with us in our way cannot but devoure and drowne all sense and thought of what otherwise might be difficult and distastfull in it Among the Romans the Generall being slaine in the battell there was scarce any Souldier that regarded his life but rather chose to make an exchange of it for such a death wherein hee might beare his Generall company and if any did returne home alive in such a case there was a brand of ignominie set upon him ever after The truth is were not the consideration of sin and the madnesse of unbeliefe in the world at hand to qualifie the matter and give satisfaction it were the most astonishing wonder that ever the world saw that Iesus Christ being dead the whole world should not presently resolve to die with him The second is the greatnesse of the helpe or mighty arme of assistance that is ready to joyne with us in this great worke of mortification if our hearts bee once set upon it this is the Spirit of God and of Christ If you mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit you shall live Rom. 8. This Spirit of God residing and dwelling in those that beleeve to whom hee is given is alway at hand ready yea desirous and longing to bee set on worke in their soule to be imployed in this honourable service against sin and all inordinate affections evill-concupiscence uncleannesse pride covetousness c. And being stirred up and set on to purpose it carries on his worke before him with an high hand making havock and desolation among the fleshly lusts and corruptions of the soule The greatest and most difficultest undertakings and such which the soule of man would otherwise abhorre and turne aside from altogether are yet digested and carried on with a sweetnes and pleasantnesse of hope when a man sees measure for strength for strength as much in his meanes as in his opposition as many with him as against him Now the Spirit of God within us is of more might then all the hills of the robbers as David speakes in another case hee is stronger than all their strong holds he is above all the high things and imaginations that lift up themselves to the highest within us against the knowledge of God Mortification can bee no other but a solid delight and spirituall recreation to him that duly and deeply considers what oddes and advantage hee hath of his enemie the flesh by the partaking and close standing of that blessed friend of his the Spirit The third and last is the exceeding greatnesse of the reward which the God of recompences as the Scripture termeth him hath sealed and settled by purpose and promise both Yea and Amen upon this worke of Mortification If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that is wee easily beleeve or have ground sufficient to beleeve that wee shall live with him as the foundation of the ensuing discourse proclaimes aloud to the world whereby living with Christ is not meant of an everlasting being in his presence only though his presence alone be a Paradise of joy and blessedness in abundance but an admittance or taking up into an intire communion with him in all his glory or as himselfe is pleased with the expression Revel 3.21 a sitting downe with him upon his Throne Men for the most part can bee content that any man should chuse or appoint their worke for them if it might bee permitted to themselves to choose their wages and have good securitie for it Who would refuse with Sampson to encounter Lyons if they could be secured to eate honey out of their carkasses Who would not have cast in his lot with those three faithfull servants of GOD and have beene content to have taken part with them in that hotte service of the fierie furnace could they have beene satisfie for their safe comming off with their lives untouched and like advancement afterward in the Kingdome Low wages and slender recompences make even light worke heavie the only way to drowne the sowernesse or unpleasantnesse of any taske is to make it swimme in an Ocean of reward It is a principle in reason Finis dat amabilitatem mediis Good ends make hard wayes or meanes lovely and desireable If Mortification had as bitter and irreconcileable an opposition and repugnancie to nature as the grave it selfe yet the transcendent vastnesse of the reward that same farre more exceeding eternall weight of glory as Saint Paul had much adoe to bring out his notion of it in words without losse and leaving somewhat behinde 2 Corinth 4.17 dearely apprehended and beleeved mightily and effectuously considered is able fully to reconcile the disproportion I am loth to exceed the time and measure of an Epistle The nature necessitie and meanes of this great Master-peece of Mortification with some other things of Affinitie with them are well laid downe in the Sermons following Some straines I beleeve thou wilt meet withall that have beene strangers to thee heretofore and which will doe lively execution and quit themselves like the words of the
reckon what it would cost him Sixtly and lastly if wee must first die with Christ before we can live with him it serves for direction to teach us what order and methode to take to come to live with Christ He that will live with Christ must be sure to begin at the right end to die with Christ first he that will performe holy duties gracious actions that man must labour to crucifie and mortifie sinfull affections Sinfull affections are like weedes the Husbandman that desires his corne should thrive and live hee labours first to kill the weedes I say sinfull affections in the soule are like weedes in the ground or soyle if wee desire that grace should thrive and to performe gracious duties with content to our selves and to God we must labour to kill our lusts When wee find in our selves an unaptnesse and an indisposition to the performance of gracious duties suppose it bee to prayer to humble our selves before God to heare the word of God c. let us then reflect on our selves and see what sinfull lusts there have gotten strength and labour to abate the power of that and then certainly wee shall live with Christ wee shall bee enabled to performe holy duties So saith the Apostle in the second place If me bee dead with Christ wee beleeve that wee shall also live with him Which is the second thing I proposed in the beginning The connexion and conjunction of these two If wee bee dead with Christ wee shall also live with him Where first give me leave to remember you of what I formerly delivered in the unfolding of these words that the life that the Apostle here meanes when he saith If wee bee dead with Christ wee shall also live with him it is the same that in verse 4. hee calls Newnesse of life Therefore wee are buried with him by baptisme into death that as Christ was raised by the glory of the Father so wee should walke in newnesse of life I say the Apostle meanes here the life of Grace which in verse 4. hee calls newnesse of life And in verse 11. hee calls it living to God Likewise reckon yee your selves dead to sinne but alive to God Though secondarily and by consequent I deny not but that the Apostle meanes living with God in life eternall And the reason is as I shewed before that the difference of the life of grace and the life of glory it is not in Nature but in degrees Grace is Glory begun and glory is nothing but grace perfected As the childe in the wombe hath the same life that it enjoyes in the world only then it is in a further degree so the life that a Christian enjoyes in this world it is the same life in nature though it differ in degrees from that hee enjoyes in heaven The Apostle useth the future tense If we bee dead with Christ wee believe that wee shall live with him for these three reasons First to shew the order and Methode betweene this life and the former death because this life in nature though not in time is after our death with Christ As it is in nature the introducing of habites in nature is after the expelling of privations as the enlightning of the ayre in nature is after the dispelling of darknesse Secondly the Apostle useth the future tense because though the life of Grace bee here begunne yet it is not consumate till afterward in which respect the Apostle saith Wee beleeve that wee shall live with him Hee makes this life in respect of the complement and consummation an act of faith according to that in the Creeds I beleeve the life everlasting Thirdly because the life of grace doth not fade as the naturall life perrisheth but it is an induring life As Christ being once raised he died no more verse 9. so every member of Christ he that is once quickned and raised with Christ from sinne hee dieth no more so saith Christ Ioh. 5.24 hee that beleeveth hath eternall life What hath every one that beleeveth life eternall Yes every one that beleeveth hath life eternall in hope and in the beginning of grace because hee hath that life for the present that doth not fade and perish but endure to eternitie Verily I say unto you hee that heareth my word and beleeveth in him that sent mee hath eternall life and shall not come into condemnation which expresseth the former Now what this life of grace is this spirituall life will appeare by comparing it with spirituall death It is the propertie of opposites being set together as to impugne and sight against the nature one of another so to discover the nature one of another Now spirituall death as 〈◊〉 Naturall includes two things First a separation from the fountaine and principle of life And as a consequent of that a privation of the faculties and acts of life Looke what the soule is to the body the same is the Spirit of Christ to the Soule it is that that enlivens and quickens it so saith Christ Joh. 6.63 Ioh. 6.63 It is the Spirit that quickens Now looke as upon the parting of the soule from the body the body dies so upon the separation of the Spirit of God from the soule the soule dies So it was in Adam when by eating the forbidden fruit hee had cut off and separated himselfe from the fountaine and principle of life he died spiritually I say as when the Soule that enlivens and quickens the body when that is separated the body dies so the Spirit of Christ that enlivens and quickens the soule when that is separated from the soule the soule dies Secondly looke as upon the separation of the soule from the body there follows a deprivation of the faculties and acts of life so upon the separation of the Spirit of God from the Soule there followes a deprivation of the habits and acts of grace The gifts and habits of grace are as the faculties the acts and operations of grace are as the acts of those faculties and as upon the separation of the soule from the body there followes a deprivation of the faculties and acts of life so upon the separation of the Spirit of Christ from the Soule there followes a deprivation of the habites and acts of grace If it be so then spirituall life includes two things First the having of the Spring and fountaine of life the Spirit of God and an union of it to the soule Secondly the having the habites and acts of this spirituall life First the having of the principle of spirituall life the having the Spirit of God in our soules for it is not sufficient that there be a quickening Spirit unlesse it bee united to us For looke as when a man dies Simile the soule of a man and the body of a man continue still but there is no life because the soule is not united to the body so I say there may be a spirituall death though there bee the
Image or statue of Nebuchadnezar to have a head of gold and to have feet of mire and clay So Christ is not only the meritorious and exemplary but the moving perswading cause the very thought that Christ died for sin and rose againe it will move us to die to sin and to live the life of grace Fourthly and lastly Christ is the cause efficient as of our death to sinne so of the life of grace It were in vaine that Christ were the meritorious cause that hee had merited the donation of Gods Spirit whereby sinne might be killed and wee be quickened to the life of grace It were in vaine for him to set himselfe as a patterne for us to imitate and that hee is a morall cause to move and perswade us to imitate him unlesse hee were also the cause efficient to worke in us this death to sinne and this life of Grace therefore Christ also is the efficient cause hee workes in us both a death to sinne and the life of grace For the understanding of which know that Christ not only saves us by merit but hee saves us by efficacie too not only by Merite in deserving of life for us but in efficacie in fitting and preparing us to partake of life Hee not only by death hath abolished and removed death for sin but hee abates in us daily the power of sinne so hee is the efficient cause as well as the rest But you will aske how comes Christ to be the efficient cause of death to sinne Quest and of the life of grace by what meanes doth hee worke in us these two I answer Answ in Christs working in us these things there are some things that concurre in the first working of this life of grace and death to sinne and there are others that concurre not to the first worke but to the increasing and augmentation of it Those that concurre to the first worke are three 1. The Spirit of God 2. The Word of God 3. And Baptisme Now those againe that concurre not to the first worke of our death to sinne and kindling of this spirituall life but to the further increase and augmentation of it when it is wrought they are two 1. Faith 2. And the Lords Supper Of every one of these briefly First I say the principall cause of death to sinne and of the life of grace is the Spirit of Christ so saith the Apostle in that place before alledged Rom. 8.12.13 saith he If yee live after the flesh yee shall die Rom. 8.13 but if yee mortifie the deedes of the body through the Spirit yee shall live It is through the Spirit of Christ whereby sinne is mortified in us and through the Spirit of Christ that we are quickned to the life of grate In which respect it is called the quickning Spirit saith Christ Ioh. 8. The spirit quickneth It is called also the Spirit of sanctification Joh. 8. 1 Thess 2. 1 Thes 2. Why is it called the Sanctifying spirit because by it we are sanctified Now what are the parts of Sanctification They are two first our death to sinne the subduing of the power of sinne secondly our enlivening and quickning to grace Now the Spirit of God is said to be a sanctifying Spirit in respect of both these for from the Spirit of God it is that sinne is mortified in us and it is from the quickning Spirit that we are enlivened to a new life so the principall cause is the Spirit of God There are two other causes and those are instrumentall First the Word of God that is a powerfull meanes whereby God workes in us this death to sinne and the life of grace it is a powerfull meanes that God useth as the Apostle saith for the battering and demolution of all Satans strong holds Our lusts of themselves are too strong for us to vanquish it is the Spirit only that is mightier that can vanquish them but by what meanes doth the Spirit doe it It is by the Spirit as the principall cause but by the Word as the instrumentall cause or by the Spirit of God concurring with the Word For the Word of it selfe is not of power to mortifie sinne and to quicken us to a new life of grace but as it is a meanes to convey and derive to us the Spirit of God It is with us as it was with Lazarus when he was raised from the grave to a new life hee was raised by the word of Christ it was indeed by the word of Christ but it was not only the word of Christ that raised him but the vertue of Christs Spirit went along with that word and made that effectuall for the raising of him So it is with us it is not the Word only that is available for the mortifying of our sinfull lusts of that quickens us to the performance of the holy duties of a new life but the Word as it is the instrument of the Spirit of God which is the chiefe Agent Secondly another instrumentall cause is Baptisme that also is a meanes whereby the Spirit of God workes in us this death to sin and life of grace Now Baptisme is a cause of both these three wayes First as it is a cause resembling or as a type shadowing and pointing our to us our death to sinne and our life of grace which type and resemblance was farre more expresse in hotter clymates and Countreys in which in Baptisme they used to drench the child to dippe it in the water which dipping of the child in the water was a resemblance and type to them of their death to sinne with Christ and their rising out of the water exprest their rising to newnesse of life so by Baptisme wee are said to bee dead to sinne and alive to God through it as a resemblance expressing to us this death and life Secondly not only as a resemblance but as a speciall meanes whereby the Spirit of God concurres and goes along with the Element of water and makes it effectuall for the cleansing of us as from the guilt of sin so for the subduing the power of sinne and working in us a new life in which respect it is stiled by the Apostle in Titus 3. The laver of regeneration that is T it 3. it is that meanes whereby the Spirit of God workes regeneration this death to sinne and life of grace Thirdly and lastly Baptisine is said to be a cause as of our death to sinne so of the life of grace in regard of the stipulation or covenant because when wee are baptised wee enter into a solemne vow and covenant with God that we will forsake the Divell and all his workes there is mortification and that wee will lead a new life there is vivification So it is said to be a cause in regard of the stipulation and contract that wee make then solemnly by our selves or by those that undertake for us that are our sureties our God-fathers and God-mothers It is a
sinne The morall death to sinne is distinguished from the true death to sinne especially in foure things First the maine difference is in the Essence of it the truth is a morall death is indeede no death hee that is morally dead to sinne is not indeede dead to sinne for such a mortification takes away not the life of sinne but the harshnesse and rudenesse of sinne it takes it and restraines it it makes sin more tractable and smooth and subtill but it takes not away the life of sinne that is the first Secondly it differs in the efficient cause the efficient cause of a Christians mortification is the Spirit of God Rom 8.13 Rom. 8.13 If yee mortifie the deeds of the flesh through the Spirit but the cause efficient of morall mortification it is from the temper of the body or good education or the like Consider therefore if it proceede from the Spirit from the generall common operation of the Spirit or from the speciall saving and sanctifying vertue of Gods Spirit Thridly morall mortification differs from that which is true in respect of the Latitude he that is morally mortified he is mortified onely in respect of outward grosse sinnes in respect of such things as are more notorious such as run in the eyes of men such as cause disgrace and dishonour and obloquie but secret spirituall sinnes are unmortified nay it is the observation of Saint Austin that a morall man though he seeme to the eye to be never so much mortified as indeede if a man looke on their formal austerity to looke on Gato or such a one a man would judge them mortified yet commonly they feede one lust and for the sake of that they curbe the rest So Saint Austin upon the Romans observes the lust of covetousnesse of injustice of intemperance c. they curbe them being over borne with the lust of ambition saith he they keepe down all other lusts that they may give more scope to this one lust in his fift booke de Civit dei Chap. 12. But a true Christians mortification is universall hee doth not kill some sinnes as Saul killed the small Cattell and left Agag and the great ones but he mortifies and crucifies all sinne true mortification will not suffer a man to allow himselfe in the practice of any one sinne Fourthly morall mortification differs from Christian in respect of the issue hee that is truly mortified in such a one sinne hath received its deaths wound in him it never comes fully to be healed and recovered it selfe againe Indeede if hee be negligent in the exercise of mortification it may get strength upon us as the Canaanites being neglected of the Ifraelites grew stronger but they never obtayned that absolute command and dominion in Canaan as before but for a morrall man because sin is not truly mortified in him therefore when those restraints and retentives are taken away that kept in sinne it rages and dominiers as much as it did before in him or as it doth in another man Let this suffice to be spoken of the difference of morall mortification from that of a true Christian Secondly Popish mortification differs from true mortification in all the degrees and causes It differs from Christian mortification In the efficient materiall formall finall cause First Popish mortification differs from Christian in respect of the object matter the principall object in Popish mortification is not so much perhaps sinne in the members but the members themselves they lash and teare them with scourges and whips their ayme is not so much against sinne as the members whereas true mortification is a revenge on the members as they are instruments of sinne a mans principall grudge is against sinne in his members and not against the members that sinne dwells in Secondly they differ in the efficient cause the cause efficient of true mortification is the Spirit of God Rom. 8.13 Rom. 8.13 If yee through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body but the cause efficient in Popish mortification is among toot many themselves they offer violence to themselves selfe considerations is the summe of their mortification Thirdly the formall cause of Popish mortification is humbling the body abstinence and rending the humane body by whippes and scourges this they make the true bearing of the dying of Christ in their members So saith Getzer in his second booke of discipline Getzer 2. booke discipline chap. 8. Chap. 8. They beare the dying of Christ in their body that shed their blood with whipping and lashing themselves willingly for Christ such a man is sayd a to mortifie himselfe It is a strange thing as if wee should goe about to please the divinitie by inhumanitie Fourthly they differ in respect of the end and ayme of both Popish mortification ends not in the destruction of sinne and infeebling the power of it so much as the satisfying of God for sinne Heare what Getzer saith in the same place in his second booke of discipline Chap. 8. saith he such as whip themselves till the blood came for their sinnes by such whipping of themselves they satisfie Gods justice for their sinnes What Christian heart can heare such Doctrine and his heart not ake his ears not glow and his joynts tremble Blessed Saviour that they that stile themselves by thy name should derogate from thee by their blasphemies Wee say the blood of Christ expiates sinne they say their owne blood wilfully shed satisfies God for their sinnes whereas the end of Christian mortification is not to satisfie God for sinne but to infeeble the power of sinne to breake downe the command and dominion of sinne This shall suffice to bee spoken concerning the first point proposed the false deaths to sinne and those are two Morall and Popish Now I come to shew the Characters of a man that is truly dead to sinne with Christ The first signe of a man that is dead to sinne is this that when occasions are offered and invite him to sinne hee doth not yeeld this is an argument that that man is dead to sinne It is true I confesse there is great power in occasions that except wee keepe a jealous guard they are able to transport a holy sanctifyed man and so they have done the best but I say such a man as when no sooner an occasion is presented but hee is ready to give way to satisfie his lust such a man let him pretend what he will hee is not dead to sinne He is like a tree wee know in winter there is no visible apparent difference betweene a dead tree and that that is alive neither of them have eyther fruite or leaves Simile they differ not in outward view but when the spring comes againe and the Sunne approacheth then there is a difference then the juice in the roote shootes up and diffuseth it selfe into the rest of the parts you may know a tree whether it be dead or alive when the Spring comes
Spirit of God and the Soule if the spirit be not united to the soule that is the first thing Secondly where the Spirit of God is as a consequent of the other there followes the faculties and acts of life the habituall presence of all the graces of the Spirit and the actuall exercise of them In these two consists the nature of this life These things premised I come to shew the necessary conjunction of this spirituall life that I have explained in the kind and nature of it with spirituall death If wee be dead with Christ wee beleeve that wee shall also live with him Which Hupotheticall proposition or supposition affords us this Catagoricall Position that Those that are dead with Christ shall live with him For when the Apostle saith If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that wee shall also live with him This is supposed as much as if he had said in effect They that are dead with Christ shall live with him Or They that are dead to sinne shall live the life of grace Looke as it was with Christ so it is with the members of Christ as hee being dead rose againe and could not choose but rise againe As it is said Act. 2. the chaines of death Act. â— the cords of death could not hold him So it is with every member of Christ hee that is dead with Christ must needes live with Christ Death cannot hold him not death in sinne The Apostle affirmes as much in this Chapter verse 5. For as wee are planted into the likenesse of his death so wee shall be also into the likenesse of his resurrection If wee be planted with Christ into his death there is our death with Christ we shall be also in his Resurrection there is the conjunction and connexion of our life with Christ where the Apostle not only averres the truth of the former proposition but withall insinuates the reason of it those that are planted with Christ into the similitude of his death shall also into the similitude of his Resurrection Why because they are planted with Christ As a Plant that is grafted into a stocke it partakes of the whole vertue of the stocke so every member of Christ hee that by faith is grafted into Christ and made partaker of the vertue of Christs death to the mortification of sinne that man also is made partaker of the vertue of his Resurrection to the reviving and quickening of him to a new life of grace The ground of it is this First to whomsoever Christ communicates himselfe hee communicates himselfe wholly to whomso ever hee imparts the vertue of his death for the killing of sinne to him hee imparts the vertue of his Resurrection to revive and quicken him to a new life of grace If wee be planted with Christ into the similitude of his death wee shall be also into the similitude of his Resurrection because are planted with him Every plant partakes of the whole vertue of the roote and by consequent wee partake as well of the quickening vertue of Christ to raise us to the life of grace as of his crucifying vertue to kill sinne The second reason is from the insufficiencie of the one without the other If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that wee shall also live with him Why because death with Christ is insufficient unlesse wee live with Christ Philosophie saith that nature doth nothing in vaine much lesse doth Christ the God of Nature Now as in Christ it was in vaine for him to die for us unlesse hee had risen againe so it is in vaine and ineffectuall for the members of Christ to die to sin if they be not quickened to the life of grace The reason is this that death to sinne indeed defaceth the Image of sinne but it doth not renew in us the Image of God Now it is the Image of God that makes us fit and capable of eternall life It is true the righteousnesse of Christ gives us title to eternall life but our owne inherent righteousnesse qualifies us and disposeth and makes us fit and capable of it for without holinesse no man shall see God Flesh and bloud shall not enter into the kingdome of God By mortifying of sinne wee cease to be sinners by mortifying of sinne wee have the Image of Satan defaced but the Image of God is not renewed in us therefore besides our death with Christ there is required our life with Christ that so besides the defacing of Satans Image wee may have the Image of God renewed that wee may be capable of eternall life and be qualified and disposed and made fit to partake of the inheritance with the Saints in light The third Argument is drawne from the opposition betweene the life of sinne and the life of grace Philosophy tells us that in those opposites that are immediatly opposite that is such opposites where one must of necessitie be in the subject if one be removed the other of necessitie followes the subject Health and sicknesse are immediate objects a man must either bee sicke or well Now that which removes sicknesse restores health that that expells darknesse out of the Ayre it brings light Now the life of sinne and grace are thus opposite that that takes away the life of sinne then it must of necessitie bring with it the life of grace If Christ mortifie sinne in us and take away the life and vigour of sinne Christ of necessitie must bring into the same subject the life of grace because these are immediate objects hee that takes away the one must bring in the other as that that takes away sicknesse brings in health This shall suffice for the proofe of the point I come to make use of it If wee be deed with Christ wee shall also live with him Vse Those that are dead with Christ to sinne as Christ died for sinne those shall live the life of grace If it bee so if there be such a necessary connexion betweene these two then it followes backe againe that those that doe not live with Christ those are not dead with Christ For looke as it is betweene Faith and good Workes if good workes be necessarily joyned with Faith then where there are no good workes there is no faith So thus it followes if spirituall life the life of grace bee necessarily joyned with death to sinne then where there is no life of grace there is no death to sinne According to that of Saint Chrysostome S. Chrysost saith hee it is true indeed faith without workes is dead so it is true on the otherside workes without faith is dead No man can performe good workes though hee may for substance yet not formaliter without Faith hee that hath not Faith hath not Workes If good Workes be necessarily joyned with Faith then where there are no good Workes there is no Faith so if our life with Christ bee necessarily joyned with death to sin then where there is no life with
of them they will presse our soules downe from earth to hell First Reas 1. They presse the soule from heaven to earth the presse the soule from heaven to earth from heavenly affections to earthly Looke as a man is oppressed with a great burden from which hee is not able to rise nor to stirre hand nor foot to helpe himselfe for the doing of any thing so it is with a man when his soule is overcharged with surfeiting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life hee is oppressed with a grievous burden hee is not able to stirre hand nor foot hee is not able to exercise the powers and faculties of his soule to doe any good or to performe any spirituall dutâ—e indeed As for two of them the two first surfeiting and drunkennesse they disable a man from worldly performances therefore much more from heavenly and spirituall performances For the other the cares of this life Covetousnesse they burden the soule no lesse then the former though I grant it is more slilie and insensibly nay they burden the soule in these two respects more First surfeiting and drunkennesse they burden the soule but now and then sometimes no man is continually surfeiting or drunke but when Covetousnesse oppresseth the soule it doth it constantly it is a continuall burden therefore in that respect they burden the soule more then the former Secondly surfeiting and drunkennesse they burden the soule not immediatly but by the body they burden the body the instrument of the soule and so by consequence the soule but Covetousnesse burdens the soule immediatly it hangs a weight as a plummet of lead upon every facultie or the soule so that the soule cannot lift it selfe to any spirituall dutie it hangs a plummet of Lead upon every power of the foule whereby it becomes bowed and bended to the earth Will you see the truth of this in some particulars The highest and noblest facultie of the soule is the understanding that whereby we apprehend and judge of things now covetousnesse clogges and burdens the understanding Take a covetous man there is no man so dull to apprehend spirituall things as he Indeed in matters of the world talke with him in his owne spheare of the world and worldly things there I grant he is quicke and nimble enough if not above yet equall with others for the most part above others It fares with a covetous man as it is with the Moone when the Moone is inlightned in that part that is toward the earth commonly his most darke in that part that is towards heaven Simile so it is in this there is ignorance of spirituall things oft times where there is the greatest light towards the things of the world I say talke with such a one in his own spheare of matters of the world and the things of it hee is quicke and nimble enough but come to spirituall things that concerne the life to come and there hee is a very Nichodemus he understands nothing Covetousnesse is to the understanding like the nayle of Iael saith the Text Iael drove the nayle through Siseras temples when hee was asleepe and fastened his head to the ground so covetoushesse fasteneth the head the understanding to the ground that it cannot lift up it selfe to apprehend and understand the things of the Spirit wee see then Covetousnesse it burdens the chiefe facultie of the soule the understanding And so for the other faculties the will and the affections it burdens them it makes the will and the affections of a man when once it possesseth them like the woman in the Gospell that had a disease and infirmitie 18. yeares saith the Text shee was bowed together that shee could no way lift up her selfe Luke 13.1 So it is with a covetous man it bowes the will to the ground Luke 13.1 that hee is not able to lift up himselfe to a through prosecution of that that is good or to a constant declining and flight from that which is spiritually ill And so for the affections it bowes them to the ground that they are not able to lift up themselves to desire and delight in any thing that is heavenly not to love and joy in any thing but such as are earthly and sensuall I say it bends them so to the ground that they cannot constantly delight in these things I grant that a cove ous man for a fit for a while his will and affections may lift up themselves a little but they are not able to hold out the greatnesse of the weight beares him downe againe and oppresseth him Hee that hath his heart overcharged with covetousnesse and so with surfeiting and drunkennesse he may for a while lift up himselfe as a man that is opprest with a burden that gets the upper hand of him and beares him downe Covetousnâ—sse bowes the understanding the will and affections to the ground And not only these but likewise the fancie and memorie and speech â—oo it burdens those Take a man that is covetous his imagination workes and exerciseth it selfe about the things of the world For his memorie it treasures up nothing or but little else besides these And so for his speech the speech of a covetous man Simile it is as the breath of a dying man Wee say that when a man approacheth to death his breath is earthly so it is with the Discourse of a covetous man it is of the earth It burdens the fancie and memorie and speech of a man so that hee dreames of nothing he remembers nothing hee speakes of nothing willingly with delight ordinarily but that which is earthly You see then that Christ might well say take heed lest your hearts bee overcharged with surfeiting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life for it is the propertie of these sinnes to overcharge the heart as it is of a burden to presse downe first from heaven to earth but that is not all They presse downe further except wee depose 2. They presse the soule from earth to hell and disburden our selves of them they presse the soule as from heaven to earth so from earth to hell so saith the Apostle expressely for two of them 1 Cor. 6.10 Bee not deceived neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor effeminate abusers of themselves with mankind or theeves or covetous or drunkards shall ever inherite the kingdome of God Neither covetous nor drunkards there are two of them and so for the first of them surfeiting you see in Phil. 3.19 Phil. 3.19 the Apostle speakes of some whose belly is their God whose end is damnation and destruction So likewise Gal. 5.21 Gal. 5.21 the Apostle reckons surfeiting or revelling among the workes of the flesh and tells them before hand that those that doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of God envie murder drunkennesse and revelling and such like revelling may signifie and doth properly gluttony of which I have told you before in time past that they that doe
our selves burdned oppressed with these sines But you will aske if a man finde himselfe after search Quest that he be opressed with these sinnes how shall he come to relieve and disburthen himselfe I answer briefly to disburthen our selves of these sinnes Answ Meanes to be disburdened of these sins First labour to feele the grievousnesse of them Till a man feele the grievousnesse of the disease he is not diligent to use the remedy 1 To feele the grievousnesse of them it is otherwise with spirituall diseases then with corporall In corporall diseases first we finde the simptomes of them and then wee know them but in spirituall diseases first wee must know them before wee can have the simptomes of them before wee can be relieved of them the first thing wee must labour for is the knowledge of the grievousnesse of them to feele how they burthen us both in spirituall duties and other how they presse our soules except we be disburthened of them in time even to hell 2 Goe to Christ for his Spirit Secondly let us goe to Christ for as it is Christ that beares our burden for us so hee likewise is able to take our burthen from us Let us goe to him and desire him to send his Spirit into our hearts that is a Spirit of strength and power able to lift off these burthens For as I told you when he saith heere take heed least your hearts be overcharged it signifieth such a burthen as is a grievous oppressing burthen such as cannot bee lifted but with a Giants at me such a burthen are these sinnes they oppresse the soule and none but the Spirit of God can case us of them Therefore let us goe to Christ and desire him to send his Spirit into our hearts to ease us of this burthen Looke as it is with those that are troubled with the Incubus the Night-mare when they feele a great weight and burthen on them they put forth all their power to free themselvâ—â— of it so when we finde this Incubus this spirituall Night-mare to lye on us and to presse not onely our bodies but our soules wee should use all our strength and power to bee free that so we may runne with patience the race that is set before us Thirdly and lastly let us use the meanes besides these there are some meanes to bee used to disburden our selves 3. To practise the contrary What are those Looke as in Physicke the rule is contraries are cured by contraries so if we have burthened our selves by surfeiting let us disburthen our selves by the contrary if we have burthened our selves by eating immoderately let us put the knife to our throate abridge our selves in the use of meate not to eate so much as we may doe for as I sayd before out of that doubtfull author he that will goe in the use of indifferent things as farre as he may to the utmost length of his tether it is a thousand to one but that man will offend He that sleepes upon the pitch or brinke of a downfall or Precipis it is twentie to one but hee falls And so for drunkennesse if our hearts and soules be oppressed with the excessive use of strong drinke faith the Apostle rather then I will offend my brother I will not eate flesh while I live if the Apostles argument be good rather then I will offend my brother I will not eate flesh the argument will hold thus too that rather then we wil offend our selves and burthen our soules we will not drinke strong drinke while we live Let us labour thuâ— to take a kinde of holy revenge on our selves so the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 7.11 saith hee Behold this selfe same thing that you sorrowed after a godly sort what clearing of your selves what revenge it hath wrought I say thus we should take a spirituall revenge of our selves that if we have beene overshot in the use of meate or drinke and exceeded our bounds that for the future we limit and abridge our selves and take a kinde of revenge of our selves This is the way to disburthen our selves if wee find that our hearts have beene oppressed with these things Vse 3 Thirdly and lastly if it bee the propertie of these sinnes to burden the heart then here take notice briefly of the perverse judgement of the world The false judgement of the world how contrary it is to the judgement of our Saviour aske the world who have the lightest and merriest hearts of all men They will tell you those that fare daintily that are good fellowes they are joviall and merrie hearts But aske Christ and hee will tell us that surfeiting and drunkennesse opresse the heart they have not as the world would make us beleeve light-some hearts It is true if wee will beleeve their faces they seeme to have lightsome hearts if we will judge of their hearts by their sleiting and laughter but Solomon saith Prov. 14.13 Prov. 14.13 That even in that laughter the heart is sorrowfull there is sorrow in their laughter it is but from the teeth outward and it is not so only for the present but the end of that mirth is heavinesse It is sorrow for the present and the conclusion is heavinesse Therefore whatsoever the world saith Epicures and drunken men such as are given to the immoderate use of meate and drinke those men have the heaviest hearts Let the world say what it will the life of a Christian is chearefull he hath a lightsome heart Saith Christ Come unto mee Mat. 11 2â— all yee that are wearie and heavy laden and you shall find rest to your soules Take my yoake upon you for my yeake is easie Christs yoake is easie hee that hath given his name to Christ that sets himselfe constantly to the performance of spirituall duties hâ—â—â—ath a lightsome hearâ— Nay whereas 〈◊〉 other things they may beâ— burthened his body and his estate may be burthened for a while and his name may be burthened for a while but his heart is light and merrie Therefore as the Wise man saith A wounded spirit who can beare But if the heart be well it will beare a mans infirmities so long as a mans heart is light as long as the burthen lies in a mans body or his name or estate if the heart bee light they may bee borne Of all men a Christian a good man a conscientious man hath the lightsomest heare This shall suffice to bee spoken of the fourth part in generall what wee are to take heed of lest our hearts be burthened I told you it is the propertie of these things to burthen the heart Now I come in the next place more particularly to tell you what wee are to take heed of that our hearts bee not overcharged with surfeiting Take beed lest your hearts bee oppressed at any time With surfeiting That is with riotous immoderate excessive eating The word in the originall is Clisani The sense and