world to die for you yea and to rise again that you should not perish and Christ he came freely out of the bosom of his Father that he might manifest his love unto you in laying down his pretious life and shedding his pretious blood for your sakes then the Spirit of God is sent unto you that he might lead you into all truth and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ Act. 16.18 O therefore poor creatures know that you have nothing but what you have received of his fulness have ye received and grace for grace O then see that your glory and happiness lies not in doing but in receiving in the Law men did bear their own charges as we may say but now in the Gospel Christ bears the Saints charges to Heaven at his own proper cost our condition of our selves is worse then the meanest beggars condition in the world for he can put forth his hand to receive an almes but when God offers a man grace let him offer it never so freely never so long if he give him not withall a power and an hand to receive it he will go without it for ever and this hand that God doth extend and give out unto the soul to receive and take hold of his gracious offers is lively faith whereby Christ the promises and the Gospel are made over and enjoyed by that soul so empty in himself is man that he is not able to think a good thought or to speak a good word muchless to perform any good action O then what cause hath poor man to admire free grace and to look into and consider his one nothingness and to make his addresses unto the fulness and all sufficiency that is Christ Jesus then should a man behold Christ in the riches of his grace love bounty and tender mercy then would the soul be ravished with the glory of his presence and be taken with that sweetness which is so incomparably excellent and delightful there may he lye down and consolate his soul on a bed of Roses and refresh his fainting spirit with spices and rich perfumes O then by one glimpse of Christs glory would a soul be made to see it self as it is in it self altogether ugly defiled and loathsome then shall it see it self in its blood and foul deformity to the loathing of its spirit even as a man that comes into a dark room with a candle in his hand sees things amiss and out of order which were not discovered when they lay in the dark so is it with the soul when Christ shines into it then onely are the thick mists of darkness dispelled and the noysome corners of the soul purified and made clean he is the bright morning Star he is the Sun of righteousness he is given for a light to the Gentiles that though they were in the very shadow of death yet when he came among them they presently saw a great light wheresoever Christ comes he brings a light with him yea glory wisdom and all excellencies attend him for it s he that is made to his Saints Wisdom 1 Cor. 1.30 righteousness sanctification and redemption he that is the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God Rev. 22.2 whose very leaves are for the healing of the Nations and therefore it s our duties to apply our selves onely to Christ resting on him and not on any created power or excellency whatsoever for man the chief of all the creation of God Angels excepted in his most setled estate is altogether vanity give him all the advantages you can as he is man truly he is miserable to purpose and therefore its cleer that there is nothing in man nor any other creature under heaven that can help man to the least dram of the power of godliness Rom. 6.23 its true That the wages of sin that is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Fifthly This may inform us that mens Ignorance of the power and excellency of godliness is the very reason why it s so ill relished and slighted amongst men and why it is looked upon with such an evil aspect and held in so small an esteem in the world did but men know the worth of it then the professors and practisers of it would be more accounted of had the woman of Samaria known who it was that asked her water she would never have made a denyall or had she but known Christ the gift of God John 4.9 10. she would have asked of him and he could have given to her water of life every creature is for its element stones cannot have their habitation in the aire no more then Stars dwel upon the earth fishes cannot live in flames nor moles in clouds it s beyond the sphere of the men of this world to be conversant in the affairs of the world to come they can look no further then after the things of this world their knowledgment is bounded here they are aliens and strangers to any thing beyond their own center they are of the earth and so earthly-minded their knowledge study and endeavors tend earthward ther 's their complacency and delight the natural man discerneth not the things that are of the spirit of God and what is the reason its because they are spiritually discerned his light his knowledg his discerning is all carnal tell him of the workings of the Spirit of God of conversion from an estate of nature to an estate of grace of meeting with God in a duty of having communion with Christ of the Saints union with him their head of resting on God where reason and means faile c. these are strange things to him they are meer riddles to him but now speak to a Merchant or Shop-keeper of buying selling or trading either here or beyond the Seas or to a country Farmer of Corn Cattle Plowing Sowing or any thing in matter of Husbandry herein now they are expert here they know what you mean now you deal with them in their own element herein they are onely wise cunning and skilful Merchants masters of their science none shall over-reach them they will not oversee or let slip the advancement of a bargain for want of experience here and onely here they are their own crafts-masters so that the truth is these men come into this world and so go out they make not their returns to Heaven so good and beneficial as their returns from Sea to Land indeed the whole scope and tendency of their life is circumscribed within the earth and the confines thereof they never knew of any other end for which they came into the world nor never will look after or expect any further knowledg or Interest but in and unto this present being and so remain securely wise untill they drop into hell and see their own misery and their neglect and want of true knowledg O that men would fear
there be in every godly soul against the lest temptation of sin and this inward disturbance and disquietness of spirit the hypocrites and men of the world cannot bear Is not Zoar a little one and my soul shall live what cannot I give a little liberty to the flesh make use of a small lust what not a little liberty for company keeping for covetousness for pride revenge for wrongs done me must I keep so close and exact to the rule O this makes mens actions speak that they are no friends to the power of godliness though in words they will not confess it for shame the truth is that in all ages there have been underminers of the power of godliness in a secret way pretending to truth and godliness when their intents were quite contrary witness the high Commission Court of late yeers yea witness all the faction of the conformable Clergy yea and thousands of professors at this very day and especially those that so much vindicate and plead for forms in the Worship of God also those loud out-cries against all men that side not with nor approve of Zion-Colledg-Presbytery being not content with what the Parliament appoints but are grasping and thirsting after more power that it might be in their own hands to tyrannize over mens consciences more then in truth either the Bishops or their Courts did ever exercise for they generally assented to conformity to such Ceremonies as made for the establishing of their pomp and glory and in those days a man for a little money might make means and friends to enjoy the liberty of his conscience but now nothing will serve but submission or exile as some Presbyterians have said to my face that such ought to be the condition of all those that were of a contrary judgment and that after admonition would not submit they were not fit to live in a Kingdom though at the same time they have confessed that they have been honest men setting their judgments aside O this is unexpressible madness for men to subjugate Christians consciences unto a formal government their very words argue them formalists and their inward malice and predomination over tender consciences demonstrates the want of the power of godliness therefore take this for a rule that whosoever in all his discourses or actions shall so contend for any form whatsoever in matters of Religion more then power such a man denyeth the strength and power of godliness for godliness is of a more excellent nature it tyeth a man to a strictness of life wherein power will appear as well as form the heart is the thing that God requireth for he will be sainctified of all them that draw neer unto him and he will be worshipped in spirit and truth and not in outward forms onely Do men that profess the form of godliness oppose the power of it O then it doth highly concern men to look into their own ways examine their own hearts dost thou profess Religion because the laws of the Land injoyn thee to it or is it from a principle of thine own or by the power of Jesus Christ O know whatsoever flowes from man as he is man is carnal earthly and sensuall therefore as the cause is such is the effect as the principle such the act art thou guided and principled by the Spirit of God in thy profession is the word of God the pattern and rubrick of thy life doth thy conversation speak thee Christian and spiritual doth thy blossom sprout from the tree of life art thou rudimented and disciplined from thy School-master Christ then thou mayest without prejudice conclude thy qualifications to be truly sanctified and thy profession truly godly it is not the outward profession but the inward intention and cordial affection that God accepts My son saith God give me thy heart walk before me and be thou upright and perfect it is the close and inward walking of the heart with God that God accompts uprightness and perfection its impossible for a man to be upright with God unless his heart be for him there can be no soundness in Religion springing from a rotten heart away then with these outside services abandon all thy goodly flourishes cease to seem learn to be let not thy profession be superficial but supernatural be less glorious in the eyes of men and more of God sore not too high with thy artificial plumes lest the vigorous heat of the Sun of righteousness scorch thy wings and thy soul and body be precipitated into the infernal lake Take heed then unto thy heart labor for integrity in that and thy conversation will be godly it is the madness of many men when they are reproved for their sinful lives to reply and say Why what man is there that liveth and sinneth not though I sometimes fall into error and sin against God yet my heart is good my wishes are to and for God O foolish men who hath bewitched you is it possible for vertue and vice to co-inhabite for a bad life to issue from a good heart can spirit and flesh can light and darkness can Christ and Belial be co-inthroned O vain conceptions O foolish imaginations A good and sincere heart maketh an identity and conformity in the whole man it spiritualizeth his understanding will and affections It puts a spirit of illumination into the Understanding and Judgment of that man whose heart is truly sanctified and upright towards God whereby he is able to discern and judg of things that differ between things that are good and evil It purifies his Will and puts it upon the choice of the best things it makes it aspire after heaven and heavenly things it will labor and act after nothing but Christ and him crucified It regulates and placeth the Affections upon their right Object thus the heart being made spiritual the Understanding the Will and the Affections will be all subservient to the dictates of the Heart the Understanding thereby comes to a knowledg of the things that are of God the Will that approves of that knowledg and acts for God then the Affections which are the wheels of the soul carrie the whole man after that which is good Col. 3.1 If you be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ your Head is Set not your affections on things of the earth for you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God that is you are or ought to be dead in your affections to the things of this world O let your conversation be where your life is hid Now to draw a period to this Point and to wind up this Particular on which I have dwelt something long Is it so that men that content themselves with a form of godliness do thereby deny the power of it and so contract unto their souls the guilt of an hainous sin Yet let me offer one word of comfort unto such men and not leave them as men without hope though
sustaine and keep it from relapsing into its former fits it would soon be reduced into its former station and be visited with its old disease wherein it was seated and wherewith it was infected before grace entered into it and the ground is because of the abundance of strong corruptions inherent and accompanying the best regenerate for the flesh is still warring against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for there was ever a strong antipathy between these two Now Christ who is the Captain of our Salvation make his graces powerful in his Saints that so they may not give ground but stand fast in that condition whereunto he hath called them for the Saints are kept through faith unto salvation by that power of grace which is given unto them of God the Father and and our Lord Jesus Christ otherwise were it not powerful all the grace the Saints had received was but in vain and so Christs death and resurrection had been to little purpose for one end of Christs death was to kill sin and so of his resurrection to raise us up to newness of life and so to keep us there that we should never be surprised and conquered by the old man but contiue in the new and walk as a people ransomed by the Lord. Reas 8 That by this power the soul might act for God for Christ the Gospel and the Saints in the performance of its duty to all that it might honor the Father with that honor that is due unto his name that it might suffer with and for Christ and that it might love embrace and defend the Gospel and the Saints against all oppositions whatsoever for had not the graces of the Spirit of Christ come into the soul with power the soul could never have performed any duty acceptable to God for God accepts of nothing unless it come first from his Spirit for its the voice of his own spirit whereby the Saints cry Abba Father for as on the one hand every good and perfect gift cometh from God who is the Father of lights so on the other hand no man of himself without this power is able to think a good thought or speak a good word much less do any good action man through his lost ability in Adam is spiritually dead but carnally living nothing that he can own or lay claim unto as his act but sin but when godliness comes into a soul with power O then the faculties of the soul are resuscitated and made alive again and the members of the body are regulated brought into conformity unto the spirit and made by it to act for God who before acted against God that before were the weapons of unrighteousness unto sin are now become the weapons of righteousness unto the glory of that God who by his power cast into the soul did change that vile and sinful body and made it glorious and instrumental for his praise hereby the understanding is unvailed it s now brought unto new discoveries its carnal foolishness is sanctified wisdom it 's now able to discern and know the wonderful mysteries of godliness this power of godliness is the Eye-salve of the soul which takes off the condense film of ignorance and works a sensible illumination in that faculty of the understanding also this is the restorer of the will it brings it from nature to grace from willing the things of the flesh to will the things of God it disingageth the affections it stops their pursuit after the world and causeth them to run after God and the things of God nay further this power of God is a new Heaven created in the soul it s the new birth it s the regneration it s the new nature it s the death of the first and the life of the second Adam it s the extirpation of nature and sin and the renovation and transplanting of grace and life in the soul hereby the eyes can see for God the ears hear for God the tongue speak for God and the feet walk for God in a word the whole man by vertue of this power is made serviceable for God which it could never have been had not this godliness come into the soul with power Reas 9 That the Saints might be made fit for a suffering condition Phil. 1.29 for it s not onely given to Saints to beleeve but also to suffer for his names sake The Saints they are Christs witnesses on earth against the world Act. 5.32 Rev. 11.3 how have the people of God stood as a wall of brass in witnessing for the truth of Christ in the times of those ten persecutions what wicked cruel and barbarous dealing did they finde and receive from this world was not all maner of cruelty exercised against them that hell and men could invent and yet by this power of godliness they were enabled to indure all yea and with rejoycing also that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ O ineffable support O glorious conquest the sense of pain was swallowed up of the sense of joy the torments of hell vanquished and slighted by the thoughts of Heaven whilest burning burnishing while extinguishing reviving whilest crucifying enjoying Paradise Do but look into the book of Martyrs and see what sawing asunder roasting ailve putting into boiling oil eyes burning out and what not and yet by this power God made them stand strong and oppose his and their enemies to their own shame and confusion so that the Saints slaughterings at length became their persecutors sufferings they were wearyed and tired out with afflicting and butchering of the Saints and as God by his Power did then make them couragiously to stand so is he still the same God nor is his hand shortned that he cannot help but still will continue this power unto his people that they shall stand for Christ and undergo any kinde of suffering with joy for we fight against principalities and powers yea against spirituall wickedness in high places and this is another end why godliness comes into the soul with power That it might make the Saints live above the world that is might elevate their affections and make them live in Heaven where Christ their head is that it might dispossess worldliness and enthrone heavenly-mindedness that it might glorifie the soul and take it off from poring on this dunghil the world and the seeming glory thereof and fix it upon a Kingdom Pecuniam quae permaneat ac continuo duret gloriam quae semper floreat Basil and the real and permanent glory thereof to be enamored of the ravishing beauties of God the King of that glory that so the temptations allurements of the world being slighted and the glory and excellency thereof counted as dirt and dung the eternal glory of God may be advanced and onely aimed at in that soul for it is the glory of the Church here to have the Sun upon her head and to be crowned with a crown of
and arguings of the soul I may call the spirit of bondage under which the soul sinks and sees no way of hope of recovery but now Christ intervenes and darts the raies of his glory into such a lost soul resolves its doubtings calmes its frettings and disputings and come and makes his abode in that soul and takes it by the hand and saith Is there no deliverer for thee I will deliver thee I have satisfied divine justice I am thy surety and the propitiation for thy sin At this the soul begins to startle it s recovered from its lethargy now it ariseth from death to life and saith What voice is that I here What mercy for me A Christ for me for such a sinfull wretch as I am O how sweet is this voice how welcome is this Gospel How excellent is this Christ O the sweetest of ten thousand now the soul is humbled to purpose its fit to receive any impression to do to suffer any thing that Christ cals for now the soul flies to Christ as to a rock hangs about him like a burre closeth with him in what ever Christ commands Christs voice is a soul-humbling and a soul-melting voice more excellent then the law Object But some may say that surely many have believed that never came in such a legal way to Christ as Matthew Lydia and others Answ I answer that though it be not recorded of the grief and spirit of bondage that these underwent yet it s not safe to conclude they did not come to Christ that way seeing others came that way as the Jews at Peters Sermon Act. 2.37 the Jailor the woman that washed Christs feet with her tears and many others as David Peter c. Look upon that to the Romans where the Apostle saith ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear Rom. 8.15 which shewes cleerly that once they had received it before they came to Christ in their preparation to conversion And again Christ comes to call sinners to repentance yea those that finde sin to be a burden to them and such as are weary and heavy laden and prest down to hell in their own apprehensions by reason of their sins that they are guilty of The whole needeth not the Physitian but such as are sick saith Christ such as are sick at the heart of sin as are sensible of the pain and horror of sin I am somewhat the larger in this point because there is a generation of men in these days that deny the use of the moral law to be any means of driving the soul to Christ yea or so much as the use of it in any sense to the Saints that are brought to Christ let these remember that the Apostle saith the Law is a Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ not onely the Law Ceremonial but moral also See Rom. 3.31 Where he saith Do we make void the Law behold we establish the Law Rom. 3.31 And I suppose none dares say but he speaks there of the moral Law and again the Law is Just holy and good what then is there no use to be made of that which is just holy and good by beleevers under the Gospel surely yes and then Christ himself justifies maintains the Law moral in that of Matthew Mat. 5.17 18 19. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law no no I am come to fulfil it Therefore whosoever shall break one of the least of these commandments and teach men to do so shall be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven The Law first breaks and kills us with the fight of sin before Christ cures us and binds us up The Holy Ghost worketh and maketh faith effectuall by these three acts It puts a power and authority in the Law whereby it makes a man poor in spirit Now blessed are poor in spirit What 's the reason Mat. 5. O it makes the soul in a fit temper to receive Jesus Christ in the Gospel preached for the spirit of bondage doth make the law effectual as the spirit of adoption maketh the Gospel The second work in the soul is to receive Christ being revealed in the Gospel O here he shewes the unsearchable riches of Gods love in Christ to poor creatures yea here he shews what is the hope of his calling and the glorious inheritance of the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to them that believe certainly the Saints of God need the Spirit of God to shew these glorious mysteries Thirdly The Spirit testifies with the Spirits of the Saints First that these are true Secondly that they belong to them O when the Spirit of Christ shall say These things are thine Christ is thine God is thy father that thou art now an heir and joynt-heir with Christ and hast right to life and glory by vertue of free grace then is the soul brought into a sweet and happy condition But I would not here be mistaken I do not say that the spirit of bondage works alike upon and in all that come to Christ but in some more and in some less neither dare I limit the Holy one of Israel who is tyed to no means or wayes to call home his Saints to himself But this I say that first its Gods ordinary way of working in and with his Saints Secondly it s a safe way for the Saints to know their estates by it being that way in which the Saints have been called home to Christ in general This may inform us if that godliness have such a power in it then there are but few in the world that are acquainted with it for godliness cannot lie hid but it will break forth wheresoever it cometh there is no fire but there will be some smoak there can be no moving or acting without life its impossible for a godly soul to be a liveless soul but the generality of men are ignorant of it because they are naturally dead godliness is an herb that grows not in every mans Garden a flower not in every mans garland a Crown not set upon every mans head a garment not fit for every mans wearing No no it s that which is onely given to Saints that are redeemed from the earth by the bloud of the Lamb Christ Jesus yea it s for those that are called and chosen and faithful O how few great men and rich men in this world participate of these high priviledges or are made possessors of these riches these onely true riches which neither Moth nor Rust can corrupt Mat. 6.19 nor theeves break thorow and steal How few come to have a taste or to meddle with the Saints joy which is communicable to none but them in Christ Where is the Wise 1 Cor. 1.20 21 22 26. where is the Scribe where is the Disputer of this world Not many wise men after the flesh not many noble not many mighty are called hath not God made foolish the wisdom
by mans own industry neither by parts gifts learning or what ever man as meer man is able to attain to That its the meer gift of God flowing to Saints in the streams of the blood of the Covenant of Grace all these are but signs or preparatives to know whether godliness be in thee or no for thou maist know all this and yet be far from the power of godliness but if thou art not clearly convinced of these four particulars let me tell thee thou hast not so much as the least part or step so much as towards the power of godliness These things thus premised we shall proceed First then If the power of godliness dwel in thee thou art changed from an estate of nature to an estate of grace thou art delivered from the power of Satan and translated into the Kingdom of Christ yea This man hath the witness of the Spirit of God in himself and thou knowest it and art convinced of it in thine own conscience for it s not with thee as with a yong Christian that is onely in the nonage of his conversion for he that hath the power of godliness dwelling in him is one of a high Form in the School of Christ yea his condition is such that he can appeal to Christ and Conscience that this power dwells in him and is daily acted by him Where this power dwells there sin is mortified such a man is dead to sin sin cannot seize or take hold on him he hath no lust no affection to entertain the least sin it s not enough that thou art no drunkard no base company-keeper no profane swearer but thou must be dead to every sin of what nature soever it be He that is born of God cannot sin that is so as other men sin with consent of the Will with the least allowance of any sin no though thou mightest gain a Kingdom to tell a lye yet thou wouldst not do it yea though thou mightest be made the greatest Prince in the world if thou wouldst but swear by thy faith and troth yea thou wouldst tremble at it and refuse it esteeming godliness to be the best gain and the reason is first because the Love of God constraineth thee so to do secondly for that the fear and dread of the great God of heaven and earth lieth deep upon thy spirit and for the truth of this thou canst appeal unto God who is the searcher of the hearts and reins of his people Thirdly If godliness dwell in thee then grace is predominant in the course of thy life for grace is the very rock and foundation whereon godliness is built therefore as the cause is so is the effect as I have formerly declared even as sin hath by Adam raigned unto death so grace by Jesus Christ might raign to eternal life so that when a temtation comes and is offered unto thee thou canst say as Joseph to his Mistress How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God how shall I sin against that God who hath been so gratious so tender-hearted and loving unto me who pitied me cleansed me and took me into his bosome when I lay in my blood and filthiness O how shall I how dare I how can I attempt to sin against the God of all my mercies and so wound the peace of mine own conscience and eclipse the enjoyment of that sweet communion with God which I prize and value more then heaven and earth yea then all that can be thought upon Fourthly He that hath godliness in him is an holy and sanctified man in all maner of conversation in his thoughts words and actions he walks up to his profession his head heart hands and feet yea all the faculties of the soul and members of the body are for God and for Christ yea he yeildeth universal obedience to all that God commands as David saith Psal 119.6 I have respect unto all thy Commandements the man doth not pick and chuse what to obey and what not he pleads no exemption of any he leaves not some and takes others his eye is upon them all his Wil is for the performance of all his obedience is not partial but total all Gods Commandements are his delight and meditation day and night the whole bent of his desires runs after the Laws of God its sufficient to him that God commands it he is as willing yea as ready to obey as God is to command It s speedy When God commands he will not delay Gen. 22.3 though it be to offer up his dearest Isaac as Abraham when he was commanded to offer up his son the Text saith He did rise very early in the morning he deferred no time and when Zacheus saw Christ Luke 19.5 6. He came down hastily to receive him joyfully It s willing and chearful obedience Zacheus received Christ joyfully David rejoyced to run the wayes of Gods Commandements Psal 119.16 yea and Christ rejoyced to do the Will of his Father for God loves a chearful doer If ye be willing and obedient then ye shall eat the good things of the Land but if ye refuse and be rebellious ye shall be devoured with the Sword for the month of the Lord hath spoken it So you see it s required to be willing to obey whatever God commands It must be diligent obedience for as the hand of the diligent maketh rich in things temporal Heb. 11.6 Psa 119.4 and is a duty commanded so much more in things spiritual the diligent inquisitive soul after God and godliness is a thirsting soul it stores up grace and comfort against the time of need it s like the Ant in the Proverbs that provideth in the Summer against the Winter The power of godliness puts a man upon diligence in hearing the Word in prayer in meditation it makes a man to make his often addresses unto the throne of Grace and watchful after every opportunity to manifest his love to God to Christ and to the Saints and to be very active in doing what God commands This obedience is continual it s not to obey now and to disobey anon to serve God to day and the devil to morrow no the truly godly man cannot serve God and Mammon God will not be served by fits and starts he will admit of no interpositions or mixtures God is a perfect God and requireth perfect obedience it must be a continued act from the first hour that the power of godliness entred into the soul even unto the expiration of its last breath it must be the souls whole desire to be continually active for God in the general course of its life That soul in whom Christ or the power of godliness dwells is often in communion with God yea and it prizeth it at an higher rate then heaven and earth and all things that can be thought upon there is no pleasure profit preferment or dignity whatsoever that can divert him from this fellowship wherein
what consolation can a man have greater then this to finde in the book of God that his name is written in the book of life which the Saints do finde and that often in the Scriptures O what pleasure can a man be capable of more then to enjoy life and health nay an Eternal life free from cares sorrows or sickness a life as durable as the life of God and enjoyed with and in God full of glory full of sweetness full of delight where nothing but pleasures are for evermore Now others see no excellency in things of this nature ask them what they would have to compleat their delight their answer will be gold silver riches lands honors esteem in the world and things of that nature that afford seeming joy and contentment to their carnal sense these are their Jewels these are the objects of their happiness it can never enter into their thoughts much less can they perceive that there is such delight and sweetness in the wayes of God as in the enjoyment of these sublinary treasures they are perswaded that the sweetness that men talk of that is found in the practices of godliness are but meer notions and conceipts in mens brains of such as these the Lord complains by the Prophet Hosea saying I have wrote to them the things concerning the weighty matters of my Law but they were accompted as strange things they have no skill in them they are things that they never heard neither hath it ever entered into their hearts to conceive them it is as impossible for them to understand those hidden mysteries as for a blinde man to Judge of colours an excellency in any thing that tends heaven-ward or savors of the Spirit of grace is not at all to be discerned by the blinde and carnal eye of the world Such a soul wherein godliness dwels is wholly swallowed up with that infinite fulness that it seeth in God when the Queen of Sheba saw the excellency of that wisdom that was in Solomon the text saith that there was no more spirit left in her 1 Kings 10.5 O then how much more is that soul that looks and meditates on the glorious wisdom beauty righteousness excellency and sweetness that is in God and Christ swallowed up lost confounded and utterly undone in it self its beholding Gods fulness maketh it come to see its own emptiness and to say of God O Lord thou art Almighty thou art al-sufficient but I am frail and weak I am nothing yea less then nothing O therefore blessing honor glory and power be unto him that sits upon the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever It s reported of one that had much communion with God as he was sitting at meat with his friends he was rapt with such a suddain extasie of spirit that he to the amazement of his friends broke out into these words saying O for ever and ever and ever blessed be the great and glorious God and this was his deportment for half an hour together certainly we may well say this man was ravished and swallowed up with that fulness he saw in God and in Jesus Christ our Lord now such a man seeth nothing in himself nor in any creature whatsoever for the brightness of the glory of the Lord maketh all â—â—ings in the world to appear as they are meer emptiness and vanity yea every man in his best estate is altogether vanity that is in his most setled estate wherein he thinketh he stands but let him take heed lest he fall But here men must beware of that error of the Antinomians who deny the performance of all duties to God Certainly these men do not onely deny the Law but the Gospel too for though duties before faith are abominable yet when they flow as the fruits of faith they are not onely accepted and required of the Saints 2 Jam 18. Note that as saith justifies the person so works justifie his faith but they are faiths witnesses also Shew me thy faith without works I will shew thee my faith by my works for faith without works is a dead faith which works are a mans duties to God and which God himself commands how is it possible for a man to manifest to another that he hath grace when there are no fruits of grace appear how can a tree be said to have life without the budding and sprouting of its branches O it s a sad thing for men to boast that Christ dwels in them and yet they alwayes do the devils service because they cannot merit heaven by their duties therefore God shall have none from them but be robbed of his glory but a soul truly gratious will tell you that the love of Christ constrains it it cannot choose but it must draw neer to God in holy duties there is its life it can finde no communion no refreshment no subsistence without its addressing unto Christ in holy duties Now when men by their profession say that they enjoy Christ free grace in a plentiful manner and yet walk loosely carnally and vainly in their conversations saying They trust all unto Christ vainly believing that he will do all their works for them that he will not be onely their Mediator but their Actor they lying in sin alas how short come these of evidencing their Justification and their Interest in Christ by their Sanctification these are no fruits of Christs dwelling in a soul O therefore you that the devil and your own fleshly corruption hath so far blinded as to perswade you that free grace and Christ coming into the soul gives liberty to all licentiousness no no where the Law saith thou shalt not do the Gospel saith thou shalt not will no not think He that lusteth after a woman in his heart hath committed adultered already saith the Gospel know therefore that such a loose doctrine as this is damnable and not fit to be owned by any who would go for Christians O Christians your conversations must be suitable to your profession you must not only profess Christ but act Christ you must now live as that you may honor that great and glorious name of Christ 1 Pet. 15.16 O be you holy for the Lord your God is holy Now this holiness must extend to all manner of conversation towards God and man I shall freely grant that duties Justifie not and to rest in them is sin yea the best that ever man did perform was full of imperfection and when we have done all that we can we are but unprofitable servants for the best of Saints while they are in the Body are clothed with all maner of infirmities but the way to destroy them is to be often with God in the Mount If now thou canst appeal to God that thou hast found these nine particulars in thee and that they are sixed in thy heart and that thou hast the witness of Gods Spirit with thy spirit for the truth thereof then thou mayst safely conclude that