a treasure of rare abilities in them would as soon part with their hearts as their conceptions I think they are rather Monsters then reall Christians that are of such a spirit The third and last thing to which you are to improve your gifts and graces is To the benefit and profit of your own soules The good of the soule is specially to be minded 1 Because 't is the most Noble part of man 2 Because the Image of God is most fairly stampt upon it 3 Because it is first converted 4 Because it shall be first glorified Not to improve them to your owne internall and eternall good is with a high hand to crosse the maine end of Gods conferring them upon you Ah Christians you must improve them to the strengthening of you against temptations to the supporting of you under afflictions to the keeping under of strong corruptions to the sweetning of all mutations and to the preparing and fitting of you for the dayes of your dissolution I shall content my selfe with giving you this hint because I have before spoken more fully to this head And thus we have done with the Doctrinall part We shall come now to make some Use and Application of this Point to our selves If this be so That 't is the Duty of Christians to improve and exercise the gifts and graces that the Lord hath given them Then in the first place this looks very sowrely and wishly upon all lazie idle negligent Christians that doe not stir up themselves to lay hold on God that doe not stir up the grace of the Lord in them 'T is sad to consider how many Christians Cupid complained He could never â—asten upon the Muses because he could never find them idle No Christians so fâ—ee from Satans assaults as active Christians are nor none so tempâ—ed as idle Christians can stir up themselves to lay hold on all opportunities to make themselves great and rich in the world and yet suffer their golden gifts and graces even to grow rustie for want of exercise 'T is sad to see how busie many men are to exercise and improve a Talent of riches who yet bind up their Talents of gifts and grace in a Napkin By these God looses much honour and praise and themselves loose much comfort and content and others loose much profit and benefit and the Gospel looses much credit and glory But the maine Use that I shall make of this Point shall be To exhort and stir you all up to make a blessed improvement of your graces And indeed it is a Point of most singular use to us all our The Jewish Rabbins report That he same night that Israel de parted out of Aegypt towards Canaan all the Idols Idolatrou Temples in Aegypt by lightning and earth quakes were broken downe So when grace holinesse is set up in the heart all the Idols of Satan which are meâ—slust are throwne downe dayes a truth that is every day of very great concernment to our soules Now there are seven Considerations that I shall propound by way of Motive to stir up your soules to make a blessed improvement of the grace and gifts you have received And the first is this Seriously consider that the exercise and improvement of grace in your soules will be more and more the death and ruine of sin in your soules Take it from experience There is not a choycer way then this for a man to bring under the power of his sin then to keep up the exercise of his grace Sin and Grace are like two Buckets at a Well when one is up the other is downe They are like the two Lawrels at Rome when one flourishes the other withers Certainly the readiest and the surest way to bring under the power of sin is to be much in the exercise of grace Rom. 8. 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse The life and activity of Christ and grace in the soule is the death and destruction of sin in the soule The more grace acts in the soule the more sin withers and dyes in the soule the stronger the house of David grew 2 Sam. 3. the weaker the house of Saul grew As the house of David grew every day stronger and stronger so the house of Saul every day grew weaker and weaker So the activity of the new Mat. 21. 12 13 14. man is the death of the old man When Christ began to bestir himselfe in the Temple the money-changers quickly fled out So when grace is active and stirring in the soule corruption quickly flyes A man may find out many wayes to hide his sin but he will never find out any way to subdue his sin but by the exercise of grace Of all Christians none so mortified as those in whom grace is most exercised Sin is a Viper that must be kill'd or 't will kill you for ever and there is no way to kill it but by the exercise of grace Secondly Consider this by way of motive to provoke you Mat. 5. 16. The exercise of virtue will draw I ve from a mans very enemies Tilligny for his â—are virtues was reserved from death by his greatest enemies at the Mâ—ssacre of Paris as you may see in the French History in the life of Charls the Ninth to exercise and improve your Graces The exercise and improvement of your Graces will provoke others to blesse and admire the God of Grace Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven The light of your Conversation and the light of your graces Oh! how many thousand soules be there now triumphing in heaven whose gifts and graces shin'd gloriously when they were on earth and ah how many thousands are there now on earth that blesse and admire the Lord for the shine of their graces who are now in heaven That blesse the Lord for the Faith of Abraham and the Zeale of David and the Meeknesse of Moses and the Patience of Job and the Courage of Joshua c. Ah Christians as you would stirre up others to exalt the God of grace look to the exercise and improvement of your graces When poor servants shall live in a family and see the faith of a Master and the love of a Master and the wisedome of a Master and the patience of a Master and the humility of a Master c. shining like so many stars of heaven oh how doth it draw forth their hearts to blesse the Lord that ever they came into such a family 'T is not a profession of Religion but the exercise and improvement of grace that contributes so much to the lifting up of the glory of the Lord and to the greatning of his praise in the world Many Saints have had their hearts warmed and heated by siting by other Saints fire by eying and dwelling upon other Saints
as a little sum multiplied is great that they cloud the face of God wound conscience grieve the spirit rejoyce Satan and make work for Repentance c. An humble soule knows that little sins suppose them so are very dangerous a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump a little staffe may kill one a little poyson may poyson one a little leak in a ship sinkes it a little Flye in the box of Ointment spoyles it a little flaw in a good cause marres it So a little sin may at once barre the door of Heaven and open the gates of Hell and therefore an humble soule smites and strikes it selfe for the least as well as the greatest Though a head of Garlike be little yet it will poyson the Leopard though he be great Though a Mouse is but little yet it will kill an Elephant if he gets up into his Trunk Though the Scorpion be little yet it will sting a Lyon to death and so will the least sin if not pardoned by the death of Christ A proud heart counts great sins small and small sins no sins and so disarmes Conscience for a time of its whipping and wounding power but at death or in Hell conscience will take up an iron rod with which it will lash the sinner for ever and then though too late the sinner shall acknowledge his little sins to be very great and his great sins to be exceeding grievous and odious c. The tenth Property of an humble soule is this It will quietly 10 Property Psal 39. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Alam which signifies to be mute or tongue-tied Lev. 10. 1 2 3 Vaiidem from Clam am which signifies the quietnesse of the mind the troubled affections being allayed 1 Sam. 3. 11-19 2 Sam. 16. 5-14 Gallesius observes upon Exod. 22. 28. the exceeding patience of those three Emperours Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius towards those that spoke evill of them bear burdens and patiently take blowes and knocks and make no noise An humble soule sees God through man he sees God through all the actions and carriages of men I was dumb saith the Prophet I opened not my mouth because thou didst it An humble soule looks through secondary causes and sees the hand of God and then layes his owne hand upon his mouth An humble soule is a mute soule a tongue-tied soule when he looks through secondary causes to the supream cause So Aaron when he saw his Sons suddenly surprised by a dreadfull and dolefull death he held his peace he bridled his passions he sits silent under a terrible stroke of Divine Justice because the fire that devoured them went out from the Lord. So when Samuel had told Eli that God would judge his house for ever and that he had sworn that the iniquity of his house should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever c. It is the Lord sayes Eli let him doe what seemeth him good Eli humbly and patiently layes his neck upon the block it is the Lord let him strike let him kill c. sayes Eli. So David when Shimei manifested his desperate fury and folly malice and madnesse in raving and raging at him in cursing and reproaching of him sayes he Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him God sayes he will by his wise providence turne his cursing into blessing I see the Justice of God in his cursing therefore let him alone let him curse sayes David Cassianus reports that when a certaine Christian was held Captive by the Infidels and tormented by divers paines and ignominious taunts being demanded by way of scorne and reproach Tell us what Christ has done for you answered He Acts Mon. fol. 811. hath done what you see that I am not moved at all the cruelties and contumelies you cast upon me So that blessed Martyr Gyles of Brussells when the Fryers By long soo thingour own wills we have forsaken as Cassian saith the very shadow of patience sent to reduce him did at any time miscall him he ever held his peace insomuch that those wretches would say abroad that he had a dumb Devil in him Full Vessels will bear many a knock many a stroke and yet make no noise So Christians that are full of Christ that are full of the Spirit will bare many a knock many a stroke and yet make no noise An humble soule may groan under afflictions but he will not grumble in calmes Proud hearts discourse of patience but in stormes humble hearts exercise patience Philosophers have much commended it but in the houre of darknesse 't is onely the humble Christian that acts it I am afflicted sayes the humble soule but 't is mercy I am not destroyed I am fallen into the pit 't is free-grace I am not fallen into Hell God is too just to wrong me and too gratious to harme me and therefore I will be still and quiet let him doe what he will Isa 58. 1 2 3. with me sayes the humble soule But proud soules resist when they are resisted they strike when they are stricken Who is Non sic deos coluimus aut sic viximus ut ille nos vinceret said the Emperour An onius Philosophus the Lord sayes lofty Pharoah that I should obey him and Cain cryes out My punishment is greater then I am able to beare Well remember this though it be not easie in afflictions and tribulations to hold our peace yet 't is very advantagious which the Heathens seemed to intimate in placing the Image of Angeronia with the mouth bound upon the Altar of Volupia to shew that those that doe prudently and humbly conceale their sorrowes and anxieties by patience shall attaine comfort and refreshment The eleventh Property of an humble soule is this In all 11 Property John 14. 13. Ch. 15. 16. 16. 23 26. The name of Jesus hath a thousandtreasures of joy comfort in it saith Chrysostome And is therefore us'd by Paul five hundred times as some have reckoned Religious duties and services he trades with God upon the credit of Christ Lord sayes the humble soule I need power against such and such sins give it me upon the credit of Christs blood I need strength to such and such services give it me upon the credit of Christs word I need such and such mercies for the cheering refreshing quickening and strengthening of me give them into my bosome upon the credit of Christs intercession As a poore man lives and deales upon the credites of others so does an humble soule live and deale with God for the strengthening of every grace and for the supply of every mercy upon the credit of the Lord Jesus An humble soul knows that since he broke with God in Innocency God will trust him no more he will take his word no more and therefore when he goes to God for mercy he brings his Benjamin his Jesus in his armes and pleads for mercy upon
this is the best to keep them from falling Job feares and conquers on the dunghill Adam presumes and falls in Paradise Nehemiah fears and stands Nehem. 5. 15. Peter presumes and falls Mat. 26. Mr. Sanders the Martyr in Queene Mary's dayes feares and stands Dr. Pendleton presumes and falls from a Professor to be a Papist When Agamemnon said What should the Conquerour feare Casander presently answered Quod nihil timet He should feare this most of all that he fears not at all And so I have done with the Reasons of the point I shall now come to the Uses of it And the first is this Is it so that the most holy soules are the most humble soules Then this shewes you That the number of holy soules is very few Oh how few be there that are low in their owne eyes The number of soules that are high in the esteeme of God and low in their owne esteem are very few Oh the pride of England Oh the pride of London Pride in these A proud heart resists and is resâ—sted this is duâ—o duâ—um flint to flint fire to fire yet downe he must dayes ha's got a whores fore-head yet pride cannot climb so high but Justice will sit above her Bernard saith that Pride is the rich mans Cousen I may add And the poore mans Cousen and the prophane mans Cousen and the Civil mans Cousen and the formall mans Cousen and the Hypocrites Cousen yea all mens Cousen and it will first or last cast down and cast out all the Lucifers and Adams in the world Secondly As you would approve your selves to be high in the account of God as you would approve your selves to be not onely good but eminently good Keep humble Since England was England since the Gospel shined amongst us there was never such reason to presse this duty of humility as in these dayes of pride wherein we live and therefore I shall endeavour these two things First to lay downe some Motives that may work you to be humble Secondly to propound some Directions that may further you in this work First for the Motives Consider First how God singles out humble soules from all others ot 1 Motive poure out most of the Oyle of Grace into their hearts No Vessels that God delights to fill like broken vessels like contrite spirits Jam. 4. 6. He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble The Greek word signifies To set himselfe Anâ—itassetai in battell array God takes the winde and hill of a proud soule but he gives grace to the humble The silver dewes flow downe from the Mountaines to the lowest valleyes Abraham was but dust and ashes in his owne eyes I but saith Gen. 18. 17. God Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I will doe No I will not An humble soule shall be both of Gods Court and his Counsel too Humble Jacob that was in his Gen. 32. 10. owne eyes lesse then the least of all mercies what a glorious Vision had he of God when the Ground was his Bed and Gen. 28. the Stone his Pillow and the Hedges his Curtaines and the Heavens his Canopie Then he saw Angels ascend and descend An humble soule that iies low O what sights of God He that is in the low pits and caves os the earth sees the starres in the fiâ—mament when they who are upon the tops of the mountains discerne them not hath he what glory doth he behold when the proud soule sees nothing God poures in grace to the humble as men poure in liquor into an empty vessel he does not drop in grace into an humble heart but he poures it in The Altar under the Law was hollow to receive the fire the wood and the Sacrifice So the hearts of men under the Gospel must be humble empty of all sprituall pride and self-conceitednesse that so they may receive the fire of the Spirit and Jesus Christ who offered himselfe for a Sacrifice for our sins Humility is both a Grace and a vessel to receive Grace There 's none that sees so much need of grace as humble souls there 's none prises grace like humble soules there 's none improves grace like humble soules Therefore God singles out the humble soule to fill him to the brim with grace when the proud is sent empty away Secondly Of all Garments humility doth best become Christians 2 Motive and most adorne their profession Faith is the Champion of grace and Love the Nurse but Humility the beauty of grace 1 Pet. 5. 5. Be clothed with humility The Greek word imports That Humility is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ribbon or string that tyes together all those pretious Pearles the rest of the graces If this string break they are all scattered The Greek word that is rendred Cloathed comes of another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek word that signifies to knit and tye knots as delicate and curious women use to doe of Ribbons to adorne their heads and bodies as if humility were the knot of every vertue the grace of every grace Chrysostome calls Humility 'T is reported of the Christall that it hath such a virtue in it that the very touching of it quickens other stones and puts a lustre and beauty upon them so does humility put a lustre upon every grace The Root Mother Nurse Foundation and Band of all Virtue Bazill calls it The Store-house and Treasury of all good For what 's the scandall and reproach of Religion at this day nothing more then the pride of Professors Is not this the language of most They are great Professors O but very proud they are great hearers they will run from Sermon to Sermon and cry up this man and cry up that man O but proud They are great talkers O but as proud as the Devil c. Oh that you would take the Counsel of the Apostle Be cloathed with humility And that Col. 3. 12. Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and Beloved Bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long-suffering No Robes to these The Third Motive is this Humility is a Load-stone that 3 Motive drawes both the heart of God and man to it In Isa 57. Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit The Lord singles out the humble soule of all others to make him an Habitation for himselfe Here is a wonder God is on high and yet the higher a man lifts up himselfe the farther he is from God And the lower a man humbles himselfe the neerer he is to God of all soules God delights most to dwell with the humble for they doe most prize and best improve his pretious presence In Prov. 29. 23. A mans pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Prov. 22. 4. By humility
you so look upon your sins and deale accordingly with them Thirdly Sin is slaine Naturally as well as Civilly Christ hath given it its deaths wound by his death and resurrection He hath given sin such a wound that it cannot be long liv'd though it may linger a while in a Saint as a Tree that 's cut at the root with a sore gash or two must dye within a year perhaps a month nay it may be within a week though for a time it may flourish it may have leaves and fruit yet it secretly dies and will very shortly wither and perish The Lord Jesus hath given sin such a mortall wound by his death and Spirit and by the communication of his favour and grace to the soule that sin shall never recover its strength more but dye a lingring death in the soules of the Saints Christ did not dye all at once upon the Crosse but by little and little To shew us that his death should extend to the slaying of sin gradically in the soules of the Saints When our Enemy hath a mortall wound we say he is a dead man his wound is mortall So when Jesus Christ hath given sin such a deadly wound such a mortall blow that it shall never recover its strength and power more we may truly say 'T is dead 't is slaine Therefore cheere up Oh weak soules for certainly sin that is thus slaine can never provoke Jesus Christ to give you a Bill of Divorce Ah that all weak Christians would like the Bee abide upon these sweet flowers and gather Honey out of them c. To proceed The twelfth Support is this Christ and you are Sharers 12 Support The notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is best expressed by Chrysostome in these words When mankind fled farre from Christ Christ pursued and caught hold of it and this he did by fastening on our Nature in his Incarnation c. The Ancients use to say commonly That Alexander and Ephâ—stion had baâ— one soule in two distinct bodies because their joy and sorrow glory and disgrace was mutuall to them both 'T is so betweene Christ and his Saints Their names that are written in red letters of blood in the Churches Kalender are written in golden letters in Christs Register in the Book of Life said Prudentius In my life-time said a gracious soule I have been assaulted with temptations from Satan and he hath cast my sins into my teeth to drive me to despaire yet the Lord gave the strength to overcome all his temptations Know this weak Saints for your support and comfort That Christ shares with you and you share with Christ I shall open this sweet Truth to you a little 1 Christ shares with you in your Natures In Heb. 2. 16. For verily he tooke not on him the Nature of Angels but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham And by this he hath advanc't fallen man above the very Angels This is the great Mysterie spoken of 1 Tim. 3. 16. And without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh c. 2 The Lord Jesus shares with you in your Afflictions In Isa 63. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them In his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old It is between Christ and his Church as between two Lute-strings no sooner one is struck but the other trembles 3 He shares with you in all your sufferings and persecutions as well as in all your afflictions Acts 9. 4 5. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me There is such a neer Union between the Lord Jesus Christ and the weakest Saints that a man cannot strike a Saint but he must strike through the very heart of Christ Their sufferings are held his Col. 1. 24. and their afflictions are his afflictions and their reproaches are his reproaches Heb. 13. 13. and their provocations are his provocations Nehem. 4. 4 5. God is provokt more then Nehemiah So Isa 8. 18. compared with Heb. 2. 13. Behold I and the Children whom the Lord hath given me are for signes and wonders in Israel This the Apostle applies to Christ Heb. 2. 13. 4 The Lord Jesus Christ shares with you in all your Temptations Heb. 2. 17 18. Chap. 4. 15 16. Christ was tempted and he was afflicted as well as you that he might he able to succour you that are tempted As a poore man that ha's been troubled with paine and griefe he will share with others that are troubled with paine or grief Ah friends the Lord Jesus Christ hath lost none of his affections by going to Heaven he is still full of compassion though free from personall passion When he was on earth Oh! how did he simpathize with his poor servants in all their temptations Satan sayes Christ to Peter hath desired to winnow thee but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Luther in his Preaching met with every mans temptation and being once askt How he could doe so answered Mine owne manifold temptations and experiences are the cause thereof Oh the manifold temptations that the Lord Jesus hath undergone makes him semable as I may say and willing to share with us in our temptations Secondly As Christ shares with weak Saints So weak Saints share with Christ And this I shall shew you briefly in a few particulars 1 Weake Saints share with Christ in his Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these we might be partakers of the Divine To be made partakers of the Divine Nature notes two things 1 Fellowship with God in his holinesse 2 A fellowship with God in his blessednesse Nature Not of the substance of the God-head as the Familists say for that is incommunicable But by the Divine Nature we are to understand those Divine Qualities called elswhere The Image of God the Life of God that whereby we are made like to God in wisedome and holinesse wherein the Image of God after which man was at first Created consists Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. Saints that doe partake of this Divine Nature that is of those Divine Qualities before spoken of they resemble God not onely as a picture doth a man in outward lineaments but as a Child doth his Father in countenance and condition And well may grace be called The Divine Nature for as God bringeth light out of darknesse comfort out of sorrow riches out of poverty and glory out of shame so does grace bring day out of night and sweet out of bitter and plenty out of poverty and glory out of shame It turnes Counters into gold Pebbles into Pearles sicknesse into health weaknesse into strength and wants into abundance Injoying nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6. 10. c. 2 Weake Saints share with Christ in his Spirit and Grace In Psal 45. 7. Christ
loved Tully before his Coâ—version but not so much after quia nomen Jesu non erat ibi because the name of Christ was not there 8 Property price upon a crum of mercy Ah Lord sayes the humble soul if I may not have a loaf of mercy give me a piece of mercy if not a piece of mercy give me a crum of mercy If I may not have Sun-light let me have Moon-light if not Moon-light let me have star-light if not star-light let me have candle-light and for that I will blesse thee In the time of the Law the meanest things that were consecrated were very highly prized as leather or wood that was in the Tabernacle An humble soule looks upon all the things of God as Consecrated things Every truth of God is a consecrated truth 't is consecrated to a holy use and this causes the soule highly to prize it and so every smile of God and every discovery of God and every drop of mercy from God is very highly prised by a soule that walks humbly with God The name of Christ the voyce of Christ the foot-steps of Christ the least touch of the Garment of Christ the least regarded truth of Christ the meanest and least regarded among the flock of Christ is highly prized by humble soules that are interested in Christ An humble soule cannot an humble soul dares not call any thing litrle that ha's Christ in it neither can an humble soule call or count any thing great wherein he sees not Christ wherein he enjoyes not Christ An humble soule highly prizes the least nodd the least love-token the least courtesie from Christ but proud hearts count great mercies small mercies and small mercies no mercies yea pride do's so unman them that they often call mercy misery c. The eighth Property of an humble soule is this It can never be good enough it can never pray enough nor hear enough nor mourne enough nor believe enough nor love enough nor feare enough nor joy enough nor repent enough nor loath sin enough nor be humble enough c. Humble Paul looks upon his great all as nothing at all he Phil. 3. 11 12 13 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies â— straining of the whole body a stretching out head and hands as runners in a race do to lay hold on the mark or price proposed Psal 10. 17. Desires Iaavath from Avah that signifies so to desire and long after a thing as to haâ—e ones teeth water at it so in Mic. 7. 1. But proud hearts sit downe and pride themselves blesse themselves as if they had attained to much when hev have attain'd to nothing that can raise them above the lowest step of misery Rev. 3. 17. Isa 65. 5. Lu. 18. 11 12 forgets those things that are behind and reaches forth to those things which are before That if by any means he might attaine unto the resurrection of the dead that is that perfection of holinesse which the dead shall attaine unto in the morning of the resurrection by a Metonomie of the subject for the adjunct No holinesse below that matchlesse peerlesse spotlesse perfect holinesse that Saints shall have in the glorious day of Christs appearing will satisfie this humble soule An humble heart is an aspiring heart he can't be contented to get up some rounds in Jacobs Ladder but he must get to the very top of the Ladder to the very top of holinesse An humble heart can't be satisfied with so much Grace as will bring him to glory with so much of Heaven as will keep him from dropping into Hell he is still a crying out Give Lord give give me more of thy selfe more of thy Son more of thy Spirit give me more light more life more love c. Caesar in warlike matters minded more what was to conquer then what was conquered what was to gaine then what was gained So does an humble soule mind more what he should be then what he is what is to be done then what is done Verily Heaven is for that man and that man is for Heaven that sets up for his mark the perfection of holinesse Poor men are full of desires they are often a sighing it out O! that we had bread to strengthen us drink to refresh us cloths to cover us friends to visit us and houses to shelter us c. So souls that are spiritually poore they are often a sighing it out O! that we had more of Christ to strengthen us more of Christ to refresh us more of Christ to be a covering and shelter to us c. I had rather sayes the humble soule be a poor man and a rich Christian then a rich man and a poor Christian Lord sayes the humble soule I had rather doe any thing I had rather bear any thing I had rather be any thing then to be a Dwarse in Grace The light and glory of humble Christians rises by degrees Cant. 6. 1. 1. Looking forth as the morning with a little light 2 Faire as the Moon more light 3 Clear as the Sun i. e. Come up to a higher degree of spirituall light life and glory Lord sayes the humble soule give me much grace and then a little gold will serve my turne give me much of Heaven and a little of earth will content me give me much of the Springs above and a little of the Springs below will satisfie me c. The ninth Property of an humble soule is this It will smite 9 Property 1 Sam. 24. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and strike for small sins as well as for great For those the world count no sins as well as for those that they count grosse sinnes When David had but cut off the lap of Sauls garment his A good mans heart when kindly awakened may smite him for those actions that at fiâ—sthe judged very prudent and politick How great a paine not to be born câ—ms from the prick of this small thorne Little sinnes have put severall to their wits ends when they have been set home upon their consciences heart smote him as if he had cut off his head The Hebrew word signifies to smite wound or chastize Ah! his heart struck him his heart chastised him his heart wounded him for cutting off Sauls skirt though he did it upon noble grounds viz. to convince Saul of his false jealousies and to evidence his owne innocency and integrity And so at another time his heart smote him for numbring the people as if he had murdered the people 2 Sam. 24. 10. And Davids heart smote him after that he had numbred the people and David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly An humble soule knowes that little sins if I may so call any cost Christ his blood and that they make way for greater and that little sins multiplied become great
my spirit that I would not leave a man alive but blessed be God and blessed be thy Counsel An humble soule can sit downe and blesse God under reproofs An humble soule is like the Scythian King that went naked in the snow and when Alexander wondered how he could endure it he answered I am not ashamed for I am all forehead Manasses King of Judâ—h being reproved by the Aged Princely Prophet Isaiah caused him neare to the Fountaine of Silce to be sawen in sunder with a wooden Saw in the eightieth yeare os his age For which cruell fact amongst other of his sinnes he was sorely punished by God 2 Chron. 33. 11 So Cambyses King of Persia hated Prexaspes one of his Nobles that was familiar with him for reproving his drunkennesse An humble soule is all forehead able to bear reproves with much wisedome and patience Oh! but a proud heart cannot bear reproofs he scornes the Reprover and his Reproofs too Prov. 15. 12. A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him neither will he goe unto the wise Amos 5. 10. They hate him that reproveth in the gate as Ahab did good Micaiah and Herod did John Baptist and the Pharisees our Saviour Luke 16. 13. Christ being to deale with the covetous Scribes and Pharisees he layes the Law home and tels them plainly that they could not serve God and Mammon Here Christ strikes at their right eye but how doe they bear this mark in the 14 verse The Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him The Pharisees did not simply laugh at Christ but gave also externall signes of scorne in their countenance and gestures * Exemukterizon they blowed their nose at him manifesting thereby their scorning at what he said Exod. 2. 13 14 They blew their nose at him for that 's the meaning of the Originall word By their gestures they did demonstrate their horrid deriding of him they fleared and jeared when they should have feared and trembled at the wrath to come In Isa 28. 10. For precept must be upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little One observes that that was a scoff put upon the Prophet and is as if they should say Here is nothing but precept upon precept line upon line And indeed the very sound of the words in the Original carries a taunt Zau le zau kau lakau as scornfull people by the tone of their voyce and riming words scorne at such as they despise Pride and passion and other vices in these dayes goe armed touch them never so gently yet like the nettle they will sting you and if you deale with them roundly roughly cuttingly as the Apostle speaks they will swagger with you as the Hebrew did with Moses Who made thee a Judge over us And thus much for the Properties of an humble soule I come now to the next thing and that is to shew you the Reasons why the best men are the most humble men First Because they see themselves the greatest debtors to God 1 Reason for what they doe enjoy There 's no man on Earth that sees himselfe such a debtor to God as the humble man Every smile makes him a debtor to God and every good word from Heaven makes him a When a Knight died at Rome that was much in debt Augustus the Emperour sent to buy his bed conceiâ—ing that there must needs be some extraordinary vertue in it it he that was so much in debt could take any rest upon it An humble soul sees hiâ—self so much in debt for mercies in hand and mercies in hope that he can't sleep without blessing and admiring of God I have read of a Stork that cast a pearle into the bosome of a Maid which had healed her of a wound So humble souls cast the pearl of praise into the bosome of God for all his favours towards â—hem Guc Hist l. 4. 2 Reason debtor to God he looks upon all his temporals as health wealth Wife Child Friend c. and sees himselfe deeply indebted for all He looks upon his spirituall mercies and sees himselfe a great debtor to God for them he looks upon his Graces and sees himselfe a debtor for them he looks upon his Experiences and sees himselfe a debtor for them he looks upon all his priviledges and sees himselfe a debtor for them he looks upon hiâ— incomes and sees himselfe a debtor for them The more mercy he hath received the more he looks upon himselfe indebted and obliged to pay duty and tribute to God as you may see in Psal 116. 6 7 8 12 13 14 verses compared In the 6 7 8 verses he tels you of the mercies he had received from God and in the 12 13 verses sayes he What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me I see my selfe saith he wonderfully indebted well what then why I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord I will pay my vowes unto the Lord in the presence of all his people c. The same you have in the 16 17 18 verses of the same Psalme So David Psal 103. 1 2 3 4. casts his eyes upon his temporall and his spirituall mercies and then cals upon his soule O my soule blesse the Lord and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases c. An humble soule knowes that 't is a strange folly to be proud of being more in debt then another 'T is true saith he I have this and that mercy in possession and such and such mercies in reversion but by all I am the more a debtor to God Caesar admired at that mad Souldier who was very much in debt and yet slept so quietly So do's an humble soule wonder and admire to see men that are so much indebted to God for mercies as many are and yet sleep so quietly and be so mindlesse and carelesse in blessing and praising of God There is nothing saith one that endures so small a time as the memory of mercies received and the more great they are the more commonly they are recompenced with ingratitude Secondly it is Because in this life they have but a tast of God In the 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. As new borne Babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gratious The best of men on this side Heaven have but a tast he is but in a tasting desiring hungring thirsting and growing condition Job 26. ult These are part of his wayes but how little a portion is heard of him So in 1 Cor. 13. 9 10 12. We knew but in part and we prophecy but in part now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face The
Lord gives out but little of himselfe here we have but a tast of Divine sweetnesse here we see but the back parts of God the day is not farr off when we shall see his face The best of Christ is behind as the sweetest Honey lies in the bottome Our greatest knowledge here is to know that we know nothing The Rabbins in their Comments upon Scripture when they meet with hard knots that they cannot explicate they Elias cum vâ—nerit solvet omnia salve all with this When Elias comes he will resolve all things The best men are in the dark and will be in the dark till the Lord comes to shine forth upon them in more grace and glory The best men on this side Heaven are narrow Vessels they are able to receive and take in but little of God The best men are so full of the world and the vanities thereof that they are able to take in but little of God Here God gives his people some tasts that they may not faint and he gives them but a tast that they may long to be at home that they may keep humble that they may set loose from things below that they may not break and despise bruised reeds and that Heaven may be the more sweet to them at last c. A third reason why the best men are the most humble and 3 Reason that is Because the best men dwell more upon their wonser part their ignoble part then they doe upon their noble part their better part In Isa 6. 5. I am a man of unclean lips saith that humble soule So humble Job cryes out of the iniquity of his youth Job 13. 26. Job 40. 50. and sayes he Once have I spoken foolishly yea twice but I will doe so no more Humble David Psal 51. 3. sighes it out My sin is ever before me So humble Paul Rom. 7. 22 23. complaines that he hath a law in his members warring against the Law of his mind and leading him captive to the Law of sin Tenâ—o in mâ—â—iaâ—sâ—ribâ— in Charta sed non habeâ— in viâ—a Aug. and that when he would doe good evill was present with him An humble soule sees that he can stay no more from sin then the heart can from panting and the pulse from beating he sees his heart and life to be fuller of sin then the firmament is of Starres and this keeps him low He sees that sin is so bred in the bone that till his bones as Josephs be carried out of the Aegypt of this world it will not out He every day findes these Jebusites and Canaanites to be as thornes in his eyes and As Hagar would dwell with Sarah til she beat her out of doors so will sinne dwell with Grace till death-beat it out of doors as goades in his sides he finds sin an ill inmate that will not out till the house falleth on the head of it As the fretting Leprosie in the walls of the house would not out till the house it selfe was demolisht Though Sin and Grace were never borne together and though they shall not dye together yet while the Believer lives these two must live together and this keeps them humble As the Peacock looking upon his black feet le ts fall his Plumes So the poore soule when he looks upon his black feet the vanity of his mind the body of sin that is in him his This duplication as well as the Ecce is sull of attention and admiration and Christ by praising perfects his own work for Locutio verbi infusio doni to call her faire is to make her so c. proud Spirit falls low Epiminondas an Athenian Captaine being askt why he was so sad the day after a great Victory answered Yesterday I was tickled with much vaine glory therefore I correct my selfe for it to day That 's the temper of an humble soule 'T is very observable that the Saints are pressed to take notice of their better part Cant. 1. 15. Behold thou art faire my Love behold thou art faire And so Chap. 4. 1. Behold thou art faire behold thou art faire God hath much adoe to get a gratious heart to mind his spirituall beauty to take notice of the inward excellency that he hath wrought in it Though the Kings Daughter be all glorious within yet God hath much adoe to bring her to see and take notice of her inward beauty and glory The humble soule is more set to eye and dwell upon its deformity then it is upon that beauty and glory that God hath stampt upon it And this makes the man little and low in his owne eyes Fourthly Because they have the cleerest sight and vision of 4 Reason God and have the neerest and highest communion with God None on earth are so neere to God and so high in their communion with God as humble soules And as they have the cleerest Visions of God so those actions of God give them the fullest sight and knowledge of their owne sinfullnesse and nothingnesse So in Job 42. 4 5. I have heard of thee with the hearing of the eare but now mine eye hath seene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—rom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which signifies to reject to despise to cast of o contemne thee I abhor my selfe in dust and ashes Isa 6. 1. 5. In a Vision the Lord discovers his glory to the Prophet then vers 5. Woe is me saith he for I am undone Or I am cut off why because I am a man of uncleane lips and have seene the King the Lord of Hosts Oh the Vision that I have had of the glory of God hath given me such a clear and full sight of my owne vilenesse and basenesse that I can't but loath and abhor my selfe When Abraham drawes neer to God then he accounts himselfe but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 26 27. The Angels that are neere God that stand before him they cover their faces with two wings as with a double Scarfe in the 6 of Isa ver 2. The fifth and last Reason why those are most humble that 5 Reason As one fire so one feare drives out another As the Sun-shine puts out fire so doth the feare of God the fire of lusts are most holy is Because they maintaine in themselves a holy feare of sinning And the more this holy feare of falling is maintained the more the soule is humbled Prov. 14. 16. A wise man feareth and departeth from evill And Chap. 28. 14. Happy is the man that feareth alwayes but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe And this keepes the holy soule humble I have knowne a good old man saith Bernard who when he had heard of any that had committed some notorious offence Ille hodie ego cras was wont to say with himselfe He fell to day so may I to morrow Now the Reason why humble soules doe keep up in themselves a holy feare of falling is Because
not doting upon their discouragements upon things that are seen but upon things that are not seene The things which are seen are temporall but the things which are not seen are eternall An eye fixt upon incouragements makes heavy afflictions light long afflictions short and bitter afflictions sweet Those blessed Martyrs found it so that were cast out all night in a cold frosty night and were to be burnt the next day who thus comforted themselves The winter is sharpe but Paradise is sweet here we shiver for cold but the bosome of Abraham will make amends for all Weak Christians have eyes to behold their discouragements but none to see their incouragements they look more upon their corruption then upon their sanctification Upon their disobedience then their obedience upon their distrust then upon their faith upon the old man then upon the new and this keeps them low and weak in spirituals it causes a leannesse in their soules Sixthly The zeale of weake Christians usually out-strips their wisedome and knowledge Weak Christians are very Zealous but not according to knowledge Rom. 10. 2. For I beare them record that they They were very zealous but not true Zelors have a zeale of God but not according to knowledge They are very peevish and pettish and censorious but they want wisedome and knowledge to mannage their zeale to Gods glory and their brethrens good Such zeale had those two Rabbins that set upon Charles the Fifth to perswade him to David Rabâ—nita and Shilomoh Molâ—hâ— Alsted Chr. â—26 turne Jew as judging their Religion to be the onely Religion in the world and for which they were put to a cruell death in the year 1530. A great zeale they had to the winning over of him to Judaisme but this zeale was their ruine Zeale without knowledge is as wild-fire in a fooles hand 't is like the Devil in the Demoniack that sometimes cast him into the fire and sometimes into the water So the Disciples of Christ Josephus in â—he 1â— 12 Chapters of his Book tells you of some that imposed this name of Zelote upon themâ—elves as if they were zealous for the honour and service of God and under this pretence committed all â—iots and imaginable wick eâ—nesse 'T were well if we had no such Monsters among us in these dayes were weak in their light and furious in their zeale Luke 9. 54. Let fire come downe from Heaven and consume them say they But mark what Christ saith vers 55. Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of That is you know not what spirit acts you you think that you are acted by such a spirit as Elias of old was acted by but you erre saith Christ You have a zeale but not according to knowledge therefore 't is a humaine affection and not a Divine motion Zeale is like fire in the Chimney 't is one of the best servants but out of the Chimney 't is one of the worst Masters Zeale kept by knowledge and wisedome in its proper place is a choyce servant to Christ and Saints But zeale not bounded by wisedome and knowledge is the high-way to undoe all and to make a hell for many at once Weak Christians are usually most zealous about Circumstances and things that have least of God and Christ and the power of holinesse in them and most cold about substances as wofull experience doth evidence in these dayes Zeale ordered by wisedome feeds upon the faults of offendors not on their persons It spends it selfe and it 's greatest heat principally upon those things that concerne a mans selfe 'T is most exercised about substantials Titus 2. 14. But that which is rash is most exercised about circumstantials Gal. 1. 14. Paul was in the dayes of his ignorance very zealous for the Traditions of his fathers c. Seventhly Among all Saints the weakest Saints act most like carnall sinners No Saint so like a sinner as a weak Saint 1 Cor. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. And I Brethren could not speake unto you as unto spirituall but as unto carnall even as unto Babes in Christ I have fed you with milke and not with meat for hitherto ye were not able to bear it neither yet now are ye able for are ye not yet carnall for whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnall and walke as men for while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnall They were advanced but very little above the imperfections and passions and sins of meer men of such which had nothing of the Spirit in them c. Doe wicked men quarrell with their Teachers as shallow triviall Teachers when themselves are in fault as being not capable of more Mysterious matter So did these Babes here Doe wicked In many things weak Christians are carnall mens Apes men impute their not profiting to the Minister as he that having a thorne in his foot complaines of the roughnesse of the way as the cause of his limping when as it was the thorn and not the roughnesse of the way that hurt him Or as she that being struck with a suddaine blindnesse bid open the window when as it was not the want of light but want of sight that troubled her So did these Babes in the Text lay the fault of their non-proficiency upon their Teachers when the fault was wholly in themselves Now he calls them Carnall partly because the flesh was strong in them and partly because they followed and relished the things of the flesh and partly because they did in their actions resemble carnall men Doe carnall and wicked men cry up one good man and cry downe another Doe they lift up one and abase another So did they Are wicked men full of envy strife and divisions So were they And these overflowings of the Gall and Spleen come from a fullnesse of bad humours from that abundance of carnality that was in them But now soules strong in grace are higher then carnall men as Saul was higher then the people by head and shoulders Soules strong in grace have their feet where carnall mens heads are Prov. 15. 24. The way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from hell beneath Soules that are strong in grace doe act rather like Angels then like carnall men they doe as much resemble the father of Spirits as carnall men doe the father of Lyes Eighthly Soules weake in Grace are easily drawne aside out of the wayes of holinesse You know a man that hath but a little bodily strength is easily thrust out of the way so it is with soules weak in grace 1 John 3. 7. Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousnesse is righteous even as he is righteous Saith the Apostle Little Children let no man deceive you Many in these dayes under pretences of high and glorious injoyments of God neglect and despise righteousnesse and holinesse crying up Visions
What and thou my Son Brutus Is this thy kindnesse to thy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 friend to him that ha's loved thee and saved thee and owned thee c. Then vers 73. Surely thou art one of them for thy speech bewrayeth thee And vers 74. He began to curse and to sweare I know not the man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Calvin on the Text. In Rom. 6. 19. There are 3 To 's in the expression of the service of sin To uncleannesse To iniquity and Vnto iniquity But in the service of God there are onely two To 's To righteousnesse and Vnto holinesse To note that we were more prone to sin before Conversion then wearetograce and holinesse after conversion The Greek word that 's rendred Curse imports a cursing and a damning of himselfe an imprecation of Gods wrath and a separation from the presence and glory of God if he knew the man Some Writers say That he curst Christ I know not the man saith he Though it were ten thousand times better to bear then to swear and to dye then to lye yet when discouragement faces him he is so amazed and daunted that he tells the most incredible lye that almost could be uttered by the mouth of man For there was scarce any Jew saith Grotius that knew not Christ by sight being famous for those abundance of Miracles that he wrought before their eyes Neither could Peter alledge any cause why he came thither if he had not known Christ But vers 75. He went out and wept bitterly One sweet look of love breaks his heart in pieces he melts under the beamings forth of Divine favour upon him Once he leapt into a Sea of waters to come to Christ and now he leaps into a sea of tears for that he had so shamefully denied Christ Clement notes That Peter so repented that all his life-time after every night when he heard the Cock crow he would fall upon his knees and weep bitterly begging pardon for this dreadfull sin Others say That after his lying cursing and denying Christ he was ever and anon weeping and that his face was furrowed with continuall teares He had no sooner taken in poyson but he vomits it up againe before it got to the vitals He had no sooner handled a Serpent but he turnes it into a rod to scourge his soule with remorse This truth is further confirmed by the speech and carriage of the Disciples Luke 24. 21 ult We trusted say they that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel but now we cannot tell what to say to it Here their hope hangs the wing extreamly Invalidum omne naturâ querulum Seneca Weak spirits are ever quarâ—elling and contending Weak soules find it as hard to wait for God as 't is to bear evill This weaknesse Christ checks vers 25. O fooles and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken c. And John 16. 5. The first newes Christ tells them is of their sufferings and of his leaving of them and upon the thoughts hereof their hearts were so filled with sorrow that they could not so much as say Master whither goest thou vers 6. But now soules strong in grace will hold on in holy and gratious actings in the very face of the greatest discouragements as those in Psal 44. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death yet our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined Such a spirit shin'd in Chrysostome when he bid them tell the enraged Empress Eudoxia Nil nisi peccatum timeo I feare nothing but sin from thy wayes And so the three Children they hold up in the face of all discouragements And so those brave Worthies of whom this world was not worthy Heb. 11. their hearts were carried out exceedingly notwithstanding all discouragements to hold on in wayes of holinesse and in their actings of faith upon God in the face of all dangers and deaths that did attend them When Henry the Eighth had spoken and written bitterly against Luther saith Luther Tell the Henries the Bishops the Turke and the Devil himselfe Doe what they can we are Children of the Kingdome worshipping of the true God whom they and such as they spit upon and crucified And of the same spirit and mettle were many Martyrs Bazill affirmes of the Primitive Saints That they had so much conrage and confidence in their sufferings that many of the Heathens seeing their heroick zeale and constancy turned Christians Twelfthly Weake Saints minde their wages and vailes more then their worke Their wages their vailes is joy peace comfort and assurance c. and their work is waiting on God believing in Children mind moâ—e play-â—ayes then they do working dayâ— oâ— Schoâ—dayes 1 Sam 15. 14. God walking with God acting for God c. Now weak Saints minds are more carried out and taken up about their wages about their vailes then they are about their work as experience doth abundantly evidence Ah Christians if you don't mind your wages more then your work what means the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the Oxen What means those earnest and vehement cryings out and wrestings for joy peace comfort and assurance when the great work of believing of waiting and of walking with God is so much neglected and dis-regarded But now strong Saints are more mindfull of their work then they are of their wages Lord saith a strong Saint doe but uphold me in a way of believing in a way of working in a way of holy walking c. and it shall be enough though I should never have Assurance comfort peace or joy till my dying day If thou wilt carry me forth so as thou mayest have honour though I have no comfort so thou mayest have glory though I have no peace I Rom. 4. 18 19 20. will blesse thee I know sayes such a soule though a life of comfort be most pleasing to me yet a life of believing abstracted from comfort is most honourable to thee and therefore I will be silent before thee Lord doe but help me in my work and take thine owne time to give me my wages to give me comfort joy peace assurance They are none of the best Servants that mind their wages more then their work Nor they are none of the best Christians that mind their comforts and their incomes more then that homage and duty that they owe to God Before I come to the second thing premised give me leave to give you this hint viz. That there is no such way to joy peace and Assurance as this to mind your worke more then your wages Ah! had many mourning complaing Christians done thus their mourning before this had been turn'd into rejoycing and their complainings into singings Christians the high way to comfort is to mind comfort lesse and duty more 't is to mind more what thou shouldest doe then
yet I can truly say I dearly love the people of Christ for the Image of Christ that I see stampt upon them 'T is true I dare not say Christ is mine and heaven is mine I cannot say with such and such The Lord is my Portion yet I can say that I dearly love those that have the Lord for their portion I can truly say that the poorest and the most neglected and the most despised Saint in the world is more pretious in my eye and more deare to my soule then the greatest and the richest sinner in the world Psalme 16. 3. Well is this all O weake Saint that thou hast to say No Sir I have one thing more What 's that Why that 's this Though I dare not say that I have an interest in Christ or that I love Christ yet I dare say That my soule weeps and mournes in secret for the dishonour that is done to Christ both by my selfe and by others also I can look the Lord in the face were I now to dye and say Lord thou that knowest all thoughts and hearts thou doest know that mine eyes run downe with Rivers of teares because men keepe not thy Law Well is this all No Sir I crave your patience to heare me in one thing more What 's that O weake Christian Why that is this That I prize persons and things according to the spiritualnesse and holinesse that is in them and the more spirituall and holy any man or thing is the more is that man and thing prized by my soule I have often thought of that sweet word Psal 119. 104. Thy word is very pure therefore doth thy Much in the word is wrapt up in a little 't is more to be admired then to have Homers I liads comprized in a nut-shel The word is like the stone Garamantides that hath dâ—ops within it selfe enriching of the gracious soul servant love it Other men love it because of the profit they get by it or because of a name or this or that but I love it for the purity for the holinesse and the cleannesse of it No preaching saith the weak Saint nor no praying nor no talking nor no society that likes me and is sweet to me but that that 's most spirituall most holy It is not an Exercise trick'd and trim'd up with wit learning and eloquence 't is not the hanging of truths ears with counterfet Pearles that takes me but the more plainnesse spirituallnesse and holinesse I see in an Exercise the more is my heart raised to prize it and love it And therefore saith the weak Saint because Christ is perfectly and infinitely holy above all others I prize Christ above all Ordinances are sweet O but Christ is more sweet to my soule Saints are precious but Christ is far more precious Heaven is glorious but Christ is infinitely more glorious The first thing that I would ask if I might have it saith the weak Saint is Christ And the next thing that I would ask if I might have it is more of Christ And the last None but Christ none but Christ â—â—id the Martyr thing that I would ask if I might have it is that I might be saâ—iated and filled with the fullnesse of Christ Let the Ambition man take the honours of the world so I may but have Christ Let the Voluptuous man swim in all the pleasures of the world so I may have Christ And let the covetous man tumble up and downe in all the gold and silver of the world so I may have Christ and it shall be enough to my soule Well is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more to say What 's that Why it is this I find the same Conflict in my soule that Paul found in IX The best Saints in this world are lâ—ke the Tribe of Manasses halfe on this side Jordan in the Land of the Amorites and halfe on that side in the holyland And tho to be kept from sinne brings most comfâ—rt to a poore soule yet for a poore souâ—e to oppose sin and God to pardon sinne that brings most glory to God 2 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. X. Sozonem râ—lates of one who was as circumspect to be seen as to be A gracious soule is as carefull that he does not indanger another by a bad life as he is carefull to save his own life his soule after he was converted neere upon 14 years after he was taken up into as clear and choyce injoyments of God as any soule that ever I read of The Conflict that is mentioned Rom. 7. I find in my soule the whole frame of my soule understanding will and affections are set against sin I find that I hate the evill that I doe and I find That the good that I would doe I doe not and the evill that I would not doe that doe I. I find a Law in my Members rebelling against the Law of my mind and leading of me Captive to the Law of sin And this makes me often to cry out with Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Therefore I sometime hope that those sins that are now my burden shall never hereafter be my bane Well and is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more to say What 's that Why it is this I can truly say when the Lord gives me any strength against sin and any power to serve him and to walk close with him in his wayes it is a greater joy and comfort to my soule then all the blessings of this life Though I have not yet seen that he ha's set me as a seale upon his heart as a seale upon his arme Though I have not yet the clear assurance of his love Though his Spirit hath not yet set up such a light in my soule whereby I might run and read my right and title to himselfe and heaven yet when he doth give me but a little light through a crevis when he does but begin to cause his love to dawne upon me when he gives me but a little strength against sin and a little power to walk close with himselfe c. O this doth administer more abiding joy and more sweet peace and more sollid comfort to my soule then all the riches honours friends and favours of this world Well is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more to say What 's that Why that is this Though my interest in Christ be not cleer to me yet I can XI Psal 101. 3. Psal 139. 21 22. Psal 120. 6. truly say I would not change my condition with the men of this world for a thousand worlds 'T is true I cannot say that I have the seale and witnesse of the Spirit that many talk and boast of though I fear but a few injoy yet I can really say That I would not change my estate with men meerly civill nor with the
humility by humility fear by fear and love by love if you doe not look upon all your graces as streames flowing from the fountaine above and as fruits growing upon the Tree of life that is in the midst of the Paradice of God Therefore when one eye is fixt upon your graces let the other be alwayes fixt upon the God of grace Secondly At the time when your eye is upon inherent grace Aut totum mecum tene aut totam omitte Greg. Naz. Let us say of Christ as the heathen once said of his petty Gods Contemno minutus istos Deos modi â—ovem propiti am habeam So long as he had his Jupiter to friend he regarded theâ— not So so â—ong as we have our Jesus to friend we shouâ—d not regâ—rd others no not our very graces in comparison of Christ and righteousnesse let your heart be fixt upon Christ and his imputed righteousnesse Pauls eye was upon his grace Rom. 7. 22. 25. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man And with my mind I serve the Law of God And yet at that very same time his heart was set upon Christ and taken up with Christ vers 25. I thanke God through our Lord Jesus Christ So in Col. 2. 2 3. you have one eye fixt upon grace and at the same time the heart fixt upon Christ That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge His eye is upon grace his heart is upon Christ So in Phil. 3. 8. the Apostle hath his eye upon the excellent knowledge of Christ but vers 9. his heart is set upon the righteoushesse of Christ That I might be found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Here you have his eye upon grace and his heart upon Christ in the very presence of his grace This is your glory Christians in the presence and sight of all your graces to see the free grace of Christ and his infinite spotlesse matchlesse and glorious righteousnesse to be your surest sweetest highest and choycest comfort and refuge Peter was not well skill'd in this lesson and that was the very reason that he fell fowlest when his confidence was highest Grace is a ring of gold and Christ is the Pearle in that ring and he that looks more upon the ring then the Pearle that is in it in the houre of temptation will certainly fall When the wives eye is upon her Rings or Jewels then her heart must be set upon her husband When grace is in my eye Christ must at that time be in my armes yea he must lye between my breasts Cant. 1. 13. My Beloved is as a bundle of myrrhe he shall lye all night between my breasts Christ and not grace must lye neerest to a Christians heart A third thing is this When you looke upon your grace you must looke upon it as a beautifull Creature that is begotten in Gal. 2. 20. Phil. 5. 6 Deus nihil coronat nâ—si dona sua Aug. When God crowneth us he doth but crowne his owne gifts in us the soule by Christ and that is strengthend maintained cherished and upheld in your soules by nothing below the spirituall internall and glorious apperations of Christ Though Grace be a beautifull Creature yet Grace is but a Creature and so your soules must look upon it Grace is a heavenly off-spring 't is the first-borne of God as I may say and does most represent him to the life Grace is a bud of glory 't is of the blood Royall 't is nobly discended Jam. 1. 17. So in Heb. 12. 2. Looking unto Jesus the Author and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Leader and Crowner Finisher of our faith Christ is the Alpha and Omega the Beginner and Ender In all other things and Arts the same man cannot begin and finish but Christ doth both Phil. 1. 5. Our graces thrive and are upheld in life and power in beaury and glory by the internall apperation of Christ in our soules So in Col. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory So vers 29. Whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily So Phil. 4. 13. I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth me I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wrong â—â— in me in power The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things tho it be an universall is not to be taken in the u most exâ—ent but according to the use of the like phrases in all languages wherein the universall signe affixâ— either to persons oâ— times or places or things signifies a greater number but not all without exception as you may see by comparing these Scriptures together Psal 14. 4 8 9. John 14. 26. 1 Cor. 10. 23 So those words are to be understood in Phil. 4. 13. can be high and low poore and rich honourable and base something or nothing c. through Christ that strengthens me So in Cant. 4. ult Blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may send forth a fragrant smell We may puffe and blow our hearts out and yet no savoury smell will flow forth if Christ does not blow So in Psal 138. 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenest me with strength in my soule Your graces Christians are heavenly Plants of Gods owne setting and watering and certainly this heavenly Husbandman will never suffer such Plants of renowne to wither for want of heavenly sapp he will look to the strengthening supporting and nourishing of the work of his own hand he will cause the desires of his people to bud and their graces to blossome and their soules to be like a watered Garden green and flourishing Isa 58. 11. compared with Isa 35. 6 7. Fourthly When you looke upon your Graces you must looke upon them as an earnest of more glorious and unspeakeable measures of Grace and glory that your soules shall be filled with at last In Ephes 1. 13 14. After that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory That little light and knowledge thou hast is an earnest to thy soule that thou shalt at last know even as thou art knowne 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now wee see through a glasse darkely but then face to face Now I know in part but then shall I know even as I am knowne Christians know but little of that they should know they know but little of that they might know they know but little of that others know they know but little of that they desire to know they
know but little of that they shall know when they shall come to know even as they are knowne And yet these weak and imperfect glimpses that they have of God and Heaven here are infallible pledges of that perfect knowledge and full prospect that they shall have of God and heaven hereafter So that that little spark of joy thou hast is an earnest of those everlasting joyes that shall rest upon thy head when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a Riddle Aenigma is properly Obscura allegoria an obscure Allegory 't is an Allegory with a mask on 't is a cloudy knotty intricate speech sealed and lockt up from vulgar apprehensions That 's a Riddle all sorrow and mourning shall flye away Isa 35. 10. c. And those sips of comfort thou hast now are an earnest of thy swimming in those everlasting pleasures that be at gods right hand Psal 16. ult The least measures of grace are an earnest of greater measures God will not loose his earnest though men often loose theirs God will not despise the day of small things he will make those that bring forth but thirty fold to bring forth sixty fold and those that bring forth sixty fold to bring forth a hundred fold c. He his Son and Spirit are all eminently and fully ingaged to carry on the work of grace in his Childrens soules Therefore doe not sit downe and say my light is but dim and my love but weak and my joy but a spark that will quickly goe out c. But alwayes remember That those weak measures of grace thou hast are a sure evidence of greater measures that God will confer upon thee in his owne time and in his owne wayes Isa 64. 4 5. Fifthly When you looke upon your Graces be sure that you looke more at the truth of your Graces then at the measure of your Graces You must rather bring your Graces to the Touch-stone to try their truth then to the ballance to weigh their measure Many weak Christians are weighing their graces when they should be a trying the truth of their graces as if the quantity and measure of grace were more considerable then the Essence and nature of grace and this is that that keeps many weak Saints in a dark doubting questioning and despairing condition yea this makes their lives a very hell Weak Saints if you will not observe this rule this Caution when you look upon your graces you will goe sighing and mourning to your Graves Ah poor hearts you should not be more cruell to your owne soules then God is When God comes to make a judgement of your spirituall estates he doth not bring a paire of scales to weâ—gh your graces but a Touchstone to try the truth of your graces and so should you deale by your owne soules If you deale otherwise you are more cruell to your soules then God would have you And if you are resolved That in this you will not imitate the Lord then I dare prophesie that joy and peace shall be none of your Lam. 1. 16. Guests and he that should comfort you will stand a farre off 'T is good to owne and acknowledge a little grace though it be mingled with very much corruption as that poor soule did Mark 9. 24. And straightway the father of the Child Grace is homogeneall â—very winkling of light is light every drop of water is water every spark of fire is fire every drop of honey is honey So every drop of grace is grace and if the lâ—ast drâ—p or spark of grace be not woâ—th ac knowledging 't is worth nothing cryed out and said with teares Lord I believe help thou mine unbeliefe He had but a little little faith and this was mixt with abundance of unbelief and yet notwithstanding he acknowledges that little faith he had Lord I believe help my unbeliefe His faith was so weak that he accounts it little better then unbelief Yet sayes he Lord I believe help my unbeliefe The least measure of faith will make thee blessed here and happy hereafter A Doctor cryed out upon his dying Bed Credo languida fide sed tamen fide Much faith will yeeld unto us here our Heaven and any faith if true will yield us heaven hereafter So the Church in Cant. 1. 5. I am black but comely She had nothing to say for her beautifullnesse yet she acknowledgeth her comelinesse I am black but comely Though she could not say she was clear yet she could say she was comely As she was free to confesse her blacknesse so she was ingenuous to acknowledge her comelinesse I am black but comely Ah Christians will you deale worse with your owne soules then you deale with your Children When you goe to make a Judgement of your Childs affections you look more to the truth of their affections then you doe to the strength of their affections and will you be lesse ingenious and favourable to your owne soules If he deserves to be branded that feasts his Child and starves his wife what doe you deserve that can acknowledge the least naturall good that is in a Child and yet will acknowledge none of that spirituall and heavenly good that is in your soules Sixthly and lastly When you looke upon your Graces look that you doe not renounce and reject your Graces seene in the light of the spirit as a weake and worthlesse evidence of your interest in Christ and that happinesse that comes by Christ I know in these dayes many cry up Revelations and Visions Grace saith one is the foundation of all our felicity and comprebends all blessings As Mâ—nna is said to have done all goâ—d tasts Johns Epistles are a rich Treasury for Christian Assurance yea the Visions of their owne hearts and make slight of the graces of Christ in the hearts of his people Yea they look upon grace as a poor weak thing Ah Christians take heed of this else you will render null in a very great measure many precious Scriptures especially the Epistle of John which were penned for the Comfort and Support of weak Saints But that this may stick and work be pleased to carry home with you these three things First Other precious Saints that are now triumphing in heaven have pleaded their interest in Gods love and hopes of a better life from Graces inherent I 'le onely point at those Scriptures that speak out this truth 1 John 3. 14. Chap. 2. 3 4. Job 23. 10 11 12. And the whole 31 Chapter of Job Psal 119. 6. Isa 38. 2 3. 2 Cor. 1. 12. All these Scriptures with many others that Christians may doubtlesse look to their graces as Evidences of their part in Christ and salvaâ—ion and the clearer and stronger they are the greater will be their comfort but not as Causes might be produced doe with open mouth proclaime this Truth And surely to deny the fruit growing upon the Tree to be an Evidence that the Tree is alive is
and to present his sins in such a dreadfull dresse as shall amaze him c. It often proves very prejudiciall and dangerous to weak Saints when their infirmities are aggravated beyond Scripture-grounds and beyond what they are able to beare He that shall lay the same strength to the rubbing of an earthen dish as he does to the rubbing of a Pewter platter instead of cleaning it shall surely break it all to pieces The application is easie c. Secondly There is a Mantle uf Faithfullnesse that is to be cast over the infirmities of weake Saints A man should never discover the infirmities of a weak Saint especially to such that have neither skill nor will to heale and bury them The world will but blaspheme and blaze them abroad to the dishonour of God to the reproach of Religion and to the grief and scandall of the weak c. They will with Ham rather call upon others to scoffe at them then bring a Mantle to cover them c. Ham was curst for that he did discover his fathers nakednesse to his brethren when it was in his power to have covered it he saw it and might have drawne a Curtaine over it but would not and for this by a Spirit of Prophesie he was curst by his father Gen. 9. 22. This Age is full of such Monsters that rejoyce to blaze abroad the infirmities of the Saints and these certainly Justice ha's or will curse Thirdly There is a Mantle of Compassion that must be I have knowne a good old man said Bernard who whâ—n he had hevd of any that had committed some noâ—orious offence was wont to say with hâ—mselfe Ille hodie ego cras He fell to day so may I to morrow c. cast over the weaknesses and infirmities of weake Saints When a weak Saint comes to see his sin and the Lord gives him to lye downe in the dust and to take shame and confusion to himselfe that he hath dishonoured God and caused Christ to bleed afresh and griev'd the Spirit c. Oh now thou must draw a covering and cast a Mantle of love and compassion over his soule that he may not be swallowed up with sorrow now thou must confirme thy love to him and carry it with as great tendernesse and sweetnesse after his fall as if he had never fallen this the Apostle presses 2 Cor. 2. 7. Love sayes the wise man covereth all sinne Loves Mantle is very large Love claps a Plaister upon every soare Love ha's two hands and makes use of both to hide the scarres of weak Saints Christ O strong Saints casts the Mantle of his righteousnesse over your weaknesses and will not you cast the Mantle of love over your brothers infirmities Tenthly 'T is the Duty of strong Saints to sympathize with the weake To rejoyce with them when they rejoyce and to mourne with them when they mourne 2 Cor. 11. 29. Who is weake and I am not weake who is †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scandalâ—zeâ—ai Scandalized offended and I * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As â—ot on fire Thuan. Hist burne not Thuanus reports of Ludonicus Marsacus a Knight of France when he was led with other Martyrs that were bound with Coards going to Execution and he for his dignity was not bound he cryed Give me my Chaines too let me be a Knight of the same Order It should be between a strong Saint and a weak as 't is between two Lute-strings that are tuned one to another no sooner one is struck but the other trembles no sooner should a weake Saint be struck but the strong should tremble Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them Heb. 13. 3. The Romanes punished one that was seen looking out at his window with a Crowne of Roses on his head in a time of publick calamity and will not God punish those that don't simpathize with Joseph in his afflictions surely he will Amos 6. 1 ult Lastly 'T is the Duty of the strong to give to the weake the honour that is due unto them 1 Pet. 3. 7. They have the same Name the same Baptisme the same Profession the same Faith the same Hope the same Christ the same Promises the same Dignity and the same Glory with you therefore speak honourably of them and carry it honourably towards them Let not them be under your feet that Christ ha's laid near his heart c. And so much for this second Doctrine We come now to the next words EPHES. 3. 8. Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this Grace given c. WEE shall speak now to the word Grace The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek word Caris that 's here rendred Grace hath a two-fold signification Somtimes it 's taken for the gracious favour and good will of God whereby he is pleased of his owne free love to accept and owne poor sinners in the Son of his love for his owne This is called the first Grace because 't is the fountaine of all other graces and the Spring from whence they flow And it 's therefore called Grace because it makes a man gracious with God Secondly This word Caris that 's here rendred Grace is taken for the gifts of Grace and they are of two sorts Speciall or Common Common grace is that which Hypocrites may have and in which they may excell and goe beyond the choycest Saints As in a gift of knowledge a gift of utterance a gift of prayer a gift of tongues c. A Mat. 7. 21 22 23 25. Ch. 1. 13. man may have these and many other excellent gifts and yet miscarry yea fall as low as hell witnesse Judas Demas the Scribes and Pharisees c. Secondly There is speciall Grace as Faith Love Humility Meeknesse which the Apostle reckons up Gal. 5. 22 23. Now here by Grace you may either understand the gracious favour of God Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this choyce favour given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ or else you may take it for the gifts of grace both saving and common which the Apostle had given him in order to the discharge of his Ministeriall Office which by the speciall favour of God he was advanced to The word Grace being thus opened we may from thence Observe First That the Lord gives his best Gifts to his best Beloved ones Vnto me saith the Apostle who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this Grace given For the opening and clearing of this point I shall premise these foure things 1 To shew you what those best gifts are that God bestowes upon his best beloved ones 2 I shall shew you the manner of his giving the best gifts to his beloved ones Or the difference there is between Christs giving and the worlds giving 3 And then the excellency of those gifts that Christ gives above all other gifts that the world gives
4 And lastly The Reason why Christ gives his best gifts to his best beloved ones For the first What are those best gifts that Christ bestowes upon his best beloved ones I shall not instance in those Common gifts that they have in common with others But rather shew unto you those speciall gifts that he bestowes upon them and of those I shall single out them that are most choyce and that carry most in them of the glory favour and good will of him that dwelt in the Bush And the first is this He gives Light to his beloved ones and Light is a pleasant Eccles 11. 7. thing to behold as the wise man speaks He gives spirituall light which is a mercy of mercies Ephes 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some upon thee Life â—â—hâ—uâ—lighâ—s but a lifelesse life give thee light So John 1. 7 8 9. He was not that light but was sent to bear witnesse of that light that was the true light that lightneth every man that cometh into the world Vide Cameron and Augustine on the words When Telemachus saw a great light that guided him and his father in a dark Roâ—me Surely sed he there is some God in it Mal. 4. 2. He gives that light whereby his people are inabled to see sin to be the greatest evill and himselfe to be the chiefest good He gives that light that melts the soule that humbles the soule that warmes the soule that quickens the soule that quiets the soule and that glads the soule Man is not borne with heavenly light in his heart as he is borne with a tongue in his mouth Till Christ comes and sets up a light in the soule the soule lives in darknesse and lyes in darknesse yea is darknesse in the very abstract Ephes 5. 8. Ye were sometimes darknesse but now are ye light in the Lord. Saints are alwayes in the Sun-shine therefore they should be like a Christall glasse with a light in the midst which appeareth in every part A Christian should be like the Lamp in the story that never 2 Cor. 3. 5. If there be such a power in fallen man to repent and believe c. to what purpose was the coming of Christ into the world 1 John 2. 9 1 John 3. 8. And why doe naturall men when their consciences are awaken'd so cry out That they arâ— as able to stop the Sun in his course to raise the dead and to make a world as they are able of themselves to repent c. went out Were it not for the Sun it would be perpetuall night in the world notwithstanding all Star-light and Torch-light and Moon-light 'T is not the Torch-light of Naturall parts and Creature-comforts nor the Star-light of Civill honesty and Common gifts Nor yet the Moon-light of temporary faith and formall profession that can make day in the soule till the Son of righteousnesse rise and shine upon it And that 's the first thing he gives Light Now the second thing he gives is Repentance Repentance is not a Flower that growes in Natures Garden Acts 5. 31. Him hath God the father exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins So in 2 Tim. 2. 25. The servant of the Lord must in meeknesse instruct those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the truth By these Scriptures 't is clear that Repentance is no flower that growes in Natures Garden though Arminians teach and Print That if men will but put out their power and their strength they may repent c. But severall that have been of this Opinion have experienced the falsenesse of it when it ha's been too late The Ethiopian cannot change his skin nor the Leopard his spots Jer. 13. 23. And certainly if there were such a power in man to repent as some would make the world believe man would never miscarry everlastingly for his not repenting Oh! is it good dwelling with everlasting burnings with a devouring fire Is it good being for ever shut out from the presence of the Aut paenitendum out pereundum Lord and the glory of his power Certainly if there were such a power in vaine man to repent no man would goe to hell for not repenting And many that have boasted much of their abilities to repent when they have been upon a dying bed would have given a thousand worlds were there so many in their power that they could but repent Luther confesses That before his Conversion he met not Homo ipsius paenitentiae paenitere debâ—t Salv. Paenitens de peccato dolet de dolore gaudeâ— Luther with a more displeasing word in all the study of Divinity then this word Repent But after the Lord had converted him and manifested himselfe to him he delighted in this worke Then he could sorrow for his sins and rejoyce in his sorrow Repentance strips the soule stark naked of all the Garments of the old Adam and leaves not so much as the shirt behind In this rotten building there is not one stone left upon another As the Flood drowned Noah's owne friends and servants as well as strangers so true Repentance drownes all darling lusts True Repentance is the cutting off the right hand and the pulling out of the right eye and is this such an easie thing surely no. True Repentance is a gift that is from above and if the Lord does not give it man will eternally perish for the want of it You may read much more of this in my Treatise call'd HEAVEN ON EARTH Thirdly Christ gives his Spirit Rom. 5. 5. The love of Spiritus sanctus estres delicata God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us So in 1 John 3. ult And hereby we know that he abideth in us how by the spirit which he hath given John 14. 26. us So in Chap. 4. 13. The spirit that the Lord Christ gives is an inlightning spirit 't is the Candle of the Lord set up in the hearts of the Saints to guide them in the way everlasting 'T is a sanctifying spirit a spirit of burning Isa 4. 4. He is a fire to inlighten the soule and a fire to inliven the soule and Nil nisi sanctum a sancto spiritu prediere potest a fire to warme the soule c. Whatsoever is of the spirit is spirit It is nimble and lively and active and full of life and motion as the Spirit is A man without the spirit of the Lord is a dull dromish Creature as the Latines call a dull dromish man A fire-lesse man so we may call a man that hath not the spirit a spiritlesse man The spirit that Christ gives is A sealing spirit Ephes 1. 13. and a Leading spirit Rom. 8. He leads from sin he leads from wrath he leads from
the blood of the Lamb. off this burden that sinks the soule even as low as hell Faith must make a Plaister of the blood of Christ and apply it to the soule or the soule will dye under its guilt There 's nothing below this can doe it faith's application of the blood of Christ takes off the guilt and turnes the storme to a calme Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Againe Suppose that the power and prevalency of sin hinders the soules sweet communion with God so that the Much lesse thâ—n can the Papists purga tories watchings whipings c. or St. Francis his kissing or licking of Leper's sores which wilâ— cleanse the â—retting Leprosie of sin c. A touch of â—aith cureth the woman as well as a fâ—ll hold 'T is the exercise of the graces of the spirit by which we mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8. 13. It is not our strong resolutions or purposes that will be able to over-master these eâ—emies A â—oul-sore will run till it be indeed healed though we say it shall not soule cannot sport it selfe and joy and delight it selfe in God as in the dayes of old it cannot see God smiling stroaking and speaking kindly as in former dayes Now there 's nothing in all the world that can ease the soule of this burden of sin below the exercise of grace Oh saith such a poore soule I pray Sir and yet I sin I resolve against sin and yet I sin I combate against sin and yet I am carried Captive by sin I have left no outward means unattempted and yet after all my sins are too hard for me after all my sweating striving and weeping I am carried downe the streame There 's nothing now but the actings of faith upon a crucified Christ that will take off this burden from the soule of man Now you must make use of your graces to draw virtue from Christ now faith must touch the hem of Christs garment or thou wilt never be healed 'T is just with a soule in this case as it was with the ponre widow Luke 8. 43. to 49. that had a bloody issue she leaves no means unattempted whereby she might be cured she runs from one Physitian to another till she had spent all that she was worth till she had brought a noble to nine-pence and now sayes she If I could but touch the hem of his Garment I should be whole Hereupon she crowds through the crowd to come to Christ and being got behind him she touches the hem of his garment and immediately she was made whole The cure being thus wrought Christ uncrownes himselfe to crowne her faith And he said unto her daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole goe in peace He doth not say woman thy trembling hath made thee whole or woman thy sweating and struggling in a crowd to come to me hath made thee whole or woman thy falling downe and abasing thy selfe though she did all this but woman thy faith hath made thee whole Ah Christians 't is not your trembling or your falling downe or your sweating in this and that service that will stop the bloody issue of your sins but believing in Christ 'T is sad to consider how few Professors in these dayes have attain'd the right way of mortifying of sin they usually goe out against their sins in the strength of their owne purposes prayers and resolutions c. and scarce look so high as a crucified Christ they mind not the exercise of their faith upon Christ and therefore it 's a righteous thing with Christ that after all they should be carried captive by their sins Nothing eats out sin like the actings of grace nothing weakers and wasts the strength of sin like the exercise of grace Oh did men believe more in Christ sin would dye more did they believe the threatnings more sin would dye more did they believe the Promises more sin would dye more did they believe reigning with Christ more sin would dye more He that hath 1 John 3. 3. this hope purifies himselfe even as Christ is pure Againe Suppose that the soule be followed with black dismall fiery temptations there 's nothing now in all the world that can Divinely strengthen and fence the soule against these Luther said I am without set upon by all the world and within by the Deviâ—l all his Angels and yet by the exercise of grace he became victorious over them all c. temptations but the exercise of grace the improvement of grace 'T is true you are to hear read pray meditate c. but all these without the exercise of grace in them will never make you victorious over Satans temptations Nothing puts Satan to it like the exercise of grace 'T is said of Satan that he should say to a holy man who was much in the exercise of grace Tu me semper vincis Thou doest alwayes overcome me Ephes 6. 16. Above all take the shield of faith whereby ye may be able to quench the fiery darts of the Devil Whatsoever piece of Armour you neglect be sure that you neglect not the Shield of faith The Greek word that 's here rendred a Shield comes from another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word that signifies a doore or a gate to note that as a doore or a gate doth secure our bodies so will the shield of faith secure our soules against the fiery darts of the Devill Above all take the shield of faith whereby ye may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil The Apostle alludes to the custome of the Scythians who used to dip the heads of their Arrowes or Darts in the gall of Aspes and Vipers the venomous heat of which like a fire in their flesh kill'd the wounded with torments the likest hell of any other But the Souldiers then had generally Shields of raw neats leather as * Polebius and Vigetius c. severall Writers testifie and when the fiery darts lighted upon them they were presently quencht So these fiery darts of Satan when they light upon the shield of faith they are presently quenched and there is no other way to doe it till the Lord draw out a mans faith to act upon the Promises and upon Christ these fiery darts will not be quencht Againe Suppose that the world the smiling world or the frowning world the tempting world or the persecuting world Faith is a better Engineer then Daedalus and yet he mide wings with which he made an escape over the high walls within which he was imprisoned This world is the soules prison yet faith is such an Engineer that it can make wings for the soule to fly out c. should lye as a heavy stone or burden upon your hearts as it doth upon the hearts of thousands in these dayes witnesse their attempting any thing to get the favours honours and riches of this
upon the promise and the promiser that gave glory to God All the honour and glory that God hath from beleevers in this life is from the actings of their grace 'T was Abrahams acting of faith that was his high honouring of God Christians I would intreat this favour of you that you would be often in the meditation of this truth viz. That all the honour that God hath from beleevers in this life is from the actings and the exercise of their Graces When thou goest to prayer then thinke thus with thy selfe is it so that all the honour that God It is reported in the life of Luther that when he praâ—ed it was Tanâ—a reverentia ut si Deo tanta fiducta ut si amico c. Jonah 2. uâ—t shall have from my soule in prayer will be from the actings of grace in prayer oh then what cause have I to stirre up my selfe to lay hold on God and to blow up all those sparkes of grace that be in me As a body without a soule much wood without fire a bullet in a Gun without powder so are words in prayer without the Spirit without the exercise of the graces of the Spirit Jonah acted his faith when he was in the belly of hell and Daniel acted faith when he was in the Lyons den Dan. 6. 23. and the Theife acted faith when he was on the Crosse and Jeremiah acted faith when he was in the Dungeon and Job So did the Publican he prayed much though he spake little or aâ—io brevis penetrat coelum The hottest springs send forth their waters by ebullitions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Augustin cryes out against them that did not profit by afflictions perdidistis utilitatem calamitatis August de Civit. l. 2. c. 33. acted faith when he was on the dunghill and David acted faith when he was in his greatest distresse and so did Moses in Exod. 14. And you know the issue of all was much glory to God and much good to them his heart will never be long a stranger to joy and peace who is much in the exercise and actings of grace Ninthly Because the more Grace is improved the more afflictions and tribulations will be lessened and sweetend to us 2 Cor. 4. 16 17. Though our outward man decreases yet our inward man is renewed day by day or day and day When Peter Martyr was dying he said My body is weake but my minde is well well for the present and will be better for ever hereafter This is the Godly mans Motto for Afflictions there is Glory for light afflictions a weight of glory for momentary afflictions eternall Glory so in the 10 and 11 Chapters of the Hebrewes Oh friends if your graces were more exercised and improved afflictions would be more sweete this would turne the Crosse into a Crowne this would turne bitter into sweete and long winter nights into summer dayes It would make every condition to be a Paradise to you c. Tenthly If Grace be not exercised and improved the soule Saints should be like a Seraphim beset all over with eyes and lights as Bassarion said Tâ—e fearefull Haâ—e they say sleepeth with her eyes open oh how watchfull then should a Christian be may be easily surprised conquered and vanquished by a tempting Devill and an intising world when the sword is in the scabbard the traveller is easily surprised and when the Guard is asleepe the Citie is quickly conquered The strongest creature the Lyon and the wisest creature the Serpent if they be dormant are as easily surprised as the weakest wormes so the strongest and wisest Saints if their graces be asleepe if they be onely in the habit and not in exercise they may be as easily surprised and vanquished as the weakest Christians in all the world as you may see in David Solomon Sampson Peter Every enemy insults over him that hath lost the use of his weapons c. Eleventhly We must improve our Graces because decayes in Grace are very great losses to us By decaying in grace wee come to loose our strength our best strength our spirituall Spirituall losses are hardly recovered a man may easiâ—y run dowâ—e the hill but he cannot so easily get up Philosophers say that the way from the habit to the privation is easier then the way from the privation to the habit As a man may soon put an instâ—ument out of tuâ—e but not so soon put in againe 1 Cor. 2. 14. Jer. 13. 23. James 1. 17. Eph. 2. 1 2 3. strength our strength to doe for God our strength to waite on God and walke with God our strength to bare for God our strength to suffer for God by decaying in Grace we come to loose that Joy that 's unspeakeable and full of Glory and that comfort and peace that passes understanding and to loose the sence of that favour that 's better then life Now our faith will be turned into feare our dansing into mourning our rejoycing into sighing and when O Christian thou beginnest to fall and to decay who knowes how farre thou mayst fall how much thy graces may be impaired and how long it may be before thy Sunne rise when once 't is sett therefore you had need to exercise and improve your Graces Twelfthly and lastly You are to improve your Graces because soules truly gratious have a power to doe good I doe not say that a man in his naturall estate though Arminians doe hath power in himselfe to doe supernaturall acts as to beleeve in God to love God and the like c. for I thinke a Toad may as well spitt cordialls as a naturall man doe supernaturall actions nor I doe not say that all the Grace wee have is not from God nor that man in his naturall estate is not dead God-ward and Christ-ward and holynesse-ward and heaven-ward But this I say that soules truly gratious have a power to doe good 'T is sad to think how many professors doe excuse their negligence by pretending an Inability to doe good or by When Charles Largius had excited Lipsius to the study of truâ— wisedom my mind is to it said Liâ—sius and then he faâ—s to â—ishing what said Langius â—rt thou purâ—osing when â—hou shouldest be doing Just Lip de Constan l. 2. 5. sitting downe discouraged as having in their hands no power at all what can we doe say they If the Lord doe not breath upon us as at first conversion we can doe nothing I thinke in my very Conscience that this is one reason of much of that slightnesse neglect and omission of duties that is among professors in these dayes So that God may complaine as he doth in the 64 of Isa 7. There is no man that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of mee they are as men asleepe that sit still and doe nothing But certainly they that are truly united to Christ are not acted as dead stocks as if every time and moment of their acting God-wards and
great Masters Treasure differs from yours in that his hath no bottome as I find yours to have alluding to the Mines in Mexico and Petosi c. Certainly Christs Treasures have no bottome all Hast thâ—u entred into the treasures of the Snow sayes God to Job Now Gregory saiâ—h That the treasures of the Snow are worldly riches which men â—ake together as children do Snow which the next show rewashes away and lâ—aves nothing in the roome but dirt and can dirt satisfie Surely no. Nâ— more can worldly riches his baggs are bottomlesse but Scripture History and Experience doe abundantly testifie that mens baggs purses Coffers and Mints may be exhausted or drawne dry but Christs can never millions of thousands live upon Christ and he feels it not his Purse is alwayes full though he be alwayes giving c. Thirdly The riches of Christ are Soule-satisfying riches O those riches of grace and goodnesse that be in Christ how doe they satisfie the soules of sinners A Pardon doth not more satisfie a condemned man nor bread the hungry man nor drink the thirsty man nor cloaths the naked man nor health the sick man then the riches of Christ doe satisfie the gracious man John 4. 13 14. Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst againe but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of living water springing up to everlasting life Grace is a perpetuall flowing fountaine Grace is compared to water water serves to coole men when they are in a burning heat so Grace cooles the soule when it hath been even scorcht and burnt up under the sence of Divine wrath and displeasure Water is cleansing so is Grace Water is fructifying so is Grace And water is satisfying it satisfies the thirsty and so doth Grace Shew us the father Anima ratinalis caeteris oâ—nibus occupari poâ—est impleri non potest Bern. The reasonable soule may be busied about other things but it cannot be filled with them c. and it sufficeth us John 14. 8. But now earthly riches can never satisfie the soule but as they said once of Alexander That had he a body sutable to his minde he would set one foot upon sea and the other upon land he would reach the East with one hand and the West with the other And doubtlesse the same frame of spirit is to be found in all the Sons of Adam In Eccles 5. 10. He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase This is also vanity If a man be hungry silver cannot feed him if naked it cannot cloath him if cold it cannot warm him if sick it cannot recover him much lesse then is it able to satisfie him Oh! but the riches of Christ are Soule-satisfying riches A soule rich in spiritualls rich in eternalls sayes I have enough though I have not this and that temporall good c. Fourthly The riches of Christ are Harmlesse riches they are riches that will not hurt the soule that will not harme the soule Where is there a soule to be found in all the world Da Domine ut sic possidiamuâ— temporalia ut non perdamus aeterna Bern. that was ever made worse by spirituall riches O but earthly riches have cast downe many they have slaine many If poverty with Saul ha's kill'd her thousands riches with David ha's kill'd her ten thousands Eccles 5. 13. There is a sore evill which I have seen under the Sun namely riches kept from the owners thereof to their hurt Earthly riches are called Thornes and well they may for as Thornes they pierce Some say where Gold growes no Plant will prosper So no truth no good c. will have any heart-roome where the love of money bears the bel c. both head and heart the head with cares in getting them and the heart with grief in parting with them O the soules that riches have pierced thorow and thorow with many sorrowes O the minds that riches have blinded O the hearts that riches have hardened O the consciences that riches have benummed O the wills that riches have perverted O the affections that riches have disordered and destroyed Earthly riches are very vexing very defiling very dividing and to multitudes prove very ruining It was a wise and Christian speech of Charls the Fifth to the Duke of Venice who when he had shewed him the glory of his Princely Palace and earthly Paradise instead of admiring it or him for it onely returned him this grave and serious Memento Haec sunt quae faciunt invitos mori These are the things which make us unwilling to dye c. Fifthly The riches of Christ are Vnsearchable riches This The Philosophers seeing to the very bottome of earthly riches contemned them preferred a contemplative life above them Omniameâ—mecum porto said Bias one of the seven wise men of Greece c. is plaine in the Text Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the Vnsearchable riches of Christ There are riches of Justification riches of Sanctification riches of Consolation and riches of Glorification in Christ All the riches of Christ are Vnsearchable riches A Saint with all the light that he hath from the spirit of Christ is not able to search to the bottome of these riches Nay suppose that all the perfections of Angels and Saints in a glorified estate should meet in one noble breast yet all those perfections could not inable that glorious glorified Creature for to search to the bottome of Christs unsearchable riches Doubtlesse when believers come to Heaven when they shall see God face to face when they shall know as they are knowne when they shall be filled with the fullnesse of God even then they will sweetly sing this Song O the height the depth the length the breadth of the unsearchable riches of Christ As there is no Christ to this Christ so there are no riches to his riâ—hes c. O but such are not the riches of this world they may be reckoned they may be fathomed c. Ron Gnathak It is repored of one Myâ—cgenes when great gifts were sent him he sent then back saying I onely desire this one thing at your Masters hands to pray for me that I may be saved for eterniâ—y c Sixthly The riches of the Lord Jesus Christ are Permanent and abiding riches They are lasting they are durable riches That 's a choyce Scripture Prov. 8. 18. Riches and honour are with me yea durable riches and righteousnesse The Hebrew word that 's rendred durable riches signifies old riches All other riches are but new they are but of yesterday as it were Oh but with me are old riches durable riches all other riches in respect of their ficklenesse are as a shadow a bird a
that God shall put upon you this is your Principle I but tell me Christians will a little grace inable a man to live up to this Principle I judge not You are to stand ready to change your imployment from better to worse if the Lord shall be pleased to order it so You are to be ready to change your Crowne for a Crosse to change that imployment that 's honourable for that that 's mean and low and that which is more profitable for that which is lesse profitable as it were from ruling of a Province to the keeping of a Heard from being a Lord to be a servant from being a servant to great men to be a servant to the meanest servant yea to the poorest Beast Certainly a little grace will never inable a man bravely and sweetly to live up to this Principle Their hearts that are poore in grace are like a wounded hand or arme which being but imperfectly cured can onely move one way and cannot turne to all postures and all naturall uses Weak Christians are very apt to three things To choose their mercies To choose their crosses And To choose their imployments They are often unwilling that God himselfe should choose out their way or their work But now soules that are rich in grace they are at Gods beck and check they are willing that God shall choose their work and their way they are willing to be at his dispose to be high or low to serve or to be served to be something or to be nothing c. Now I beseech you Christians that you would seriously and frequently remember this That there is nothing in all the world that is such an honour to God and a glory to the Gospel as for Christians to live up to their Principles nor nothing such a reproach to God and his wayes as this for men to live below their Principles and to act contrary to their Principles And you will never be able to live up to your Principles nor to live out your Principles except you grow rich in grace therefore labour I say labour as for life to abound in Grace c. Now the fourth Motive is this Consider That soules rich in Grace are a mighty blessing to the Land and place where they live There are no such blessings in the world to Parishes Cities and Nations as those soules are that are rich in Grace Oh they are great blessings to all places where they come they are persons that are fit for the highest and noblest imployments there is not the highest work that is too high for a man that is rich in grace not the hottest work that is too hot for a man rich in grace nor the lowest work below a man rich in Grace Such a man will not say I would doe it but that 't is below my place my blood my parts my education May Christ have honour May others have good if so I will doe it saith the soule that 's rich in Grace What ever comes of it and blesse God for the opportunity In Dan. 6. 3. Then this Daniel was preferred above the Presidents and Princes because an excellent spirit was in him and the King thought to set him over the whole Realme Why was Daniel set upon the Throne but because there was a glorious excellent spirit in him that fitted him for the highest imployment So Joseph was a blessing to his Masters family and the people among whom he liv'd No such blessings to people and places as soules rich in Grace So in Nehem. 7. 2. I Such a one will be Pater patriae Father of his Country gave my Brother Hanani and Hananiah the ruler of the place charge over Jerusalem and why he for he was a faithfull man and feared God above many Oh the wisedome the prudence the zeale the courage the compassion the patience the self-denyall that should be in Magistrates There is a truth in that old Maxime Magistratus virum indicat Magistracy will try a man None fit to rule but such that are rich in Grace What a world of good may a man doe with worldly riches in a Parish in a City in a Nation but that 's nothing to the good that a man may doe that is rich in grace Oh the sins that he may prevent Oh the judgements that he may divert Oh the favours and blessings that he may draw downe upon the heads and hearts of people I presume you forget not what a blessing Moses Joseph Job Nehemiah Mordecai and Daniel proved to the people among whom they liv'd and these were all rich in grace A man rich in wisedome rich in faith rich in goodnesse c. Oh! what a blessing may he prove to ignorant soules to staggering soules to wandring soules to tempted soules to deserted soules c. Look what the Sun is to us that may a soule rich in grace be to others c. Oh friends would you be blessings to your families would you be blessings to the City to the Nation Oh then labour to be rich in Grace and doe not think it enough that you have so much Grace as will keep you from dropping into hell and that will bring you to heaven but labour to be rich in grace and then you will prove indeed a blessing to the place and Nation where you live The Romans when they did perceive any naturall excellency As those that were called among the Romans the Curii and Fabritâ—i c. to be in any persons though they were never so poor and mean they would take them from their dinners of Turnips and Water-cresses to lead the Roman Army 'T is true that naturall and morall indowments will inable men to doe much but grace will inable men to doe ten thousand times more There 's no work too high nor too hard for souls rich in Grace and therefore as you would be choyce instruments in the Lords hand and eminently serviceable in your Generations O labour to be rich in Grace 'T is not he that ha's most wit in his head but he that ha's most grace in his heart that is most fit for Generation-work Fifthly A rich measure of Grace will bear out your soules in severall cases therefore labour to be rich in grace A rich measure of Grace will bear out the soule under The golden nâ—me of Châ—â—stians is but as an Ornament to Swine saith Salvian He means such as content them selves with an empty name great means of Grace When a soule is spiritually rich this will bear him out under great means such a one will be able to look God in the face with joy and comfort he can say 't is true Lord I have had more means then others and lo I am growne richer then others Thou hast taken more paines with me then with others and lo I bring forth more fruit then others my five Talents are become ten But a little grace will not bear men out under much means of Grace Againe A great
Shâ—â—hen Humility as the Violet though the lowest yet the sweetest of Flowers at my word The word there rendred dwell is an Hebrew Participle and signifies Dwelling Thus saith the high and lofty one dwelling with him that is of an humble and a contrite spirit The word notes to us thus much That God will not dwell with an humble man as a wafairing man dwells with his relations a few nights and away Dwelling notes a constant and not a transient act of God God will for ever keep house with the humble soule when once they meet they never part There is no such way to be rich as to be poor and low in our owne eyes this is the way to injoy his company in whom all treasures are Fourthly Improve the riches that you have Improve that knowledge that faith that light that love that you have Those that had two Talents did by the improvement of them gaine other two and those that had five did by the improvement of them gaine ten Prov. 10. 4. The diligent hand maketh rich Take hold of all opportunities to inrich your soules with spirituall riches Men will The â—adâ—x Hâ—râ—ts is to â— dig in the ground for gold whence 〈◊〉 fine precious gold Prov. 16. 16. The neglect of golden soul inriching opportunities has made many a mans life a hell yea many a Courtiers life a â—ell as all know that know any thing of History c. easily readily greedily and unweariedly close with all opportunities wherein they may get earthly riches and why should not you be as diligent in taking hold of all opportunities to enrich your precious soules Is not the soule more then rayment more then friends more then relations more then life yea more then all And why then doe you not labour to inrich your soules Thou wert better have a rich soule under a thred-bare Coat then a thred-bare soule under a silk or golden Coat If he be a Monster among men that makes liberall provision for his Servant his slave and starves his wife what a Monster is he that makes much provision for his baser part but none for his noble part A sloathfull heart in the things of God is a heavy judgement Prov. 4. 31. I went by the field of the sloathfull and by the Vineyard of the man voyd of understanding Or as the Hebrew hath it The man that had no heart that is to make use of his Vineyard and loe it was all growne over with thornes and nettles c. O the lusts the wickednesses that will overgrow sloathfull sluggish soules Spirituall sluggards are subject to the saddest stroakes Oh the deadly sins the deadly temptations the deadly judgements that spirituall sluggards will unavoidably fall under None such an enemy to himselfe none such a friend to Satan as the spirituall sluggard 'T is sad to think how the riches of Christ the riches of Consolation the riches of Justification the riches of Glorification are brought to many mens doores and yet they have no hearts to imbrace them no judgement to this Wherefore is there a price in the Prov. 17. 16. Wealth without wit is iâ—l bestowed c. hand of a foole to get wisedome seeing he hath no heart to it Well spirituall sluggards remember this When your consciences are awakened this will be a sword in your soules that you might have been saved you might have been spiritually and eternally inriched but that you have trifled and fooled away golden opportunities and your owne salvation Fifthly Walke uprightly holily and obedientially If ever you would be spiritually rich look to your walking 't is not the knowing soule nor the talking soule but the close-walking soule the obedientiall soule that is in spiritualls the richest soule Others may be rich in notions but none so rich in spirituall experiences and in all holy and heavenly grace as close-walking Christians Psal 84. 11. When my heart is coldest and highest I present God to my self under the notion of his greatnes but when my heart is loose and fearing then I present God to my soul under the notion of his goodnesse saith Luther The Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke uprightly The upright walker shall be both of his Court and Councel he shall know any thing and have any thing In John 14. 21 23. compared If any man love me he will keepe my Commandements and I will love him and my father will love him what then we will make our abode with him and will manifest our selves to him Certainly they cannot be poore that injoy such Guests as these they must needs be full who injoy them that are fullnesse it selfe God and Christ are overflowing Fountaines and holy soules find it so Sixthly Be most in with those soules that are spiritually rich Let them be thy choycest Companions that have made Christ their chiefest Companion Doe not so much eye the outsides of men as their inside look most to their internall worth Many persons have an eye upon the externall Garb of this and that Professor but give me a Christian that minds the internall worth of persons that makes such as are most filled with the fullnesse of God to be his choisest and his chiefest Companions In Psal 16. My goodnesse extends not to thee sayes David now David speaks in the person of Christ but to the Saints that are in the earth in whom is all my delight There are Saints and there are excellent Saints now those are the excellent ones that are most rich in Heavenly Treasures and these you should make your bosome friends your choycest Companions Prov. 13. 20. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise That is he shall be more wise more humble more holy and more abounding in all spirituall riches The word Rolech that is rendred walke is an Hebrew Participle and signifies walking to note to us that 't is not he that talks with the wise nor he that commends the wise nor he that takes a step or two or three with the wise that shall be wise but he that gives up himselfe to the society and company of the wise that shall be more and more wise more and more gracious more and more holy He that cometh where sweet Spices and Ointments are stirring doth carry away some of the sweet savour though himself think not of it The Spouses lips drop as the Honey-comb Cant. 4. 10. the tongue of the just is as choyce silver he scaters pearls he throws abroad treasures where he comes Prov. 15. 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge The Hebrew word is a Metaphor from Jezaru from Zarah scattering abroad with a Fan or from Seeds-men scattering abroad of their seed in the furrowes of the field They scatter their light their love their Experiences among those with whom they converse as Seeds-men scatter their seed in the field Christ sayes his Spouses lips are like a
thread of The very Heâ—then man could say Quando sapiens loquitur aulea animi aperdit When a wise man speaketh he openeth the rich treasures and wardrobe of his mind c. scarlet with talking of nothing but a crucified Christ and thin like a thread not swell'd with other vaine and wicked discourses The old zealous Primitive Christians did so frequently and so effectually mind and talke of the Kingdome of Heaven and of the riches and glory of that State that the Ethnicks begun to be a little jealous that they affected the Roman Empire when alasse their ambition was of another and a nobler nature Psal 37. 30. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisedome and his tongue talketh judgement for the Law of the Lord is in his heart Prov. 12. 18. The tongue of the wise is health his tongue is a Tree of life whose leaves are medicinable No way to be rich in spiritualls like being much in with such precious soules whose tongues drop marrow and fatnesse Utterance is a gift and dumb Christians are blame-worthy as well as dumb Ministers We should all strive to a holy ability and dexterity of savoury discourse If Christ should come to many of us as he did to his two Disciples in that last of Luke on Sabboath-dayes and other times and say to us as to them What manner of communication had ye or have yee Oh! with what palenesse of face and sadnesse of countenance should we look The story of Loquere ut videam is common Speake that I may see thee said Socrates to a faire Boy When the heart is full it overfloweth in speech we know Mettals by their tinkling and men by their talking Happy was that tongue in the Primitive time that could sound out Aliquid Davidicum Any thing of Davids doing but much more happy is he that speaks out Aliquid Christi Any thing of Christ from experience Seventhly If ever you would be spiritually rich Then take heed of eating or tasting of forbidden fruit This stript Adam of his Crowne of his Jewels and of all his rich Ornaments in a moment and of the richest and Becanus tells us That the Tree of Knowledge was Ficus indica and that it bears many leaves and little fruit and so 't is with those that tast and eat of forbidden fruit c. greatest Prince that ever breathed made him the miserablest Beggar that ever liv'd O take heed of tasting of poyson of eating of poyson A person that hath eate poyson will not thrive let him take never such wholsome food the choycest Cordials will not increase blood and spirits and strength but the man will throw up all Poore soules that have been tasting of poyson are apt to find fault with the Minister and sometimes with this and that as the cause of their not growing rich in spiritualls When alasse the onely cause is their eating of poyson These are like him in Seneca that having a thorne in his foot complained of the roughnesse of the way as the cause of his limping Sirs 't is not the Minister nor this nor that but your eating of forbidden fruit that is the cause of your non-thriving in spiritualls Sin is the souls sicknesse and nothing more prejudices growth then sicknesse Christians if ever you would be trees not onely having the leaves of honour but the fruites of righteousnesse then take heed of sin abhor it more then hell and fly from it as from your deadliest enemy c. Eighthly and lastly Be sure to maintaine a secret trade with God You know many men come to be very rich in the world Acts 10. 3 9. Gen. 21. 33. Exod. 14. 15. 1 Sam. 1. 13. by a secret trade Though many have not such an open trade as others yet they have a more secret Trade and by that they gaine very great Estates as many of you here in London know by experience Take it friends as an experienced truth there is no such way under heaven to be rich in spiritualls as by driving of a secret Trade heavenwards 'T is true it 's good for men to attend upon this and that and the other publick administration for in all Divine administrations God shewes his beauty and glory I but such that delight to be more Psal 63. 2 3. Psal 27. 4. Psal 84. 10. upon the publick stage then in the Closet will never be rich in spiritualls they may grow rich in notions but they will never grow rich in gracious experiences Oh! God loves to see a poore Christian to shut his closet doore and then to open Mat 6. 6. his bosome and poure out his soule before him God hath very discoveries for soules that drive a secret Trade The best wine the best dainties and delicates are for such And I never knew any man or woman in my life that was richer in grace then those that were much in closet communion with God Much of a Christians spirituall strength lyes in secret prayer as Sampson's did in his haire Nothing charmes Satan and weakens sin like this Secret Prayers are the pillars of smoke wherein the soule ascendeth to God out of the wildernesse of this world Secret prayer is Jacobs Ladder where you have God discending downe into the soul and rhe soule sweetly ascending up to God No way to be rich in spirituals like this therefore be sure to maintaine and keep up a secret Trade between God and your owne soules Oh let God heare often of you in secret In Cant. 7. 5. The King is held in the Galleries Oh! in the secret walks the soule meets with the King of glory Oh! there the soule hangs upon Christ there the soule sucks and drawes virtue from Christ and there the soule is made rich with the riches of Christ Christ is much delighted and taken with secret prayer Cant. 2. 14. O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the staires that art got into a hole let me heare thy voyce let me see thy countenance for sweet is thy voyce and thy countenance is lovely Secret meales are very fatning and secret duties are very soule-inriching Christians set more close to this work and if you don't thrive by it trust me no more And thus you see by what means you may grow rich in grace The third thing I propounded to speak to was Some Propositions concerning Spirituall Riches Some Propositions concerning spirituall Riches And the first Proposition is this ALL that doe grow rich in Grace they grow rich gradually The Sun ascends by degrees Children Plants and Trees they grow by degrees so doe Saints in spiritualls It 's true many men as to temporalls by the death of some friend or this or that providence grow rich on a suddaine But no soule that 's rich in grace but growes rich gradually In Prov. 4. 18. But the path of the just is like the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day
promises are over-performed 1 Cor. 2. 9. c. Christ upon his word Doe you believe he will give you a Crowne and will you not trust him for a crust Doe you believe he will give you a Kingdome and doe you doubt whether he will give you a Cottage to rest in Ha's he given you his blood and doe you think that he will deny you any thing that is really for your good Surely he will not he cannot Againe Trust him for power against all the remainders of sin in you Hath Christ freed you from the damnatory power of sin Rom. 8. 1. Rom. 6. 14. Heb. 13. 5. and from the dominion of sin and will not you trust him for deliverance from the remainers of sin Psal 65. 3. Iniquities prevaile against me As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away O excellent faith Againe Trust him to bring you into the Land of rest Doe you think that this Joshua is not able to carry you through all difficulties dangers and deaths Doe you think that he will leave you to dye in the wildernesse who have already had some glimpses of Heavens glory O trust to this Christ for the bringing of your soules into the Promised Land Christ would loose his glory should you fall short of glory c. Againe If Christ be so rich Then don't forsake him don't leave him don't turne your backs upon him Is there Riches of Justification and Riches of Sanctification and Riches of Consolation and Riches of Glorification in Christ Yes why then doe not depart from him doe not You read of no Armes for the back though you doe for the breast Phil. 6. shake hands with him That 's a sad complaint of God in Jer. 2. 12 13. Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord For my people have committed two evills They have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and hewed them out Cisternes broken Cisternes that can hold no water Is it madnesse and folly to flye from the fountaine to the streame from the light of the Sun to the light of a candle And is it not greater madnesse and folly to forsake the Creator to run after the creature O say as Peter Whither should we goe thou hast John 6. 68. the words of eternall life To run from Christ is to run from all life peace and joy 't is to run from our strength our shelter our security our safety our Crown our glory Lev. 11. 10. Crabbs that goe backward are reckoned among unclean creatures The application is easie Origen coming to Jerusalem after that he had shamefully turned his back upon Christ and his truth and being exceedingly pressed to preach at last he yields and as he opened the Book he happened to cast his eye upon that place of the Psalmist What hast thou to doe to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest Psa 50. 16 17. instruction and castest my words behind thee Now the remembrance of his owne folly so reflected upon his conscience that it made him close the Book and sit downe and weep Such as forsake a rich a full Christ shall have weeping work enough That is a very dreadfull Scripture Jer. 17. 13. All you that forsake the Lord shall come to be ashamed and they that depart from him shall be written in the dust Can you read this Text backsliding soules and not tremble c. Againe If the Lord Jesus Christ be so rich Oh then all you that have an interest in him labour mightily to clear up your interest and to be more and more confident of your interest in so rich a Jesus My Brethren 't is one thing for a man to have an interest in Christ and another thing to have his interest cleer'd up to him I doe speak it with grief of heart That even among such Christians that I hope to meet in Heaven there 's scarce one of forty nay one of a hundred that is groundedly able to make out his interest in the Lord Jesus Most Christians live between feare and hope between doubting and believing One day they hope that all is well and that all shall be well for ever the next day they are ready to say That they shall one day perish by the hand of such a corruption or else by the hand of such or such a temptation And thus they are up and downe sav'd and lost many times in a day But you will say unto me What Meanes should we use to clear up our interest in Christ I 'le tell you there are six singular Means that you should labour after for the evidencing more and more your interest in Christ And take it from experience you will find that they will contribute very very much for the evidencing your interest in Christ And the Means for the evidencing our interest in Christ First is this Faithfully and constantly fall in with the interest of Christ Holinesse is the interest of Christ the Gospel is the interest of Christ the precious Ordinances are the interest of Christ c. Now the more sincerely and roundly you fall in with the interest of Christ the more abundantly you will be confirmed and perswaded of your interest in Christ Such soules The Primitive Christians did generally fall in with the interest of Christ and they generally had an assurance of their interest in Christ Lam. 1. 16. Phil. 4. 30. Isa 63. 10. Spiritus sanctâ— est res delicaâ—a Psal 77. 2. 1 Thess 5. 19. as fall in with strange interests or with base and carnall interests may justly question whether ever they had any reall interest in Christ Christians did you more sincerely and fully fall in with Christs interest you would lesse question your interest in Christ this would scatter many a cloud Secondly Be kind to the spirit of Christ Doe not grieve him doe not slight him If you should set this spirit a mourning that alone can evidence your interest that alone can seale up your interest in Christ by whom shall your interest in Christ be sealed up O doe not grieve the spirit by acting against light against conscience against ingagements doe not grieve him by casting his cordialls and comforts behind your backs doe not grieve him by slighting and despising his gracious actings in others doe not cast water upon the spirit but wisely attend the hints the Items and motions of the Spirit and he will clear up thy interest in Christ he will make thee say My Beloved is mine and I am his Câ—nt 2. 16 Thirdly Labour more and more after a full and universall conformity to Jesus Christ The more the soule is conformable to Christ the more confident it will be of its interest in Christ 1 John 4. 17. As all good Orators indeavour to be like Demosthenes so all good Christians should indeavour to be like to Jesus Christ for
therein lyes their glory and perfection Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldnesse in the day of judgement because as he is so are we in this world As he so are we The Child is not more like the father then then we are like our Saviour The Child is the father multiplied the father of a second edition Our Summum bonum consists in our full communion with Christ and in our full conformity to Christ Oh if men were more universally conformable to Christ in their affections ends designes and actings c. they would have abundantly more clear full and glorious evidences of their interest in Christ A more full conformity to Christ in heart and life will make your lives a very Heaven c. Fourthly Interest Christ in the glory of all you injoy and in the glory of all you doe This is a precious way to have your interest in Christ more 1 Cor. 10. 31. and more evidenced to your owne soules Such as are good at this as are much in this will find Christ every day a clearing up more and more their interest in himselfe 'T is not usually long night with such soules O Christians interest Christ more and more in the glory of all your graces interest him in the glory of all your duties interest him in the glory of all your abilities as Christ doth interest you in himselfe in John 1. 16. Rev. 1. 5 6. 1 Pet. 2. 9. his spirit in his graces in his riches in his Titles in his dignities in his offices Ah Christians did you interest Christ more in all you have in all you are and in all you doe you would never be so full of feares and doubts and questions about your interest in Christ as you are Your interessing of Christ in all you have and doe will speak out not onely the The mother that strongly loves her child dâ—es not question the truth of he love to her child truth of your love but also the strength and greatnesse of your love and where men love much where they love strongly there they doe not question the truth of their love The Heathen Gods were contented to divide their honours amongst themselves and hence the Senate of Rome rejected Christ from taking him to be a God after that they had consulted about it For said they if Christ come to be acknowledged a God he will not share with the rest he will have all himselfe And so upon this reason they refused him Christians Christ will not have any competitor he will rather part with any thing then with his glory Isa 42. 8. I am the Lord that is my name and my glory will I not give to another neither my praise to graven Images Christ will rather part with his life then with his honour therefore let every Christian say as David does 1 Chron. 29. 11 12 13. Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the earth is thine Thine is the Kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all And in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Now therefore our God we thanke thee and praise thy glorious name And cleerly friends the more your hearts are led forth to interest Christ in all you injoy and in all you doe the more clear and glorious evidence you will have of your interest in Christ let his honour and glory lye nearer and nearer to your hearts and you shall see that he ha's set you as a seale upon his arme as a seale upon his heart The fifth meanes to gaine the knowledge of your interest in Christ is By cleaving to Christ and whatsoever is deare to Christ in the face of all miseries difficulties and dangers It 's nothing to cleave to Christ in faire weather when every Psal 44. Acts 5. Heb. 11. Dan. 3. Acts 21. 13. one cleaves to Christ when every one professes Christ but to cleave to him in a storme when every one runs from him this speaks out a child-like disposition it speaks out a Jacob's spirit Surely he must needs have much of Christ that nothing can take off from cleaving to Christ When the soule sayes to Christ as Ruth said to Naomi Whither thou Ruth 1. 15 16 17 18. goest I will goe and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God shall be my God The Lord doe so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me When neither the frownes of men nor the reproach of men nor the contempt of men nor oppositions from men can take the soule off from cleaving to Christ it will not be long before Christ speaks peace to such a soule Psal 63. 8. My soule followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholds me In the Hebrew 'tis My soule cleaveth to thee or Dabka naphshi is glewed to thee as Jonathan's soule cleav'd to David and as Jacob's soule cleav'd to Rachel in the face of all difficulties and troubles Doubtlesse when the soule cleaves to Christ in the face of all afflictions and difficulties this carries with it Shaâ—nma one of Davids Worthies stood and defended the field when all the rest fled very much evidence of its interest in Christ In temporalls men cleave to persons and things as their interest is in them and so 't is in spirituals also Christ cannot Christ will not throw such to hell that hang about him that cleave to him Sixthly and lastly If you would know whether you have an interest in Christ Then be very much in observing what interest Christ ha's in you Observe whether he ha's the interest of a head a husband a father or no Christ ha's a generall interest in all creatures as he is the Creator and Preserver of them And he ha's a heads interest a husbands interest a fathers interest onely in them that have a saving interest in him The interest of the head the husband the father is the greatest interest 't is the sweetest interest 't is a commanding interest 't is a growing interest 't is a peculiar interest 't is a lasting interest and really if the Lord Jesus hath such an interest in you you may be as confident that you have a reall and glorious interest in him ' as you are confident that you live And thus much for the means whereby you may come to know your interest in rich Jesus Before I close up this discourse give me leave to speak a few words to poore sinners who to this very day are afar off from this Jesus who is so rich in all excellencies and glories A VSE of Exhortation to Christ-less soules Ah poore hearts you have heard much of the riches of the Lord
downe yea they would have him downe root and branch but there 's no such way for his totall and finall overthrow as the Preaching of Christ for the more the glory fullnesse perfection and excellency of Christ is discovered the more the horrid vilenesse and matchlesse wickednesse of the man of sin will be discovered and abhorred c. 2 Thess 2. 3 4 7 8 9 10. And then In the Canon Law the Pope is said to be Sâ—lutus omni lege humana shall that wicked one be revealed The Greek word Anomos properly signifies a lawlesse yokelesse masterlesse Monster one that holdeth himselfe subject to no Law Pope Nicholas the First said That he was above Law because Constantine had stiled the Pope God And of the same opinion were most of the Popes Whom he shall consume The Greek word signifies to consume Analosei by little and little till a thing come to nothing With the spirit of his mouth That is with the evidence and glory of his word in the mouths of his Messengers The Ministers of the word are as a mouth whereby the Lord breatheth Bellarmine confesseth to his great grief That ever since the Lutherans have declared the Pope to be Antichrist his Kingdome hath not only nâ—t increased but every day more more decreased and decayed Lib. 3. de papa RoÌ„ cap. 21. out that glorious mighty and everlasting Gospel which shall by degrees bruâ—se Antichrist and all his adherents and break them in sunder like a rod of Iron c. When Christ was born all the Idols that were set up in the world as Historians write fell down When Jesus Christ comes to be lifted up in a Nation in a City in a Towne in a Family yea in any heart then all Idols without and within will fall before the power presence and glory of Jesus Since Luther began to lift up Christ in the Gospel what a deale of ground ha's Antichrist lost and he does and will looâ—â— more and more as Christ comes to be more and more … ened and lifted up in the Chariot of his word Many in these dayes that speak much against Antichrist have much of Antichrist within them And certainly there is no such way to cast him out of mens hearts and out of the world as the Preaching and making knowne of Christ as the exalting and lifting up of Christ in the Gospel of grace A fourth Reason why they are to Preach Christ to the people is this Because else they contract upon themselves the blood of soules There 's no other way for them to avoid the contracting of the blood of men and womens soules upon them but the The Germans have this Proverb say they The pavement of hell is made â—f the bare skuls of Priests and the glorious Crests of gallants Theâ—r meâ—ning is that the more eminent any one is in Church or State doth not imploy his eminency accordingly the more low shall they lye in hell Rev. 18. 11 12 13 14. Preaching of Christ unto them Now a man were better to have all the blood in the world upon him then the blood of one soule The blood of soules of all blood cryes loudest and wounds deepest The lowest the darkest and the hottest place in Hell will be the sad and dreadfull portion of such upon whose skirts the blood of soules shall be found at last Hence that passage of Paul in 1 Cor. 9. 16. Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel The Motto that should be writ upon Preachers Study doores and on their wals and on all the Books they look on on the beds they lye on and on the seats they sit on c. should be this The Blood of soules The Blood of soules The soule is the better the noble part of man it bears most of the Image of God 't is capable of union and communion with God Christ sweat for it and bled for it and therefore woe to those Merchants that make merchandize of the soules of men This was a comfort and an honour to Paul that he kept himselfe from the blood of soules Acts 20. 25 26 27. He appeales to them that they were witnesses that he was free from the blood of all men Paul had held out Jesus Christ in his Natures in his Names in his Offices and in all his excellencies and perfections and so frees himselfe from the blood of all men And Ministers can no way secure themselves from the blood of soules but by Preaching up and living out a crucified Jesus The last Reason is this Because the Preaching of Christ contributes most to their comfort here and to their reward hereafter therefore they are to Preach the Lord Christ to the people When Luther was upon a dying bed this was no small Bernard comfortably observes That Ministers have their reward Secundum laborem not Secundum proventum joy and comfort to his spirit Thee O Lord saith he have I knowne thee have I loved thee have I taught thee have I trusted and now into thy hands I commend my spirit There can be no greater joy to a Minister then by Preaching Christ to win soules to Christ 1 Thess 2. 19 20. For what is our hope or joy or Crowne of rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ye are our glory and joy They that by Preaching Christ win soules to Christ shall shine as the Starres in the Firmament Dan. 12. 3. Every soule won to Christ is a glorious Pearle added to a Preachers Crowne 1 Pet. 5. 4. And when the chief Shepheard shall appeare you shall receive a Crowne of glory A Crowne imports perpetuity plenty and dignity the height of humane ambition It is the opinion of some That there are three places of exaltation in heaven The first and highest is for converting Ministers The second is for suffering Martyrs The third is for persevering Christians Without doubt those Ministers shall be high in heaven who make it their heaven to hold forth Christ and to win soules to Christ who are willing to be any thing to be nothing that Christ may be all in all to poore soules And thus I have given you the Reasons of the Point I shall now come to the second thing which is the maine and that is to shew you How Ministers are to Preach Christ to the people Many weak and slight spirits in these dayes think that 't is 2. Cor. 2. 16. Who is sufficient for these things Almost every Upstart in these dayes thinks himself sufficient Who am I sayes Moses who am I not saith every green-head in these dayes as easie to Preach as to play and so they hop from one thing to another and those that are not qualified nor fit for the least and lowest imployment yet judge themselves fit enough for the greatest and the weightiest imployment in the world and that which would certainly break the backs not onely of the
best and strongest men but even of the very Angels should not God put under his everlasting armes No labour to that of the mind no travel to that of the soule and those that are faithfull in the Lords Vineyard find it so Luther was won't to say That if he were againe to choose his calling he would dig or doe any thing rather then take upon him the Office of a Minister And many other eminent lights have been of the same opinion with him But what are those Rules that every Preacher is to observe How Christ must be Preached shewed in 11 things in his Preaching of Christ to the people I Answer These Eleven FIrst Jesus Christ must be Preached Plainly Perspicuously so as the meanest capacity may understand what they say concerning Christ they must Preach Christ for edification and not to work admiration as too many doe in these dayes Paul was excellent at this kind of Preaching 1 Cor. 14. 18 19. he had rather speak five words to edification Preaching is not a matter of parts words or wit 't is Scripture demonstration that works upon the conscience and that God ownes and crownes then ten thousand words to work admiration in ignorant people So in 1 Cor. 2. 4 5. And my speech and my preaching was not with intising words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the spirit and of power That your faith should not stand in the wisedome of men but in the power of God As if he should say Such Preach with little power who come with the excellency of speech or with the intising words of mans wisedome Ah! many there are I speak it with grief and to their shame that delight to soare aloft in obscure discourses and to expresse themselves in new-minted words and phrases and to shew high straines and flashes of wit and all to work admiration in the ignorant Such kind of Preachers are as clouds and painted glasse-windowes that hinder the It was a saying of Luther From a vaine-glorious Doctour from a câ—nâ—â—ntious Pastour and from unprofitable Questions good Lord deliver his Church light from shining in upon soules that hinder the Sun of righteousnesse from breaking forth in his beauty and glory upon the spirits of poore Creatures Woe unto these men in the day when such soules shall plead against them when they shall say Lord here are the persons whose Office and worke was to make darke things plaine and they have made plaine things darke and obscure that we might rather wonder at them then any wayes profit by them Aarons Bels were of pure gold our whole Preaching must be Scripture-proof or we and our works must burne together The profoundest Prophets accommodated themselves to their hearers capacities Holy Moses covers his glistering face with a Vaile when he was to speak to the people Yea 't is very observeable that the Evangelists spake vulgarly many times for their hearers sake even to a manifest incongruity as you may see in John 17. 2. Rev. 1. 4. But above all it is most observeable concerning God the father who is the great Master of speech when he spake from Heaven he makes use of three severall Texts of Scripture in one breath Mat. 17. 5. This is my beloved Si vis fieri bonus concionatur Son in whom I am well pleased heare him This is my beloved Son that Scripture you have in Psal 2. 7. In whom I am well pleased this you have in Isa 42. 1. Heare him this da operam â—t sis bonus Bâ—blicus If you will be a good Preacher study to be well acquâ—inted with the Scripture said one in the Monastry you have in Deut. 18. 15. All which may bespeak them to blush who through curious wisenesse disdaine at the stately plainnesse of the Scripture Oh how unlike to God are such Preachers that think to correct the Divine Wisedome and Eloquence with their owne infancy vanity novelty and sophistry Yea Jesus Christ himselfe the great Doctour of the Church teaches this lesson Mark 4. 33. And with many such Parables spake he the word unto them as they were able to hear it Not as he was able to have spoken he could have exprest himselfe at a higher rate then all mortals can he could have been in the Clouds he knew how to knit such knots that they could never untye but he would not he delights to speak to his hearers shallow capacities So in John 16. 12. I have many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now He that speaks not to the hearers capacities is as a Barbarian to them and they to him He is the best Preacher saith Luther that Preaches vulgarly that Preaches most plainly He is not the best Preacher that tickles the ear or that works upon the fancy c. but he that breaks the heart and awakens the conscience 'T is sad to consider how many Preachers in these dayes are like Heraclitus who was called The darke Doctour because he affected dark speeches Oh! how doe many in these dayes affect sublime notions uncouth phrases making plaine truths difficult and easie truths hard They darken councel by words without knowledge Job 38. 2. But how unlike to Christ the Prophets and Apostles these dark Doctours are I will leave you to judge nor would I have their accounts to make up for all the world I will leave them to stand or fall to their owne Master God loves ownes and crownes plaine Preaching though some account it foolishnesse yet to them that are saved 't is the power of God and the wisedome of God 1 Cor. 1. 20-30 I have stayed the longer upon this first Direction because of its great usefulnesse in these deluding dayes Secondly As they must Preach Christ plainly so they must Prov. 13. 17. Chap. 25. 13. Job 33. 23. Preach Christ Faithfully Ministers are Stewards 1 Cor. 4. 2. and you know it is the duty of a Steward to be faithfull in his Stewardship to give to every man the portion that is due to him cheering up those hearts that God would have cheered and weakning those wicked hands that God would have weakned and strengthning those feeble knees that God would have strengthned Ministers are Ambassadours and you know it is the great concernment of Ambassadours to be very faithfull in their Masters Messages God looks more and is affected and taken more with a Ministers faithfulnesse then with any thing else A great voyce an affected tone studied notions and silken expressions may affect and take poore weake soules but 't is onely the faithfulnesse of a Minister in his Ministerial work that takes God that wins upon God Mat. 25. 21 23. Well done good and faithfull servant The Office of a Minister is the highest Office and if his Office be highest his saiâ—hfullnesse must be answerable or he will be doubly miserable enter thou into the joy of the Lord. A joy too big to enter into thee and therefore thou
and that which is spoken to all is taken as spoken to none Doctrine is but the drawing of the bow Application is the hitting of the mark How many are wise in generals but vaine in their practical inferences such Preachers are fitter for Rome then England soules may goe sleeping and dreaming to Hell before such Preaching ere such Preachers will awaken them and shew them their danger Oh that therefore the people were so wise as that when sin is reproved judgements threatned mercies promised and Christ freely and fully offered they would apply all to their owne soules This is the misery of many in our dayes they come to Sermons as Beggars come to Banquets carrying nothing but the scraps away with them Tenthly They must Preach the word Acceptably as well as rightly Eccles 12. 10. The Preacher sought to find out Bikkesh ni Pâ—hil from Bakash signifies an eaâ—nest vehement seeking c. acceptable words or words of delight as the Hebrew ha's it and that which was written was upright even words of truth Ministers words should be Divinely delectable and desirable they should Divinely please and Divinely profit they should 'T was a fiâ—e commendation given by Quintiliian of Thucydides Thucydides writes thick and quick close clear he is solid sâ—ccint seâ—tentious and judicious Divinely tickle and Divinely take both ear and heart A Minister should be a weighty speaker he should cloath his Doctrine in such a comely lovely dresse as that he may by it slide insensibly into his hearers hearts Ministers should cloath their matter with decent words The leaves give some beauty to the Tree Good matter in an unseemly language is like a bright Taper in a sluttish Candlestick or like a faire body in unhandsome cloaths or like a gold-ring on a Leprous hand Truth saith one loves to be plaine but not sluttish as she loves not to be clad in gay colours like a wanton strumpet so not in lowsie raggs like a nasty Creature Aarons bels were golden bels Dulce sonantes sounding pleasantly and not as sounding brasse or tinkling Cymbals Holy Eloquence is a gift of the Holy Ghost and may doubtlesse as Acts 18. 24. well as other gifts of the spirit be made prudently usefull to the setting forth of Divine truth and the catching of soules 2 Cor 12. 16. by craft as the Apostle speaks surely where it is it may be made use of as an Aegyptian Jewel to adorne the Tabernacle Lactantius hath well observed That Philosophers Orators Lib. 5. cap. 1. and Poets were therefore very pernicious in that they easily insnared incautious minds with sweetnesse of speech Therefore Basil Bucer were curt and concise full and clear in their discourses his advice is Even in delivering the truth of Christ to sweeten the speech for the winning of them to Christ who will neither heare nor read nor value nor regard the truth except it be pollished and trimmed up in a lovely dresse In the last place and so to adde no more as they must Preach the word acceptably so they must Preach the word Constantly they must not lay downe the Bible to take up the sword as some have done for worldly advantages 1 Cor. 7. 20. 24 Acts 6. 2. they must not leave the word to serve Tables as others have done upon the same account they must not change their black Clokes for scarlet Clokes they must abide and continue in their places and imployments they must neither change their work nor their Master Acts 6. 4. But we will give our selves continually to pray and to the Ministry The Shew-bread stood all the week before the Lord â—o shew that Preaching is not out of season on any day of the word They would not assigne their charge to some Surrogates or Deputies that themselves might live at ease No they were peremptorily resolv'd to hold on to continue in these two choyce duties Prayer and Ministry of the word So in Chap. 26. 22. Having therefore obtained helpe of God I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying no other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come 1 Tim. 4. 15 16. Meditate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 En toutois isihi Spend thy â—me in them upon these things give thy selfe wholy to them that thy profiting may appear to all or in all things Take heed unto thy selfe and unto thy doctrine Continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that heare thee 2 Tim. 3. 14. But * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mene. Abide keep hy station â—hou wilt be put to 't thou wilt meâ—â— with earthquakes continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Eccles 12. 9. And moreover because the Preacher was wise he still taught the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs Hosea was four-score years a Prophet to Israel and yet did not convert them yet notwithstanding all discouragements he continued constant and that with abundance of freshnesse and livelinesse Chrysostome compares good Pastours to Fountaines that Châ—ysost in Mat. Hom. 15. ever send â—â—rth waters or Conduites that are alwayes running though no Paile be put under Erasmus saith of Hierom Minima pars noctis dabatur somno minor cibi nulla otio He allowed least time for sleep little for food none for idlenesse It best becomes a Minister to dye Preaching in a Pulpit Now if this be so Then by way of Use let me say That this truth lockes very sowrely and wishly upon all those that Preach any thing rather then Christ The Lord be mercifull to them how have they forgotten the great work about which their heads and hearts should be most exercised to wit the bringing in of soules to Christ and the building up of soules in Christ where doe we find in all the Scripture that Christ his Prophets or Apostles did ever in their Preaching meddle with businesses of State or things of a meer civil concernment My Kingdome is not of this world Who ha's made me a Judge sayes Christ I hope it will not be counted presumption in me if I shall propound a few Rules for such to observe that are willing to Preach Christ to poore soules I will onely propound three And the first is this If you would Preach Christ to the people according to the Rules last mentioned then You must get a Christ within you There 's nothing that makes a man indeed so able to Preach Christ to the people as the getting a Christ within him And 't is very observeable that the great Rabbies and Doctours that want a Christ within they doe but bungle in the work of the Lord in the Preaching of a crucified Jesus and were it not for the help of Austine Chrysostome Ambrose and Tertullian c. what sad dead and
prophane men of this world for ten thousand worlds c. Well is this all O soule No Sir I have but one thing more and then I have done Well what 's that Why that is this I find my soule carried forth to a secret resting relying leaning staying and hanging upon Christ for life and happinesse Though I know not how it shall goe with me yet I Job 13. 15. 2 Kings 7. 3 4 5. Esth 4. 16. have throwne my selfe into his armes I leane upon him there I 'le hang and there I 'le rest and stay If I must perish I 'le perish there And thus Sir I have opened my state and condition to you And now I doe earnestly desire your judgement upon the whole Well then this I shall say as I must answer it in the day of my appearing before God That had I as many soules as I have haires on my head or as there be Starres in heaven I could freely adventure the losse of them all if these things doe not undeniably speake out not onely the truth but also the strength of Grace c. Nay let me tell you That he that finds but any of these things really in his soule though the Lord hath not given him a clear and full manifestation of his love and favour c. yet while breath is in his body he ha's eminent cause to blesse God and to walke thankefully and humbly before him The second use of the Point is this Live up to that little Grace you have Thou sayest O weak Christian thou hast but a little light a little love a little zeale a little faith c. Well grant it but know that 't is thy duty to live up to those measures of To speake well saith Isiodorus Peluâ—iota is to sound like a â—ymbal but to doe well is to act like an Angel c grace thou hast And this is the second head that I shall presse upon you live up and live out that grace you have And if ever there were a season to presse this Point home upon soules this is the season in which we live And considering that 't is not a flood of words but weight of Argument that carries it with ingenuous spirits I shall therefore propound these following things to their serious consideration First Consider this Living up to your Graces carries If Seneca said of his wise man Majore paâ—te illic est unde descendit He is more in heaven then in earth May not I say this is much more true of the godly c. with it the greatest evidence of the truth of Grace That man that lives not up to his grace let him be strong or weak wants one of the best and strongest demonstrations that can be to evidence the truth of his grace If you would have a clear evidence that that little love that little faith that little zeale you have is true then live up to that love live up to that faith live up to that zeale that you have and this will evidence it beyond all contradiction c. Secondly Consider this God and your owne soules will be very great loosers if you live not up to those measures of Grace you have God will loose many prayers and many praises he will loose much honour and glory and service which otherwise Of all losses spirituall losses are the saddest and greatest and fercht up with the greatest difficulty he might have and you will loose much peace much comfort much rest quietnesse and content that otherwise your soules might enjoy c. Thirdly Consider this Your not living up to that little light and grace you have will open the mouths of gracelesse souls against your gracious God and against his gracious ones and against his gracious wayes You think because of the weaknesse of your grace you must be borne with in this and that and what not But remember it is your duty to live up to the light and grace you have and nothing below this will effectually stop the mouths 1 Pet. 2. 15. Ye may put to silence the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to muzzle to halter up or button up their mouths as we say O there is nothing that will so muzzle bâ—tton up the mouthes of vaine men as Christians siving up to that light grace they have of gracelesse wretches from barking against the wayes of God the truths of God and the people of God Vaine men will be often a reasoning thus Though such and such men and women have not such great knowledge such clear light such strong love and such burning zeale as David Paul and other Worthies yet they have so much light and knowledge as tells them that they should not carry themselves thus and thus as they doe Their light and knowledge tells them that they should be just and righteous in their dealings and in all their wayes and designes c. Though they have not such great measures of spirituall injoyments as such and such yet that little grace they have should lead them b y the hand to doe things worthy of that Christ and that Gospel they professe c. Let me a little expostulate the point with you weak Saints you know that you should not be stirr'd and heated by every straw that is in your way why don't you in this then live up to your light You know that you should not be overcome of evill but overcome evill with good And why don't you in this live up to your light You know that you should Doe good Rom. 12. 21. Mat. 5. 44. uâ—t to those that doe hurt to you why doe not you in this live up to your light You know that you should doe your duties to others though they neglect their duties to you 'T is not the neglect of a husbands duty that frees the wife from the discharge of hers Nor the neglect of a wives duty that frees the husband from the discharge of his You know this don't you yes why don't you then live up to your light Why doe you by your contrary actings open the mouths of others against God and his wayes You know that you should be exemplary in your relations in your Generation and in your conversations You know that you should be examples of holinesse meeknesse sweetnesse patience and contentednesse and why then don 't you live up to your knowledge in these things You know that you should doe to others as you would have others to doe to you And why in this don 't you live up to your knowledge Ah that you that are weak did not cause the mouths of wicked men to be opened against God his truths and wayes Therefore by your living below that light and knowledge that God ha's given you I beseech you as you tender the honour of God and as you would stop the mouths of vaine men live up to those measures of grace that the Lord ha's given you No way to comfort-like
to me as unreasonable as it is absurd Certainly 't is one thing to judge by our graces and another thing to trust in our graces to make a Saviour of our graces There is a great deale of difference betwixt declaring and deserving And if this be not granted it will follow that the Apostle hath sent us aside to a Covenant of works when he exhorts us to use all dilligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 5-10 Secondly Carry home this with you If Justification and Sanctification be both of them benefits of the Covenant of Grace then to evidence the one by the other is no wayes unlawfull nor no turning aside to a Covenant of works But our Justification and Sanctification are both of them benefits and blessings of the Covenant of Grace Ergo. In Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me there 's your Justification And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me There 's your Sanctification And therefore to evidence the one by the other can be no wayes unlawfull nor no turning aside to a Covenant of works Thirdly Carry home this with you Whatever gift of God in man brings him within the compasse of Gods Promise of Eternall Mercy that Gift must be an infallible evidence of salvation and happinesse But such are those gifts mentioned in those Scriptures that prove the first head Therefore they are infallible evidences of our salvation and eternall happinesse I confesse a man may have many great gifts and yet none Covet rather graces then gifts as to pray more fervently tho lesse notionally or eloquently Stammering Moses must pray rather then well-spoken Aaron The Corinthians came behind in no gift 1 Cor. 1. 7. yet were Babes and Carnall Chap. 3. 2 3. of them bring him within the compasse of Gods Promise of Eternall mercy But I say whatever gift of God in man brings him within the compasse of Gods Promise of eternall mercy that gift must be an infallible evidence of his happinesse and blessednesse For the further clearing of this I will instance in a gift of Waiting where this gift is it brings a man within the compasse of Gods Promise of eternall mercy And had a man as in a deserted state it often falls out nothing under heaven to shew for his happinesse but onely a waiting frame this ought to bear him up from fainting and sinking When the soule saith My sun is set my day is turned into night my light into darknesse and my rejoycing into mourning c. Oh! I have lost the comforting presence of God I have lost the quickening presence of God I have lost the supporting presence of God I have lost the incouraging presence of God c. and when I shall recover these sad losses I know not All that I can say is this That God keeps me in a waiting frame weeping and knocking at the door of mercy Now I say This waiting temper brings the soule within the compasse of the Promise of Eternall mercy And certainly such a soule shall not miscarry Take three Promises for this In Isa 40. ult They that waite upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walke and not faint The mercy is the waiting-mans but the waiting-man must give God leave to time his mercy for him So in Isa 30. 18. And therefore will the Lord waite that he may be gracious unto you And therefore will he be exalted that he may have Vide Lyra Junius on the words mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of Judgement blessed are all they that waite for him So in Isa 64. 4. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seene O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him So in Isa 49. 23. They shall not be ashamed that waite for me Men are often That is they shall be advanced by me to great hap pinesle and glory to great dignity and â—elicity for in the Hebrew Dialect Adverbs of denying signifie the contrary to the import of that Verb whereunto they are joyned as might be shewed by many Scriptures ashamed that waite upon the mountaines and hills Men high and great often frustrate the expectation of waiting souls and then they blush and are ashamed and confounded that they have waited and been deceived but they shall not be ashamed that waite for me sayes God I will not deceive their expectation and after all their waiting turne them off and say I have no mercy for you Now I say where this waiting temper is which is all that many a poor soul hath to shew for everlasting happinesse and blessednesse that soule shall never miscarry That God that doth maintaine and uphold the soule in this heavenly waiting frame in the appointed season will speak life and love mercy and glory to the waiting soule And so I have done with the third Use which was to stir you up to look upon your graces with Cautions The fourth Duty is To perswade weake Saints not to turne aside from the wayes of God nor from the service of God because of any hardships or difficulties that they may meet with in his wayes or service There is a very great aptnesse in weak Saints to take offence almost at every thing and to be discouraged by the least opposition affliction and temptation and so to turne aside from the good old way Now that no difficulties nor hardships may turne you out of the way that is called holy consider seriously of these few things First Consider this The Lord will sweeten more and more his services to you He will make his work to be more and more easie to your soules he will sute thy burden to thy back and thy work to thy hand O weak soule Thou shalt find that his grace will be sufficient to hold thee up and carry thee on notwithstanding 2 Cor. 12. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 14. any difficulties or discouragements that be in the way He will shed abroad that love that shall constraine thy soule The Philosopher told his friends when they came into his little low Cottage Enteuthen ouk apeisi the oi the Gods are here with me Surely God and Christ and the Spirit are and will be with weak Saints to aid and astist them in every gracious work both to keep close to his service and to delight in his service He will make all his services to be easie to thee he will vouchsafe to thee that assisting grace that shall keep up thy head and heart from fainting and sinking under discouragements as you may see in Ezek. 36. 25 26 27 28. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my Statutes and ye shall keepe my Judgements and doe them
So in Psal 63. 8. My soule followeth hard after thee I but how comes this to passe Thy right hand upholds me I feele thy hand under me drawing of my soule off after thee Oh! were not thy gracious hand under me I should never follow hard after thee The Lord will put under his everlasting armes O weak Christian and therefore though thy feet be apt to slide yet his everlasting armes shall bear thee up therefore be not discouraged doe not turne aside from those paths that drop marrow and fatnesse though there be a Lyon in the way Secondly Consider this O weak Saint That there is lesse danger and hardship in the wayes of Christ then there is in the wayes of sin Satan or the world Prov. 11. 18 19. 21. 21. That soule doth but leap out of the Frying-pan into the fire that thinks to mend himselfe by turning out of the way that is called holy Oh! the horrid drudgery that is in the wayes of sin Satan or the world Thy worst day in Christs service is better then thy best dayes if I may so speak in sin or Satans service Satan will pay the sinner home at last with the losse of God Christ Heaven and his soule for ever But in the way of righteousnesse is life joy peace honour and in the path-way thereof there is no death Prov. 12. 28. His wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all his paths are peace Prov. 3. 17. Thirdly Remember O weak Saint That all those hardships that thou meetest with doe onely reach the outward man They onely reach the ignoble the baser part of man they meddle not they touch not the noble part With my mind I serve the Law of God though with my flesh the Law of sin Rom. 7. 22. And vers 25. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man And indeed many of the Heathen have incouraged themselves for this very consideration against the troubles and dangers of this life All the Arrowes that are Anaxagoras Pla to and others shot at a Christian stick in his Buckler they never reach his conscience his soule The raging waves beat sorely against Noah's Ark but they toucht not him The soule is of too noble a nature to be toucht by troubles Jacob's hard service under Laban and his being nipt by the frost in winter and Gen. 31. 40. scorcht by the Sun in summer did onely reach his outward man his soule had high communion and sweet fellowship with God under all his hardships Ah Christian bear up bravely for whatever hardships thou meetest with in the wayes of God shall onely reach thy outward man and under all these hardships thou mayest have as high and sweet Hos 2. 14. communion with God as if thou hadst never knowne what hardships meant Fourthly Tell me O weake Saints have not you formerly injoyed such sweet refreshings while you have been in the very service of God as hath out-wayed all the troubles and hardships that your soules have met with I know you have and you know that you have often found that Scripture made good upon your hearts Psal 19. 11. Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in keeping of them there is great reward Mark he doth not say For keeping of them there is great reward though that 's a truth But in keeping Austin saith If a man should â—erve the Lord â— thousand â—ears in would â—â—t dâ—serve an boure of the reward in Heaven much lesse an Eternity c. of them there is great reward While the soule is at work God throwes in the reward Don't you remember O weak Christians when you have been in the service and way of God how he hath cast in joy at one time and peace at another c Oh! the smiles the kisses the sweet discoveries that your soules have met with whilst you have been in his wayes Ah poore soules don 't you know that one houres being in the bosome of Christ will make you forget all your hardships heaven at last will make amends for all and the more hardships you find in the wayes of God the more sweet will heaven be to you when you come there O how sweet is a Harbour after a long storme and a Sun-shine day after a dark and tempestuous night and a warme Spring after a sharp winter The miseries and difficulties that a man meets with in this world will exceedingly sweeten the glory of that other world Lastly Consider What hardships and difficulties the men of this world run through to get the world and undoe their owne soules They rise early goe to bed late they goe from one end of the world to another and venture through all manner of dangers Psal 127. 2. Mat. 16. 16â— deaths and miseries to gaine those things that are vaine uncertaine vexing and dangerous to their soules And wilt not thou as a good Souldier of Christ endure a little hardship 2 Tim. 2. 3 4. for the honour of thy Captaine and thine owne internall and eternall good Thou art listed under Christs Colours and therefore thou must arme thy selfe against all difficulties and discouragements The number of difficulties makes the Christians Conquest the more illustrious A gracious man should be made up all of fire overcoming and consuming all oppositions As Chrysostome said of Peter as fire does the stubble All difficulties should be but whet-stones to his fortitude The fifth Duty is this You that are weake Saints should observe how Christ keepes your wills and affections That man is kept indeed whose will and affection is kept close to Christ And that man is lost with a witnesse whose will and affections are won from Christ Weak Saints are more apt to observe their owne actions then their wills and affections and this proves a snare unto them therefore observe your affections how they are kept for if they are kept close to Christ if they are kept faithfull to Christ though thy foot may slide from Christ all is well The Apostle Rom. 7. observ'd that his will and affections were kept close to Christ even then when he was Tyrannically Captivated and carried by the prevalency of sin from Christ With my mind I serve the Law of God sayes he and what I doe I allow not therefore it is no more I that doth it but sin that dwelleth in me My will stands close to Christ and my affections are faithfull to Christ though by the prevalency of corruption I am now and then carried Captive from Christ 'T is one thing to be taken up by an Enemy and another thing for a man to lay downe his Weapons at his Enemies feet I am saith the Apostle a forc't man I doe what I hate I doe what I never intended The heart may be sound when more externall and inferiour parts are not The heart of a man may be sound God-ward and Christ-ward and holinesse-ward when yet there may be many defects and weaknesses in