abound The Apostle saith It is impossible that those that are dead to sinne should live any longer therein as if he should say Set aside all your carnall reasonings it is impossible for him that is dead to sinne to live yet therein how can he as if he should say Whosoever is in Christ the Spirit of Christ is sent into his heart that mortifies sin so that he cannot live any more in it there is such a change wrought in him hee is a new Creature if hee be once in Christ that is the first rise as soone as we are justified the Spirit of Christ is sent into our hearts But is not the Spirit sent into our hearts before when he workes faith It is true but the meaning is when wee are once in Christ the Spirit of Sanctification is shed more plentifully and in a greater degree than before for there is a certaine work of the Spirit that begetteth faith and the same worke of the Spirit in its time begetteth the degrees of Sanctification But now that this may not be in notion only we will shew you how the Spirit workes this that you may not think these to be things carried in clouds and to have place only in our understandings but that you may know it in the experience that every man finds in himselfe that after hee hath taken Christ there is indeed such a Spirit shed into his heart that changeth him For the understanding of this know that when wee come to invite men to come into Christ as it is all our businesse to invite men to the marriage all the world stands out and every man gives that answer that they did in the Gospell they have bought farmes and married wives every man is so set on these outward things that his carnall heart carrieth him to that they will not hearken to us so that we may preach in vaine you see to how many Christ himselfe preached in vaine and the Apostles had preached in vaine if there had been no more than their owne preaching So likewise now the Spirit is sent into the hearts of men that when wee come and invite men to come into Christ the Spirit also secretly compels them to come in Wee are indeed bidden to compell men to come in but unlesse there bee another compeller that is except there be the Spirit within to doe it the worke is not done unlesse there be two compellers at the same time the Holy Ghost within preaching to your hearts when we preach to your eares except there be two callers that when wee call men the Lord send his Spirit to call you too it is in vaine And that you may understand this you must know that it is as hard a thing to move a man to leave his pleasures and divers lusts and his vaine conversation as to turne the whole course of nature which I call the instinct that God hath put into every creature to move that way that it goeth as the water to move downward and the fire to goe upward Thinke with your selves now whether there must not be an Almighty Power to turne the course of nature because the heart of man naturally goes downward to sinne it descends downward with the same propensity it hath the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we call it the same forwardnesse and pronenesse to evill that any naturall thing hath to goe the course that is naturall to it Now unlesse there be an Almighty Power to turne this course of Nature no man will ever come to Christ. As for example That rectitude of Gods Image that is expressed in the Word come to experience and looke upon every mans heart living and see whether it be not quite contrary to it in all things even as contrary as the motion of the stone is from ascending towards the heavens but when the Spirit commeth he turneth this course of Nature Now when wee come to doe this doe you thinke that any man in the world is able to worke it in the hearts of men It is true a man may goe thus farre It is possible for a King or for a man in authority to set preferments on the one side and punishments on the other to make a man to doe much or to suffer much but all this while here is but a turning of the actions of men but to turne the inclinations of mans heart it is proper only to God man is not able to doe it in any particular If a mans heart be set upon covetousnesse Christ saith it is impossible all the men in the world can change his heart But put the case a man could doe it as no man can if he could turne a mans heart it would be but in a particular or two but to turne the whole frame of the heart to make a generall change to make him another man another Creature It is impossible for any man in the world to doe it Or put the case he could doe so it must be after long reasoning but to do it upon the sudden and at one Sermon as the Spirit sometimes doth to take one word and by it to change the heart of man it must needs be the worke of an Almighty Power Therefore in the 2 Cor. 3. Chap. and the last verse when the Apostle speakes of this great change he saith when we reade or heare the Word we see there the Image of God as one seeth his face in a glasse and are changed into it from glory to glory that is from one glorious degree to another But how is this done It is done saith he by the Spirit of the Lord. As if he should say It is impossible for a man to be turned into the glorious Image of God and not by the Spirit of God A man may as well say I will make a clod of earth a shining Starre as to say he can make the carnall and dead heart of man to be like the Image of God It must be the Spirit of God himselfe that must doe it it is a work above Nature It is therefore done by the Spirit which doth so enlighten the understanding and so bow the will that whereas before there was in man such a strong appetite such a strong propensity to ill such a strong inclination that would over-weigh all the reasons that could be brought to the contrary when the Spirit hath wrought this work there is such a contrary inclination such a propensnesse to God and to that which is good that it over-ballanceth all the temptations that the world the flesh and the Devill can lay against it Is not this a mighty Power that must doe this that whereas there was in a man before such a strong inclination to sin there is a disposition so contrary now such a desire wrought in him such a strong impression that carries him to God to Christ and to holinesse that let all the reasons in the world be brought to the contrary they cannot keepe
wherein consists the new man The new man consists in holinesse wrought in the will which proceeds from truth revealed unto the understanding so when the understanding and the judgement is rectified thou art made a New Creature Againe when the will is corrupt by lusts proceeding from errour in the understanding thou art in state of an old Creature The old man stands properly in lusts therefore saith Peter 2 Pet. 1.4 Fly the corruption which is in the world through lust All the corruption of mankind stands in these inordinate lusts Others wee may looke on as the fruit but this as the Root What are those lusts Iohn shewes them by three heads 1 Ioh. 2.16 The lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye and the pride of life The old man stands in these three Take the first Lust even the lust of the Eye A man lookes upon wealth to make him happie in this life I meane no otherwise and looking upon this he lusts after it Doe but rectifie his judgement and let wealth be presented to him as it is in it selfe and hee will come to be affected with it as Paul was who accounted all but drosse and dung hee will say then why should I set my heart upon that which is nothing but vanity I say when the understanding is rectified you will looke upon wealth aright and as you shall see it at the day of death for then wee are as a man awakened out of a dreame we will looke on it then as it is Iam. 1.10 Let the Rich-man rejoyce that hee is made low for as a flower of the grasse so shall he vanish The meaning of this is when a man is made a New Creature he is brought downe in his conceit whereas before hee thought himselfe a great man because of his wealth Now Religion comes and that makes him low and let him be glad of it Why What reason hath a man to be glad of it Indeed if wealth were a thing of moment it were another matter but he was deceived Riches are but as the flower of grasse A wise man lookes on Riches as flowers of the Garden with children and the weakest doe much magnifie Indeed if they were of great moment he lost by it but as Iames saith They are but as flowers of the grasse worth little For the Lust of the flesh that is another thing whereby this old man is seene A man lookes on outward pleasures or delights as able to give satisfaction and as the greatest delights in the world let his Iudgement be rectified he looks upon them as Enemies that fight against the Soule as the workes of darknesse which he abhorres and so he comes to Lots disposition Whose righteous Soule was vexed to see the filthinesse of the Sodomites When his Iudgement is right hee lookes on them as base and vile things as Enemies unto his Soule that will be his destructioâ— For the Pride of life Man lookes on outward things as the onely excellencies which makes him admire them so but when his Iudgement is once rectified hee lookes upon them as the Apostle doth who accounted them but empty things as bubbles blowne up by Boyes To conclude when the Iudgement is rectified in stead of Errour and Deceit which is the Root of the old man whence comes these three great Lusts which are the maine and from which all the rest will follow then the lusts are dissolved and the new man comes from truth as the other is corrupted and comes from deceit So you see what it is to have this new quality to have the Iudgement rectified and the lust dissolved And not so onely but there must be new desires wrought in thee A carnall man over-values carnall things and in spirituall things hee comes farre too short like a man that lookes upon a banquet when his belly is full he hath no appetite unto it So a carnall man lookes upon Sinne and forgivenesse But when a man hath his Iudgement rectified he comes to have many holy desires and in this stands the New Creature Againe it comes from knowledge of the Spirit But you will say we have knowledge and if that would doe it then they that know most are best men But you must know what kinde of knowledge this is The new man must be renued in knowledge This is such a knowledge of holinesse as the Holy Ghost reveales unto us and except this knowledge be revealed unto you our revealing is nothing We preach Wisdome which the Princes of the world know not neither can know Take Aristotle or others which are the Princes of the world for wisdome they know not these things nay if they were taught them they could not learne them for they are revealed by the Spirit and if wee preach unto you never so oft if the Spirit doe not reveale them unto you it is nothing We see that by experiience that a man that can reason against these and these sinnes can speake of the vanity of these things can give twenty better reasons against them than another man yet hee seekes after them as much as any The wise-men and strongest wits which can say most against them yet have not their lusts dissolved when a poore man that is truly sanctified although he cannot say the hundreth part against sinne as another man yet he doth hunger after Iesus Christ. Therefore it must be the worke of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. ult But we all behold as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord that is when wee looke into the Word wee see the Image of God so may another man too but he doth not see the glory of it he doth not looke on it as a desirable thing as a thing he is in love withall God shewes Moses his glory hee never shewed his glory but to the Saints The greatest request that Moses desired was to see the glory of the Lord I will shew thee my glory saith God that is thou shalt see as much as shall be needfull for thee to see in this life God shewes himselfe unto us in his Word and when hee will shew a man his glory he makes him to have a love to it and then hee is transformed into his Image Another sees it but he is not transformed into such a knowledge as convinceth the minde of sinne when wee teach knowledge it is as the Sparkes in a darke roome or as the Starres in a darke night the roome is darke still so it is with all knowledge till the Holy Ghost doth teach it wee may beget a thousand sparkes in you but they will not turne the darknesse into light But when the Holy Ghost comes it doth not onely appeare there but it changeth us from darknesse into light You must know that when we preach only it is as when the light shines the windowes being shut against it there
off but if it be the changing of a Black-moores skin how wilt thou doe that Can the Black-moore change his skinne Therefore seeing it is a change of Nature bee not too secure Thinke not thus for it is the onely thing that keepes men from comming to God I will come in but it shall be hereafter I will goe yet a little further this is a very dangerous case because it is a changing of Nature that is required and no Creature in Heaven and Earth is able to doe this Therefore when thou commest to die or when any crosse comes thou mayest be willing to change and thou mayest take purposes to thy selfe but doe we not see by experience in such cases the Nature is not altered doe not all returne to their byas there is not one of a thousand but doth it because it is a forced action Now a stone forced upward returnes againe so there be many forced actions in times of Temptation and the houre of death but still the nature is the same therefore men returne againe Therefore know this very heart of thine the very nature of it must bee altered it must bee changed into a light ayrie vapour that may ascend else it will not hold out and thou shalt have no comfort from it and when it is turned into an ayrie vapour it must be done by a light and heat that comes from heaven So must thy heart it is the Holy Ghost that must doe it it is onely the Author of Nature that can change Nature hee that made it can renue it And as only fire begets fire so onely the Spirit begets the qualities called the Spirit the Holy Ghost must breathe this breath of life in thee This is a thing not considered therefore you are bold to put it off if the Holy Ghost were at thy command if hee would breathe when thou listest it were another case but hee breathes when and where he listeth nothing is so free as the wil of the Spirit he breathes where he lists That it is no more in thee to alter him than the winds when they blow to the East canst thou cause it to blow to the West no more canst thou alter the will of the Spirit Therefore take heed of refusing the offer when the Lord will offer it is a dangerous thing to refuse What the Lord bade them in the Gospell to doe he is ready to doe himselfe When you come into a Citie offer peace if they will receive it so it 〈◊〉 let it come on them but if they will not stay not there let them goe shake off the dust off your feet against them such a people shall perish Consider that and see if the Lord be not ready to doe it himselfe If hee make an offer as hee did when hee gave his Disciples this command take heed that he goe not away in anger he knocks at thy heart againe and againe take heed that hee goe not away in wrath It is the Lords manner no man knowes the time of his offer sometimes at the third sometimes at the fifth and sometimes at the last houre the time is not in thy hand but whensoever he offers take heed off refusing for if he growes angry he returnes no more When he shall sweare in his wrath c. Psal. 95. ult that is a place worth considering The Apostle perswades them not to deferre Repentance but to come while it is to day put it not off and he gives them two reasons Lest you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne that is you will not be able to come in sin will harden you againe lest the Lord sweare in his wrath as he did to the Israelites Now you must marke they offended him once twice and thrice still the Lord bore with them they were rebellious at the Red-sea and presently after yet this the Lord bore with but there was a time when the Lord will beare with them no longer yet they lived many yeares after then he sware in his wrath and then they were destroyed It is true the Lord is not so angry for every refusing and sin which thou committest but when he comes to sweare there is no retracting of it then wheresoever you finde an oath in the Scripture there is no reservation when he sware he never returned againe Therefore take heed of angring the Lord Iesus though he be the Saviour of the world yet kisse the Son lest hee bee angry Take heed of deferring for a change of Nature is required which is a thing that thou canst not doe but the LORD must doe it Againe if it be a change of Nature I will but urge this a little Then we may learne hence to know that all the desires that come from Nature are nothing for that is not to have another Nature they are Flowers that have a beautie in them but they are the Flowers of the grasse subject to corruption as well as the stalke on which they grow therefore GOD accepts them not Againe it is not Morall Vertues for that is not changing of Nature for they may bee got and lost againe Againe it is not the Transient acts of Holinesse which the Holy Ghost workes in the heart when hee comes as a Passenger for a night or as a Sojourner for a moneth or two but he must come to be an Inhabitant and so as the Soule is in the body to make the Nature another Nature Last of all it is not any good Intentions any good Desires any good Purposes but another Nature Therefore take heed that you doe not deceive your selves and that is a thing we are exceeding apt to be deceived in because we have other purposes wee thinke all is well this wee must looke to for there be many times when men are very prodigall of good purposes as when they come to receive the Sacrament or in time of apprehension of death or it may bee you will purpose to leave sinne when you have smarted for some sinne you have committed you then meane to alter all and you thinke you are well because you have other desires and purposes in you but it is not so there must bee another Nature that is these purposes God regards as nothing for indeed they are worth nothing when there are new purposes and the old Nature continues still they come to the birth and when they have done so There is no strength to bring forth that is when the purposes are new and the nature old they are not able to dwell there but it is like a new peece in an old garment that is old nature is not able to sute with new purposes but the peece breaks forth and the rent is greater than it was So usually it is when we have the old nature and take new purposes there is not a sutablenesse and the rent is made greater than it was A man returnes againe to sin and is worse than hee was but when there
condition he is in so when the Law comes it humbles a man making him to draw in his Thoughts and to see his misery and when he is wounded with the sense of his sins and with the wrath of God then and not till then the feet of them that bring glad Tidings of salvation are beautifull Likewise Humiliation is necessary for this cause because except men be throughly humbled they will never take the Kingdome of heaven by violence and they must take it so else they shall never have it now by the Kingdom of heaven is meant the Gospell you know it is called the Gospell of the Kingdome that is righteousnesse and grace therein revealed and offered In Matth. 11. and Luke 16.16 you shall find that from the time of Iohn the Baptist The kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violence take it by force The meaning is this saith Christ to them we preach the Gospell so did Iohn with him it began to be preached but deceive not your selves many thinke they take the kingdome of heaven but you must know there be two kinds of taking some are content to be saved and to doe many things as Herod did and as the second and third ground did but this is a false taking and deceive not your selves thereby There is another kinde of taking when a man takes this kingdome violently and indeed none shall have it but after this manner Now what is it to take it violently When a man takes a thing violently he doth it with all his might he puts all his strength to it he doth it not coldly and slightly and overly but with all his might So the meaning is this The kingdom of heaven is as if one were to come within a narrow doore which cannot be without difficulty when hee puts to all his violence and strength to doe it According to the phrase in Luke Since the time of Iohn the Baptist they presse into the kingdome of heaven that is with violence as if God seemes to hold the kingdome of heaven in his hand that unlesse you pull it and extort it from him as it were you shall never have it Now will any man doe thus till he be humbled It is impossible he should When a man is brought into feare of his life and is like to die the feare of losse of naturall life wil make him worke any thing with violence much more then when a man sees eternall death that he shal die for ever will he take the kingdome of heaven with violence that is he will not performe duties in a slight manner as if God were beholden to him not with that laxity in his judgement of the truth as he conceives nor with that coldnesse in the duty Those that will be saved must take Salvation by force which a man will never doe till he be humbled There is much profession and many kinds of taking Christ in the world but the right taking is when a man wil be at this cost to part with all to deny himselfe perfectly and every way and take up his crosse and every crosse when his lusts are throughly mortified and this cannot be till hee be humbled For marke nothing mortifies but joy and love that doth properly and immediately mortifie for no man will part with his lusts till he finde Christ sweeter than they till then he will never part with them in good earnest now Christ will never be sweet till we have found the bitternesse of sin till God hath so prest it on their consciences that they feele the weight and burden of it And so much for the reasons of it Now the vse of this is double First is this so necessary Then labour to see your selfe humbled if ever you looke to be saved and justified for though God offers Salvation to all as it is true none is excepted yet he lookes to none with a gracious eye to save him indeed but him that is poore and contrite in heart and trembles at his Word And good reason for none else will looke after him the poore receive the Gospell and none else When we preach the Gospell it is like Cyrus his Proclamation it was a generall proclamation that all that would might go out of captivity and build the Temple but saith the Text onely they went whose heart the Lord stirred up to goe other would noâ— goe So when we preach we offer Salvation to all men that is our Commission Marke 16. Goe and preach to all Nations that is offer Grace and Salvation to all men but when it comes to the point that men must goe out of their captivitie and build a Temple to God they will not doe it they will rather live in captivity still because they be not humble To goe out of their sins wherein they have been captivated a great while and to build a Temple to Christ that is to make their hearts fit Temples for Christ to purge themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit to labour to walke in his feare to leave all even the beloved sinnes and to delight in the Lord in the Inner man they will not what is the reason they are not yet humbled and therefore they cannot be saved The Iubile among the Iewes may be a very fit resemblance hereof and for ought I know may be so intended to resemble the glorious Liberty in the times of the Gospell Now the Iubile was this All servants should then goe free but if any would not as of them there were many then he was to be bored in the eare and to be a perpetuall servant So when we preach the Gospell this is the great Iubile every man may be free the Son comes to that end and it is the end of the Truth to make men free The Son comes to deliver every man out of the Gaole if he will but men will not be at liberty they will be servants still because they were never humbled they never felt the heavinesse of Satans yoke they were never wearied with sinne for if they were so this would be acceptable newes but it is not so Now marke this by the way if a servant would not go free he should not afterwards be at libertie to goe and stay when hee list but his eare shall be bored and he should be a perpetual servant So if you deferre this when you heare the Gospell preached and thinke I will not alway live in this condition I will repent and come out of it know that is not enough God will not wait thy leasure if thou wilt not come out take heed lest God bore thee in the eare that is never give thee an heart to come out Doe not say If it be so necessary I will doe it hereafter take heed that thy opportunities be not wholly taken from thee and know that Christ came into the world not only to take away sinne for that was but a part of it But what was his businesse he came like
sinne As David in the one and fiftieth Psalme saith Against thee against thee onely have I sinned repeating it twice in that place he composed that Psalme to set forth his sin but that which wounded his conscience that made him see the hainousnesse of his sinne was this Against thee I have sinned So the Prodigall sonne this is the circumstance by which he aggravates his sin Against heaven and against thee I have offended So learne to know that your sinnes are against god and therefore to presse this Truth a little more Consider well with your selves what is the reason that God hath required such a vast punishment against sinne that is eternall death thinke what eternity is it is that which swallowes up your thoughts it is a punishment the length and depth and breadth whereof you cannto comprehend Thinke why God hath appointed such a vast punishment and you shall find it is because you sinne against an Immense a great and Almighty God the length and breadth and depth of whose greatnesse you cannot comprehend Againe what is the reason God should appoint such a Mediatour to take away the sins of the world that the Son of God must needs take flesh which the Angels themselves wonder at it is such a wonderfull action that they cannot but admire and in heaven we shall stand amazed at it which evidences the greatnesse of sinne Learne to know this put al these foure together and see how these doe hold correspondencie one with another and you shall finde out the nature of your sinne First consider the greatnesse of God his infinitenesse the greatnesse of his Authority the wonderfull vast Soveraignty he hath over all creatures from this greatnesse of God comes the second the greatnesse of sinne I have made knowne this Truth but thou hast with-holden it thence it comes that sinne is so great that the least sinne which thou makest nothing of is a thing of so great moment That is the second which followes on the greatnesse of God Thirdly upon the greatnesse of sinne you see the greatnesse of the punishment if such an one as Aristotle or a stranger from the Truth should heare of this punishment the greatnesse whereof appeares herein that the worme dieth not and the fire is not quenched how would he wonder at it but knitting these together it will not seeme strange Last of all the greatnesse of the punishment causeth the greatnesse of such a Mediatour to take away this punishment and sin So there is a correspondencie in them come from God to sin from sinne to the punishment from punishment to the Mediation or redemption by which this sinne is taken away Learne therefore to know what sin is I know not a truth of greater moment And to all adde that 1 Cor. 15.56 The sting of death is sinne If you look on death it is the most terrible thing in the world You know what the Philosopher said of it of all terrible things it is the most terrible the most fearfull but sin is the sting of death As if he had said Death is a small thing in comparison of sin let a man want sin and death is nothing it is but sleepe it is nothing to have the body and soule separated Againe suppose there were no death but let body and soule remaine together yet sin is a terrible thing it is above all the Terrours in the world as in Iudas see his Terrours though there was no death on him see Adam when he was not in Hell but in Paradise yet how was he Tormented with his sin Therefore weigh not sin in a wrong ballance looke not on it with a wrong light take heed of being deceived for in this of all other things men are most apt to be deceived That is the corruption of Nature that strange darknesse is brought on men by Adam that in the thing that most concerneth him which is sin in that he is most ignorant most apt to be deceived Therefore when the Apostle speaks of sin he comes in still with this caution Be not deceived 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither Fornicatour nor Idolaters nor adulterers c. shall inherit the kingdome of God as if men in that were most apt to be deceived So Ephes. 5.6 Be not deceived for for such things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience And observe when Christ goeth about to show to any man or to any Church what their sins are or what their danger is he addes this Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches his end being to tell them of their sin still that comes in He that hath an eare to heare let him heare As if he had said when I come to speake of matter of sin there be many here that can tell what I say that can understand me well but few have eares to understand indeed As when the Prophet came to Ieroboam he heard the Prophet so as it anger'd him he knew what his sin was but he heard it not to purpose So when Christ pronounceth a woe to the Scribes and Pharisees they heard it well enough but they had not an eare to heare it to purpose Men may heare what flesh and common reason and common men say of sin but not what the Spirit saith of it there is another kinde of sinfulnesse in sin which is the spirituall evill of sin and what the Spirit saith of this they doe not heare Therefore you must even be brought to Christ as the deafe man was who being both deafe and dumbe was brought to Christ that he might lay his hands on him now Christ put his finger into his eares and saith Ephata be thou opened and then the man heard and spake so of all men that heare this Word there is not a man but he is deafe according to this inward kinde of hearing therefore you must be brought to Christ and beseech him to give you eares to heare for few hath eares to heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches when it discovers their sin and misery Therefore let not this Doctrine be in vain to you but learne from hence to humble your selves to come to God and say to him Lord I am now amazed and confounded I thought before losses and crosses were great matters but now I see they are but flea-bitings to sin I was heretofore troubled at a small crosse but little or nothing at sin Lord I confesse this was my case but I see now sinne is another thing Thus we should learne to humble our selves before God But if any object This is the way to discourage men to make them desperate to make them fly from Religion by telling them sin is so terrible I answer it is not the way to discourage men from comming to Christ but to encourage them and drive them to him This is the way to Salvation Indeed if there were no remedy for sin it were a desperate case but
in the world what outward imployment soever wee exercise our selves in yet our maine businesse is in heaven we be ready on all occasions to look to the face of the Ruler of the Physition of men and creatures but we forget that the swaying of the ballance this way or that way is from the Lord When Iacob had prayed earnestly to be delivered from Esau God answers him thou hast prevailed with God and thou shalt prevaile with men so whatsoever businesse you have on earth if you will bring your enterprize to passe prevaile with God and you shall be sure to prevaile with men turne him and all is turned with him for all depends upon him Whatsoever is done on earth is first done in heaven and concluded there and then we feele and taste the fruit of it here From this generall we may descend to particulars and from hence you may learne That it is not our Army by Land nor our Navy at Sea that shall secure us at home or prevaile abroad though it bee well that these things bee done and therefore you doe well in contributing cheerefully to his Majesty for the maintenance thereof for the common good yet still remember that all your businesse is in heaven and that you must trust more to your faithfull prayers then to your preparations for successe in all enterprises It is not our woodden wals that will guard us it is not the Sea wherewith you are invironed nor our policy counsell and strength that will secure us and defend us but it is turning to the Lord and cleansing the Land from the sinnes wherewith he is provoked that will doe the deed Turne to him and then he will turne to you that shall bee a blessing on us and all our enterprises This is to see God in all things this is to sanctifie and exalt him for God in our hearts and without this all is nothing I will end this point with this briefe direction you know there is in every man I speake now of every man that is holy and not of others who are strangers from God the flesh and the spirit there is faith and sense and one of these two every man sets on worke to take a view of the things that are before them If you set faith and the spirit on worke to looke on things they will tell you it matters not what outward things are what the Creature is for it is God that doth all set the flesh on worke set sense and carnall reason on worke and they will bring quite contrary newes like the wicked Spies that were sent into the Land of Canaan who when they did but cast their eye on the state of things there they were first discouraged themselves and then discouraged the hearts of the people Oh there bee Gyants and wals reaching up to heaven Whereas the good Spies that looked on things with another eye brought another kinde of message Iust thus it is with us in sending out our Spies to looke upon the state of things before us if we send forth the Flesh Sense and Reason they bring report of terrible Wals and cruel Giants their power is so great their forces so strong that there is no medling with them but send Faith and the Spirit and the Will like good Spies looke on things with a right Iudgement and indeed that is all the difference betweene an holy man and another the one lookes on things with another eye hee sees a vanity in the Creature which the other doth not he sees an All-sufficiencie in God which the other cannot And therefore he hath onely an eye to the Lord all his care is to serve him and please him in all things So he hath no ill newes from heaven he cares for nothing on earth The other cares not how matters stand betwixt God and him so all things bee well below so his Mountaine stands strong and therefore that we may judge of things with a righteous judgement we must be carefull to see them in their true nature which onely Faith and the Spirit will present And so much shall serve for that point You see then that it is the wrath of God that doth all hurt and the favour of the Lord that doth all the good We come now to the second point which will come in well upon the former That it is sinne that causes wrath sin and wrath are knit together they are inseparable So that as Elisha said when Iehoram sent a messenger unto him to take away his life when he was sitting in the house with the rest of the Elders Shut the doore upon him and hold him fast for is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him So I say to every man If sinne and wrath come together then first shut the doore of sin which is the Messenger suffer it not to come in give it no entertainment for is not the sound of his Masters feet behinde him Doth not the wrath of God follow And shall not that wrath take away our head as Elisha said Therefore if you will keepe out GODS anger keepe out sinne But you will say I feele no such thing I have committed sinne and yet have no experience of his wrath following so close upon it I answer you must know this that as diseases must have a time of ripening so must sinne You know the poison of a disease enters not into the heart at first Sin hath certaine Vestigia which are set downe Iames 1.14 When Lust is conceived it brings forth sinne and when sinne is ripened and perfected it brings forth death The reason why it brings not death presently is because it is not perfect because it is not ripe The sinnes of the Amorites saith God are not yet full Ahab had committed a sinne he had got the Vineyard and slaine Naboth and yet heard nothing of it but when he had killed and taken possession too then came the Messenger of wrath and execution followed God let Iudas goe on till he had made the match taken recompence and betrayed his Master but than wrath came in upon him God stayed a great while till the sinne of Pharaoh was perfected till his hardnesse of heart was come to a ripenesse and then he was drown'd in the Red-sea Therefore in the second to the Romans it is said There is a Treasure of wrath Now in a Treasure there are three things First when a man is once able to treasure up any thing he is still adding to it and by degrees it growes and in that sense the Lord hath a Treasure of wrath as we adde sinnes he addes drops to the viall of his wrath till it be full Secondly it is a Treasure for a Time it lies still a while for else it were not Treasure And thirdly when the time of expence comes then it is opened And so it is with the wrath of the Lord it is gathered by
of chaffe preserv'd from burning Is it not because there is some Corne some Wheate mixed therewith If the Corne be once out will not the Lord as men use to doe after winnowing set the chaffe on fire As women with childe are grieved to be delivered so the Lord stayes till the world be delivered as it were of all his Elect ones of all the Saints of all his holy and zealous ones and then shall be brought forth the Iudgement of the great day The World may cast out these men as the Sea doth Pearles among mire and dirt but they are Pearles notwithstanding God knowes them to be so and wise-men know them to be so yea Pearles excelling other men as much as Iewels doe common stones as much as Lilies and Roses doe Thornes and Bryers among which they grow What 's the reason that Elijah is called the Chariot of Israel and the Horsemen thereof but because hee was an holy man that did much for Gods glory that did more advantage the State at home and did more prevaile abroad than all the Chariots and Horsemen And may not we apply this to the zealous among us Therefore when we injury any of them doe not wee cut off the haire from Sampsons head wherein the strength of every Countrey and Nation and every Citie and Towne consists Yea the cutting off of them is like the cutting off of his lockes which the more the grow the more strength a Kingdome hath I say no more but commend it to every man in his place wishing that you would let it be your generall care to encourage true Religion and Zeale the omitting whereof I am perswaded is one of those things which causeth the Lords hand to be stretched forth against us Secondly if it be Zeale that turnes away the LORDS wrath then where is the Zeale that should be among us Are wee not rather fallen into those later times the Apostle speakes of which should have a forme of Religion without the Zeale and Power and Life of it And if Zeale turnes away Gods wrath certainly then this formalitie this overlinesse of Religion this coldnesse without Zeale and Power is it that brings on his wrath It is true and we cannot deny but knowledge abounds amongst us as the waters in the Sea But where is the Salt That is where is that Zeale and holinesse that should season all our knowledge Where is the Fire that should adde practice to our knowledge and make it an acceptable sacrifice to GOD Wee have the light of former Times but not their heat As he complaines Ignis qui in Parentibus fuit calidus in nobis lucidus The Fire which in ancient Times was hot is now onely light We thinke it enough to goe to Church to receive the Sacrament and so to keepe a round as it were to doe as most doe being carried about with the generall course of the World as the Planets are with the rest of the Spheres contrary to that which should bee their proper motion But I beseech you consider it Is this Religion Is this the Power of Godlinesse is this to be Baptized with the Holy Ghost which is as Fire Surely Religion stands not in these outward formalities but in changing the heart in making us New Creatures in mortifying our Lusts and thorowly purging out the love of every corruption Therefore if you will turne away Gods wrath turne your formality into Zeale that is content not your selves with the performance of the duties of Religion externally but get that wherein the power of godlinesse consists else the outside of Duties will not divert Wrath. Againe did Zeale turne away the wrath of the Lord then where are our zealous affections Why are we not zealous for the Lord and zealous against sinne You know Christ died for this end that hee might purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Titus 2.14 Men doe good actions as a Taske they are glad when they be over but doe you them with much intention much fâ—rvencie much desire be you a people zealous of good workes Therefore in Rom. 12.11 They are put together be fervent in spirit and serving the Lord implying that the Lord respects no service but as it is joyned with fervencie Therefore know that it is not enough to serve the Lord in an ordinary Tract you must mend your pace to heaven it is not enough to goe but you must runne the way of Gods Commandements And as you must be zealous for him so you must be zealous against evill For you must know this and marke it well it is not enough to abstaine from sinne it is not that alone that God will accept but he lookes that you should hate sinne As it is said of Lot his righteous soule was vexed with the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites that is his heart rose against them there was an inward distaste against them the like you shall see in David and Moses You will say I hope I detest sinne and am angry with it It may be so perhaps you are angry with sinne but Zeale you know is an intention of the affection of hatred and it is required that you hate sinne Revel 2.6 This thou hast that thou hatest the worke of the Nicolaitans which I also hate You will say How doe they differ You shall know hatred by this First it is a constant affection it abides with us Anger goes away as all passions doe it is but for a fit for a flash on some occasion Againe hatred is alwayes of generals the sheepe hates all Wolves we hate all Toads all Serpents I say wheresoever there is hatred it turnes to the whole Species Now doe you hate all sinne all kindes of sinne one as well as another Doe you not only abstaine from them but also hate them of what sort soever they bee Lastly Hatred seekes the utter destruction of the thing hated Anger would have but a proportion of Iustice as Aristotle sayes Now is it so with you Doe you seeke the utter destruction of sinne abstaining not onely from grosse sinnes but from all dalliances from the least touch of sinne cleansing your selves from all pollusions of the flesh and spirit If you will be zealous for the Lord then know that this is required that you not onely doe things but that you doe them zealously that you not onely abstaine from sinne but that you hate it Againe if it be Zeale that turnes away the wrath of the Lord then where is our boldnesse our courage our forwardnesse for the Truth Why are we so fearefull and shie of doing the thing that otherwise we thinke meet to bee done For Zeale hath that prâ—pertie among the rest it makes men bold the Zeale of the Apostles was knowne by their boldnesse But you will say A man may be too bold It is very true when the horse runnes up and downe and is at libertie
unlesse we give him an expected issue It cannot be What shall we then doe The way to stop his wrath is to stand in the gap when a breach is made in the Sea or in a River as long as the breach continues the waters come in upon the Land the way to prevent further inundation is to make up the breach This plague is but a gap a few may yet stand in the gap and stop it you see what Phineas did here alone and it is much what one man may doe therefore let every man for his owne part humble himselfe for his owne sinnes let him turne from them and be zealous with God by prayer by striving and contending with him for there bee but two wayes to stand in the gap one is faithfull and fervent Prayer the other is Zeale against sinne and in defence of that which is good I will say no more of this for I doe but name the point onely remember that except you doe thus this jealousie of GOD shall goe on grow upon us and wax hotter and hotter Now the last point of all is this that the effect of this jealousie if it goes on shall bee utter destruction therefore sayes the Text That I consumed them not in my jealousie as if hee had said else my jealousie should have gone on and that jealousie should have beene confusion It is yet but a plague the Land is yet safe wherein you may see the Lords great patience and long-suffering but if something be not done if this jealousie of his bee suffered to goe on if nothing bee done to prevent its further progresse his wrath will end in utter destruction you know I need not tell you how neare we were to this destruction in Eighty eight the Gunpowder-treason we were brought much nearer the Ax was then laid to the root this was twice I will say thus much unto you take heed of the third time The Lord sayes well let the Tree stand yet a while longer let no more blowes bee yet given it that I may see if it will bring forth any more fruit but as I said and remember it take heed of the third time the Lord hath appointed sinne to destruction and hee expects your execution of it I will put you in remembrance of the story of Ahab and Benhadad It were good that you would reade the whole story 1 Kings 20.26 you know what was Benhadads behaviour to him the LORD delivered him into his hand hee offered him what hee would have hee entred into Covenant with him spared him and sent him away but you shall see what message was sent afterwards Because thou hast spared him that was appointed for destruction therefore shall thy life goe for his life Sin is now in your hands let it not escape execution I doe not speake particularly of punishment that I leave to you to doe according to your wisdome and according to justice according to discretion and observance of all circumstances Onely I say this to you be zealous and remember yea let it remaine with you as an irreversable truth that this jealousie of GODS if it goes on will bee destruction Therefore learne hence to feare Securitie is like a Calme before an Earthquake you know it is said of Laish it was a secure people and you know how they fared They were so secure that when an enemie came against them it was like the shaking of a Fig-tree that hath ripe Figges on it which being shaken the Figges fall into their mouth Be not secure but feare which is both a signe and a meanes of safetie It is true there is a double feare One kinde of feare indeed brings evill on us and that wee shall finde was the feare of Ieroboam who being afraid that by occasion of the peoples going to Ierusalem the Kingdome would returne to the House of David therefore hee falls to indirect policie and out of that feare caused Golden-calves to be set up in Dan and Bethel Indeed a feare that sets us on wrong meanes is unlawfull as that very thing was the destruction of him and of his House for it lost them the Kingdome So Saul had a feare but that feare was his undoing because it set him a worke to use ill meanes for when hee was afraid hee went to the Witch of Endor which was his ruine whereas it may bee if hee had sought to the LORD hee might have obtained helpe But then there is the good feare that I commend to you which is opposite to security that is such a feare as sets you on worke to use good meanes You see David when Zigâ—ag was burnt with fire and his men were readie to stone him what his feare set him on worke to doe to pray to encourage himselfe in the Lord and this feare turn'd away the evill Such a feare was Iehosaphats when hee feared hee humbled himselfe before the LORD by fasting and prayer Let this bee your feare and let it have such an effect among you to use such meanes as shall turne away the Lords wrath And in a word to conclude and it shall be the last word I will speake to you marke it well and harken to it as newes from Heaven as a message from God When Asa came home with that great Victory the Spirit of God came upon Azariah And hee met Asa and said unto him Oh Asa and all Iudah and Benjamin heare mee If you bee with the Lord the Lord will bee with you but if you forsake the Lord the Lord shall also forsake you And this I say to you all If you will be with the Lord the Lord shall be with you and if you forsake the Lord he will reject you But you will say what great newes is there in this Marke it We are apt to thinke that to bee with the LORD is not enough but wee must have other meanes and proppes and helpes No saith hee it is enough for you to sticke close to the Lord and to take no other care for the Lord will be with you who is Almightie and able to defend you Againe we are apt to thinke that though we forsake the Lord yet hee will not forsake us else why are wee so bold in sinne Why are not wee more zealous against sinne Why mourne we not for the abominations that are amongst us But the Prophet answers us for that If you doe forsake the Lord the Lord will also forsake and depart from you Consider it and the Lord give you understanding FINIS THE NEW CREATVRE Or A TRATISE OF SANCTIFICATION Delivered in Nine Sermons upon 2 Cor. 5.17 By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of IESUS CHRIST IOHN PRESTON Doctor in Divinitie Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometime Preacher of Lincolns INNE ROMANS 12.2 Be not conformed to this world but be yee transformed by the renewing of your minde GALATH. 6.15 For in
him off But you will say these things that you speak are wonderfull things how shall we have this wrought in us By being in Christ this wonder is wrought in us when a man is once ingrafted into Christ when hee hath once received him this great worke is wrought in him in his heart hee is made a new Creature But if you adde to this the second way of raising this Sanctification from our Iustification then you will understand it yet more fully and distinctly There are certaine actions wrought in our soules by which this Sanctification followes Iustification and those are these First when a man seeth great reason for it for when a man is once convinced of a thing that it is best for him to doe it and takes a resolution to him to performe it Now when a man hath beene humbled and knoweth what sinne is when he hath had his heart prepared when he comes in once to take Christ that is when he seeth his owne basenesse and Christs excellencie what he was without Christ and what he hath by Christ that when he expected nothing but death then the Gospell came and said Thou shalt live when he seeth that Christ deales with him after this manner then hee thinkes surely It is good reason that I should serve him before indeed we thinke his service to be an hard service and we doe with him as people that are under a tyrannous King they refuse to obey such an one so doth all the world with Iesus Christ they thinke his Law to be an hard Law written with bloud and they thinke him to be an hard Governour such a King as they know not how to be subject unto But when a man is once convinced by the Spirit when he sees reason for it when he is perswaded that Christ will governe him for his wealth that Christ hath suffered for him and freed him from the wrath of God then hee thinkes thus There is reason that I should suffer him to rule over me and when a man seeth reason for it he comes then willingly to submit himselfe to Christ. This is the worke of the Spirit whereby he perswades a man that there is reason for it and it is attributed to the Spirit Iohn 16 The Spirit convinceth of Sinne of Righteousnesse and of Iudgement that is it shewes us that we are sinfull and that there is a Righteousnesse in Christ to heale that And thirdly it convinceth us that there is reason for it why we should serve God in Sanctification and Iudgement The meaning of the word He shall convince is that the Spirit shewes us reason why we should embrace Sanctification and serve the Lord in all things Now when the heart of man is brought to this to see reason and equity in this then a man takes resolution to cleave to Christ to serve him Secondly as he deales with the reason so he doth likewise with the affections for he begets love in us which love sanctifieth us it sets us on worke and turnes the whole heart as the Rudder turnes the Ship for it sits in the sterne of a mans Soule and the reason that when we are justified we love Christ is because when as before a man magnified himselfe setting himselfe at an high rate like a virgin that is coy and curious thinking no man good enough for her now the Law comming and convincing him of the need he stands in of CHRIST and shewing him what he is in himselfe he is hereupon content to marry with the Lord Christ Nay further the Spirit of God not only shews him the need that hee stands in of an husband he being not under covert and deepely in debt the whole weight of his debt lying on himselfe but it goes further and shewes him the beautie of Christ as Ioh. 14.21 To him that loves me I will manifest my selfe that is I will declare my beauty and when the Spirit shewes Christ to the Soule it makes it in love with him We may shew him to you an hundred times over and yet beget not this affection in you but the Spirits shewing is effectuall to that end and when you love him you must needs please him in all things it being the care of the married wife to please the husband So that when the heart is prepared by humiliation and takes Christ love is wrought in the Soule and love sanctifies for Sanctification is nothing else but a setting our selves apart from common uses and keeping of the heart close to God making it peculiar to him and this love makes us to doe when the wife loves the husband shee will be his altogether she will be only to him she will be divorced from all Adulterers and have nothing to doe with them and thus the Lord deales with the affections Thirdly there is wrought not only a love to the Lord but a perswasion that it is good for our selves to serve him in holinesse Indeed many times to satisfie our affections we love a thing too much though wee doe not thinke our selves gainers thereby but in this matter the Lord perswades us that it is best for our selves to sanctifie him in all things to draw neere unto him to sanctifie his Name in our hearts so that now not only love to Christ but even selfe-love also is set on worke to the making us New Creatures for the wayes of God are propounded as good and profitable and pleasing things and when the heart lookes on them it sees them as good for it selfe so that the heart turnes towards them as it cannot but doe to every thing that it apprehends to be good and profitable to it So that when the Holy Ghost shall perswade a man that it is best for himselfe that he shall best provide for himselfe every way by taking Christ hee cannot choose but come in when hee shall see it is best for him to goe to the Citie of refuge that he cannot live else and that if he comes there he shall have life and not only life but a kingdome too and that the way that leads thereto is grace and holinesse hee will goe and goe fast enough When a man is perswaded Christ is the Citie of Refuge to whom I must go else I cannot be safe and that the way to him is to be a new Creature this makes him to goe on and willingly too for it is out of selfe-love Againe when a man is justified and hath taken Christ there is bred in him an holy Ingenuitie which makes him so thankfull to Christ that hee is ashamed to joyne Christ with any sinne As Rom. 6.21 What profit had yee in those things whereof yee are now ashamed you are now ashamed to commit them any more A man will thinke it now an unreasonable thing that Christ should doe so much for him be crucified for him and so give him life being before dead men that he should take flesh for the remission
of his sins and that he in recompence of this kindnesse should serve his lusts Therefore he reasons as Ioseph did with his Mistresse Shall I doe this and so sinne against God and my Master he hath committed all to me hee hath done thus much for me and shall I thus requite him And as Nathan taught David to reason Hath the Lord made thee King over Israel and done thus and thus for thee and wilt thou serve him thus So that I say there is an holy Ingenuity bred in us whereby out of thankfulnesse wee will shun whatsoever may offend him Besides this we are taught that we sustaine another person and every man desires to maintaine the dignity of the person hee sustaines When a man is once in Christ he thinkes not the courses he lived in before to be sutable to the condition he is now in Therefore the Apostle reasons 1 Pet. 1.14 Fashion your selves no longer after the lusts of your former Ignorance but be holy as he is holy that is if you take your selves to be in Christ and that you be come unto God admit not any more those lusts which though they suted with your former yet not with this condition he reasons as Nehemiah did Shall such a man as I doe this Lastly which is the chiefest reason of all As soone as a man hath taken Christ and is justified there is a strong impression made upon his Soule by which he is caused to cleave unto him and to long after him as the Iron doth after the Load-stone that cannot bee at rest untill it hath attained it A man shall set himselfe in the wayes of God though it were but to give satisfaction to the desires of his Soule And indeed were it not for this wee should not serve the Lord this makes us New Creatures I say there is a strong inclination in every man that is justified that he can doe no lesse than serve the LORD even to satisfie that For example when Eliah had called Elishah hee could not choose but follow him all the reasons in the world could not keep him back At the time when he cast his mantle on him there was an impression made on him as when Christ said to Levi and Peter and Andrew and the rest follow me their profits and nets and fathers were nothing they needed no more perswasion for there was a secret impression made upon their hearts together with Christs Word and to satisfie that they must needs follow him Such an impression as this was made on the heart of Ruth to follow Naomi you know how she put her to it but Ruth would not goe backe for she loved her and therefore nothing but death should separate them And the same was in Iacob to Rachel seven yeeres and seven yeeres service the length of time and hardnesse of labour could not keep him from his Vncles house nor drive him off such a strong desire was planted in his heart towards her and such a desire is planted in the heart of every Christian that is justified a strong Instinct as I may call it a strong affection after Iesus Christ and he must needs goe on in the wayes of Sanctification seeing there is no other way to satisfie himselfe So that putting all this together when a man shall see such reason for holinesse when he shall have affections of delight therein of love thereto when he shall see it best for him and that it is impossible hee should have the Lord Iesus Christ whom he so much desires if he serve him not in the duties of Sanctification he must needs come to a fixed resolution I will be another man and runne another course I will change my life altogether I will serve him in holinesse and in the duties of new obedience And after this manner doth Sanctification arise from Iustification first from a worke of the Spirit and then by all these passages that goe thorow the minde of a man which though they be not marked distinctly yet are truely in the heart And so much for the first point Now we will come to the second which is That Iustification and Sanctification are inseparable they cannot bee disjoyned But you will say this is a point that needs no proving I would my Brethren it did not I would that men were perswaded of the truth of it but we may see by the lives of men that they are not perswaded of it for their lives be loose and they thinke that if they can call on Christ in the day of death and cry for pardon it will be enough and that without such strictnesse a man may be saved Therefore to make it cleare to you you must remember this as a ground No man can be saved by the second Adam except hee bee borne of the second Adam As no man could be condemned by the first Adam that was not borne of the first Adam for the reason why all mens natures are corrupted is because all are borne of him If a man were created and did not descend by generation from him he should be free from Sinne and so could not be condemned but comming out of his loynes puts us into a condition of condemnation And so on the other side except you be borne of the second Adam you shall not be saved What is that You must be made New Creatures Ioh. 1.12 As many as received him he made the sonnes of God What is that a meere title No verse the thirteenth They are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of the will of God that is they are borne of the second Adam and Ioh. 3.5 Whosoever is not borne of the Spirit shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Now as our nature was corrupted in the first Adam there being a compact and covenant betweene God and him that if Adam stood all his seed should stand with him but if he fell then that all that were borne of him should by vertue of that covenant compact or agreement have his sinne imputed to them and so should be corrupted as hee was and die the death So there was a second covenant betweene us and the second Adam which is the new Testament spoken of in Ier 31 and in Heb. 8. I will make a new Covenant saith God And what is that I will put may Law in your minde and write it in your inward parts that is by vertue of the compact and agreement which is the new Testament following upon the former all that shall be saved by Christ shall be borne of him they must be new men whosoever shall be justified by him must be a new Creature Secondly because it is the will of God It is true God might have saved us without it if it had beene his pleasure it had beene no more but calling men at the houre of death but is otherwise 1 Thess. 4.3 This is the will of God even
your Sanctification And if there were no other reason but Gods will that those that be justified shall be sanctified it is enough God hath called you to holinesse he hath appointed it hee wills it and his will is sufficient to enforce it Againe consider when we are ingrafted into Christ it it not simply an ingrafting but wee are ingrafted into the similitude of his death and resurrection Rom. 8. that is no man is ingrafted into Christ but sinne is crucified in him hee is dead thereto that is he is a dead man in regard of the life of sin and is alive to God as Christ rose from the dead so he is raised to newnesse of life If it had beene simple ingrafting into Christ there had needed no further Relation but we are ingrafted into the similitude of his Death and Resurrection Again it was the end of the Lords comming If hee had come only to save men there had beene no need of being New Creatures but he came also to purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes and to destroy out of man the workes of the Devill and to purchase to himselfe an holy Generation and Royall Priest hood Now whatsoever the Lords end is he never failes of Againe you must consider that to whomsoever Christ is a Priest hee is also to them a Prophet and a King he is annointed to all these Offices And therefore if you will be saved by him by the vertue of his Priest-hood you must take him as a Prophet that is you must take his counsell in all things and not only so but he must also be your King you must not only learne his way but you must also be perfectly subject and obedient to him to walke therein Indeed as a Priest he reconciles God unto us but not us to God except hee come with his other two Offices for man stands out and will not know the way and therefore as a Prophet Hee is to guide our feet into the way of peace and that is not all therefore because our hearts are stubborne and will not come in he exercises his Kingly Office And brings into subjection every thought to the obedience of his will Againe looke to all the meanes as first to Faith the same Faith that justifieth doth also purifie the heart Having their hearts purified by faith Act. 15. And as many as are sanctified by faith that is in me Act. 26.28 And likewise the bloud of Christ not only covers but also heales Hebr. 9.14 How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through his eternall Spirit offered himselfe to purge your Consciences from dead workes c. It hath not onely vertue to take away the guilt of Sin but it is effectuall also to purge the conscience from the power of sinne Againe the Gospell wee preach doth not only offer Christ but likewise cleanseth You are cleane through my Word Ioh. 15. And in the hundred and nineteenth Psalme and the ninth verse Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word The Spirit as it is a Spirit of Adoption so is it of Sanctification making clean the roome where it dwelleth and making it a fit Temple for the Lord. Consider the Sacraments Baptisme doth not only wash from the guilt of sin but from the filth of sin also from the blot and deformity of sinne And so I have done with these two points how Sanctification rises from Iustification and that they cannot be separated Before we proceed to other Observations we will by way of Vse from the inseparability of Iustification and Sanctification draw this consequent that if they be inseparable we should goe to God and beseech him that having given us the first that he would grant us the second also If you have any assurance that your sins are forgiven you let him not deny you this to make you new Creatures they be inseparable and therefore you have just cause to pray him not to separate them therefore you may claime them both as your due seeing you have his promise for both and you must urge him on his promise we desire Iustificatioâ—â—or our owne sake but Sanctification that we may glorifie God and therefore when you come to God with this request Lord make mee a new Creature that I may bring glory to thy Name that I may serve thee and do good in the place wherein I live he will not deny thee Consider but this very Sacrament which we are now going to receive you must know that the Sacrament seales the whole Covenant of God as 1 Cor. 11. This is the New Testament in my bloud that is this Cup is a signe and seale of the new Covenant which I have made with man and which is confirmed with my bloud Now what is that Covenant You shall see it it Ezek 36.26 and it containes three parts all which are sealed by this Sacrament First hee promiseth to wash them from their filthinesse that is from the guilt of their sins which is the first part Secondly A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit I will put into you that is I will make you new Creatures which is the second part of the Covenant Thirdly I will call for the Corne and will encrease it and will lay no famine upon you c. that is hee will give all outward comforts you shall inherit he Earth and be heires of the world and of â—ll in the world for the world is yours 1 Cor. 3. All and all in it is yours This is the whole Covenant of God and this hee seales to every one of you when you come to receive the Sacrament If you receive it worthily for it is the New Testament in his bloud And therefore seeing hee seales it to you that he will give you a new heart and a new Spirit and make you new Creatures you should go to him and claime it of him for you may sue him of his own bond written and sealed and he cannot deny it therefore begge it and you cannot misse of it This is a very comfortable doctrine if it be well considered For what is that that keepes a man from comming to Christ but his discouragements He thinkes it so hard a thing to be a new Creature that he cannot attaine it that he cannot leave such a course of life and therefore he stands off and though he will come in yet he will not as yet because it is a bondage intollerable But you do not consider what it is to have a new Nature If it were to have a new life and an old heart it were otherwise but the Lord will give a new heart and if he will not deny you but make you new Creatures you may be encouraged to goe to him If there be any Rebellion in your heart any untowardnesse in your nature if you goe to him for the removall of it it is
he keepes you safe If our eyes were opened to see this as the Apostle Pauls were we should magnifie it and stand amazed at it when he comes to expresse what we have by Christ he knowes not how to expresse it In him are all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and they are ours he hath a Kingdome that is ours He is a Sonne so are we he is an Heire so are we nothing can hurt us but it hurts him Therefore make use of this when any thing is objected that is terrible and grievous answer it with this I am in Christ When thou wantest any thing know thou canst not be denied for thou art in CHRIST Set all your thoughâ—s on worke to looke to all the things mans nature is capable of that you desire to make you happy we have them all in him O the length and height and depth of his mercy Indeed it is such a depth that we cannot fadome and a height we cannot reach and a length we cannot measure all this we have by Christ If we had but Pauls spirit to apprehend it and a little crevise of light opened to us as there was to him that we might see into this unsearchable riches of Christ we would stand amazed I cannot stand to inlarge it any further you see what it is to be united to Christ and of what moment Now we will come to make some use of it If it be so glorious a condition to be united to Christ it should inflame us then with a desire to be in him with a desire to be in this condition for if you have the Sonne you have life 1 Iohn 5.12 He that hath the Sonne hath life and all things else pertaining to life godlinesse and happinesse He that hath not the Sonne hath not life that is he is yet in death and condemnation have Christ and have all things therefore it is an happy and glorious condition Therefore let those that have it desire to inlarge it more and more and those that want it let them seeke to get it First I say those that have it let them labour to inlarge it You will say If a man be in Christ how can he be more If he be united if he be married to him how can he be more Iustification admits of no degrees Therefore this is a point worth your consideration That you may bee more in Christ. It is true Iustification in this sense admits of no degrees but it is indivisible either you are married or not married either you are in him or not in him so farre indeed it admits of no degrees But now when a Spouse takes an Husband shee hath so much will as to resolve to make such an one her husband yet there may be degrees of willingnesse she may will it more there may be more desire of it there may be a greater approbation of it so though it be true that every man that is justified in Christ is within the Covenant within the doore yet he may goe in further or lesse farre when he is within So I say you may be within the Covenant but this taking of Christ this being in Christ this receiving of him admits of degrees because though one be married to an husband that there is so much will as to resolve to take him rather than refuse him yet this very wil of taking may be stronger as her affections to him are more the reasons are stronger and larger that invite her to take him So the union with Christ may be neerer yet the knot may be yet straiter and as that increaseth so all the effects and consequences of it increase Therefore the thing we would exhort you to is to be more in Christ to get yet neerer to him You will say How shall that be done Consider what it was that drawed you to him and to labour to intend all that that when you have taken him you may yet make the union neerer and better than it was And these five things will doe it First consider your misery without him you did consider it before which caused you to take him for your Husband when you saw you could not live without him but when you finde that misery to be yet more your resolutions wil be stronger you will more approve your action of taking him you will prize him more Therefore if you will be yet neerer Christ reflect often on your selves on your owne condition and see what you are without him Consider what your sinnes are how you should have perished if you had not taken him how miserable you are still how unable to helpe your selves and the more humble you are the poorer in spirit and the more greedily you will receive him the more degrees will be added to the taking of the Lord Iesus For that is one great meanes to teach us to prize Christ even to know our misery The Prodigall sonne was taught to prize his being in his fathers house by the extremity of want he was in the more he felt the want of it the more he prized it Labour therefore to know what you are out of Christ to feele the want of it to know that you cannot subsist you cannot be without him Againe secondly labour more to know the vertues and the excellencies of your husband for as they are more explicated and discovered to you so you will love him more As one that is married the more she sees in her husband the more she desires him the more glad she is that the match is made there is the greater degree of will to take her husband Labour to see this beauty in Christ to see what he hath done for you Was he not crucified for you Hee loved me saith Paul and gave himselfe for me he died for me Consider all that he hath done consider the great dowry the riches he brings with him all the benefits and priviledges he brings with him and you have by him looke well upon him consider the number of them and the waight of them thinke of all the advantages you get by him the more you see this the more those vertues and excellencies of Christ are explicated and unfolded and made manifest unto you the more you will love him and the nearer is the union betweene you Thirdly be perswaded of his love to you the more you are perswaded of your husbands love the nearer your hearts grow to him Think what it was that made Paul love the Lord Iesus so much it was the strength of his faith he knew the Lord loved him and that Christ had received him If wee could but once get into Pauls condition that we could see the unsearchable riches of Christ the beauties of our husband the advantages we have by him if we had Pauls faith to beleeve his love we should be able to doe as he did to reckon all as drosse and dung wee should prize nothing but CHRIST and
same reason why they should not be poore in their spirituall estate For to what end serve riches Riches serve but for this purpose to procure things needfull for us if we want bread or wine or houses or any thing riches will procure them and therefore we prize riches And so likewise there are spirituall riches that will procure things needfull for our soules and if we want them we shall want that that is profitable for us we shall want that that is necessary for our salvation For riches doe but set men a worke to doe us service riches can doe no more than men can doe but these spirituall riches set God a worke to doe us good they are beyond the other as much as the help of God goes beyond the helpe of man when you need any thing If you be rich in Christ if you be rich in grace if you be rich in good workes it is but putting up your request and you shall have it at the hand of God if you want them you shall have whatsoever he is able to doe for you Now if you be out of Christ saith the Text you are poore that is you want these spirituall riches you have no ground to goe and to make your suit to goe for any thing Againe riches stand us in stead in the time of need for why doe men lay up treasures that when dearth comes when there comes a time of need the riches that they have laid up may serve their turne they may have those ready for their use when other men want them Are not these riches for the same purpose Will there not come a day of need will there not come a time of spending when there will be no leasure to gather at the day of death Then all the seed sowen to the spirit all the good workes that we have laid up will be as a treasure and at that time will do us good And that is the difference between the death of a godly man and another when a wicked man comes to the time of need he hath nothing to sustaine him he hath no oile left in his lampe he hath nothing to helpe him up but the godly man hath a treasure that he hath gathered all his life was to lay up a treasure And this my Brethren you shall finde to be a great comfort at that time that when you come to die all the faithfull prayers that you have made all the good workes that you have done all the sincerity that you have shewed in denying your selves in passing by the things that worldly men catch at in doing things that it may be hath brought trouble and slander and disgrace and persecution on you you shall then find it a treasure Take two men when they come to that day the one rich in this world another rich in good workes and consider which of these two conditions you would choose and therefore it is not a small matter to be rich Now when you are in Christ you are rich out of him you are poore and have nothing to stand you in stead in the time of need Againe this a man hath by riches that he is independant he needs not to serve others and therefore you know the proverbe is that a rich man he can live by others and without others and that is it they boast of So it is with all the Saints they may say to all the world they can live without it because they have God to be theirs they have all his treasures open to them they have enough in him for he is all-sufficient though they have but him alone for their portion yet he is enough as he saith to Abraham I am all-sufficient and why there are but two things that a man can desire to be free from evill and to enjoy good saith hee I am thy Buckler to keepe thee from evill and thy exceeding great reward to give good to thee that is thou shalt have enough if thou enjoy me Now if you be out of Christ you shall be poore that is you shall want these riches you want the riches of grace and of good workes that should stand you in stead in the time of need which will fetch any thing in for you when you want it which will make you more independant and stand upon your owne bottomes which is that that every man desires Againe if you be out of Christ you are naked Nakednesse is a want of that which should adorne us which should beautifie us and that is the case of every man out of Christ there is no beauty in him It is the Lord only that cloaths us with beauty As it is said of Saul Weepe for Saul yee Daughters of Ierusalem for hee clothed you with Scarlet and did hang ornaments of gold upon your apparell It may be truly said of Christ that he cloaths us with scarlet and hangs ornaments of gold on our apparell that is it is he that makes us Priests to his Father Now the Priests in the old Law were but a type of us we are the true Priests indeed you know they had Iewels and embroidered garments and so all the Saints have the shining graces of the Spirit which adorne and beautifie them when a man becomes so beautified then his sight is comely his voice is pleasant and his prayers are acceptable This benefit we have by being in Christ that it makes us comely in the sight of the Lord we shall be made beautifull Indeed Salomon in all his Royalty was not so beautifull as one of the Saints It is said the Lilies are much better cloathed than he And why Because that was a cloathing of Gods own work this is the clothing of Nature but the cloathing of Grace goes beyond the clothing of Nature If the clothing of Nature be beyond that of Salomon as indeed it is for naturall excellencie surely the cloathing of Grace goes beyond that this you shall have by Christ when you come to him you come to a rich Wardrobe where you may sute your selves from top to tooe that you need want nothing and by the way that use you may make of it when you come to him where there are garments of all sorts where there is change of rayment why should you suffer your soules to be naked in any part I know you reckon it undecent for a man to be unevenly cloathed to have some garments rich and precious and to have some vâ—le and base and why will you suffer your soules then to goe so unequally clad It may be you have graces in one kind but you want others if you come in to him it is he that cloaths you you are naked without him this benefit you shall have by him you shall be cloathed and be made beautifull you shall have that glorious attire that will make you glorious within which will make you comely in the sight of God if not you shall be naked and therefore you shall be rejected
you shall want that beauty which God only accepts Againe if you be out of Christ you shall be hungry you shall be wretched and miserable for I pitch on that generall one because that is one of the outward miseries when a man is hungry when he is starved when he wants that which should strengthen him and refresh him and maintaine his life This is the case of every man out of Christ he wants that which should feed him that which should strengthen him for you must know that the soule hath a meat as well as the body otherwise why doth Christ say I have a meat to eat that you know not of They wondred to see him neglect his dinner when hee stood talking with the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. Why saith he I have another meat to eat And why doth David say Thy Law is sweeter to mee than the honey if there were not somewhat that his soule did feed on And so why is it said that Manna was Angels food You know Manna was a materiall thing such as a spirituall substance cannot feed on but because by that Manna Christ was represented You know he is said to be the true Manna The true Bread that came down from heaven the Angels they feed on this and in that respect it is called Angels food they feed on the same spirituall meat 1 Cor. 10. Your Fathers did eat that spirituall meat that is the corporall meat did typifie the spiritual meat which is Angels food therefore there is a food thâ—t the soule feeds on out of Christ there is none of this but your soules are starved are miserable and wretched For what is it that food doth It maintains life in a man take away food and you die for it Now it is Christ that gives that His flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drinke indeed that is Whosoever beleeves not in him whosoever partakes not of him he dies for ever Againe meat strengthneth and so doth the Lord when we come to him he gives spirituall strength Without him we are able to doe nothing As you have it Ioh. 15. Without me you are able to bring forth no fruit But as the Apostle speakes Phil. 4. Through Christ I am able to do every thing It is the Lord that giveth strength If you will come in you shall have strength given you which is the property of meat Againe meat refresheth and revives the spirits so doth the Lord by his graces by the joy of the Holy Ghost by peace of conscience by those things that he puts into the heart of every beleever I say they refresh the soule more than flaggons of wine and there is as evident refreshing and therefore you know that metaphor is used often in Esay 26. I will make a feast of fined wines and of fat things And in Mat. 22. he cals them to come in for his fatlings were prepared and all things were ready What is the reason that the Lord resembleth spirituall things by a Feast because they doe the same things as a Feast doth a Feast is a refreshing to a man a continuall feast is a continuall comfort and this you shall have if you will come in to the Lord if you will not come in you shall be starved you shall be wretched and miserable This you shall have by the Lord Iesus Let this move you to come in But now a man will be ready to object you tell us of these things and indeed these are goodly things if they were present if they were reall if they were not Imaginary things onely that consisted in notion and in speculation if they were things that were sensible but they are not so these things are future things they are remote things they are things but in Imagination they are things that we have no feeling of they are things that if we looke after them we shall lose other things in this life This objection all the world makes against such motives as these and therefore I will answer these briefly and proceed First whereas men say they are things that are farre off and indeed such things move not much I say they are already present they are a great part present we have the first fruits present though the harvest be deferred and wee may boldly say to you that those very gleanings for the present are beyond the vintage that the children of this world enjoy the peace of conscience the joy of the Spirit boldnesse in death security and freedome from all deaths and dangers familiarity and acquaintance with God to enjoy his favour with all that hee can doe the grace the prevent us the blessing that followes us in all our actions the comforts of the Saints whose hearts are made glad with the light of Gods countenance these things I say are beyond the wine and oile beyond the dainties and honours which they have who have their portion in this life therefore you have something for the present indeed the outside of these things are but base but the inside is precious This is the difference betweene heavenly things and earthly in heavenly the worst is first the best is last In outward things it is true the beginning is sweet but the latter end is bitterest but let that be one answer to it that you have much of it for the present And besides this remember though you have it not present yet you shall have it after and what great matter is it to want a little to enjoy more for the future Are we not content to buy great reversions with the losse of a little money for the present for we say it will come in Are we not content to endure an Apprentiship of seven or eight yeares for our greater advantage Doe not men willingly serve a Master or a Mistresse a long time for hopes hereafter Now what folly yea what Atheisme and unbeliefe is it for a man in things that concerne salvation not to be content to want a little for the present to enjoy happinesse for ever If a man should be put to his choise whether he would have five shillings to day or many thousands to morrow a man no question would have it to morrow You know this life is not so much to eternitie as to day is to the next day why should we not be content to want a little that we may have the more afterwards And besides if you consider what men are men are reasonable and to what end is reason given you but to looke on things past and future That is the part of a Beast only to look on present things you should doe more than the Beasts doe you should looke to things that are future and should order your lives according to that And what have you faith for For faith is that which distinguisheth a Christian from another man as reason distinguisheth a man from a beast surely this should teach you to goe beyond reason reason teacheth you to goe
beyond that which is present and faith carries you beyond that and therefore you should have an eye to things future to things to come and not be occupied in things present and therefore though you have not those things for the present you shal have them and you should be content to want a little that you may enioy the more for the future you should consider things future and not present if reason teacheth you to doe so much more will faith But it will be objected againe It is true but these things that you tell us of they are not reall things they are things that consist but in notion and speculation It is not so you must know that these spirituall Priviledges are reall All that are in Christ are as truely Kings and Priests they are as truly Sonnes and Heires apparant and have all the promises of God intailed upon them and theirs as any Princes in this world and there is no regenerate man that knowes this that will change that glory that is reserved for him in heaven for any earthly kingdome But we have no feeling of these things We answer againe that there is a sense of them as quicke a sense and apprehension of them as there is of any other for what is it that makes men sensible of these outward riches and kingdomes and honours nothing but this because the understanding magnifieth such things and the affection loves and desires such things when you enjoy them then you are refreshed with them for pleasure is nothing else but the suting of a mans desires whatsoever they be No man would take pleasure in any outward things but because first he desire them and the satisfying of that is that that breeds a pleasure now when you come home to Christ you must know that you shall have other desires as you have it in this Text You shall be made New Creatures you shall have other affections than you had before and when these are satisfied you shal have as true Pleasure and rejoycing as ever you had in the other for if that be a true definition of Peasure and rejoycing that it is a satisfying of the desire a satisfying of the appetite whatsoever it is when that is changed Why should you doubt that you shall not have as much sense and as quicke an apprehension yea why may we not say you shall have more For this I will be bold to affirme that the object is greater and the faculty is more capacious and apprehensive The object is greater for it is durable riches it is durable honour a durable kingdome greater than any kingdome upon the earth Looke on all things that God propounds to the sons of men and they are far beyond the things that are here below To be the son of God is more than to be the son of any King to be an heire of heaven to be an heire of all things is more than to be an heire apparant to a Crowne whatsoever is propounded I say it is beyond it therefore the object is greater Then come to the faculties they are more capacious they have a more quicke and lively sense and apprehension as the rationall faculties the understanding and the will their apprehensions are deeper than those of phansie of sense or sensuall appetite and therefore you see the griefe of the reasonable part is more than that of the senses and hence it is that the misery of those that are in hell goes beyond the miseries of any in this life and so the joyes of those that are in heaven is beyond the joy of any in this life Man as he is more happy so he is more miserable than the Beast and why so because the faculty is larger and therefore a man that is heavenly minded a man that lives by faith that is in Christ hee hath greater things to enjoy than a worldly man hath or can have Againe the thoughts the faculties that are taken up about them they are of a larger apprehension and have a more deepe and quick sense than the others have and therefore in matter of sense we cannot yeeld that these things are not sensible For it is Peace of Conscience that passeth all understanding it is joy unspeakable and glorious It is said so of no outward thing and therefore these are farre beyond them that shall serve to answer that objection And so we have gone thorow three of them that they are things absent that they are things that are not reall that consist in notion and speculation that they are things not sensible Now there is a fourth objection but I must lose present things for them if we might have him and enjoy our pleasures if we could have him and enjoy riches and honour we would be content but we must be at a losse But to this we answer that you shall be no losers no not for this life you shall but make an exchange and change for the better What is it that Christ requires of you it is but to do some thing for his sake and to suffer something if you doe it is but seed sowen to the Spirit and as in other seeds every seed bringeth forth more abundantly it riseth with a greater plenty so every good worke you doe it wil doe you good at one time or other you shall be sure to have present wages for it and for that you suffer Mark 10. You shal have an hundred fold in this life and set aside eternall life for every thing that you lose for Christs sake you shal have an hundred fold Many particulars there he reckons up if you lose friends or goods whatsoever you lose you shall have an hundred fold in this life with persecution for there is the objection O but we see they are persecuted they are beneath and not above they are trampled on they are miserable Why though they be yet with persecution you shall have an hundred fold that is you shall have an hundred fold more comfort As I will give you but this instance Take Paul he was persecuted and afflicted had not he an hundred fold Take a man that lives in abundance and in plenty of all things compare his condition with that Apostles and see whether he have not more joy of heart more comfort in those afflictions when he went from Prison to Prison from affliction to affliction than Nero had in his Palace or that men have that enjoy outward things in abundance for they are not outward things that will comfort us them a man may have in plenty and yet want the comfort of them as many thousands have had So much shall serve for the answering of these objections Therefore since there are so many motives to move you to come into Christ the impediments which you finde in the way the objections of the flesh and the objections that come from Satan are but delusions Why should you not come in He is the ground of all
will come What will their condition be then when there is no sprinkling of the bloud on the doore-posts of thy soule It is the case of every man out of Christ What are we out of him when the avengers of bloud when the pursuers shall set on us and pursue us from whom we cannot flie And when we shall be shut out from the hornes of the Altar when we cannot come to Christ the Citie of Refuge it is a terrible thing if we consider it seriously It is said that Aaron when he caused the people to commit that sinne or was an instrument rather it is said that he left the people naked why because he deprived them of the presence of the Lord Now when Christ shall be taken from us when we are without him when we are deprived of him are we not naked is not the hedge broken downe there is nothing left to shelter us what are we without him but as the Conneyes out of the rockes that have nothing to shelter us from the devouring Lion Now Moses was but a type it is Christ that holds the hands of God that he cannot destroy us it is he that stands in the breach and keepes out the inundation of evils that we be not over-whelmed with them he is the Arke of God that causeth the house of Obed-Edom to be blessed and we have more cause to take to heart the want of him a thousand times than they had to lament the losse of the Arke when it was among the Philistims for the Arke was but a type of Christ This is the case of every man living out of Christ. I but you will say Christ is mercifull he is very ready to forgive I hope I am not out of him but he is ready to receive me It is very true he is mercifull but to whom surely not to the wicked he holds not the wicked innocent so speake plainly to you Whosoever continues in any knowne sinne be it never so small to such a man Christ will not be mercifull No sinne shall have dominion over you Rom. 6. for you are not under the Law but under Grace As if he should say there are none whom Christ takes to himselfe and puts into the condition of Grace but he frees them from the dominion of every sinne there is not one ruling lust there You know there are many paths that lead to hell the way that leads the right way is but one errour is manifold there are a thousand paths that lead the wrong way and will not one path lead to hell as well as a thousand He that is in Christ hath crucified the flesh and all the affections there is not one raigning lust there so that as Antichrist had his marke and they received the marke of the Beast So Christ hath his marke too as you have it Ezek. 9. The Writer marked all that mourned God set a marke upon them and he sets a marke upon all those that he is mercifull to You will say what is this mark of the Lord You shall finde 2 Cor. 5.17 Whosoever is in Christ he is a New Creature that is the marke of the LORD IESUS And therefore if thou wouldest know whether Christ will be mercifull to thee consider if thou finde that marke there Art thou a New Creature that is art thou made all New as if thou haddest another soule dwelling in thy body for thou must not be new by halfes thy whole spirit must be New Againe if you will come more properly to this marke you shall finde Ephes. 1. 2 Cor. 1. what it is The Seale and marke that Christ sets is his Spirit Whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his You know Merchants set seales upon their goods to know them that when they meet with their seale they may say This is my parcell of goods So it is in the multitudes of men All that Christ will be mercifull unto he sets his seale on them and where he finds his seale and his mark those he knowes to be his That Seale is his sanctifying Spirit that he hath given us it is as a Seale or earnest 2 Cor. 1. and Ephes. 1. He hath sealed us with the Spirit of Promise that is with the Spirit that he hath promised to us So consider if thou have that Spirit then to sanctifie and to change thy heart to make thee another man than thou art by nature to enable thee to do more than thou canst doe by nature If thou have not this seale of God thou art yet none of his But you will say I have the Seale I hope I have the Spirit Well it is well if thou hast but know this that Christ never gives that privie Seale and Signet of his that inward Seale that none knowes save those that have it but there is a Broad-seale likewise that followes that Seale spoken of 2 Tim. 2. This foundation of the Lord remaineth sure and hath this Seale The Lord knoweth who are his and let them depart from iniquity that call upon the name of the Lord hee addes to that other a parting from iniquitie from all kinde of iniquity there must be none exempt place in thine heart nor in thy life wherein thou wilt have a priviledge thou continuest not in the least sinne but departest from all iniquity then thou hast this Seale aswell as the other If thou want these two Seales if thou be not a New Creature if any sinne have dominion over thee if there be one living lust in thee that is not mortified that is not healed I assure thee thou never haddest yet any part in Christ and if thou be out of Christ thou seest what thou art subject to to the wrath of God and you see the particulars you are subject to death you are subject to the feare of death and to hell and this is the case of every man out of Christ and me thinkes this should somewhat move us to come in and to take him But this is not all that which we have by Christ may invite us a great deale more forcibly If we could but open the Casket and shew you the Iewels or if we could but unlocke the treasures that are hid in Christ it would bring a man in love with him it would make men doe as Paul Account all drosse and dung that they might have him Well though we cannot doe it fully yet we will endevour to doe it a little You will say What shall we have by Christ First you shall have life by him Iohn 6. the place spoken of in the beginning He that beleeves in me shall have eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day When he comes to speake of water to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. when hee would commend to us a motive to stir us up to come and take him and to drinke c. he saith Hee that drinkes this water shall thirst no more That is he