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
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
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
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
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
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
so readily there is an impediment in it so it is with the mind when it is not accustomed Every action you do helps to mould the soul more and makes it a vessel fit for the Lord and for every good work Besides this as there must be a moulding of the heart and fitting it for exercise so there must be a removing of impediments that hinder Therefore we see in that place 2 Tim. 2. 21. If any man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared to every good work There is a certain rustiness that cleaves to the wheels of the soul that it moves not nimbly and readily in the doing the works we are called to do this rust must be rubbed off There be impediments of divers sorts worldly-mindedness is a great impediment and hindrance And so cares and pleasures and lusts those that are called thorns that hinder growth all these impediments this uncircumcision of heart these hinder from working and these must be removed before we can be ready to do it We see in Psal. 51. saith David there Lord deliver me from blood guiltiness this sin that I have committed and my tongue shall sing joyfully of thy righteousness open my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise The meaning is this David found that that was the sin wherewith his soul was hindred that it made him unfit so that though there were a fountain of grace in his heart yet it was not able to flow forth but was stopped up as it were therefore he prayes to God to open his mouth How should it be opened by removing that sin by taken away that indisposition which that sin had brought on his mind As we see a fountain may be stopped up with mud or dirt or stones or any thing remove these and the fountain is open and when it is open it is ready to flow out So then there must be a removing the impediments let every man see what it is that hinders him when there is a fountain of grace when it flows not out readily If a man be not ready to good works there is some impediment that must be removed But that is not enough to use our selves and fashion our hearts to them and to remove the impediments But thirdly there is a work of the Holy Ghost he must act and stir us up there is a certain work of the Spirit that must help us upon all occasions For even as you see in Trees there may be sap enough in a Tree yet till the Spring-time come till the heat of the Sun come till moysture come that sap is not drawn up to the branches and so long it brings not forth fruit nor leaves So a man may have much grace in his heart much habitual grace but unless this be brought forth more immediately to act there is no fruit brought forth Now what is it that brings it near the branches Why that which makes the spring-time of good actions and fills a man with the fruits of righteousness it is the holy Ghost that is the moysture and the Sun and the rain that moystens and quickens us There must be a certain action of the spirit I say to help us to do every good work we must seek to the Lord for this Lord I have such a business to do I confess I am unapt and indisposed to it I beseech thee help to quicken me by thy spirit But further there are certain duties that more immediately fit and prepare us that is the communion of Saints that whets and warms us and stirs up the grace of God in us So likewise prayer be much in prayer and in the communion of Saints and that will make a man strong it will make him ready to use his strength and the grace he hath But I hasten The main thing that I have to commend to you to stir you up to use your strength to do the Lords work and to use the grace you have upon all occasions for his advantage it is this consideration to deny your selves and to seek the things of Jesus Christ that is the last thing I will pitch on for that is all in all What is the reason that a man useth not the strength he hath because he seeks his own things and not the things of Jesus Christ. If the heart were brought to this to deny it self and to neglect its own things and to seek the things that are Jesus Christs he would be ready then to stir up his stength he would be ready then to run and to go to do any service to the Lord. You have that in Phillip 2. I have no man like minded that will faithfully care for your things for every man seeks his own and not the things that are Iesus Christs Now to heal that disease in your selves to bring your hearts to a quite contrary temper not to seek your own things but the things that are Christs labor to have this wrought on your hearts and that is it that will most immediately prepare you and inable you to use your strength for the Lord upon all occasions You will say how shall we do this Consider that there is a necessity lies upon you to do it And if there did not a necessity lie on you yet it were best for you to do it And if it were not best for thee yet Christ hath deserved it at thy hands he is worthy of it that thou shouldest not seek thy own things but the things of Jesus Christ. These things we will a little inlarge and so end First I say there is a necessity lies on thee to do it It is true if thou wert thy own master if a man were sui juris he might do with himself what he would he might seek his own things but if thou be none of thine own if thou have hired thy self to Christ if thou have sold thy self to him thou art his and if thou be his there is a necessity lies on thee now to seek his things and not thine own A woman while shee is a maid or a widow shee may dispose of her self as shee will shee may seek her own things and stand upon her own bottom but when she is married once she must please her husband and be obedient to him I say when thou art Christs once for I speak to those that profess themselves to be his those that have strength and need nothing but to stir it up other men may do what they will as it is said when there was no King in Israel every man did what was good in his own eyes But when thou hast put thy self under his yoak and accepted him for thy King thou must live by the laws of his Kingdom and be subject to thy Prince When thou hast taken Christ for thy King as every man hath that is once entred into Covenant with him
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