grace as will keep life and soul together A sick man may have life but is not lively Grace may live in the heart but is sickly and doth not flourish into lively acts Weak grace will not withstand strong temptations or carry through great sufferings it will hardly follow Christ upon the water Little grace will not do God much service A Tree that hath but little sap will not have much fruit It may be said of some Christians though they are not still born yet they are starvelings in grace They are like a ship that comes with much ado to the Haven Oh labour to grow to further degrees of sanctity The more grace the more strength and the more strength the more violence If you would be violent for Heaven take heed of this opinion That it is not so hard to get the Kingdom less violence will serve turn He that thinks he need not run a Race so fast will be apt to slack his pace This hath undone many Who will take pains for Heaven that thinks it may he had at a cheaper rate But if it be so easie what needs Christ say Strive as in an Agony What needed Paul beat down his body Why doth the Text speak of taking the Kingdom by force Is not conversion called a new birth Joh. 3. 7. a Creation Psal. 51. 10. and is that facil O take heed of phancying that work easie which is both above nature and against it 'T is as great a wonder for a soul to be saved as to see a mill stone to be lift up into the middle Region 2. Uâ—…e those means which will promote this holy violence 1. Keep up daily prayer Prayer is the bellows that blows up the affections and a Christian is most active when his affections are most violent Prayer keeps the trade of Religion agoing Prayer is to the soul as the animal spirits are to the body the anmal spirits make the body more agile and lively so doth prayer the soul. That the motion of a Watch may be quicker the spring must be wound up Christian winde up thy heart every day by prayer Prayer fetcheth in strength from Christ and when his strength comes in it sets the soul a working Prayer leaves the heart in a good frame As the morning Sun leaves a warmth in the room all the day after When Christians lay aside prayer or leave off fervency in it then by degrees they lose their holy violence If you would be violent for Heaven get under lively preaching The word is quick and powerful Heb. 4. 12. It puts liâ—…e into a dead heart It is both a sword â—…o cut down sin and a spur to quicken grace The word is a fire to thaw a frozen heart Jâ—…r 23. 29. Is not my Word fire As good almost be without preaching as be under such preaching as will not warm It is a part of the Word not only to inform but to inflame Psal. 119. 50. Thy Word hath quickened me 'T is the lively dispensation of the Oracles of Heaven must animate us and make us lively in our operation If you would be violent for Heaven get your hearts filled with love to Religion This is like the Rod of Myrtle in the Travellers hand Pliny â—…peaks of which makes him fresh and lively in his travel and keeps him from being weary When a man hath warmed himself at the fire now he is sittest for work If you would be violent in working out salvation warm your selves at this fire of love A man will be violent for nothing but what he loves Why are men so eager in their pursuit after gold but because they love it Love causeth delight and delight causeth violence What made St. Paul labour more than all the other Apostles The love of Christ constrained him 2 Cor. 5. 14. Love is like Oyl to the wheels Get love to Religion and you will never be weary you will count those the best hours which are spent with God He that digs in a silver Vein sweats yet love to the silver makes his labour delightful If you would be violent be vigilant The Prophet stood upon his Watch-tower Hab. 2. 1. Why are Christians so listless in their work but because they are so careless in their watch Did they but watch to see how their enemy watcheth they would be violent to resist him Did they but watch to see how their time runs or rather flies they would be violent to redeem it Did they but watch to see how their hearts loiter in Religion they would spur on faster to Heaven The reason there is so little violence in Religion is because there is so little vigilance When Christians neglect their spiritual watch and grow secure now their motion to Heaven is retarded and Satan's motions to sin are renewed Our sleeping time is Satan's tempting time If you would be violent for the Kingdom bind your heart to God by sacred vows A servant will be more diligent after he is bound to his Master Vow to the Lord that by his grace you will act more vigorously in the sphere of Religion Psalm 56. 12. Thy vows are upon me O God A vow binds the votary to duty He looks upon himself now as under a special obligation and that quickens endeavour No question but a Christian may make such a vow because the ground of it is morally good he vows nothing but what he is bound to do namely to walk more closely with God Only remember that we vow not in our own strength but Christs We must confide in him as well for strength as righteousness Isa. 46. 24. In the Lord I have righteousness and strength If you would be violent for Heaven be sure you make going to Heaven your business What a man looks on as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or thing by the by he will never be violent for but that which he makes his business he will be industrious about A man looks upon his trade as the only thing to get a livelihood by and he follows it close So if we would but look upon Religion as the main business wherein our salvation is concerned we should be violent in it Luke 10. 42. But one thing is needfull This is the One Thing to get Christ and Heaven This is the end we came into the world for If we could thus look upon the things of eternity as our business the One Thing how earnest should we be in the pursuit of them If you would be violent have Heaven continually in your eye This made Christ violent to the death he had an eye to the joy set before him Heb. 12. 2. Set the Crown ever before you and that will provoke endeavour immensum gloria â—…alcar habet The Mariner hath his hand to the Sterh and his eye to the Star While we are working let us have an eye to that place where is Christ the bright morning star How
lock up our selves at least once a day that we may meditate upon Glory 1. Meditation makes the Word preached to profit it works it upon the Conscience As the Bee sucks the flower so by meditation we suck out the sweetness of a Truth It is not the receiving of meat into the mouth but the digesting of it makes it nutritive So it is not the receiving the most excellent truths in at the ear that nourisheth our souls but the digesting them by Meditation Wine poured into a sieve runâ—… out Many truths are lost because Ministers pour this Wine into sieves either into leaking Memories or feathery minds Meditation is like a soaking rain that goes to the root of a Tree and makes it bring forth fruit 2. Holy meditation quickens the affections Psal. 119. 97. O how I love thy Law It is my meditation all the day The reason our affections are so cold to heavenly things is because we do not warm them at the fire of holy meditation As the musing on amorous objects makes the fire of lust burn the musing on injuries makes the fire of revenge burn so meditating on the transcendent beauties of Christ would make our love to Christ flame forth 3. Meditation hath a transforming powâ—… in it The hearing of the Word may affect us but the meditating of it doth transform us Meditation stamps the impression of Divine Truths upon our hearts By meditating of God's holiness we grow holy As Jacob's Cattel by looking on the Rods conceived like the Rods so while by meditation we look upon God's purity we are changed into his likeness and are made partakers of his Divine Nature 4. Meditation produceth Reformation Psal. 119. 59. I thought on my wayes and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies Did but people meditate on the damnableness of sin did they but think when they meddle with it there is a Rope at the end of it which will hang them eternally in Hell they would break off a course of sinning and become new Creatures Let all this perswade to holy meditation I dare be bold to say if men would spend but one quarter of an hour every day in contemplating heavenly objects it would leave a mighty impression upon them and through the blessing of God might prove the beginning of an happy conversion But how shall we do to meditate Get a love to spiritual things We usually meditate on those things which we love The voluptuous man can muse on his pleasures the covetous man on his bags of gold Did we love heavenly things we should meditate more on them Many say they cannot meditate because they want memory but is it not rather because they want affection Did they love the things of God they would make them their continual study and meditation 5. The fifth Duty wherein we are to offer violence to our selves is Self-examination a duty of great importance It is a parlying with ones own heart Psalm 77. 7. I commune with my own heart David did put interrogatories to himself Self-examination is the setting up a Court in Conscience and keeping a Register there that by a strict scrutiny a man may know how things stand between God and his own Soul Self-examination is a spiritual Inquisition a bringing ones self to trial A good Christian doth as it were begin the day of Judgement here in his own Soul Self-searching is an Heart-Anatomy As a Chirurgion when he makes a Dissection in the Body discovers the intestina the inward parts the Heart Liver Arteries so a Christian anatomizeth himself he searcheth what is flesh and what is spirit what is sin and what grace Psal. 77. 7. My spirit made diligent search As the Woman in the Gospel did light a Candle and search for her lost Groat Luke 15. 8. So Conscience is the Candle of the Lord Prov. 20. 27. A Christian by the Light of this Candle must search his Soul if he can find any grace there The Rule by which a Christian must try himself is the Word of God Phancy and Opinion are false Rules to go by We must judge of our spiritual condition by the Canon of Scripture This David calls a Lamp unto his feet Psalm 119. 105. Let the Word be the Umpire to decide the controversie whether we have grace or no. We judge of colours by the Sun So we must judge of the estate of our souls by the light of Scripture Self-examination is a great Duty incumbent it requires self-excitation it cannot possibly be done without offering violence to our selves 1. Because the duty in it self is difficult 1. It is act us reflexivus a work of self-reflection it lies most with the heart 'T is hard to look inward External acts of Religion are facil to lift up the eye to Heaven to bow the Knee to read a prayer this requires no more labour than for a Papist to tell over his beads but to examine a mans self to turn in upon his own Soul to take the Heart as a Watch all in pieces and see what is defective this is not easie Reflexive acts are hardest The eye can see every thing but it self It is easie to spy the faults of others but hard to find out our own 2. Examination of a mans self is difficult because of self-love As ignorance blinds so self-love flatters Every man is ready to think the best of himself What Solomon saith of love to our neighbour is most true of self-love iâ—… hides a multitude of evil Prov. 10. 12. A man looking upon himself in Philautiae speculo in the glass of self-love his vertues appear greater than they are and his sins lesser Self-love makes one rather excuse what is amiss than examine it 2. As examination is in it self difficult so it is a work which we are very hardly brought to Thâ—…t which causeth a back wardness to self-examination is 1. Consciousness of guilt Sin clamours inwardly and men are loth to look into their hearts lest they should find that which should trouble them It is little pleasure to read the Hand-writing on the wall of conscience Many Christians are like trades-men that are sinking in their Estates they are loth to look over their Books or cast up their accounts lest they should find their Estates low So they are loth to look into their guilty hearts lest they should find something there which should affright them as Moses was affrighted at the sight of the Rod turned into a Serpent 2. Men are hardly brought to this duty because of foolish presumptuous hopes they fancy their estate to bâ—… good and while they weigh themselves in the Ballance of presumption they pass for currant Many take their salvation on trust The foolish Vâ—…gins thought they had had Oyl in their lamps as well as the wise Mat. 25. Some are not sure of their salvation but secure If one were to buy a piece of Land he would not take it upon trust but examine the title
think God will How will Heathens rise up in Judgement against slothful Christians What pains did they take in the Olympian games they ran but for a Garland of flowers and do we stand still who run for a Crown of Immortality Certainly if only the violent take Heaven the idle person will never come there God puts no difference between these two slothful and wicked Matth. 25. 26. Thou wicked and slothful servant 2. It reproves the Formalist who puts all his Religion in gestures and vestures emblems of devotion and thinks this will entitle him to Heaven Rev. 3. 1. Thou hast a name to live and art dead The form and outside of Christianity is judged necessary 1. It is a means to keep up menâ—… credit in the world Should they be visibly prophane such as are sober would not come near them they would be looked upon no better than baptized Heathens therefore they must make a â—…ew of devotion out of policy to gain some repute and esteem among others 2. A form serves to stop the mouth of conscience had not they some kind of outward devotion their conscience would fly in their face and they would be a terrour to themselves therefore they think it expedient to have a form of Godliness But alas what is all this The Text speaks of offering violence to Heaven What violence is there in a form Here is no taking pains with the heart a form but no power 2. Tim. 3. 5. Formalists are like the Tombs in the Church which have their eyes and hands lift up to Heaven but no soul. The Formalists devotion runs out most in punctilioes and niceties he neglects the weightier matters of the Law Faith and Mercy Matth. 23. 23. He scruples superstitious phancies but makes no reckoning of sin he is more afraid of an Hare crossing his way than of an Harlot in his bed He haâ—…es sanctity Christ had no such bitter enemies as the formal Pharisees The formalist is never violent but in persecuting the power of godliness 3. It reproves such as are violent in a bad sense they are violent for Hell they go thither in the sweat of their brows Jer 8. 6. Every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel A war-horse rusheth violently among the guns and pikes so did they rush into sin violently Men are violent 1. In opposing Good 2. In pursuing Evil. 1. In opposing Good Several waies 1. They offer violence to the Spirit of God The Spirit knocks at the door of sinners hearts he waits till his head be filled with dew and his locks with the drops of the night but sinners repulse and grieve the Spirit and send away this Dove from the Aâ—…k of their souls Acts 7. 51. Te do alwais resist the Holy Ghost The Spirit offers grace to the sinner and the sinner offers violence to the Spirit Isa 63. 10. They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit and may not the Lord give over striving God who is willing to come in when we open to him hath not promised to come again if we unkindly repulse him 2. They offer violence to conscience Conscience is God's Preacher in the bosom and this Preacher cannot flatter it tells men of their pride coveâ—…ousness abuse of mercy but they instead of being violent against their sins offer violence to conscience they silence and imprison conscience But as the Prophet Zachary when he was dumb called for a table book and did write Luke 1. 63 So when conscience cannot be permitted to speak it will write it writes down mens sins and when at death they shall be forced to read the hand-writing it will make their hearts tremble and their knees smite This I fear is too common for men to offer violence to their conscience and what will be the issue They who will not hear the voice of conscience shall be sure to feel the worm of conscience 3 They offer violence to God's image The Saints who are God's lively picture are opposed and shot at This is a cursed violence Gal. 4 29 As he that was born after the flesh persecuted him who was born after the Spirit so it is now Christ himself is stricken at through Believers The Church hath been alwaies in the Torrid zone The Plowers have plowed upon her back The earth hath been sown with the bodies of the Saints and watered with their blood Persecutors I grant are of an antient Family The first man that was born in the world was a Persecutor namely Cain and he hath had a numerous off-spring Nero Trajan Domitian Dioclesian Maximinus Chrysostom saith that the apples of his eyes fell out Faelix Earl of Wartemburg being at supper at Auspurg did take an oath that before he died he would ride up to the spurs in the blood of the Lutherans but was afterwards choked in his own blood Persecutors are the curse of the Creation being some of those thorns and briars which the earâ—…h brings forth 2. Men are violent in pursuing Evil. 1. They are violent in their Opinions 2 Pet. 2. 1. Privily they shall bring in damnable heresies denying the Lord that bought them Arrius was such an one and afterwards his bowels gushed out And truly the spirit of Arrius is yet alive at this day while men dare deny the Deity of the blessed Son of God Many of the Hereticks of old were so violent that their Opinion was to them a Bible and some of them died in maintaining their heresies These were the Devil's Martyrs 2. They are violent in their Passions Anger is a short frenzy Jam. 3. 9. The tongue is a fire a world of iniquity In this little member there is a great world viz. a world of sin such as would be counted sober yet are drunk with passion Their prayers are cold but their anger hot They spit fire as the Serpent doth poison Fiery passions without Repentance bring men to the fiery furnace 3. They are violent for their lusts Tit. 3. 3. Serving divers lusts Lust is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inordinate desire or impulse provoking the soul to the gratifying its carnal desires Aristotle calls them brutish lusts because when lusts are violent they will not let reason or conscience be heard but a man is carried brutishly to the satisfying the flesh 1. Men are violent for their drunken lusts Though death be in the cup they will drink it off One having almost lost his eye-sight the Physitian told him there was no cure for him unless he would leave off his excessive drinking then saith he Farewell sweet light he would rather lose his eye-sight than leave his drinking 2. They are violent for their unclean lusts Men are said to burn in lusts Rom. 1. 27. The Apostle intimateth that lust is a kind of feavour Feavourish heats are not more pernicious to the body than lust is to the soul. O what folly is it for a drop of pleasure to drink
then they will begin this No man saith I will learn my trade when I am old It is imprudence for one to begin to work for Heaven when he is past his labour There is a night of sickness and death coming and our Saviour saith The night cometh when none can work Joh. 9. 4. Sure a man can put forth but little violence for Heaven when old age and old sins are upon him Besides how unworthy and dis-ingenuous is it to give the Devil the flower of youth and God the dâ—…egs of old age Therefore God rejected Cain's Sacrifice because it was stale before he brought it Gen. 4. 2. There is little hope of their salvation who are never violent for Heaven till their disease grows violent 6. It reproves those that are so far from using this violence for Heaven that they deride it These are your zealous ones 2 Pet. 3. 3. In the last daies there shall be scoffers Holy walking is become the object of derision Psal. 69. 12. I am become the song of the drunkards This shews a vile heart There are some who though thy have no goodness themselves yet honour them that are good Herod reverenced John Baptist. But what Devils are they who scoff at goodness and reproach others for doing that which God commands This age produceth such as sit in the chair of scorners and throw their squibs at Religion In Bohemia when some of the Martyrs were the next day to suffer they comforted themselves with this that this was their last Supper and to morrow they should feast with Christ in Heaven a Papist standing by asked them in a jear if Christ had any Cooks in Heaven to dress their Supper Oh take heed of such an Ishmael-spirit â—…t is a sign of a man given over to the Devil God scorneth the scorner Prov. 3. 34. And sure he shall never live with God whose company God scorns 7. It reproves them who instead of taking Heaven by force keep it off by force as if they were afraid of being happy or as if a Crown of glory would hurt them Such are 1. The ignorant who shut their eyes against the light and refuse to be taught the way to Heaven Hosea 4. 6. Thou hast rejected Knowledge The Hebrew word signifies to reject with disdain As I have read of a Scotch Bishop who thanked God he never knew what the Old and New Testament was I wonder where that Bishop took his text 2. The prophane who hate to be admonished and had rather die than reform Amos 5. 10. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate These keep off Heaven by force Such were those Acts 13. 46. Seeing you put away the Word from you The Greek word may be rendred seeing you shuff it away with your shoulders As if a sick â—…n should bolt out the Physician lest he should cure him Job 21. 14. Who say unto the Almighty depart from us God is loth to bâ—… gone he woes and beseecheth sinners to accept of terms of mercy he is loth to be gone but sinners will have him gone They say to him Depart May not we say to these quis effascinavit who hath bewitched you What madness beyond Hyperbole is this that you should not only forsake mercy but fight against it as if there were danger in going to Heaven These who put away salvation from them are felo de se they do wilfully perish they would not hear of any thing that should save them Were it not a sad Epitaph to be written upon a man's Tomb-stone Here lies one that murdered himself This is the condition of desperate sinners they keep off Heaven by force they are self-murderers Therefore God writes their Epitaph upon their grave Hosea 13. 9. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self 3. Let us then examine whether we put forth this holy violence for Heaven What is an empty Profession without this like a Lamp without Oyl Let us all ask our selves What violence do we use for Heaven 1. Do we strive with our hearts to get them into an holy frame How did David awaken all the powers of his soul to serve God Psal. 57. 8. I my self will awake early The heart is like a Bell that is a long while a raising 2. Do we set time apart to call our selves to an account and try our evidences for Heaven Psal. 77. 6. My Spirit made diligent search Do we take our hearts as a Watch all in pieces to see what is amiss and mend it Are we curiously inquisâ—…ive into the state of our souls Are we afraid of painted grace as of painted happiness 3. Do we use violence in prayer Is there fire in our Sacrifice Doth the wind of the Spirit filling our sails cause groans unutterable Rom. 8. 26. Do we pray in the morning as if we were to die at night 4. Do we thirst for the living God Are our souls big with holy desires Psal. 73. 25. There is none upon earth my soul desires besides thee Do we desire holiness as well as Heaven Do we desire as much to look like Christ as to live with Christ Is our desire constant Is this spiritual pulse ever beating 5. Are we skilled in self denial Can we deny our ease our aimes our interest Can we cross our own will to fulfill God's Can we behead our beloved sin To pluck out the right eye requires violence 6. Are we lovers of God It is not how much we do but how much we love Doth love command the â—…astle of our hearts Doth Christ's beauty and sweetness constrain us 2 Cor. 5. 14. Do we love God more than we fear Hell 7. Do we keep our spiritual watch do we set spies in every place watching our thoughts our eyes our tongues When we have prayed against sin do we watch against temptation The Jews having sealed the stone of Christ's Sepulchre seâ—…t a watch Matth. 27. 66. After we have been at the Word or Sacrament that sealing Ordinance do we set a watch 8. Do we press after further degrees of sanctity Phil. 3. 13. Reaching forth unto those things which are before A good Christian is a wonder he is the most contented yet the least satisfied he is contented with a little of the world but not satisfied with a little grace he would still have more Faith and be anointed with fresh Oyl Paul desired to attain unto the resurrection of the dead Phil. 3. 11. that is he endeavoured if possible to arrive at such a measure of grace as the Saints shall have at the Resurrection 9. Is there an holy emulation in us do we labour to out-shine others in Religion To be more eminent for love and good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do we something which is singular Matth. 5. 47. What do you more than others 10. Are we got above the world though we walk on Earth do we trade in Heaven Can we say as David Psal. 139. 17. I am
we draw nigh to him in prayer 3. The modus or â—…anner of our drawing near to God God's special residence is in Heaven and we draw near to God not by the feet of our bodies but our souls The affections are the feet of the soul by these we move towards God David drew nigh to God in his desires Psalm 73. 25. There is none in earth I desire besides thee He did shoot his heart into Heaven by pious ejaculations Spirits may have intercourse at a distance 4. Why we must draw near to God Because he is our Maker in him we live He hath given us our bodies they are his curious needle work Psal. 139. 15. And as he hath wrought the Cabinet so he hath put the Jewel in it the precious soul and surely if we had our being from him we cannot breathe without him there is good reason we should draw near to him in a way of homage and observance God is our Benefactor he crowns us with variety of blessings he gives health and estate every â—…it of bread we eat is reached to us by the hand of Divine Bounty Is there not great reason we should draw near to him that feeds us Give a beast provender and he will follow you all the field over Not to draw near to him who is our Benefactor is worse than brutish God is the summum bonum the chief good There 's enough in God to satisfie the immense desire of the Angels He is omnimode duleis the quintessence of sweetness in him all perfections are concentred wisdom holiness goodness he hath rivers of pleasure where the soul shall bathe its self for ever with infinite delight Psal. 36. So that here is ground sufficient for our drawing near to God he is the chief good Every thing desires to approach to its happiness 1. See the right genius and temper of a gracious soul is is ever drawing near to God it loves to converse with him in private A person truly regenerate is not able to stay away long from God Psal. 63. 8. My soul followeth hard after God A pious soul cannot but draw near to God Out of the intire love which he bears to God 'T is the nature of love to draw the heart to the object loved He that loves his friend will often give him a visit He that loves God will visit him The heart ascends to God in a fiery Chariot of love A gracious soul cannot but draw near to God because of the intimate relation between God and him God is a Father Isa. 64. 8. Doubtless thou art our Father Doth not the child delight to draw near to his Father No Father like to God for love his children shall never want he hath Land enough to give to all his heirs He loves his children so intirely that he will never dis-inherit them How then can Believers keep away from their Father they know not how to be long out of his presence A gracious soul cannot chuse but draw near to God because he hath found so much sweetness and content in it While he hath drawn near to God he hath drawn virtue from him Never did Jonathan taste so much sweetness when he dipp'd his Rod in the hony-comb 1 Sam. 14. 27. as the soul finds in communion with God In drawing near to God a Christian's heart hath been warmed and melted the Lord hath kindled his sacrifice from Heaven In his approaches to God he hath had the illapses of the Spirit the incomes of Gods love the praelibations of glory God hath given him a bunch of Grapes by the way he hath tasted that the Lord is good no wonder then he is so frequent in his approaches to the divine Majesty he hath found the comfort of drawing near to God 2. It reproves them who instead of drawing near to God draw near to the world The world ingrosseth all their time and thoughts Phil. 3. 19. Who'mind earthly things A good Christian useth the world for his necessity but his main work is to draw near to God Whoever he compounds with and paies short he will be sure God shall not be a loser He gives God a daily sacrifice he follows God fully Numb 14. 14. But covetous persons make the world their treasure and what is their treasure that doth most command their hearts Worldlings live by sense and to talk to them of drawing nigh to God is to speak riddles and paradoxes to them They can no more live out of the earth than the fish out of the water They have the Serpent's curse upon them to lick the dust Things of a worldly aspect draw away the heart from God They are retinacula spei as Tertullian saith they hinder our passage to the holy Land Had not the fall beat off mens head-piece of wisdom they would think thus with themselves If there be any beauty in the world what is there in God that made it he gives the flower its colour and odour he gives the diamond its lustre he gives food its delicious taste and if there be such sweetness in creatures what is there in God he is infinitely better than all Shall these poor things draw off our hearts from God shall the drop draw us from the fountain shall the light of the Taper draw us from the Sun shall we admire the gift and forget the giver Solomon speaks of a genâ—…ration of men madness is in their heart Eccl. 9. 3. Sure they who draw near the world and leave God madness is in their hear O how empty and insignificant are all other things without God! they are in their matter earthly in their procuring painful in their fruiâ—…ion surfeiting in their duration dying in their operation damning 2. It reproves them who draw nigh to God but it is hypocritically they draw nigh with their lips but not with their hearts Isa. 29. 13. The Jews saith one use great shews of adoration and in their Synagogues burn Lamps to the honour of God but no inward devotion can be perceived What is pomp without piety Sinners give God the worship of their bodies but keep their hearts for something else they love better The heart is a Virgin God himselelf is Suitor to Pro. 23. 26. My Son give me thy heart To draw near to God with the body but not the heart is to abuse God 'T is as if one should come into an Apothecaries shop and ask for cordial water and he should give him an empty glass To draw nigh to God without an heart is to play a devotion and to go to Hell covered with Religion's mantle 3. It reproves them who in stead of drawing near to God draw back from God these are enegadoes they once seemed to put forth their blossoms and gave good hope of their conversion but their Spring is changed to Autumn Either fear of persecution or hope of preferment
Reuben unstable as water but was fixed and resolute in Religion and a Prison could make no alteration in him Vers. But what went ye out for to see a man cloathed in soft raiment John did not indulge his senses he wore not silks but Camels hair nor did he affect to live at Court but in a Wilderness Mat. 3. 3 4. Again Christ commends John as being his forerunner who prepared the way before him vers 10. He was the morning Star which did precede the Sun of Righteousness and that Christ might sufficiently honour this holy man he doth not only parallel him with but prefer him before the chief of the Prophets Vers. 9. What went ye out for to see a Prophet yea I say unto you and more than a Prophet Vers. 11. Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist He was eminent both for Dignity of Office and Perspicuity of Doctrine and so the Text is usher'd in From the dayes of John the Baptist â—…ntil now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereâ—… violence and the violent take it by force In which words there is 1. The prefâ—… or introduction from the dayes of Jâ—… the Baptist until now John Baptist was a zealous Preacher a Boanerges or Son of Thunder and after his Preaching People began to be awakened out of their siâ—…s Hence learn what kind of Ministry is like to do most good namely That which works upon the Consciences of men John Baptist did lift up his voice like a Trumpet he preached the Doctrine of Repentance with power Mat. 3. 2. Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand He came hewing and cutting down mens sins and afterwards preached Christ to them First He poured in the Vinegar of the Law then the Wine of the Gospel This was that preaching made men studiously seek after Heaven John did not so much preach to please as to profit he chose rather to discover mens sins than to shew his own eloquence That is the best looking-glass not which is most gilded but which shews the truest face That Preaching is to be preferred which makes the truest discovery of mens sins and shews them their hearts John Baptist was a burning and a shining light he did burn in his Doctrine and shine in his Life and from that time men pressed into Heaven Peter who was filled with a spirit of zeal having humbled his hearers for their sins and opened to them a Fountain in Christs Blood they were then pricked at their heart Act. 2. 37. 'T is the greatest mercy to have a Soul-searching Ministry If one had a desperate Wound he would desire to have it searched to the bottom Who would not be content to have their Souls searched so they may have them saved 2. The matter in the Text The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force What is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven Some interpret it of the Doctrine of the Gospel which reveals Christ and Heaven So Erasmus But I rather by the Kingdom of Heaven understand Glory and so learned Beza and others This Kingdom suffereth violence 'T is a Metaphor from a Town or Castle that holds out in War and is not taken but by storm So the Kingdom of Heaven will not be taken without violence The violent take it by force The Earth is inherited by the Meek Mat. 5. 5. Heaven is inherited by the violent Our life is military Christ is our Captain the Gospel is the Banner tho Oraces are our spiritual Artillery and Heaven is only taken in a forcible way The words fall into two parts 1. The Combate suffereth violence 2. The Conquest The Violent take it by force The right way to take Heaven is by Storm Or thus None get into Heaven but violent ones This violence hath a double aspect It concerns men as Magistrates they must be violent 1. In punishing the nocent When Aaron's Urim and Thummim will do no good then must Moses come with his Rod. The wicked are the bad humours and surfeit of the Common-wealth which by the care of Magistracy are to be purged out God hath placed Governours for the â—…terrour of evil doâ—…rs 1 Pet. 2. 14. They must not be like the Sword-fish which hath a Sword in his Head but is without an Heart They must not have a Sword in their Hand but no Heart to draw it out for the cutting down of impiety Connivance in a Magistrate supports vice and by not punishing offenders he adopts other mens faults and makes them his own Magistracy without zeal is like the body without spirits Too much lenity emboldens sin and doth but shave the head which deserves to be cut off 2. In defending the Innocent The Magistrate is the Asylum or Altar of Refuge for the oppressed to sly to Charls Duke of Calabria was so in love with doing Justice that he caused a Bell to be hung at his Palace gate which whosoever did ring was sure presently to be admitted into the Duke's presence or have some Officers sent out to hear his cause Aristides was famous for his Justice of whom the Historian saith he would never favour any mans cause because he was his friend nor do injusâ—…ice to any because he was his Enemy The Magistrates ballance is the oppressed mans shield This violence concerns men as Christians Though Heaven be given us freely yet we must contend for it Eccles. 9. 10. What thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might Our work is great our time short our Master urgent we had need therefore summon together all the powers of our souls and strive as in a matter of Life and Death that we may arrive at the Kingdom above We must not only put forth diligence but violence For the illustrating and clearing the Proposition I shall shew 1. What violence is not meant here This violence in the text excludes 1. An ignorant violence to be violent for that which we do not understand Acts 17. 23. As I passed by and beheld your Devotions I found an Altar with this Inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the unknown God These Athenians were violent in their devotion but it might be said to them as Christ said to the Woman of Samaria Joh. 4. 22. Ye worship ye know not what Thus the Papists are violent in their Religion witness their pennance fasting dilacerating themselves till the blood comes but it is a Zeal without Knowledge their Metal is better than their Eye-sight When Aaron was to burn the Incenâ—…e upon the Altar he was â—…st to light the lampâ—… Exod. 30. 7. When zeal like incense burns first the lamp of knowledge must be lighted 2. It excludes a bloody violence which is two-fold First when one goes to lay violent hands upon himself The body is an earthly prison where God hath put the Soul we must not break
Redemption the work of his arm Luke 1. 5. In the Creation God gave us ourselves in the Redemption he gave us himself So that the Sabbath putting us in mind of our Redemption ought to be observed with the highest devotion Herein we must offer holy violence to our selves When this blessed day approacheth we should labour that as the day is sanctified so our hearts may be sanctified We must on this day rest from all the works of our calling As Abraham when he went to Sacrifice left his Servant and Ass at the bottom of the hill Gen. 22. 5. So when we are to worship God this day we must leave all secular business behind And as Joseph when he would speak with his Brethren thrust out the Egyptians so when we would have converse with God this day we must thrust out all earthly employments Though works of necessity may be done and works of charity for God will have mercy and not sacrifice yet in other cases we must cease from all worldly negotiations It is observable concerning Mary Magdalen that she refused to anoint Christ's dead body on the Sabbath day Luke 23. 56. She had before prepared her ointment but came not to the Sepulchre till the Sabbath was past She rested that day from civil work though it were a commendable and glorious work the anointing of Christ's dead body When this blessed day approacheth we must lift up our hearts in thankfulness to God that he hath put another price into our hands for the gaining of heavenly wisdom These are our spiritual harvest-daies now the wind of God's Spirit blows upon the sails of our affections and we may be much furthered on in our heavenly voyage Christian lift up thy heart to God in thankfulness that he hath given thee another golden season and be sure thou improve it it may be thy last Seasons of grace are not like the Tyde if a man misleth one tyde he may have another This day approaching we must in the morning dress and fit our souls for the receiving of the Word The people of Israel must wash their garments before the Law was delivered to them Our hearts must be washed by prayer and repentance the Oracles of God being to be delivered to us And being met together we must set our selves as in the presence of God with seriousness and delight to hear God's sacred Word Take heed of distractions which fly-blow our duties We must labour to be bettered by every Sabbath where the Lord laies out cost he looks for fruit Fresh anointings of God are to be thirsted after and new cubits to be added to our spiritual stature We must not be like the Salamander which lives in the fire but is never the hotter Christians should on these daies aspire after communion with God and endeavour to have the illapses of his Spirit and clearer discoveries of his love in Christ. In short we should do on a Sabbath as Moses he ascended the Mount that he might have a sight of God We must dedicate the whole day to God Under the Law a single Sacrifice was appointed for other daies of the week but two Lambs were to be offered upon the Sabbath All this day must be spent with God he must have worship in the publick and when we come home he must have family-worship Many leave all their Religion at Church as I have seen some do their Bibles not hallowing God's name in their own houses Mal. 3. 8. Will a man rob God When men pretend to Worship God in the Temple but cut him short of family and closet-duties on a Sabbath this is to rob God and steal a part of his day from him Good reason we should consecrate the whole Sabbath to God and give him double devotion for God doubles his blessings upon us this day As the Manna did rain twice as much on the sixth day as any of the other daies so the Manna of spiritual blessings falls twice as much on the Sabbath day as any other We must rejoyce in this day as being a day wherein we enjoy much of God's presence John 8. 56. Abraham saw my day and rejoyced So when we see a Sabbath day coming we should rejoyce The Protestants in France called their Church Paradise because there they met with God The Jews called the Sabbath desiderium dierum the desire of daies Isa. 58. 13. Thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight This we should look upon as the best day as the Queen of daies crowned with a blessing Psal. 118. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it He hath made all the daies but hath sanctified this We should look upon this day as a spiritual Mart for our souls wherein we have holy commerce and traffick with God This day of Rest is the beginning of an eternal rest This day God sets open the Pool of Bethesda in which those waters flow that refresh the broken in heart And shall not we call this day a delight The Jews on the Sabbath laid aside their Sackcloth and Mourning This is in a right manner to sanctifie a duty and it is a duty wherein Christians must excite and offer violence to themselves Above all others how well doth it become those into whose hands God hath-put the power of Magistracy to shew forth holy violence in causing the Lord's day to be strictly observed What a rare pattern hath Nehemiah set all good Magistrates Neh. 13. 15. In those daies saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheavs and all manner of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals Vers. 17. Then I contended with the Nobles of Judaâ—… and said unto them What evil thing is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath day How dare ye infringe the command and make a false entry upon God's freehold My Lord your Proclamation for the pious observation of the Sabbath and your punitive acts upon some offenders have given a publick Testimoney of your zeal for this day The keeping up the honour of the Sabbath will much keep up your Magisterial honour The seventh Duty wherein we must offer violence to ourselves is holy conference and indeed we are backward enough to it therefore had need herein provoke our selves Mal. 3. 17. They that feared the Lord spake often one to another A gracious person hath not only Religion in his heart but in his tongue Psal. 37. 30. The Law of God is in his heart and his tongue talketh of Judgement he drops holy words as Pearls 'T is the fault of Christians that they do not in company provoke themselves to set good discourse on foot it is a sinfull modesty there is much visiting but they do not give one anothers souls a visit In worldly things their tongue is as the Pen of a ready
sweetens that violence St. Paul made Religion his recreation Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man In the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I take pleasure not only Heaven it self is delightful but the way thither What ravishing delight hath a gracious soul in prayer Isa. 56. 7. I will make them joyful in the house of prayer What delight in holy contemplation A Christian hath such illapses of the Spirit and meets with such transfigurations of soul that he thinks himself half in Heaven Serving of God is like gathering of Spices or Flowers wherein there is some labour but the labour is recompensed with delight The way of sin hath bitterness in it The â—…ears while they lick the honey are stung with the Bees So while men are following their lusts they have checks of conscience which are a foretast of Hell Better want the honey than have this sting But the violence for Heaven is spiced with such joy that it is not labour but pleasure V. This violence and activity of Spirit in Religion puts a lustre upon a Christian. The more excellent any thing is the more active The Sun is a glorious creature as a Gyant it runs its Race Psal. 19. 5. Fire the noblest element sparkles vigorously The Angels are described with wings Isa. 6. 2. which is an emblem of their swist obedience The more violent we are in Religion the more Angelical we are 7. How violent was Christ about our salvation He was in an Agony he continued all night in prayer Luke 6. 12. He wept he fasted he dyed a violent death he rose violently out of the grave Was Christ so violent for our salvation and doth it not become us to be violent who are so nearly concerned in it Christ's violence was not only satisfactory but exemplary It was not only to appease God but to teach us Christ was violent in dying to teach us to be violent in believing 8. This holy violence brings Rest motion tends to rest Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth a rest for the people of God Indeed there is a motion which doth not tend to rest they who are violent in a way of sin shall never have rest Revel 4. 8. They rest not day and night Such as are graceless shall be restless But the violence a Christian takes leads to rest As the weary Traveller sits down at night and rests him Psal. 116. 7. Return to thy rest O my soul. Holy violence is like the flying of Noah's Dove to the Ark where it found rest 9. If we use what violence we are able God will help us Phil 2. 12. It is God who worketh in you both to will and to do The Spirit helps us in prayer and so proportionably in all other duties of Religion Rom. 8. 26. The Promise encourageth and the Spirit enableth In all earthly Races a â—…an runs in his own strength but in the Race to Heaven we have the Spirit of God helping us he not only gives us the Crown when we have done running but he gives us legs to run he gives exciting and assisting grace the Spirit of God helping makes our work easie If another helps to carry a burden it is less difficult If the Loadstone draw the Iron it is not hard for the Iron to move If the Spirit of God as a divine Loadstone draw and move the heart in obedience now the work goes on with more facility 10. This blessed violence in Religion would be preventive of much sin While men are idle in the Vineyard they are a prey to every temptation We do not sow our seed in fallow ground but Satan doth sow most of his seed of temptation in hearts that lye fallow When he sees persons unimployed he will find them work to do he will stiâ—… them up to one sin or other Matth. 13. 25. While men slept the enemy sowed tares When Satan finds men in a drowsie condition their sleeping time is his tempting time but by holy violence we prevent the Devil's design we are so busied about salvation that we have no leisure to listen to a temptation St. Hierom gave his friend this advice to be alwaies well employed that when Satan came with a temptation he might find him working in the Vineyard When the bird is flying it is safe when it sits still on the bough then it is in danger of being shot When a Christian sits still and is unactive now the Devil shoots him with his fiery darts 11. The folly of such as are violent for the world but not for the Kingdom above Alas how insipid are all these things that we lay out our sweat and violence upon they will not make us happy King Solomon did as it were put all the creatures into a limbeck and still out the quintessence of them and behold all was vanity Eccles. 2. 8. 1. These earthly things that we so toil for are uncertain 1 Tim. 6. 17. 'T is uncertain whether we shall get them All that are Suitors to a Virgin do not speed All that come to a Lottery have not a prize 2. They are unsatisfactory Could men heap up Silver as dust had they as much as the Devil promised Christ All the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them yet they can no more fill the heart than a drop of water can fill the cistern Eccles. 5. 16. What profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind 3. They are transient death feeds at the root All worldly possessions are like a Castle of Snow in the Sun or like a posie of flowers which withers while we are smelling to it O what folly is it to put forth all ones violence for the world which is but for a season and not for Christ and grace As if a condemned man should be earnest to get his dinner but never mind getting his pardon 12. The next motive is in the text this violence is for a Kingdom The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence And what will we be violent for if not for a Kingdom Men will wade to a Kingdom through blood This is a Kingdom worth striving for Cyprus is an Island so exceeding fertile and pleasant that it was antiently called Macaria which signifies Blessed This title of Blessed may more fitly be given to the heavenly Kingdom If the Mountains were Gold if every Sand of the Sea were a Diamond if the whole Globe were a shining Chrysolite it were infinitely beneath the glory of this Kingdom 1. The immunities of the heavenly Kingdom are great 1. There shall be a freedom from sin here sin keeps house with us it is as natural to us to sin as to breath The soul that is most refined and clarified by grace is not without some dregs of corruption St. Paul cryed out of a Body of sin He who is inoculated into Christ hath still a taste and rellish of the wild Olive But when we
throw it away that thou maist the faster run to the heavenly Kingdom If you would be violent for Heaven take heed of despondency of spirit Be serious but chearfull He whose spirit is pressed down with sadness is unfit to go about his work An unchearful heart is unfit to pray or praise God When the strings of a Lute are wet it will not put forth any sweet harmony Such as go drooping under fears and discouragements cannot be violent in Religion When a souldier faints in the field he soon le ts fall his sword David chides himself out of his melancholy Psal. 43. 5. Why art thou cast down O my soul Why art thou disquieted within me hope yet in God A sad heart makes a dull action We use the Drum and Trumpet in Battel that the noise of the Trumpet may excite and quicken the souldiers spirits and make them fight more vigorously Chearfulness is like musick in battel it excites a Christian's spirits and makes him vegete and lively in duty What is done with cherfulness is done with delight and the soul flies most swiftly to Heaven upon the wing of delight If you would be violent for Heaven take heed of a supine lazy temper A slothful Christian is like a fearful souldier that hath a good mind to the plunder but is loth to storm the Castle So he would fain have Heaven but is loth to take it by storm enerves animos odisse virtus solet Sloth is the soul's sleep Many instead of wo king out of salvation sleep away salvation Such as will not labour must be put at last to beg they must beg as Dives for one drop of water An idle man saith Soâ—…omon putâ—… his hand in his bosom Prov. 19. 24. He should have his hand to the pâ—…ough and he puts it in his bosom God never made Heaven an hive for drones Sloth is a disease apâ—… to grow upon men shake it off A ship that is a slug is a prey to the Pirate A slugish soul is a prey to Satan When the Crocodile sleeps with his mouth open the Indian Rat gets into his belly and eats his entrails While men are asleep in sloth the Devil enters and devours them Take heed of consulting with flesh and blood As good consult with the Devil as the flesh The flesh is a bosomtraitor An enemy within the walls is worst The flesh cries out there is a Lion in the way The flesh will bid thee spare thy self as Peter did Christ Obe not so violent for Heaven spare thy self The flesh saith as Judas What needs all this waste So what needs all this praying and wrestling why dost thou waste thy strength what needs all this waste The flesh cries out for ease it is loth to put its neck under Christ's yoak The flesh is for pleasure it had rather be gaming than running the heavenly Race There is a description of fleshly pleasures Amos 6. 4 5 6. That lie upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their Couches that chaunt to the sound of the Viol that drink Wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the chief ointments These are the delights of the flâ—…sh Such an one was he spoken of in Beard 's Theatre that did strive to please all his five senses at once He did bespeak a room richly hung with fair Pictures he had the most delicious musick he had all the choise Aromaticks and Perfumes he had all the Candies and curious Preserves of the Confectioner he was lodged in the bed with a beautiful Curtisan Thus did he indulge the flesh and swore that he would spend all his estate to live one week like a God though he were sure to be damned in Hell the next day O take heed of holding intelligence with the flesh The flesh is a bad Counseller St. Paul would not confer with flesh and blood Gal. 1. 16. The flesh is a sworn enemy to this holy violence Rom 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die You have taken an oath in Baptism to renounce the flesh Take heed of listning to the voice of such carnal friends as would call you off from this blessed violence Fire when in Snow will soon lose its heat and by degrees go out Among bad company you will soon lose your heat for Religion The company of the wicked will sooner cool you than your company will heat them Vinegar will sooner sowre the Wine than the Wine will sweeten the Vinegar How often do carnal friends the same to our souls as infected persons do to our bodies convey the Plague The wicked are still disswading us from this violence they will say it is preciseness and singularity As Christ's friends laid hold on him when he was going to preach Mark 3. 21. They went out to lay hold on him for they said he is beside himself Such as are unacquainted with the spirituality and sweetness of Religion judge all zeal phrensie and therefore will lay hold upon us to hinder us in this sacred violence When we are earnest suitors to Piety our carnal friends will raise some ill report of it and so endeavour to break the match Galeaciâ—…s Marquess of Vico being resolved for Heaven what a block in his way did he find his carnal Relations and what a do â—…ad he to break through that impediment Take heed of a soare in your bosom This is one of the Devil 's great subtilties to hinder us from Religion by our nearest Relations and so to shoot us with our own rib He tempted Adam by his wife Gen. 3. 6. Who would have suspected the Devil there He handed over a temptation to Job by his wife Job 2â—…9 Dost thou still retain thine integrity What notwithstanding all these disasters that have befallen thee dost thou still pray and serve God Throw osf his livery Curse God and die Thus would the Devil have cooled Job's violence for Heaven but the shield of his faith quenched this siery dart Spira's friends stood in his way to Heaven for advising with them about Luther's Doctrine they perswaded him to recant and so openly abjuring his former faith he felt an Hell in his conscience Take heed of such tempters resolve to hold on your violence for Heaven though your carnal friends disswade you 'T is better to go to Heaven with their haâ—…red than to Hell with their love It was a saying of St. Hierom If my Paâ—…ents should peâ—…swade me to deny Christ if my Mother should shew me her breasts that gave me suck if my wife should go to charme me with her embraces I would forsake all and fly to Christ. If our dearest friends alive would lie in our way to Heaven we must either leap over them or tread upon them Take heed of setting up your stay in the lowest pitch of grace He that hath the least grace may have motion but not violence It is a pitiful thing to be contented with just so much
a Sea of wrath 3. They are violent for their oppressive lusts they wrong and defraud others and by violence take away their right Instead of cloathing the naked they make them who are cloathed naked These birds of prey live upon rapine They are cruel as if with Romulus they had been suckled with the milk of Wolves They smile at the curses of the poor and grow fat with their tears They have forgotten Christ's caveat Luk. 3. 14. Do violence to no man Ahab violently took away Naboth's Vineyard 2. King 21. 11. Hell is taken by this violence Prav 4. 17. Who drink the Wine of violence This wine will turn to poison at last Psal. 11. 5. Him that loveth violence God's soul hates 4. They are violent for their covetous lusts Covetousness is the soul's dropsy Amos 7. 2. Who pant after the dust of the earth They compass Sea and Land to make Mony their Proselyte Their god is made of gold and to it they bow down Those who bowed down on their knees to drink of the waters were accounted unfit Souldiers for Gideon Judg. 7. 6. So are those unfit for Christ that stoop immoderately to the love of earthly things They who are violent for the world what have they but the wind Eccles. 5. 16. What profit hath he who hath laboured for the wind The world câ—…nnot enrich the soul it cannot remove pain If pangs of conscience come the world can no more give comfort than a Crown of Gold can cure the head-ach 4. It reproves them who have in part left off that holy strictness and violence in Religion as once they had Their fâ—…rvour is cooled and abated What they do is so little that it cannot be called violence They serve God but are not â—…ervent in spirit They do not leave off duty but they grow dead in duty They have left their first love Rev. 2. 4. It is with them as fire when it is going out or as the Sun when it is going down Like aguish men before they were in a Paroxysm or hot fit of zeal but now the cold fit hath taken them they are formal and frozen in Religion Time was when they called the Sabbath a delight Isa. 58. 13. How were their hearts raised in duty how diligently did they seek him whom their soul loved but now the case is altered their Religion doth languish and even vanish Time was when they were in an Agony and did send forth strong cries in prayer Now the Chariot-wheels are pulled off and the spirit of prayer is much abated Their prayers do even freez between their lips a clear sign of the decay of grace These persons are grown both lethargical and consumptive 1. Lethargical Cant. 5. 2. I sleep but my heart wakes Though grace was alive in her her heart waked yet she was in a dull drowsie-temper I sleep When the heart burns in sin and cools in duty it is a sure sign of growing to a stupid lethargy 2. Consunptive There are two signs of persons in a spiritual consumption 1. When their desire after Christ and Heaven is not so strong as it was A consumptive man's stomach decaies Christians have not such violent affections to heavenly things they can desire Corn and Wine and the luscious delights of the earth but Christ is less precious they are not in pangs of desire after him a sad symptom their grace is in a consumption 2. When they are not so vigorous in motion A man that is lively and stiring at his work it is a sign he is in health but when he is listless and cares not to stir or put his hand to any thing a sign nature is a declining So when men have no heart to that which is good they care not to put themselves upon the exercises of Religion they have lost a spirit of activity for God they serve him in a faint sickly manner 't is a sign they are consumptive When the pulse can scarce be felt it beats so low men are near dying So when those who were once violent for Heaven but now we can scarce perceive any good in them the pulse beats low grace is ready to dye Rev. 3. 2. To you who have abated in your holy violence and are grown remiss in duty let me expostulate with you as the Lord did by the Prophet Jer. 2. 5. What iniquity have your Fathers found in me What evil have you found in God that you leave off your former strictness Hath not God fed you with Manna from above and given you his holy Spirit to be your guide and comforter Hath he not made you swim in a Sea of mercy What evil have you found in Prayer that you are less violent in it Have not you had sweet intercourse with God Have not you sometimes been melted and enlarged insomuch that you have thought your selves in the subbuâ—…bs of Heaven when you have been upon this Mount Hath not the Dove of Prayer brought an Olive-branch of peace in its mouth What evil have you found in the Word Time was when you did take this Book and eat it and it was hony in your mouth Hath the Word less vertue in it now Are the Promises like Aaron's dry Rod withered and sapless What iniquity have you found in the waies of God that you have abated your former violence in Religion O remember whence you are fallen and repent and do your first works Rev. 2. 5. Consider seriously 1. The less violence for Heaven the less peace Our consciences are never at peace in a drowsie state It is the lively acting of grace makes the heart calm and serene These two go together walking in the fear of God and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost Acts 9. 31. Christian if once thou growest remiss in Religion conscience will chide If thou belongest to God he will never let thee be quiet but will send some affliction or other to awaken thee out of thy security and make thee recover that active lively frame of heart as once thou hadst 2. You that grow more dead in God's service and leave your first love give great advantage to Satan The less violent you are the more violent he is the less you pray the more he tempts and what a case are you now in How can grace that is weak and sickly withstand violent temptations Hence it is God suffers his own people sometimes to fall into sin as a just punishment of their lukewarmness and to make them more zealous and violent for the future 3. Your remisness in Religion though it may not damn you it will dammage you You will lose that degree of glory which else you might have had Though your remisness may not lose your Crown it will lessen it and make it weigh lighter 4. The more lazy a Christian's desires are the more lively his corruptions The weaker the body grows the stronger the disease grows Oh therefore pray for quiâ—…kning grace Psal.
143. 11. Beg fresh gales of the Spirit to blow upon you Never leave till you have recovered that holy violence which once you had 2. It reproves those who have quite left off all violence they have left off reading and praying in their family There is not so much as a face of Religion to be seen they are fallen finally Such were Joash Jehu Julian The goodly building of their profession which others admired now hath not one stone left upon another But Why do men thus run retrograde in their motion and quite throw off that violence which they seem'd once to have 1. Because they never had a principle of spiritual life Things that move from a principle of life are constant as the motion of the pulse but things artificial are apt to be at a stand and their motion ceaseth As a clock when the weights are hung on goes but take off the weights and it stands So the Apostate never moves in Religion but for gain and applause and when these weights are taken off he is at a stand he goes no further That branch must needs wither that hath no root to grow upon 2. Men throw off all violence and degenerate into Apostasie because they never did duties of Religion with delight St. Paul delighted in the Law of God in the inward man Rom. 7. 22. It was his Heaven to serve God A man that delights in pleasure will never give over but the Apostate never had any true delight in the waies of God he was rather forced with fear than drawn with love he served a Master that he never cared for no wonder then he leaves his service 3. Men degenerate into Apostasie through unbelief Psal. 78. 22. They believed not in God vers 41. They turned back and tempted God Sinners have jealous thoughts of God they distrust his love therefore desert his service they think they may pray and hear and to no purpose Mal. 3. 14. What profit is it that we have kept his Ordinaâ—…nes We may draw near to God in duty but He will never draw near to us in mercy Thus Unbelief and Atheism prevailing the livery of Religion is presently thrown off and all former violence for Heaven ceaseth Infidelity is the Mother of Apostasie 4. Men leave off their former violence and prove Judasses and Devils be cause they love something else more than Religion There is some lust or other their heart is ingaged to and their violence for sin hath destroyed their violence for Religion Solyman the great Turk seeing many Christians go over to Turcism he asked them What moved them to turn Turks They replyed They did it to be eased of their Taxes They were drawn from God through the prevalency of covetousness If there be any lust in the heart predominant it will get head and destroy all former zeal for Religion Abimeleck a Bastard destroyed threescore and ten of his Brethren upon one stone Judg. 9. 15. If there be any lust the heart runs after this bastard-sin will destroy threescore and ten duties it will murder all that violence for Heaven which a man did once seem to have 5. Men leave off former violence out of pusillanimity if they are violent in Religion they fear they may lose their profits and preferments nay their lives The coward never yet won the field When carnal fear grows violent all violence for Heaven is at an end Incipit esse malus qui timet esse bonus Many of the Jews who were great followers of Christ when they saw the swords and staves left him Prov. 26. 25. In the fear of man there is a snare Carnal fear makes sin appear less than it is but danger greater 6. Men leave off violence for Heaven for want of patience Sensible feeling of joy is with-held and they have not patience to stay for the full recompence of reward Hypocrites are all for present pay and if they have not that suddenly which they desire they bid adieu to Religion and say as that wicked King 2 King 6. 33. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer They consider not that God is a free Agent and will dispense his blessings in the fittest season but they go to tye God up to their time They forget that joy is a part of the reward and would they have the reward and their work not yet finished Doth the servant use to receive his pay before his work is done Jam. 5. 7. The Husbandman waits for his precious fruits of the earth He doth not look to sow and reap in a day But Hypocrites are alwaies in haste they would reap joy before they have done sowing the seed of Repentance and because comfort is a while deferred they are offended they will serve God no longer their patience is at an end therefore their violence is at an end 7. Men leave off holy violence and degenerate into prophaneness out of a just judgement of God leaving them to themselves they oft resisted the Spirit and sent it away sad from them and now as a just judgement God saith My Spirit shall no longer strive and if this wind doth not blow upon their sails they cannot move If this Sun withdraw from their climate they must needs freeze in impenitency They before sinned against clear convictions they silenced conscience and God hath seared it And now if an Angel should preach to them from Heaven it would do them no good O how dismal is this the thoughts of it may strike us into an holy consternation Thus we see why men apostatize and leave off their violence for Heaven Well but what do they get by this let us see what a purchase Apostates make They proclaim their folly for all their former violence for Heaven is lost He who runs half the Race and then faints loseth the Garland Ezek. 18. 24. When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned All mens prayers and tears are lost The Apostate unravels all that he hath been doing He is like a man that with a pensil draws a curious picture and then comes with his spunge and wipes it out again Gal. 3. 4. Have ye suffered so many things in vain Perhaps for Religion a man hath suffered many a reproach and affront and have ye suffered all this in vain Here is folly indeed It will be bitterness in the end Jer. 2. 19. Know therefore that it is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord. Men by leaving off their violence for Heaven get a thorn in their conscience a blot in their name a curse in their souls What got Judas by his Apostasie but an halter So that it will be bitterness in the end The Apostate when he dies drops as a wind-fall into the Devil's mouth 5. It reproves those who put off this violence for the Kingdom till old age When they are fit for no other work
Masters of musick It is called a Psalm of Asaph either because he composed it or because it was committed to him to sing This holy man here seems to have a dialogue with himself concerning providence He was ready to call God's providences to the bar of reason and enquire the equity of them How doth it seem just that they who are evil should enjoy so much good and they who are good should endure so much evil While Asaph was debating the case with himself at last his faith got above his sense he considered that the wicked were set in locis lubricis in slippery places And like such as go upon Ice their feet would soon slide or like such as walk on Mines of Powder they would soon be blownup Verse 18. This did both resolve his doubt and compose his spirit The proaemium or entrance into the Psalm is not to be forgotten Truly God is good to Israel so the Hebrew renders it certainly Without dispute this is a golden maxim must be held In the Septuagint it is vox admirantis it is set out by way of admiration O how good is God to Israel What Angel in Heaven can exptess The vulgar reads it veruntamen yet God is good as if the Psalmist had said though the Candle of prosperity shines on the wicked they have not only what their heart can wish but more than heart can wish Verse 7. And though the godly are sorely afflicted mingling their drink with weeping yet for all this God is good to Israel Here is the Fountain the Stream the Cistern the Fountain God the Stream Goodness the Cistern into which it runs Israel Indeed God is good to all Psal. 145. 9. The sweet dew falls upon the Thistle as well as the Rose But though God be good to all yet not alike good to all He is good to Israel in a special manner The wicked have sparing mercy but the godly have saving mercy And if God be good to his people then it is good for his people to draw near to him So it is in the Teâ—…t It is good for me to draw near to God 1. We may look upon the words in Hypothesi here is something implied viz. that by nature we are far off from God Drawing near implies a strangeness and distance In our lapsed estate we lost two things the image of God and communion with God Psal 58. 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb Every step a sinner takes is a going further from God The Prodigal's going into a far Country Luke 15. 14. was an emblem of the sinner's going afar off from God How far are they distant from God who have been travelling forty or fifty years from their Father's house and which is worse sinner's are not only far from God but they do not desire to be near him Jer. 4. 10. They have loved to wander Sin doth not care to be near holiness The wicked get as far as they can from God Like Cain who went out from the presence of the Lord Gen. 4. 16. That is the Church of God where were the visible signs of God's presence he estranged himself from God as much as he could he sell to building thereby thinking to drown the noise of his conscience as the Italians of old were wont to drown the noise of Thunder by ringing their Bells Sinner's think God's company may be best spared Isaiah 30. 11. Cause the Holy one of Israel to cease from before us Let us shut God out of our company let him be no more named among us A bad eye loves not to be near the Sun Let us be deeply humbled for our fall in Adam which hath set us at such a distance from the blessed God Heaven and Earth are not so far asunder as God and the sinner The further we are from God the nearer we are to Hell The further a man sails from the East the nearer he is to the West Let us think of returning to God by Repentance Say as the Church Hos. 2. 7. I will go and return to my first Husband for then was it better with me than now 2. Let us consider the text in Thesi It is good for me to draw near to God The text falls into these parts 1. The Person me 2. The Act draw near 3. The Object God 4. The excellency of the Act it is good The Proposition is this That it is a great duty incumbent upon Christians to draw near to God Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart For the illustration of the Proposition four things are to be enquired into 1. How we are capable of drawing near to God 2. Where we draw near to God 3. The manner of our drawing near to God 4. Why we must draw near to God 1. How we are capable of drawing near to God By nature we stand in opposition to God Col. 1. 21. alienated and enemies How then can we approach nigh to God Answ. It is through a Mediatour Out of Christ God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. But Jesus Christ is the â—…creen between us and divine Justice Christ as our High Priest assumes our flesh Christ's flesh is called a vail Heb. 10. 20. As Moses when his face shone so exceeding bright put a vail upon it and then Israel might approach near to him and look upon him So Christ having vailed himself with our humane nature we may now draw nigh to God and behold him And as Christ makes way for us into the Holy of Holies by his Incarnation so by his Crucifixion he died to make God and us friends The Divine Law being infringed God's Justice was provoked and satisfaction demanded before we could approach to God in an amicable way Now here Christ as our Priest sâ—…ed his blood for our sins and so made the attonement Col. 1. 20. Having made peace through the blood of his Cross As Joseph being so great at Court made way for all his Brethren to draw near into the King's presence Gen. 47. 2. So Jesus Christ is our Joseph that doth make way for us by his blood that we may now come near iâ—…to Gods presence Through Christ God is pleased with us he holds forth the golden Scepter that we may draw near and touch the top of the Scepter 2. Where we draw near to God Answ. In the use of his Ordinances In the Word we draw near to his Holy Oracle in the Sacrament we draw near to his Table In the one we hear his voice in the other we have his kiss Besides we do in a special manner draw near to God in Prayer Prayer is the soul 's private converse and intercourse with God Prayer whispers in God's ears Psal. 18. 6. My prayer came before him even into his ears In prayer we draw so near to God that we take hold of him Isa. 64. 6. God draws nigh to us by his Spirit and