given for that use to shew us the best way and to guide in the particular passages of life if otherwise it is but commoÌ„ light given onely for the good of others Some have light of Knowledge yet follow not that light but are guided by carnall reason and policie such as the Prophet speakes of All you that kindle 〈◊〉 fire walke in the light of your owne fire and in the sparkes that you have kindled but this you shall have of mine hand yee shall lye downe in sorrow GOD delights to confound carnall wisedome as enmitie to him and robbing him of his prerogative who is God onely wise We must therefore walke by his â—…ight and not the blaze of our owne fire God must light our candle Psal. 18. 28 or else we are like to abide in darknesse Those sparkes that are not kindled from heaven are not strong enough to keepe us from â—…ying downe in sorrow though they make a greater blaze and shew then the light from above as mad men doe greater things then sober but by 〈◊〉 false strength so the excesse of these mens ioy ariseth from a false light The candle of the wicked shal â—…e put out The light that some mâ—… have it is like lightning which after a sudden flaâ—… leaveth theÌ„ more in darknesse They can love thâ—… light as it shines but hatâ—… it as it discovers and directs A little holy lighâ—… will inable to keepe thâ—… word and not to betray Religion deny Christs name as CHRIST speaketh of the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3. 8. Fourthly where thiâ—… fire is it will sever thingâ—… of divers natures shew a difference betweenâ—… things as gold and drosse It will sever betweene flesh and spirit and shew this is of Nature this of Grace All is not ill in a bad action or good in a good action There is gold in oare which God and his Spirit in us can distinguish A carnall mans hart is like a dungeon wherein is nothing to be seene but horrour and confusion this light maketh us judicious and humble upon clearer sight of Gods puritie and our owne uncleannes and maketh us able to discerne of the worke of the Spirit in another Fiftly so farre as a man is spirituall so far is light delightfull unto him as willing to see any thing amisse that he may reform and any further service discovered that hee may performe because he truly hateth ill and loveth good if hee goeth against light discovered hee will soone bee reclaimed because light hath a friendly party within him Whereupon at a little sight of his errour hee is soone counsellable as David in his intendment to kill Nabal and blesseth God afterwards when hee is stopped in an ill way In a carnal man the light breakes in upon him but he labours to shut the passages hee hath no delight to â—…ome to the light It is impossible before the spirit of grace hath subdued the hart but that it should sin against the light either by resisting of it or keeping it prisoner under base lusts burying it as it were in the earth or perverting of it and so making it an agent and factour for the flesh in searching out arguments to plead for it or abusing that little measure of light they have to keep out a greater higher and more heavenly light and so at length make that light they have a misleading guide to utter darknesse And the reason is that it hath no friend within the soule is in a contrary frame and light alwayes hindreth that sinfull peace that men are willing to speake to themselves whence we see it oft inrage men the more as the Sunne in the Spring breedeth aguiâ—…h distempers because it stirreth humours and doth not wast them There is nothing in the world more unquiet than the heart of a wicked man that sitteth under meanes of knowledge untill like a thiefe hee hath put out the candle that he may sinne with the lesse check Spirituall light is distinct it seeth spirituall good with application to our selves but common light is confused and le ts sin lye quiet Where fire is in any degree it will fight against the contrary matterâ—… GOD hath put irreconciliable hatred betweene light and darknesse at first so betweene good and ill flesh and spirit Grace will never joyne with sinne no more than fire with water Fire will mingle with no contrary but preserveth its owne purity and is never corrupted as other Elements are Therefore those that plead and plot for liberties of the flesh shew themselves strangers from the life of God Vpon this strife gracious men oft coÌ„plaine that they have no grace but they contradict themselves in their complaints as if a man that seeth should complaine he cannot see or complain that he is asleepe when the very complaint springing from a displeasure against sinne sheweth that there is something in him opposite to sinne Can a dead man complaine Some things though bad in themselves yet discover good as smoake discovers some fire Breaking out in the body shews strength of Nature Some infirmities discover more good than some seeming beautifull actions excesse of passion in opposing evil though not to bee justified yet sheweth a better spirit than a calme temper when there is just cause of being moved Better it is that the water should runne something muddily than not at all Iob had more grace in his distempers thaÌ„ his friends in their seeming wise cariage Actions soiled with some weaknesses are more accepted than complementall performances Fire where it is in the least measure is in some degree active so the least measure of grace is working as springing from the Spirit of GOD which from the working nature of it is compared to fire Nay in sinnes when there seemeth nothing active but corruption yet there is a contrarie principle which breaks the force of sinne so that it is not out of measure sinfull as in those that are carnall Fire maketh metalls pliable and malliable so doth Grace where it is begunne it worketh the heart to bee plyable and ready for all good impressions Vntractable spirits shew that they are not so much as smoaking flax Fire turneth all as much as it can to fire so grace maketh a gracious use even of naturall and civill things doth spiritualize them what another man doth onely civilly a gracious man will doe holily Sparkes by nature flye upwards so the spirit of Grace carrieth the soule Heaven-ward and setteth before us holy and heavenly aimes as it was kindled from heaven so it caries us back to heaven The part followeth the whole Fire mounteth upward so every spark to its owne element Where the aime and bent of the soule is God-wards there is grace though opposed The least measure of it is holy desires springing from faith and love for we cannot desire any thing which we doe not beleeve first to be and the desire of it issues from
judgement unto victorie By judgement here is meant the Kingdome of Grace in us that Government whereby CHRIST sets up a Throne in our hearts Governors among the Iewes were first called Iudges then Kings whence this inward rule is called Iudgement as likewise because it agrees unto the judgement of the word which the Psalmi◅ft calleth judgement because it agreeth to Gods judgement Men may read their doome in GODS word what it judgeth of them GOD judgeth of them By this judgement set up in us good is discerned allowed and performed sinne is judged condemned and e◅ecuted O◅ spirit being under the Spirit of CHRIST is governed by him and so far as it is governed by Christ it governes us graciously CHRIST and wee are of one judgement and of one will he hath his will in us and his judgmēts are so invested into us as that they are turned into our judgement we carrying his Law in our hearts written by his Spirit and the law in the inner man and the law written answer as counter pa◅es each other The meaning then is that the gracious frame of holines set up in our hearts by the Spirit of CHRIST shall goe forward untill all contrary power ◅ee brought under The spirit of judgement will be a spirit of burning to consume whatsoever opposed corruption like rust eats into the soule If GODS builders fall into errors and build stubble upon a good foundation GODS Spirit as a spirituall fire will reveale this in time and wast it they shall by a spirit of judgement condemne their owne errours and courses The whole worke of grace in us is set out under the name of judgement and somtimes wisedome because judgement is the chiefe and leading part in grace whereupon that gracious worke of repentance is called a change of the minde and an after wisedome As on the other side in the learned languages the words that expresse wisdome implie likewise the generall relish and savour of the whole soule and rather more the judgement of taste then of ◅ight or any other sense because Taste is the most necessary sense and requireth the neerest application of the obiect of all other senses So in spirituall life it is most necessary that the spirit should alter the taste of the soule so as that it might savour the things of the spirit so deepely that all other things shold be out of rellish And as it is true of every particular Christian that CHRISTS judgement in him shall be victorious so likewise of the whole body of Christians the Church The government of CHRIST and his truth whereby hee ruleth as by a Scepter shall at length bee victorious in spight of Satan Antichrist and all Enemies CHRIST ryding on his white horse hath a Bow and goeth forth conquering in the ministery that hee may overcome either to conversion or to confusion But yet I take Iudgement for CHRISTS Kingdome and governement within us principallie 1 Because GOD especially requireth the subjection of the soule and conscience as his proper Throne 2 Because if judgment should prevaile in all others about us and not in our owne hearts it would not yeeld comfort to us hereupon it is the first thing that wee desire when we pray Thy Kingdome come that CHRIST would come and rule in our hearts The Kingdome of CHRIST in his ordinances serve but to bring CHRIST home into his owne place our hearts The words being thus explained that judgement here includeth the governmēt of both mind will and affections there are divers conclusions that naturally doe spring from them First that CHRISTS government in his Church and in his children is a wise and well ordered government because it is called Iudgement and Iudgment is the life and soule of wisedome Of this Conclusion there are two branches 1 that the spirituall government of CHRIST in us is joyned with judgement and wisedome 2 Wheresoever true ◅spirituall wisedome and judgment is there likewise the Spirit of CHRIST bringeth in his gracious government For the first a well guided life by the rules of CHRIST standeth with the strongest and highest reason of all and therfore holy men are called the children of wisedome and are able to justifie both by reason and experience all the wayes of wisedome Opposite courses are solly and madnesse Hereupon Saint Paul saith that a spiritual man judgeth all things that appertaine to him i◅ judged of none that are of an inferiour ranke because they want spirituall light and sight to judge yet this sort of men will bee judging and speaking ill of what they know not they steppe from ignorance to prejudice and rash censure without taking right judgement in their way and therefore their judgement comes to nothing But the judgement of a spirituall man so far forth as he is spirituall shal stād because it is agreeable to the nature of things as things are in themselves so they are in his judgement As GOD is in himselfe infinite in goodnesse and majesty c. so he is to him he ascribes to GOD in his heart his divinity and all his excellencies As CHRIST is in himselfe the onely mediatour and All in All in the Church so he is to him by making CHRIST so in his heart As all things are dung in comparison of CHRIST so they are to Paul a sanctified man As the very worst thing in religion the reproch of Christ is better then the pleasure of sin for a season so it is to Moses a man of a right esteeme A◅ one day in the Courts of God is better then a thousand elsewhere so it is to David a man of a reformed judgement There is a conformity of a good mans judgment to things as they are in themselves and according to the difference or agreement put by GOD in things so doth his judgment differ or agree Truth is truth and error error and that which is unlawfull is unlawfull whether men thinke so or no. GOD hath put an eternall difference betwixt light and darknesse good and ill which no creatures conceipt can alter and therefore no mans judgement is the measure of things further then it agrees to truth stamped upon things themselves by GOD. Hereupon because a wise mans judgement agrees to the truth of things a wise man may in some sense bee said to bee the measure of things and the judgement of one holy wise man to bee preferred before a thousand others Such men usually are immoveable as the Sun in its course because they thinke and speake and live by rule A Iosuah and his house will serve God whatsoever others doe and will run a course contrary to the world because their judgements leads them a contrary way Hence it is that Sathan hath a spite at the eye of the soule the judgement to put out that by ignorance and false reason for he cannot rule in any untill either hee hath taken away or perverted judgement he is
whatsoever the judgement shall say to the contrary there is no connaturall proportion betwixt an unsanctified hart and a sanctified judgment For the heart unaltered will not give leave to the judgement coldly and so berly to conclude what is best as the sick man whilst his aguish distemper corrupteth his taste he is rather desirous to please that then to hearken what the Physitian shall speake judgment hath not power over it selfe where the wil is unsubdued for the will and affections bribe it to give sentence for them when any profit or pleasure shall come in competition with that which the judgement in generall only shall thinke to be good and therefore it is for the most part in the power of the heart what the understanding shall judge and determine in particular things Where grace hath brought the heart under there unruly passions doe not cast such a mist before the understanding but that in particular it seeth that which is best and base respects springing from selfe-love doe not alter the case and byas the judgment into a contrary way but that which is good in it selfe shall be good unto us although it crosse our particular worldly interests The right conceiving of this hath an influence into practice which hath drawne me to a more full explanation this will teach us the right method of godlinesse to begin with judgement and then to begge of GOD together with illumination holy inclinations of our will and affections that so a perfect government may be set up in our hearts and that our knowledge may bee with al judgment that is w th experience and feeling when the judgement of CHRIST is set up in our judgements and thence by the Spirit of CHRIST brought into our hearts then it is in its proper place and throne and untill then truth doth us no good but helpeth to condemne us The life of a◅ Christiā is a regular life he that walketh by the rule of the new creature peace shall be upon him he that despiseth his way loveth to live at large seeking all liberty to the flesh shall dye And it is made good by Saint Paul If we live after the flesh we shall dye VVe learne likewise that men of an ill governed life have no true judgement no wicked man can bee a wise man And that without CHRISTS Spirit the soule is in confusion without beauty and form as all things were in the Chaos before the creatiō The whole soule is out of joynt till it be set in againe by him whose office is to restore all things The baser part of the soule which should bee subject ruleth all and keepeth under that little truth that is in the understanding holding it captive to base affections and Sathan by corruption getteth al the holds of the soule till CHRIST stronger then he commeth and driveth him out and taketh possession of all the powers and parts of soule and body to be weapons of righteousnes to serve him and then new Lords new Lawes CHRIST as a new Conquerour changeth the fundamentall lawes of old Adam and establisheth a government of his owne The second Conclusion is that this government is victorious The reasons are 1 Because CHRIST hath conquered all in his owne person first and hee is GOD over all blessed for evermore and therefore over Sinne Death Hell Sathan the world c. And as he hath overcome them in himselfe so he overcomes them in our hearts and consciences Wee use to say Conscience maketh a man a King or a caitife because it is planted in us to judge for GOD either with us or against us Now if naturall conscience bee so forcible what will it be when besides it owne light it hath the light of divine truth put into it It will undoubtedly prevaile either to make us hold up our heads with boldnesse or abase us beneath our selves If it subject it selfe by grace to CHRISTS truth then it boldly overlookes Death Hell Iudgement and all spirituall enemies because then Christ sets up his Kingdome in the conscience and makes it a kind of Paradise The sharpest conflict which the soule hath is betweene the conscience and GODS Iustice now if the conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ hath prevailed over assaults fetcht from the justice of GOD as now satisfied by CHRIST it will prevaile over al other opposition whatsoever 2 We are to encounter with accursed and damned enemies therefore if they begin to fall before the spirit in us they shall fall if they rise up againe it is to have the greater fall 3 The spirit of truth to whose tuition CHRIST hath cōmitted his Church and the truth of the spirit which is the Scepter of CHRIST abide for ever therefore the soule begotten by the immortal feed of this spirit and this truth must not onely live for ever but likewise prevaile over all that oppose it for both the word and spirit are mighty in operation and if the ill spirit be never idle in those whom GOD delivereth up to him we cannot thinke that the Holy Spirit will bee idle in those whose leading and government is committed to him No as he dwelleth in them so he will drive out all that rise up against him untill hee be all in all What is spirituall is eternall truth is a beame of CHRISTS Spirit both in it selfe and as it is ingrafted into the soule there fore it and the grace though little wrought by it will prevaile a little thing in the hand of a Gyant will do great matters A little faith strengthned by CHRIST will worke wonders 4 To him that hath shall be given the victory over any corruption or temptation is a pledge of finall victory As Ioshua said when he set his foot upon the five Kings which hee conquered Thus God shall doe with all our enemies heaven is ours already onely we strive till we have full possession 5 CHRIST as King brings in a commanding light into the soule and bowes the necke and softens the Iron sinew of the inner man and where he begins to rule he rules for ever his Kingdome hath no end 6 The end of CHRISTS comming was to destroy the workes of the Devill both for us and in us And the end of the resurrection was as to seale unto us the assurance of his victorie So I to quicken our soules from death in sinne 2 to free our soules from such snares and sorrowes of spirituall death as accompany the guilt of sin 3 to raise them up more comfortable as the Sunne breakes forth more gloriously out of a thick cloud 4 to raise us out of particular slippes and failings stronger 5 to raise us out of all troublesome and darke conditions of this life And 6 at length to raise our bodies out of the dust For the same power that the Spirit shewed in raising CHRIST our Head from the sorrowes of
love Hence desires are counted a part of the thing desired in some measure but then they must bee First constant for constancy shews that they are supernaturally naturall and not inforced Secondly they must bee caried to spirituall things as to beleeve to love GOD c. not out of a speciall exigent because if now they had grace they thinke they might escape some danger but as a loving heart is caried to the thing loved for some-excellency in it selfe And thirdly with desire there is griefe when it is hindred which stirres up to prayer Oh that my wayes were so directed that I might keepe thy Statutes Psal. 119. 5. O miserable man that I am who shall deliver c. Fourthly desires put us onward still O that I might serve GOD with more liberty O that I were more free from these offensive unsavoury noysome lusts Fire worketh it selfe if it hath any matter to feed on into a larger compass and mounteth higher and higher and the higher it riseth the purer is the flame So where true grace is it groweth in measure and purity Smoking flax will grow to a flame and as it encreaseth so it worketh out the contrary and refineth it selfe more more Therefore it argueth a false hart to set our selves a measure in grace and to rest in beginnings alledging that CHRIST will not quench the smoaking flax But this mercifull disposition in CHRIST is joyned with perfect holinesse shewed in perfect hatred to sinne for rather than sin should not have its deserved punishment himselfe became a sacrifice for sinne wherein his Fathers holinesse and his owne mo◅ of all shined And besides this in the worke of sanctification though hee favours his worke in us yet favours he not sin in us for he will never take his hand from his worke untill hee hath taken away sin even in its very being from our natures the same Spirit that purified that blessed Masse whereof hee was made clenseth us by degrees to bee sutable to so holy a Head and frameth the judgement and affection of all to whom hee sheweth mercy to concur with his owne in labouring to further his ends in abolishing of sinne out of our nature From the meditations of these rules and signes much comfort may bee brought into the soules of the weakest which that it may bee in the more abundance let mee adde something for the helping them over some few ordinary objections and secret thoughts against thēselves which getting within the heart oftentimes keepeth them under Some thinke they have no faith at all because they have no full assurance when as the fairest fire that can be will have some smoake The best actions will smell of the smoak The morter wherin Garlicke hath beene stamped will alwayes smell of it So all our actions will savour something of the old man In weaknesse of body some thinke grace dyeth because their performances are feeble their spirits being the instruments of the soules actions being wasted not considering that GOD regards those hidden sighes of those that want abilities to expresse them outwardly he that pronounceth them blessed that consider the poore will have a mercifull consideration of such himselfe Some againe are haunted with hideous representations to their fantasies and with vile and unworthy thoughts of GOD of CHRIST of the word c. which as busie flyes disquiet and molest their peace these are cast in like wilde-fire by Satan as may be discerned by the 1 strangenesse 2 strength and violence 3 horriblenesse of them even unto nature corrupt A pious soule is no more guilty of them than Benjamin of Iosephs cup put into his sack Amongst other helps prescribed by godly Writers as abomination of them and diversion from them to other things c. let this be one to complaine unto CHRIST against them and to flye under the wings of his protection and to desire him to take our part against his and our enemie Shall every sinne and blasphemy of man be forgiven and not these blasphemous thoughts which have the Devill for their father When CHRIST himselfe was therefore molested in this kinde that he might succour all poore soules in the like case Some thinke when they beginne once to bee troubled with the smoake of corruption more than they were before therefore they are worse than they were It is true that corruptions appeare now more than before but they are lesse For first sinne the more it is seene the more it is hated and thereupon is the lesse Moats are in a roome before the Sun shines but they then onely appeare Secondly Contraries the nearer they are one to another the sharper is the conflict betwixt them now of all enemies the spirit and the flesh are nearest one to another being both in the soule of a regenerate man and in all faculties of the soule and in every action that springeth from those faculties and therefore it is no marvell the soule the seat of this battell thus divided in it selfe be as smoaking Flax. Thirdly the more grace the more spirituall life and the more spirituall life the more antipathy to the contrary whence none are so sensible of corruption as those that have the most living soules And fourthly when men give themselves to carnall liberties their corruptions trouble thē not as not being bounded and tyed up But when once grace suppresseth their extravagant and licentious excesses then the flesh boyleth as disdaining to be confined yet they are better now than they were before That matter which yeelds smoake was in the Torch before it was lighted but it is not offensive till the Torch beginnes to burne Let such know that if the smoake bee once offensive to them it is a signe that there is light It is better to injoy the benefit of light though with smoake than to be altogether in the darke Neither is smoake so offensive as light is comfortable to us it yeelding an evidence of truth of grace in the heart therefore though it be combersome in the conflict yet it is comfortable in the evidence It is better corruption should offend us now than by giving way to it to redeeme a little peace with losse of comfort afterwards Let such therefore as are at variance and oddes with their corruptions looke upon this Text as their portion of comfort Here is an use of incouragement to duty That CHRIST will not quench the smoaking flax but blow it up Some are loath to performe good duties because they feele their hearts rebelling and duties come off untowardly Wee should not avoid good actions for the infirmities cleaving unto them CHRIST looketh more at the good in them that hee meaneth to cherish than the ill in them that he meaneth to abolish A sicke man though in eating he something increaseth the disease yet he will eate that nature may get strength against the disease So though sin cleaveth to what we
to the meeke of the earth hope to looke so gracious a Saviour in the face they that are so boysterous towards his Spouse shall know one day they had to deale with himselfe in his Church So it cannot but cut the heart of those that have felt this love of CHRIST to heare him wounded who is the life of their lives and the foule of their soules this maketh those that have selt mercy weepe over CHRIST whom they have pierced with their finnes there cannot but be a mutuall and quicke sympathie betweene the Head and the Members When wee are tempted to any sinne if we will not pitie our selves yet we should spare CHRIST in not putting him to new torments The Apostle could not finde out a more heart-breaking argument to ensorce a sacrificing our selves to GOD than to conjure us by the mercies of GOD in CHRIST This mercy of CHRIST likewise should moove us to commiserate the estate of the poore Church torne by enemies without and renting it selfe by divisions at home It cānot but work upon any soule that ever felt cōfort frō Christ to consider what an affectionate intreaty the Apostle useth to mutuall agreement in judgement affection If any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit any bowells and mercies fulfill my joy be like minded As if he should say unlesse you will disclaime all consolation in Christ c. labour to maintaine the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace What a joyfull spectacle is this to Satan and his faction to see those that are separated from the world fall in pieces among themselves Our discord is our enemies melody The more to blame those that for private aims affect differences from others and will not suffer the wounds of the Church to close and meet together Which must not be understood as if men should dissemble their judgement in any truth where there is just cause of expressing themselves for the least truth is Christs and not ours and therefore we are not to take liberty to affirme or deny at our pleasures there is a due in a peny as well as in a pound therefore wee must bee faithfull in the least truth when season calleth for it then our words are like Apples of gold with pictures of silver One word spoken in season will doe more good than a thousand out of season In some cases peace by keeping our faith to our selves is of more consequence than the open discovery of some things we take to be true considering the weaknesse of mans nature is such that there can hardly be a discovery of any difference in opinion without some estrangement of affection So farre as men are not of one minde they will hardly be of one heart except where grace and the peace of God beare great rule in the heart therefore open shew of difference is never good but when it is necessary howsoever some from a desire to bee some body turne into by-waies and yeeld to a spirit of cōtradiction in themselves yet if Saint Paul may bee Iudge Are they not carnall if it bee wisedome it is wisedome from beneath for the wisedome from above as it is pure so it is peaceable Our blessed Saviour when hee was to leave the world what doth hee presse upon his Disciples more than peace and love And in his last prayer with what earnestnesse did he beg of his Father that They might be one as he and the Father were one But what hee prayed for on earth we shall onely enjoy perfectly in heaven Let this make the meditation of that time the more sweet unto us And further to lay open offenders in this kinde what spirit shall we think them to be of that take advantages of the bruisednesse and infirmities of mens spirits to relieve them with false peace for their owne worldly ends A wounded spirit will part with any thing Most of the gainfull points of Popery as confession sasatisfaction merit Purgatory c. spring from hence but they are Physitians of no value or rather tormentors than Physitians at all It is a greater blessing to bee delivered from the sting of these Scorpions then wee are thankfull for Spirituall tyranny is the greatest tyranny and then especially when it is where most mercy should be shewed yet even there some like cruell surgeons delight in making long cures to serve themselves upon the misery of others It bringeth men under a terrible curse When they will not remember to shew mercy but persecute the poore and needy man that they might even slay the broken in heart Likewise to such as raise temporall advantage to thēselves out of the spirituall misery of others join such as raise estates by betraying the Church and are unfaithfull in the trust committed unto them when the children shall cry for the bread of life and there is none to give them bringing thus upon the people of GOD that heavie judgement of a spirituall famine starving CHRIST in his members Shall we so requite so good a Savior who counteth the love and mercie shewed in feeding his Lambs as shewed to himselfe Last of all they carie themselves very unkindly towards CHRIST who ◅umble at this his low stooping unto us in his government and ordinances that are ashamed of the simplicity of the Gospell that count Preaching foolishness They out of the pride of their heart thinke they may do well enough without the helpe of the Word and Sacraments and think CHRIST tooke not state enough upon him and therefore they will mend the matter with their own devises whereby they may give the better content to flesh and blood as in Popery What greater unthankfulnesse can there bee then to dispise any helpe that CHRIST in mercy hath provided for us In the dayes of his flesh the proud Pharisees tooke offence at his familiar conversing with sinfull men who onely did so as a Physitian to heale their soules What defences was Saint Paul driven to make for himselfe for his plainnesse in unfolding the Gospell The more CHRIST in himselfe and in his servants shall descēd to exalt us the more we should with all humility and readinesse entertaine that love and magnifie the goodnesse of GOD that hath put the great worke of our salvation and laid the government upon so gentle a Saviour that will carry himselfe so mildely in all things wherein hee is to deale betwixt GOD and us and us and GOD The lower CHRIST comes downe to us the higher let us lift him up in our harts so will all those doe that have ever found the experience of CHRISTS work in their heart We come to the third part the constant progress of CHRISTS gracious power untill hee hath set up such an absolute government in us which shal prevaile over all corruption It is said here he will cherish his Beginnings of Grace in us untill he bring forth
a Prince of darknesse and ruleth in darkeness of the understanding Therefore he must first be cast out of the understanding by the prevailing of truth and planting it in the soule Those therefore 〈…〉 â—…ledge helpe Sathan and Antichrist whose Kingdome like Satans is a kingdome of darkness to erect their throne Hence it is promised by CHRIST that the holy Ghost shall convince the world of judgment that is that he is resolved to set up a Throne of governmeÌ„t because the great lord of misrule Sathan the Prince of the world is judged by the Gospel and the Spirit accompanying it his impostures are discovered his enterprizes layd open therefore when the Gospel was spred the Oracles ceased Sathan fell frâ—…m heaven like ligâ—…g men were translated out of his Kingdome into Christs Where prevailing is by lyes there discovery is victory they shall proceed no further for their â—…lly shall be manifest to all So that manifestation of error giveth a stop to it for none wil willingly be deceived Let truth have full soope without check or restraint and let sathan his instruments do their worst they shall not prevaile as Ierom saith of the Pelagians in his time The discovery of your opinions is the vanquishing of them your basphemies appeare at the first blush Hence we learne the necessity that the understanding bee principled with supernaturall knowledge for the well managing of a Christian conversation There must bee light to discover a further end then nature for which wee are Christians and a rule sutable directing to that end which is the will of GOD in CHRIST discovering his good pleasure towards us and our duty towards him and in vertue of this discovery we doe all that we doe that any way may further our reckoning the eye must first be single and then the whole body and frame of our conversation will bee light otherwise both we and our course of life are nothing but darknesse The whole conversation of a Christian is nothing else but knowledge digested into will affection and practice If the first 〈◊〉 in the stomach be not good that in the liver cannot be good so if there bee errour in the judgement it marres the whole practice as an error in the foundation doth the building GOD will have no blind sacrifices no unreasonable services but will have us to love him with all our minde that is with our understanding part as well as with all our hearts that is the affecting part of the soule This order of Christs government by judgment is agreeable unto the soule and GOD delighteth to preserve the manner of working peculiar unto man that is to doe what he doth out of judgemente as grace supposeth nature as founded upon it so the frame of grace preserveth the frame of nature in man And therfore Christ bringeth all that is good in the soule through judgment and that so sweetly that many out of a dangerous error thinke that that good which is in them and issueth from them is from theÌ„selves not from the powerfull worke of grace As in evill the devill so subtlely leadeth us according to the streame of our owne nature that men thinke that Sathan had no hand in their sinne but here a mistake is with little perill because wee are il of ourselves the devil doth but promote what ill he findeth in us But there are no seeds of supernaturall goodnesse at all in us GOD findeth nothing in us but enmity onely hee hath ingraven this in our nature to incline in generall to that which we judge to be good Now when he shall cleerly discover what is good in particular wee are caried to it and when convincingly he shal discover that which is ill we abhorre it as freely as we imbraced it before From whence we may know when we worke as we should doe or no that is when we doe what we doe out of inward principles when we fall not upon that which is good only because we are so bred or because such or such whom we respect doe so or because wee will maintaine a side so making religion a faction but out of judgement when what wee doe that is good wee first judge it in our selves so to be and what wee abstaine from that is ill we first judge it to bee ill from an inward judgement A sound Christian as hee injoyeth the better part so hath first made choice of it with Mary he establisheth all his thoughts by counsell GOD indeed useth carnall men to very good service but wthout a thorow altering conviction of their judgements He worketh by them but not in them therefore they doe neither approve the good they doe nor hate the evill they abstaine from The 2 branch is that wheresoever true wisdom and judgement is there Christ sets up his government because where wisedome is it directs us not only to understand but to order our waies aright where Christ by his Spirit as a Prophet teacheth he like wise as a King by his Spirit subdueth the heart to obedience of what is taught This is that teaching which is promised of GOD when not onely the braine but the heart it selfe is taught When men doe not onely know what they should doe but are taught the very doing of it they are not only taught that they should love feare and obey but they are taught love it selfe and feare and obedience it selfe CHRIST sets up his chaire in the very heart and alters the frame of that and makes his subjects good together with teaching of them to bee good Other Princes can make good Lawes but they cannot write them in their peoples hearts This is CHRISTS Prerogative He infuseth into his subjects his owne Spirit upon him there doth not onely rest the spirit of wisedome and understanding but likewise the spirit of the feare of the Lord. The knowledge which wee have of him froÌ„ himselfe is a transforming knowledge The same spirit that inlighteneth the mind inspireth gracious inclinations into the will and affections and infuseth strength into the whole man As a gracious man judgeth as he should so he affecteth and doth as hee judgeth his life is a commentary of his inward man there is a sweet harmony betwixt GODS truth his judgment and his whole conversation The heart of a Christian is like Ierusalem when it was at the best a City compact within it selfe where are set up the thrones of judgement Iudgement should have a throne in the heart of every Christian. Not that judgement alone will work a change there must be grace to alter the bent and sway of the will before it will yeeld to bee wrought upon by the understanding GOD hath so joyned these together as that wheÌ„soeuer he doth savingly shine upon the understanding he giveth a soft and plyable heart for without a worke upon the hart by the Spirit of God it will follow its owne inclination to that which it affecteth