offend I will not eat a bit of flesh as long as the world lasts Beloved we use to say when we are averse to a thing Before I will doe such a thing I will never eat bit of bread such a kinde of zeale and such a kinde of expression may you imagin St Pauls to have been in his resolution of not sinning against Christ and yet how many are there that make no bones of this but let them take heed that God make not their bones and their hearts into the bargain ake for it Sure I am the new converts in the second of the Acts were pricked to the very heart at this very consideration see the place Acts 2.37 You may observe St Peter ver 14. beginning to preach his first Sermon after the ascension his first work is to take off a mistake a misapprehension from the people touching themselves These men are not drunken as ye suppose At ver 22. his Sermon begins to pinch close for he speakes plainely Ye men of Israel heare these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you as ye your selves know Ver. 23. Him being delivered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slaine He followes this argument close all along heightning the sinne by the consideration of Gods exalting of Christ and in ver 36. he puts Gods goodnesse to Christ and their wickednesse against Christ both together and with this as with a great and irresistible hammer God pricks their hearts in Peters Ministry yea he breaks them all to pieces for see ver 37. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe When they heard this that the same Jesus whom they had crucified was exalted by God to be Lord and Christ when they heard this and that they had thus sinned against their Lord their Christ their King this oh this pricked them to the quick this shivered them all to pieces this divided betwixt the joynts and marrow it broke downe all opposition Men and brethren what shall we doe such wretches such vile creatures as we are never were in the world What! is that Jesus that we have crucified is he our Christ our Lord have we thus wronged him thus dealt with him Woe umo us that we have sinned Thus you see how farre this consideration strikes terror here it did strike terror into their hearts may it not strike terrour into yours for know assuredly that that same Jesus the motions of whose spirit or of Gods Spirit you have stood out against I suppose you look upon it as all one for he and the Father are one is that very Jesus whom God hath exalted-heretofore yea and will exalt him again and he will make him actually both Lord and King in all the souls of his people and over all the world and this is he whom ye sinne against whom in a spirituall sense ye crucifie againe as it were even the Lord of glory nay let me go further with you and drive you up closer I must tell you that whilest ye rebell against the workings of the Spirit of God ye do at once sinne against Father Sonne and holy Ghost all at one stroake as I may say A time bath been and that in my dayes when a mans naming the sinne against the holy Ghost in the Pulpit would have made many a heart to tremble I am sure it made mine tremble when I was a boy and minded nothing but pastime and pleasure but though I tell you and I shall make it appear that in resisting the motions of Gods Spirit ye have sinned against Father Sonne and holy Ghost and that your actions especially in some have entrenched and bordered much upon the chanell of such actions as do leade directly to the grand sinne the unpardonable sinne even the sinne against the holy Ghost which you know Christ saith shall never be pardoned in this world nor in the world to come yet who trembles whose heart quakes nay do we not mock at fear and have not some sucked in such principles that doe utterly overturne all shaking all trembling either at the apprehension of their sinnes or of Gods judgements due to them for their sinne My friends for as yet I am no mans declared enemy in the world do not I tell you the truth Do not your hearts and consciences bear me witnesse and witnesse for me If so though you are so hardened that ye cannot cry out What shall we do Yet God hath so softned my heart towards you that I cannot but ask What ye will do Will ye go on I trust in God your hearts will not let you say We will go on and we will do what seemeth good in our own eyes and as for these words which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hear thee No will ye not Are ye resolved thus if you are I will break your resolutions if I can and rather then suffer you to runne on thus headlong into your destruction I will kindle a fire in your very bones I will vex your very souls and bring you with David to cry out as he Psa 6. My bones are vexed O Lord yea my soul is vexed but thou O Lord how long Consider then in the fear of God what I assert what I insist upon viz. That he that sinnes against the strivings of Gods good Spirit sinnes against Father Sonne and holy Ghost That he sins against the Father is evident 1. From those words which Christ useth Joh. 15.23 24. He that hateth me hateth my Father also If I had not done among them the works which none other man did they had not had sinne but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father also Would you have a clearer Text He that hates the Son hates the Father by the same argument He that sins against the Sonne sins against the Father and indeed he and the Father are one or else Union with Christ would not be enough to make Christs poor ones one with the Father but that this is sufficient you may most remarkably see from that heavenly piece of Scripture Joh. 14. from v. 7. to the middle of the 11. verse If saith Christ ye had known me ye should have known my Father also and from henceforth ye know him and have seen him The Disciples stumbled at this but Philip particularly saith to him Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us Christ seems to stumble at them as much as they at him for he speaks to Philip as in their stead Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Philip He that hath seen me hath seen the Father and how saist thou then Shew us the Father Would ye
have things clearer yet viz. that Union with Christ is sufficient to make up Union with the Father and consequently he that sinnes against Christ must needs sinne against the Father Would you I say have it clearer then go on to the 10th verse Beleevest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in me The words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self as if he should say The Father speaks them as well as I nay The Father that dwelleth in me he doth the works too and then he proceeds Beleeve me Philip that I am in the Father and the Father in me Plainet words then these surely cannot be used to assert the Point in hand That sins against Christ are sins against the Father My next work must be to prove that they are sins against the holy Ghost likewise and then I have done in point of proof To evidence this clearly and plainly I suppose we take it for granted that the holy Ghost and the holy Spirit are all one that being granted me as a Suppositum not so much as disputed by your selves Let me put you in minde of some Texts of Scripture wherein the same actions being spoken of you shall finde are in one place implied or expressed plainly to be sins against God by which I understand to be meant the Father in another place they are termed sins against Christ by which name we understand the Sonne and in a third place sins against Gods holy Spirit by which 't is already supposed we mean and understand the holy Ghost These Scriptures being produced and asserting the thing in hand I suppose I have gained the Cause Compare then these three Scriptures together Numb 21.5 1 Cor. 10.9 Isa 63.10 Let us look first upon Num. 21.5 The people of Israel it should seem were in great affliction they wanted bread and water and their soul lothed the Manna they call it this light bread Being in this distresse and affliction it is said expresly They spake against God and against Moses saying Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Aegypt to die in the Wildernesse for there is no bread neither is there any water and our soul loatheth this light bread here you see plainly the Israclites sinne of murmuring under this affliction is said expresly to be against God They murmured against God and against Moses by which word God I hope you will give me leave to understand the Father and never trouble your selves with much scruple or dissatisfaction in the businesse Let us now go to the next Scripture which ye shall finde 1 Cor. 10.9 Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroied of Serpents The Question will be how it appears that the same sin is spoken of in both places To make this sure I must turn you back to Numb 21.6 again which tels us that God for their sin of murmuring immediatly before sent fiery Serpents among the people and they died Now reade the verse I have quoted out of the Corinthians Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroied of Serpents Do you desire I should argue now Is it not plain that that which was called murmuring against God in the Book of Numbers is called tempting of Christ in the Epistle to the Corinthians For what did the Lord send fiery Serpents among the people for murmuring against God For what were they destroied of Serpents for tempting of Christ These then were both one unlesse you understand any other destruction of Serpents to be intended by St Paul then this which was by the biting of the fiery Serpents mentioned in the Book of Numbers My proofs touching Father and Sonne I have done with My next labour must be touching the holy Spirit or holy Ghost as we call him For this view my third Text Isa 63.10 where the Prophet having in the verse before mentioned the gracious and generall loving kindenesse of the Lord toward his people in the daies of old sets down in the next words in the beginning of the 10th verse the general demeanour and carriage of the Israelites his people toward God And what was their carriage 'T was sad I confesse I fear ours is so too They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit Their general posture of actions against God is termed here you see a rebelling and vexing his holy Spirit certainly if all their wicked actions come under this expression then this action likewise of murmuring against God or tempting of Christ being one of their actions must needs do so too And now I think I have gained my cause Having done with my proof let me now treat with you a little you that have sin'd so often against the motions of Gods Spirit and therein in some sense troden under foot the Son of God for Gods sake What do ye think of your selves have ye done well think ye thus at one blow as it were to strike Father Son and holy Ghost in the face Is this recompence for his mercies in sending Jesus Christ to shed his bloud for your sins a fair recompence to the Father Is it equal that such a Lex Talionis should be returned to the Son that we should thus grieve and vex the holy Spirit Certainly if there be any fear of God before out eyes the doing of these things cannot rightly please our hearts But because ye are so hardened in your wickednesse and rebellions against him who will either glorifie you if ye willingly submit to him or torment you for ever if still ye persist be ye under what Form or Administrations ye will For I love not to flatter you in your imaginary shadowâ— taken up of your own heads nor do I place godlinesse or wickednesse in externall Forms but rather in submitting or walking contrary to Christ Let me presse you a little eagerly to consider what ye are doing when ye are sinning against the motions workings and pleadings of Gods good Spirit striving within you as doubtlesse sometimes he doth or else things go very sadly with you Be as merry as ye will Shall I minde you in one word what ye do ye sinne against Father Sonne and holy Ghost all at once ye do in a sense as I told you tread under foot the bloud of Jesus Christ the Son of God for this treading things under foot what is it 't is an expression whereby we signifie our scorning and lothing of a thing as when we say If I could I would tread thee under my foot My Brethren my brethren what do ye lesse when ye do so resist the motions of Gods good Spirit that ye cannot endure to hear him speak to you Nay how many are there who when the Spirit of God would pleade with them and reason them into godlinesse or into the omission of this or that or the other particular sin as of whoredom jeering at good things drunkennesse covetousness or the like presently they take the first
one word Farewell or I am gone I will stay no longer you use me coursly unkindely as if you loved me not What ere the words were 't is sure they stung for she saith expresly her soul failed when he spake Well but what follows sad work Christ knows and your souls know too if you have any acquaintance with Christ I sought him but I could not finde him I called him but he gave me no answer No! what Christ give no answer when a poor afflicted soul cals that 's sad my brethren but thank your selves for it he cals oft and you will not answer him and therefore it is but just with him that when ye call he likewise should not answer you 't was so with the Spouse and haâ—h been so with us if we have any experimentall knowledge of Christ as a Beloved The Spouse under this transaction findes things go sadly with her afflictions come tumbling on her like waves one upon the neck of another and truly no wonder seeing Christ is gone Woe unto you when I depart from you But see how she is put to it she hunts after her Beloved when he was gone she now seeth 't was better rising before as she hunts and seeks about she lights upon the watch and the watch upon her she was catched abroad at unseasonable hours after midnight belike it may be about four of the Clock in the morning but how did the Watch serve her they smote her and the blows were no small ones we use not to strike children so 't is said they wounded her nay it should seem they left her dead else 't is like they would have carried her to prison but by them she is left belike and then she fals into worse hands at least not better for the Keepers of the Walls light upon her and they take away her Veil Beaten Wounded Rob'd you see she is this was great affliction hard usage but all this is nothing to the losse of her Beloved 't was he 't was he that was gone that had withdrawn himself her soul failed when she spake for him she is sick sick at heart sick of love and I tell you my Brethren and Sisters love-sicknesse is heavy sicknesse What sicknesse like it 'T is an affliction greater then beating wounding robbing especially if spiritual the Spouse tels you that plainly for though beaten wounded rob'd and â—ob'd by those that should have comforted her yet all her complaint seems to be that her Beloved was gone that he had withdrawn himself that she could not finde him and therefore being wearied with searching she seems to sit her down panting under her affliction and as if she were able to do no more she cries out to the Daughters of Jerusalem by which I think you may understand such afflicted souls as are beginning to look after Christ and being young do groan like little young children after him To these I say she cries out as being most probably likely to tell her some news of Christ because of his tendernesse to such souls as being perpetually ready to succour them And how doth she cry out to them truly she speaks as if she were now fainting and could do no more for her self I charge you O ye Daughters of Jerusalem that if she finde my Beloved ye tell him I am sick of Love And what think ye now my sweet Friends is it good slieghting of Christ Is it good refusing of him Doth the Sppuse think so No. And What can you think so that have heard this experiment Take need Take heed my Brethren what ye do You see what it cost her you know not what it may cost you if you deal unkindely with him If ye refuse to hearken and to yeeld up your affections as well as your ears to the words which he speaks what know you whether he will speak again for ever You cannot say absolutely but that the spirit of Jesus Christ may be speaking to you in me now at this very time season and moment I say nothing whose I am God in due time will bear me witnesse and bear witnesse with me if I am his Fly not like the moth too busily about the Candle of your own Consciences If you slieght the burning light of that Candle yet consider betime that 't is too great a boldness to play and dally with the Spirit of God who is a consuming fire Oh kisse the Soune lest he be angry if he be angry yea but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him For Gods sake for Christs sake for the Conversion of Souls sake for your Childrens sake methinks these concernments should have some prevalency with you By all these and all the mercies of God if ever Christ knocks deal but as civilly with him as generally we do with strangers ask him Who 's at doore he will answer you doubtlesse 'T is I 'T is I Pray you open and let me come in for this he knocks calls cries But what will he do when he comes in He will do any thing that is good for us he will sweep the house clense our hearts wash away our sins wash our garments or clothe us at least with clean white linnen These things done he will make ready a Feast for us a Feast of fat things and when all is ready he will sit down with us he will sup with us nay his Father will sup with us too he with him both with us we with them Come Come my hearts I am again your Petitioner for Christs sake for your Souls sake for your Childrens sakes little do you think how much they are concerned in the account of your yeelding yeeld yeeld great hearts throw down the bars away with your oppositions your lusts your sins Let me break open doors at this time with those words of the Psalmist Psa 24.7 8 9 10. Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Who is the King of glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battell Lift up your heads O ye gates even lift them up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Who is this King of glory the Lord of Hosts he is this King of glory I have done with the word Behold as 't is a note of Attention but I told you it sixeth us upon two Considerations and the second Consideration is point of Admiration I must say something of that too The word Behold is often used in such a tendency of signification Behold a virgin shall conceive with childe I need not quote Texts for that which is so obvious it is a note of Wonder and let it be granted so to be here for surely 't is matter of admiration that Jesus Christ should stand at the doores of such a wicked people such ungodly hypocriticall professors as this Church of the Laodiceans was we are but behold he doth it though it
himself for you see who 't is 't is I 't is I saith Christ Here is 1. Comfort to the drooping soul 2. Terrour to the rebellious I begin first with Comfort to the drooping soul and indeed 't is pity but these should first be comforted before the other be terrified 't is for these mourners sakes amongst others and those others that shall be brought to this condition that the world stands for if once the number of Gods Jewels shall be compleated God will then go to gathering up of his Jewels Jews and Gentiles together and they shall be mine saith the Lord in the day when I make up my Jewels To you then let me first speak you see who stands at the door and from whom those motions of Gods Spirit come whereby your hearts are at any time wrought upon whether terrifyingly in the work of conviction upon your souls for sin by the right preaching and application of the Law or comfortably by the sweet strivings and wooings of the Preparations to the Gospel whether at this or at other times from whom come all these things My Text tels you in effect that they come from Christ and is not Christ your friend think ye why are ye afraid O ye of little faith yea perhaps I may as yet say O ye of no faith In the 14th of St. Matthewes Gospel we finde that Jesus had constrained his Disciples to get into a Ship and to goe on the other side of the sea there mentioned whilest he sent the multitude away the Disciples no doubt hoped that Christ would not be long after them nor was he for we finde that when the Ship was tossed with waves in the midst of the sea for the wind was contrary about the fourth watch of the night Iesus went to them walking on the sea The Disciples seeing this were troubled they thought they had seen a spirit and they cried out for feare but Christ quickly comforts them Be not afraid saith he be of good checre 't is I. How fitly is this applicable to your soules ye sonnes and daughters of affliction Jesus Christ hath constrained you to get into a Ship a Ship of soul-affliction let that be supposed to be the Ship in this Ship ye are tossed and tumbled with waves for the windes are contrary and ye think poor soules ye shall never come to your haven stay stay a little my sweet daughters of Hierusalem doe not droope too much loose not your Anchor hold so easily looke about you a little and perhaps you will discern Christ walking in this sea of your troubles Perhaps not knowing him when ye see him nor being well acquainted with him ye will mistake him and be troubled and think 't is a spirit that will destroy you and that he is your enemy 't was thus with the Disciples why may it not be so with you But see ver 27. Jesus straightway spake unto them saying be of good checre it is I be not afraid If ye can hear Christ saying it is I it is I be of good chear be not afraid will your afflictions trouble you then Waire then upon the Lord patiently you know not how soone Christ will shew himselfe to you I can assure you 't is now towards the fourth watch of the night and 't is not long till the morning waite comfortably under your storme your afflictions cannot last long the day-starre will arise and if Jesus Christ give you the morning-starre will it not be worth all your afflictions all your sorrowes all your tossing in these waters all the troubles you have undergone in your fears Be of good chear 't is I 't is I. Would you have more when you hear him and see him catch him in your armes and cry out with old Simeon The Lord now lets his Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen his salvation or as Philip which spake to Nathanael I have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth the Sonne of Joseph Ioh. 3.45 I have done with you at this time I come next to the rebellious and forgive me if professing my selfe a true Minister of Jesus Christ I come to you like Christ with clouds with the clouds of Gods indignation with clouds of darknesse and trouble upon your souls for your sinnes in suffering Christ to knock so oft to call so long to cry so loud so that it may be truly said of him as Christs mother and brethren and sisters said touching themselves in seeking Christ he hath sought you sorrowing and you have beene the cause of it for ye have many a time suffered him to strive knock call cry cry aloud and yet ye have given him no entrance he is out of doors still the door is locked still nay ye have set strong barres of opposition to keep him out nay to keep him out purposely You think perhaps you have not but I can make it apparent ye have nay and God willing I shall make it appear in a spirituall enquiry after some soule transactions before I have ended all my endeavours upon this Text. And what will ye say then touching your wickednesse must ye not will ye not say then 't is of the Lords mercy we are not consumed how ye should say lesse I know not But to prepare you herein for this Sermon will be but the shell the outside the kernell is to come be pleased to remember from that which I have already spoken that when ye sinne against the motions of Gods Spirit which I am confident hath been long strugling with you that in so doing ye sinne likewise against Christ against that Christ that it may be hath washed us from our transgressions by his own bloud and we not know it This consideration of sinning against Christ was a tender thing once with the Apostle St Paul 1 Cor. 8.12 where reproving the Corinthians for offending the consciences of the Brethren in eating things offered to Idols a thing too usuall in a spirituall sense in these daies he reproves them and terrifies them in so doing by fastening this upon them that they sinned against Christ But when ye sinne so against the Brethren and wound their weak Consciences ye sinne against Christ as much as to say and what will ye do that will ye do so indeed What we Christians sinne against Christ that hath made us so that hath washed us from our sinnes by his own bloud what we doe it Tell it not in Gath. Let others doe it if they will doe ye doe it if ye will but I tell you plainely I Paul will never doe it God willing wherefore if meat make my brother to offend I will eat no flesh whilest the world standeth lest I make my brother to offend His words by plaine and ready arguing with halfe an eye you may see to come to thus much that rather then I will sinne against Christ which I must doe if I make my brother to