The 7. means If you would grow strong in the inward man is this you must get the spirit all other means will nothing avail you except you get this for this is that that makes them effectual and makes a difference betwixt men Sampson was strong and so were other men but Sampson was stronger then othermen because he had the spirit and it is said oâ— Iohn the Baptist that he came in the spirit of Eliah That is he had the same spirit that Eliah had and therefore he had the greater efficacie If Iohn had not had this spirit he had been but as other men therefore whatsoever you do labour above all things to get the spirit nothing will strengthen the inward man except you have the spirit It is the spirit that makes the inward man to grow strong And thus much for the means for the strengthening of the inward man And for this point Now we proceed The next thing to be considered is the means which the Apostle layes down whereby they may be strengthened in the inward man Is to have the spirit That he would grant you c. That you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man That is if you would knowwhat would strengthen you it is the spirit hence note this point That Whatsover saving or sanctifying grace or strength of grace any man hath It all proceedes from the sanctifying spirit I say all saving grace all strength of grace comes from the Spirit Yet do not mistake me as if I did exclude the Father and the Son for they work together in every act The Father works not without the Son The Son works not without the Father The Father the Son work not without the Spirit neither doth the Spirit work without the Father and the Son for what one doth all doe But I ascribe the work of sanctification unto the Spirit because it is the proper work of the spirit to sanctifie and he is the strengthener of all grace That is all grace comes from the Father as the first cause of all things And then through Christ by the Spirit Grace is wrought in the soul Therefore those 3. distinctions of the Trinitie are good The Father is of himself alone the Son is of the Father and the holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son That is the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son and is sent into the hearts of his children to work grace and holiness in them and it must needs be so that the holy Ghost is the onely worker and strengthener of Grace because proceeding from such an holy Fountain as the Father and the Son are the fruit must needs be holy and the way to get sanctification and holiness is to get the holy Spirit Now in that that is sent to sanctifie Two things are to be required First he that is sent to sanctifie must proceed from a holy Fountain But the Spirit doth proceed from a most holy Fountain and pure which is God therefore it cannot chuse but be a holy work that he worketh The second thing that is required in him that is sent to sanctifie is this that he subsist in sanctification That is that he depend not upon another for sanctification but that he be able to sanctifie of himself Now this is the excellencie of the holy Ghost He is sanctification and holiness it self that is subsisting in sanctification and abounding in holiness And therefore able to strengthen the inward man But that you may more fully understand this point I will shew you how the Spirit strengtheneth the inward man working holines and sanctification And this will appear in four things especially The first way how the Spirit strengthneth grace in the the soul Is this By giving unto the soul an effectual operative and digestive facultie that is by rearing the inward man in the soul and setting up the building of grace And this he doth by shedding abroad in the heart the blessed effects of grace into every facultie even as the blood is in used into every vain or as the soul goes through every part of the body and so gives life unto it so doth the Spirit go through all the parts of the soul by infusing spiritual life and power into them therefore the Apostle cals it in the Ephes 4. his effectual power that is he hath such efficacie in working that he infuseth spiritual life into the soul. The second way how the spirit strengthens grace is this when he hath set up the building and swept every corner of the soul Then he enables the soul to do more then it could do by nature That is by putting new habits and qualities into the soul As first when a man can do no more then a natural man can do by nature then the spirit fortifies and enables the soul to act holily and spiritually As for example any hand can cut with a cheesil or the like instrument But if he can by it make a picture this is a work above nature No man can do it unless he have Art and Time about it so when the spirit comes into the heart then it makes a man to do more then he can naturally do Water you know of it self is cold but if you would have it of another qualitie then you must put a qualitie of fire in it so the soul is dead and cold by nature but if a qualitie of the fire of the spirit be added unto it then it will be able to do more then it naturally can do Therefore examine what new habits and qualities be in you that is whether you have new habits of patience love hope experience That is as patience begets experience and experience hope so where the spirit is it doth beget new habits and qualities in the soul by which it is able to do more then naturally it can do as I said it first builds the house and sweepes the rooms and then it fills and furnisheth the Roomes with new habits and qualities of grace The third way how the Spirit strengthens grace is this when it hath given us new habits then it enables and helpes us to use those habits to good when we have them for herein appears the power and the excellencie of the spirit not onely to give spiritual life and strength but also to enable us to the use of that strength for the strengthening of the inward man There may be qualities and habits in the soul and yet want of power to use them As for example a man that is asleep he hath habits and qualities but he wants power to use them so it is with those that are not strengthened in the inward man But he that hath the spirit hath power withal to use those habits to good therefore it is said that They spake as the spirit gave them utterance that is they had power from the spirit to speak to do and use those habits that were in them
the budding and putting forth of the spirit therefore all such blossomes are precious and they should be nourished in you you should not let them wither for want of sap and that you may have from Christ for it is he that quickeneth every man by his Spirit That look as the old Adam maketh sin active in every one that is born of him so the second Adam communicateth grace and life to those that are ingrafted into him by faith Therefore he is called a quickening spirit even as a man liveth when the soul is conjoyned to the body so the soul liveth when Christ is conjoyned to it Look upon all the living Saints the reason why they live among such a multitude of dead men is because Christ is in them if you see one more holy then another more active more nimble in the wayes of Gods commandments then another it is because Christ dwelleth more in him then in another if you find your selves more ready and more strong to perform any duty it is because Christ helpeth and quickeneth you for he is your life In a word all the life you have is derived from his inhabitation and dwelling in you And this is the fourth Benefit that we receive from Christ he makes us living men The fifth benefit we have and receive from Christ his dwelling in us is that he consecrateth us and maketh us holy Know ye not saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. 17. That ye are the Temple of God and that the spirit dwelleth in you That is Christs act no man is holy but he whom Christ consecrateth and he consecrateth the soul That is he sanctifieth it sets it apart maketh a temple peculiar to himself for holiness is nothing but an appropriating something to Gods use and sequestring it from common uses Now when Christ works such a work in the spirit of a man he is said to consecrate a man to sanctifie him And that he doth when he revealeth to us the vanitie of earthly things on one side And the excellencie of heavenly things on the other side By this means the heart is weaned from those and is knit and married to these in a conjugal love so that it loveth him and nothing besides and this I say Christ doth by revealing the truth making earthly things to appear vain as they are and God to appear beautiful and excellent as he is For when he appeareth as he is we cannot but love him and that is the reason it is said Sanctifie them with thy truth that is when any man hath the truth revealed unto him he seeth things as they are then his spirit cleaveth unto God loveth God marrieth it self unto God keepeth it self proper unto him weaneth itself and estrangeth it self from all other things That which is called sanctifying in that place you shall find in two places of Scripture exprest in such tearms as express this double act of Christ which I named unto you as in the 2 Tit. verse penult He hath purified to himself a peculiar people that is he hath emptied them of whatsoever may draw them from God and hath sanctified them by his spirit And so again in the 30. Deut. 6. And the Lord God will circumcise the heart that thou mayest love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. That is I will draw you to me your hearts shall cleave to me Now then when these two acts are done the heart circumcised and love put into it that it cleaveth to God without separation This is the sanctifying of the heart this Christ works wheresoever he cometh And my Brethren this is not an easie thing to do and indeed no man can do it but Christ for this holiness of spirit is not onely an abstaining from the things common and unclean from pollution of flesh and spirit it is not an abstaining from them out of judgement onely but then a mans spirit it is holy when he hath an inward propence inclination to that which is good and an aversness to that which is evil When the spirit hath a new quality put into it Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good this is holiness not to abstain from the evil onely but to abhor it not onely to do the good but his spirit cleaveth to the good loveth the good So it is said Lot had his righteous soul vexed with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites that is he had a holy soul and in this his holiness was seen that he vexed c. So Moses his holiness appeared when he wept when he saw the people commit idolatry so Paul his spirit was stirred within him when he saw the idolatry of the people of Athens So when a mans spirit stiâ—reth it self after this manner when from that new quality that is put into it it works out the uncleanness that is in it this is the holiness of the spirit and no man hath it but from Christ. As the needle unless it have it from the Loadstone could not have that property of looking to the North so it is with the spirit of a man before Christ dwelleth in him before he hath put a new quality of holiness he never looks towards God but when it is done once it cannot do otherwise therefore those in whom Christ dwelleth cannot sin that is cannot delight in sin this is a great benefit therefore and this holiness of spirit they have in whom Christ dwelleth To be holy in all manner of conversation to be holy at all times in all places in all that he doth to have a holiness of spirit acting and appearing therein It is a hard thing and therefore the benefit is the greater so now how much unholiness we may find in the spirits of men when the spirit of a man steppeth out and doth what it doth to its own ends and looks not to Christ but to other ends this is unholiness and adultery of the spirit therefore those the trade of whose life is not to look at God in their actions but to themselves to pass from pleasure to pleasure and from sport to sport and all for themselves those also that are so much occupied in worldly businesses that God is forgotten this is exactly contrary to holiness for here the spirit turneth it self from God whereas we should be holy in all manner of conversation holy in every thing holy in eating holy in drinking holy in recreation holy in all our business holy in mirth c. But you will ask how shall that be When you do all these as to God as fitâ—ing you for his service when you put God as the end unto all that you do then is your spirit holy you know that place Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God That is respect God in it make not your selves the utmost end of it for then your heart is unholy for holiness is to keep the
as of fire And again it is said That the Apostles were stirred up with boldness to speak That is when they saw God dishonoured this spirit kindled a high zeal in them that is set their hearts on fire it set their tongues on fire when the spirit enters into the heart of a Christian it will fill it full of zeal the heart the tongue the hands the feet and all the rest of the parts will be full of the heat of the spirit for it is imposssible that any man should have true zeal except he have the spirit Therefore it is said that they spake with New tongues us the spirit gave them utterance that is they spake with a great deal of zeal of another nature and qualitie then they did before Well then examine what heat and zeal you have in your actions so much heat so much spirit He shall Baptize you with the spirit and with fire That is if you have the sanctifying spirit you shall know it by the zeal that is in you in the performance of holy duties Therefore I say it is an excellent sign whereby a man may know whether he hath the spirit or no Now that a man may know by this I will make it clear by this example Take a bottle that is full of water and another that is full of Aqua vitae look upon them outwardly and they are all of one colour but if you tast them the one is hot and lively the other is cold and raw So look unto the formal outward actions of wicked men they have the same colour which the actions of holy men but if you tast them that is examine their lives and search into their hearts you shall find a great difference It may be they may seem to have light and heat in them but they want this Spirit for they have neither a loathing of sin nor power to resist sin They may put a false colour upon their actions but it will not hold And by this they may restrain lusts for some end they cannot Master and subdue them and it may heat a part of his heart but it cannot heat all his heart But where the sanctifying Spirit comes it heats all the soul That is it kindles a holy fire in all the faculties to burn up sin that is there Therefore this was the difference between Iohn the Baptists Baptisme and Christs Iohn could baptize them with water but Christ with the Spirit and with fire Therefore examine what heat there is in you against evil and what zeal there is in you to good Are you cold in prayer in conference in the Communion of Saints it is a sign that you have not the Spirit It may be you read hear pray and conferâ— but see with what heat you do them is it with you in these things as the Apostle would have you to be in earthly things in the 2 Cor. 7. 30. 31. To sorrow as if you sorrowed not to use the world as if you used it not That is do you perform holy duties with that coldness as if you cared not whether you did them or did them not Do you hear as if you heard not and do you receive the Sacrament as if you received it not do you pray as if you prayed not do you love as if you loved not then surely you have not the Spirit And on the contrary if you find spiritual heat and zeal in you a nimbleness and quickness to goodâ— it is a sign that you have the Spirit â—or it is the propertie of the Spirit to heat the soâ—l therefore the Prophet saith The zeal of thy house hath even eaten me up That is I have such a measure of zeal wrought in me by thy Spirit that I cannot see thee in the least measure dishonoured but I must burn with zeal Therefore examine your selves what zeal you have for God and godliness Are you hot for the things of this world and cold for grace and holiness Then whatsoever you think of your selves yet you have not the sanctifying Spirit There is not a holy man or woman that belongs unto Christ but they have this holy fire in them And yet I would not have you to mistake me as if every Christian did attain unto the like heat and zeal as others do for you must know that some have more and some have lesse according to the measure of the sanctifying Spirit that they have but this you must know that you must be full of heat full in some measure answerable to the measure of the sanctifying Spirit but if you find no heat at all in you then you have not a grain of the Spirit in you Not to be hot is to be luke warm and luke warmness is that which God hates it is a temper mixt of both heat and cold loathsome to nature and odious to God and therefore in Revel 3. Because the Laodiceans were neither hot nor cold but luke warm that is they had neither heat to God nor were so cold as to forsake the Truth That is sin and holiness stood in arbitration together and they had as good a minde unto the one as unto the other Now because it was thus with them therefore saith God I will spew them out and in the next verse he exhorts them To be zealous and amend That is except they labour to be hot in the Spirit they cannot be saved Again in Titus 2. it is said by the Apostle That Christ died that he might purchase to himself a people zealous of good works that is this zeal must not be a constrained zeal but a willing zeal And if there were no other motive to move men to be zealous but this because Christ came to redeem them for this end that they might be zealous of good works for his glory if there be any spark of the fire of grace in us it will burn at Christs dishonour And if Christ came to this end to make men zealous then surely Christ will not lose his end but they that Christ will save shall be zealous Therefore I beseech you labour to be strong in the inward man and labour to get the Spirit that you may be zealous But alas men think that they have drunk too much of this cup of giddiness That is they think they need not be so zealous as they are but I say if you be not it is a sign that you have not the Spirit especially it stands men now upon if they have an holy zeal in them to shew it I say it is time you should when you see such halting between two opinions shew your zeal by hating and abhorring Poperie and labouring to draw men from it especially now when we see men so desirous to go into Egypt again which is to be lamented in these dayes for which the Lord hath stretched out his hand against us But where is our zeal That is what spiritual heat is there in us where are those
if you find your own spirit dead in you and Christs spirit quick and lively in you And this you shall know also by your affections That is if you have other affections both to God and Christ to holiness and to the Saints then you had before it is certain you have the spirit for this is that which followes the spirit for when the sanctifying spirit comes into the heart of a Christian it works another kinde of love in a man then a man naturally hath and again it makes a man live another kind of life then he did before Thus it was with Paul in 2 Gal. 20. I live but not I but Christ in me That is there is a proportion and likeness between the life of a Christian and Christ. That is when the spirit enters into the heart Then it will begin to put off the old man and to put on the new man it will put off their own power and strength to good and put on Christ onely Yet mistake me not I say not the substance of the soul is changed for the soul in substance is the same as it was before But here is the difference when the spirit comes it puts new qualities and habits unto it it alters and changes the disposition of it it gives it that sense which before it felt not and the sight which before it saw not hence it is throughly changed in regard of the qualitie and disposition of what it was and yet in substance remains the same as for example put iron into the fire the iron is the same it was in substance before it came into the fire but now it hath another qualitie it was cold and stiffe and hard and unpliable but now it is hot soft and plyable and this change is throughout in every part of it and yet it is iron still So it is with the spirit when it comes into the heart of a Christian he mingleth and infuseth spiritual life into all the parts of the soul and therefore it is said if the Spirit of Christ be in you the body is dead as touching sin but the Spirit is alive That is he is like a tree that wants both sap and root or as a man that is dead that wants a soul he is now dead whatsoever he was before Therefore examine if this thorow and great change be you see then what death there is in you to sin and what life unto holiness I call it a thorow and great change because a little one will never bring you into such a frame as to be fit for Heaven And again the Apostle cals it a great change in Rom. 12. 2. Be you met amorphosed That is throughly changed new moulded again In the 1 Cor. 3. You are saith the Apostle changed from glory to glory and therefore consider that every change will not serve the turn but it must be a great change the changing of Christs spirit for your own spirit which if you have then shall you come out of every affliction every difficulty like gold out of the furnace like cloth out of the die of Lions you shall be made Lambes of Serpents Doves Therefore see if this change be in you or no. If this change be in you Then when your old guest that is your old lusts shall come and find that their old companions be cast out of doors and that the soul is swept and changed they will not stay but seek abiding elsewhere And on the contrary if your opinions of sin be the same if you have the same lusts reigning in you if you use the same evil company and have the same haunts that ever you had you have not the spirit And so long as you remain thus do you think that Christ will come and sup and dine with you And yet you will not erect a building for him in your hearts Therefore if you would have Christ and the spirit labour to get holiness The fourth sign whereby you may know whether you have the spirit is this If it be but a common spirit you shall find that it will do by you as the Angels do by assumed bodies They take them up for a time and do many things with them to serve their own turns but they do not put life into them So in like manner examine whether the spirit makes you loving men or no. That is when the sanctifying spirit shall joyn with the soul of a man it will make him do sutable things and brings forth sutable actions The body is dead without the soul so the soul hath of it self no spiritual life to good without the spirit Therefore that which Paul speaks of unchaste widowes that they are dead while they live so I may say of every man that hath not the Spirit they are dead men dead to good to grace to holiness I say there is no life without the Spirit Men are not living men because they walk and talk and the like but they are living men that live in the Spirit and by the Spirit And on the contrary there is no true life neither are men to be esteemed living men that want the spirit Now the difference between the assumed bodies and the bodies which have the souls joyned with them are these By the examinnation of which it will appear that the most men which think they have the spirit are deceived with the common spirit That is beause they do the actions of assumed bodies The first property of an assumed body is this we have but an assumed body of grace and holiness when in the practise of life we take unto our selves the things that are evil and leave the things that are truely holy and good I do not say when I hate good but when I prefer evil before good setting it at the higher end of the Table and serving it first and attending on it most That is when holy duties become troublesome and wearisom unto you when it goes against the hair as we say that they crosse our nature and yet you will not crosse it for the love of Christ when it is thus with you whatsoever you think of your selves you have not the sanctifying spirit but a common spirit without life The second propertie of an assumed body of grace is if you have it not in a feeling manner The sanctifying spirit works a spiritual sence and taste in the soul. That is if you have the sanctifying spirit then holy things will have a good taste it will be sweet unto you it will purge out that which is contrary to the growth of the inward man On the contrary the common spirit will never make you to taste grace as it is grace or because it is grace That is grace will not be a daintie thing and it will be without a good savour therefore examine what taste of good you have whether you can relish grace or no if not you have not the sanctifying Spirit but an
assumed body and shew of grace That is a common spirit without the life of grace The third propertie of assumed bodies they are unconstant That is assumed bodies walk for a time but they walk not alwayes even so if you have but a common spirit you will not be constant in good but off and on from the Rule A man that is living in Christ you shall find him living and moving and doing the Actions of the new man A man that hath a common spirit may do some things that are good he may keep and press down sin for a while but not alwayes nor then neither as it is sin but because it crosseth his profit or pleasure or some such thing Again he may have some taste or relish o spiritual things But he is not cleansed or purged by them Again they may walk as a living man walks That is perform holy duties but they are not constant in holy duties neither do they perform them in obedience but out of self love That is they are still ebbing and seldom flowing They omit ostner then they perform Therefore let me exhort you all You that are alive and have been dead be you careful to prize your life And you that have been alive and now are dead That is you that have faln from your holiness and zeal and have lost your first love and strength labour now to renew it again But you that are alive and yet are falling let me exhort you to strengthen the things that are ready to die If there be any here such let them now humble themselves and seek the spirit with earnestness That they may be renewed That they may be strengthned and quickned to good and received to favour again But if you will not but continue in this condition still you have but a name that you are alive but indeed you are dead In Rom. 6. it is said That they that die in Christ shall live in him That is if you once live the life of grace and have received the sanctifying spirit you shall never die but live for ever in Christ. This was the promise that Christ made unto his Disciples and in them unto every Christian. That he would send the spirit and he should abide with them for ever Therefore examine if the Spirit do remain in you and make you constant in good if not it is not the sanfying spirit The fifth sign whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit is this examine whether it be the Spirit of adoption That is if it make you to call God Father Then it is the sanctifying Spirit in Galat. 4. 6. We have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father That is this is the property of the holy man no wicked man can call God Father because he hath not any such relation unto God he neither loves God nor God loves him The Apostle saith unto the Church I do this to prove or know the naturalness of your â—â—ve That is they that have the spirit they have as it were a natural inclination wrought in them to love God again to delight in God and in the Communion of Saints And therefore our Saviour saith in Iohn 4. It is my meat and drink to do the will of my Father That is he that hath God for his Father will serve him willingly without constraint as willingly as a man will eat and drink without wages that is he needs not to have wages to do that so he that hath the spirit he will delight in doing Gods will he will serve God though he should give him nothing And in this that God is our Father it will raise some like affections in us to love God again so likewise in prayer to have God to be our Father it likewise raiseth Son-like affections in us whereby we do not only believe that the things we pray for we shall have but we have also boldness to come unto him as unto a Father which no man can do till he have this spirit of adoption Therefore examine with what confidence and boldness you pray with what reverence you hear with what affection you love That is examine whether you have the spirit that doth make you to call God Father The sixt sign whereby you shall know whether you have the spirit or no is this you shall know it by the manner of working That is if it change you and lie combating in you as in Galat. 5. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh That is if you have the Spirit you will have continual fighting and striving in the soul and this will not be onely against some or more particular lusts but against all that it knowes to be a sin I say not onely that there is a striving or a suppressing but it is by way of lusting Because a natural man that hath not the sanctifying spirit may keep down a lust for â—â—me by-respects but it is not from a 〈◊〉 That is it is not because his heart hates it oâ—â—…sses it by another power then a natuâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love of sin still But the opposing and resisting of sin in the godly is by way of lusting because they hate the sin and they fight against it with courage Therefore examine what lusting there is in you that is what hating of sin and then see with what courage and power you go about the subduing of it It is said that Iohn Baptist came in the spirit of Elias that is he came with that spirit that is full of power I say you will fight faintly against sin except you have the Spirit when the Disciples had received the Spirit in Acts 4. They spake with great boldness That is they had greater power to speak then before Therefore the Lord exhorts all men in Isai. 30. 3. Trust not in them they are men and not Gods As if the very name of men were weakness That is they are men that have no power it is God that hath power and therefore trust not in them but in every thing labour to see the power of God in it and seek for all spiritual power to good by God and examine your selves what power you have when you pray what power have you to go through to the end when you hear what power have you to edification when you see evil what power have you to avoid it when you are offered the pleasures and profits of the world what power have you to forsake them if they may prove hurtful unto the inward man if you have strong lusts in you what power have you to suppresse and lust against them Therefore you shall know by this whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no by the working of it The seventh sign whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no is this you shall know it by your carriage in your words and actions and by your
reason of it but because he wanted the spirit and on the contrary when the Disciples had received the Spirit They spake with boldnesse The fourth effect that the spirit begets i holy and heavenly desires in the soul therefore the Church in Cant. 2 is marvellous inquisitive to find Christ and what is the reason there is in men such a want of holy desires but because they have not the spirit The fifth effect is That the spirit begets holy indignation holy anger is an effect of the spirit and therefore thé Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 7. What indignation and wrath This he speaks in the commendation of the Corinthians men will not be angry with sin as an evil untill they get the Spirit The sixth effect of the spirit is holy affections It will make you have heavenly affections towards God to grace to the Saints Therefore the Lord saith Eze. 26. 21. I will give you a new heart Carnal men they may do some things to make their children to reverence them as to love them in regard of some donation that is they may proffer an object but they cannot beget holy affections That is the onely work of the Spirit thus to change the heart The seventh effect of the spirit is this It will purge the soul i. e. it will cast out all rubbish out of the soul There fore the Lord saith that he will purge the sons of Levi as silver That is that they may be fit for the service of the Priesthood he will purge out of them by the spirit that which other wayes would make them unfit And David in Psal 51. often prayes That the Lord would purge him and then after he prayes for the restoring of the spirit making the absence of the spirit the cause of his uncleanness The eighth effect of the spirit is It kindles holy affections to good in us and this is that that giveth us great advantage against sin I say we have no small advantage against the devil when the heart is full of heavenly affections and that for these reasons First because the more holy affections the better man That is God accompts more of him A man is esteemed of God as he hath or hath not holy affections a man is that which he is in his affections that is a man is not a good man because he knowes much but he is a holy man because he hath holy affections when he is full of love to God to Christ and to the Saints The second reason is because holy affections are a means or a second cause of good That is they are the cause of good actions as for example for a man to suffer for Christ and yet not to do it with holy affections out of love unto Christ That is nothing worth Therefore when the affections are ripe they are drawn upwards by the spirit both to do and to suffer The third reason is because holy affections they widen the soul that is they make the soul large for when holy affections are dead in you the soul will begin to shrink in even as cloth that is not thorowly made when water fals upon it it will run in but if you stretch it it will come to its own length again so when the spirit comes and â—…rks holy affections they widen the soul and make it large and firm Therefore that you may have large hearts in prayer and in meditation labour to get the spirit that you may have holy affections kindled in you The fourth benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this it will make the heart good because it is the proper work of the holy ghost to sanctifie the heart that is to cleanse and change it and so make it good It is the work of the Spirit to work repentance a thorow change because men for the most part mistake repentance That is men do think that if they be turned this way and that way from this sin and from that sin though it be not from every sin and evil way that they have true repentance but they are deceived For repentance is a true change of the whole man consisting both of soul and body whereby the parts and faculties of both are turned a quite contrary way That is the heart is turned out of the way of sin into the way of holiness Now that a partial turning is not repentance I will make it clear by this comparison Take any natural thing that is of an earthly substance whose nature is to go downwards Yet you may force it upwards by means that you may use As for example Water you know is of an earthly substance and the nature of it is to descend yet you see by the force and strength of the sun it is drawn upwards first into vapors and then congealed into ice and snow and rain and then it will not rest till it descend again But there is another motion of things light and spiritual clouds ascend upwards and are not forced but naturally do it Even so a carnal man may do the same things that a spiritual man doth he may keep down some lust and he may forsake some evil That is he may forsake his drunkenness and his uncleanness and his old evil haunts but yet he doth not forsake all neither doth he keep out sin by the spirit but by a natural strength if he do a good action itâ—… by constraint he is forced by something to do it but it changeth not his heart a whit he may take a resolution to be good and to be better yet to change his own nature is not in his own power for this is the work of the holy Ghost Thus much for this use and for this point We now come to a third point the Apostle saith he would have them To be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man noting thus much that God must give them the spirit before they could have him The point is this That The Spirit is a free gift I say that the sanctifying Spirit is a free gift I gather it thus The Apostle here prayes That God would give them the Spirit Not that they had deserved it and so should have it by merit as the Papists teach but he must give it them freely without defert of their own I need not stand in the proving of it long That the Spirit is a free gift onely I will shew you briefly how the Spirit is a free gift and this shall be in these five particular things First the Spirit is a free gift and it must be free because the Spirit is a gift and what more freer as we use to say then a gift is Now it is a free gift because it is not merited by us at Gods hands it is not extorted and drawn from God by force nor merited by desert because all the good that is in us is wrought by God it is God that
within I speake of those actions which are actions of mercy be you mercifull therefore as your heavenly father is for that is a sign that you have the same spirit that he hath when God cometh into the heart of any man he receiveth the spirit of the father And therefore as you would have a witnesse and testimony to your selves that you are the sons of God be you merciful There is a natural mercy I confess found in those that have not mercy indeed but this God accepteth not because such mercies are but counterfeit to the true mercy Labour to be merciful as God is to abound in mercy that every one may fare the better for you wherever you dwell and whatsoever you doe let all your actions be works of mercy so will God accept them and be ready to render mercy to you again INWARD STRENGTH The desire of a Christian. Text EPHES. 3. 16. That you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man THese words are a part and indeed the sum of that excellent and divine prayer that Paul made for the Ephesians the principal thing that the Apostle prays for is this that they may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man and this the Apostle sets down in such a manner that he answereth all doubts that might hinder the Ephesians from obtaining this gracious priviledge For first they might demand this of Paul you pray that we may be strong in the inward man but how or what means shall we use to get this strength the Apostle answereth to this and tels them the means to be strong in the inward man is to get the spirit that you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man Secondly but they might demand But how shal we do to get the spirit The Apostle answereth to this you must pray for him for your selves as I do for you for I pray that he would grant you the spirit that you may be strengthened in the inward man and thus you must do for your selves be earnest in prayer to get the spirit which he hath promised to those that ask it Thirdly They might demand but what should move God to give us his spirit and to hear our prayers To this he answers that the moving cause is the riches of his glory that you may be strengthened in the Inward man Fourthly they might demand yea but what shall we be the better for this strength if we get it To this the Apostle answereth in the verses following then saith he you shall be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length and the height the depth and the breadth of the riches of the love of God towards you in Christ. Now in that the Apostle above all other good that he wisheth unto them prayes for this that they may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man I gather this point That which is to be desired of every Christian and to be earnestly sought for is this that they may be strengthened in the Inward man I gather it thus Saint Paul was now to pray for some special good to the Ephesians and considering what might be most profitable and advantagious he makes choice of this above all other good things making it the sum and substance of his prayer that you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man I shall not need to prove this by any other places of scripture because the place in hand sufficiently proves the point as being the main scope and intent of the spirit of God in this place to shew the necessity of this doctrine of strengthening the inward man But for the fuller explaning of this point we will first shew you what this strength is and then wee will come to the uses There is therefore a twofold strengthening 1 There is first a natural 2. There is a supernatural Strength First I say there is a Natural strength and this is when a man is naturally strong or able either in the parts of his body or in the guifts of his minde as for example a man that hath a strong memory this is a natural strength or in other qualities of the minde or else when a man is strong in the parts of his body these are natural strengths but this is not the strength that is here meant Secondly there is a Supernatural strength and this is two fold The first is a Supernatural strength which is received from the evil spirit which is when Satan shall joyn with the spirit of a man and adds a Supernatural strength and so makes him to doe more or suffer more then otherwise by Nature he were able to doe With this spirit are all the enemies of the Church strengthened Paul himself before he was committed was strengthened by this spirit Some men have more then a natural strength to undergo torments and yet not to shrink at them but this is not the strength here meant But there is a Second supernatural strength which comes from the sanctifying spirit whereby a Christian is able to do more then naturally he could doe and this is the strength which is here meant in this place and with this strength all the Saints are strengthened that is this was the strength that Eliah Stephen Iohn Baptist the Apostles and the rest had this made them speak boldly in the name of Christ. But you shall the better understand what this strength is if you doe but consider the particulars which are these The first particular wherein this spiritual strength is seen is this if a man chearfully thrive under many afflictions that is when they can rejoyce under great troubles and tryals they have this strength as Acts 5. 41. it is said of the Apostles that they departed from the Councel rejoycing that they were thought worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ he that bears some troubles hath some strength but to bear great troubles is required great strength that is to stand fast to Christ to profess his name as the holy Ghost saith in Rev. 2. 13. there where Satan hath his throne must needs be a great Supernatural work of the spirit The Second particular is this in the hour of temptation when the storms arise and the flouds lift up their voyce the heart is stablished being founded upon the rock so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it all Satans darts fall upon such a state as an arrow upon a rock the heart is fixed like mount Zion The third particular wherein this spirituall strength is seen is this when a man doth believe though hee have all reason and strength against him this is to be strong in the inward man but to go further that you may the better know what this strength is I wil give you a definition of it It is a general good disposition or right habit a temperature or a due frame of the mind wherby it is enabled to
man draw a Geometrical line he marvels what he means to spend his time about such an idle thing when that he which drawes it knowes it is of great use Fourthly in degree that is in the generalitie of the growth when you grow in every part proportionable A natural man may grow in some parts but not in all parts As for example he may have a large capacitie of knowledge in Divine truth yet he hath but weak affections to God or it may be his affections are strong but his judgement is weak or it may be he is strong in both that is he knowes the good and after his manner of loving he loves the good but yet there is weakness in the will he will not yield any true unreserved obedience to God but it is not thus in the spiritual strength that is in the growth of the inward man for that leads him unto an universal growth in all parts Now in the natural growth we say it is not proper Augmentation except there be a growth in all parts as if a man should grow in one member and not in another as in the arm or legg we would not say that were a growth but a disease and that many humours in the body were met together that it were rather a sign it should be cut off from the body then a help unto the rest of the body even so the growth in the natural strength in any one part of the soul rather hurts then helpes that is it rather shewes the disease of the soul then the health of the soul but the spiritual strength growes in all parts so much for the first difference The second difference is in the beginning and ending of that strength that is it hath another Alpha and Omega for the strength of the spiritual man is wrought by the spirit and word of God as thus the principles of Religion being taught him out of Gods word hence there is spiritual strength secretly conveyed into the soul for I say no man can receive the spirit or this spiritual strength but by the Gospel therefore consider what the goodness is that you have and how you came by it whether it came by the Gospel or no if it did you shall know it by these particulars First Examine whether ever thou wert humbled that is examine whether by the Preaching of the Law you have had such a fight of sin that hath broken your hearts If thus in the first place you came by it it is a sign that it is the true growth for this is the first work of the spirit when it comes to change the heart of a Christian and to make him a new creature it deeply humbleth him Secondly Examine whether there hath followed a comfortable conviction and manifestation of Gods love in Christ which hath not onely wrought joy and comfort against the former fear but also a burning and affectionate desire after Christ and Holiness Therefore if the Holiness that is in you be thus wrought it doth proceed from the spirit for this orderly proceeding of the spirit doth make it manifest But as for the natural strength it hath no such beginning it is not wholly wrought by the word it may be he hath been a little humbled and comforted by the word but it is not throughly and soundly but it is a overly habitual strength of nature picked out of observations and example Again as the spiritual strength hath a different beginning so it hath a different end that is the ends of them are as far if not further different then the beginning for as the spiritual strength hath a different beginning so it hath a different end that is the end of them are so far if not further different then the beginning for as the Holiness that is in a gracious man ariseth from a higher well head so it leads a man to a more noble and excellent end then the natural strength for the end of a spiritual mans strength is Gods glory that he may yield better obedience unto God that he may keep touch with him and keep in with him that he may have more familiarity with him and more confidence boldness with him in prayer In a word that he may be fit for every good work But the end of the natural mans strength is his himself his own profit and pleasure his own good for as the rise of any thing is higher so the end is higher As for example water is lifted upon the top of some Mountain or high place because it may go further then if it were upon even ground so when a man is strong in the Inward man he is set up higher he hath another end that is to please God and not himself and thus much for the second difference The third difference is this he that is spiritually strong is strong in faith that is the strength of the Inward man is Faith but the strength of the outward man is but moral strength gained by the diligent improvements of nature Now it is faith that gives strength a man is not a strong man in Christ or in the Inward man that hath not a strong faith for faith it the only thing that makes a man strong that is which makes a difference between a spiritual man and a natural man for as Reason makes a difference betwixt men and beasts so faith make a difference between a holy man and a wicked man As for example take a Philosopher that doth excel in other things as in humane knowledge he goes before other men yet in matters of faith and believing he is as blind as a beetle and the Reason is this A Christian sees and doth all things by faith but the other onely but by the light of nature and this is the same that the Apostle speaks of Heb. 11 Of weak they became strong that is because they had faith and were strong in the faith and trusted and believed and hoped in God therefore they became strong that is they did that which other men could not do that wanted faith Sisera might do as great things as Gideon but here is the difference Gideon doth them all out of Faith the other doth them but from Nature and so Socrates may in worldly things be as wise as Paul that is as wise in understanding and in policie by reason of excellent natural parts but here is the difference Paul doth all things out of faith and Socrates doth not therefore the Apostle saith in the 1 Tim. 4. 10. We are strong because we trust in the living God that is we have a strong faith in God and that makes us stand out all the assaults of men and Divels I say this is that which make a difference betwixt us and the men of this world Diogenes may trample under his feet the things of this world as well as Moses but Moses by faith chose rather the things of another life then these
knowledge the more strength for the spirit of Divine truth is the strength of the soul for as the soul is unto the body so is the word unto the Inward man the body is dead without the soul not able to do any thing so the Inward man without the spiritual strength which is wrought in the soul by the saving knowledge of the word is nothing but weakness Therefore the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow by it That is knowledge in the word will make you grow strong in Christ The contrary to this we see the Apostle upbraids the Corinthians with 1 Cor. 3. 1. And in the Heb. 5. 13. because they were weak in knowledge he calls them babes for saith he He that is not expert in the Word of Righteousness he is a Babe Therefore labour to abound in spiritual knowledge that you may be strong in the Inward man I presse this the more because I fear many of you are weak because you are ignorant That is you want this spiritual knowledge you know in our ordinary talk we count ignorance folly That is when a man doth any thing that he should not do or would not do if he did but understand himself we say that man is weak in judgement or it is folly surely this weakness in the Inward man is folly indeed and a man cannot shew his weakness more then to be weak in spiritual knowledge And yet you must know that a man may have much knowledge that is worldly knowledge and the notional or speculative knowledge of Divine truthes and yet be but weak in the inward man for there is an artificial knowledge which fills the brain but the spirit goes no further and descends no lower That is it doth not sanctifie that knowledge in the heart and the inward man Again there is a knowledge of the spirit or experimental which is an operative knowledge and goes along with this other knowledge and bends it to Sanctification and is practical but yet you must know I say before you can be strong there must be some proportion between the spiritual knowledge and the spiritual strength as for example one man eates and is fat and lusty another man eates and is still lean so some have as much as others have and yet are not so strong as others And yet we say not but as the lean man is strengthened by the meat he eates so he that hath weaker knowledge is strengthened by it but where the Lord works by his spirit the greatest knowledge accordingly strength is increased Therefore I beseech you labour for a full measure of saving knowledge that is for a working purging operative and powerful knowledge And this I do not onely speak unto you that are weak but also unto you that are strong that you be careful to adde unto your knowledge for what is the reason that you do not grow in grace but because you are not careful to adde more knowledge unto that which you have It may be you pick some good thing from some Sermons or from some good book but presently you forget them you do not make it your own by Meditation it slips out of your memory again and so doth you no good but if you would be careful to adde unto it you would grow stronger in the inward man then you do And here is the misery of us that are spiritual Builders other Builders when they have built a house the owner lookes to it himself and keepes it in reparations but when we have done what we can to build up in the inward man and think that you will put to your hands your selves when we are to further the work of grace you begin to pull down your buildings again your selves by your ignorant and loose lives That is by following your pleasure your sporting and gaming and prophaning the Lords day Therefore you must labour to grow in knowledge if you will grow strong in the inward man The second means to be used if you would grow strong in the inward man is this you must be diligent in the use of all means as the wise man saith The hand of the diligent maketh rich so where there is much diligence in the use of the means of grace there is much strength in the inward man no men get spiritual strength but they that are diligent And therefore this is the reason that men are not strong in the spiritual strength because like the sluggard you are not diligent in the use of the means That is you take no pains for grace and therefore it is that you get no increase for according to the proportion of your pains so is the inward man strengthened And as you use them more diligently so you find the strength of them more operative and powerful for it is in the soul as it is with the body If you be not diligent and careful to feed the body it will wither and consume away and grow weak so if you feed not the soul diligently and use the means constantly you will breed weakness in the soul and the more remisse and secure you are in the performance of holy duties the weaker you are It may be you think it will not weaken you to omit private prayer but omit it once and it will make you careless and the more you neglect it the more unfit and undisposed will you find your selves when you would and your strength will abate Or you think you may prophane one Sabbath or you may take your pleasure immoderatly sometimes but beloved it will make you secure That is the more a man doth in this kinde the more he may do For this is true in every act every act inclines a habit and a habit brings custom so it is as true in good things the beginning of good things brings many particular good things And therefore if you can but get your hearts in a frame of grace you shall find a supply of grace because Christ saith unto whom soever hath unto him shall be given That is he that hath grace is careful in the use of the means by Gods appointment he shall thrive in holiness for if you once get but the beginnings of saving grace and be industrious and careful to imploy them then you will in time grow strong you know what Christ said unto the servant that had used his Talent well he had more given him So if you be diligent in the use of the means the inward man will grow strong but for the using of the means observe these Rules The first Rule that I would have you observe if you would have the means effectual is this you must use all the means If you use but part of the means you will not grow strong for as it is with the body so it is with the inward man for the health and growth of the body a man will use all
Thus Sampson by the power of the spirit had power to use his strength And in the Acts 4 32 it is said that the Apostles spake boldly That is they had power for you must know that there may be habits of grace in the heart and yet want of power but when the spirit comes then it puts strength in the inward man to do Thus it is said that the spirit came upon Saul and he prophesied That is he was able to do more then before he could do and yet know that you may have true grace and yet now and then for the present want action that is power to do yet is but then when the spirit seems to absent it self from the soul and this was that which the Apostle speaks of Heb. 12. 12. Brethren you have forgotten the Consolation That is your spiritual strength may lie hidden dead and forgotten but the spirit will return and then you shall finde good again The fourth way whereby the spirit strengthens grace in the soul is by giving efficacie and power unto the means of growth which is a special advantage for strengthening of the inward man for as he sets up the building and furnisheth the Roomes and gives power unto the soul to use them so that which makes all these effectual is this when he gives power and efficacie unto the means that are for the strengthening of the inward man Now you know that the word is the onely ordinary means to work new habits and qualities in us that is to câ—lâ—…s and beget us into Christ but if the spirit should not add this unto them namely efficacie they will never beget us into Christ Therefore this is the means to make all effectual that is it gives a blessing to the means of grace The word alone without the spirit is as I told you as a scabberd without a sword or bâ—t as a sword without a hand that will do no good though you should stand in never so great need therefore the Aâ—ostle joyns them together in the Acts 20. he cals it the word of his grace that is the spirit must work grace or else the word will nothing avail you Again prayer is a means to strengthen the inward man but it the spirit be not joyned with it it is nothing worth and therefore the scripture saith Pray in the Holy Ghoâ—t That is if you pray not by the power of the Holy Ghost you will never obtain grace or sanctification The spirit is unto the means of grace as rain is unto the plants that is as rain makes the plants to thrive and and grow so it is the spirit that makes the inward man to grow in holiness Therefore it is the promise which God makes unto his Church in Isai. 44. 3. He will pour water upon the dry ground That is the heart which was before barren in grace and holiness shall now spring up in holiness and grow strong in the inward man and this shall be when I pour out my spirit upon them Therefore you see how the spirit doth strengthen grace in the soul by setting up the building of grace in the soul and then by furnishing the Roomes with new habits and qualities of grace And then by giving power unto the soul to use those habits And then by giving a blessing unto all the means of grace The use of this stands thus If the spirit be the onely means to strengthen the inward man then it will follow that whosoever hath not the Holy Ghost hath not this strength And whatsoever strength a man may seem to have to himself if it proceed not from the spirit it is no true strength but a half and counterfeit seeming strength For a man may thus argue from the cause to the effect That that is the true cause of strength must needs bring forth strong effects And on the contrary That which is not the true cause of strength cannot bring forth the effects of strength so that no natural thing can bring forth the strength of the inward man because it wants the ground of all strength which is the spirit And therefore you may have a flash or a seeming power of strength such as the foolish virgins had in Matth. 25. which seemed to be strong in the inward man but it was but a feigned strength because they had not the spirit It is the spirit that must give you assurance of salvatiâ—n and happiness And I have chosen this point in regard of the present occasion the receiving of the Sacrament before which you are especially to examine your selves whether you have this or no which if you have not then you have neither strength in the inward man nor any right or interest unto Christ. for I may well follow the Apostles rule It is the sign of those that are Christs they have the spirit In the 1 Cor. 2. 10. The spirit searcheth the deep things of God which he hath revealed unto us by his spirit And in the Ephesians 1. You were sealed with the spirit of Promise and in the Rom. 8. That they should be raised by the spirit which dwelleth in them and again As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God Thus you see that it stands you upon to examine your sâ—lves whether you have the spirit but above all places there are 2. places which prove the necessitie of having the spirit The one is this place which is my Text That you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man and the other place is that which Saint Iohn hath in the 1 Iob. 3. 14. By this we know that we are translated from death unto life because we love the Brethren That is if we be united in the bond of love that is a sign that we have the spirit and having the spirit it is the cause that we are translated that is changed we must be changlings from sin to grace before we can be saved Therefore examine what effectual spiritual strength you have what spiritual love there is amongst you And so accordingly you may judge of your estates whether you have any right or interest unto Christ And that I may help you in this thing I will lay down some signs by which you may know whether you have the spirit or no. The first sign whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no is this if you have the sanctifying spirit you will be full of fire That is it will fill you with spiritual heat and zeal now if you find this in you then it is the sanctifying spirit and therefore Iohn saith of Christ in Matth. 3. That he will baptize them with the spirit and with fire That is he will baptize them with that spirit whose nature is as fire that will fill you full of spiritual heat and zeal and therefore it is said in Acts 2. that they had tongues
meditate power to love power to obey all above nature and a power to forsake life and libertie riches and honour pleasure and all things which no man will do except he have the Spirit Secondly as it gives a strength and an excellent qualitie above nature so it adds unto it holiness that is it puts a tincture of goodness upon all your actions it warmeth the gifts of the minde and puts the heart in a frame of grace many men have a kind of strength but they want holiness and sanctification with it Now a man is said to be a holy man when the soul is separated and divided from things that are contrarie to its salvation and happiness and joyned And then joyned and united unto Christ wholly and totally Then and not until then is a man a true holy man it is with a holy man in this case as it is with a spouse she is separated from others and united to her husband are joyned to the Spirit have holiness with it and separated from sin The vessels in the time of the Law they were holy vessels because they were appointed to Gods worship in like maner when the Spirit comes into the heart it sanctifies it and makes him a holy man by making him in all his aims and ends to pitch upon Gods glory And this can no man do till the spirit of Christ be his In Cant. 6. 3. The Church saith I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine That is because he is my husband and I am his spouse therefore I will labour to be like him in holiness And our Saviour prayeth for this holiness for his Disciples In Ioh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is Truth That is the word is the means to work holiness in them when they want holiness they want all things for when profit and pleasure comes then the Spirit of holiness is as it were plucked from them but when they have the Spirit then they see the vanitie of these earthly things therefore it is that men are deceived with false and counterfeit wares because they want the Spirit of discerning but when the Spirit of God comes into the heart of a Christian then it shewes him the vanitie of these things and this he doth by enlightning the mind and therefore it is that they are kept from playing the Adulteresses with these things because they have the Spirit of discerning Now examine what strength above nature what conjunction of holiness have you with it what Spirit of discerning have you are not these things in you then you have not the Spirit The third sign whereby you shall know whether you have the Spirit or no is this examine when and by what means it came into thy heart This is the sign that the Apostle makes in Galat. 3. Did you saith he receive the Spirit by the work of the Law or else by Faith preached That is if you have the Spirit then tell me how you came by it how and by what means came he first into the heart But here all the Question is how a man may know whether the Spirit be come into the heart in the right manner or no. To this I answer That this you must know that the onely means to receive the Spirit into the heart that is the right conveyance of the Spirit into the heart is by the word purely preached That is when it comes in the evidence of the Spirit purely without the mixture of any thing of mans with it and further you shall know whether you have received the Spirit by the Preaching of the word by these two things 1. By the Antecedent 2 By the Consequent First I say you shall know it by that which went before I say if the spirit hath been brought into the heart by the word then there will be a deep humiliation wrought in the soul for sins And then Christ and the Spirit comes into the heart begins to cheer up the dejected sou and hereupon there will be a through change wrought in the whole man and it must needs be so because the nature of the spirit is first to pull down what mans corruptions have built And then to lay the foundation of the spiritual building Humilitie And then afterwards to rear the buildings of grace in the soul. As for example if you would know whether the plants receive vertue from the Olive or no Then you must know that first they must be cut off from their own stock and then they must be ingrasted into that and then see whether they have the fatness of the Olive and then whether they bear the Olive leaves So a Man that hath not received the the spirit by the word he shall see it by the ripeness of sin the corrupt branches the bitter fruit that comes and is brought forth by him But on the contrarie if the word by the spirit hath cut you down and humbled you throughly by the light of your sin and then ingrafted you into Christ by working in you a saving a justifying faith and if it hath made you fat and well liking in grace that you have brought forth better fruit then you could do before then surely the spirit came into the heart the right way and works in the right manner but as I said it will first humble you by the word as in Iohn 1. 8. The Spirit shall reprove the world of sin of Righteousness and of judgement First he will reprove them of sin to humble them Secondly of righteousness because they have not believed the all-sufficiencie of Christ. Thirdly of judgements that they might change their opinions that they might do those things and bring forth that as fruit is agreeable to Gods will Secondly consider the consequence that is look to the thing that followeth the spirit where it comes in Where the spirit comes it works a through change in the soul I call it not a bare change but a through change for as there may be a glistering shew of something like gold that is not gold so there may be a cessation and a change from sin but not throughly or heartily and so not at all for what will it avail Herod to forsake some and like of Iohn Baptist in some things well if he will not forsake all and like of Iohn Baptist in reproof of all In like manner what if you change your opinions of some sins That is what if ye esteem some sins to be sins indeed if you have no the like opinion of all whatsover you think of your selves as yet you never had the spirit Therefore if you would know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no in you then examine whether there be a through change wrought in you That is whether you do not esteem every sin to be sin but also what spiritual life you finde in you I say you shall know whether the holy spirit be in you by this
Christian like walking and holy conversation And this is the same the Apostle speaks of when he would assure them of their resurrection to life in Rom. 6. If you die with Christ you shall also rise with him again That is if your actions be the actions of the spirit proceeding from the inward man and have some resemblance of Christ then you shall rise again and live with him And in Rom. 8. he comes to the works of the spirit So many saith he as are led by the Spirit they are Sons of God That is they are led unto all holy actions and the duties of sons and then he comes in Galat. 5. unto the fruits of the spirit The fruits of the spirit are love joy and peace c. well then examine whether you have the spirit by the actions of the spirit and by the working and fruits of the spirit and by the teaching of the spirit For it is the Spirit which is the doctor of the soul that teacheth it all spiritual and saving knowledge and therefore the Lord saith you shall not need to be taught of any other for you shall be all taught of God that is mens teaching will never be effectual to work grace and holiness in you except God teach by his spirit Now you must know that there is a two fold teaching First there is a teaching of beast by man that they may be serviceable unto men by this to put men in mind of the spiritual teaching God hath put such a power in the creatures that they cannot chuse but they must do it there is a necessitie laid upon them by God in the very instinct of nature So when the spirit comes into the heart of a Christian it openeth another light in the minde and therefore the Apostle saith that you need not teach you to love for you are taught of God to love one another That is there is a necessitie laid upon you and therefore you must needs love I grant that sometimes a thief may be in the high way but it is for a bootie and a holy man may be out of the way That is slipt aside but here is the difference the one sets himself of purpose to do evil and the other is inforced unto evil unwillingly And you shall know the difference between these two in these 2. things If a holy man have gone besides the way as soon as the passion or temptation is overpast he will return again into the right way he will not go forward nor stand still but he will return But the other though in some sence he knowes it and is told he is besides the rule yet he cares not he will go on forward Therefore examine what fruits of the spirit you bring forth and what wayes you delight in Are you in the way of holiness do you delight to pray to hear to receive do you love God and Christ and the Communion of Saints Then it is a sign that you have the Spirit But on the contrary if you follow drunkenness and uncleanness and prophaning of the Sabbath in gaming and in sporting and idleness you never had the Spirit Again consider what are your walkes that is do you follow your old evil haunts now as fast as ever you did it is a sign that you have not the Spirit Again think not that it will excuse you to say that whatsoever your actions be yet you have good hearts for you must know that your hearts are far worse then your actions as I said before for if you had the Spirit it would not be idle in you but as it makes the heart holy so it sends forth holy speeches and actions in the life The working power of the spirit is excellently set forth in that passage between Eliah and Elizeus in the Kings It is said that Eliah cast his mantle about Elizeus presently he cries out let me go first saith he and take leave of my Father and then I will go with thee Eliah might well have reasoned thus with him what have I done unto thee or what have I spoken unto thee that thou shouldest thus reply unto me as if I tied thee unto the contrary Said I any such word unto thee that thou mightest not go But there was a necessitie laid upon Elizeus by the spirit to go with him and therefore he could not chuse but break out into these words That is the spirit now entred into his heart that he was not now his own man he must now go where the spirit would have him and do that which the spirit bid him and so we see in Act. 4. 20. when the Jewes came to Peter and commanded that he should not preach Christ unto them he answereth that he cannot chuse but he must preach Christ And in the beginning of the chapter you shall see the reason of it They had received the holy Ghost and they spake boldly Therefore you see the spirit is not idle but marvellous working and operative Therefore examine what power you have what actions you have and what fruit you bring forth But you may say that sometimes the spirit seems to be dead in the heart therefore it is not alwayes working To this I answer that the propertie of the spirit is alwayes to work and it doth alwayes work but he may sometimes withdraw his actions of growing as when a Temptation comes which before you have resisted but now you are taken with it then the spirit seems to absent himself by withdrawing his power but notwithstanding he works still for in the instant there is lusting and labouring in you against it and afterwards he gives you power to return again Again it is not alwayes thus with you but sometimes onely Thus much for the first use The next use stands thus if the holy ghost doth strengthen us in the inward man then let me above all things exhort you to seek the spirit because it will strengthen you in the inward man For what would a man desire either for the outward or inward man but if he have the spirit he shall obtain it Would a man be enabled to pray would a man be enabled to bear losses and crosses would a man master particular lusts is a man in bondage and would be set at liberty from sin is a man spiritually dead and benummed is a man spiritually affrighted with sin would a man walk as a Christian man ought to walk would a man be enabled to every good work would a man love in a word would a man do any thing that is holy and good Let him get the Spirit and he shall do these and much more Thus much for the general what the spirit can do for a Christian. Now I come unto the particulars what the spirit will do unto them where he comes and those I will reduce in these four particular things The first benefit is this which a Christian gets by enjoying
the spirit That it puts the heart in a good frame of grace I say that the spirit and the spirit onely doth this And I speak of them onely that have the spirit That it sets the heart in a frame of holines and new obedience which nature cannot do because it keepes it in suspense That is the flesh suffereth it not to do what it would as to break the stubbornness of nature the flesh will make you very industrious and painful in evil But the spirit will restrain your libertie in evil That is it will not suffer you to do what you would though the lust and the temptation be violent to carry you away after it the spirit will not suffer you to be carried after that manner so long as the Spirit lives in the heart but if once the Spirit depart out of the heart then he becomes as weak as water Thus it was with Reuben in Gen. 44. Reuben is become as weak as water and he became thus after he had defiled his fathers bed that is when lust and opportunitie met together they took away strength and it weakens us because it drawes away the affections from good But when the spirit comes then it casts us into another frame as appears if we do but compare these two places together that in Iames 4. 5. with that in Act. 20. 22. Saint Iames saith That the Spirit lusteth after envie That is it laboureth to carry us headlong unto the committing of sin and to the doing of that which is evil but then comes the sanctifying Spirit and it stayes us and makes us to lust after God that is it bindes up your spirits suffers us not to do that which other wayes we would do Therefore examine whether you are bound with another Spirit that you cannot do the evil that you would do then it is certain that you have the holy Spirit Therefore Paul in the place forenamed said that he was bound in the Spirit for Ierusalem as if he had said the spirit of God bound up my spirit to go that I cannot otherwise chuse Therefore what do you mean to break mine heart what do you mean to hinder me I tell you there is a necessitie laid upon me by the Spirit that I must go whatsoever death befals me For it is the office of the Spirit to bind up our spirits and therefore in Rev. 1. it is said that Iohn was in the Spirit that is he was compast about with the Spirit he was in the Spirit as a man is in armour It keepes I say our spirits in a spiritual disposition that we cannot do the evil we would The second benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this that it enableth him to see and believe the things that otherwise he would not believe And I gather it from that place of the Prophet Isai. 6. 9. where it said seeing they should see and not perceive and hearing they should hear and not understand That is they see but want another sight which is the sight of the Spirit and therefore he cannot see A man may have a great fight of humane things by learning and Philosophie and the knowledge of Arts and sciences by these he may see both into natural and spiritual things in some measure But I say he cannot see as he should except he have added unto this another sight which is the sight that the spirit brings and therefore it is called the opening of the eyes and the boring of the ears and it is that which Saint Iohn speaks of in Iohn 1. that light shined in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not That is before a man have this sight of the Spirit whatsoever he sees it is with a great deal of darkness but when the spirit comes it drives away darkness by giving us another eye to see withall and the darkness comprehended it not That is the light is so great which the Spirit brings that nothing can eclipse the light of it Now untill a man have the spirit he doth neither see or believe truely you will not believe till you have the spirit but when you have got the Spirit then you will believe in Christ. We Preach Christ unto all and exhort you to believe but what is the reason that some believe and others believe not but because they do not see that is they want the spirit to shew their sin to humble them and to shew them Christ to comfort them and therefore Peter cals them purblind As men that are purblind cannot see things afar off so men without the spirit are purblind men that cannot see Christ grace and salvation a far off as near at hand but if they had the Spirit then they would see them neer hand That is you would see a marvellous beautie in Christ and holiness It is that which the Apostle speaks of in the 1 Cor. 2. 9. The eye hath not seen nor the ear heard nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things that God hath laid up for them that love him That is he saw them before but he saw them not in that manner that he sees them now They are represented unto him in another fashion Again he sees them in another hue that is he sees another beautie in them Thus you see the sanctifying Spirit openeth the eye of the understanding to see more a blind man might see if if he had but the facultie of seeing so spiritually blind persons may see when they have the Spirit The third benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this it breeds heavenly and spiritual effects in the soul as joy and comfort and the like and therefore in Ioh. 14. he is called the Comforter First I say the spirit will bring joy into the soul and therefore in Saint Iohn saith Christ he will lead you speaking of the spirit unto all truth And saith the Apostle The God of peace fill you with all Peace and joy in believing Now I make a difference between joy and comfort thus joy is unto the soul as a wall is unto a City that is as the wall doth compasse the City and so is a defence unto it and keepes out many enemies that other wayes would destroy it so doth joy it walls and fences the soul so as it keepes many dangers out that would ruine it The second effect is comfort and this I call a bulwark because a bulwark is of greater strength to beat off and keep out any that shall besiege it and make the Citizens more secure So comfort is a Bulwark of the soul. That is it strengthens the soul against the greatest temptations and tryals it maketh the soul secure resting upon Christ. The third effect that the spirit begets is boldness there is no true boldness without the spirit let Adam witness it ask him what boldness he had when he hid himself from God and what was the
may be reputed thus and thus but not to any other end for know that a man may desire grace but if the aim of his desire be for his own end the desire is sin the same that Simon Magus his was Therefore I beseech you not to defer put not off the opportunitie and remember what the Lord saith in Hebr. 3. To day if you will hear my voice harden not your hearts That is this is the day now have you the opportunitie the candle is in your hands and you may light your souls by it the word is near you well then light your candles by it you may now light them whilst the fire is here but if you will not now how will you do when the fire is out That is when you shall be either taken from the means or the means from you therefore labour to know the spirit and Judge aright of him if you would get him The second means to get the spirit is faith and the best means to get faith is to be conscionable and constant in hearing the word Preached That is the Preaching of the word is a means to get the spirit And therefore the Apostle said Received you the Spirit by the work of the Law or else by Faith Preached Gal. 3. That is you may know whether you have the Spirit or no by this examine whether you have gotten â—aith by the Preaching of the word Our Saviour saith that The Tree is known by his fruit That is the branch cannot bear fruit except it receive vertue and strength from the root so if we get not faith in Christ and be joyned with him we shall never get the spirit Therefore if you would get the spirit you must get faith for faith is the knitting and the drawing grace it will draw the spirit into the soul and it will knit him fast unto the soul that it can never depart from it Faith will recover the spirit if it seem to want his power of working in the soul it will return him if he seem to depart away it will enlarge the heart if the spirit seem to be scanted in it that is it will widen the narrow bottle of our hearts And you know what our Saviour said to men and women in the Gospel be it unto you according to your Faith Therefore if you would get the Spirit you must get faith in your hearts That is if you would get a large measure of the Spirit then get a large measure of faith for what is the reason that men thrive not in the Spirit but because they thrive not in faith The third means to get the Spirit is an earnest desire joyned with prayer that is to desire and pray earnestly for the Spirit is a means to get the spirit An instance of this we find in Elishaes servant he earnestly desires and prayes that the spirit 〈◊〉 Eliah his Master might be doubled upon him Not that he meant that he might have as much more again but that he might have a greater measure of the spirit then other of the Prophets and he did obtain his desire for he was indued with a greater measure of the spirit then other of the Prophets were Even so if you would but desire and pray earnestly for the spirit you might get him Solomon desired wisdom and prayed for it and he had it and that in a larger measure then those that went before him so if you would pray for the spirit you have his promise in Luke 11. 14. That he would give the holy Ghost unto them that ask him and this he doth speak by way of opposition If you that are evil can give good things unto your children then much more will God give you his Spirit That is if a man or woman will be importunate for grace and the spirit as a childe will be unto the father for bread then he cannot deny you But you will say if he were my father and I were his childe then it is true he would give me his spirit But alas he is not for any thing I know neither my father nor I his childe To this I answer suppose thou be not his childe in thy own apprehension yet look back unto the 14. verse and see what importunitie doth Though a man would not open his door and give his neighbour that which he would have yet in regard of the importunitie of him that asketh he will open and give him what he would have this do you though you may have a denial sometimes That is no answer at all or an angry answer yet take no denial and your importunitie will at last prevail with him And to encourage you against former runnings out from God the Apostle saith that he giveth and upbraideth no man That is as no man meriteth at Gods hand so no man shall be upbraided with any railing to shame him he gives unto all men that come unto him that is without exception of persons without any by-respects freely and reproacheth no man That is he will not lay before him either that which might hinder him from coming to him or him from receiving him he might do but he will do neither And you know the promise made to the Disciples They must go to Ierusalem And he will after a certain time send the spirit but they must wait for him And this they did by constant prayer and they had the promise made good unto them for they had the Holy Ghost which came upon every one of them Acts 2. So if ye be constant in prayer what though for the present you get him not yet at last you shall have him thus much for this means If you would have the spirit you must pray and desire him earnestly The fourth means to get the spirit is to obey him and this you may do when you give him good entertainment that is when you indulge him with heavenly thoughts and do what he would have you to do out if you slight him That is set light by him and will not obey and be ruled by him you will never get him And this you do when you resist grieve and quench the spirit you resist that power when you resist the light which the spirit hath wrought in you That is when you fight against it against illuminated reasons and arguments This is a great sin You grieve the spirit when you mingle two contraries together That is when with the profession of Religion you joyn corrupt speeches and actions And you quench the spirit when you neglect the motions of the spirit and the means by which the spirit is got or increased or kept Nâ—w if you do thus you shall never get and retain the spirit But if on the contrary you love cherish and obey the spirit you shall have him and keep him The fifth means to get the spirit is this If you would get the spirit then you must wait upon those means
so is bound over by sentence of condemnation to suffer for it Or else in foro conscientiae in the court of Conscience as here before God and it is nothing else but to have a Conscience guilty of sin and for that to be judged of God to Eternal punishment even to be separated from the Love of God in Christ for ever and ever And all this presupposeth a guiltiness for sin that justifies the Judgement of God in regard of the just sentence of condemnation Now who shall make the true believer guilty before God being once in Christ The answer is made by the Apostle There is not one that can Now for the second thing observed namely that those which come to believe while they were in a state of Nature and under the curse of the Law were in an estate of condemnation This is proved Eph. 2. 3. Among whom we also faith the Apostle had our conversation c. And were by nature the children of wrath as well as others As he also telleth those beleeving Romanes Rom. 6. 17. Of this their own conscience is witness against them The Law of God is the bill of inditement God the Judge the Devil the executioner and hell the prison from whence it is impossible to escape until they come soundly to believe in the Lord Jesus For the third When a man hath this blessed grace of faith and begins to lay hold on Christ he is not to think himself safe and that he is secured from all that will seek his condemnation For the Devil will do what he can still to winnow all goodness and grace received out of him That nothing may remain but chaffe And therefore it is we are taught in the Lords Prayer after forgiveness of sins to pray against temptations Though thy Sinns be pardoned by the bloud of Christ upon thy believing yet there is one that seeks to break the force of thy faith and so to bring thee to destruction And therefore it is he is called the accuser and destroyer Rev. 12. 10. so that thou must look that though thou hast got out of his paws yet he hath many wayes whereby he will labour what he can to bring thee back to condemn and destroy thee As first he will lay unto thee the wrath of God to drive thee to despair as he would have done Iob who was brought to sore tryals discovered in passionate speeches 2. The curse of the Law is inforced against thee to make thee think thy obedience to be so poor as God will not accept thee 3. Want of faith is another of his suggestions and for this he will alledge the condition of the Gospel and tell thee that thou dost not believe and so art not onely under the curse of the Law but the Gospel also 4. The sins of thy conscience that he will buffet thee with perswading thee that such a sin is not pardoned or pardonable 5. He will muster up the world where he hath many Troops following him to choak the Word and quench the grace of God that is in thee Lastly He will fear thee with the grim and dismal look of that last enemy death and put thee under fears of never being able to undergo it Now for the fourth circumstance That though with all his power cruelty and subtilty as before he doth assail yet a true believer he shall never be able to prevail against and that first because a true believer his debt is paid by the death of Christ Who shall condemn faith the Apostle Christ is mighty and strong None for faith hath a hand that layes hold on Christ so that if Christ perish he may else not And that First Even because Christ hath died for him and the strength of the Apostles reason stands thus A man in debt if his debt be paid he is not in danger of the Law to be condemned for it so there is not one farthing that God can in his Justice demand at a Believers hands for it is paid by Christ. There is a double debt indeed he hath but if both be paid for him the Law shall not condemn him The First is the debt of obedience to the Law God hath required of every child of Adam to obey and keep the whole Law and he hath not done it therefore there is a debt unpaid by him The Second debt is of punishment for not doing it and that is the curse of the Law Now a Bâ—liever may produce a surety that hath paid both namely Christ for first he died not before he had fufilled the Law His righteousness obedience and all was for us He took our nature onely that we might have our part in him he did all in our stead and names even for our sake upon our believing in him all is ours Secondly by his death he removed the curse which is the punishment of sin For the first Rom. 10. 4. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth think of this and labour for a spirit of faith ever groan in thy soul till thou piercest the Heavens and obtainest saith For the second Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Pitch on these places and lay fast hold on Christ by faith and they will uphold thee in the evil hour even when the devil labours against thee with all his forces I but the Devil is crafty may some poor soul say it may be he hath some bill or bond yet undischarged that I know not of which he may demand at my hands No saith the Gospel he hath blotted out the hand-writing that was against us Col. 2. 14. All is crost and cancelled and this God hath spoken and sworn to therefore let him do what he can onely believe thou Every writing is cancelled there is not a whit to shew in the fight of God A poor man is indebted a great sum of money to a mighty King and knows not what to do having nothing to pay it withal whereupon he is convicted condemned cast into prison Now it pleaseth the Kings onely Son to undertake the debt his Father is content and in process of time he payes it and satisfieth his Father who then I pray you can condemn that man Even so is it with the poor believer he ought both body and soul and was to be put into the prison of Hell for ever for breaking Gods Law and incurring his displeasure But the Lord Jesus out of his love and free favour undertakes for the poor believer and payes his debt who then can condemn this poor Believer Now further by way of gradation and assent to make us raise up our thoughts in assurance of this the Apostle useth a second reason that is Because Christ our surety is not onely dead for us and so hath paid our debt but also is risen again to make the poor believer more sure he hath paid the
some a shorter time if thy soul have drooped been afraid to be utterly cast away if thou hast found thy self in a lost estate then is thy case good for this goes alwayes before that insulting faith that triumphs against all condemnation If thou hast not found this but hast gotten faith without it then dost thou speak peace to thy self before God speakes it and it is all one as if the Israelites should have looked up to the brazen serpent before they had been bitten with the fiery serpent in the wilderness who had been never the better not finding indeed the need thereof as those that are stung and troubled with fin do Many are driven to believe because they are convinced thereof in their judgement and the example of others they think would shame them else But that is not enough thou must find thy self throughly awakened for thy sins and feel thy self lying under the wrath of God and lost as it were in thy self before thou canst truly see the need of a Saviour and look up to him effectually Secondly If thou hast obtained this absolving quitting and triumphing Faith then after this spirit of bondage thou hast found the spirit of Adoption spoken of in the same place Rom. 8. 15. for before thou hast been bitten with thy sins the Devil and thine own conscience thou canst not receive any true comfort But when thou once findest in thee nothing but matter of condemnation art driven quite out of thy self then the spirit with the Gospel opens thy heart and inlargeth it to rejoyce and draw stronger consolation from the Gospel then the law could bring condemnation So that if thou hast found the spirit of grace and comfort calming thy minde and purging thy conscience and so sealing thy heart and giving thee som assurance that thy sins are forgiven thee then is thy estate good assure thy self nothing in the world could do this but the spirit of God Ask therefore thine own soul if thou hast in any small measure in truth found thus then hath God begun this triumphing Faith and set it up in thee Thirdly If thou hast this Faith then art thou united unto Christ and hast fellowship with him thou art then knit to Christ as a man to his wife in a mariage bond for thou must know that Christ is the believer in a spiritual and mystical manner Rom. 8. 1. We first are in Christ that is when we once come to believe and then Christ is in us as it is vers 10. when his death kills the body of sin in us and Iohn 17 21 23. I in them saith Christ and they in me which shew as in divers other places in like manner that there is then an union which is an inâ—allible note that floweth imediately from the grace of faith once begotten wrought in any poor soul 1 Ioh. 1. 3. They have fellowship with Christ and with the father through Christ if thou hast this faith then is there a bond that knits thee to God above all other in the world and without this thou canst challenge no Salvation from Christ. let every one therefore examine if he have such a Faith in him by which he may know whether he finde Christ in him or himself in Christ and so a blessed fellowship between them and this thou mayest know if thou findest not the world and sin working and reigning in thee but the spirit of Christ having the rule and dominion in thee Christ he is the ruler and governour of his Church and children O blessed man that hast this O blessed habitation to dwell in Christ to be ingrasted and have an happy being and fellowship with Christ. This discovers abundance of false faith in most men in the world that dream and think to be saved by Christs death on the Crosse now ascended and being in heaven c. But if this be all the wickedest heart in the world that knows of this may say as much but here is the disfence that cuts the thread the sound believer hath further the spirit of Christ to kill sin in him he hath also Christs blood in him that is the worth and merit thereof taking away the guilt of sin and purifying his conscience which he findes by the peace of it He hath also the virtue of Christs Resurrection in him to raise up his dead heart Paul desired to know nothing but Christ crucified by an inward experimental knowledge and feeling of the power thereof Also as Christ is now in heaven making intercession for him so he hath his spirit in him to teach and assist him to pray for pardon of sin and strength against the world and the Devil and that remnant thereof inbred corruption that still remains in him Try thy self for this and if thou find it in thee go on thy mariage bond here shall be broken and soul and body separated by death yet shall thy blessed union with Christ never be broken but though thy body happen to lie in the dust for a time yet shall it one day be raised up again and united to thy soul and both conjoyned to God to live with him in glory forever Fourthly If thou hast this insulting and triumphing faith then thou art a devoted and consecrated man to God and Christ to serve God in righteousness and true holiness all thy dayes hence all believers are said to be Saints that is sanctified and set apart to God dealing with worldly things not with hearts set upon them but using them as if they used them not even with holy affections and hearts consecrated to God and Christ hence also is it that they are called temples to God set apart to their Redeemer by Baptism and Profession But do those that think they have this faith thus carry themselves this belongs to every man and woman we must not be devoted to the pleasures of this world but keep our hearts as men devoted to God and Christ even in our recreations We must have a special care we destroy not this Temple by prostrating our selves to base lusts try thy self for this and though none can do this as they should yet are all to labour and endeavour it He that hath this assurance to be able to challenge and triumph over his enemies in Christ must be the most fearful man in the world not as doubting of Gods favour but in being afraid to sin against God and to offend any of his Brethren which if thou dost thou shalt be the stronger in this triumphing faith Examples hereof we have throughout the whole Scriptures in all Gods children when they were once effectually called whose carriage I pray mark what it was Luke 19. 8. Zacheus made restitution abundantly when his faith had embraced Jesus Christ again Act. 17. Those that had used unlawful A â—s when faith once entered they burnt their books lest they should draw away their hearts and infect and hurt others they so hated their sin and
the shaddow doth the body Now I say grace is the immediate work of the spirit the very power of the holy Ghost which is able to out-wrestle all difficulties and to help us against all spiritual wickednesses assist us in all holy obedience But it may be objected I but grace though it do strengthen thus yet it is but a creature for though it be a quality that is wrought by the holy Ghost in the heart if it be so yet it is but a creature therefore seeing every creature is subject to weakness how doth grace strengthen a man thus To this I answer First that grace is a quality of that nature that it empties a man of himself it is an emptying quality It is not as other indowments other qualities and other habits put into the soul but it is an emptying quality that takes a man off from his own bottom it cuts him off from his own root and ingrafts him into another it teacheth him to depend upon God For if you look upon faith which is the main grace and gift as it were the root and foundation to all other graces is it not an emptying Grace what is faith but to teach a man to trust in God Now no man trusts in another fully but he distrusts himself fully it makes a man nothing in himself and wholly dependant upon the Lord. Even such is grace it takes a man quite off from any root of his own and makes him as ivie that hangs upon and clasps about the tree receives its being and sustenance from it So grace it annihilates the creature as it were it takes a man off from that sufficiency that every man seeks to have in his own spheare in his own nature it teacheth a man to know that he is not able to think a good thought nor to do a good work of himself Again I answer though it be a quality and that our strength is from God immediately yet God will have us to use means and instruments wherein he himself helps us to do For it is true if any man will trust to this habitual grace which I say is an inherent quality wrought in the heart by the holy Ghost if any man will grow careless in the strength of this grace and say well I am now a man grown strong I have now gotten some good measure of grace therefore now I will venture upon occasions of sin c. Here a man makes flesh his arm though he do trust to grace for he ought not so to do he ought to look up to God for another transient exciting and assisting grace besides this inherent quality which I speak of to have a dependance upon him and yet not altogether to rest in that for then a man should not be bound to increase in grace and to grow in it which every man is bound to do grow in grace and in the knowledge of Iesus Christ. Therefore there is a use of that you must make account you are so much the stronger by it for no man will labour for a thing but he will know some end of it As we see in other things a man may use the strength of horses and of men he may use means and friends but still it is required that he remember how he useth them that his eye be still upon the Lord as him that giveth the strength It is he that keeps that grace in being it is he that must act it and stir it up to do the works we are to do from time to time The chief use we are now to make of it is to examine and try our selves whether we have grace in our hearts or no by this property and character of grace here set down that it makes a man strong thou my son be strong in the grace c. We must I say examine our selves for there are two special times wherein the Lord himself makes a privy search as it were the one is at the time of the Sacrament the other at the day of death Therefore when men come to the Lords Table the Lord as it were goes down himself and takes a view of the guests and sees whether they be so qualified as men ought to be that come to his Table therefore look to your selves now you are bidden examine your selves In the Law a man might not come to the passeover but he must be circumcised those you know were but legal types and resembled somewhat else You must not come to the Lords Supper but there must be this circumcision made without hands there must be such a fitness in you as you may be accepted therefore you must examine your selves when you come hither Again another time wherein the Lord makes this privy search is at our entrance into the wedding chamber at the day of death When the Bridegroom goes in then the Lord searcheth whether we have oyl in our Lamâ—s or no whether those that offer to enter in have any effects any tincture of his Sons blood upon them The effect of his Sons blood you shall see Heb. 9. 14. It is to purge the conscience from dead works If there be no strikes as it were of his blood if there be no dye of it he gives the destroying Angel power to devour them because there is not that grace that is the effect of the blood of Christ they have no oyl in their Lamps therefore they are shut out Therefore I say when we come to the Lords Table let us consider what we do for you must know that the Lord admits none to his Table but friends such as are of his acquainance those that are strangers to him may not presume If thou come to the Lords Table be a stranger to him that is if thou want grace in thy heart this quality that we now speak of thou hast nothing to do here for you must know that no man must sit at his Table here in earth that is not to sit at his Table in Heaven to sit with Abraham Isaak and Iacob in his Kingdom The Lord will take it for a great presumption therefore take heed of intruding upon this duty When the Ark was brought among the Philistines and the Bethshemites would be so bold as to look into it the Lord smote fifty thousand of them for it What was the reason of this say they who shall stand before this holy Lord God If the Lord were thus ready to revenge himself on them for prophaning of that which was but a type what will he do for prophaning the body and blood of his Son You know that is the comparison Heb. 12. If any man transgressed against the Law of Moses he received a recompence and reward What will he do then to those that contemn the salvation that is brought by his Son So if the Lord would do this for the prophaning of the Ark that was but a type of Christ Jesus but a legal rite that had but
For in many things we sin all but the course of life contrary to the profession as some flashes of goodness make not a good man so some slips make not an evil man therefore in thus speaking they speak against Christians It is not to be expected that Religion should be spoken against under the name of Religion For if the Devil could speak against it he would not speak against it under the name of Religion but Hypocrisie when therefore these words are so general and he that speakes them knowes they will not be so taken it is a sign that Religigion is spoken against under the name of hypocrisie and religious men under the name of Hâ—pocrites They say they speak against the shewes cannot men be religious say they in secret but they must hang out flags of it and be so much in appearing Where the truth of Religion is there will be showes painted Religion and painted fire cannot heat break â—orth or ascend but if it be true fire or true Religion it will break forth and shew it self as they say in the Spanish proverb three things cannot be kept in fire love and a mans cough so I may add grace as a fourth As there cannot be a candle in a Lanthorn but it may be seen through the horn so there cannot be true grace but there will be shewes so that shewes cannot be separated from Religion which is true no more then light from the Sun or heat from the fire Shews are commanded as well as substance for as the Glory of a King is in the multitude of his Souldiers so the Glory of Christ is in them that profess his Name we are commanded as well to confess in mouth as to believe in heart What need speaking against shewes in these blasting times which have nipt them in the head when all that can be said is not enough to keep men from denying of Christ. They say although they know not what to call it yet they love religion and religious men therefore they mean not them and they think it much uncharitableness to be so judged of Many while they thus speak that they conceive it not to be religion that they speak against I may say of them as Peter said of them that crucified Christ they did it of ignorance for had they known that they would not have crucified the Lord of life so if they knew it were religion they spake against they would not speak thus But it is their misery that they know it not and it is but a little excuse to say I was a blasphemer saith Paul but I did it out of Ignorance and zeal so Christ saith the Jews knew not what they did and yet his blood shall be required of them Yea it is upon them as we see at this day and Iude saith they spake evil of the things they knew not and yet their sentence is they shall be reserved to the blackness of darkness So though they know not that it is religion that they speak against yet they are persecutors and God accounts them so Saul heard a voice saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me when he himself thought he had done well And if they say Lord we know it not I will answer them that in as much as they did it to these they did it to me In other cases there is a difference and some plead for ignorance as if a man kill another man in stead of a stag he is no murtherer but if a man strike at Religion with his tongue though he knew it not he is a blasphemer because he is bound to know for if a man be brought up among hereticks he is an heretick because he is bound to the contrary Let these therefore that have used these speeches kick no more against pricks least they bring that curse on them which was on them that brought an ill report upon the holy-land viz. that they should not enter into it The second use is for hearers that they have a part in this exhortation as well as Ministers as they must deliver nothing but that which is wholesome so they must receive none else and there are two duties for them First As the Minister must not mingle any thing in his preaching but that which is sound so hearers must be careful not onely that they do not here gross points of heresie but if there be any tincture of error in the points they hear they must not maintain them As one that hath an Antipathy with a thing as with a serpent will not onely be affraid of it whilest it is alive but he is loth to handle the skin of it though it be stuft with hay So hearers should be afraid of the tincture of the skin of heresie A man cannot be too curicus of infectious things for as he will not come into the house where they are so he will not touch the cloth of those that have them For we ought to hate the garment spotted with the flesh First Hearers must be rightly disposed to receive that which is wholesome and therefore three duties in scripture are commanded to hearers 1. To be able to discern that which is wholesome that which is not 1 Thes. 5. 21. prove all things 1 Ioh. 4. 1. try the spirits that is get spiritual tasts whereby you may judge of it for as the pallat or the taste diserns corporal food so there is a faculty in every regenerate soul for this end that it may discern betwixt that meat which is wholesome and that which is not As a natural mans taste is a signe of natural life so a spiritual taste is a signe of a spiritual life and it is certain that they whose pallats are not vitiated with corrupt humors can judge of their meat Rom. 12. 2 be transformed in the renewing of your mindes to try as a Toutch-stone doth the silver what is the acceptable will of God from that which is not And they that finde not this taste in them either they have no spiritual life or else their pallats are vitiated with corrupt humors If therefore we want this discerning taste we must labour to get it if we be sick and our pallats do corrupt we must labour convalescere to wax whole that so we may judge a right For as the best hearers love the purest word so the hearers whose hearts are full of corruption love the froth of eloquence Secondly To desire that which is good 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word As if he should have said there are no babes but they will desire the dugge Perhaps you may keep them quiet with apples a while but they will cry for it at length And if you have once tasted of the sweetness of the Word you will desire it when you have found out what meat is nourishing then desire it that is chuse the savourest meat read the books that are must
profitable delight in them above others and if we were truly thirsty and hungry we would do so A thirsty man stands not to look at the carving of the cup but drinks off the wine and a hungry man had rather have a good meals meat then hear a whole noise of musicians and he will not stand commending but he will fall to his meat though this be too little practised for many when the Word is delivered finde no relish in it but are ready to complain of the plainness and simplicity of the spirit which to do is to do as children that bites the nipples of the teats that gives the sweetest milk And this secondly shews their vanity for when they meet with a Sermon partly good partly not wherein Heterogenies are mixed for otherwise I know not how better to call them this is sure to go into their table books I mean not sound and wholesome points but pretty sayings and frothy matters and these are not unfitly compared to our sileing bowls that let all the milk run through but retain the hairs and that which is nought that sticks in them for how choise soever their eloquence is it is but as hairs in that case although they be flowers in an oration yet are they but weeds in a Sermon Thirdly To hold that which is good to retain and keep it in memory 1 Thess. 5. 21. The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hold it fast let it stay in your affections comprehend it when you have heard it keep it let it not slip away but practise it and this is to hold it Now this is done by recalling and by repeating the Word after it is delivered This is commended in Mary that shee laid up the Word in her heart she laid it as one that layes a thing up to have it to use against another time Why is this Word recorded if not to be imitated suppose they were the words of Angels are not Ministers the Angels of God So it is said that the Holy Ghost brought to the disciples mindes all the things that he had told them Now the Holy Ghost would do no unnecessary thing and doth not Christ speak as well to us as he did to them onely with this difference to them he spake immediately but to us by his Ministers What other was the fault of the first ground the seed lay on a while whilest the â—ower was by but after it was stollen away by the Devil because it was not repeated and wrought in the memory so when a Sâ—rmon is done if it be soon forgot as we have a natural proneness thereunto the Devil hath a hand in it and this hath brought Gods Judgements on many therefore take heed saith our Saviour how you hear Luke 8. 18 when Christ delivered any thing in publick the Disciples repeated it in private and came to Christ and asked him of such things they doubted of Act. 17. 11. The men of Berea searcheth the Scriptures whether these things were so which they had heard which they could not do without repeating Where there is a double duty performed First they did repeat it Secondly they tryed it To make this evident consider these four things First not repeating the Word of God after it is preached doth quench the spirit and that is sin 1 Thess. 5 24. Now it is quenched thus In the time of preaching for that is the time when the Holy Ghost breaths into our hearts as he did into Cornelius when he stirs up motions and we let them die and recall them not we quench and grieve the spirit for then it is a mercy of God to trouble us the time of healing being nigh if he step in as it was in the pool of Bethesda while the heart is soft therefore put in the plough and join with God for we must not be like those that are Sea-sick while they are on the Sea they are troubled but as soon as they get to shore out of the Church door they are well enough If God at any time breaths his Word into us we must do as Mariners do who because they have not winde at their call when it doth blow they hoise up sail and go on their Journey the Word and Spirit blow when it listeth therefore we must take opportunity to set our souls in the way of Heaven to recall the motions which have been stirred up in the inner Chamber of our hearts and to make use of them lest by often neglecting them the Spirit grow wearie and cease to strive any more It is despising of prophesie which is a pearl Mat. 7. 6. Christ will not have him admonished that before contemptuously refused it because he will have no pearls be cast before swine If admonitions be pearls then much more instructions if a private admonition be a pearl then sure publick instructions Now that is despising of prophesie which is made plain thus Suppose a man give another a pearl while the giver is by he looks on it and beholds the beauty of it but when he is gone he casts it away and trampleth it under his feet So it is if while the Word is delivering we attend to it and when Sermon is done reject it and look no more on it but cast it away is not this a despising of prophesie It is food of the soul and therefore not to recal it is as it were children to take meat of their parents hands and perhaps taste of it but after cast it away or it is as if sheep should tread their fodder under their feet So it is when the Word is delivered for it is the food of the soul to receive it and after to cast it away It will not profit us except it be remembred and hid in our hearts we shall get no good by it meat though it be eaten yet if it stay not with us it will not nourish us unless therefore we labour to gather something from it and retain it it will not breed succum sanguinem nourishment in us as it ought But this is much neglected of among men for as many go into Gardens some to see the variety of flowers some to smell of them but onely it is the Bee that fastens on them and gets Honey out of them So many come to Church some to see what variety the Minister hath some get sweetness for the time but onely they that do insidere notare lay them up and minde them get profit by them See this in other things let a man hear a Philosophy Lecture or Logick never so long if he recals not what he hears it will be long enough ere he be an Artist and are not Gods Ordinances much more to be respected Not respecting of it takes Gods name in vain and the Judgement of it is fearful viz. He will not hold him guiltless And that which is a taking of Gods Name in vain is plain thus The
Christ said to his Disciples Let these sayings c. that is these works mark what I have done what you see you have an experiment of my power and then he gives the reason For the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men c. but they understood not these sayings You will say how could this be understood it seemeth hard Let those sayings sink down into your ears for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men As if he should have said remember now you have an experiment of my power and Godhead let it be a means to strengthen you for the dayes will come when your faith will be put to the tryal when I shall be delivered into the hands of men when you shall see me crucified and then you will be ready to stagger and waver in your hearts Therefore now when you see an experiment of my power and ability lay it up in your hearts that you may be stablished in that day So in divers places in the Psalms David took that course when he was in trouble and fear and perplexity he brings out of his Treasury ancient things pledges of Gods love and so he recovered himself So if a man can but get hold of a promise of God he may work himself and wind himself into the Armes of God for this is like a rope or a line taken out from him if a man take hold of it by Faith and depend upon it That is the power of the Word of Truth Isay 50. 9. I said not to Iacob seek my face in vain but I the Lord declare faithful things I declare faithful words So when God I say hath given a man a promise that he will not leave him nor forsake him First there is in every promise of that nature there is a spiritual truth in it and in the heart of a man that is a believer there is a spirit of Faith likewise and these two know one another Now the spirit of Faith in the man meets there with the spirit of truth and power in the Word in regard it comes from God these joyn together and draw a man close to God So though a man see not God yet he rests his soul and stayes upon him because he leans on that promise As as a Mariner at Sea that casts an Anchor that holds the Ship he sees not the Anchor that falls to the bottom yet he knows the Cable will hold it safe the Ship may tosse the length of it but no further So the Anchor that the soul hath in the promises of God it is fixed now though a man see him not stand by and strengthen him in the tryal yet he hath the Word of truth for it And these promises though it be a long time ere they speak yet at such times as these then they speak Before then they are sealed up and it is not known perfectly what treasure is in them whether they be empty or any thing worth but when there comes a day of tryal now is the the time the Lord hath made such promises for such a day And here I must give you a caveat concerning this means If you will be strong in the Lord make not haste that is the phrase that is used he that believeth maketh not haste That is he gives the Lord liberty he lets him move round in his sphere he is not ready to snatch deliverence out of his hand but let the Lord take his own leisure for then he will do things best And this is an item that must be understood The Lord notwithstanding those promises that are plentifully made for the safety and preservation of his yet many times he deferres the fulfilling of them to the last cast Many times he will use all that liberty that he hath left himself for indeed therefore it is left he may use it when it seems good in his eyes I mean a liberty in regard of the means how he will help and of the time when he will help us but further we know he hath left himself no liberty but hath bound himself and it is impossible he should deceive us if we rest and rely on him for this and cast our selves in the armes of God Nay we make no question as long as we have the promise of God and keep our hearts and our faith close cleaving to that we are sure the Lord in his own time will remember us and come to us to deliver us Remember that which is said Psal. 9. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Therefore if it belong to him let us take heed that we ascribe it to him not to be strong in any other Even as the making of any thing in Art belongs to such and such a Trade shoos to a shoo-maker there are none makes them but those of that trade and so for other things so Salvation belongs to the Lord there is nothing in heaven or earth that can work salvation but he all the help that is done in the earth he doth it himself Now the onely way for a man to make him his friend that is able to work it is to ascribe it to him to acknowledge it belongs to him that he hath been the doâ—r of it from the foundation of the World and so will continue this blessed trade and gracious manner of working and doing for his So much now for the fift means be strong in the Lord. A sixth means is this Wee must likewise compell and work our hearts to take this cordial you have it Rom. 8. 28. We know saith Saint Paul that all things work together for the best to those that love God I say let us have this perswasion in our hearts ready that all things shall work together for the best therefore they shall not hurt thee Now he saith they work together that is to be marked the Apostle saith not that this or that thing alone worketh for good to the servants of God As now there are divers ingredients in a receipt if a man take one or two or three they may poyson and kill and be deadly but altogether being tempered by the Physician are a preservative and save life So if a man stay Gods leisure as before I said to adde one thing to another to do that he hath to do as well as that he hath done when you put all together and make the up shot of all you shall see and acknowledge it for the best David saith It was good for him to have been in adversity Now certainly whatsoever hath been true in regard of the time past hath been true for the present then as now It was as true for David when he was in adversity to say it is good for me to be afflicted as well as after when he was come out of it to say it was good that he had been for if it were not good then it was never good Therefore in regard of this the assurance
own things and therefore to spend time in proving the point were a needlesse labor our business will be to perswade you to the duty And to that end we will use no more motives but those in the text The one is taken from our selves and the other from Christ. There is this reason from your selves why you should seeke the things oâ— Jesus Christ because God hath commanded you so to do You know this is the command Thou shalt love the Lord above all and thy neighbor as thy self Christ is to be loved above all above your selves Now for the most part when we hear such a command as this we look upon it as a legal precept which onely shewes a man his sin and to be as a Scholemaster a precept that no man can keep But you must know that it is not so for every command is to be kept by every regenerate man It is said that not the least tittle of the Law shall perish heaven and earth shall passe away first The meaning is not that no man can be saved nor no man is in Christ but he that keeps every jot and little of the Law but we must endeavour to keep even the very least tittle of Gods commands with all our might If God will not suffer the least command to pass but you must bend your selves with all your strength to keep it then this which is a main command to Love God above all you must think you are bound to keep it and every regenerate man doth keep it in some measure he keeps it in sincerity and truth with an upright heart though he cannot rise to that degree and height as he should do Now I say it is not onely a command but it is best for every man to deny himself and not to seek his own things partly because his good is contained in God more then in himself and so he shall provide better for himself in self-denial by seeking God then by looking directly to his own matters The beeing of the beams you know are in the Sun more then in themselves So is every mans good contained in God from whom it floweth even as the beam doth from the Sun A man shall provide better for himself in seeking Gods glory then in looking immediately to his own preservation Therefore you shall find Deut. 10. 13. This is that the Lord thy God requires of thee that thou keep his commandments that he hath given thee for thy wealth Mark it the commands of God are given for our advantage Whensoever a man is a looser by keeping any command though it appear so he is not so indeed for every command is for our wealth So I say it is best for us partly because our good is contained in God And partly also because God is the end of every creature now you know the perfection of every creature stands in obtaining its end Whatsoever the end of any thing is when it hath gotten that end it is brought into a perfect condition For there are certain rules that God hath given to every creature to walk by to attain its end that in attaining thereof it might attain perfection so he hath given to the fire and to the water c. when they kept close to that rule there is the perfection of them So he hath given a rule to the reasonable creatures to walk by that is to walk in his commands now in keeping close to them that creature attains his happiness he puts himself into a happy condition Now God is not bound to this because he is the utmost end the utmost cause there is nothing beyond him and therefore he may do all for himself but if the creature do all things for himself he destroyes himself because there is a cause an end beyond him Now as there is this reason for the duty why we should do it in regard of our selves So also in regard of Christ. Partly in respect of his love and goodness he hath already shewed to us you know when a man hath done much for one he hath reason to respect him When Christ hath done so much for us if there were nothing to come there is reason and justice and equity to seek him to do whatsoever may be for his advantage that we should seek not our own things but the things of Jesus Christ. And partly also why we should seek the things of Jesus Christ is in regard of the wages which are to come they are so large that he is not worthy to have them he is not worthy to be saved by him that will not do something for him that will not deny himself and neglect his own things for his sake So you see what reason there is for this duty why we should do Now to make use of it if this be a duty that lies upon every man not to seek his own things but the things of Jesus Christ what remains but that you consider how you have kept this and if you be failing in it that you stir up your selves to do it in a better manner then you have done formerly Let every man therefore ask this question with himself have I sought the things of Jesus Christ have I not many times sat stil for my own ease for my own safety for my credit and profit when if I had stirred I might have done something for the advantage of Jesus Christ And consider that our behaving of our selves after this manner is not onely sinful but it is very unreasonable and disadvantagious for our selves for the more we lose for Christ the more we gain heâ— that will be content to be no body in the flesh he shall be the more in the spirit For that rule holds true he that will lose his life shall save it I say it holds true in every thing else he that will lose his credit shall gain his credit he that will be content to let go his friends or profits or advantages he shall be a gainer by it So that he that is most prodigal of all these things to spend them for Christs advantage he that is most forward to suffer imprisonment and loss of goods to indure infamy and disgrace for Christs sake he is the wisest man the happiest man he provides best for himself For alas my brethren what is it that we have of all our labors under the Sun but onely the riches of good works those onely go with us The good that we do is onely a foundation sure and stedfast as you have it 1 Tim. 6. 19. Laying up a sure foundation that is a foundation upon which you may build All other things that you have in this life are of a contingent nature but your good works the things you do for God your seeking after the things of Christ they are of a sure nature and will not fail you Therefore let us consider what we do in this case when we come to any business wherein we are
had better to have wanted the Kingdom Gehazi had better to have wanted Naamans courtefie there goes a curse with those things that we have in that manner when we have them without prayer or when we have them by a common providence when we receive them in the neglect of this duty and yet in the mean time we may have as much as others And though this be that which men are ready to object yet this is the way to forfeit all that they have As you know when men will be ready to take in their goods at the Custom-house and to steal the Custom oft-times it is the way to lose all the whole fraight and to for feit their whole venture So it is here when we use the means that God hath appointed and walk in his way and observe his ordinances then we shall have mercies at Gods hands And when God bestowes them not in mercy as a blessing for so he doth not except you seek to him you must needs conclude that you not onely have them as a curse but in having them out of his way you forfeit all the rest Therefore I say prayer indeed is the means to obtain any thing at Gods hands Hezekiah prayed and he was delivered But here one causion is to be added and that is that it is not every kind of prayer it must be such a prayer as the Lord looks for at â—ur hands it must be a prayer so qualified as he hath appointed for though it be true that prayer be the key that opens the door into the Lords treasury and when we go about to open this lock we must have this key otherwise we go in a wrong way yet faith is the hand that must turn this key There are certain conditions required in prayer Every customary formal ordinary prayer will not prevail with God No 〈◊〉 Saint Paul saith I serve him night and day but I serve him in the spirit you must pray in the spirit that is when you pray to the Lord you must pour forth your spirits to him in your petitions your suites that you make to him must not be such only as your understandings dictate to you but the will and affections the intentions of your souls must go together in the performance of the duty otherwise it is but an hypocritical performance of the duty For this is hypocrisie when a man is neither willing to omit the duty altogether nor careful to do it in that manner that he ought Therefore you must know that you may make a prayer that is but the expression of your 〈◊〉 and will he think you receive such a prayer as thâ—… No your prayers must be an expression of those holy â—esirâ—â— that arise from the regenerate part it must be the voice of the spirit in you that is the voice of the regenerate part stirred up and acted by the Holy Ghost When your prayers are such prayers though it be true 〈◊〉 flesh is mingled with them they will prevail for â—hat is still required Therefore I say every prayer will not prevail it must be such a kind of prayer as God appoints Now why hath God appointed prayer It is that our hearts may be quickened and drawn near to the Lord that our hearts may be put into a fitter frame of prayer And therefore when thou shalt pray and thy heart never a whit the warmer never a whit the nearer drawn to God by it the business is not done For the same rule is true in this as in other things a business we say is not done when the end is not obtained when the enterprize is not brought to pass So I say you have not prayed say what you will express what you will except your hearts are made warmer by it and drawn nearer to God by it and brought to a better frame by it When you edifie your selves this is the prayer God accepts Therefore we must take heed of that common errour that because we hear that prayer will prevail therefore we use some certain formalities and make some petitions and so we do make account to prevail with God this is the common errour of people we are deceived in this it is not every kind of prayer that will do it An ordinary prayer would not have recovered Hezekiah and restored him to health It was the fault of Gehazi when he had got the staff he thought to recover the child but he wanted Elisha's spirit A man may make a prayer to God but when he wants the spirit of prayer he cannot expect an answer for the promise is not made to such Therefore when we deliver this point to you that prayer is an effectual means to prevail with God for any thing you must understand that those conditions must accompany it that the Lord requires And so much for this point he prayed to the Lord Who spake unto him We must be very brief in this because we hasten to the next verse Two things we may observe out of these words First That We ought to observe what answer the Lord gives to our prayers You see the Holy Ghost notes it here he prayed to the Lord and the Lord gave him a good answer he told him that the thing he desired should be done I say we should learn when we seek to the Lord to consider what answer we have from him Otherwise we do as children that shoot arrows and consider not where they light When we send our prayers and consider not what answer they have it is an argument that we do it not in faith we do it not diligently but in a negligent manner When a Fowler layeth baits and snares to catch birds if he believe them to be effectual he will be still looking to them to see whether any thing be taken or no to see what successe he hath When we come to call upon the Lord we should consider whether our prayers prevail what success they have You see Elias when he prayed to the Lord he sent his servant to see what answer the Lord had given and he sent him seven times to see whether any cloud appeared he was very dilegent to consider whether the Lord gave him any answer to his prayers Whensoever therefore we call upon the Lord we should observe that For indeed in this our walking with God doth consist when we converse with the Lord from day to day as we ought It stands not in this onely that we open our minds to him and make our requests known to him but that we should consider what the Lord doth unto us back again If the Lord grant our requests we ought to take notice of it that we may praise him and give him thanks If he do not answer them that we may consider what the cause is Many causes it may be there are why the Lord doth not hear It may be thou doest not pray aright It may be thou retainest the love of some
of his sin and then preacheth the Gospel first he made a preparation by fire and an earthquake before he came in the soft and still voice so God humbleth a man before he worketh by faith to lay hold on Christ. The murderer will not seek to the City of refuge before the revenger of blood follow him and this must not be done slightly but your conscience must be awakened to apprehend sin fully and this prepareth you for Christ for in these three things stands the sound conversion of a sinner to God first humiliation secondly the taking of Christ as the chiefest good thirdly when you will not forsake for him any worldly thing And these three things follow one another for if sin be the chiefest sorrow Christ must needs be the chiefest joy if we once have Christ we can never forgo him those therefore that are not soundly humbled have cause to fear that they have no part in Christ. Secondly Consider whether you live in Christ or no for if you live not in him you have not received him for who taketh Christâ—s â—nâ—râ—ted into him as into a living stock if you would therefore know whether you have taken Christ in good earnest or no for many think they have Christ when they have him not I ask you this question do you grow in Christ and wax green in Christ are you changed into the same nature with him If you find these things it is a sure sign you have taken Christ but if you find not this new life in you it is a sign you never received him and this is not a light chaâ—â—â— but a great and manifest change as apparent as the difference is betwixt a dead man and a living man because when a man takes the Son he hath the spirit of the Son within him and if he hath the spirit he hath the dispossition of the Son the same life that the Son hath for the spirit is to the soul as the soul is to the body and therefore if you find no life it is a sign you have no part in Christ. Lastly Consider whether you be broken off from the old stock upon which you did grow from whence you did take sap and bring forth fruit those therâ—fore deceive themselves that think they can take Christ and yet follow their pleasureâ— and covetousness this croâ—…th their co-mixtures and I assure you they make the way too broad for whosoever will receive Christ must pâ—rt with all things else though they be nevâ—r so dear to him FINIS Vse of the first point Similie Use 2. Use 3. Similie Eph. 1. 18. Similie Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. 4 Means to partake of Gods mercy 2 Sorts of mercies to be hungred after Math. 11. The second means to partake of Gods mercy What faith is Heb. 11. The third meanes to obtain mercy Quest. Answ. What it is to depend upon God Similie Similie Quest. Answ. Deut. 8. 2. The fourth means to partake of Gods mercy Matâ— 10 11. What it is to be worthy of Gods mercy in general Luke 10. 8. Acts 13 45. 46. Prov. 11. ult Pet. 1. 17. Use. 5. Deut. 28 47. Rom. 12. Object Answ. Ephes. 5. The reason why men serve other things and not God How to amend it Heb. 11. 8 Properties of a good master which are found in God Psalm 103. Jam. 5. 11. 2. Property 3. Property 4. Property Psalm 41. 〈◊〉 Psalm 31 7. 5. Property 6. Property Rev. 2. 19. 7. Property Psalm 78. 8. Property Luke 18. Use. 6. Comfort for the church in general in affliction Zach. 12. 3. 4. 5. 6. Bellarmine his argument for their Church with the answer to it Comfort for every Christian in particular in affliction 1. Answ. 2. Answ. Reason why God afflicteth his children 5. Special cases of affliction 2. Chron. 20. 35 36 37. 2 Cor. 12. 2. Doct. 1. Reason Exod. 33. 18. and 34. 6. 2. Reason 3. Reason Last Reason Vse 1. What glory is Use. 2. Isay 6. Object Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Last Answ 2. Answ. Similie 3. Answ. 4. Answ. 5. Answ. Numb 16. Last use 1. 3. 4. Doctrine Acts. 5. 41. Rev. 2. 13. 1. 2. 3. 1 Cor. 3. 1. Rev. 2. 5. 1. 2. Reason 1. Reason 2. 2. 3. 4. Use. 1. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 3. Col. 3. 2. 4. Diff. 1. 1. Jere. 31. 1. 2. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 4. 4 2. Differ 1. 3. Differ Heb. 11. 1 Tim. 4. 1â— Heb. 11. 1. Mark 15. 15. Matth. 8. 44. Mark 10. 〈◊〉 Differ Heb. 6. Rom. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 3. 5. Differ Galat. 5 13. Rom. 7. 2. Use. Acts 16. 2. Motive Isai. 57. John 17. John 14. 3. Motive Isai. 48. 18. Prov. 22. 4. Motive Psal. 45. Prov 30. 4. Prov. 30. 4. Gen. 42. Psal 1. Eccles. 1. 3. Use. Matt. 5. Prov 2. 7. 1. Means 1 Pet. 2. 2. 1 Cor. 3. 1 Heb 5. 13. 1. Rule 2. Rule 3. Rule 4. Rule 3. Means 1. Sign 2. Sign 1 Sam. 11. 6. Act. 4. 32. 3. Sign Phil. 4. Prov. 17. 4. Sign 1 Tim. 2. 12. 5. Sign Isai. 40. 4. Means 1. Hind 5. Means Luke 11. 14. 6. Means 2 Cor. 12. Jere 17. 7. Means Doctr. 1. 2. 1. Wor Ephes. 4. 2. Wor. 3. Wor. Acts 4. 32. Heb. 12. 12. 4. Wor. Acts 20. Isai. 44. 3. Use. Mat. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 1â— Ephes. 1. Rom. 8. 1 John 3. 〈◊〉 1. Sign Matt. 3. Acts 2. 2 Cor. 7. 30. 31. Revel 3. Titus 〈◊〉 Object Answ. 2. Answ. 2. Sign 1. Acts 4. Acts 4. 1 Sam. 18. Cantic 6. 3. John 17. 17 3. Sign Galat. 3â— Quest. Answ. John 1. 8. Galat. 2. 20. Rom. 12. 2. 1 Cor. 2. 4. Sign 1. Proper 2. Proper 3. Proper Rom. 〈◊〉 5. Sign Gal. 4. 6. Iohn 4. 6. Sign Galat. 5. Acts 4. Isai. 3 〈◊〉 7. Sign Rom. 6. Rom. 8. Rom. 8. Galat 5. Kings Acts 4. 20. Object Answ. 2. Use. 1. Benefit Gen. 44. James 4. 5. Acts 20. 22. Revel 1. 2. Benefit Isai. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 2. 9. 3. Benefit John 14. 〈◊〉 3. 4. Cant. 2. 5. 1 Cor. 7. 6. Ezek. 26. 21. 7. Psalm 51. 8. 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason 4. Benefit 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Use. Note 1. Means 2. 3. Hebr. 3. 2. Means Galar 3. 3. Means Luke 11. 14. Object Answ. James 1. Acts 2. 4. Means 5. Means Acts 9. Acts 10. Doct. What it is to have Christ dwell in the Heart 〈◊〉 â—t consisteth in 4 things The cause of perseverance in Grace z. Isai. 55. 3. Object Answ. Jere. 32 4. Gal. 5. 3. 3. Isai. 62. 4. 1. Cant. 4. 1 2 3. 〈◊〉 Cant. 4. 12. 3. Cant. 5. 1. Revel 3. 20. 4. 1. 6. Benefits of Christ dwelling in us Psal. 24. 7. 1 Pet. 4. 2 Cor 3. Psal. 24. Rom. 8. Objection Answer Simile 3. Benefit Isai. 57. 15. Rom. 14. 17. 4 Benefit 5 Benefit How Christ sanctifieth us 2 Tit. Deut. 30. 6. How we may get Christ in our hearts Heb. 17. 16. Simile Quest. Answ. 6. Benefit Isaiah