it for man to pride and boast himselfe in his prosperitie and disgracefully to repute men for their difference of fortunes Pride the vainest folly in mans nature for the best man is but base earth and the basest man is created of God in his owne Image all of one nature and in one office and all to one end ordayned therefore in a Christian judgement there is no difference of men but the difference of good and of bad men and this inequality is not in their nature The difference of grace and fortune but in the corruption and defect of their nature and the best and safest way to esteeme men is to compare them in their gifts of grace and not of fortune Note for with God the least Spirit of grace though in the lowest degree of fortune is of more value and esteeme then the greatest of the world if not gracious This knowledge of our creation should remember us in our dutifull obedience to God that seeing his hand hath fashioned us and that his mercy hath made our bodie a Temple or Sanctuary for his holy Spirit to dwell in 1 Cor. 3.17 therefore let us carefully keepe the temple of our bodies from the filth of sinne and endeavour our selves in such holy exercises that our soules may have the perpetuall fellowship of the holy Ghost without which there is no happinesse nor salvation let us therefore refraine to accompany with the leprosie of sinne lest we runne into their danger in defiling our bodies the Temples of the holy Ghost with diseased company let us hate the imitation of mens vices let us not bee tempted with their fellowship because we know that when we prophane our bodies the temples of the holy Ghost wee shall banish that sweet society frustrate our hope and wound the quiet of our conscience O God of all goodnesse of base earth thou madest us noble creatures we had no life no soule before thou inspiredst it thou gavest us reason and understanding to enable us for thy divine service and worship thou hast given us thy favourable entertainement continue us wee beseech thee in this service God that gave grace can only continue it let our soules let our bodies let every power let every part thereof have their imployments therein we desire no change we are thine from the beginning O continue us thine for ever thy selfe good God inspired our soules it is thy breath and therefore precious it was thine before we had it helpe as to keepe it in the time and in the danger of this our progresse in this our pilgrimage through this sinfull and wicked world and when thou shalt call it home we may gladly breathe it backe for with thee there is onely safety How and where to repose our confidence with thee there is happinesse infinite without time without measure in the meane time keepe us from the danger of leesing let us walke in the directions of thy holy Spirit we are not able to walke to move our selves in any holy course if thy hand lead us not wee shall either faint or wander O keepe us from both that we may travell in the passage of this life with alacrity and spirituall profit that this earth our bodies of earth may passe to the grave in hope that this breath A needful care our soule may returne from whence it came with confidence this is the happinesse for which I will onely endeavour for which I will alway pray O my God make me resolute in this my intended course Of the state of Mans Innocence before his fall THat man was created good holy and innocent is evident by the testimony of Scripture neither is it doubted of the Christian world for when God had ended the Workes of his Creation Gen. 1.31 the holy Ghost saith That he viewed all that he had made and loe it was very good for God being the father and fountaine of all goodnesse Nothing but â—ood can be derived from God Eccle. 15.14 15 16 17. it was not possible that any thing that was evill should bee derived from him but like himselfe so his workes were perfectly good without blemish without defect it is therefore generally to be believed that Adam at the first creation was holy and innocent no defect of nature no corruption of sinne and that God gave him liberty and power of free-will if so he would to continue his estate and happinesse for Adam in the estate of his innocence had this condition of happinesse First he was in the full favour of God a joy unexpressable Secondly hee had the world and the creatures therein for his use and pleasure which then were perfectly good hee had power also given him of God to continue this happinesse to himselfe and his posterity for ever for the gifts both temporall and spirituall which God gave him doe well declare the infinite measure of Gods love to him God giving him all that was created Note and enduing him with a divine soule and with that such endowments of grace as made him both excellent and happy that God gave him the possession of the world both for his use and pleasure is already proved yet more God for an extraordinary demonstration of his favour to him planted a garden in Eden Gen 2.8 9. of admirable variety both for use and ornament For out of the ground made the Lord to grow every tree pleasant to the sight that was for ornament and good for meate the tree of life also in the middest of the garden and the tree of Knowledge of good and evill These were there both for the beauty of the place and for the triall of mans obedience Verse 16 17. and God gave Adam liberty to eate of every tree thereof freely onely prohibiting him to taste of the tree of Knowledge of good and evill These benefits this bounty was large yet doth God still encrease his favour to Adam and deviseth to make him an helpe fit for him for he said Gen. 2.18 It is not good for man to be alone as if God had laboured his invention to devise for the good and for the helpe of man 1 Tim. 2.14 then God made woman and gave her for the consolation of man Thus did God derive his blessings by degrees upon man still inlarging the measure of his bounty and goodnesse towards him so as there wanted nothing which in the wisedome of God was thought fit for mans prosperity Lastly to all these favours God yet giveth one more then all and that was a free will and power in himselfe to derive these infinite blessings upon himselfe and his posterity for ever no mixture of griefe to distaste them no death to deprive them but themselves and these pleasures to bee infinite and unspeakeable and all these pleasures and continuance was given upon such easie condition as in our imagination could hardly tempt a reasonable man to a small forfeiture
unto as many as shall receive the same according to Christs institution Joh. 1.16 that hee will according to his promise by the vertue of his crucified body and blood as verily feed our soules to eternall life as our bodies are by bread and wine nourished to this temporall life and to this end Christ in the action of the Sacrament really giveth his body and blood to every faithfull receiver 1 Cor. 11.24 2.5 Christ is verily present in the Sacrament by a double union whereof the first is spirituall twixt Christ and the worthy receiver the second is sacramentall twixt the body and blood of Christ and the outward signes in the sacrament if you looke to the things that are united this union is essentiall if to the truth of this union it is reall if to the manner how it is wrought it is spirituall it is not our faith that makes the body and blood of Christ to be present in the Sacrament but the spirit of Christ dwelling in him and us Note our faith doth but receive and apply unto our soules those heavenly graces which are offered in the Sacrament the other being the sacramentall union is not a physicall or locall The Word and the Sacrament are the two briefly wherewith our Mother the Church doth nourish us but a spirituall conjunction of the earthly signes which are bread and wine with the heavenly grace which is the body and blood of Christ in the act of receiving as if by a mutuall relation they were but one and the same thing hence it is that in the same instant of time that the worthy receiver eateth with his mouth the bread and wine of the Lord hee eateth also with the mouth of faith the very body and blood of Christ not that Christ is brought downe from heaven to the Sacrament but that the holy Spirit by the Sacrament lifts up his minde unto Christ not by any locall mutation but by a devout affection so that in the holy contemplation of faith hee is at that present with Christ and Christ with him and thus believing and meditating how Christ his body was crucified and his pretious blood shed for the remission of his sins and the reconciliation of his soule unto God his soule is hereby more effectually fed in the assurance of eternall life than bread and wine can nourish his body to this temporall life There must be therefore of necessity in the Sacrament both the outward signes to be visibly seene with the eye of the body and the body and blood of Christ to be spiritually discerned with the eye of faith But the forme how the holy Ghost makes the body of Christ being absent from us in place to be present with us by union Ephes 5.32 Saint Paul termes a great mystery such as indeed our understanding cannot worthily comprehend The sacramentall bread and wine therefore are not bare signifying signes but such as therewith Christ doth indeed exhibit and give to every worthy receiver not onely his divine vertue and efficacy but also his very body and blood as verily as hee gave to his Disciples the holy Ghost by the signe of his sacred breath Joh. 20.22 or health to the diseased by the Word of his mouth Mar. 6.56 or touch of his hand or garment and the apprehension by faith is more forcible than the exquisite comprehension of sense or reason To conclude this point this holy Sacrament is that blessed bread which being eaten Luk. 24.30.31 opened the eyes of the Emmauites that they knew Christ 1 Cor. 12.13 this is that Lordly cup by which wee are made to drinke into one spirit this is that rocke flowing with hony 1 Sam. 14.27 that reviveth the fainting spirits of every true Jonathan that tasts it with the mouth of faith Judg. 7.13 this is that barly loafe which tumbling from above strikes downe the tents of the Midianits of infernall darknesse Eliahs angelicall Cake and water 1 King 1â— 7 8. Psal 78.25 26. preserved him forty daies in Mount Horeb and Manna Angels food fed the Israelites forty yeeres in the wildernesse Exod. 16.15 Joh. 6.32 35.49.50 51.58 but this is that true bread of life and heavenly Manna which if wee shall duely eate will nourish our soules to eternall life and doth binde all Christians as it were by an oath of fidelity to serve the one onely true God Deut. 8.19 and to admit no other propitiatory sacrifice for sins but that one reall sacrifice which by his death Christ once offered up for all true believers Hebr. 9. and by which hee finished the sacrifices of the Law and effected eternall redemption and righteousnesse for all them that faithfully believe in him and so to remaine for ever a publike marke of profession to distinguish Christians from all sects and false Religions and seeing that in the Masse there is a strange christ adored not he that was born of the Virgin Mary but one that is made of a waâ—er cake and that the offering up of this breaden God is thrust upon the Church as a propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and the dead therefore all true Christians that have sufficient information and have means to escape invincible ignorance are to account the pretensed sacrifice of the masse Note as derogatory to the al-sufficient world saving merits of Christs death and passion for by receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we all sweare that all reall sacrifices are ended by our Lords death and that his body blood crucified and shed for us is the perpetuall food and nourishment of our soule The bread of the Lord is given by the Minister but the bread which is the Lord is given by Christ himselfe Therefore when thou takest the bread at the Ministers hand to eate it then ronze up thy soule to apprehend Christ by a lively faith and to apply his merits to heale thy miseries Note and as thou eatest the bread imagine that thou seest Christ hanging upon the Crosse and by his unspeakeable torments fully satisfying Gods Justice for thy sinnes Iohn 19. and strive as verily to be partaker of the spirituall grace as of the Elementall signes for the truth is not absent from the signe Neither doth Christ deceive when he saith this is my body but hee giveth himselfe truely and indeed to every soule that spiritually receives him by faith For as ours is the same supper which Christ administred to his Disciples so is the same Christ verily present at his owne Supper not by any papall transubstantiation but by a Sacramentall participation whereby he doth truely feed the faithfull unto eternall life not by comming downe from heaven unto thee but by lifting thy heart unto Heaven The duty of the redeemer where hee sitteth at the right hand of God And when thou seest the wine brought unto thee apart from the bread then remember that the blood of
by the Apostles to be propagated throughout the world the Holy Ghost came downe upon them there was thundring and lightning and the lowd sound of the trumpet so that all the people were afraid Vers 16. because the Law doth thunder terrible things against our disobedience and makes us subject to Gods indignation But here is the sound of a gentle wind where the Lord from heaven doth powre out his Spirit upon all flesh Acts 2.2.17 for the preaching of the Gospell doth lift up the soules that are cast downe with dispaire by reason of their sinnes there was feare and trembling of the people because the Law bringeth wrath Rom. 4.15 but here the whole multitude doe flocke together to heare the wonderfull things of God for by the Gospell we have accesse unto God their God descended in fire but it was in the fire of his wrath therefore was the mountaine moved and did smoke but here the holy Ghost descended in the fire of his love so that the house is not shaken by the wrath of God but rather replenished Exod. 19.18 Acts 2.3 with the glory of the holy Ghost What wonder is it that the holy Ghost bee sent from the Court of Heaven to sanctifie us seeing the Sonne of God was sent from Heaven to redeeme us But the holy Ghost came upon the Apostles when they were assembled together in prayer with one minde for he is the Spirit of prayer which moveth us to pray and is obtained by prayer Wherefore John 20.19 22. Zach 12.10 because hee is that bond by which our hearts are knit and united unto God as he doth unite the Father with the Sonne and the Sonne with the Father for hee is the mutuall love of the Father and the Sonne This our spirituall conjunction with God is wrought by faith in Christ but faith is the gift of the Spirit and is obtained by prayer but true prayer is made in the Spirit In the Temple of Salomon when Incense was offered unto God 1 King 8.10 11. the Temple was filled with the glory of the Lord so if thou offerest unto God the sweet odours of prayers the holy Ghost shall fill the temple of thy heart with glory Let us here admire the grace and mercy of God Psal 50.15 Rom. 8.34 35. Gal. 4 6. the Father promiseth to heare our prayers the Sonne intercedeth for us and the holy Ghost prayeth within us the Angels of Heaven carry our prayers unto God and the Court of Heaven is open to receive them God of his mercy doth give unto us the effect of prayer because he giveth unto us the Spirit of grace and prayer and doth alwaies heare our prayers if not according to our desire yet according to that which is most profitable for us The holy Ghost came when they were all met together with one accord in one place Acts 2.1 for hee is the Spirit of love and concord Note that joyneth us unto Christ by faith and unto God by love and to our neighbour by charity because he is the Authour of all goodnesse and the fountaine of all grace and mercy Now the Spirit of God effects in man such motions as himselfe is for as the soule giveth unto the body life sense and motion so the holy spirit maketh man spirituall seasons his minde with divine saltnesse Note and directs all his members to the performance of all good duties towards God and towards his neighbours and proceedeth from all eternity he came in the type of breath and affordeth unto the afflicted conscience quickening consolation because wee live according to the flesh by the reciprocall breathing out and sucking in of the aeriall spirit he came under the type of spirit and breath because he giveth us to live according to the better part The winde bloweth where it lusteth Iohn 3.8 and thou hearest the sound thereof but thou knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth So is every one that is borne of the Spirit it was meete that he should come in the type of breath because hee proceedeth from both the Father and the Sonne by one incomprehensible breathing from eternity it was a powerfull breath because the grace of the holy Ghost comes with power and moveth the godly in whom he dwelleth to all that is good and so effectually moveth and strengtheneth them that they neither regard the threats of tyrants nor feare the trecheries of the Divell nor the hatred of the world Psal 19.3.4 hee conferreth upon the Apostles the gift of tongues because their sound was to goe into all lands and so the confusion of tongues which was the punishment of pride and rashnesse in the building of the tower of Babel was taken away and the dispersed nations Gen. 11 7 8 9. by the gift of the holy Ghost through the diversity of tongues were gathered together into the unity of faith Againe it was meet that he should come in the figure of tongues because holy men of God did speake as they were inspired by him For hee spake by the Prophets and Apostles and putteth the Words of God into the mouthes of the Ministers of the Church therefore the Prophets in the old time came not by the will of man 2 Pet. 1.21 but were moved by the holy Ghost for these great gifts blessed and praised be the holy Ghost together with the Father and the Sonne now and for ever Of the Love of God THis love of God is commanded by God to the Israelites by the mouth of Moses being then the select and peculiar people of God saying Deut. 6.5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might and Christ himselfe in the Gospel doth alledge this Precept to the Doctor of the Law which tempted him saying Master which is the greatest Commandement in the Law He answering Matth. 22.36 37 38 39. said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy mind and thy neighbour as thy selfe this doth teach all Christians that without the knowledge of this love of God they can never attaine to the saving knowledge of God and without the love of God all knowledge is unprofitable For love is the life of Nature and the joy of Reason in the Spirit of grace where Vertue draweth affection the concord of sense makes an union unseparable in the divine apprehension of the joy of election it is a ravishment of the soule in the delight of the spirit which being caryed above it selfe into inexplicable comfort feeles that heavenly sickenesse that is better then the worlds health When the godliest of men in the swounding delight of his sacred inspiration could thus utter the sweetnesse of his passion my soule is sicke of love for love is a healthfull sicknesse of the soule it is a pleasing passion in the heart a contentive
nature and by restoratives and requisite dyet brings a new flesh wholesome and without disease the former diseased flesh being utterly wasted and consumed with the extremity of Physicke How to mortifie our diseased actions and affections So he that is resolved in his repentance and hath a loathing and detestation of his sinnes and desire to free his soule from the contagion of sinne must also resolve to endure such bitter physicke and strict dyet as the judgement of spirituall physicke doth prescribe him whereby all the evill depraved and corrupt affections of his soule may be utterly wasted that thereby his soule may have new and fresh endowment of grace without taint without disease without griefe This was figured in the manner of Gods calling Moses to his Princely and Propheticall office for when Moses made offer to come neare the presence of God in the bush Exod. 3.5 6. God forbad him saying Come not hither put thy shooes off thy feete that is before thou presume to approach my presence thou must put off thy sinfull and corrupt affections for hee that hath base and vile affections is not fit is not worthy the presence of God It was also commanded of God in the ceremoniall Law that they that were polluted with the touch of any uncleane thing Levit. 15.2 were for a time prohibited the Sanctuary and the presence of God and had a time limited to cleanse themselves before they were allowed and admitted for cleane persons all which ceremonies doe but note unto us the nature of holinesse how impossible it is to be reconciled with sinne for as the two contrary elements fire and water cannot possibly be in any one substance without intestine strife No peace betweene God and Belial so God and Belial grace and sinne can never conspire in any one particular subject in the same respect but what is gracious cannot be sinfull and what is sinfull cannot be gracious there being in them a full opposition of nature not to bee reconciled Phil. 2.12 Therefore it is necessary and needfull that before wee entertaine the graces of Gods holy Spirit wee must first discharge and abandon our sins which have had so long entertainement in us and before that wee can be regenerate and made the sonnes of God we must mortifie our sinfull affections whereby wee were made the servants of sinne Saint Paul admonishing the Colossians to the imitation of Christ and his holinesse adviseth them first to mortification as if without that meanes the other were impossible Mortifie therefore saith he your members Col. 3.5 6. which are on the earth fornication uncleannesse c. And hee giveth a reason of this direction in the Epistle to the Romans For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die Rom. 8.13 but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit yee shall live By which place wee are taught what mortification is and of what necessity it is Mortification is the abolishing of the deeds of sinne in our flesh What mortification is by the grace and operation of Gods Spirit By the deeds of the flesh is meant not onely our evill actions but our desires and carnall affections Saint Paul in the place before alledged Col. 3.5 6. calleth them members of the earth Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affections evill concupiscence Luke 5.6 and covetousnesse which is Idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God commeth upon the children of disobedience In which hee comprehendeth not onely our sinfull actions but our affections also nay the very naturall concupiscence and depravednesse of our nature To endeavour exactly is exactly to performe not that any man is able exactly to performe these duties but sincerely to endeavour them and that our defects may be in our power but not in our purpose and endeavour therefore you must mortifie your sinnes of action your sinnes of affection and your sinnes by descent and seeing mortification is an office of the Spirit Quest here importeth a question whether the word Note spirit in this place is meant of the Spirit of God the holy Ghost or the spirit of man our naturall soule It is answered Answ that the spirit executing this office of mortification is principally meant of the holy Ghost who giveth the first motion of desire in every godly action it is also respectively meant of the care and travell of our owne spirits or soules Note Phil. 2.13 not that our owne spirits is the cause of our mortification but being first caused by the holy Spirit of God it is entertained and continued by the exercise of our owne reformed spirits our spirits having no such strength in their owne nature but as they are prepared by the grace of the holy Ghost For as in casting a stone or running of a boule though the strength of the arme give the first motion to the boule or stone yet afterwards is the motion continued a competent time as well because of the powerfull moving of the arme as also because of the aptnesse or fitnesse of the thing moved so in the office of mortification Note and in all other divine offices of the soule though the soule move not it selfe to these holy actions No soule can move it selfe to divine action yet by reason of the spirituall nature of our soules when it is once moved by the holy Ghost it then continueth such motion toward perfection so the prime honour of the holy exercise of mortification and so of all other spirituall offices is wholly to be ascribed to the power of Gods holy Spirit which moveth in our hearts every act and every purpose of well-doing and he doth also illuminate us by his holy Spirit infusing a new and heavenly light into our minds being so blind before as that it neither saw nor could see the things which doe belong to the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 the naturall man faith Saint Paul perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can hee know them through ignorance in like manner also in the will which is altogether perverse and wholly falne from God hee worketh an uprightnesse and in all the affections a new holinesse Hence proceedeth that new man which is created after God in true holinesse and righteousnesse Ephes 4.24 and causeth us being enlightened and thus changed to apprehend his mercy to desire and affect our amendment and to answer his call like David For when God had pierced Davids eare by his Spirit he answered Loe I come Psal 27.9 There is also a necessity of mortification imposed upon every man upon pain of condemnation this is shewed in the words before alledged by S. Paul for saith he If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye mortifie the deeds of the body Rom. 8.13 yee shall live whereby the Apostle proposeth life and death before the Romanes
government of his creatures the creatures not being ordained for the service of them but man for whom all things were made and from whom was to be derived a world of people when he sinned God himselfe punished him and his posterity and the creatures he had made and had given him For as the sin of man had infected the whole world mans house so the curse of God and the worke of his displeasure was seated on that house the world all things then being subject to alteration and evill change from this curse is the inecessity of regeneration all things being now in their owne nature in the state of corruption and death therefore Saint Peter saith When Christ shall come to â—udgement 2 Pet. 3.10.7 the heavens shall passe away with noyse and the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the workes therein shall be utterly burned up and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth according to the promise of God Verse 13. wherein dwelleth righteousnesse What manner of persons ought wee then to be in holy conversation and godlinesse of life Verse 11. seeing that all these things shall perish so that nothing shall be able to abide the glory of Gods presence but that which is reformed and regenerate not the elements nor earth no nor heaven it selfe but as all have endured for sinne the bad alteration so must they endure by grace the good alteration all were transformed by the sin of one man Adam all must be reformed againe by grace in Christ or else remaine still in their deformity Saint Paul is peremptory in this opinion Gal. 6.15 for he saith in Christ Jesus neither circumcition availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature that is a regeneration by a lively faith in Christ is onely necessary at many â—n walke according to this rule peace be upon them and meâ—â—y upon them that be of God Verse 16. all ceremonies being insufficient and not effectuall and our Saviour Christ preached to Nichodemus the necessity of regeneration and affirmeth his doctrine with a double asseveration saying Verily verily I say unto thee John 3.3 except a man be borne againe hee cannot see the kingdome of God if not to see the kingdome of God we cannot inherit it This may suffice to perswade the necessary knowledge and the necessary care of regeneration being that without which it is impossible to be saved now to know what regeneration is it is an act of the holy Ghost in Gods elect whereby they are admitted and entred into a constant and faithfull exercise of godly life for as it is said before all grace is the gift of God Iam. 1.17 18. and every motion to good is caused onely by the spirit of God of his owne good will hee begat us by the Spirit of truth our selves being meerely passive in the first action of grace God himselfe being the actor and principall mover thereof for the holy Ghost by whose directions we learne the use of all spirituall exercise doth move both our capacity and power to understand the knowledge and use of necessary and Christian performance without which wee should never be able to comprehend the rudiments and first elements of divine learning regeneration being then a Christian office of most necessary performance it must needs then be caused in us by the inspiration of the holy Ghost who is the first mover of every grace This Doctrine Saint Peter concludeth in expresse words saying Blessed be God 1 Pet. 1.3 even the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his bâ—â—â—den mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead so that wee are regenerate and new begotten by God in Jesus Christ at the motion and instance of his abundant mercy cowards us Regeneration or sanctification is the gift of God whereby our corrupt nature is renewed to the Image of God by the operation of the holy Ghost or it is an inward change of man justified Hippocates whereby the Image of God is restored in him for as one saith that physicke is an adjection and a substraction an adjection of things wanting and a substraction of things redounding in the bodies of men Even so is sanctification a removing of the corrupt humours of our soules and adjection or infusion of spirituall graces which are wanting in us Greenham for in every generation there is a corruption and we see that the seed sowne is much changed before it grow up and beare fruit then it is needfull in generation that there be a corruption of sinne so that as the seed in the ground so sinne in our mortall bodies must decay that the new man may be raised up by the Spirit of God taking possession of our soules Heb. 12.14 This transformation of man is very requisite to salvation for without holinesse no man shall see God Therefore if wee will not live to God by grace upon earth Ezech. 18.30 31 32. Rom. 6.23 we shall not live with him in glory in the Heavens if we will not die to sin in this world we shall not escape death the wages of sin in the world to come if we do not live to God in holinesse in this life wee shall not live in happinesse with God in the life to come it is not onely necessary to him that is to be saved that sinne bee abolished by remission but that it bee likewise mortified by regeneration our regeneration must then of necessity be wrought in the whole man according to both soule and body Albeit our sanctification be the worke of the whole Trinity yet it is immediately performed by the holy Ghost yea and like also This act of regeneration is caused by the holy Ghost in the hearts of the Elect and Gods labour is never fruitlesse but what he willeth to attempt is finished there being no resistance of his power nor any greater then himselfe to countermand him as holy David saith The Lord hath done whatsoever pleased him By this act of grace they are entred and admitted into the exercise of godlinesse which doth promise us an extraordinary degree of hope that wee are in Gods favour yet have we then our best assurance when we are adopted his children by regeneration for then wee bring our holy purpose of reformation into act and faithfully endeavour those duties which before wee had onely determined we are then made fruitfull and the Sonnes of God and not before for wee are then Gods first fruits because we are then first made fruitfull we must therefore bee constant and faithfull in the exercise of good workes because that not those that faint in the race of godlinesse but those that goe on with hope and alacrity shall obtaine to the ends of their progresse and have the garland for so saith Saint Iohn Revel 2.26 Hee that overcommeth and keepeth my workes to the end
Almighty God and they labour with content and alacrity the divels have neither liberty nor pleasure but being fettered with limitations cannot doe what they would but what they are licensed to doe The Angels are Gods servants the divels are his slaves both labour in his worke but with great inequality the testimony of Scripture doth set forth a number of authorities which because they are frequent I will produce onely some few Psal 104. which may satisfie doubt the Prophet admiring and praising God for his wonderfull creating and governing the World saith God made the Spirits that is the Angels Messengers and a flaming fire his Ministers Verse 4. For when they be sent they be Angels when they be spirits they bee no Angels for Angell is the name of the office and not of nature for respecting that whereof it is hee is a Spirit and in respect of that which he doth he is an Angell Againe who to prove the preheminency of the Sonne of God saith Heb. 1.6 that all the Angels worship him and proveth by the testimony of the Prophet Vers 7. that Angels are but messengers or ministers and that they are of a substance like fire or pure ayre by which testimony is proved both the nature and office of the Angels their nature that they are spirits like fire their office that they are ministers or messengers are they not all ministring spirits Vers 14. sent forth to minister for their sakes that shall bee heires of salvation by which is declared the purpose of their ministration and service that is for the good and benefit of the Elect of God both to prevent the enemy and to further them in their holy exercise To prove the power of Angels wee may remember in Exodus what God by an Angell did for the Israelites Exod. 14. when he brought them out of Aegypt by an Angell and by an Angell God destroyed in the host of Senacherib in one night 185000. 2 King 29.35 The Scripture is full of demonstrations of their powerfull acts God working his admirable effects by the service of his Angels Againe if we reduce to memory the most admirable of all Gods mercies we shall finde that in the execution thereof his Angels are either Ministers or Messengers and oft both to omit many other particulars and come to the most worthy most meritorious and most happy the Redemption of mankind by the birth and by the death of Jesus Christ were not the Angels continuall workers in that administration God sent his Angell Gabriel to bring the first newes thereof to the blessed Virgin Mary Luke 1.26 againe as soone as Christ was borne of the Virgin Luke 2.9 c. the holy Angell did publish and preach it to the Shepherds and multitudes of heavenly Souldiers praysed and magnifyed God for so great a benefit How often did the holy Angels visit and comfort our Saviour Math. 2.13 Math. 4.11 an Angell bids him flie into Aegypt the Angels waite upon him in the desert Luke 22 43 44 the Angels ministred unto him in the holy ministery of his preaching an Angell was present with him at the agony of death Math. 28.2 Acts 1.10 Math. 24.31 an Angell appeared at his resurrection the Angels were present at his ascension the Angels shall attend him when he returnes to judgement So then as the Angels waited upon Christ Note in the daies of his flesh so are they now solicitous for all them that are incorporated into Christ by faith as they served the head so doe they also serve the members they rejoyce to serve them here whom they shall have their companions in Heaven they doe not deny their ministery unto them whose most sweet fellowship they hope for hereafter There appeared to Jacob campes of Angels in the way to his Country Gen. 32.1 2. so in this life which is the way to our heavenly Country the Angels are Conductors and made Keepers of the holy ones The Angels defended Daniel in the midst of the Lyons Daniel 6.22 so likewise they defend all the godly from the treacheries and cruelty of the infernall lyon the divell Gen. 19.15 c. 19. The Angels preserved Lâ—t from the fire of Sodome so the Angels doe defend the faithfull by holy inspirations and gracious protections against the divels tentations the Worlds incantations and the fire of hell Luke 16.22 The Angels carried the soule of Lazarus into Abrahams bosome and so they translate the soules of the Elect unto the Pallace of all heavenly happinesse Acts 12.8 9. the Angell lead Peter out of prison so he doth deliver the godly out of most apparent dangers Great is the power of our adversaries but the guard of holy Angels is able and will defend the faithfull from them and doubt not but they will bee with them present Exod. 25.20 Esay 6.2 to ayde them in all places at all times and in all dangers the Scripture describeth them with wings under the figure of Cherubin Seraphin because thou maist know assuredly that they will come with incredible celerity to bring ayd and succour thee make no doubt but they will be thy protectours in all places in all dangers because they are most subtill spirits which no body can resist all visible things give way unto them and all bodies though they bee solid and thicke by them are made penetrable and passable Math. 18.10 The looking-glasse of the Deity is no argument of the Angels knowing all our necessities for that specular knowledge is but dispensatory Doe not doubt thou faithfull soule but these spirits know thy dangers and afflictions because they alwaies behold the face of thy heavenly Father and are alwaies ready prest for his service and thy safegard know also thou devout soule that these Angels are holy therefore study and endeavour holinesse if thou wouldst enjoy their fellowship accustome thy selfe therefore to holy actions if thou desirest to have the holy Angels thy keepers in every place and angle stand in awe and reverence of thy Angell and doe nothing in his presence that thou wouldst be ashamed to doe in the sight of man These Angels are chaste therefore they are driven away by thy impurity and filthy actions for filthy and lamentable sinnes drive away the Angels the keepers of our life if by thy sinne thou deprivest thy selfe of their tuition how canst thou be safe from the divells trecheries and the worlds tyrannies if thou be'st destitute of the Angels protection how canst thou be safe from the invasions of many imminent and ensuing dangers Hebr. 1.14 if thy soule be not guarded by the Angels defence the divell will overcome it by his deceitfull perswasions The Angels are Gods messengers sent unto us from him therefore if thou wilt have an Angell to be thy keeper thou must be reconciled by faith and true repentance where the grace of God is not neither is there the
an Apple perhaps no better or not so good in taste as many other in the garden whereof Adam might have freely eaten without feare or forseit all this doth witnes Gods infinit love to his creature man who gave him so great a power and had purposed so inestimable a reward for so small a service This is the summe of this place But so great is the mischiefe strength and working of sinne that it hath bereft all mankind in the very beginning and first entry of our nature from the purity of good conscience trust in God streightnesse of justice liberty of will to doe good quietnesse of life the honour of being the Image of God of our governance and from the incorruptnesse also of nature and immortality and hath infected it with wicked hypocrisie and brought us into danger of all evill made us slaves of sinne subiect to the wrath of God unto corruption to innumerable calamities and unto death Apulaus not onely of body but everlâ—sting So that the scholler of Plato when he describeth man Man saith hee dwelt upon earth glad of reason able to talke having a soule immortall Jerem. 4.2 members subject unto death of light and carefull mindes bruitish and servile bodies not like in conditions but like in errours of peevish boldnesse stiffe in hope vaine in labour brickle of fortune every one mortall and yet together continuing ever their whole kind by mutuall succession of their brood changeable their time ever fleeing away long ere they be wise soone dead in their life never content this saith Apulcius which it seemeth he marked well the corruption of our nature though hee knew not the beginning thereof thus it is better to speake to mans understanding with profit then be vainely curious This as doth the former remembers all men how surpassing the love of God is to man-kind who notwithstanding man was made of a matter so base and unworthy as nothing like him yet doth God descend his Majesty to dignifie his basenesse and did heape such honour such favour upon man as made him the most excellent and most happy of all the creatures of God giving him felicity and power to continue it which of all the blessings of God was the greatest for that is thought to be the greatest misery To have beene happy is a misery to have beene happy and to fall from that happinesse and the greatest happinesse is to be able to continue happy which power God gave to the liberty of man to be or not to be happy for ever This extraordinary degree of favour to our first father Adam doth deserve a thankfull acknowledgement from all men because the favour did reach to all the generations of Adam even to us and to them that shall succeed us for ever All men being then in Adam and Adam the Compendium of all men the honour and the grace being conferred to every man in generall without exception of any Seeing God hath thus honoured our father Adam and enlarged his benevolence unto him above the rest of his creatures and seeing this was not given unto Adam onely but to his posterity for ever even to us being the sonnes of Adam and derived from his beginning Let us therefore acknowledge our selves in as great a debt of beholding to our God as Adam our father was to whom God gave these blessings by name and in speciall manner wee being interested in the benefit as well as Adam but as his sinne made himselfe and us his posterity both alike miserable so if hee had continued constant in his innocency he had made himselfe and us alike eternally happy without feare without hazard without forfeit without interruption let us therefore advise and remember our selves what honour what thankes what service is due from Adam and his posterity unto God Let us compare the infinite greatnesse and goodnesse of God to Adams nothing let us measure â—hem in the infinite distance of their worth let us study to know what desert what moving cause of ours could provoke God to these degrees of favour let us search this desert in the excellency of mans nature doubtlesse it is not there to be found though wee search with diligence Let us then resort to the mercy of God and there inquire there wee shall rightly understand this knowledge For thy selfe O God did move thy selfe to these effects Note thy Mercy did move thy Majesty thy favour did move thy Power thy goodnesse did perswade thy greatnesse thy greatnesse did effect what thy goodnesse caused thus was God tempted by himselfe to dignifie our Father Adam therefore Adam could be no cause of his owne honour because it was in Gods decree before Adam had being therefore Adam had greater cause of thankefulnesse that God did please without cause thus to advance him and to multiply his infinite and abundant favours upon him Adams honour was ours Adams duties are ours Resolution wee are as strictly bound in our dutifull obligation to God as our father Adam was let us therefore his posterity be constant in that duty wherein he failed and though Adam hath disinherited us his posterity of that power which hee had to performed his divine acknowledgements yet let us by our best endeavour strive with our nature to reforme our errours to imitate so neere as wee can Adams innocency thus let us ever be resolved to contend against the corruption of our nature and with a holy ambition to covet to equall or exceed the honour and happinesse of our father Adam in his innocency and seeing God did make us so wonderfull in our frame so excellent in our nature let us therefore with modesty and reverence to God esteeme our selves let us understand and remember our selves that God hath made us creatures of note and excellence ordained for holy ends and made us Masters of infinite other creatures let us remember that our soule is the divine breath of God our bodies the temple of the holy Spirit let us therefore bend all our endeavours to fashion the government of our lives in some proportion to â—his excellency of our nature let us hate the company of the wicked and imitation of evill because God hath created us good let us value the posterity of our soule before the possession of the whole world let us be jealous of our selves and carefull to feare to give entertainment to any evill cause that may move deprave or corrupt us let us love our owne salvation above all but God because God did honour us above all but himselfe in our creation Thus may wee lawfully with religious modesty endeavour and esteeme of our selves God did grace us in our creation but then God will double that grace in our salvation for this I doe earnestly intreat I pray I hope Of originall Sinne the Fall and Apostacy of man VVHen man was in the height of his prosperity having all things requisite to make him both happy and great and wanting
this is when men give themselves over to commit sin with affectation and greedy appetite and oppresse their conscience with the multitude of their committings so that such conscience doth not remember us our sins for the outragious conscience in the Reprobate is when the conscience of the Reprobate hath for a time beene silenced and hath given the sinner an unchaste liberty in his ungodlinesse yet so as that once apprehending the knowledge of his sin and knowing the state of condemnation wherein it is it breaketh out into violence which wanting moderation urgeth the sinneâ— to execute upon himselfe some desperate vengeance such was the conscience of Judas the traitor which slept all the time hee was plotting and practising his treason but when his sinne was brought into act then his conscience though evill did upbraid his sin with such violence as made the griefe unsupportable and the traitor not able to indure the torment of his conscience thought as Caine that his sin was greater then the mercy of God and so despairing of mercy he desperately hanged himselfe Mat. 27.3 4 5. such is the conscience of the Reprobate their conscience is sleepy and doth reprove but seldome yet when it doth reprove it is then most terrible and without all comfort and though conscience in this life never afflict for sin but seeme senslesse and dead in its appointed offices yet in the day of judgement Rev. 20.12 when the booke of every mans conscience shall be opened then will their consciences that in this life have beene most silent be most loud and terrible in their accusations denouncing judgement Wisd 17.9 10 11. and inflicting a greater torment on the soule then the damned can have patience to beare this is both the office and end of an evill conscience A good conscience Now the conscience of the childe of grace is in full opposition to the conscience of the Reprobate for when God shall please to call his servants to the knowledge of themselves How God moveth the conscience and to a detestation of their sin the grace of his holy spirit moveth in the hearts of such and first awaketh the conscience and giveth it sense to understand the calamity of the soule and spirit to reprove and admonish it in needfull directions and this grace of God giving the conscience sence to understand sinne and spirit to reprove it is the first degree of our reformation and a preparation to our spirituall conversion God himselfe being the prime and principall author thereof When God doth stirre our conscience it continueth that holy motion to our reformation for when our conscience is once touched with this godly desire to examine the errors of our life God doth not then leave us but giveth us assistance continually to finish that needfull care without despaire without fainting the conscience being once instructed by grace understandeth that the soule is in danger of Gods judgement this knowledge causeth a desire in the soule to examine the particulars of our life then doth it compare our severall actions The manner how a good conscience worketh with the severall duties of the Law and thereby is made manifest the many and great defects and transgressions of our life and that therefore our soules and bodies are guilty and stand in the danger of condemnation From this knowledge doth arise the griefe of a wounded conscience for the statute Law of God condemning us for the trespasse of our lives The cause of the griefe of conscience the conscience then whose office is to excuse or accuse upbraideth our sinne and denouncing the judgement of the Law against us which is eternall damnation neither can we free our soules from these extremities untill God who is the judge of all the world shall please to offer mercy and the benefit of his cleargy which is nothing else but the story of the meritorious sufferings of Jesus Christ the Lambe of God which is in spirituall characters upon the crosse of his death and this booke being the testament and writ with the blood of Christ the most righteous God presents to all the world all the world in respect of themselves being guilty and condemned by the Law doth promise remission of sinnes How to quiet the trouble of â— grieved conscience a generall pardon to all them that with their eyes or faith shall be seene and read in the booke of life and apprehend and apply Jesus Christ the contents thereof to their salvation Thus and but thus it is possible to quiet the trouble of a grieved conscience the conscience being never satisfied for sinne before the justice of God be satisfied by the apprehensive righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 and therefore saith Saint Paul Being then justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ for before we can live to God wee must die to our selves neither is there a spirituall regeneration where there is not first a spirituall mortification and where grace would enter sinne must avoyd for he that would follow Christ must deny himselfe therefore let no man presume to apprehend the mystery of the righteousnesse of the Crosse of Christ before hee hath reformed his actions quieted the clamour of his conscience and utterly denyed the strength of his owne nature for how shall hee beare the Crosse of Christ No man can be able to apprehend Christ before his conscience hath thus prepared him that is laden with his owne infirmities or how shall hee be benefited by the promise of the Gospell that doth not first judge himselfe by the Commandements of the Law for hee that knoweth not his disease seeketh no physicke and Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance This doth admonish all men carefully to watch the behaviour of their lives Revel 20.12 for if the conscience of every man be a book wherein is writ the records of all his actions good and bad and that seeing this booke must be read at the day of judgement in the audience of all the world before God and his Angels and Saints what manner of men ought all to be in godly conversation This ought to move in every one a double care First that they avoyd carefully all ungodlinesse both in thought and action whereby they may suffer disgrace before God and all his creatures at the generall day of judgement when the booke of their conscience shall bee opened to every ones eye Secondly it doth perswade a diligence in all godly exercise and that all men contend with a holy emulation to exceede in godly actions whereby they may receive applause and generall reputation in the generall assembly of God and all creatures for as in earthly affaires men covet most desirously to gaine reputation and a generall good name There is no ambition lawfull but the covetous desire of heaven because it argueth an extraordinary degree of desert in him that hath
our soule The second thing in the cure of our soules is the soveraigne matter by which the diseased soule is cured the most soveraigne balsome the sacred blood of the Lambe of God of the Sonne of God shed for the redemption of man-kind 1 Pet. 2.24 for so saith his holy Apostle Saint Peter who his owne selfe bare our sins in his body on the tree that we being delivered from sin should live in righteousnesse by whose stripes we were healed our sins are taken from us by his bearing them our wounds are cured by his wounds our eternall death prevented by his temporall death for but the Sonne of God No physicke but the blood of Christ can cure a wounded soule Christ Jesus there is no Empyricke no quintessence no physicke can cure a wounded soule so venomous is sin and so incurable are the wounds that sin hath made onely the blood of the holy Lambe is altogether able to deliver and heale them and that is both so certaine and present in vertuous operation as that one drop rightly applyed is able and sufficient to cure the wounds of a world of soules The last thing in the cure of our soule is the manner of applying this most soveraigne medicine The manner of applying Christ Hebr. 11.6 Christ Jesus and that is by a true and lively faith for without faith it is impossible to please God and without faith it is impossible to apprehend the Sonne of God neither let this seem strange to a Christian judgement that wee should be able by faith to apprehend Christ and to apply him to our repentant soules for hee himselfe hath taught us that whatsoever wee shall aske in prayer Matth. 21.22 if we believe wee shall have it whereby he maketh faith the covenant and condition of prayer and promiseth that such prayer that is directed to him by a living faith shall onely and alwaies prevaile No resistance against a true faith against which there is no resistance therefore to apprehend apply Christ to our wounded soules we must reach with our hands of faith to his Fathers bosome take him from the altar of his crosse and by faith apply his precious blood nay his bloody body to our wounded soules for he that doth it faithfully doth it effectually and shall doubtlesse find assurance in himselfe that the wounds of his soule are cured and that sin is for ever dis-inabled from hurting him that hath Christ fully applyed for where he is in mercy there is assurance and safety of divine protection and this is the order that all Christians should take in repentance and spirituall sorrow First to prepare their soules then to apply Jesus Christ their salvation Note in whom there is safety without whom none To declare the manner and the causes of godlesse sorrow and false repentance wee will avoid them for their number and variety let the true judge the false and let this true forme of repentance here prescribed teach the Christian Reader to avoid all dissimulation and hypocritical sorrow for sin Hypocriticall sorrow is in God hatred 2 Cor. 7.10 11. and remember that godly sorrow causeth repentance not to be repented of but worldly sorrow causeth death But gentle Reader let mee admonish thee that we despise not Christ because upon his crosse he hanged betweene two thieves neither that wee honour thieves Mat. 27.38 39. because they hanged upon the crosse with Christ for that which is but meere truth is no truth and the best vertue is ever placed betweene two extremes This Doctrine of Repentance and spirituall sorrow doth remember all men very needfull admonishments First seeing that sin is the cause for which we repent us and by whose poyson our soules are so grievously infected and so fouly deformed and wounded it ought to move all men to a loathing and detestation of sin by which we are grieved in our selves and brought in hatred and displeasure of Almighty God Note for if wee so carefully avoid all such annoyances as bring any little taste of griefe to our bodies in this temporall life wee ought much more to avoyd sin which causeth such extremity of griefe in our soules and doth both deprive us of Gods favour and bringeth an everlasting destruction upon us Secondly seeing there is no repentance profitable to salvation but that which is caused in us by the moving of Gods holy Spirit it behoveth all men to be serious in their repentance and not to content themselves with a slender examination of their sins and then returne againe to their former remissenesse and disobedience but to be heedfully carefull to repent them of all sinne and to be constant in that care without alteration without interruption and that our repentance respect rather a shame and griefe to have offended so gracious a God then any feare of temporall or eternall punishment Saul and Ahabs repentance lest as did Saul and Ahab by such false and feigned repentance they lose their soules Thirdly seeing the soule cannot be cured but by repentance neither can apply or apprehend Christ Jesus unlesse it be first prepared and made fit by the exercise of these duties and not to satisfie themselves with the exercise of one or two of them but to endevour them all because they are all necessary to repentance for as in the Commandements of the Law he that faileth in one breaketh all so in these duties of repentance he that neglecteth one The danger of presumption profiteth by none but annihilateth the purpose of his spirituall sorrow Let no man therefore flatter himselfe with this presumption that if hee hath beene an extortioner a thiefe or a godlesse person that his repentance will suffice though hee be sorry for his sins and acknowledge them to God though these be very needfull and necessary duties yet they are not all the duties of our soule in our preparation to repentance therefore if hee hath extorted Luk. 19.8 or as Zacheus did taken by forged cavillation from any man that is by indirect or dishonest course or meanes Verse 9. hee must repent as Zacheus did and make restitution as farre as he can otherwise salvation can never come to his house therefore as they are all necessary so are they all joyntly necessary every man being bound to all these as God and grace shall enable him Fourthly seeing Christ Jesus is that Physician and that onely salve which is able to cure a wounded soule and that without him there is no working no cause no meanes of spirituall deliverance from sinne We must sell all to purchase Christ and griefe of a wounded conscience Therefore it most neerely concerneth all men to endeavour all meanes to purchase this Christ their salvation and righteousnesse and to despise all things in respect of him their Saviour and the onely soveraigne salve to heale their wounded conscience And seeing wee have Jesus Christ proposed us to be our salvation The
us but it must be considered with what minde those things be wrought which be of themselves good whether of the affection of love and mercy or for some other cause Let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed verity 1 Iohn 3.18 for hee is not worthy straightway to have the commendation of good workes which doth bestow meate drinke and cloathing upon the poore not of the desire to do good but rather to hunt hauke for glory and praise in the sight of men wherefore all be not immediately good workes which be esteemed to be good unlesse they be such as doe profit their neighbours and that they do proceed from a good and faithfull heart and the affection of charity thereby our faith is exercised fed encreased and strengthened by good workes and that wee be assured by them in our consciences of our election and calling in that wee doe daily more and more feele the grace and vertue of Christ encreasing in us by meanes thereof like as on the contrary part evill workes doe expresse and shew forth more and more the malice and wickednesse of our hearts Therefore Saint Peter admonisheth us to make our election and vocation sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Eccles 28.10 for like as the fire by wasting much wood waxeth greater and stronger so is godlinesse and faith fedde and maintained in Christian men by the study and use of good workes even so by use exercise of vertuousnesse men doe come to a perfect habite of the same and so by imitation of their good workes others bee stirred up to the like desire of godlinesse when they doe see some lively examples in their neighbours that by the applying of good workes to the reliefe and necessities of the poore Jam. 1.27 John 3.17 Hebr. 13.1 2 3 16. needy widdowes fatherlesse prisoners sicke folkes and all other distressed which kind of goodnesse doth resemble the very disposition of God himselfe for the goodnesse which wee are created unto is not determined in the workes of mercy onely but it doth extend unto our whole life and common trade of living together Amity is the true bond of all humane society wherein one man is so knit unto another by mutuall love ayd and service even as the very members and parts of our body doe service one to the necessary use and ayde of the other wherefore they be not men but vaine shapes of men John 5.5 which doe vainely and idlely spend all their life as though they were borne to no other intent and end but to waste and consume upon themselves without regard to their Christian brethren or relieving and supplying their wants and necessities in time of need to which end they were chiefly and necessarily ordained of God next then to doe him service and divine worship for Saint Paul admonisheth all men to walke worthily in the sight of the Lord Col. 1.10 to please him in all points being fruitfull in all good workes for hee that is fruitfull in all good workes doth please the Lord in all things if they be done with a pure and sincere faith for they bee the fruits of faith for good workes are pleasing to God Good workes be done by the Spirit of God because they bee done by his Spirit for he doth worke in us both to will and to performe according unto his good will and pleasure therefore forasmuch as they come from him it cannot be but that they must be liked of him That which is just and good is loved of God as the authour and beginner of them Such is his justice that he loveth the same which is just and good being himselfe of all other most just and the rewarder of all good workes that proceed of faith but wee must not assume the reward of our good workes to proceed of our owne deserts but unto the goodnesse of God who doth worke the effects of godlinesse and charity in them that believe True and sincere love is an inseparable property in the godly no Christian without faith Iohn 15.17.12 13 14. and no faith without charity where there is not the brightnesse of charity neither is there the zeale of faith Note take away the light from the sun and thou maist aswell take charity from faith Charity is the outward act of the inward life of a Christian the body is dead without the spirit James 2.26 so faith is dead without charity He is not of Christ that hath not the Spirit of Christ and hee hath not the Spirit of Christ Gal. 5.22 that hath not the gift of charity for charity is the fruit of the Spirit and the bond of perfection Col. 3.14 Note As the members of the body are knit together by the Spirit that is the soule so the true members of the mysticall body of Christ are united by the holy Spirit in the bond of charity 1 King 6.21 22 Salomons Temple was all covered with gold within and without so let Gods Temple be all beautified with love and charity both within and without let charity move thy heart to compassion and thy hand to contribution for compassion is not sufficient unlesse there bee also outward contribution neither is outward contribution sufficient unlesse there be also inward compassion 1 Iohn 4.7 c. faith receiveth all from God and charity giveth againe unto our neighbours God is love and by faith we are partakers of his divine nature no man believeth in Christ which loveth not Christ and no man loveth Christ unlesse he love his neighbour neither doth he apprehend the benefits of Christ with true confidence of heart that doth deny his neighbour the office which hee oweth unto him That is not truly a good worke which proceedeth not from faith Rom. 14.13 neither is it truely a good work which proceedeth not from charity charity is the seed of all vertues it is no good fruit which springeth not from the root of charity for charity is the spirituall taste of the soule for unto it alone is every good thing sweet and pleasant every hard thing sweet yea all troubles and adversities sweet 1 Ioh. 13.34 35 It profits not to give all that one hath unto the poore if hee hath not charity for the outward action is done in hypocrisie if there bee not inward love Rivers of bounty profit not unlesse it spring from the fountaine of charity Charity is patient for no man is easily angry with him that he loveth charity is bountifull for hee that by charity hath bestowed his heart which is the chiefe good of the soule how can he deny his outward goods to his neighbour which are of farre lesse worth Charity envieth not because hee that hath charity looketh unto anothers good as upon his owne Charity thinketh no ill 1 Cor. 13.1 c. but loveth truly and from his heart Charity is the bridle of anger Charity is simply
salvation to the Elect. The necessity of mortification doth require in every one an exact diligence in that Christian office for seeing the hazzard of eternall life dependeth upon the death or not dying of sinne and that necessarily there is no man of that simple understanding but will thinke it expedient nay necessary wisedome rather to destroy his sinne then himselfe for one of the two must of necessity be mortified suffer death and die and if any man thinke to devise a meanes to save both himselfe and his sinne and in the reformation of himselfe to over-leape the duty of mortification as a duty too precise and of grievous performance and shall thinke that mortification is not of necessary substance but rather a severe circumstance which may be safely avoyded to him may bee said as Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians with admiration O foole 1 Cor. 15 36. that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die and let him be sure that if hee either faile or faint in this endeavour there is no endeavour can purchase him the favour of God and the salvation of his soule Therefore it most neerely respecteth all men not to esteeme their sinne which is their enemy and would destroy them more then God which is their friend and would save them nay more then their soules and their salvation Therefore let every man make warre upon himselfe and his owne flesh To subdue our owne sinfull affections is the greatest conquest in the world and let him bee valiant to conquer himselfe and triumph in the spoile and death of his sinfull actions and affections for there is no warre can gaine our names a greater glory then to victor our selves and he is most redoubted and most valiant that can conquer his owne affections the which all men must doe before they can have the garland of holy victory from the hand of God Againe seeing that in our mortification there is no respect of favour had to any sinne but that all sinne must die the sinnes that have gained us either our profit or our pleasure for all sinne being in hatred with God all sinne is therefore commanded to die without dispensation proviso or exception of any It therefore behooveth all men to hate as God hateth even all sinne because all sinne is in Gods hatred lest they provoke God as Saul did and with Saul to declare themselves reprobates God commanded Saul to destroy the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15.1 c. a sinfull and God-lesse people Saul performed his Commandement but in part for though he destroyed many yet he spared some for which God cast him from his favour and rent his Kingdome from him Our sinnes are those Amalekites God hath commanded us to destroy them utterly if therefore any man presume against Gods Commandement to spare any God will certainly cast him with Saul from the hope of salvation This doth admonish all to avoyd the common custome of men that commonly hate the sinnes and infirmities of others but flatter and feed their owne with saturity the usurer hee condemneth the prodigall the prodigall condemneth him the drunkard condemneth the glutton Every contrary despiseth one another the glutton he condemneth the drunkard age and youth have each their particular sinnes yet doe they despise one another and so doe every particular his contrary so that many can abhorre those sinnes to the which they are not naturally addicted but few doe mortifie them that are neerest and dearest unto them These are they that our Saviour Christ calleth hypocrits Math. 23. that point at little sinnes in others but flatter and foster maine ones in themselves this evill custome is farre short of the duty of mortification which requireth a loathing and detestation nay a death not of some sinnes not of other mens sinnes but of our owne sinnes and of all our owne sinnes without exception of any and seeing that the holy Ghost doth move this grace in our hearts and doth give us spirituall power in the office of mortification It behoveth all men to addresse their prayers to God that he will give them the direction of his grace to guide them in so needfull a performance and that when they finde in themselves a desire to mortifie their sinnes and sinnefull affections Titus 1.12 c. then let them assure themselves that they are called by the divine and efficatious power of God to the performance of that duty that then they yeeld their endeavour with all diligence to doe as the holy Ghost directs them lest by neglecting the admonishments of Gods Spirit they bring upon themselves a greater condemnation The life and soule as it were thereof is the illumination and reformation of the minde and an efficatious bending conforming and working of the heart and will whereby it becomes obedient to the voyce of God and returnes as it were an audible and lively eccho into their eares the end thereof is first the glory of God and the commendation of his mercy to whom wee must ascribe both grace and nature and of whom wee have received our soules and bodies yea and the very soule of our soules which is his spirit The second end of this vocation is our deliverance and translation out of ignorance infidelity sensuality and rebellion The soule of our soules is the Spirit of God 2 Thes 2 14. unto spirituall grace and glory for wee are called out of darknesse into light that we might walke in light and no longer serve the Prince of darknesse wee are called out of the world unto God to the end that wee should relinquish the lusts of the flesh the pleasures of the world and to serve God in newnesse of life that walking uprightly before him in this world we may live and raigne with him for ever in the world to come The meritorious cause of this effectuall calling is Christ and his merits for Christ hath merited in our behalfe and hath promised that the holy Ghost should had sent into us John 15.26 16.7 8. even the Spirit of truth to illuminate and adorne our hearts with his graces and is wrought in us by a speciall powerfull and inward worke of the holy Spirit For like as when a skilfull Musitian hath once strung tuned and strucke his instrument it sends forth many pleasant and sweet sounds so when the Lord hath once breathed his spirit of life into the nostrils of our soâ—les and when hee hath once tuned the jurring strings of our sinnefull hearts and hath toucht them with the finger of his spirit he makes them send forth many delectable and harmonious sounds Tokens of mortification Rom. 1.6 6.17 18. 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. wherein he takes delight So then it as with the Romans wee performe hearty obedience to the Word of God if with the Corinthians wee be rich in spirituall graces and have purged our hearts by true repentance from our former iniquities and if wee be mortified and renued
thereof to gaine this honour and for to gaine this honour let us spend our houres spend our actions and our endeavours nay let us spend our honours and all to make this purchase let us run our spirituall course with alacrity seeing this honour is proposed us when we have it let us esteeme it precious it was given by grace it cannot be redeemed by nature let us esteeme it as it is worthy and having once obtained the honour to be the childe of grace nay the childe of God let us carry that honourable title to our grave and with that wee will present our selves in the day of judgement before God our honourable Father and before the honourable company of Angels and Saints and then it will appeare by direct evidence before all the world whether our honour in being the childe of God regenerate and made the sonne of God which the world despised Jerem 4.2 or their transitory honour and prosperity of fortune wherein they gloried and proudly exalted themselves be of better proofe worth or esteeme when God shall call us his sonnes and bid us enter the Kingome of our joy and call them reprobates and bid them enter their prison bonds Matth. 25.46 John 5.29 and paines perpetuall this will be the blessed priviledge our honour will then give unto us therefore to be regenerate thereby to have God our Father and our friend let us not care what neglect what scorne and what disgraces the world cast upon us for as those will vanish with time yet so will our honour be as God our Father is infinite in joy infinite in worth infinite in time let us therefore infinitely esteeme of it and by all meanes strive to attaine it Amen Of Sanctification SEeing that hee which is regenerate is also sanctified and made holy but it is not derived to us from our parents Ephes 2.10 But Almighty God is the fountaine and proper efficient cause of our sanctification and holinesse whose worke-manship wee are created in Christ Jesus unto good workes Colos 1.13 who in mercy hath translated us out of the kingdome of darkenesse and hath delivered us from the power of the Divell and made us fit for the Kingdome of his beloved Sonne Ephes 2.4 5. in whom hee hath quickened us through his love and riches of his mercy together with Christ even when wee were dead in sins him hath God lifted up with his right hand Acts 5.31 to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto his chosen Hebr. 2.4 and forgivenesse of sinnes and albeit our sanctification be the worke of the whole Trinity yet it is immediately performed by the holy Ghost because hee doth set us on fire and inflame us with a zeale of Gods glory with a care of our duty and with a love of all men Sanctification is the very translation and alteration of the heart and life of man or a spirituall reduction and conversion of a man from his wickednesse unto God and from the uncleannesse of sin to true purity and Christian sanctity The persons sanctified are such as are elected Rom. 8.30 called and justified therefore the Apostle saith that whom God predestinated called and justified them also he glorified these are truly sanctified whom he maketh to be the temples of his Spirit Sanctification of the body is that whereby the members thereof are made fit instruments for the soule regenerated to worke the workes of God with it being become obedient to the minde illumined 1 Cor. 6.19 and the heart reformed through the worke of the Spirit who now hath made it the temple of his holinesse whereas before it was a slave to the flesh and a shop of uncleanenesse and iniquity Ephes 2.8 It is a most gracious and free worke of the Lord without all obligation or merite of ours for the Spirit of God bloweth with the blasts of his grace both when how where and on whom he lifteth and the Apostle teacheth us Verse 4 5. that wee are quickened together with Christ through whose great love and grace wee are saved this is the vertue of Christs resurrection by the power of his God-head raising up his man-hood and releasing him of the punishment and tyranny of our sins by which vertue and power wee are quickened and restored that wee might live unto God in holinesse and newnesse of life Note Now the sanctification of the soule consists in the alteration of the mind the renovation of the will Note the sanctification of the memory and the regeneration of the conscience in the alteration of the mind whereby ignorance is by little and little abolished and the mind enlightened to know the true God and his mercy in Christ and to know and understand a mans selfe and his secret corruptions against the Law of God and to know how to behave himselfe towards God and man as also to prove the things of God and to mind and meditate on things spirituall and celestiall The renovation of the will is when God gives a man grace truely to will good as to believe honour feare and obey God the sanctification of the memory is an aptnesse by grace to keepe and to bee mindfull of good things especially of the doctrine of our salvation and such like the regeneration of the conscience is when it is fitted to give true testimony to a mans heart of the remission of his sinnes and of the carefulnesse of his care to serve God and to doe other good duties concerning our Christian brethren it consists also in the spirituall transformation of the affections as joy love sadnesse feare anger and such like whereby a man that is justified doth so temper them by his reason refined and by the light of the Law with the helpe of the holy Spirit that they do not break out as in the wicked that give the reines to their lusts but are held in some good order howbeit in this life this is not done without much strife and reluctation of the flesh and Spirit and is rather affected then effected Here we must observe that sanctification doth not alter the substance of man but onely his corrupt and sinfull qualities it rectifieth affections but abolisheth them not it corrects and moderates mirth sorrow anger and such humane passions but takes them not quite away it tunes the jarring strings of a mans heart but breakes them not in peeces As the fall of man did not abolish a mans essence but corrupt his faculties even so the raising up and renovation of man doth not alter his very substance but doth onely change his corrupted qualities and powers this visible reformation of a man is when hee dedicates himselfe unto God and good duties to his neighbours whose sinnes bee abandoned which before raigned in his heart This worke of the Spirit is wrought in the whole man but it belongs chiefely to the faithfull and elect of God for civill moralities and
outward formalities and such graces as doe onely bridle and represse sinne may befall the reprobate but Christian vertues and such graces as doe supplant and suppresse sinne in our soules and doe revive and restore Gods Image in us such workes of the Spirit Heb. 2.11 are constantly to be found onely in true believers This new birth of regeneration or sanctification in man is so needfull as that without it we cannot be saved The Kingdome of grace is the suburbes of the Kingdome of glory hee therefore that walkes not through the suburbs shall never enter into the City A man must first walke in the Kingdome of grace or else hee shall never be admitted into the Kingdome of glory no grace no glory no holinesse no happinesse John 3. no heaven no heavenly honour Except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of God neither in this woeld or in the world to come Sanctification is an unresistable act of the Spirit for when the holy Ghost doth intend to sanctifie a man he doth so worke upon him with his power that he shall willingly yeeld to the holy Spirit how unwilling so ever his will be by nature for the body must first rot before grace shall raigne without disturbance Note Titus 3.5 6 7. It is true indeed that the corruption of our nature is abolished in baptisme in respect of guilt and condemnation but not in regard of existence and being of it but in that it shall be no impediment of salvation to them that are baptised with water and the holy Ghost for it is to such no Prince but a rebell onely neither shall it damâ—e them nor dominere within them yet so long as wee live sinne will not die in us nor be utterly abolished Greenham for before there be an universall cleansing there must â—e a dissolution of nature and death must end the conflict betweene the flesh and the Spirit And although those that are regenerated may bee termed just and perfect yet it is onely in comparison of the wicked who are in bondage under sinne and for that they are perfect in respect of imputative righteousnesse because Psal 32.1 2. like infants they have all the parts of a Christian though not the perfection of those parts all the seeds of saving graces are sowne in their hearts but they have not the full growth of them in this life sinne will still remaine within us but it shall not raigne over us and albeit holinesse and sinne be contrary yet may they bee both in one subject as night and darknesse in the ayre at the twilight be remisly there and neither of them predominant or absolute victor but remayning in continuall combate Now why the Lord doth not finish sanctification in man in this life the reasons may be these that wee might seeke diligently after perfection and more earnestly and ardently to covet and desire it more and more that in despising this world and the vanities thereof wee might the more earnestly affect and contemplate our heavenly Country and life as knowing that our perfect sanctification shall not be wrought till wee come in Heaven Vrsine and that thereby wee might be humbled and exercised in faith patience hope and prayers and that contending and skirmishing with the flesh and the lusts thereof we might not wax proud with conceit of our owne perfection but daily pray Psal 143.1 Math. 6 12. Enter not into judgement with thy servants O Lord forgive us our trespasses and that we may exercise our selves in repentance all the daies of our life knowing that there is no end of this warfare but in death Thus doth the Lord continue us in his service that wee might exercise our spirituall wisdome Revel 5.6 Christian fortitude and magnanimity in defeating the wiles of sinne and the plots of the divell and like couragious Captaines to contend against all our spirituall adversaries and finally in disdaining to give way and place to the flesh that abominable and filthy wretch The Lord by this doth shew his absolute authority over us that hee is not bound unto us to perfect his graces in us in this life for then were it injustice in him not to doe it Psal 145.17 for God is righteous in all his waies and holy in all his workes and cannot offer the least injustice but God doth this to manifest his mercy to us and to teach us thankfulnesse to him who pardoneth our weake obedience and accepteth of our poore endeavours unperfect holinesse and imperfect righteousnesse and perfection our weake resolutions our imperfect desires motions and meditations if they bee faithfull and intire and directed to the right ends he for his Christs sake doth pardon all our defects which argueth mercy on his part and claymeth gratitude on ours In this the Lord doth demonstrate his wonderfull providence and power in protecting defending and conserving us against so many puissant and pernicious enemies as wee are begirt with notwithstanding our great unworthinesse weaknesses and imperfections Rom. 11.29 This worke of the Spirit is never cleane extinguished and the gifts of God are without repentance The graces of God in his children are not as morning mirts but as well built towers to withstand the assaults of their enemies let us be perswaded in our selves Phil. 1.6 that hee which hath begun this good worke of sanctification in us will continue performe and end it for what should hinder his good will is most constant and his might is over all sinne Satan and all the enemies of our soules must yeeld their power to his obedience his eye is waking and all seeing his wisdome is infinite his Essence every where his power divine without resistance and his mercy endureth for ever What then can what then shall hinder his worke of grace hee hath joyned us to Christ Hos 2.19 who shall dis-joyne us hee hath wedded us unto himselfe what can divorce us hee is with us who can be against us Christ is our King wee are his subjects wee need not therefore doubt of his favour and protection towards us Matth. 16.18 hee hath built us upon a rocke that hell gates shall not prevaile against us by faith wee believe in Christ that faith is a rocke fixed and inviolable 2 Tim. 1.1 it will shine like a star in the night of adversity it maketh the elect joyfull under the shew of sorrow and quickeneth them under the shew of death it healeth them under the shew of sickenesse and enricheth them under the shew of poverty and savours most like Camomel when it is troden upon and hope is the anchor of the soule it will endure both winds and waves Hebr. 6.19 and this worlds stormes and love is as strong as death Know yee not saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.16 that yee are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Know you not that your body is the temple of
the holy Ghost which is in you whom yee have of God bought with the price of redemption therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits 1 Cor. 6.19.20 which are Gods Examine your selves prove your selves know you not your owneselves how that Jesus Christ is in you 2 Cor. 13.5 except yee be reprobates Thus wee may assure our selves of our sanctification by the undoubted testimony and inward suggestion of the holy Ghost assuring our spirits of the same and also by certaine undoubted testimonies and tokens of it 2 Joh. 3.8.9 if therefore wee doe not commit sin with full consent of will if wee doe not continue in sin to be led wholly by it but when wee doe sin Mark 14.72 to recover our selves as Peter did by true and hearty repentance then wee may know that wee are not in the slavery of the Divell Goade but the children of God for hee that believeth that Jesus is Christ and borne of God it is a certaine token of his regeneration 1 Joh. 5.1 hereby shall yee know the Spirit of God for every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4.2 the Sonne of Mary and is the anoynted King Head Priest and Prophet of his people which God raised up for the salvation of the soules of the elect of God hee that striveth to keepe the Commandements of God overcome and vanquish the vanities the vaine allurements and alluring inchantments and obstacles of the world and keepe a constant course in piety he is undoubtedly the true child of God he that keepeth continuall watch and ward over his heart and is circumspect in his walking and fearefull to offend God and rather forsake the world then God he doth plainly shew that he is the childe of Grace and belongeth to God and his Kingdome and not to this world to grieve for sin because it offends God and hurts his owne soule is a notable signe of a mortified heart A sanctified man doth manifest the grace of his heart by sanctifying the name of God and by conversing with sanctified men as also by seeking the sanctification of others Note For a good man doth love to communicate his goodnesse and not to keepe it lockt up in his owne breast it is also a notable and infallible signe of holinesse when a man doth more and more contend against his owne sins and wickednesse and labour continually to draw neerer unto God by holinesse Lastly when we feele the inward corruptions of our hearts and a desire to be dis-burthened of them and avoyding of the actions of sin and an anger against our selves for sinning doe evidently shew that the Spirit of God hath taken possession of our hearts and hath begun to worke a most happy change within us Where these graces are there is also the God of grace the Spirit of grace a man of grace a true dying unto sin and a living unto God sin is dismounted the sinner is renewed for Gods Image is restored Hee that is thus truely sanctified is also glorified for glorification is the communication of true holinesse and happinesse to them that are elected called and justified For glory comprehendeth in it both holinesse and happinesse holinesse is one degree of happinesse and happinesse is the highest degree of holinesse no man is holy but the same is happy and no man can be happy but hee must be holy grace is the inchoation of glory and glory is the consummation of grace he that sits in the throne of grace is truely intituled to the crowne of glory and it is one point of glory to be a man of grace for a gracious man may rightly be stiled a glorious man Of Justification IUstification is a gracious forgiving of sins by the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ Psal 32.1 2. and Gods gracious acceptation whereby he doth for the merit of Christs active obedience by faith received of us account us just and pure and honours us with the crowne of life and in this respect wee may be truely said to be just perfect and holy because wee stand clothed with the most perfect righteousnesse of Christ which is reputed ours in which appearing before our heavenly Father we doe receive a blessing as Jacob did of Jsaak Gen. 27.15.27 having on his elder brothers garments this may seeme strange unto us that wee should be accepted righteous for the righteousnesse of another for albeit this righteousnesse is Christs primarily and by way of inherence yet it is ours by Gods free donation and by the application of faith the head and the faithfull his members is all one mysticall body Rom. 4.2 and therefore the satisfaction of Christ pertaineth to all the faithfull as to his members the forme or formall cause of Justification is not faith love nor other vertue neither is it an infused quality or habituall sanctity inherent in us Phil. 3.9.10 but the righteousnesse of Christ considered as it is reputed of God is the forme of Justification or the proper and onely true forme of Justification is the free imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ by which the merits and obedience of Christ are applyed unto us by vertue of that neere communion whereby hee is in us and wee in him Now God is said to impute righteousnesse into a man when hee doth adjudge decree and give it to him and account and reckon it as his owne and for the merit and worthinesse thereof doth pardon acquit and repute him righteous Saint Paul expostulateth this doctrine with the Galatians whom he calleth foolish for doubting it Gal. 3.2 saying This onely would I learne of you receive yee the spirit by the workes of the Law or by hearing of faith preached Vers 3. Againe are yee so foolish that after yee have begunne in the Spirit yee would now be made perfect by the deeds of the flesh where he admireth their simplicity that seeke righteousnesse in the flesh but rather and onely by the meanes of faith in Jesus Christ because our justification is spirituall and not of the flesh and this doctrine he concludeth by an invincible argument Verse 26. saying that seeing yee are the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Jesus wee are therefore also justified and made the servants of God by faith For saith he we are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Jesus and if faith be able to make us sonnes it must be also able to make us servants for that which is able in the greater performance is able in the lesse O sweet exchange O unsearchable worke-manship O benefits surpassing all expectation 2. Cor. 5.21 that the iniquity of many should be covered in one just person now Christ beares our sins and was made sin for us which knew no sin not as if our sinnes had beene infused into him and had beene inherent and inhabitant in him but because they were imputed to him
Justification to be in the workes of the Law and doth absolutely ascribe it to the power of faith in Christ and he giveth a reason of this doctrine for saith hee If righteousnesse be by the Law Gal. 2.21 then Christ dyed without cause So then the very cause why Christ died was that righteousnesse might be imputed and apprehended by faith to all them that believe seeing that by workes it is impossible and therefore saith the Prophet David Psal 32.1 Blessed is he whose unrighteousnesse is forgiven Verse 2. and whose sinnes are covered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne so hee thinketh them most righteous that have their unrighteousnesse forgiven them and them most holy that have not their sins imputed unto them Rom. 4. The fourth to the Romanes the whole Chapter is an earnest and sufficient proofe of this argument and doctrine where the Apostle laboureth by direct evidence to satisfie all doubt as if hee had fore-knowne the stiffe and unreconcileable oppositions of these times against this doctrine of Justification in which Chapter he maketh Abraham his instance in whom there was as much cause of boasting and as much righteousnesse as in any other particular save Christ Jesus onely yet he there proveth that Abraham upon whom God had founded his peculiar people was not justified by the righteousnesse of his workes but that this faith was imputed unto him for righteousnesse and for proofe alleadgeth Scripture Gen. 15.6 And Abraham believed the Lord and hee accounted that to him for righteousnesse so that the matter of our justification is the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ onely and the meanes of apprehending it is onely by faith This doctrine howsoever it is made strong and unresistable by many testimonies of holy Scripture and though it be zealously maintained by men of great learning and religious judgement yet it hath endured violence and suffered disgrace both by ignorance and envie this age maintaining such oppositions of error as the ignorance of former times first occasioned thereforâ— at this day this argument of justification is one of the maine controversies of the world the one maintaine justification by faith onely the other by workes that defending truth this opposing it and though a faithfull man would be willing to quarrell in defence of faith Note Psal 91.4 faith being our shield of defence against all gaine-sayers sin and the dwell yet know not how to give addition of strength to them that have already exceedingly travelled in this manifest truth and whose faithfull paines have maintained this quarrell with valour and victory against all opposition neither is it in the purpose of this businesse to dispute questions of truth but to deliver truth as it is by admonitions and plaine teachings to men of simple easie understanding for whose Christian good these paines are principally taken whose simplicity might most easily be confounded in the intricate search of cunning arguments for these respects And because all contention and strife of words is in the hatred of my nature I will as I finde it written downe sparingly deliver my selfe in a large argument and strike onely one blow at the enemy of faith that I may bee knowne to be an enemy of that enemy and that by a familiar proofe I may instruct the knowledge of them that are lesse learned For they that deny justification by fayth and approve it by works would frame this argument from the testimony of Saint James Jam. 2.17 c. who speaking of a generall faith doth utterly disable it from the office of justification and therefore he saith that Faith without workes is dead in it selfe for as the body without the spirit is dead even so faith without workes is dead also Therefore say they that the Apostle concludeth that of workes a man is justified and not of faith onely To this is answered it is most true that fruitlesse faith is dead neyther can justifie and that good workes are the spirit and soule of a living faith for as the body without the soule is not a living man but a dead carcase so faith without workes is not living is not saving nay is not true faith but onely beares a generall name and with Saint Iames wee may conclude against all such faith But if there be a faith that hath a necessity depending of good workes as necessarily as the soule to the body and the fruit to the tree and that this faith declare it selfe to bee plentifull in good actions the fruits of a living faith we may then with Saint James conclude against them for hee doth not as they doe disinable all faith in the worke of justification but onely that faith which is dead Note and without workes So both opinions imply a necessity of workes the one as the cause of justification and the other as an effect in them justified It were easie to be large in numbring authorities and in reporting such distinctions and shifts as the deceived use in supporting their erroneous opinions they are but inventions therefore without respect wee will passe them over Note but advise the Christian Reader to beware of both extreames and modestly and moderately to understand the meanes of his justification that his zeale carry him to no extremity but to the vertuous meane onely and not to ascribe all to fayth and nought to workes but to give them both their necessary respects for as wee are not justified but by fayth so our fayth is not justified but by our workes for if our works be not faythfull our fayth working we are not justified neyther can be saved For when it is said that fayth onely justifieth it is meant and not denyed that charity is joyned with that fayth which justifieth being inseparably united unto it but that onely fayth and not charity is the meanes by which we embrace Jesus Christ our justification righteousnesse As for example the fire hath heate and light which qualities cannot bee severed in that subject Note yet the fire burneth by heate only and not by light now if they will reason say if the heate of the fire only burn Similitude then it burneth without the light of the fire but that it cannot do such is their reason against justification only because it cannot be separated from charity Likewise though the parts of mans body bee joyned together and one is not without another in a perfect body yet the eye onely sees and the eare onely heares and every part hath his distinct office and so hath faith and charity Thus may the seeming difference betweene Saint Paul and Saint Iames bee reconciled Heb. 11. but such fayth and workes as Saint Paul meaneth justifie us before God but such fayth and workes as Saint Iames meaneth justifie us before men but God doth justifie effectually fayth doth justifie apprehendingly and good workes doe justifie declaringly that is we doe declare our selves by our workes
God of whose truth being a thing altogether infallible it were a wicked matter to doubt that wee doe believe also Christ the Sonne of God as when we doe believe his Word to be the Word of the onely begotten Sonne of God sent unto us from his Father for Christ saith He that believeth in me shall have life everlasting John 6.40 c. Vers 29. 1 John 3.23 this is the worke of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent To believe him as Christ the anoynted of God is to believe him in all poynts his words his actions and not to doubt any whit of any his sayings wee should not onely believe of God and God but also in God and to believe in God is to direct all our hope unto God and with sure confidence and trust to depend upon his goodnesse This third degree of fayth riseth upon the first two for whosoever doe believe of God and believeth God also aright cannot choose but assuredly and with all his heart depend upon the truth and goodnesse of his promise for otherwise it is no Christian fayth but a false fayth which is not faith but opinion John 14.1 11 12. for Christ saith unto his Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled yee believe in God believe also in me Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me Verely verely I say unto you hâ—e that believeth on me the workes that I doe the same shall he doe also By which words he requireth beliefe and trust in him aswell as in God the Father This Christian fayth is onely true and necessary to the obtayning of everlasting salvation but we must understand that the nature and disposition of God is such that no unfaithfull person can please him for how should the unfaithfull person please him who is the most true and faythfull of all thereupon commeth that saying to the Hebrews Heb. 11.6 that without faith it is impossible to please God Therefore no man can be blessed without fayth for how can hee be blessed which pleaseth not God but such that have no care for their everlasting salvation they be not compelled by any necessity to believe for they may perish without faith But they that doe desire to be saved must of necessity thinke upon faith John 3.16 without the which they cannot be saved Our Saviour sayd that God so lâ—ved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to that end intent and purpose that whosoever doe believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life It is also necessary for every Christian man to know that Christ the Sonne of God is sent into this world from the father to redeeme and save sinners Christ saith This is everlasting life to know God the Father John 17. and Iesus Christ the Sonne whom he hath sent This knowledge is so incomprehensible to mans understanding that it seemeth unto him meere foolishnesse because the wisdome of the world is not capable to comprehend it therefore it is necessary that it be attayned by fayth by the power of the spirit By this mee know that Christ is the Sonne of God John 6.29 Wee ought likewise to believe all those things which doe concerne the resurrection the ascension the Priesthood and everlasting Kingdome of Christ and that he sitteth and ruleth at the right hand of his Father and for his comming againe to judge with the rising to judgement and life everlasting to come all which matters cannot be comprehended without faith Rom. 4 5 6. chap. Wee are required also of necessity to believe those things which the holy Spirit doth worke in our hearts to our salvation when as Christ doth forgive us our sinnes through fayth in his blood and so doth justifie us and when hee by his grace makes us the children of God by adoption 1 John 1 c. Acts 15. Gal. 5. Rom. 10. 1 Pet. 5. Rom. 5. Heb. 10. when hee doth purifie our hearts and maketh us able to doe good workes and to love our Christian brethren when hee stirreth us up by godly motions to call upon our Father by prayer to withstand Satan to be constant and persevere also in troubles all those things bee so wrought in the Elect of God by the vertue of the grace of Christ that none of them can be done in any man unlesse he hath Christian fayth this is a great poynt of wisdome in man to know from whence these gifts doe come This consideration doth admonish us that they which doe lacke true fayth must cry unto him who doth only worke the same in our hearts by the operation of his holy Spirit Faith is the gift of God and we doe receive it into the soule by the instrument of the body for so wonderfull great is the grace and the lovingnesse of God toward us that hee doth not only promise everlasting life and salvation unto us wretched sinners if we doe believe in him but hee doth also give them this gift that they may believe in him therefore it is a cleare matter that we have nothing in our flesh whereof we may glory Let them therefore which have but a weake and a small fayth pray with the Apostle Lord increase our faith Let them which bee strong in fayth acknowledge the gift of God and magnifie his grace if they doe see any that doe lacke the same gift of fayth let them pray to God for them the authour and giver of fayth that hee will vouchsafe to give them also the spirit of fayth It is manifest that true fayth is the gift of God How Gods gifts be given and Gods gifts are bestowed two manner of wayes some hee gives immediately without any ministry or helpe of man as the soule life understanding will appetite and those things which doe helpe towards the sustentation of our life love hatred feare of evill power to see to heare to smel to taste and to touch and those outward things as the Sunne Moone light day night aire summer and winter c. and some things the attained by the meanes of mans ministery and industry as a secondary meanes as the body the nutriment of the body corne bread wine clothes and such other like yea civill governement publique quiet by true justice in the magistrate arts sciences tongues usage and experience of things Againe some things be so given of God that hee which receiveth them doth not perceive that he receiveth them as when the soule is joyned to the body and life put into it and some things are received with perceivance of mans understanding as those things be which are given to men of ripe and good yeers and they may be perceived either in body as corporall gifts either in spirit as spiritual gifts Whether faith be given without measure Consequently we must consider also that all and singular gifts of God as well corporall as spirituall whether that they be given
spiration for as the Sonne receiveth the whole divine essence by generation so the holy Ghost receiveth it wholly by spiration Rom. 11.36 But because the Father created As Redemption Act. 20.28 and Sanctification and still governeth the world by the Sonne in the holy Ghost therefore these externall actions are indifferently in the Scripture often times ascribed to each of the three persons and therefore are called Communicable and divided actions 1 Pet. 1.23 so that when wee say that the divine essence is in the Father unbegotten in the Sonne begotten and in the holy Ghost proceeding we make not three essences but onely shew the divers manner of subsisting by which the same most simple eternall and unbegotten essence subsisteth in each person namely that it is not in the Father by generation that is in the Sonne communicated from the Father by generation and in the holy Ghost communicated from both the Father and the Sonne by proceeding These are incommunicable and doe make not an essentiall accidentall or rationall but a reall distinction betwixt the three persons And because the divine essence common to all the three persons is but one we call the same Unitie But because there be three distinct persons in this one indivisible essence we call the same Trinity So that this Unitie in Trinity and Trinity in Unitie is a holy Mysterie rather to be religiously adored by faith Iob 11.7 then curiously searched into by reason That God is one in Trinity 1. These things be manifest and must with a simple and cleare faith be believed that God is one in essence nature God-head will moving and working three in three persons of which every one hath severall subsistence and propertie which for all that be so in God that the Essence Nature God-head Majesty working will power honour and continuance for ever is common to them all all coessentiall all coeternall The Appellations of the persons for wee see that these three persons are called in holy Scriptures God the Word the Spirit but more plainly by Christ the Father the Sonne and the holy Spirit Matth. 28.19 We see that the faith of this holy Trinitie is not meant to be three Gods but three unsearchable subsistences or persons in one true God set forth to man for the better knowledge of Christ his only begotten Son and for the increase of his glory according to the measure of his revelation A Similitude For as two divers and sundry natures joyned together in one man doe not make two men but both doe still conserve the unitie of one person so that it remaineth still one man made of soule and body why then should it not sinke into our heads that three subsistences in one God neither in being neither in nature be divers but altogether equall and even doe not let but that the unitie of God remaineth still one A Similitude of the Sunne Who is so weake of judgement or so foolish of understanding to believe that there are three sunnes being indeed but one because there is three qualities or effects in the sunne First as it were a fountaine of light Note never ceasing Secondly the cleare shining brightnesse which commeth thereof Thirdly the heate breathing out and proceeding from them both The similitude of man who is so mad to determine or Imagine that a man hath three spirits because there are found three as it were divers substances the soule the minde and the will the soule whereby man liveth and moveth the minde whereby hee understandeth judgeth and discerneth the heart or will whereby hee willeth or willeth not hateth or loveth is sorry or glad becommeth good or evill these things are manifestly found in our selves wherby we may be led as by the hand to know the one and true God in this holy Trinity of Persons and in Trinity a perfect unity of God-head how may it bee rightly understood Iob 11.7 how the soule breedeth the minde and how the will commeth of them both By what way then can wee understand the divine birth of the Word of God and the proceeding of the holy Spirit thus in briefe I thought meete to note concerning this question what God is for the simpler sorts sake to the intent they may understand how farre forth the use thereof may doe them good that be desirous to apply their knowledge and understanding to God to the study of true godlinesse and not unto curiosity Iohn 1.1 2 c. And take this by the way that as the naturall sonne of man is naturally man so is the naturall Sonne of God naturally God and of one Essence with his Father but this knowledge of the holy Trinity was somewhat hidden till the revelation of the Word that tooke flesh When the holy Spirit began more especially to worke then this mystery of the Trinity in God was openly set forth by Christ when he said Goe teach all People Math. 28.19 The revelation of the holy Trinity baptising them in the Name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost and then conferred his grace upon them whereby the ministery of the holy Trinity began to be opened unto the world should bee a manifest witnesse to the people that whosoever should bee received into that grace should in the Sacrament of the first admission confesse themselves to bee sanctified in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Thus farre of the divers manner of being in the divine essence Now of the Attributes thereof and first of the Nominall The Attributes of God are of two sorts either Nominall or Reall The Nominall attributes are of three sorts the first which signifie Gods Essence Secondly the Persons in the Essence Thirdly those which signifie his essentiall workes The first is named a Exod. 6.3 c. Exod. 15.3 c. Psal 83.18 Esay 48.11 Jehovah which signifieth Eternall being of himselfe in whom is being without all beginning all other beings both begin and end he is named Iehovah not onely in respect of being and causing all things to be but especially in respect of his gracious promises which without faile hee will fulfill in his appointed time and so causeth that to be which was not before Esay 55.7 Iohn 14.2 3. and upon our true repentance hee will assuredly pardon and forgive us all our sinnes at the time of death receive our soules and in the resurrection raise up our bodies in glory to life everlasting therefore this Name is a golden pledge unto us that because hee hath promised hee will surely performe unto us Exod. 3.14 Vers 13. The second Name denoting Gods Essence is Eheieh but once read and of the same roote that Iehovah is and signifieth I am that I am for when Moses asked God by what name hee should call him God then named himselfe Eheieh Ascher Eheieh I am that I am or I will be that I will
part thereof essentially and vertually but more especially in the Memorie Will They are the faculties of the soule and Understanding so every man by his contemplative and imaginarie presence is every where as when wee doe set before us as present Ephes 1.18 those things which by considering we doe see within our mind in diligent contemplation and imagination and by this we doe present unto our minds both things farre off past and to come 1 Cor. 5.3 and this spirituall presence is that whereby we be present in spirit though farre off absent in body Againe God is present every where in his might power and working For as an earthly king is royally present in every place of his kingdome and dominions by his Officers Magistrates and Ministers though not in his corporall presence and this kinde of presence is more fit and convenient for the majestie of a king Eccles 17. then if hee were every where present in his person so it is with God for though he is and dwelleth in heaven principally in his majestie and glorie 1 Cor. 12.6 yet by his might Ephes 4.6 power and working he is every where present on earth and worketh all in all and through all for it is not in mans power to order his own waies or to rule and governe himselfe Jerem. 10.23 his steps and goings It is not here meant nor determined that the qualitie of Gods nature be that wherein consisteth the habite disposition naturall power or lacke of power affection God is three waies to be considered and distinguished that is to say of what quality he is in his Essence what in Person and what in Nature forme fashion and the like which the Logicians consider in qualitie but the same which hath his greatest propertie to distinct the nature of God which distinction is made from all others which be made of him according to the which God is of that qualitie as agreeth onely to himselfe which passeth all things else not onely in excellencie worthinesse and majestie but also that by his wisedome might power and great goodnesse hee maketh governeth preserveth and nourisheth all things for looke of what qualitie the works of God and the holy Scriptures doe set forth and declare him to be of such qualitie wee may well say is his nature for hee is such in the qualitie of his nature as hee is tried and found to be in his working Eccles 8.17 It is neither necessarie or possible to finde and search out exactly the qualitie of his majestie and worthinesse Job 11.7 8. much lesse of his Essence but it is sufficient for the godly man to adore the Unitie of his Essence and the exceeding and incomprehensible highnesse of his Majestie and worthinesse in spirit Wisd 12. and to seeke the qualitie of his nature in his workes and in the holy Scriptures and so content himselfe with the testimonie of them both And thereby and therein let him learne understand and know that the nature of God in it selfe is to it selfe all-sufficient in all points and that it is everlasting infinite unsearchable incomprehensible and Almightie towards those things which hee hath made Jer. 32.20 21. and that hee hath might power and authoritie over all things and ruleth preserveth and governeth all things that be in heaven earth and waters and that hee is good favourable and loving towards men gentle Wisd 11. and mercifull fore-seeing and fore-knowing all things present every where slow unto anger true wise just judging every man rightly according to their deserts which is reported and set forth of him in holy Scriptures and thereby wee may be assured of what qualitie Gods nature is And seeing these things be peculiar and naturall unto him and in him it followeth that they are perpetuall voluntarie accustomable and very readie in him without any moving cause in us therefore when we doe consider that universall providence and sufficiencie of God whereby he provideth for the necessitie of all his creatures generally that be in heaven earth and waters that thereby they may live increase and continue that one and the same God is the bottomlesse fountaine of all things that be created by him hee his alone sufficient to all and whatsoever is in heaven earth or waters is of him Jam. 1.17 both whatsoever hath or be without life heavenly or earthly creatures and living in the waters reasonable Colos 1. Jerem. 32.17 19 20 17. or unreasonable having soule or without soule is of him all matter substance essence nature life sustentation of life food powers qualities both of spirit soule or body all-sight hearing understanding 1 Cor. 12.4.11 Wisd 13. wisedome knowledge fore-sight all strength of imagining reason judging remembring loving hating desiring refusing strength and motion is of him yea whatsoever things else which doe outwardly happen or come either by Angells men or beasts or otherwise is of him For as Saint Paul saith That of him through him Rom. 11.36 and for him are all things The holy Scriptures doe manifestly teach Who can magnifie him so greatly as he is to be magnified and almost point out unto us as it were before our eyes not onely what and of what qualitie Gods workes be but also what his Spirit intent and purpose is towards man-kind wherein no doubt the nature of God is sufficiently declared unto us wherefore it is needfull and to great purpose to joyne the lessons of the holy Scriptures unto the workes of God for as much as in them both we are instructed of the nature of God but the knowledge of his workes is more generall unto us For as much as the visible points of Gods nature his everlasting vertue and God-head may be seene in them in the understanding of mans reason if diligently wee consider and ponder them in our hearts by those things which have beene done and be daily done by him universally Psal 107.43 That God through the brightnesse of his workes doth rebound upon the mindes of wise men and so doth open and manifest himselfe unto them by the daily experience which the long and continuall order of Gods workes doth yeeld and set forth unto them of understanding Wisd 13 but the knowledge which is obtained and gotten out of holy Scriptures must have faith whereby to credite and believe the testimonies of the holy Spirit Thus by experience and faith the Elect and faithfull may to their salvation attaine to the knowledge of Gods nature Rom. 1.18 c. which the Reprobates pervert to their owne judgement God cannot worke but according to the quality of his Nature But he cannot worke but according to the quality of his nature for as one said as each man is such is his saying and doing which though it bee verified of men yet it may be better verified of God and applied to him then to man for mans wit is so perverse that by
If thou believest that God is the Soveraigne good why is not thy heart more setled upon him then on al worldly goods If thou dost indeed believe that God is a just Judge how darest thou live so securely in sinne without repentance If thou dost truely believe that God is most wise Rom. 8.28 why dost thou not referre the events of crosses and disgraces unto him who knoweth how to turne all things to the best unto them that love him If thou art perswaded that God is true why dost thou doubt of his promises and if thou believest that God is beauty and perfection it selfe why dost thou not make him the chiefe end of all thy desires and affections for if thou lovest Beautie hee is most faire If Riches he is most wealthy If thou seekest Wisdome hee is most wise whatsoever excellencie thou hast seene in any Creature it is nothing but a sparkle of that which is in the Infinite perfection in God Application Therefore love that one good God and thou shalt love him in whom all the good of goodnesse consisteth he that would therefore attaine to the saving Knowledge of God must learne to know him by love 1 Joh. 4.8 Ephes 3.19 for God is Love and the knowledge of the love of God passeth all understanding for all knowledge in the world besides to know how to love God Eccles 1.2.17 and to serve him onely is nothing upon Salomons Creed but Vanity of vanities trouble of mind and vexation of spirit Kindle therefore in mee my good God Charity Rom. 5.9 10. Joh. 17.3.22 1 Cor. 15.28 the love of thy selfe in my soule especially seeing it was thy good pleasure that being reconciled by the blood of Christ wee should be brought by the knowledge of thy grace to the communion of thy glory wherein only consisteth our soveraigne good and happinesse for evermore Thus by the light of his owne Word wee have seene the backe parts of Jehovah Elohim the eternall Trinity whom to worship is true Piety whom to believe is saving Faith and Verity and unto whom from all Creatures in heaven and earth be ascribed all Praise Glory Honour Might Majesty Power and Dominion for evermore Amen Of divine Directions declaring the variable state and misery of Man from the time of his Creation to the time of the Gospel or the new Covenant of Grace Of the generall Knowledge of God VVHen first I began to understand of God I had this imagination that God was a generall power within whose circle all things are without whom nothing by whom all things were made and to whom all men ow their service This learning was taught mee by the wisdome of my naturall soule and by the common example of Christians for all men acknowledge a God and all Christians their duties this is the common knowledge of men but not the profitable more commendable in Philosophers than Christians being without use without application I have therefore better endevoured my selfe and studied to know God my God to know him in his divine nature in the trinity of persons and in their offices for thus to know and then to apprehend and apply is salvation To know God in his nature we must know His Attributes and rightly understand God in his said Attributes all which may be reduced to these two generalls Justice and Mercy in all which we must consider him to be Infinite in wisedome Infinite in favour Infinite in power The Trinity and Infinite in time The Trinity is the distinction of persons without denying the substance or nature of God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost though they be three distinct in name they are one in power without division without inequality the Sonne begotten as ancient as the Father the Holy Ghost prooceeding from them both is equall with them both no priority in their Omnipotency but all of them being alike able in all things and alwaies conspiring one end without discord The foundation of Religion this divine mysterie is the foundation of Christian Religion without which there is no faith no salvation It is further necessary to know the Trinity in their severall offices for though the God-head be so undivided as that no one person in the Trinity doth worke without cooperation the Father Son Severall offices in the Trinity and the Holy Ghost conspiring in every act of every severall person yet in the wisedome of their owne decree they have determined to the severall persons of the Trinity severall executions of offices wherein the whole Trinity conspire yet some one person in the Trinity hath the name of principall therefore wee say God the Father made the world God the Sonne redeemed it God the Holy Ghost doth governe it The creation of the world is ascribed to God the Father The Trinity conspire in every worke yet he made the world and the works therein by his Word This Word was God the second person in the Trinity who did cooperate and worke with God in the Creation the Holy Ghost also moved upon the waters to divide the seas and distinguish light from darknesse all of them joyntly and severally executing the decrees of their owne divine counsell Jer. 10.12 13. The worke of our Redemption is properly ascribed to the Sonne the second person of the Trinity who descended from his Majesty 1 Cor. 5.55 and in his owne person came to make a conquest of sinne hell and death The Holy Ghost doth governe the world the Father and the Sonne assisting yet in this most gracious worke the Father and the Holy Ghost were not absent but gave divine assistance to our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ when he ascended left the Holy Ghost to be a patron to the Catholique Church the which in all occasions doth support every member of the same yet the Father and the Sonne have their hands of providence at all times working with the Holy Ghost in this divine government therefore howsoever they have their severall assignments by themselves appointed yet they all conspire in every worke of holinesse all of them participating one worke one honour Thus to know God is needfull for every soule that desireth happinesse One labour one honour in the Trinity or that coveteth to have part in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ without whom there is no salvation God being then of a nature infinitely good infinite great it ought to move in every foule a double affection Men ought to live in Gods imitation love and feare to feare him because he can destroy to love him because he will not It ought also to provoke all men to an imitation of God that such to whom God hath given greatnesse they use it with moderation of mercy which onely is able to make the great good and the honourable in place honourable in condition for as God is so good men their soules are his images and their actions his imitations Againe God is a
power distinguished in three persons the power is not divided every person in the Deity equall and in just comparison all of them but one God and every person God all of them conspiring the same ends from eternity to eternity this ought but is not the condition of men Princes and the great on earth Psal 82.6.7 are called gods these ought like God to combine themselves in holy action and to bend their power against the enemies of God and man sinne and the sinfull and not with implacable displeasure Such are merely politique respect greatnesse without goodnesse to destroy themselves and their estates with civill disagreements for though God say they are gods he saith they shall dye like men and if evill men they are then no gods but divells enemies to God enemies to the good and as in the nature of God mercy doth triumph and hath pre-eminence Mercy the best proof of goodnesse so in all the godly there should be a gracious pitty with which they ought to be most affected and God himselfe best pleased When I had thus considered the nature of God his Omnipotency his Mercy and other Attributes The cause is every mans duty it caused me to question my owne life and to search the records of my owne actions whereby I understood the truth of my miseries that I was guilty and deserved death and torments Mans desert as if the Justice of God had given sentence against mee then was the knowledge of Gods Majesty a terrour unto me I conceived in my feare the very forms of his indignation and I began to feele in my soule the very terrour of condemnation as if God had given sentence Mercy gives hope in greatest extremity and my soule in the sence of execution In this astonishment I remembred mercy and that God was so delighted in the use thereof as that he carefully watcheth cause and opportunity to give it Acknowledgment most necessary I did therefore acknowledge and submit my selfe to favour God did descend his greatnesse accepted my acknowledgement and gave me the allowance of his mercy then I reduced to memory what my Saviour had done for the Redemption of mankind The promises onely belong to the faithfull and penitent what he had promised the faithfull what the penitent I believed received strength and had my hope established and growing bold with these encouragements I desired and obtained the Sonne of God to restore me the Spirit of God to continue me restored reformed How to judge of good and evill then could my soule receive content in divine meditations then could I despise the profits of the earth and the vaine pleasures of men then could I justly value the honours of this life weigh them with vanity and esteeme them lighter then could I discerne vertue in poverty and holinesse in a contemptible degree of fortune The benefit of patience then I could see the patient beare their load with alacrity and secretly scorne at the base estimation of the earth Thus a reformed Judgement can teach to know and love know and hate let mee love and be beloved of God let me hate and be hated of the World These and many other things attributed to God in Scriptures teach us of what manner his Nature is that is to say good loving kind mercifull faithfull true upright just liking the humble and abhorring the proud The things of nature in God be everlasting slow to revenge wise and foreseeing and being so not by other helpe nor by chance but naturally and of himselfe it followeth that the like nature must for ever and unchangeably keepe in him which thing bringeth unto the faithfull an incredible comfort But in case we finde any other in him than this wee must understand that it is by some speciall sufferance and onely for a time and yet for all that the quality of his Nature in no point altered though some time he seemeth contrary to himselfe Psal 18. but that is to the ungodly perverse and to the destruction of them but the good and godly finde him alwaies such as his nature is The fire at Babylon seemed to have lost his nature A similitude when it saved harmelesse the three Children cast into the Oven but yet it used the strength of his nature toward them Dan. 3.20 c. which made the fire even so wee must thinke of God and alwaies marke what he doth by sufferance to punish the malice of the wicked and what also hee doth according to the quality of his Nature Rom. 11.33 O the deepenesse of the riches of the Wisdome and Knowledge of God how unsearchable are his Iudgements and his waies past finding out Of the Creation of the World THe Creation of the World hath beene the admiration of all men that knew not God nor believed Scripture Wisd 13. because their understanding was darkned wanting divine light they were not able to comprehend the knowledge of so high a secret Therefore the Philosophers have vainely and diversly disagreed in their severall constructions of the beginning of the World The vaine opinion of Philosophers some denying that the World ever had beginning but that it was derived by the power of nature from all eternity and eternall perpetuity to maintaine which absurdity they would demand how God made the world what instruments hee used in the building of so wonderfull a frame and withall holding that God could worke no otherwise then the order and meanes of secondary causes would beare and leade him unto But the truth is God is free in operation God is free in operation and not tied to any second cause or secondary meanes without which he can doe what he will and that which he doth by them and can alter and change them at his pleasure wherein may appeare their grosse mis-understanding of God his Nature that he like man If wee cannot conceive Gods wonderfull workes much lesse his unsearchable wisdome could not worke without the helpe of meanes and instruments Others more true more learned concluded that of necessity the World must have a beginning and that there was a Power Eternall which made moved and governed all things and the reason that the World was not eternall had this sufficient argument That the World did suffer detriment and decay in it selfe and the Elements had lost the purity of their nature which they had in the beginning the moving of the spheares and celestiall bodies which of all things in the World are most constant had endured some alteration so that nothing in the World All worldly things subject to alteration but did suffer a change which could not be if it were eternall This grounded reason did convince the common opinion of the Worlds eternity and did prevaile with them that could not be perswaded but by the power of reason This is not to perswade Christians but infidels and epicures
how to judge our selves which would prove much more terrible unto us the manner of this judgement is thus when the Spirit of God moves in any mans heart a desire to understand themselves the soule assembles the powers of his understanding and exerciseth the severall faculties in severall assignements and within himselfe by serious meditation can frame the order of a court the man body and soule hee is the prisoner at the barre hee is also both the witnesse and the judge the matter of his inditement is sinne his conscience is his accuser Conscience is our accuser his memory doth produce the witnesses his judgement doth pronounce the sentence and the divell attend the execution thus are the faculties of the soule disposed in judging of it selfe the soule against the soule producing the Law proving the forfeit and urging the penalty Now that which hath most busie care in this spirituall and most serious examination and judgement of our selves is the conscience by which the soule hath true intelligence and understanding in what condition it is 1 Cor. 11.31.32 and by whose authority the judgement of that spirituall Court is swayed the conscience giving testimony of all our actions good and evill whereby our judging part is directed without errour and to make a just proceeding without all parriality and therefore saith the wise man Eccles 14.2 Blessed is he that is not condemned in his owne conscience For if there be any just matter of condemnation against us there is no favour can bribe our conscience for that will to our selves accuse our selves of every sinne and reduce to memory many our sinnefull actions which but for our conscience we could not remember and therefore the Scribes and Pharises that brought the woman taken in adultery to Christ John 8.9 and demanded what judgement shee deserved were remembred and accused by their owne conscience of their owne guilt of sinne whereof they seemed to bee innocent or ignorant when â—s Christ said Let him that is without sinne Vers 7. cast the fi st stoâ—e at her so that they that were so busie in the câ—â—â—demnation of another were condemned themselves by the testimony of their owne conscience their conscience making them apply their accusations to themselves which but then they had urged against anotheâ— And doubtlesse The spirituall power of the conscience it is a wonderfull degree of power the conscience hath in the spirituall triall of our soules in two respects First it knoweth all our sins both secret and open no man being able to hide them from the knowledge of his conscience Secondly it spareth no man neither any sin but without respect of any it urgeth all against all men yea the very sinnes of our thoughts are not privileged but are even in the knowledge and hatred of our conscience therefore saith Saiâ—t Paul Rom. 2.15 Their conscience bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing or excusing one another and Almighty God when hee shall gather together all flesh to judgement and expose before the Saints and Angels the severall actions of every mans life whereby they may be judged accordingly either to mercy or justice He hath devised in his wisedome Our conscience shall reprove us in the day of judgement that every one should have a witnesse in himselfe which is their conscience the which in our life time doth register both our good and evill actions and at our judgement doth both witnesse and declare them and at that day the booke of every mans conscience is opened wherein is writ a true circumstance of every particular action of every mans life and these records these consciences are they that give evidence for and against our selves at the day of Gods generall judgement Rev. 20.12 c. And I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened that is all mens consciences wherein was writ the report of all their actions Thus wee may see what the office of our conscience is both in respect of our owne spirituall judgement which is our reformation and in respect of the generall judgement of God which must be to every one The manner of the accusation of conscience either eternall salvation or damnation Now the manner that conscience useth in this administration is worth our consideration that all men generally have a conscience the which God hath united inseparably to our reasonable natures And therefore not onely they that are of Christian beliefe and have the rules of Religion to teach them but men meerely naturall and ignorant of divine worship doe suffer the affliction of their wounded conscience which though it be in a farre inferiour degree of that of understanding Christians yet it doth in some proportion exercise a judgement on the soule and doth both remember and terrifie them that grossely offend against the Law of nature which to them is the Law of reason and Religion this is proved by the same place of Scripture before alledged that the Bookes of all the dead were opened Rev. 20.12 the word all excludes none from them the accusation of conscience all are then afflicted by conscience but not all alike effectually The Infidells that know not God The difference in the conscience of Christians and Infideâ—ls but onely as they are taught by the wisdome of nature their conscience doth but remember the offender his great sins only and that sparingly and with favour a Christian conscience is more severe for it remembers all men all their sins without favour without exception there is this difference also that of Infidels and wicked men doth often remember the offender his sin but afflicts him not A Christian conscience hath griefe neither provokes him to repentance but the conscience of Christians doth fearefully remember the sinner his sinne and doth wound the soule of the offender with sorrow and spirituall griefe making him pursue the meanes of his reformation and hate the cause for which his conscience doth so afflict him The difference of conscience among Christians this is the difference betwixt the conscience of a Christian and an infidell There is also great difference of conscience amongst Christians for as in the common sort that professe the Christian Religion the greater part is by much the worse and the choice particulars being the true worshippers of God are but few drawne out from an inf nite number of people so also though all that have a Christian name professe to have a Christian conscience The conscience of a Reprobate yet their conscience is no better then their Christianity onely a bare name whereof they have no spirituall use nor comfort Conscience in the Reprobate is either silent or outragious the silent conscience in the Reprobate is when custome and long continuance of sinning doth dull the sense of conscience Looke to your conscience what conscience yee have for conscience will damne and conscience will save and
be chosen into the adoption of the children of God as we may see in the first to the Ephesians Ephes 1.4 wherefore the worke of our Redemption was not ordained to be brought to passe but by this Word this way being agreeable with the eternall predestination of the Will of God The Word is made flesh for Christ is the Incarnate Word God and man to admonish us whereof Christ is that is of the Word and flesh so that wee must consider that in his nativity there is not onely the nature of man but the nature also of God joyned together personally with the nature of man wherefore we must use and hold most firme and stedfast this circumlocution of Christ Christ taketh the man-hood into his Godhood as is expressed by the holy Spirit for though it is said the Word is made flesh hee doth not meane simply flesh but the soule and spirit with the flesh also that is the whole man for by the word of flesh there is not meant that man onely whom the Virgin did beare was received of the word into this conjunction but the very nature of man-kind for the redeeming and restoring of which this Incarnation of the Word was predestinated from everlasting so that wee must judge that the Word was made not onely the Sonne of the Virgin Mary Luke 3. but surely also the sonne of Adam and of Eve which is diligently expressed by Luke in the genealogie of Christ The weaknesse of man taken upon the word the word flesh also signifieth mans weaknesse that we may also know that the Word of God is not so made man that it tooke those things only upon it which pertaine to mans spirit and foule but it tooke the infirmity of our flesh also saving sinne onely Mat. 21.18 Mar. 14.33.34 which is sufficiently expressed in the very race of his dispensation when he hungred and thirsted ate and dranke was made merry slept wept was made sorry and after suffered death all which things were not fained by him by counterfeiting but truely declared according to the truth of mans nature What can be more conjunct and more united then that everlasting Trinity in the God-head of the Persons yet it cannot be said that the Father is made the Sonne or the holy Spirit or the Sonne the Father or the holy Spirit An excellent note to be observed or the holy Spirit the Father or the Sonne as it is here spoken of the Word that it is made flesh Why because the unity of the holy Trinity is of godly nature and not of person that is to say consisteth not Ephes 5.31 The communicating of nature doth consist in getting and bearing and not in creating and making of one and the selfe same person but of one selfesame nature Againe the man and the woman be so joyned and united by wedlocke that they doe become into one flesh for saith the Apostle They be not two but one flesh and yet no man can truely say that the man is made the woman why because the man and the woman be not coupled into one selfesame person but in wedlocke they bee two persons joyned together into one flesh and nature but it may bee sayd that the word was made flesh though it did not simply take our flesh but ioyned it selfe unto it in unity of person Personall unity and the condition of personall unity that albeit it doe comprehend divers natures yet it is reported of the one that it is the other as in this cause it is reported of the word that it is made flesh he doth not say that the word was changed into flesh but the word was made flesh for then this change must have had an alteâ—ation of nature which cannot bee or take place in Christ for the word is not changed but still retaineth his nature neither it receiving flesh It is not possible God can leave to be God left his nature it is not possible that God can leave to be God the nature of God suffereth neither change nor end for it is immutable and infinite neither could the dispensation taken in hand beare it that the nature of man joyned unto the nature of God should loose those things which be proper unto it for so it might be inferred that Christ were not true man nor truly conceived nor borne of the Virgin Mary did not suffer dyed not nor rose againe from the dead which notwithstanding the holy Scriptures doe manifestly ascribe all these things unto him Wherefore the whole universall Church doe hold firmely and rightly that God was made man he tooke upon him that which he was not and lost not that which hee was neither doth the unity of person require the change of natures but doth reteine them both perfect and sound A similitude The soule and spirit is heavenly immortall and incorruptible but the flesh is earthly mortal corruptible The testimony of the Godhead and manhood of Christ cannot be vain Coloss 1. The person of man being one doth consist of a soule and body personally joyned together the soule is of a heavenly nature and beginning the body of an earthly the soule is immortall and not suffering corruption the body is mortall and corruptible and yet they be joyned together without confusion that in both remaineth still his owne nature The testimonies of the Godhead which bee given unto Christ in holy Scriptures should bee altogether vaine if the word were changed into flesh And againe if the flesh had beene changed into the word then all those testimonies and writings which the Evangelists doe set forth of the true manhood of Christ were not worthy to be believed The Apostle saith that all things are by Christ and that there dwelleth in him bodily all fulnesse of the Godhead take from him the nature of the word and this testimony of the Apostle is of no weight The Euangelists and Apostles doe witnesse of him Math. 1.1 Rom. 1.3 4. that hee is of the seed of Abraham and of David according to the flesh the fruit of the wombe of Mary conceived in her body and according unto the fulnesse of time appointed to women with child borne and such other things as they doe make mention of the course of his dispensation to manifest unto us that he was true man Eph. 5.30 passing over that which the Apostle witnesseth of him that wee are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh therefore all these things shall be false if the flesh of him lost that her nature by the conjunction of the word and turned it into godly nature Wherefore wee must diligently looke to our selves in this matter for because of false Doctors which doe bereave Christ of the true nature of our flesh because hee saith The word was made flesh Thus briefly to note of the beginning of the flesh of Christ whereby it is manifest enough how wicked an opinion they had which denyed the
truth thereof which they doe also which doe fondly devise it to bee conceived of the nature and substance of the holy Spirit for like as Christ said unto Nicodemus Iohn 3. Tâ—e same which is borne of the fl sh is flesh and the same which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit If Christ be borne of the substance of the holy Spirit and not of the substance of the Virgins flesh it followeth he is a Spirit and not flesh for the substance of any thing that is borne is most rightly deemed to be of the substance of it from whence it is hath his beginning Adam was called earthly because hee was taken out of the earth Thou art earthly saith God Gen 3.19 and shalt returne into earth againe But if we doe say Christ is a Spirit in as much as he is borne of the Virgin what doe wee else but deny that hee is man and so doe bring to nothing all his dispensation which hee tooke upon him in the flesh and withall the whole hope and certainety of our redemption which God forbid it appeareth clearer then the Sunne of the very birth of the flesh of Christ wrought by the holy Spirit by the power of the highest in the wombe of the Virgin and by the promises which went before and of those things which he suffered spake and did that he is true man yea the very sonne of man which can not be true unlesse hee hath the truth of our flesh It is very hard to finde out how the naturall child is conceived quickened nourished and growes in the mothers wombe of the seed of man after the accustomed course of nature much more how this unwonted and wonderfull incarnation of the word was perfected it passeth the compasse of mans understanding to yeeld a reason thereof Rom. 11.33 34. otherwise then was answered to the blessed Virgin her selfe by the Angell which is that it doth consist of the seed of man but of the vertue and operation of the holy Spirit for the Angell saith unto her The holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the highest stâ—ll shadow thee Which was conceived by the holy Spirit the blessed Virgin wondred saying shee had not touchâ—d a man how then should shee bring forth a child the Angell doth open the matter unto her that it shall not be by the accustomed course of nature by the seed of man Luke 1.26 c. but by the singular working of the vertue of God for the vertue and power of the highest is the holy Spirit wrought in the wombe of the Virgin and forming the sonne of man of her flesh blood and performing this incarnation of the word without any seed of man but the same man which the Virgin did beare was not onely man but through the conjunction of the word was both God and man And whereas it is holden by some Apollinaris Bishop of Laodicea Math. 26 38. Iohn 12.27 that the word tooke upon him flesh onely and not soule against such opinion marke what Christ said My soule is heavie even to death and in Iohn Now my soule is troubled By which words certainely he witnessed not onely that hee had a soule but such a soule also as was subject unto heavinesse and trouble which thing can in no wise be attributed unto the nature of the word in it selfe wherefore it must needs be understood of the soule of man which he tooke upon him Marke againe Luke 23.46 what Christ saith who speaking of his Spirit Father I commend my Spirit into thy hands and Jesus crying with a loud voyce Math. 27.50 gave up his Spirit These places cannot be understood as spoken of the Word of God nor of the holy Spirit but in any wise of the spirit of man which he tooke upon him By the consideration of these matters it is manifest Mans spirit is subject to passion and not Gods that the word is not so incarnated in the wombe of the Virgin that it tooke upon him either the bare flesh without the soule either the flesh and soule without the spirit of man but that this incarnation was so made that therein is comprehended both the soule and the spirit that is that the word tooke upon him the whole man As the soule is the life of man so is God the life of the soule with flesh spirit and soule of whence it commeth that some had rather call this conjunction of the word and flesh to be man rather then flesh for that that the fulnesse of the taking upon him of man or of mans nature is more expressed in the word of humanation then of incarnation Lastly is added also the cause of this incarnation the generall and summary cause is that mankind should be redeemed from sinne the Kingdome of Satan and everlasting condemnation and that he might abolish him by death which had the dominion of death that is the divell and to make them free which through feare of death were subject unto bondage for hee tooke not upon him the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life therefore the Apostle saith he ought to be made in all points like to his brethren For both he that doth sanctifiâ— Hebr. 2.11 and they which are sanctified be all of one Againe that he should be a mercifull and faithfull mediatour for his people Hebr. 2.17 concerning those matters which were to be wrought wiâ—h God the Father to cleanse the sinnes of the people which concerne our salvation Last of all he saith he was borne for us to the intent that hee which granted to us that we should be might grant to us also to continue in his favour and grace or rather to the intent that as we through the malice of the Divell fell from the state of innocency might be by his incarnation renovated againe by the comming of Christ unto men is that wee may returne againe unto God and putting off our old man sinne may put on the new man Jesus Christ and that like as wee dyed all in Adam so we may live in Christ be borne with Christ 1 Tim. 3.6 crucified buried and rise againe also with Christ to glory everlasting Of Christs Nativity LEt us withdraw our minds awhile from temporary things and let us contemplate the holy mysterie of the Lords Nativity â—al 4.5 the Sonne of God came downe from heaven unto us that by him wee might obtaine the adoption of children God made man that man may be made partaker of divine grace and nature his birth was pure and holy to sanctifie our impure and polluted nativity he is borne of a Virgin betrothed to an husband to honour both Virginity and Matrimony which was Gods institution he is borne in the darkenesse of the night Luk.
have deliverance from eternall captivity and torment Thirdly seeing Christ Jesus is the matter of the Covenant of grace betweene God and man it doth also most neerely concerne all men to endeavour all meanes possible A most needfull care is to be had of all men and by their eyes of faith to apprehend Christ who is onely to be apprehended by faith and so to receive the forme and impression of his sacred Image whereby they shall be truely interested in the possession of heaven when those that want this shall be rejected of God with this answer Away from me yee wicked for I know you not because yee have not the Image of my Sonne Fourthly seeing the whole matter of the Covenant of grace is fully contained in the words and workes of Jesus Christ and that all things necessary both to a civill and Christian life are contained in the Story of the holy Gospell it behoveth all men to give that sacred Word preheminence and that no man All directions must be conformed to Scripture neither any state or fellowship of men whatsoever presume to decree or ordaine Canons or Statutes Ecclesiasticall or civill which is any way repugnant or may prejudice the directions of Jesus Christ delivered and set forth in the most holy Gospell but as Christ our Prince our Priest and our Prophet hath given us either by doctrine or example Eccle. 18. Reve. 22.18 19 which needfull directions are necessary and of lawfull use either in a Christian Church or State so no Christian Church or State should presume to innovate or alter those directions which Christ our high Priest and great Prince hath left established unto us but in all directions both in Church and State there must be needfull care that every particular have relation to the truth of holy Scripture and be conformed to the example of Christ for whatsoever direction whether it concerne the soule or society if it bee not either necessarily grounded or agreeth with the Word of God is altogether unlawfull in a Christian Church and State How to square every particular action neither can dispensation make it lawfull or tollerable Therefore by the square of the Scriptures all men ought to measure the Lawfulnesse of every action and direction and that whatsoever shall disagree from God and the holy Scriptures may be judged error and intrusion of disorder and therefore of necessity to be spewed out of every Church and State of Christian men The meditation of this doctrine and these duties should make us serious in our Christian care let us not now content our selves to have onely a generall knowledge of Christ Jesus our Redeemer To consider God in his Majesty onely is terrible but let us labour to understand him in his double nature for if we consider him in his divinity as he is God onely it is a terrour to our remembrance but if we consider him in his double nature it gives us hope and alacrity for the Majesty of God is terrible to sinfull man but his mercy is comfortable and supporteth the falling spirits of our soules which would faint and die in despaire if the grace of God did not succour and give supply to such extremities therefore as God doth most delight himselfe in the use of his mercy so let us delight our soules most in the holy contemplation of his mercy and as Christ Jesus is the most lively character of his mercy Christ Iesus is the character of Gods mercy so let our cares bee most busie in the meditations of Christ his Gospell is the booke of Gods mercies wee have eyes of faith and can both see and read the stories of mercy let us therefore direct our labours and endeavour our studies in the most happy knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ Note and in him wee shall finde all goodnesse and infinite variety of matter in him wee shall finde the cause of our redemption Where to finde the cause of mans redemption wee shall finde it in his will wee shall finde it in his working he did cause our good he did effect it also in his will was the cause in his workes was the effect This godly meditation may kindle a zeale in them that were dead in sinne and provoke holinesse where it is not to see the infinite greatnesse Ier. 4.2 Psal 34.20 the infinite goodnesse of God omniscious of God omnipotent to yield himselfe to such a wonderfull difference of fortune he that had all happinesse in the highest degree breathing unutterable pleasure in the bosome of his Father and he that made the heavens and the earth should descend from heaven to earth and there assume the forme of wretched man and in that forme worke such righteousnesse as might satisfie God satisfie the Law for the sinne of man and in that forme to bee borne in poverty to live in contempt and die in disgrace and all this to be done by the onely begotten Sonne of God for the good of man a creature that was become apostate a traytor to God a rebell to his lawes and the very cause and actor of his disgrace death and Tragedy O that I had but words to expresse the imaginations of my soule what formes of mercy we may see in our Saviour Jesus what slackenesse what scantinesse We must meditate what we cannot expresse in words nay what foulenesse of desert we finde in our selves his good and our evill are infinite therefore what we cannot expresse in words or workes let us devise it in our thoughts let us learne to believe and know our Saviour to bee infinite good though we cannot expresse his infinite goodnesse what we can doe to his glory let us by all meanes endeavour it what wee cannot doe our selves let us perswade others let us endeavour any thing that may adde any thing to the honour of our Saviour for in gaining his favour we shall have the fulnesse of all favour and in losing his favour we have naught but tribulation and misery he is the seale of the covenant of grace betweene God and as if wee want our seale wee shall want our assurance and so lose the favour of God A dangerous forfeit and forfeit our eternall estate in Heaven Therefore let us esteeme the favour of our Saviour before all things let us esteeme all things nothing in respect of him if he subscribe not to our pardon wee are but dead the Law hath cast us without him there is no grace no hope of favour no hope of pardon let us direct our eyes of faith unto him upon the bended knees of our heart and when we have found him whom our soule loveth let us resort to him in daily prayer winne his favour by endeavour in faithfull and carefull serving him and make him the sole end of our desires who hath wrought who hath effected our salvation Thus by the assistance of his grace I purpose to doe in my owne particular
offence for our offences he hath smitten his Sonne how then can he smite his servants for them how can he punish our sinnes in us for which his Sonne hath already given satisfaction Psal 117.2 The truth of the Lord endureth for ever as I live saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner Ezech. 33.11 but much rather that he may turne from his wickednesse and live Come saith our Saviour Mat. 11.28 unto me all you that are heavy laden and I will refresh you shall wee then make God a liar and labour with the weight of our sins to beare downe his mercy to make God a liar and deny his mercy is a greater sinne then all the sins of the whole world Mat. 27.5 Rom. 5.20 therefore Iudas sinned more in despairing of Gods mercy then the Jewes in crucifying Christ but rather where sin hath abounded there grace hath also much more abounded and over-weigheth our sins by infinite degrees Jude 21 c. for sins are but the sins of men but grace is the grace of God sins are but temporall but the grace of God is from eternity to eternity 2 Cor. 5.18 c satisfaction by Christ hath beene made for our sins and the grace of God is repaired in us by the death of Christ and is established in us through him for ever Of Repentance or sorrow of the Soule for sin VVHen Christian men have understanding by the Law of God of their miserable estate in respect of sin Joh. 15.22.24 Repentance what they were in innocency what they are in sin and what they shall be in judgement it bringeth a generall sadnesse on the soules of men dulleth the spirit and delight they have had in their prosperous fortunes for when God giveth grace to any one to examine his life God gives the first grace to repentance and to view his owne deformities consider his neglect in his dutifull and obedient service which hee oweth unto God the first knowledge thereof and apprehension of his miserie is most terrible because his conscience doth forcibly checke the former proceedings of his life and violently hale him against the currant of his owne affections for as rivers are not forced against their ordinary streame but by the tide which is more forcible than the streame it selfe so our sinfull actions The difficulty of repentance being in all men common and naturall motions is not reformed in us but by the spirit of God a power above our nature yet it is done with such contention and strife in our flesh and nature which for the time doth wonderfully distract the soule of the party repenting and needs it must for he that hath wasted and spent his time in the delicacie of fortune The reason glutting himselfe with variety of pleasures and in the hight of his vaine prosperity is admonished that he hath fed on poison and therby run himself into a desperate hazard wil doubtlesse hardly endure the extremity of griefe which sudden feare and amazednesse can lay upon him for so it is with sinfull man who not regarding the danger of their soule before they are warned and admonished by God and their conscience are taken unprovided with sudden griefe which doth alway inflict an unexpressible measure of sorrow The sorrow of a repentant soule and often times death and desperation when being taught by the Law to know our sinnes our miserable condition and the diseases of our soules so the Gospell teacheth us the cure both what and how to administer physicke to our sicke and diseased soules for else the knowledge of our sinnes were extreame misery without profit The sudden griefe is violent if wee should not also know the meanes of our recovery and to know also how to administer and apply them to our soules comfort for vertue hath no vertue but in use and that physicke which the sicke patient receiveth not cannot profit him bee it never so excellent or standeth never so neere him and as in corporall so in spirituall sicknesse the disease must first be knowne the physicke then administred for hee that ministreth before hee knoweth the cause or knoweth onely the cause and administreth not or administreth and taketh not away the cause of the disease can never recover his patient be he never so skilfull or industrious so in repentance and sorrow for sinne which is a sickenesse of the soule What must cure diseased soules must necessarily bee considered these two particulars the cause the cure The cause is either the materiall cause or the moving cause the materiall cause is sinne The cause of repentance that being the matter of our offence for which wee so sorrow and grieve at the time of our repentance This is proved in the examples of all men that have had the grace of true and unfeyned repentance every penitent child of grace having sorrow and affliction in his soule because of his sinne by which hee hath provoked his God and his Creator against him Thus did Iob and thus did David repent them and so doe and will doe all that would profit by their repentance Iob 42.6 2 Sam. 12 13. And here is necessarily to bee considered and observed that though our repentance have respect to the benefits of our owne estate as being a most necessary service in our salvation yet the maine respect we ought to have to God whose glory we must preferre God must be respected before our soules even before the salvation of our soules making him the principall and our selves but secondary respects of our repentance And herein appeareth the difference betweene true and false repentance for the false and Godlesse repentance sorroweth for their sinne onely because God doth punish and afflict them for their sinne Exod. 9.27 1 Sam. 15.24 25 King 21.27 Math. 27.3 4. and therefore their sorrow is chiefly for the punishment and but respectively for their sinne Thus did Pharaoh Saul Ahab and Iudas repent them and so doe all false and feyned repenters that feare God for their owne respects and not themselves for God Note A true and godly repentance sorroweth for sinne because it is sinne and not because it deserveth punishment and here the maine respect is to be had to God and to our selves onely for Gods sake for though the feare and dread of punishment be sufficient to move any mans repentance yet wee must not make that the cause of our spirituall sorrow but much rather because we have offended so gracious a God who hath declared himselfe to us in so many and great demonstrations of his love to mankind this ought to be more sensible to our wounded soules then the horror wee have of our condemnation thus are holy men moved in their griefe and passion of their repentance the maine difference then betweene true and false repentance is this Note true repentance is caused by reverence wee have of the love of
willingnes of Christ to bee apprehended of the faithfull who is alwaies willing and ready to bee apprehended and applyed to our soules by whom wee onely enjoy the peace of conscience and the hope of Heaven therefore no man ought to affy and have any confidence in the pardons of Popes dispensations indulgences and such trash and merchandise whereby the besotted and blinded people of this world is wonderfully delighted for such dangerous pedling stuffe Note must not bee thought to have equall vertue with the blood of Christ or that they have any power in the cure of soules but on the contrary they surfeit the conscience and poyson the soules of them that trust in them inlarging the wounds both in number and griefe Dangerous Physicke and maketh the soule incapable of cure and most unfit to have the precious blood of Christ Jesus applyed unto it Lastly seeing there is no meanes to apprehend and apply this Christ the physicke and Physitian of our soules but onely by a true and lively justifying faith Christ cannot be apprehended but by a true faith only therefore it most necessarily concerneth all men to have this meanes of apprehending Christ because as it is said The salve though most soveraine cannot profit the sore unlesse it bee applyed by faith that being the maine act of our spirituall health all other offices and duties being but circumstances to assist and forward this act Moreover the faith by which wee apprehend Christ must be more then a generall faith for it profiteth not to our health and salvation to know onely that Jesus Christ is the present cure of our soules unlesse we also by a confident and a lively faith apprehend and apply him to the sore of our soules Againe seeing Christ is our only salvation and seeing faith is the only meanes of apprehending him we ought not to seeke or appoint any other meanes or matter of salvation neither any other manner of applying it and therefore no man ought to ascribe righteousnesse to himselfe or his workes or to the supererogating workes of his friends but onely to Jesus Christ and that this Christ is onely apprehended by a saving faith for by faith we live Note by faith we walke by faith wee are justified and our hearts purified by it we vanquish the world and without it it is impossible to please God Let us therefore often meditate this doctrine of repentance what feare what care what affliction is in the soule at such occasion let us practise it in our selves and pity it in others let us condemne sinne to bee the greatest cause of such misery and let us condemne our selves to be the greatest cause of that sinne When wee exercise this spirituall office of repentance let us bee carefully busie in the duties thereof A necessary resolution let us search the wounds of our soules expell and empty the rottennesse and putrefaction thereof search and dresse them search them by a serious examination of our sins and dresse them by an humble and hearty acknowledgement How to dresse the wounds of our soules let us also examine the actions and particulars of our lives let us compare them with our duties and those that proportion not thereto let us call them our errors and our sinnes and the wounds of our soules let us by meanes of faith and prayer referre our defects to bee supplyed to the most absolute satisfactory righteousnesse of our Saviour Jesus Christ The righteousnesse of Christ must supply all our defects what we finde sin let us call it sin let us not flatter our errors nor smooth our deformities and defects in our selves let us not pretend health when wee are dangerously sicke nor safety when wee are mortally wounded We must not foster nor favour no sinnes let us not favour our sins be it a sin of profit or a sin of pleasure in this cause let us despise both let us be sorry for all acknowledge all and earnestly pray for the remission of all if we have gained possessions and wealth by theft extortion or forged cavillation let us restore as our present estate shall enable us let us be ashamed that Zacheus the Publicane shall restore his extortions foure-fold and we not to restore the principall Shun all such sin as the plague or leprosie because we know that salvation will not come to the house that is so infected but as of necessity all sin must bee cured All sinne of necessity must be cured otherwise there is no cure in our repentance let us hate all sin without dispensation of any otherwise we repent not but flatter our selves in presumption and vaine confidence and because nothing can apprehend and apply salvation to our soules but onely by the hands of saving faith let us therefore bee sure that our faith bee lively and stedfast faith let us trie it by the evidence of our workes they will beare us witnesse and testifie what it is and of what nature Workes must try our faith for as our faith in Christ doth justifie us before God so the workes of our faith doe justifie us in the sight of men If the fruit of our faith be good our faith it selfe then must needs be good and availeable to apprehend and apply Jesus Christ our salvation Let us therefore be plentifull in the exercise of good actions that our conscience may testifie our faith and that our faith may bee able to execute the holy office assigned it We must be plentifull in good workes and why when wee have the assurance of this faith let us then with stedfast confidence looke up to Heaven let us seeke him whom our soule loveth and when we have found him let us expose before him the calamity of our soules and our present condition wee are in let us lay open our sins discover our wounds declare our endeavour and report our faith when we have thus done wee may assure our selves that our Saviour will rejoyce at our recovery be glad of our conversion and returne and will shew us his righteousnesse and will also willingly yeeld himselfe unto our faith and give us free liberty in the use of his righteousnesse Apprehension of Christ Let us busily apply our cares to apprehend him in his righteousnesse and stretch our hands of faith to the altar of his Crosse and with a wonderfull degree of comfort apply his sufferings his wounds and his death to heale the wounds which sin hath made in our soules Note and infuse his most precious blood into them and with that blood shall enter the spirit of health and everlasting safety Thus in an instant shall wee finde the happy alteration of our soules and wee that but then were in spirituall griefe The happy alteration of our soules anguish and tribulation shall now finde joy and strength in our soules and our soules that were before wounded deformed and full of the markes of sinne shall now
have the markes of righteousnesse of Jesus Christ whereby wee shall be distinguished from the ungodly and unrepentant sinners and have the seales and assurance of everlasting salvation and eternall happinesse The fruit of true repentance The foundation and beginning of holy life is saving repentance Heb. 10.17 18. for where there is true repentance there is remission of sinnes and where there is remission of sins there is the grace of God and where there is the grace of God there is Christ and where Christ is there is his merits and where his merits are there is satisfaction for sin and where there is satisfaction for sins there is righteousnesse and where there is righteousnesse there is joy and tranquillity of conscience and where there is tranquillity of conscience there is the holy Spirit and where the holy Spirit is there is the sacred and holy Trinity and where the holy Trinity is there is eternall life therefore where there is true repentance there is eternall life where there is not true repentance there is no remission of sins nor the grace of God nor Christ nor his merit nor satisfaction for sins nor righteousnesse nor tranquillity of conscience nor the holy Spirit nor the holy Trinity nor eternall life why therefore doe we deferre our repentance and why doe we procrastinate it from day to day God bids thee repent to day thou canst not promise thy selfe to morrow and to repent truly is not in our power without the grace of God moveth us thereunto and at the day of Judgement we must not onely give an account for to morrow but for the present day Therefore repent whilest thou hast time Note for to morrow is not so certaine unto us as the utter destruction of the impenitent sinner is certaine for every day doth the flesh heape sinne upon sinne let therefore the Spirit every day wash them away by hearty repentance Christ dyed that sin might dye in us and shall wee suffer that to live and raigne in our hearts for the destroying whereof the Sonne of God himselfe dyed Matth. 3. Christ enters not into the heart by grace unlesse Iohn Baptist first prepare the way by repentance Esay 57.15 God powreth not the oyle of mercy but into the vessells of a contrite heart God doth first mortifie us by contrition that afterwards hee may quicken us by the consolation of the Spirit 1 Sam. 2.6.7 hee leades us first into hell by serious griefe that afterward hee may bring us backe by the sweet taste of his grace in like manner terrour goes before the taste of Gods love and sorrow before comfort God bindes not up our wounds unlesse first wee lay them open and bewaile them by confession unto him hee pardons not unlesse thou first acknowledge thy sins he justifies not unlesse thou first condemne thy selfe hee comforts not unlesse thou first despaire in thy selfe and thine owne merits this true repentance God grant unto us and by his holy spirit worke in us Of the two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper and first of the fruits of Baptisme BAptisme is the Sacrament of regeneration cleansing or washing admission sanctification incorporation whereby they which doe repent and professe the faith and religion of Christ are incorporated into Christ and joyned unto his Church that being washed from their sins they may walke in newnesse of life and the outward signe of the invisible grace which the Spirit of Christ doth worke in the hearts of the faithfull elect Remember therefore thou faithfull soule the grace of God conferred upon thee in the saving laver of Baptisme which is the fountaine of regeneration Tit. 3.5 6. and renewing of the holy Ghost which is shed on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour at the first creation of all things the Spirit of God moved upon the waters and gave a vitall force unto them so in the water of Baptisme the holy Ghost is also present and makes it a saving meanes of our regeneration and there was in Ierusalem about the sheepe market a poole into which at a certaine time the Angel of the Lord descended Joh. 5.2 Vers 4. and troubled the water and hee that first descended into it after the troubling of the water was made whole of what disease soever he had the water of Baptisme is that poole which healeth us of every disease of sin when the holy Spirit descends into it and troubles it with the blood of Christ Matth. 3.16 who was made a sacrifice for us at the baptisme of Christ the heavens were opened unto him so as our baptisme the gate of heaven is also opened unto us at the baptisme of Christ the holy and sacred Trinity was present so are they likewise at our baptisme for by the word of promise which is annexed unto the element of water faith receiveth the grace of the Father adopting the merit of the Son cleansing Note and the efficacy of the holy Ghost regenerating Pharaoh and his host was drowned in the red Sea the Israelites passed thorow safe secure and sound So in baptisme Exo. 14 27 c. all the host of vices are drowned and the faithfull safely attaine to the inheritance of the kingdome of heaven in the Church the spirituall Temple of God the saving waters of baptisme doe spring forth into the profundity wherein our sins are throwne Mich. 7.19 whosoever come unto it shall be healed and live Baptisme is the spirituall flood in which all sin of flesh is drowned The impure crow goes forth like the Divell but the holy Ghost like the Dove brings the Olive branch that is Gen. 8.11 peace and tranquillity unto our mindes Remember therefore thou faithfull soule the greatnesse of the grace of God conferred upon thee in Baptisme and render due thankes unto him The more plentifull grace is conferred upon us in Baptisme the more diligent and carefull must wee be in the custody of the gifts conferred Wee are buried with Christ by Baptisme into his death therefore as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of his Father so we also should walke in newnesse of life to the glory of our Redeemer John 5.14 by whom wee are made whole let us sinne no more lest a worse thing happen unto us wee have put on the most pretious robe of Christs righteousnesse let us not therefore defile it with the staines of sin Ephes 4.23 by baptisme we are regenerate and renewed in the spirit of our minde therefore let not the flesh dominere over the spirit by spirituall regeneration we are made the sonnes of God let us therefore live as the sons of such a Father we are made the Temple of the holy Ghost let us therefore prepare a thankfull seat for such a guest wee are received into Gods Covenant let us therefore beware we doe not serve under the Divell and so fall from the covenant of Grace for our conversation
they say a mortall body that cannot profit them for mortall foode is but for mortall life neither now hath Christ a mortall body to communicate to them because it is changed to an immortall body therefore they cannot receive his mortall body And if they say that they receive his glorified body they must fly from this text for at that time Christ had not a glorified body if they received then the same body which the Apostles received as they say they doe they cannot receive a glorified body because then Christs body was not glorified therefore they could not communicate with his glorified body Thus are they hedged in with rocks and the sands on every side of them they received a body neither mortall nor immortall it seemes it was a phantastical body if Christ had such a body let all men judge here they are at a stand Dan. 4.5 like one that cannot tell on his tale Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a dream and knew not what it meant and so doe they How absurd and heretically doe these Papists hold in their opinions and this surpasseth them all that Christ must bee applyed like Physicke as though his blood cannot profit us unlesse we drinke it swallow it like a potion is this the Papists union with Christ is this the manner whereby we are made one flesh with Christ Iohn 1. to eate his flesh and drinke his blood nay when he tooke our flesh unto him and was made man then we were united unto him in the flesh and not by receiving his body Christ tooke our flesh and nature we tooke not his but believe that he tooke ours now if you would know whether Christs body be in the Sacrament it is said unto you as Christ said unto Thomas touch feele and see in visible things God hath appointed our eyes to be judges For as by the Spirit wee discerne the spirituall objects so our sence discerneth sensible objects as Christ taught Thomas to judge of his body so may we and so should they if they were not as it were hood-winked through errour and mis-beliefe Christs saying to Thomas was that hee would have him believe it to be his body Iohn 20.27 for my body saith Christ may bee seene and felt and thus transubstantiation is found a lyar It is shewed before that every Sacrament is called by the name of the thing which it doth signifie and present The reason why the signes have the name of the things which they represent and signifie is to strike a deeper reverence in us Note to receive this Sacrament of Christ reverently sincerely and holily as if Christ himselfe were there present in body blood This is the reason why Christ calleth the signes of his body his body to cause us to take this Sacrament with feare and reverence because wee are apt to contemne it as the Jewes did their Manna Num. 12.6 The worthinesse of the Sacrament is to be considered three waies First by the Majesty of the Authour ordaining it â—â—condly by the preciousnesse of the persons whereof it consisteth Thirdly by the excellency of the ends for which it was ordained The Lords Supper is a pledge and a symbole of the most neere and effectuall communion which Christians have with Christ The cup of blessing which we blesse Cor. 10.16 17. is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread of Christ which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ That is dwelling in our hearts abiding in us that is a most effectuall signe and pledge of our communion with Christ and hath divers similies set forth in holy Scriptures First of the Vine and Branches Secondly of the Head and Body Thirdly Joh. 15.5 of the Foundation and the Building Fourthly of one Loafe confected of many graines Fifthly Colos 1.18 of the Matrimoniall communion betwixt man and wife and is three-fold betwixt Christ and Christians the first is naturall betwixt our humane nature and the divine nature of Christ in the person of the Word the second is mysticall Eph. 5.31 32. betwixt our person absent from the Lord and the person of Christ God and man into one mysticall body the third is celestiall betwixt our persons present with the Lord and the person of Christ in his body glorified these three conjunctions depend each upon other The mysticall communion chiefly here meant is wrought betwixt Christ and us by the Spirit of Christ apprehending us and by our faith stirred up by the same Spirit Note apprehending Christ againe this union hee shall best understand in his mind Every one receiveth but few understand what they receive who doth most feele it in his heart but of all other times this union is best felt and most confirmed when wee doe duely receive the Lords Supper for then wee shall sensibly feele our hearts knit unto Christ and the desire of our soules drawne by faith and the holy Ghost as by the cords of love neerer and neerer to his holinesse This union betwixt the faithfull is so ample that no distance of place can part it so strong that death cannot dissolve it so durable that time cannot weare it out so effectuall that it breeds a fervent love betweene those that never saw one anothers faces and this conjunction of soules is termed the communion of Saints 1 Cor. 12 12 13. 27. which Christ effecteth by six especiall meanes First by governing them all by one and the same holy Spirit Secondly the enduing them all with one and the same faith Ephes 4.4 5. Thirdly by shedding abroad his owne love into all and every one of their hearts Rom. 5 5. Tit. 3.5 Fourthly by regenerating them all by one and the same baptisme Fifthly by nourishing them all with one and the same spirituall food 1 Cor. 10.17 Colos 1.18.22 Note Acts 4.32 Sixthly by being one quickning head of that one body of his Church which hee reconciled to God his Father in the body of his flesh Hence it is that the multitude of believers in the primitive Church were of one heart and of one soule in truth affection and compassion and this doth teach all Christians to love one another seeing they are all members of the same holy and mysticall body Ephes 4.3 whereof Christ is the head and therefore they should have all a Christian sympathy and fellow-feeling to rejoyce one in anothers joy to condole one anothers griefe to beare one with anothers infirmities Ephes 4.2 and mutually to relieve one anothers wants to this end hee bestoweth upon them all saving graces necessary to eternall life as the sense of Gods love the assurance of our election with Regeneration 2 Cor. 3.18 Justification and grace to doe good workes to feede soules Iohn 15.5 therefore of the poore and faithfull is the assured hope of life eternall For as it is said this sacrament is a signe and a sure pledge
Christ was as verily separated from his body upon the Crosse for the remission of thy sinnes and that this is a seale of the new covenant which God hath made to forgive the sinnes of all penitent sinners that faithfully believe in the merits of his bloud-shedding Iohn 6.54 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood saith our Saviour Christ shall live forever Exceeding great was the bounty and goodnesse of our Saviour in that hee did not onely assume our flesh and exalt it to the Throne of celestiall glory The saving participation of the body and blood of Christ Vers 56. but also feedeth us with his body and blood unto eternall life Oh the saving delicates of the soule Oh the Heavenly and Angelicall food to bee desired above all the delicates upon earth for He that eateth the flesh and drinketh the blood of Christ dwelleth in Christ and Christ in him This is meate indeed when wee eate it wee are changed not into the nature of our body but into the nature of it wee are the members of Christ By it we are sanctâ—fied and are united by his Spirit and fed with his body and blood This is the bread which came downe from Heaven and giveth life unto the world hee that eateth thereof shall never hunger this is the bread of grace Psal 34.10 Iohn 6.58 this is the bread of Life whosoever shall eate thereof shall live for ever neither is it onely heavenly but thou that eatest thereof art heavenly that is they that eate it savingly in the Spirit shall become heavenly This is the true Fountaine of life be that shall drinke of this water Iohn 4.14 shall never thirst but it shall become in him a fountaine of water springing up unto eternall life Esay 55.1 2 3 All yee thaâ— thirst come unto these waters and yee that have no silver make haste come buy without money let them that thirst come and come thou soule thâ—t â—rt vexed with the raging heate of sinne and if thou wantest the silver of thy merits make haste the rather if thou hast no merits of thine owne make haste the more ardently to the merits of Christ Vers 1. Make haste therefore and buy without money or money-worth here is Christ the habitation of the soule from which let not thy sinnes deterre thee and into which let not thy merits enter for what can be our merits our labours doe not â—â—tiate neither is the grace of God bought with the silver of our merits Therefore heare O ye devout soules and eate that which is good and thou shalt be delighted with fatnesse John 6.63 These words are spirit and truth and the word of eternall life the cup of benediction 1 Cor. 10.16 is the communion of the blood of Christ 1 Cor. 6.17 and the bread which we breake is the participation of the Lords body wee cleave unto the Lord therefore we are one Spirit with him For wee are united unto him not onely by the communion of nature but also by the participation of his body and blood John 6. â— let us not therefore with the Jewes say How can this man give us his flesh to eate let us not pry into his power but let us admire his benevolence let us not examine his Majesty but reverence his goodnesse the manner of his presence I know not but his presence I believe and am certainely perswaded that it is inward and neere unto us for we are members of his body Eph. 5.30 John 6.56 flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones he dwelleth in us and wee in him My soule desireth to dive by cogitation into the secrets of this most profound abysse but cannot finde with what words to set forth and declare that infinite goodnesse and therefore am altogether amazed at the sight of the greatnesse of the grace of the Lord and the glory of his Majesty In this Supper of the Lord there is set before us a mystery to be trembled at and by all meanes to be adored of us there is the treasury and treasure of divine grace Gen. 2. â— We know in Paradise there was a tree of Life planted by God whose fruit might have conserved our first parents and their posterity by the fertility and felicity thereof There was also placed in Paradise a Tree of knowledge of good and evill but even that which was appointed by God for their life and salvation and for to exercise their obedience became unto them an occasion of death and condemnation Ezech. 47.12 while they obeyed their owne desires and the divels allurements Here is also prepared a Tree of Life whose wood is sweete whose leaves are for medicine and whose fruit for meate Revel 22.1 2. the sweetnesse thereof doth take away the bitternesse of all evill yea of death it selfe Unto the Israelites was given Manna that they might be fed with heavenly food here is that â—râ—e manna of our soules which came downe from Heaven to give life unto the world Iohn 6.51 this is the heavenly bread and Angelicall meate of which whosoever eateth shall never hunger Col. 2.3 5. here is the true Arke of the Covenant that is the most sacred body of Christ wherein the treasures of all science knowledge and wisedome are layd up in store for all penitent soules that faithfully believe in his merits here is the true Mercie-seat in the bloud of Christ Rom. 3.25 which makes us happy and beloved in the most deare and beloved Christ Gen. 28.15 17 12. here is the gate of heaven indeed here is the Angell sladder Can heaven be greater than God can heaven be more united unto God than the flesh of humane nature which he hath assumed unto himselfe Heaven indeed is the throne of God but in the humane nature assumed by Christ resteth the holy Spirit Esay 11.2 God is in heaven but in Christ dwelleth the fulnesse of divinity Col. 2.9 Certainly this is a great and infallible pledge of our salvation by assuming our humane nature into the fellowship of the most holy and blessed Trinity in which all heavenly good is layd up in store for us how can hee forget those unto whom hee hath given the pledge of his owne body We are deere unto Christ how then can Satan be able to overcome us because Christ bought us at so deare a price we are deare unto Christ because he feeds us with his most deere and precious body and blood wee are deere unto Christ because wee are flesh of his flesh Ephes 5.2 3. and members of his body this is the only soveraine and precious Balmesome of all spirituall diseases this is the onely soveraigne medicine of immortality for what sin so great that Gods sacred flesh cannot expiate What sin so great that the quickning flesh of Christ cannot heale What sin so mortall that is not taken away by the death of the Sonne of
but the spirit which is in man that is no man feeleth the heart of man so well as himselfe and yet himselfe though he hath lived with it ever since hee was borne doth not rightly know his owne heart unlesse hee examine it narrowly no more then he knoweth his owne bones or his veines sinewes arteries or his muskles how they are in his body and where they lie or what they doe this may seeme strange yet it is true for Christ saith to his Disciples Luke 9.55 You know not of what Spirit yee are that is you thinke better of your selves than you are and know not what the clocke striketh within you for there is a zeale without knowledge and a knowledge without zeale there is faith without obedience and there is obedience without faith there is love without feare and there is feare without love and both are hypocrites Judg. 16.18 Therefore as Delilah searched where the strength of Sampson lay so let every one search where their owne weaknesse lieth and strengthen themselves by faith and alwaies be filling the empty gap by endeavouring to supply the want of their owne defects Holy and godly men are distinguished in their ends for the children of God propose the glory of God and levell all their thoughts speeches and actions as if they were messengers sent to carry him presents of honour Thus did David when he said Psal 103. All that is within me praise the Lord but the children of this world without feare or reverence extoll themselves and their owne worthinesse and set up their owne glory for their marke like Nebuchadnezzar which said Dan 4.30 For the honour of my majesty Therefore they speake and looke and walke as if they did say to their tongue eyes and feete and apparell as Saul said to Samuel Honour me before this people 1 Sam. 15.30 The ungodly when they have received the Sacrament into their bellies thinke all is well and have done all that they went for as Micah when he had received a Levite into his house Judg. 17.30 thought that God loved him for the Levites sake but as the Levite did not profit him because he received nothing but the Levite so the Bread and Wine doth not profit them because they receive nothing but Bread and Wine for want of faith Marvell not then if you have not felt that comfort after receiving of the Sacrament which you looked for because you did not receive it as you ought for it yields comfort to none but to them which prepare their hearts and examine themselves before and apprehend Christ by a lively faith apply his merits to heale their miseries Iohn 13.30 Some receive the outward signe without the spirituall grace as did Iudas some receive the spiritual grace without the outward signe as the Saint thiefe on the crosse and all the faithfull who dying desire it but cannot receive it through some externall impediments But the worthy receivers to their comfort receive both the bread of the Lord and the bread which is the Lord. But some receive the bread of the Lord but not the bread which is the Lord. for it is not the mouth but the heart which receiveth comfort now there is many which bring a mouth to receive but not a heart to believe these goe away from the Sacrament to despight Christ as Iudas went from the Lords Supper to betray him but the faithfull believer goes away like one which hath received a cheerefull countenance from his Redeemer and his thoughts are joy and gladnesse as one which hath received the hope of salvation As hee that hath eaten sweet meate hath a sweet breath so they which have eaten Christ with the mouth of faith all their sayings and doings are sweet like a perfume to men and incense to God their peace of conscience and joy of heart and desire to doe good will tell them nay resolve them whether they have received the bare signes or the thing signified for every one which receiveth this Sacrament of the Lord shall either feele himselfe better after receiving it like the Apostles or find themselves the worse after it like Iudas to conclude examine your selves before you presume to come to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Adam the first man was forbidden to eate of the fruit of one tree which was fore-shewed to be mortall and hee did hasten to eate thereof wee the children of the second Adam are commanded to eate of the lively and saving fruit the body and blood of Christ to our Salvation yet how slacke are wee to partake thereof and to prepare our selves thereunto The first steppe therefore of true preparation is to search the Scriptures which teacheth the mystery of this Communion and the institution of the same and also the signification of the outward signes which are bread and wine and the things signified the body and blood of Christ shed for all true believers 1 Cor. 11.25 the end the receiving thereof is to retaine the remembrance of the death and passion of Christ which he suffered for our sinnes by the true receiving of this Sacrament wee are united unto the love of God in and by the death of Christ and are made heires by adoption of eternall salvation in Note by and with Christ The true receiving of this blessed Sacrament must be in sincerity with a penitent heart and faith unfained but sinners who come thereunto unworthily eate and drinke their owne damnation Therefore we must before wee come thereunto 1 Cor. 11.27 cleanse our soules from all sinne which cannot bee done without diving into our owne soules with an impartiall search to finde our owne corruption and truely repent us of our sinnes Vers 28. it is not fit to come to this holy banquet abruptly as men doe to their ordinary feasts where they ceremoniously and pharisaically will wash their hands before they eate but to this most holy Supper wee must not presume to come without inward washing of our soules from sinne for if unwashed hands prophane the meate for the belly how much more unwashed hearts the sacred Sacrament the food of the soule Let us therefore by inward examination Ecclus. 18.19 impartiall accusation and absolute condemnation of our selves for sinne make our selves fit to come to this holy Table This caveat is no inhibition but a terrifying of the soule not to presume to come to this holy Table without purification and sanctification Note Math. 7.6 and not with polluted hands and hands full of bribery and extortion or to take it with lips defiled with blasphemy cursing and lying or to put it into a stomacke gorged with drunkennesse gluttony and with a heart fraught with envie 1 Cor. 5.7 8. making no difference of the Lords body We must therefore lay aside all our old sinnes and put on the new man a righteous a holy Note and Christian conversation and disposition wee must bee
labour in the minde and a peaceable trouble in the senses Wherefore love exceedeth all the knowledge of all other mysteries and cannot be but in the godly The reason why our love of God is not perfect in this life because the measure of our love is according to the measure of our knowledge 1 Cor. 13.12 13. now in this life we know God but in part as in a glasse but then shall we know him face to face and then shall wee be perfectly blessed and because wee shall then perfectly know him therefore we shall then perfectly love him but no man can hope to have the perfect love of God in the world to come Note which beginneth not first to love God in this world The kingdome of God must begin in the heart of man in this life or else it cannot be consummated in the life to come without the love of God in this life there is no desire of eternall life How then can that man be partaker of the chiefest good which seeketh it not which desireth it not which loveth it not such as thy love is such art thou because thy love transformeth thee into it selfe for love is the chiefest couple because the lover and the thing beloved becommeth one What hath conjoyned the most just God and wretched sinners being infinitely distant in worth Note one from the other but the infinite love of God And because the infinite justice of God might not be weakned the infinite price and love of Christ interceded betwixt sinfull man and the infinite justice of God Againe what hath joyned together God the Creator and the faithfull soule created things infinitely distant but love In the life which is eternall wee shall be joyned to God in the chiefest degree because wee shall then love him in the chiefest degree love uniteth and transformeth therefore he that loveth carnall things shall be carnall if thou lovest the world thou shalt become worldly 1 Cor. 48.49 50 c. but flesh and blood cannot inherite the kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherite incorruption but if thou lovest God and celestiall things thou shalt become celestiall Note The love of God is the Chariot of Elias ascending up into heaven the love of God is the joy of the mind the Paradise of the soule it excludeth the world it overcometh the Divell it shutteth hell it openeth heaven unto us and pleadeth mercy in the justice of the Almighty the love of God is that seale with which God sealeth his servants the elect Rev. 7.3 4. Ephes 4.30 At the last judgement God will acknowledge none to be his but those that are sealed with this seale For faith it selfe the onely instrument of our Justification and Salvation is not true faith unlesse it doe demonstrate it selfe by true love for there is no true faith unlesse there be a firme confidence and there is no firme confidence without the love of God and that benefit received is not acknowledged for which wee doe not give thankes and we doe not give thankes to him which wee doe not love If therefore thy faith be true it will acknowledge the benefit of our redemption wrought by Christ Jesus it will acknowledge and give thanks Note it wil give thanks and love that gracious God who hath bestowed all these saving benefits upon us the love of God is the life and rest of the soule when the soule by death departs from the body then the life of the body departeth but when God departeth out of the soule by reason of sins then the life of the soule departeth Againe God dwels in our hearts by faith Ephes 5.17 Rom. 5.5 God dwels in the soule by love because the love of God is infused into the hearts of the elect by the inspiration of the holy Spirit there is no tranquillity of the soule without the love of God the world the flesh and the divell doe much disquiet it but God is the true rest of the soule Ephes 3.19 and the fulnesse of the knowledge of Christ is the fulnesse of the knowledge and love of God there is no peace of conscience but to those that are justified by faith in Christ there is no love of God but in them that have a filiall confidence in God To conclude in the praise of this peerelesse vertue love is the grace of nature and the glory of reason the blessing of God and the comfort of the world therefore let the love of the world the love of our soules and the love of the creatures die in us that the love of God may live and abound in us which God of his grace beginne in us in this world and perfect in the world to come This love of God is wrought by the meanes of the same spirit dwelling in Christ and the faithfull and incorporateth the faithfull as members unto Christ their head Rom. 8. and so makes them one with Christ and partakers of all the graces holinesse and eternall glory which is in him as sure and as verily as they heare the Word of promise and are partakers of the outward signes of the holy Sacrament Verse 39. What then can be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord The properties of Charity and true Love to our Christian brethren CHrist Jesus our Saviour gave himselfe for us to redeeme us from all our sinnes and wickednesse Titus 2.14 and to purge us a peculiar people followers of good workes To this purpose wee are admonished of the Lord Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes Math. 5.16 c. and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Therefore whilst wee have time let us doe good towards all men and especially towards them of the household of faith To this use the holy Scriptures were given unto us for all Scripture inspired from God 2 Tim. 3.16 17 is profitable to teach to reprove to correct to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God bee perfect and instructed to all good workes It is cleare then that we be not so justified by faith that wee should bee unprofitable barren and unfruitfull of good workes but rather that giving our selves continually unto good workes wee should advance the glory of Gods grace and shew it before the eyes of all men as the light of our new creation for we are regenerated in Christ Eph. 4.23 24. and thereby wee doe declare our selves to bee justified before men Therefore let us not onely shew our selves to be Christians in name but to become good of evill and to declare that goodnesse received of Christ by good workes for they be as certaine fruits of our life witnessing the goodnesse of our mind and declaring the nature of our heavenly Father Good workes bee the workes of faith which worketh by love they be the workes of God which hee worketh in us and by
to him will I give power over Nations Not hee that endevoureth the beginning the middle or a part of his life but hee that endureth to the end he shall be saved This salvation by Christ Jesus is the crowne of glory for which all men strive which none can gaine but he that runneth the race of his life faithfully and constantly 1 Cor. 9.24 therefore Saint Paul saith So runne that ye may obtaine that is endeavour your strength with your time to the utmost for though ye begin well it is nothing unlesse ye also end well for as the tree falleth so it lyeth Note and as men die so shall they rise to judgement for the grave can give no holinesse no perfection but doth onely continue us in the state it found us earth and corruption The manner of regeneration is how the children of God bee borne a new and how it is caused by the secret working of Gods holy Spirit in the children of grace John 3.8 he giveth an instance by the moving of the ayre that is when wee heare a whistling of the wind we know it bloweth yet doe we not know from whence it commeth so in the act of regeneration when we feele in our hearts the motion of Gods holy Spirit breathing salvation into our soules and when our workes and consciences give us an undoubted testimony that we are regenerated and borne of God it is then as vaine a care to search into the secret working of the Spirit of God was to enquire of the mind from whence it commeth or whether it goeth this thing is not necessary though regeneration is most necessary and not to be neglected upon paine of condemnation Seeing regeneration is of such absolute necessity to salvation Iohn 3.5 that Except a man be regenerate and borne anew of water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter into the Kingdome of God neither bee sonnes nay the servants of God though we never so much endeavour in the service of other Christian duties This doth admonish all men to have principall care to labour all meanes possible to have faithfull and sufficient witnesses both from their consciences and by testimony of their workes that they are the adopted children of God established in the assured hope of their salvation being knowne and sealed of God with the marke of regeneration for it must needs bee sufficient to resolve a conscience of Gods favour when we know we are his children it is a grounded cause to make us hopefull and confident in the trust of Gods mercy And seeing regeneration is an act of the holy Ghost every man ought so to rectifie and reforme the errors of his life as that the Spirit of God may not take loathing to enter our soules but rather that by mortification and holy excercise wee may be prepared to entertaine that sacred guest into our hearts least when hee commeth hee finde us as God will finde the reprobate in the day of judgement unprovided carelesse and secure and so not seale us for his sonnes but marke us the children of death and the friends of Antichrist Againe seeing the regenerate are made the children of God it ought therefore to be a principall care of every man to be regenerate because regeneration is the undoubted witnesse of the child of God 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore Saint Peter admonisheth all men to give diligence to make our calling and election sure which can be no way better assured us then by assuring our regeneration which is the certificat and testimony of our election and seeing the workes of regeneration must be both constant and faithfull by constancy is meant perseverance by faithfulnesse a choyce of lawfull particulars therefore every man ought to exercise his devotion and zeale in lawfull argument and that hee run in the spirituall race which God hath proposed him and not in the by waies of error of false and selfe opinion and that in this course he faint not in his spirituall courage but that hee hold out the race of his life with alacrity and hopefull confidence to win the garland of salvation which all shall both win and weare that constantly and faithfully endeavour themselves in godly actions The ordinary outward meanes to bring us to holy and godly action 2 Thes 2.14 is the preaching of the Gospel Saint Paul saith whereunto you are called by the Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Iesus Christ. The Law serves to prepare our hearts for grace but it is the oyly drops to the Gospel by the power of the Spirit that doe soften and mollifie the heart and makes it supple and pliable and like Balme it doth revive and comfort the heart and senses and makes them pliable to that which is good and godly Rom. 1.16 the Gospel is the power of God that is the instrument of Gods power unto salvation to all them that believe also good examples afflictions losses crosses want sicknesse and the like are by the blessing of God 1 Pet. 1.23 good preparatives to grace but the preaching of the Gospel is the proper instrument of the Spirit for the effecting of grace for by the word of the Gospel God speakes to the eares of the soule and by it as by a pipe hee conveyes his graces into the cisternes of our hearts Regeneration then being of such infinite excellent worth and of absolute necessity let us take off our cares and endeavours from worldly occasions and apply them to this holy purpose for being regenerate wee shall avoyd the danger both of sin and death and live in the favour of God and be graced with the honorable title of his Son then let us remember them that proudly vaunt and boast their pedigree and their descent from honorable parents let us pity their errour and despise their vaine glory let us compare such honour with the honour of Gods regenerate children wee shall find an infinit distance of their worth their 's to be transitory passable and of short continuance vaine and full of bitter mixture this without comparison to be eternall and infinite infinite in worth infinite in time let us therefore despise that to gaine this let us desire no other honorable title then to be called the children of God To be the child of grace is the greatest honour in the world that will give us the most sufficient and greatest reputation that can be for that in the least degree will exceed and out-glory all earthly honour in the highest degree let us not care how base the world repute and esteeme us nay though the world persecute us let us not faint nor feare for wee know that our Saviours kingdome is not of this world neither is the glory of his children of this world but in him that hath begotten us by the grace of his holy Spirit is our glory and by him wee are made honourable let us therefore despise the world and the vanities
eternall life and wee are sure and believe that thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God and Christ said unto them which believed in him John 8. if you abide in my word you be verily my Disciples and you shall know the truth thereof commeth that assurednesse of faith Note whereof mention is made before In Gods case and Religion all things are blind and doubtfull to mans naturall reason but unto faith they be certaine and cleare and thereby we know that wee be the children of God faith doth take hold of the gifts of God which we doe request of him in prayer the attainment of the which cannot be hoped for nor trusted upon without wee aske in fayth James 1.6 wherefore Saint Iames saith Let him aske in faith doubting nothing for hee that is doubting and wavering is like a wave of the Sea tost to and fâ—owith the wind and carried with violence And Christ sayth Verily I say unto you Mark 11.23 24 whatsoever you request in your prayers believe that you shall obtaine it and it shall befall unto you Againe fayth doth worke in him that is justified a peaceable quiet good and contented conscience towards God through Christ so the Apostle testifieth saying Therefore being justified by faith Rom. 5. we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ without this fayth it is impossible that wee should have a quiet conscience towards God for as is sayd before that by fayth wee doe apprehend the grace of reconcilement and justification purchased for us in the blood of Christ fayth must needs therefore worke in us the invocation adoration Rom. 10. and worship of him whom wee doe believe in How shall they call upon him sayth the Apostle in whom they have not believed and the blind man which our Saviour made to see when he had sayd Lord I doe believe John 9.38 The confessiâ—n of truth hee worshipped him immediately in whom he beleeved For by fayth wee doe confesse the truth that is once beleeved and knowne of us So the Apostle doth joyne fayth and confession together for to beleeve with the heart justifieth and to acknowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe having the selfe-same spirit of faith At the poynt of death wee doe by fayth commend our soules and spirit unto the Lord. So did the thiefe upon the Crosse Math. 27. Acts 7.59 and Saint Stephen also when he was stone this is the last worke of faith towards God for after the yeelding up of the Spirit once there is no longer place nor use of faith These bee therefore the workes of fayth towards God first the love of God a good conscience towards our neighbour hope of things to come a boldnesse to repaire by prayer to the Throne of grace invocation adoration and worship confession of the truth obedience perseverance and the yeelding up of the Spirit to goe immediately unto God the faithfull are comforted in the Lord by the benefit of fayth whereupon Christ also when hee admonished his Disciples from whence they should seeke their comfort in adversity he said John 14.1 c. Let not your hearts be troubled believe in God believe also in me for there is in none greater goodnesse in none greater mercy in none greater knowledge of those things wherewith all our hearts be tormented in none more knowledge and power to helpe and ayde then is in God himselfe 2 Cor. 1.3 so that he is justly called the father of mercies and God of all comfort For he that is faythfull doth apply himselfe to the goodnesse of God and by it wee doe perceive the efficacy and sence thereof and it bringeth comfort unto the troubled heart By fayth wee doe believe the promises of grace and doe by it embrace those things which be spoken of God in his word fayth doth also mortifie the concupiscence of the flesh and maketh a mans mind humble and lowly and worketh many other notable matters in the hearts of the beleevers This excellent and rare jewell is faith the excellence whereof is surpassing precious wherewith we must of necessity be endued to become perfect men Heb. 11. Saint Paul sayth that Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the evidence of things which are not seene This is a speciall jewell and happy is the man that hath it but in quantity comparable to a graine of Mustard seed it is the ground of things hoped for as if it were sayd whatsoever crosse or calamity vexeth us if wee hope for reliefe and ease wee must ground it upon fayth otherwise our hope is no hope It is the evidence of things not seene Note it is the patefaction or laying open as it were of the very thing though farre from our sight which is expected and longed for in hope the thing hoped for through it is as it were Eph. 1. evidently seene and layd before our eyes wee may upon this ground build so certaine a foundation of hope of the joyes to come as if we were setled in Heaven it selfe with Christ It is indeed the assurance of all our comforts in the promises of God and whensoever wee lay this evidence before the celestiall Judge by prayers for therein it appeareth to be fayth or not to be he cannot but allow it so current lawfull and effectuall as that whatsoever wee aske though wee see nothing to answere our hope yet wee may assure our selves that wee shall obtaine our desires at such time and in such sort as shall bee most fittest for our necessities in so much as wee may be bold to say wee are already partakers of that we looke for before it come Psa 34.8 9 10. because comming it will come and our fayth which is the ground and the evidence of things hoped for shall not be in vaine and therefore in what danger so ever we are we must open this evidence even our fayth unto the Almighty in humble suit and hearty prayer that as his promises are manifold for the releefe of his children and his meanes infinite so will he accept of our faith Psal 91. wherein wee stand assured that hee is God al-sufficient full of mercy and truth able and willing to grant what we aske and first we must consider that there is no dissembling with God neyther can wee bragge of this rare jewell and yet bring forth the fruits of infidelity which then appeareth when wee shew our selves impatient at the chastisements and corrections of the Lord and when we grudge to stay the Lords leasure for helpe and when leaving the meanes commanded by God wee runne to worldly and forbidden meanes these things can we not shroud nor cloake under any colour or pretence for hee that searcheth the heart findeth every dissimulation Acts 5. he found out Ananias and Saphyra in their hypocrisie and gave them the reward of death because they would seeme to have faith and dissembled Learne of the
opposite against it for when it doth but slightly assaile the mind of man it putteth into him a fansie to forsake his worke he hath begun but as long as a man doth continue fast his hope Gal. 5.1 it suffereth him not to forsake his worke so the stedfastnesse of hope maketh up the worke For like as hope to gaine riches and wealth keepeth the workman in his worke and maketh the Merchant-man to venture so the hope wee have of the felicity to come keepeth the Christian man in the course study of godlinesse for like as fayth is effectuall by love so it is made also effectuall by hope without which it is utterly voyd and dead for what shall it profit to believe of those things which are to come if we have not hope of them to come Note Fayth doth also establish patience in her bold and maketh us invincible when wee be strengthned by hope to heare constantly all adversity with patience so hope and patience by an intercourse of ayd doe one helpe the other and the one doth strengthen and support the other in continuall troubles crosses and afflictions and contention of godlinesse it maketh the minde of him which is in hope quiet in the middest of his troubles which the counsell of mans wisdome is not able to worke but doth rather disquiet the travelled conscience then appease it hope grounded upon the certainety of Gods promises keepeth us safe from confusion so witnesseth the Apostle that Hope maketh not ashamed Rom. 5.5 because the love of God is shed abroad into our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us but the hope of the world is so vaine and fond that it doth daily deceive shame her darlings But blessed is the man which hopeth upon thee O God Psal 84.5 Prov. 16.20 Psal 4.5 The blessednesse of them which be in hope is of God and blessed i he that putteth his trust in the Lord blessed is the man whose hope is in the Name of the Lord. This blessednesse is not to bee attributed neither to the hope neither to him that hopeth so that of nâ—cessity it must be of God Hereof the Scriptures doth often testifie of God that hee is well pleased with them which doe hope upon his mercy as the Prophet David singeth that hee is good to them which doe trust upon him Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his helpe Psal 146. and whose hope is in the Lord his God What favour grace and benefits can they lacke which doe feele of his goodnesse and doe well please him is not that true blessednesse when a man pleaseth God and findeth him favourable and loving in all things how can hee but have mercy upon them which doe hope upon him which doe please him those hee willeth well unto yea those he doth specially regard and esteeme Great plagues shall remaine for the ungodly Psal 32. but whose putteth his trust in the Lord mercy imbraceth him on every side Againe the eyes of the Lord bee upon them that doe feare him which doe hope upon his mercy Againe our fathers hoped upon thee Psal 22.4 Psal 37.5 and they were not confounded For looke what the hopefull man is not able in his necessity to bring to passe of himselfe that will the Lord their God in whom they doe put their hope bring to good effect and end They called upon thee and were holpen Psa 22.5 Psal 17.7 they put their trust in thee and were not confounded Thou art the Saviour of them which putteth their trust in thee and keepest them as the apple of thine eye and hideth them under the shadow of thy wings Prov. 28.25 and Salomon sayth He which hopeth upon the Lord shall be saved Here may wee see how blessed are they which hope upon the Lord they doe well please him and they shall feele his goodnesse in time convenient Psal 91. whom the mercy of God doth compasse and embrace and upon whom his eyes bee bent can be neither forsaken nor confounded but doth deliver them preserve and save them by the might of his power whereupon there commeth the blessednesse of them that doe hope upon God but in the meere goodnesse and truth of God whereby he is so affected towards them that he cannot forsake them which doe hope upon him and that without any desert of ours so that our heart be cleane towards him and that they hope heartily upon that which they doe hope for for no other respect but only in respect of his goodnesse mercy and truth Of Patience THe vertue of Patience is commendable and profitable yea and also necessary and is adorned with many excellent gifts The singular gift of patience Patience is a kinde of heavenly tenure and a sweet temper in the spirit whereby the soule is held in possession which restraineth nature from exceeding reason in passion shee attendeth wisdome in in all her workes and proportioneth time to the necessity of matter shee is the poyson of sorrow in the hope of comfort and the paradise of conceit in the joy of peace shee is the Imitator of the incomprehensible in his passage to perfection and a servant of his will in the map of his worke-manship she pacifieth wrath and puts off revenge and in the humility of charity She is esteemed of God amongst the best vertues shewes the nature of grace she is beloved of the highest and imbraced of the wisest honoured with the worthiest and graced with the best Therefore let us commend patience as it is of it selfe commendable and commanded by the testimonies of holy Scriptures therefore we will note somewhat of patience which may profit not only others but my selfe also For when I doe write of those things which concerne our salvation I doe as well instruct my selfe as others Patience is a kind of perseverance when wee doe willingly and constantly suffer those things that be hard painfull sorrowfull and to our losse every suffering of adversity is not straightway to be termed patience for there is no man in the world It is requisite that a patient man do sustain and suffer his adversities willingly but hee suffereth many things that hee would not doe if he could any waies withstand it yet they are not to be called patient men neither are they called impatient which do suffer adversity but doe sustaine it with an evill will and discontented minde for it is impatience when we doe unwillingly strivingly and with anger suffer that which wee doe suffer Patience is not onely the willingnesse but also the long sufferance of evills for the vertue of patience consisteth also in the constancy of suffering there be many that are willing to suffer for a while but they be soone weary and become impatient unto them cannot be attributed true patience which must be both willing and continuall like as the faith of them which doe believe for a time and
and obey God in every one of his commandements but if at any time through frailty thou slippest into any sin wallow not in it but speedily rise out of it by unfaigned repentance praying for pardon till thy conscience be pacified thy hatred of sin increased and thy purpose of amendment confirmed God gives many blessings lest through want being his childe thou shouldest despaire and he sendeth thee some crosses lest by too much prosperity playing the foole thou shouldest presume but in all thy will have an eye to Gods Will lest thy selfe action turne to thine owne destruction count therefore Christ thy chiefest joy and sin thy greatest griefe estimate no want to the want of grace nor any losse to the losse of Gods favour and then the discontentment which grows by outward meanes 1 Tim. 6.8 9. shall the lesse perplexe thine inward mind and bestow no more thought of worldly things then thou needes must Col. 3.1 2. for the discharge of thy place and the maintenance of thine estate but still let thy care be greater for heavenly then for earthly things and be more grieved for dishonour done unto God than for an injury offered to thy selfe but if any private injury be offered unto thee Psalm 139.21 c. Eccles 28. Rom. 12.13.20.21 beare it as a Christian with patience Never was an innocent man wronged but if patiently hee bare his crosse he overcame in the end but if thou frettest and vexest at thy wrongs offered the hurt which thou doest to thy selfe is more then that which thine enemies can do unto thee neither canst thou more rejoyce him then to heare that it throughly vexeth thee but if thou canst shew patience on earth Deut. 32.35 36. God will shew himselfe just from heaven but if thine enemy still continueth in his malice and increase in his mischiefe give thou thy selfe unto prayer Jerem. 11.20 committing thy selfe and commending thy case unto the righteous judge of heaven and earth and in the meane while waite with David on the Lord Psal 27.14 be of good courage and he shall comfort thine heart undertake not an evill case for no mans sake for it is not that man but God that shall judge thee doe not therefore preferre the favour of men before the grace and favour of God and esteeme no sinne little For the curse of God is due to the least and the least would have damned thee had not the Sonne of God died for thee Ezek. 9.4 Mark 3.5 bewaile therefore the misery of thine owne estate and as occasion is ministred mourne for the iniquity of the time pray to God to amend it and be not thou one of them that make it worse in thy conversation be thou courteous towards all grievous to none familiar with few live piously to God-ward to thy selfe chastly to thy neighbour justly shew favour to thy friend shew patience to thy enemy let thy good will be towards all and shew thy bounty to them that have need thinke often of the shortnesse of thy life and the certainety of thy death and wish rather a good life then a long die daily to thy selfe and mortifie the vices of the flesh so in death thou shalt live unto God let mercy appeare in thy affection goodnesse in thy action curtesie in thy countenance humility in thy attire modesty in thy neighbourhood and patence in tribulation alwaies thinke upon three things past the evill which thou hast committed the good which thou hast omitted and the time which thou hast pretermitted thinke alwaies upon three things present the brevity of this life the difficulty of being and the paucity of them that shall be saved alwaies thinke upon three things to come death then which nothing is more horrible judgement then which nothing is more terrible and the paines of hell then which nothing is more intolerable Every evening reconcile thy selfe to God by prayer for thy sins past that day and give thankes to God for giving thee time to repent there are three things above thee which never let slip out of thy memory the eye that sees all the eare that heares all and the dreadfull Judge which punisheth all bewaile the evils past remember thy sinnes grieve for them and pray for amendment remember Gods justice that thou maist bee kept in feare remember Gods mercy that thou maist not dispaire as much as thou canst withdraw thy selfe from the world and the vanities therof and addict thy selfe wholly to the service of God study to please none but Christ and feare to displease none but him pray unto God to pardon and forgive thee what is past and to governe and amend in thee what is to come God hath communicated himselfe wholly unto thee therefore communicate thou thy selfe wholly unto thy neighbour that is the best life that is busied in the service of others shew reverence and obedience unto thy superiour instruct and defend thy inferiour give counsell and ayd unto thy equall let thy body be subject to thy minde and thy minde to God for thy workes doe not passe away but are cast as certaine seeds of eternity Gal. 6.8 Therefore if thou sowest in the flesh of the flesh thou shalt reape corruption if thou sowest in the Spirit of the Spirit thou shalt reape life everlasting after death the honour of the world shall not follow thee neither shall thy heape of riches follow thee Revel 14.13 neither shall thy pleasures follow thee neither shall the vanities of the world follow thee but thy workes shall follow after thee Therefore to day appeare to be such in the sight of God as thou desirest to be esteemed at the day of judgement learne to live in this life as thou wouldest obtaine eternall life for in this life is eternall life obtained or lost therefore let holy meditations bring forth in thee knowledge Prov. 15.8 and knowledge compunction and compunction devotion and let thy devotion make earnest intercession unto God by prayer for the silence of the mouth is a great good for the peace of the heart James 1.19 O the shame when a man 's owne tongue shall be produced as a witnesse against himselfe to the confusion of his owne shame Therefore let thy words be few but advised forethinke whether that which thou art to speake be fit to be spoken affirme no more then what thou knowest to bee true and be rather silent then to speake to an ill or no purpose Let thy heart and tongue ever goe together in honesty and truth 1 Pet. 2.1 hate lying and dissembling in an other detest it in thy selfe or God will detest thee for it for he hateth a lyar and his father the divell alike let not thine anger remaine when thou seest the cause removed and ever distinguish twixt him that offendeth of infirmity and against his will Prov. 6.30 Acts 3.17 1 Tim. 1.13 Psal 59.5 and him who offendeth maliciously and of set purpose
things worne out and almost forgotten with the use of time because the end of their actions ran not this holy race of Gods glory but had divers disagreeing ends and respects death hath deprived their soules the grave their bodies the world their estates and time their names and such destroying ends doe necessarily follow such affections for when Gods glory is not the absolute proposed end of a mans life there is nothing can happen to such life but extreme misery even the bounty of nature and the treasure of fortune are miserable tormentors which present themselves with friendly faces Psalm 4.5 but bring in their hand dangerous and fearefull destructions therefore in every action and in every worke wee undertake let us first in the feare of God propose our lawfull end Gods glory that hee may have the honour of all our actions to the comfort of our soules Amen Of the uncertainty of mans life and the expectation of death THis life wherein wee live is rather a death 4 Esdr 4.14 because every day we die for every day we spend some of our life and grow neerer to our end by a day this life is full of griefe for things past full of labour for things present and full of feare and care for things to come our ingresse into this world is lamentable because the infant begins his life with teares as it were fore-seeing the evills to come our progresse is wicked weake and vile because many diseases troubles losses and crosses torment us and many cares afflict us our ingresse is horrible and terrible Revel 14.13 because wee doe not depart alone but our workes doe follow us and wee must passe from death to Gods severe judgement Hebr. 9.17 we are begotten in uncleannesse we are conceived in sinne we are nourished in darknesse we are brought forth in sorrow and misery we live in paine and die in anguish we were a wretched burthen to our mother we are strangers in our birth and pilgrims in our life wee are compelled to part away by death the first part of our life is ignorance the middle part is overwhelmed with cares and the later part is burthened with grievous old age All the time of our life is either past present or to come if it be past it is nothing if it be present it is fleeting Gen. 3.19 if it be to come it is then uncertaine from earth we came and earth wee beare about us earth we tread upon Job 7.1 c. and to earth wee must returne againe the necessity of our birth is base of our life miserable of our death lamentable The life of man is a continuall warfare because there is in this life a continuall fight between the flesh and the spirit Gal. 5.17 what true joy then can a man have in this life when there is in it no certaine felicity what thing present can delight us when all things like a shadow doe passe away but the judgement of God which hangeth over our heads doth never passe away Againe what thing can delight us when that which wee so dearely loved is taken from us and quite ended and griefe that shall never have end doth approach every day still neerer unto us Nazianzen this is all wee gaine by long life to doe more evill to see more evill and to suffer more evill and maketh our accusation the greater at the last day of generall judgement What is man but the slave of death and as a passenger on the way and hath no certaine continuance his life is shorter then a moment lighter then a bubble more vain then an image more empty then a sound more brittle than glasse more changeable than the wind more unconstant than the aire more fleeting than a shadow and more deceitfull than a dreame what is it but the expectation of death the stage of mockeries the sea of miseries a viall of blood which every light fall breaketh and every fit of an ague corrupteth course of our life is a labyrinth wee enter into it when wee come out of the wombe and goe out of it by the passage of death this life is fraile as glasse as sliding as a river as miserable as a warfare yet many seemes much to desire it the vaine felicity of this life doth outwardly delight but if wee presse it with a more weighty consideration it will appeare to be vile and wicked therefore O deare soule doe not suffer thy cogitations to set up their rest in this life Psalm 42. 4 Esdr 4.26 c. but let thy minde alwaies pant and breathe after the joyes to come compare the short moment of time here with eternity which shall never have end this life here posteth away yet in it doe wee get or lose eternall life this life here is most miserable and yet in it doe we get or lose everlasting life in this life we are subject to many calamities yet in it doe wee get or lose the joyes everlasting if therefore thou hopest of everlasting life use the world but let not thy heart cleave unto it negotiate in this world but fixe not thy mind unto it The outward use of worldly things is necessary and hurteth not unlesse thy inward affection cleave unto them heaven is our country the world is but the way unto it and place of our sojourning this life is our sea but eternity is our heaven be not therefore so much delighted with the momentany tranquillity of this world but be carefull to attaine to the haven of everlasting happinesse This world is sliding and unconstant and doth not keep faith with her lovers but doth often times flie from them when they have most hope of it The safest way then is to expect every houre our departure out of this present life and to prepare our selves for it by hearty and serious prayer and repentance the world is now so worne away with a long consumption it hath even lost the face with which it was wont to seduce her lovers 1 Cor. 1.3 But he that cleaveth unto the Lord is one spirit with him For as the carnall copulation of the man and woman maketh of them one flesh Math. 19.5 so the spirituall conjunction betweene Christ and the faithfull soule maketh of them one spirit as the soule is the life of the body so is God the life of the soule as therefore that soule doth truely live in which God dwelleth by spirituall grace so likewise that soule is dead which hath not God dwelling in it and what rest can there be to the soule that is dead that first death in sinne doth necessarily draw with it the second death of damnation Revel 20.14 Whosoever therefore doth firmely cleave unto God with his love inwardly enjoyeth divine consolation his rest can no outward things disquiet for in the midst of sorrowes hee is joyfull in poverty hee is rich in tribulations secure in troubles quiet in contumilies and reproches
of men still and in death it selfe living hee regards not the threats of the tyrants because hee feeles within himselfe the riches of divine consolation hee is not sorrowfull in adversity because the holy Spirit within doth comfort him effectually hee is not vexed in poverty because the goodnesse of God doth continually succour him the reproches of men doe not trouble him because hee enjoyeth the delight of divine honour he regards not the pleasure of the flesh because the sweetnesse of the spirit is more acceptable unto him 〈…〉 â—ot the friendship of the world because he seeketh the love of God who is a mercifull father gracious and a friend unto him hee feareth no death because in God he alwaies liveth hee feareth not Lightening Tempests Fire Water-flouds the sorrowfull aspects of the Planets nor the obscuration of the light of Heaven because hee is carried up above the Sphere of Nature and by faith he resteth and liveth in Christ he feareth no mortall nor evill power because he that liveth and overcomes in him is farre more stronger then the Divell that in vaine labours to overcome him hee followeth not the inticements of the Flesh because living in the Spirit hee â—eeles the riches of the Spirit and by the vivification of the Spirit Gal. 5.24 mortifies and crucifies the lusts of the Flesh hee feares not the Divell his accuser 1 Ioh. 2.1 because he knowes Christ to be his Intercessour the true rest of the Soule hee grants unto us who is the onely Author thereof O Christ with-draw our hearts from the love of this world and stirre up in as a desire to thirst after the Kingdome of Heaven to thy eternall glory and the unspeakable comfort of our Soules Of temporary Death and of the severall estates of Salvation and Damnation DEath is an ordinance of God for the subjecting of the World which is limited his time for the correction of Pride it is a separation and absence of the Soule from the Body whereby the Body is reduced to his first matter earth and the Soule brought to a sense of either justice or mercie To understand this better wee must consider Death in his originall and first being also in his powerfull and generall continuance and the end or dea◠〈◊〉 â—atâ— the originall cause that gave Death life was sinne therefore when Adam had eaten the forbidden fruit and thereby committed sinne then had Death his first beginning for though Adam did not at the instant of the act die yet at the very instant of the sinne he was made mortall and subject to the power of death so God fore-told him Gen. 2.17 that whensoever hee did eate thereof he should surely die and from this bad beginning was Death first derived So did the woman of Zareptha acknowledge that her sinne was the cause of her childs death 1 King 17.18 so have all the Children of God understood of Death and the cause thereof and Saint Paul saith Rom. 6.16 that Death is the wages of sinne as if it were a necessary care in the justice of God that all that committeth sinne should have the reward and wages thereof Death Now the cause of this cause of Death was the Divell Gen. 3. who envying the prosperitie of our nature suggested his temptations to our first Parents by whose disobedience we are all made mortall so saith Salomon Through the envie of the Divell came death into the World and they doe prove it that doe hold of his side and so from these two Parents the Divell and Sinne was Death first derived from whence hee had his being and first beginning Wee must consider Death also in the passage of his life or in his powerfull continuance which is evident in this respect that Death hath a generall power over all Flesh the which hee doth execute upon all without respect had either to the greatnesse or goodnesse of any Ios 23.14 therefore Death is called the way of all the World Gen. 15.15 and the way to our Fathers because as our Fathers are gone the way of Death before us so must wee after them and our posterity after us for ever for though Death be but one his office the cutting off the lives of all the world yet it is to him but an easie taske having the diseases of our flesh and infinite other occasions to attend him to the performance of the execution of his deadly office His power then is generall over all being limited by God and time only who though hee bring all Flesh to corruption yet no Flesh can corrupt him or procure favour in the strict execution of his Office The end or the death of Death is the living righteousnesse of Jesus Christ which he wrought by his owne death in his owne person therefore saith the holy Prophet that Death is swallowed up in Victory Hos 13.14 and Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 15.25.26 that Christ Iesus must reigne till he hath put all his enemies under his feet and that the last enemie that shall be destroyed is Death therefore the Apostle insulting over Death saith O death verses 55.56.57 where is thy sting O Hell where is thy victory the sting of Death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thanks bee unto God that giveth us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ Whereby it is evident that God by his sonne Christ hath given us victory over Sinne Death and Hell if wee doe faithfully beleeve in him and whereas before wee were all servants of sinne and the slaves of Death wee are now made Conquerors and despise them that did command us This happie alteration doth reach benefit to all the faithfull but not to all men therefore it is limited by God and doth extend to such particulars onely as are in his election for though God cast the beames of his Sonne upon every mans face alike and distribute his temporall blessings scatteringly as it were without any heedfull respect where they fall yet those favours that are eternall and import perpetuity of happinesse hee giveth them onely to his beloved Elect barring all the reprobates from spirituall grace and eternall happinesse and therefore though the death of Christ hath disarmed Death and blunted his weapons that have wounded holy men yet are those weapons still sharpe and that Death is still living and made immortall against them that have not received the image of the Lambe of God for though all men enter their graves alike yet with different condition holy and good men enter their graves Mat. 9.25 as their houses of rest where they quietly sleepe and for a time repose in rest and safetie but the wicked enter their graves as fellons doe their Prisons to be reserved to a more terrible day of judgement Eccles 41.1.2 Therefore the Wiseman saith Philip. 1.20.21 the remembrance of Death is bitter to some and acceptable to other for the godly make it their
let us remember our hope and in our hope our God while we live here let us remember that wee are prisoners and in the bondage of our flesh and when we die we know that we shall have freedome and death that is cruell to others will bee favourable to us and death that will kindle the fire of their affliction will extinguish our and doubtlesse wee shall finde death more favourable unto us than men for by men wee are injured disgracefully and reproachfully despised most ignominiously afflicted cast downe by feares of enemies affrighted our opinions doubted our actions scanned and opposed our endeavours misinterpreted and intercepted and by wrongs of ill neighbours oppressed our good name brought into odious reputation and by disquietnesse betwixt false friends and open foes in a manner confounded Death takes us from all these feares and injuries layes us in a peaceable grave makes us sleepe in that bed of rest protects our bodies silences our name and carries our spirit to his place appointed Let us not therefore be moved by any example to feare death but let us have a Christian resolution to abide it with courage nay with hope without doubting When we shall see the sons of fortune feare every little sickenesse the serjeants of death Ier. 4.2 we shall see the sonnes of grace deride them for their folly for they never behold death but in his ugly forme to their terrour but to these he appeareth most beautifull pleasant and of delightfull conversation death is to them a Lion but our Lambe his actions in their Scene is tragicall but in our comicall and full of heavenly recreations Whence commeth this 1 Cor. 15. It is our Savior Christ that hath thus caused it his power hath done it his hand hath wrought it he hath tamed death he hath taken his sting from him that it cannot hurt his Elect he hath shut up hell that hath gaped against us and hath reconciled us to our graves wherein wee may safely repose without feare and terrour hee hath commanded death that would perish us to secure us and to present our full proportion before his judgement seat This hath hee done that is able to doe all things he hath done it also for me my faith perswades me so I will acknowledge my selfe therfore in most dutifull thankes to my God and Saviour and in every time of distresse I will looke at death and with that serious meditation receive a full proportion of comfort in my selfe through the merit of my Saviour Amen A Sweet Contemplation of the Beatificall joyes of Heaven and Heavenly things And the Blessed state of a regenerate Christian HEre my meditation dazleth and cannot conceive and my Contemplation is not able to discerne and my Pen not able to describe that most excellent blisse and eternall weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Rom. 8.18 whereof all the momentanie lightnesse of our afflictions and tribulations are not worthy which all the faithfull Elect shall with the blessed Trinity enjoy Rom. 8.17 1 Kings 8.27 2 Cor. 12 2.4 Psal 19.5 from that time they shal be received with Christ as joynt heirs into that everlasting kingdome of joy the heaven of heavens or the third heaven called Paradise which Christ in his humane nature ascended far above all visible heavens which by the firmament as by an azured Curtaine spangled with glittering starres and glorious Planets is hid that we cannot behold it with the corruptible eyes of flesh the holy Ghost framing himselfe to our weakenesse describes the glory of that place which no man can estimate no not by such things as are most pretious in the estimation of man Rev. 21.2 c. and therefore likeneth it to that great and holy City named the heavenly Jerusalem Therefore O devout soule lift up thy selfe above thy selfe flie away in the contemplation of heaven and heavenly things make not thy further abode in this inferiour region where is nothing but travells and troubles cares and trialls sorrow and woe feare wretchednesse Col. 3.2 and sinne and all deceiving and destroying vanities Bend all thine affections upward unto the superiour place where thy Redeemer liveth and raigneth where thy joyes are layd up in the treasury of his Merits which shall be made thy merits his Protection thy protection his Death thy life eternall and his Resurrection thy salvation where He sits in his glorious Throne Matt. 13.43 accompanied with all the many thousands of Saints and Angells shining more bright than so many Sunnes in glory sitting about him and the Body of Christ in glory and brightnesse surpassing them all and there from his Throne of majesty Matt. 25.10 to the end he shall in the sight and hearing of all the world pronounce unto his Elect Come yee Blessed of my Father c. Here is our blessed union with Christ and by him with the whole Trinity here is our absolution from all sins and our plenary endowment with all grace and happinesse here is the authour from whom by Christ proceeds all our felicity here is our adoption our birth-right and possession see here is Gods fatherly care for his Chosen from the foundation of the world O the free eternall unchangeable Election of God who hath given thee an eternall inheritance assured by an holy covenant made in the word of God signed with the blood of his Sonne 1 Cor. 5.10 c and sealed with his Spirit and Sacraments his chosen Elect shal be translated out of this wofull wretched miserable and transitory world into his eternall happinesse his immortall and everlasting kingdome Rev. 21. the Celestiall Canaan that heavenly Ierusalem so glorious by creation so beautifull with delectation so rich in possession so comfortable for habitation This shall be thine eternall happinesse in the Kingdome of heaven where thy life shall be a Communion with the blessed Trinity thy joy the presence of the Lambe thy exercise singing the ditty Allelu-jah thy consorts Saints and Angells where youth flourisheth that never waxeth old beauty lasteth that never fadeth love aboundeth that never cooleth health continueth that never slacketh and life remaineth that never endeth There is light without darkenesse mirth without sadnesse health without sicknesse wealth without want credit without disgrace beauty without blemish Psal 86.3 ease without labour riches without corruption blessednesse without misery and consolation that never knoweth end where they shal live for ever with him in ful freedome from all evill in perpetuall fruition of all felicity so that as nothing shal be found in hell which shall be desired so nothing shall be desired in heaven which shall not be found there shall be mirth without mourning a life without labour and day without darkenesse eternall happinesse and happy eternity there is neither sinne nor sorrow neither penalty nor penitencie neither foe nor frighting neither corruption nor contention amity and no enmity faith and no fraud godlinesse and no guile love
are wee also Heires of God Psal 16.1 and coheires with Christ Lift up thy selfe O devout soule and long to come to the Lord the portion of thine inheritance and thy exceeding great reward Gen 15.1 What could the most ample mercie and bountie of God bestow more upon us He gives us life he bestowes his Son Act. 27.27.28 and bestowes himselfe if he had any thing greater in heaven or earth he would bestow even that also upon us In God we live Gods Temple we are 1 Cor. 3.16 God we possesse indeed here in the spirit and in a Mistery but in heaven in truth and indeed our hope there shall become our full fruition and dwell with him for ever Psal 42.1.2 Come Lord Iesus Come quickly and make us partakers of that heavenly glory Esteeme not thou faithfull soule the trifling pleasures of this life to bee the way to this everlasting worlds wealth nor the ignominious estate heere nor troubles and afflictions to be any barre to prevent thee from the injoying of the full use and joyfull fruition of the glory there prepared for thee bee assured that though thou want heere thou shalt have riches there though thou hunger heere thou shalt have fulnesse there though thou beest ready to faint heere thou shalt be refreshed there and though thou be heere abjected and cast downe and accounted as a dead man yet shalt thou there live in perpetuall glory and though thou hast run this comfortlesse race through this miserable earthly vaile yet there shalt thou raigne for ever the honour on this earth in comparison of that is basenesse the riches of this world is povertie the fulnesse of this life is want the joyes of this worlds Kingdome are sorrow woe misery sadnesse griefe and calamitie Psal 53.1 and yet the Foole saith in his heart that there is no other Heaven but this harmefull deceiving worlds happinesse no other Hell but this Worlds bitternesse no bitter torment then this worlds cares no further helpe then this worlds wealth thus is the wisedome of man become foolishnesse his glory turned into shame mans power made of no force and the faithfull poore that are heere despised are there advanced the sorrowfull are comforted and the cast-awayes of this world are received to that blessed being that cannot be expressed with the tongue described with the Pen nor conceived with the heart of man Psal 55.6 O that I had wings saith heavenly hearted David that I might flye away from this worlds vanities and to possesse Heavens eternall happinesse Phâ—lip 1.23 Oh that I were dissolved saith blessed Paul that I might bee with Christ Oh that I were in this place of such wished happinesse where I might rest from this Worlds labours earthly miseries and transitorie vanities Let us daily meditate of the greatnesse and Majestie of this high Heavens glorious and blessed estate where we shall one day blesse our God with the blessed Company of that most excellent Vnitie where wee shall one day sit secure and free from the dangers perils troubles crosses and afflictions which doe in this world assaile us on every side both within and without that wee are never free from one calamitie or other 2 Cor. 1.3.4.5.6.7 Oh blessed are all they that are thus assured blessed are the poore that shall have this Heavens riches blessed are the base that shall be thus exalted blessed are the low and cast downe that shall bee thus raised and advanced and blessed are the World 's despised that shall have this Heavens happinesse yea happy is this worlds unhappy man for he shall be happy for ever Now therefore O devout Soule stand up feare not faint not but give glory to this great God praise this high and helping God seeke him in time while it is to day drive not off to pray to this God notwithstanding any hope thou hast in mortall men pray for and reject not his gracious meanes who in favour infinite and mercie endlesse moveth the hearts of men in this life to doe good unto such as hee seeth distressed hee can finde out and afford infinite meanes to succour them that are his and will not leave them forsaken in danger 1 Cor. 10.13 for hee even here giveth his blessings as pledges of his never-failing love that being visited in his mercy with timely comforts here we may assure our selves of greater blessings in Heaven where they are prepared for his faithfull Elect beyond all that humane nature can aske or thinke Therefore O devout Soule sigh no more sorrow no more bee no more pensive at outward poverty fret no more at the worlds crosses grieve no more at the worlds miseries dismay no more for thy many sinnes but strive alwayes to stand in the favour of this high and helping God and hee will set thee free and banish thy feare and fill thy cup and feed thee with the hidden treasures of his never-failing love Vnto whom be given all Glory Praise Honour Power Might Majestie and Dominion now and evermore Amen Thus endeth our PROGRESSE The Conclusion NOw hast thou seene how glorious and perfect God is and how that all thy chiefe blisse and happines consisteth in having an eternall Communion with his Majestie therefore O impenitent Sinner in the bowels of Christ Iesus I intreat thee as thou tenderest thy owne Salvation seriously to consider with mee how false how vaine how vile are those things which still retaine and chaine thee in thy wretched and cursed estate wherein thou livest The vanitie and wretchednesse of this present life and doe hinder thee from the favour of God and the hope of eternall life and happinesse and seeing that likewise thou seest how great is thy happinesse in Christ and how vaine are the hinderances that debarre thee from the same Beware as the Apostle exhorteth of the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3.13 for that sinne which seemeth now to bee so pleasing to thy corrupt nature will one day prove the bitterest enemie to thy distressed soule and in the meane while harden unawares thine impenitent heart Sinne as a Serpent seemes beautifull to the eye but take heed of the sting behind whose venomous effects if thou knewst thou wouldst as carefully flye from sinne as from a Serpent To conclude all forasmuch as thou seest that without Christ thou art but a slave of sin deaths vassall and wormes meat whose thoughts are vaine whose deeds are vile whose pleasures have scarce beginning whose miseries never know end what wise man would incurre these Hellish torments though hee might by living in sinne purchase to himselfe for a time the Empire of Augustus the Riches of Croessus the Pleasures of Salomon the Policy of Achitophel 2 Sam. 17. the voluptuous Fare and fine Apparell of Dives Mat. 16.26 Mark 8.36 for What should it availe a man as our Saviour saith to win the whole World for a tiâ—â— and then to lose his Soule in Hell for ever FINIS Jmprimatur THO WYKES Septemb. 1. 1638.