meanes whereby Christ may bee put on 2 is this when the soul is once made naked then Faith takes the Robe this glorious Robe of Gods grace and brings it home to the heart for faith is not onely a hand that layes hold on Christ for justification but it is a shield also that receives vertue from Christ for our farther sanctification Christ is the fountaine of all grace and faith is the Conduit which conveyes grace from Christ to the soule How faith puts on Christ Now faith helpes us in these three particular actions First 1 it is Faith that closes with the spirit of grace in every promise of God there is the spirit of grace truly and constantly accompanying the same My Word and my Spirit both goe together as our Saviour said The words that I speak are spirit and life Now when the soule of a Christian can close with the promise it closeth also with the grace in the promise They that are in Christ are one spirit with him Rom. 8.10 If the Spirit of Christ bee in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life for righteousnesse sake saith the Apostle Wee have most great and precious promises given to us that by them wee should be partakers of the Divine nature Where we see that the Spirit of Christ accompanies the promises therefore laying hold upon the promises we close with the Spirit and hereby come to bee partakers of the Divine nature I compare the Spirit of grace to the Seale and the soule to the Waxe and Faith is the hand which sets on this Seale By faith we cause the spirit to worke and fit its particular aide and reliefe for the leaving of any impression of grace upon the soule The next worke of Faith is this 2 it not onely closeth with Gods Spirit in the promise but it looks at that particular grace in Christ which we stand in need of that it may bee wrought in our hearts as if a man want patience or love wisdome humilitie or the like Faith closeth with the promise and brings the same stampe into the soule which is in the promise as in those two places Iohn 1.16 Of his fulnesse have wee all received grace for grace Ioh. 1.16 that is whatsoever grace is in Christ we doe receive the same from him As hee was patient he makes us so as he was wise and meeke and holy he makes us so as in a Seale looke how many letters be upon the Seale so many stampes will be left upon the waxe Faith lookes at all the particular graces that are in Christ As the same power that is in the head is also in the eare and eye and hand So the same Holy GHOST which wrought grace in the humanity of Christ workes patience in adversity and courage to beare persecution and in ignorance it enlightens a mans eyes and makes him looke to Heaven That is a notable place 2 Cor. 3. where the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.18 We all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. The glory of the Lord is nothing else but the glorious grace of God and beholding it is when we see the glorious grace given to Christ and againe the same Spirit that made Christ meeke and wise and holy the same Spirit makes us poore in spirit and meeke-hearted like to him Therefore looke not onely on Christ for grace in generall but for particular strength and assistance in every performance 3. The last act of Faith is 3 it not onely closeth with the promise and the Spirit in the same it not onely lookes at that particular grace which is in Christ but faith drawes vertue from the Lord Jesus that so grace may be imprinted in and conveyed into the soule therefore saith the Prophet With joy shall yee draw water from the Well of salvation Esay 12.3 He doth not onely say there is water therein but we may draw water from thence and faith doth it thus when a sinner with full perswasion settles himself with what God hath promised it shall be done to the soule for the good therof as in Ezech. 36. A new heart will I give you Ezech. 36.26 27. and I will put my Spirit into your hearts and cause you to walk in my wayes He doth not onely give grace but quickens that grace and causes men to walke holily and sweetly Nay further if Faith findes the heart dejected and unfit to pray see how it gripes and layes hold on the promises saying Lord I finde my soule dead in the performance of duty and marvellous untoward and awke to a holy life Lord thou hast said thou wilt cause thy people to walke boldly in thy way oh give mee courage and life and quickening As that poore woman by touching the Hemme of Christs garment drew vertue from him so faith layes hold upon the hemme of Christs garment and gaines refreshment 3. The third and last meanes to put on Christ 3 is this having thus denyed our selves our owne lusts and sufficiency and having closed with the promise and the spirit of grace in the same the last meanes is meditation that is when the soule turned it selfe wholly to that grace which is in Christ it pores not altogether upon sinne and corruption for then you goe of from Christ This meditation keepes the soule upon the streame as faith casts it upon the streame As the branch cannot bring forth any fruit Ioh. 15.4 except it abide in the Vine no more can yee except yee abide in me Now wee abide in Christ when the eye is set upon Christ when the tongue talkes of Christ and the minde museth of him and the affections are setled towards him but when the minde is taken off the promise and the comforts that are therein and wholy puzzels it selfe by thinking of temptations or inward corruptions then men are soone prevailed against and overcome If the Devill can pluck your mindes from the promise and cast your thoughts wholy upon your corruptions hee hath enough Suppose there be two fountaines the one full of puddle water and the other full of cleare water and there are two cocks for these fountaines if a man bee alwayes turning the cocke that comes from the puddle fountaine can hee looke for any other than foule water So there is a fountaine of grace in Christ and in the promise and there is a fountaine of corruption in our selves and meditations is as the cockes comming from these Now if we be ever meditating what wee are and what we have and what we doe and what we deserve there is nothing but feare and horror and discouragement and the puddle water comes amaine The nature of meditation is excellent in this kinde and it shewes it selfe in these three particulars First hereby we bring Christ and
to master them take thou away the inquity of thy servant free my soule from the dominion of these lusts teare them from mee doe what thou wilt with mee onely slay this corruption in thy servant Thus a gracious heart seekes nothing so much as the death of sinne that there might be a new nature and through-change wrought in him therefore hee argues thus Lord thou hast said that thou wilt take away the heart of stone thou hast promised to subdue a stubborne spirit and master a malicious vaine minde I beseech thee let it be according to thy good Word take away these distempers as thou art faithfull say Amen to the desires of thy servant and help me against my strong corruptions When the truth of Christ layes battery against a good mans heart the soule willingly lies under the blow and closeth with the rebuke saying more of the Lord there againe good Lord. A man that is troubled with the tooth-ach when the Tooth-drawer comes to apply his Instrument and hee findes hee hath hold of him he saith that is it pull it out leave nothing behinde So when the soule is under the power of some violent lust when the Word comes home to the conscience and meets with that distemper the soule saith Lord pull it out all that I may never see that pride more nor that covetousnesse more leave not a stumpe remaining Lord but free me wholly from this vile accursed condition It is a fine passage Zach. 13. one meetes him and askes him Zach. 13.6 Where hadst thou that wound It was wounded in the house of my friend saith hee the messenger of God spake friendly to me he wounded my heart fully I saw the coare comming out and this is a speciall meanes of divorcing the heart from sinne when it closeth with such truths as tend to the awaking of it But this is not all 6. For as the soule wisheth and welcomes such powerfull truths 6 so is it restlesse till GOD be pleased to worke this till it see every corruption and the frame of every sinne tottered It is restlesly looking and waiting upon God Oh when shall this once be Such a mans heart is broken such a wretched liver is reclaimed and such a proud spirit is brought low Lord will nothing prevaile with me The Irish-man being malicious and fearfull never thinkes his enemy killed till he hath cut off his head he will bee sure to leave him past all hope of recovery So a gracious heart never thinkes sinne mastered till it see the very life and blood of his corruptions removed till it see the strēgth and power of sinne subdued more or lesse within him Therefore it is that the Apostle cries out O wretchedmā that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Marke the waight of his complaint he doth not say who shal deliver me from this action of sinne but who shall deliver me from this body of sinne There is a body of pride there is a body covetousnesse and a body of anger which cleaves unto us Now a gracious heart is not content to be delivered from a tongue of pride haughty speeches and the like but Lord free mee from the body of pride and selfe-love from the frame and bent of this distempered spirit 7. Lastly 7 as the soule welcomes the truth that it may worke and is restlesse before it doe work so it is content that the Lord should bee pleased to worke upon sinne and subdue it upon the hardest termes in the world I remember the speech of a wise man having a cause in law that was like to bee out-bidden hee comes to his Lawyer and asks May such a thing be done who answered the thing may be accomplished it is possible why then said he let me have it done what ever it costs me So say thou Lord though I had as much pride as the devill I may bee humbled though I bee over-spred with sin as with a leprosie I may bee purged from my filthinesse It may be done Lord let it be done what ever it cost me If a man be covetous and if nothing but beggery will loose his heart from the world he ought to pray for a low estate and contentednesse with his condition If a man be unable to subdue the pride of his spirit there is no other way sometime to cure a man of this Timpany but with a desperate extremity there is no way to cure a proud heart but to blow upon its excellencies and lay all its honour in the dust This is harsh yet a gracious heart is content though it bee never so sharpe and cost never so deare though I bee the off-scouring of the world slighted and trampled upon by every one though I lie in the dust all my dayes and goe to the bottomelesse pit for the while I care not any thing rather than a proud heart Though I lose my parts and abilities am never so much loaden with disgraces free me from a lofty spirit and I care not This man now meanes in good earnest to part with his corruptions But what shall wee thinke of those that are content rather to part with their blood and lives than with their base corruptions I mean the prophane wretches of this age that are so sarre from being divorced from their sins that they are not willing to heare thereof or to have the Minister meddle therewith they will not endure the least reproofe to come neare them or touch them no meanes can prevaile to tear their distempers from their soules to plucke the cup from the drunkard or the pleasure from the Adulterer or greedinesse of gaine from the covetous worldling but upon the opposition to their lusts they are up in armes presently A man must beware how hee meddles with these things they will take away a mans credit and his life many times rather than they will suffer their corruptions to be removed by the power of the Word Iohn Baptist must rather lose his head than Herod his incestuous adultery Nay the league betweene these men and their lusts is so firme that they will not heare of any breach When the Prophet came early and late admonishing the people This is the good way Ier. 18.12 walke in it marke how they resolve We will walke in our owne wayes and follow our owne devices and as they resolved so they did for when he enformed them of their wicked courses and would have pluckt away their beloved corruptiōs They tooke hold upon their deceits saith the Text the phrase is strange Here is all the quarrell in the world betweene Gods faithfull Ministers and the people we come to pluck away your sinnes wee would pull downe a proud heart and subdue an unclean lascivious spirit but you take hold of your lusts you cling unto pride and will not part with it you nourish malice and hypocrisic in your soules in despight of God and his Ministers and all admonitions and
that hee put up to the Lord in the dayes of his humiliation If any sins were stirring or any iniquity abounding hee laboured by fasting and prayer to oppose the same I knew him sometimes in Cambridge in his younger dayes at which time the Lord had wonderfully inriched him with spirituall gifts In the exercise whereof he was so industrious that hee did weary himselfe and even consume his spirits by reason of his constancy in holy duties Hee was so taken with love of the Lord Jesus and his blessed truths that hee was faine to bee checked and by many good friends to bee hindered in his pious service and indeavours How oft hath hee stood in the gap and laboured by fervent prayers to avert Gods wrath and remove his heavy judgements Witnes his strong cries and intercessions to the Almighty in the time of common calamitie when the pestilence raged so violently amongst us Witnesse also those painefull imployments that hee tooke up in season and out of season exhorting rebuking with all long-suffring and patience Some times alluring the heart with sweet promises otherwhile denouncing vengeance threatning judgement against obstinate sinners Preaching ordinarily every Lords day and extraordinarily upon the weeke as occasion was offered for the good of his people Witnesse also and I pray brethren thinke of that the many sweet comforts and heavenly consolations wherewith hee refreshed and supported many a fainting soule Thus this blessed Saint weakned his body and wasted his spirits out of love to Christs little flock which now he enjoyes the fruit and comfort of For though our griefe cannot bee expressed having sustained so great a losse yet it cheereth my heart me thinks how now he resteth from all his labours Oh the sweet repose that hee enjoyes Now his eyes that were full of teares and his tongue that did almost cleave to the roofe of his mouth for the good of the Church doe all cease and lie still We leave his pretious soule in the hands of his Maker and his body to bee laid in the dust there to sleep in a bed of downe untill the Trump shall awake both him and us all at the great day of appearing Againe Vse 2. Are faithfull Ministers the helpe and fortresse of a Nation then the losse of an able true hearted Minister is to bee greatly mourned for O my Father my Father saith good Elisha So though we must leave this our deare brother yet let us look after him as hee did Hee looked wishly on him had his eye fixed constantly towards him and when he could see him no more hee cryeth out O my father my father Why should not wee bewaile this great losse of ours in like manner Me thinks every one of us should take up this sorrowfull complaint mee thinks your spirits should relent and mourne at such an object Yea I am perswaded many here present doe so Mee thinks I heare one say O my father by whom I was converted and another O my father by whom I was directed a third O my father by whom my soule was comforted and the little children that are left fatherlesse they cry O my father by whom I was begotten maintained and nourished in spirituall things Brethren let us looke after him though wee must now part with him yet let us call to minde all his prayers and humiliation and fasting and supplications to the throne of Grace All his teares are now dried up all his complaints are now finished all his paines and labours are now accomplished and hee to receive a plentifull reward of them Let us mourne for our neglect of the means of salvation whiles he lived amongst us O his labour and teares and painfull studying are now all gone they are now in heaven whither he himself is gone before us The Lord give us to follow his steps that we finishing our course as he did our latter end may be like unto his To conclude briefly Vse 3 Is one of the Horsemen of Israel gone Are the Charrets of Israel taken away What must wee then do Certainly we should double our forces now and make a new presse because a Generall is slain The Lord hath brought us hither at this time O let us lay this dolefull spectacle to heart and be affected therewith as we ought I should speak as if I were never to speake more You should heare as if you were never to heare more Men Fathers and Brethren what hath befallen this Saint before you may be any of our portions ere long wee know not how soone Death may knock at our doores Our times are in Gods hand who can take us to himselfe when hee pleaseth Happily this day may be thy last day and this very season the last opportunity that ever thou maiest have to meet GOD in his Ordinances Oh therefore bee encouraged to adde one prayer more Goe home I beseech you and consider with the departure of this our deare Friend how many prayers and teares are departed with him How did hee importune the Lord for the good of the whole Land in generall and for the Country and place wherein he lived in particular Thinke you all his earnest striving with God was in vaine Or seemeth it a small thing in your eyes to lose so many fervent effectuall supplications I beseech you lay it to heart and every man in his place put to his helping hand for repairing of so great a losse Now make a presse of prayers raise up armies of petitions Goe your wayes home bee humbled pray one praier more that the Army may be increased still You that were of his Parish and enjoyed the worke of his Ministery Oh you have lost a good Pastor a faithfull Labourer in Gods harvest one that had a longing desire after your salvation But know this how ever your provocations are increased yet the Lord who for your sins hath made this breach among you hath further blessings in store if you seeke to him He can supply your place againe with a faithfull able Minister and with a couragious Generall Therefore brethren if ever you pray pray now if ever you fast now fast if ever you humble your selves now bee humbled in dust and ashes before the Lord never more need never greater want By this meanes the Land will be strengthened and our peace and safety continued What though our enemies are many and our sinnes great fervent prayer hath to doe with a God stronger and mightier then they all This will undermine the most subtill underminers of Gods truth and children therefore set your selves seriously upon the work however the flesh is awkward yet stirre up and provoke your spirits hereunto It will never repent you upon your death beds of your prayers and teares put up unto God It will bee a great refreshment to your drooping soule at that day if you can say in truth as Hezekiah did Good Lord remember how I have walked uprightly before thee This is that which will continue a mans comfort and support his soule in the greatest extremity An unpraying heart is a dismall thing Therefore be incouraged to the duty Pray pray pray FINIS
THE SOVLES POSSESSION OF CHRIST Shewing how a Christian should put on Christ and bee able to doe all things through his strength Whereunto is annexed A SERMON Preached at the Funerall of that worthy Divine Mr. Wilmott late Minister of Clare in Suffolke By T. H. LONDON Printed by M. F. for Francis Eglesfield at the sign of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1638. Imprimatur THO WYKES Novemb. 11. 1637. THE SOULES POSSESSION OF CHRIST Rom. 13.4 The Text. Put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought or make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it THE intendment of these words is to suggest into the hearts of the Romanes The intent of the words a saving meanes whereby they might bee cheared up to the performance of such duties as were required at their hands and this the Apostle doth from the eleventh Verse to the end of the Chapter He had told them before that they ought to put off the old man and that they should no longer walke in rioting and wantonnesse but that they should put on the armour and walke as Children of the light Now because the matter was difficult either to get more grace or to performe the duties required of them oh might some say we know we should labour to subdue this sin and it becomes Christians to walke comely holily agreeable to Gods will but it is a hard matter to get grace to doe the same For answer hereunto the holy Apostle in this Verse suggests a double means saying 1. A double meanes to subdue sin Put on Christ 2. Put off all base occasions and provide not for pride and lust and malice by these you shall bee strengthened to performe whasoever duty the Lord requires at your hands and to overcome any corruption In the first means there is 1. The description of the party that must be put on The Lord Iesus Christ 2. The application of this party Now if any man aske what is meant by putting on the Lord Iesus Christ What is meant by putting on Christ I answere to put on Christ is to be conceived in a double sense 1. Wee must put on Christ by faith 1 in justification when we beleeve in Christ that our debts are laid upon his score and his merits are applyed to us but this is not meant here The Reason is because this had beene spoken of long before and it is presumed that these Romanes to whom hee wrote had beleeved in Christ already 2. To put on Christ is spoken in regard of sanctification 2 as when we finde both many weaknesses and much want of grace in us and unfitnesse for duties then wee put on Christ to overcome our corruptions and to quicken up our hearts for the performance of such services as God requires of us This is plaine for St. Paul having enjoyned them to lay aside all sin as pride malice riotous living and all the workes of the old mā he exhorts them to put on the Lord Jesus Christ that they may the better overcome these sinnes and corruptions and be quickened up to every needfull duty Hence I observe this Doctrine They that have received Christ and are neare to salvation and that have good proofe from Gods word that the night is past and the day hath dawned in their hearts even these I say have daily need to fetch succour from Christ and grace for the performāce of every spirituall service which God requires at their hands Our Saviour Christ must be put on Doct. hee is to be conceived of as of a garment and that in two respects as when a man puts on a garment 1. he must have it fitted for him and 2. put it on and apply it to his body so it is in this place Note The Lord Jesus Christ takes measure of all the infirmities of his children and applyes sutable grace according to every mans severall necessities as in Psa 21.5 Psa 21.5 our Translation hath it Glory and comely honour hast thou laid upon him or as it is in the Originall Glory and honour thou hast fitted for him And againe Christ not onely takes measure of our infirmities but also he gives sutable grace fitting for our conditions as in time of injury hee gives patience in time of persecution he gives courage to stand for his truth and wisedome to carry themselves aright yea he shapes out mercy and seasonable helpe for every estate The Lord gives not only a fit grace to his children but also he gives a present aide strength to apply that grace as a man not onely makes his garment fit but hee puts it on close to his body and then he is ready for any employment So it is here when the grace is applyed then a Christian is fit to walke with God in a holy course as Luke 24.40 Luke 24.40 Acts 2.3 4. verses compared with the second of the Acts 3 4. we shall see that the Lord gives a supply of seasonable grace according to our necessities In Luke the Text saith Stay you in Ierusalem till you be clad with the Spirit from above and in the Acts the Evangelist gives the meaning of the former place and saith The Spirit sate upon each of them that is GOD gave them abundance of grace to fit them for their workes the Spirit spake in them and they spake as the Spirit gave them utterance The Apostles had need of much wisedome and courage and therefore GOD gave them abundance of spirituall assistance as in that place is plaine The issue of the point is this Those that are in the Lord Jesus Christ have need every day to receive grace and quickening power from him to enable them to discharge such duties as the Lord requires of them 1. God is the Author of all grace Reas 1. and we have it not of our selves 2. None of us can maintaine that grace which we have Reas 2. further than God will enable us 3. Neither can any man put forth his grace further than GOD will stand by him Reas 3. So then if the grace bee Gods gift and if none can maintain and keep his grace when he hath it further than God enables him nor can exercise or put forth and use his grace aright without divine assistance then it is needfull that wee depend upon God for what we have or doe And if grace and aide to performe any duty comes onely from the Lord Jesus then it is very necessary that wee have daily recourses to him for the same The Vse is Vse to shew us how humble wee ought to be in our owne eyes and with what feare and dread we should walke before God Can we doe nothing without Christ then walke tremblingly before him lest hee take away his Spirit from thee and withdraw the comfort of his grace from thy soule for the Lord hath scourges enough for thee The Apostle saith Phil. 2.12 13.
thou dost but despise the Minister all the while thou slightest and disobeyest his Ministery you should say as Samuel did Speak Lord thy servant heareth and as S. Paul Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe If a Command come the soule should readily performe it If a Reproofe the soule should willingly beare it and not repine in a fretting maner saying he aymed at me and I care not if I never heare him more Brethren this is not subjection but pride and rebellion against God and his truth This ought not to bee amongst Christians If any man seem to quarrell and take up Armes against the word of the Almighty let that man know that his doome sleeps not for God will certainly slay all such stubborne and stiffe-necked rebels that refuse to have him rule over them Strive therefore for a yeelding submissive spirit get a frame of soule willing to bee taught of God to bee disposed of by him in everything to receive any impression which hee shall stampe upon thee When thou art to heare the Word beg a teachable minde and say Good Lord let thy servant now heare a seasonable word quicken these dead bones here before thee Speake home to my conscience wound my corruptions slay these sinnes that are too hard for mee let no iniquity prevaile over thy poore servant but let Jesus Christ bee all in all to and in mee take this heart of mine and frame it and alter it and mould it and melt it Worke thine owne will in mee fashion me to thy kingdome of grace here that I may partake of thy kingdome of glory hereafter A good heart will not fume and vexe to see his pollutions ript open but lay things close to his conscience and blesse God for this light and say Blessed be his good word and his poore servant that met this day with my sinnes I never observed that pride I never discovered that fraud and guile of spirit I never tooke notice of such swarmes of lusts lurking in my soule as now I finde What became of Christ I cared not what became of his Ministers I valued not what became of the Name and honour and Gospel of the Lord Jesus I regarded not but now I see the evill of my wayes and blessed bee God for that good worke which hath beene communicated to my soule by his servant It is a fearefull thing when men deale with their sinnes 2 Sā 18.5 as David did with Absalon Doe not kill him but deale kindly with the young man for my sake Such mens spirits are as yet very little in subjection to God and they may wel be ranked amongst the opposers of him and his Ministers Thirdly 3. this further appeares by a free willing serviceablenesse unto those that are faithfull in the worke of the Lord for our good Gal. 4.15 The Galathians would have pulled out their eyes to have done S. Paul good and would have parted with their dearest friends and best commodities to bee partakers of his Ministery Thus you see 1 that Christians ought to have a due respect of Gods Messengers 2 They ought to submit themselves to the Ambassage they deliver 3 They ought to bee serviceable unto them in all things The use of this is for instruction Vse 1. to teach us to depend and wait upon God in the use of the Ministery These are the Conduit-pipes of grace Children they go still to their fathers house to bee fed or clothed So it should be with us This likewise may reprove two sorts of people Vse 2. First those that in stead of doing good unto a faithfull Minister labour what they can to root him out and in stead of subjection to the word by him delivered they set up and maintaine rebellion against it If your wounds once be launced your corruptions discovered and the punishment due unto them flung upon your faces so as you can have no quiet in a sinfull course then presently all the Towne is in an uproare and cry Away with this fellow hee shall not tarry here long Brethren Is he a dutifull sonne that would cast his father out of doores A sonne no a slave to the Devill and a rebell against the Lord Almighty fitter for a prison to tormēt him then a house to harbour him It is a certaine signe that the soule never had grace which opposeth the Ministers of grace This is a fearefull symptome of an unsound heart and where ever it is cleerely evidences that GOD hath forsaken that soule For alas it is not a poore weake man which they oppose but the Great God himself who shines forth in them as they shall one day wofully finde and feele with sorrow This falls heavy upon all close hearted hypocrites 2. those whited walls that run with the Hare hold with the Hound who though they give way unto the Minister sometimes yet it is but to serve their owne turns to effect their owne ends They make the Minister their stalking horse to procure their owne profit or credit by And if their aimes fall not out but their expectation is crossed and their desires frustrated then for shame of the world they dare not persecute a good Minister openly yet they secretly revile and speak against him saying Would I had never knowne such a man Mat. 10.11 he is able to make one runne madde If any man now have such a stubborne heart and distempered soule that he will not subject to the word of God he cannot have any true peace happily hee may have peace in the world but he shall have gall enough in his conscience Some will say Object I like such a man very well and I could love and respect one Minister dearely but not another Hold thy tongue for shame Answ Is not the truth alike in all why then dost thou discover such grosse hypocrisie as to be a respecter of persons If he be a faithfull Minister and thou canst not finde in thy heart to receive him and highly esteeme of him it is a signe that thou hast no grace O but hee hath wronged mee in this or that matter Object But the word of God did never wrong you Answ This argueth a desperate disposition that thou art rotten and unsound at heart when thou respectest thine owne private ends of profit pleasure credit or the like above the word of God this plainly demonstrates that thy eye is not single and that thou lovest not God for himselfe This therefore should minde the messengers of God Vse 3 chiefly to respect and tender those that yeeld subjection to the message which they deliver O brethren let us that are of the Ministery most esteeme of them most prize them that love God and his word The rich man it may be sitteth highest at the Table but they that love the Lord should be most respected by us loved of us It is true happily they have weaknesses and frailties yet if you delight
on Christ Answ The meanes to put on Christ they are three especially 1. Wee must put off something 1 and bee uncloathed before we can be cloathed upon Now there are two things to be put off First put off all thy bosome abominations Put off all sinnes and all those menstrous clothes which Esay speakes of we must not listen after our own lusts nor be carryed away by the power of corruption though temptation within comes and occasions without arise bee not overswayed to any sinne For by these meanes you withdraw your selves from the assistance of the Lord Jesus and his Spirit cannot take any place in your hearts his grace will not worke because you set sinne on worke Therefore let us put off all our darling lusts and corruptions and whē we have casheered them wee shall be fit to receive grace The Angell spake to Ioshua Zach 3.3 4. Put off thy filthy garments and I will give thee change of raimēt that is abundance of grace to carry thee on in a good course If wee live in the spirit Gal. 5.25 26. let us walke in the spirit How is that Let us not be desirous of vain glory provoking one another and envying one another As if hee had said If you listen to pride and vain-glory you cannot walke in the spirit Christ Jesus must bee next the heart hee will not give you outward honours and the like that you may keepe your secret lusts No no grace and Christ must bee nearest the soule of all The second thing that must be put off is this 2 We must deny our selves we must renounce our selves What is that Wee must renounce all sufficiency and ability that is in us that wee may bee under the power and assistance of the Spirit He that will trust to himselfe and his owne ability never can nor shall receive any such supply of grace from Christ to strengthen him as otherwise God would give and hee might enjoy therefore the Apostle wisheth Oh that I might bee found in him Phil. 3.9 not having mine own righteousnesse Before Paul boasted that he was a Pharisee If any man saith hee hath whereof hee might rejoyce much more I circumcised the eight day of the kindred of Israel and the like He had a gay coate and he was marvellously proud of it but when the Lord Christ came to save him he rent it all in peeces hee counted his former garments and all his furniture as nothing and cast all under his feet No souldier puts two Helmets on his head at once and no man weares two shooes on one foot It is pretty to consider it even in nature as it is with a boate that stands partly upon the streame and partly upon the ground so long as it is thus the streame cannot carry it but commit the boat wholy to the streame and then it glides along easily So it is with our souls while wee rest partly upon Christ and partly upon our owne strength and what our parts and wit can doe the power of our Lord Jesus Christ will never carry us nor enable us so chearefully to goe on in a Christian course as otherwise wee might doe It is true the Lord hath given us power to doe what hee requires but the first moving of grace is not in our selves the Fountaine is in Christ and to him we must first goe and from him have our graces supplyed and strengthened Here is the cause why many a Christian finding himselfe weake and his corruptions strong is much daunted because hee lookes onely to himselfe and when any temptation stirres and his lusts move presently hee begins to quarrell with his owne heart and saith Never any man had such a heart as I have by which meanes he is more troubled than before and pores only upon his sins whereas hee should goe to Christ for grace Sinne in our soules is too hard and strong for the power that is in our selves but it is not too hard for the grace that is in Christ hee is the fountaine of holinesse and if we looke to our selves wee goe to a wrong place as a child though hee have life in him yet he cannot walk except his father lead him so we are all such children even the best of Gods people though we have some grace yet Christ must quicken us by his Spirit and raise us up and support us by his grace and then wee can walke chearfully This is the reason why many a poore weake Christian walkes comfortably and sweetly when many an old stander fals often because when an old Christian hath gotten a little wisedome and grace hee thinkes then hee can goe of himselfe and then his peace is forgotten and therefore many times the Lord withdraws his Spirit and here he fals into this sinne and that sinne gets the upper hand of him whereas a poore soule that seeth his owne weaknesse and mournes under it seekes earnestly to Christ that hee would raise up his heart and that hee would strengthen him with his grace and this man walkes chearfully While little children are under the Nurse they never fall but are safe enough but when they are gone from the Nurse then here they fall and there they fall sometime into the fire sometime into the water So it is with us while wee goe into the hands of Christ and look for grace from him all this while though never so feeble in our selves we receive much strength and succour from above but when wee begin to trust to our selves say What need we looke up to Christ now God hath enlightned us and pardoned our sinnes and given us grace now we can goe of our selves then we fall most shamefully then we are much distempered and lose all our peace and all our assistance from Christ Suppose a childe and old man bee swimming the childe that knowes how to doe it he commits himselfe to the Streame and so he swims easily but the strong man thinkes hee can doe it of himselfe and so he strikes with his foot and will not suffer the water to carry him he stands with one foot on the ground and strikes the water with the other this is not swimming but going till at last hee sinkes and is drowned So it is with a poore soule when hee commits himselfe to the streame of Gods grace hee goes on comfortably in a Christian course but when wee rest upon our own ability and on what we can doe the Spirit of grace doth not carry us nor the promise ever assist us and how can wee then subsist Ier. 10.23 for it is not in man to direct his owne wayes S. Paul saith I live and yet not I but Christ liveth in mee That is I must first bee as dead in my selfe before I can live in Christ so should every childe of God say It is not I that have zeale and quickening of my selfe it must bee given me from above The second