or the transcript it is a peace with the whole Trinity The Father is he with whom it is made the Sonne is he by whom it is made the Spirit seales it and becomes Nuntius pacis the Messenger of that peace to the soule being hee to whom it belongs of office to set the broad seale of the Court to every pardon Eph. 1. 13. Eph. 4. 30. But why then is it called Christ's peace I easily answer 1. Because hee is the meritorious cause of it Eph. 2. 14 15. hee is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken downe the middle wall of partition betweene us having abolished in his flesh the enmity c. v. 16. and that hee might reconcile both to God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity thereby And the spirit which conveyeth the newes of this peace to the soule is sometimes called his spirit hee was hee that while hee lived upon tho earth came and preached peace to them that were afarre off and to them that were nigh Eph. 2. 17. and through him wee have an accesse by one spirit unto the father vers 18. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinne 2 Cor. 5. 19. Wee that preach the Gospell of peace to you as though God did by us beseech you are Ambassadours for Christ and as in Christ's stead wee entreat you to be reconciled to God therefore it is called his peace and it is said to bee laid up in him and from this peace of justification and peace of conscience proceeds A third peace which is the peace of the members each with other a peace which is too sadly broken and too little pursued in our dayes 1 Joh. 1. 3. The Saints have fellowship one with another and their fellowship is with the father and the sonne Jesus Christ and could they walk together except they were agreed And thus I have now though in a discourse something too large shewed you what peace is and what this peace is that is Christ's peace and that is laid up in Christ for the Saints and they may find it in him in the midst of their earthly troubles But yet more particularly In what of Christ is this peace laid up for the Saints 2. How shall they come by it in the day of trouble To each of these give me leave to speak a word or two To the first In what of Christ is this peace laid up I answer in three particulars 1. It is laid up in the bloud of Christ in his bitter death and passion as the meritorious cause This peace Christian is written and sealed with the bloud of the Lambe the immaculate Lambe of God this is cleare in that place I before quoted Eph. 2. 16. Hee reconciled us both unto God in one body by the crosse vers 13. you are made nigh by the bloud of Christ his bloud was the bloud of expiation 2. It is laid up in the word of Christ in his precious promises That is plaine from the very words of the Text These things have I spoken that in mee you might have peace David had peace many a time out of a promise the word of the Lord quickned and comforted him hee had once a trouble that had sunk him had he not found peace here they are his owne words Psal 119. I had perished in my affliction if thy law had not beene my delight The Gospell is therefore call'd the Gospell of peace and the word of Christ is as well the word of peace as the word of truth how many poore soules have found this true by many precious experiences they hove been in spirit-troubles heavinesse hath made their heart to stoop till a good word hath come and made it better 3. It is in the spirit of Christ who is the Nuntius pacis hee that declares and seales up the peace to the soule and is the messenger of peace betwixt God and Christ and the soule that truly believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and believing in him hath life Thus it is in him Now if you aske how the child of God may draw this peace from Christ I answer these three wayes 1. By Meditation of him thus David Psal 104. 34. my meditation of him shall be sweet the soule-feeding upâ—◠〈…〉 of 〈…〉 â—â—on the gracious acts of grace in which the Lord Jesus Christ hath declared the yernings of his love to poor soules shall rather peace a quietment and establishing of spirit in the midst of all its troubles when the poore Christian is in the midst of troubles to sit down and think well yet my sinnes are pardoned yet God and I are at agreement this affliction this crosse comes not to me as a law demand not as a piece of vindicative justice but as a fatherly chastisement this shall administer peace to his soule his meditation of Christ shall be sweet to his soule That 's one way to gaine it 2. By a believing application both of what Christ hath spake and what he hath done Faith is the hand that the soule reacheth out for peace and by which the soule brings in peace to it selfe Rom. 5. 1. Beeing justified by faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Those that believe shall bee established and the more a soule believes the more it is established it is from some unbeliefes or other that any soule is disquieted Faith brings in peace it is not the bare knowing of the promise or the bare knowing of what Christ hath done but the chosen with the promise the chosen with Christ in what hee hath done and suffered for the soule that brings in peace to the soule 3. The soule gaines this place by a close walking with Iesus Christ a walking in the spirit Is 32. 17. The work of righteousnesse shall bee peace marke the upright man consider the just man the end of that man is peace the wicked mans conscience is continually throwing out myre and dirt There is no peace to the wicked saith our God Peace indeed is not the wages of a day well spent not a naturall result and fruit of a strict walking but peace is the reward of righteousnesse the reward not of debt but of grace The words of the Psalmist hint thus much to us To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 50. 23. When a Christian hath ordered his conversation aright the salvation of God must be shewne him I have onely one thing remaining as to the doctrinall part of my discourse that is to shew you what paines what order Christ hath taken for his Saints peace in him while in the world they meet with trouble It may easily be gathered from what I have already spoken in short take it in these three words 1. He hath died upon the crosse that he might doe it Eph. 2. 14 15 16. It cost him his bloud to work out our peace 2. He hath
or deny the same principle Naturall perswasion is no faith if Nature gave thee all thou hast thou hast none at all Secondly If it bee Moralities gift to thee it is no faith I call that a Moral perswasion which is wrought from the consideration and improvement of Morall Principles if thou beest perswaded to rest and rely upon God and his promises for salvation meerely upon this skore I live justly I tythe Mint and Annis I have taken no mans Oxe or Asse from him whom have I defrauded Alas thus Aristides and Cato might beleeve Thirdly If thy Faith be thy grandfathers Legacy to thee it is no hand that will reach the Lord Iesus Christ A traditionall perswasion is no faith If thou beest perswaded that Christ dyed for thee c. upon this skore My Mother told me so our fore-fathers held so and they were wiser than wee c. Alas friend there is as much difference betwixt faith and thy soule as there is betwixt heaven and hell This was the Samaritanes Religion which the good woman was as tenacious of as ours are now of the Common Prayer Book Joh. 4. 20. Our Fathers worshipped in this mountaine and you say in Jerusalem is the place to worship It is the great objection wee have against the Church of Rome That they would have men beleeve as the Church beleeves But for the most part wee are condemned in what we condemne Doe not most men beleeve as their Fathers beleeved What a sinne it is thought to thinke of stripping Queen Elizabeths Reformation Are not most men limitted to this faith and is not here all the perswasion that men have of the saving Truths of God that Christ was God and man that he dyed rose and is ascended Why this was our Fathers Faith this wee were taught when wee were little ones and upon this skore being perswaded they must goe under the Notion of Beleevers and when heaven and hell meet this Faith shall save them Fourthly If thy faith be the Devills gift to thee it is no hand that will reach Christ The Devill hath his Apes-faced-Graces Morall walking instead of Gospell-obedience Feare of Hell in stead of feare of God and so presumption instead of Faith He carries too great designes 1. To flatter the soule to hell by presumption Thinke nothing ill of thy selfe sayes the Devill venture upon God let it never trouble thee venture all yes doe and cry confidently Lord Lord open to me I have prayed in thy name c. Hee knowes well enough that the answer will be Depart from me I know you not you workers of iniquity Feare not saith the Devill to apply hot boiling Lusts to the bleeding wounds of Christ you may rest upon him that dyed for you though you doe not take any such care to live strictly and holily with him other folk shall goe to heaven besides Puritanes God is mercifull Is thy faith such a one as this Christian O tremble at that Mat. 7. 24. And would not one thinke that this were the miserable faith of most of men It is impossible but when you heare so many peales in your eares of repentance as you heare in these dayes but you should have some thoughts what shall become of your poor soules And who so lookes upon your lives againe and seeth no repentance no sitting downe and saying What have I done no care of future obedience but a loose irreligious walking would he not bee confident that the Devill hath perswaded you to venture it is but a soule lost but poor wretch it is lost for ever and Christ is mercifull but to no such hell-hounds as thou art wretch O Lord it would make an heart tremble to come to some poore Creatures upon their Death-bed and examine the condition of their soules Why they are well they rest upon Jesus Christ they are confident he will save them who is bolder than blinde Bayard is our Countrey Proverb though all know the wretch never was sensible of his lost condition nor ever carefull to conforme himself in the least to Jesus Christ Faith is not the devils gift Diabolicall perswasion widely differs from faith But lastly Fiftly Faith is the gift of God It is grounded upon divine perswasion The Spirit of God and the Word of God and the Merits of Jesus Christ these are the grounds that perswade the soule to rely upon Jesus Christ Rom. 14. 14. I know my selfe and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus Christ The worldling is perswaded after another fashion from naturall or morall Principles or Tradition or at best as concerning Ahab 1 Kings 22. 21. There is an evill Spirit gone forth and said I will perswade him and the Lord hath permitted and assented to it ver 22. Thou shalt perswade him and prevaile also But now the child of God is perswaded another way come to him and aske him Christian what perswades thee to rest upon Jesus Christ he answereth with Paul I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus Christ Sir Ah Sir I was despairing almost the spirit of God by its inward motions inclined me to roll my selfe on Christ Or the word of God perswaded me I heard a Voice saying come I knew he that had promised was faithfull and able to performe it Rom. 4. 21. Faith is the gift of God saith the Apostle Ephes 2. 8. It is the Fathers work and gift the Sonnes gift and work the 1 Phil. 3. 9. Spirits worke and the Words worke 1. It is the Fathers worke and gift John 6. 37. All that the Father gives me shall come to me Faith is of his willing John 6. 40. It is the Sons gift and work I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus Christ It is a piece of Grace and Christ is the well-head of all divine Grace 1 Cor. 1. 4. He is therefore called The author and finisher of our faith Hebr. 12. 2. It is the gift and work of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 12. 9. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another faith by the same Spirit It is therefore reckoned as one of the Spirits workes Gal. 5. 22. It is a fruit of the Spirit It is wrought by the Word which therefore is called the Word of faith Rom. 10. 8. Now try thy selfe Christian whether thy hand be a true hand Is thy faith a gift of God wrought by his Spirit and grounded upon his Word such must that hand be that plucketh the fruit of this Apple-tree of free grace Not mans much lesse the devills gift but Gods gift it will quicken thee in Gods wayes but I spake of that before I have now done with my rules of examination the Lord perfect this Application in every one of your soules Use 3 I proceed now to a third Use and and that is of Exhortation To all those that are through the mercy of God recovered out of that sad condition in which we were all by Nature that are now cleansed
thee 2. Thee that wert as low as others Adam left thee as deep in hell as any reprobate there Loe here the infinitenesse of free grace Two were in the same house yea grinding at the same mill of iniquity and thou art taken and the other is left possibly thou wert in thy wildest youth seeming to ride faster to hell than the other were that were thy brethren friends and acquaintance yet the Lord hath raised thee and let the others lye wallowing in their bloud he hath not said to them live 3. Thee that wert his Enemy Was ever dying love yea love in dying extended to an enemy before You have heard of two stories one of a Grecian the other of a Roman paire Theseus and Perithous Pilades and Orestes that would have dyed for their friends each for another but hath any offered to dye for his Enemy Moses would offer to have his name blotted out for his people that were Gods people and which he loved but would Moses have done it for a Philistine yet this hath Christ done O love ye the Lord all his Saints 4. Thee that never askt it He was found of them that sought it not Alas mankind lay as well without a tongue to aske as an hand to help themselves and behold Christ pitied them and amongst them thee his love declared from Eternity towards thee had not so much cause in thee as a poore prayer would have amounted to he was not moved by thy sighs and teares but by his owne infinite love 5. Lastly thee that hast still Rebellion in thee Christ said within himselfe when he dyed upon the Crosse Now is my heart-bloud powred out for as vile wretches as any are and for those that I know will requite my bleeding wounds my dying love with new speares and thornes thus he knew that thou wouldst doe in the time of thy unregeneracie yea and after thou shouldst be called too Who lives and sinnes not Now Christian lay these things to thy heart meditate of study out this love and see if thou hast not cause to say My soule and all that is within me my tongue and all that is without me praise the Lord. But O remember Christian Remember Burnt offering and sacrifice he doth not require but this he requires that thou shouldst doe his will O say Loe I come I am ready to do it But more particularly let me point thee out some particular duties that the Lord requires of thee in a poor answer to his rich Acts of eternall love First hath not he thought his glory too deare to lay aside for a while for thee nor his Word and Truth too dear to pawne for thee nor his bloud too deare to spill for thee hath he valued nothing in comparison of thee O doe thou value nothing in an equall ballance with him be willing to deny thy selfe for him who in every thing hath denyed himselfe for thee Thy Lusts cannot be so pleasing to thee as Christs glory was to him Be content to leave them Thy Honour cannot be so great as his was which he left for thee and became ignoble in our eyes Surely when wee saw him we esteemed him despised smitten of God and afflicted Isa 53. 4. But it was when hee was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities when the chastisement of our peace was upon him and that by his stripes we might be healed Thy Riches cannot be greater than his yet remember him O remember the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who though he was rich yet for your sake became poore that you through his Povertie might be made rich 2 Cor. 7. Thy life cannot be more deare than his yet he valued not his life for thee but powred out his bloud his precious bloud upon the Crosse that through his bloud thou mightest have remission purchased Learne hence Christian a lesson of self-deniall Be content to suffer for him who was content to suffer that he might raise thee value nothing in comparison of him This Lesson had Saint Paul learned Phil. 3. v. 7 8. What things were gaine to me I counted losse for Christ yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may win Christ c. ver 10. That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death Looke upon nothing in an equall ballance with him 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified Secondly hath Christ entred into a Covenant and given his word to his Father and kept his word with his Father for you O then learne of him Vow your selves to him and keep the vowes of your lips Say with David Psal 116. ver 16. Ah Lord truly we are thy servants we are thy servants and the sons of thy handmaids for thou hast loosed our bonds Say with David Psal 40. Mine eares hast thou opened and bored them Say Ah Lord we come to doe thy will Christ kept his word with his Father for you Ah keep your word with him pay him the vowes which you have made Thirdly Hath Christ to raise you taken upon him your flesh O then Take ye upon your selves his spirit He hath become for you the childe of man doe you become for him the children of God Be made partakers of the divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. Your Nature was full of imperfection and weaknesse the divine Nature is full of perfection and glory He hath raised you be raised put off your filthy rags and put on change of Raiment Fourthly Hath Christ died that he might raise you from the death of Sinne and from the power of the Second death O then dye to sinne Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry for which things c. The Apostle Saint Paul presseth the great duty of mortification from this very principle Likewise reckon yee also your selves to be dead to sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 11. and so on ver 12 13. Let not sinne therefore reigne in your mortall bodies c. Ah throw away the nailes that pierced your Christ Fifthly Did Christ rise from the dead that he might raise you from the death of sinne O then rise to newnesse of life The Apostle Saint Paul presseth this worke of Vivification also from Christs Resurrection Rom. 6. ver 4. We are buried with him by Baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father euen so we also should walke in newnesse of life and so all along that Chapter Sixthly Hath he
particulars as briefely as I can The soule must forget the manners of its Fathers house Our Fathers house ever since God and hee parted houses in Paradise is an house of ill manners an house of sinne and wickednesse Now every soule that would make it selfe beautions or desireable in the sight of Christs eyes must shake hands with sin Is 55. 7. Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and unto our God and he will abundantly pardon him ay then the King shall desire his beauty but first let him forget the manners of his Fathers house All sinne must bee forgotten But I take it especially foure sorts of sinnes are hinted to us in this Phrase and may more properly be called the sinnes of our Fathers house 1. Originall sinne If we have any thing of Grace or Goodnesse wee never learn'd that at home It is the gift of God through the tutoring of the Spirit But for Sinne wee need not goe abroad to learne that it was bred in the bone that 's one reason why it will never out of the flesh Ez. 16. Thy Father was an Amorite and thy Mother an Hittite We are chilnren of wrath by nature Ephes 2. 3. Psal 51. 4. In sinne did my mother conceive me Now this must be forgotten this is a piece of our Fathers house Men and Women you know are usually borne in their Fathers House We are all borne in the house of bondage which must be forgotten if ever the soule be desireable to Jesus Christ It is a usuall saying of Divines that he that was never truely humbled for Originall sinne was never truely humbled for any sinne 2. The sinnes of our Education The Fathers house is the house where the Childe is brought up All sinne is not bred in us that which is bred in us may bee improved Originall sinne is sinne in the seed Actuall sinne is sinne in the Blade and Fruit. The World is a dusty house you can set a Creature in never a corner of it but it will contract some dust Joseph by being in the King of Egypts house learn'd to sweare by his Masters life According to different breedings are men addicted to different Vanities whether pleasure or honour c. Now when the soul comes unto Christ he must come off these he must forget his Fathers house all his vaine sinfull breeding and all the filth his soule hath contracted by reason of it 3. Sinnes of Conversation and company The Fathers house and the company of it is the childs company those of his Fathers house are his owne people It is true as well for Religion as any thing else Magni refert quibuscum convixeris It is a great matter with whom we converse from accompanying with vaine persons thou shalt learne to bee vaine Cum lupis ululare When the soule comes to Christ it must leave all sins thus contracted they are part of the manders of the Fathers House Paul left his Pharisaisme that he had learnt at Gamaliels feet 4. Customary sinnes must bee left The Child learnes customes in his Fathers House Customary sinning must be left of that soule that would render it selfe for beauty desireable to Jesus Christ Those sinnes which are to the soule as the Leopards spot and the blacknes of the blackamores skinne Inded this is hard Custome hatcheth a second nature Jer. 13. 23. How can you that are accustomed to doe evill do well Yet it must bee done the Fathers house must be forgotten ill customes must be laid aside or good ones wil not be taken up 5. Beloved sinnes must be left Every thing of the Fathers House almost is deare to the child But the dearest sinne must bee shaken hands with Matth. 18. 9. If it bee a right hand it must be cut off if a right eye it must be pluckt out Our Members must be Mortified Col. 3. 5. Thus the maners of our Fathers house must be forgotten All sinnes but especially these sinnes I proceed now Secondly The soule must forget the Company of us Fathers house What is that you will say I will answer you in two particulars 1. Our most near and dearest Relations See Luke 14. 26. If a man commeth to me saith Christ and hateth not Father and Mother and Children and Brethren and Wife and Sisters yea and his own life also he is not worthy of mee He shall not bee so beautifull not so beautifull as that the King shall desire his beauty As it was said Levi did in another sense so must the Saint doe in some sense He must say unto his Father and to his Mother I have not seen him neither must hee acknowledge his Brethren nor know his owne children Otherwise he will never have Levie's Character to bee one that observeth the Lords Word and keeps his Covenant Not that Religion teacheth or commandeth or indureth a Saint to break the tyes of all Religion No besides that it doth not discharge a Saint of his Duty of Nature it puts in a Plea also against such unnaturalnesse Honour thy Father and Mother c. is the fifth Commandement the first with promise saith the Apostle neither doth it allow a Saint to rob his parents of their due with saying Corban it is a gift The Ravens of the valleys shall picke out the eyes of such persons as well as the Devill hath done of their Religion Neither doth it discharge a Saint of his providentiall duty and respect to his relation Hee that provides not for his Family is worse than an Infidell 1. In point of due honour 2. In point of naturall affection 3. In point of Providentiall care Wee must not forget the Company of our Fathers House Gods Commands doe not enterfiere nor will the Gospell in that case give a supersedeas to the Law But 1. if God and they draw severall wayes if the Parents commands crosse Gods then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is better to obey God than men The Parent is to command for God not against him subordinately not supremely he must be obeyed for Gods sake and God too for his sake as by his command he seconds God but Parents can as little yea less discharge the child of its duty to God than the Pope can discharge the Subject of his Allegiance to his Prince 2. If their love becken us out of the way when God calls us or would intice us to make halts in our running through fire and water to him then wee must forget them I have somewhere met with a Speech of St. Hierome to that purpose Saith hee If the Lord Christ should call me to him though my Father should lye in my way and my Mother should hang about my neck I would goe over my Father and shake off my Mother and runne to my Christ Shetterden a Martyr as it is storied of him writ to his Mother thus Dear Mother imbrace the Counsell of
of your evill company the vanity of your pleasures and carnall delights Did your soules ever tast a reall bitternesse in them if not I feare me you have not left them 2. Have you had another excellency discovered to your soules Had your souls ever yet a reall discovery made to you of the excellency of the wayes of holines those wayes that you once hated Doe you now see a beauty a glory in them so much that you can even stand and hold up your hands and admire that you should be blind so long A present pleasant thing will scarce bee left but upon a discovery of and an obtaining of something more excellent Christians under what notion do you look upon Christ and his wayes Do you look upon them as excellent the wayes of strictnesse as excellent sanctifying a Sabboth praying the frequenting of the communion of Saints Doe you look upon them as excellent If you doe not I feare mee you but cheat your selves with a conceit that you have forgot your fathers house 3. If you have parted with them I am afraid it cost you some teares you did not part with so many friends with drie eyes friends cannot ordinarily pats without teares but your weeping hath not beene such a weeping if it hath been true it hath not been because you have parted with them but because you abode with them so long it hath for measure been like the mourning of him that hath lost his onely begotten sonne Zach. 12. 10. but not upon the same account not because you must now part with them but because you embraced them so long See the effects of godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 11. it worketh carefulnesse and indignation c. Were your soules ever in such a true bitternesse for sinne that it wrought in thee an indignation against your selves that you could even eat your owne flesh to think you should ever have been such a vaine wanton wretch such a proud sinner as you have been This is a good signe you and your fathers house are parted and that at the parting you sorrowed after a godly sort 4. If ever you truly parted with it both at the parting and since too you have found something to doe with your owne spirit some struglings and combatings with your selfe Before you parted you were at a dispute with your soules shall I leave this or that corruption or shall I not and since you have been at some debates with your spirit shall I goe home againe shall I returne to such a vomit to such a wallowing in the mire even Paul himselfe found the law in his members warring against the law of his mind and bringing him into captivity to the law of sinne Rom. 7. 23. the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these contrary one to another Gal. 5. 17. I dare almost say that that soule never conquerd sinne that is not yet in combate with it never truly overcame it that is not still in combate never yet forgot its fathers house that hath not some strong inclinations sometimes to be going to its old home againe and sometimes finds not that it hath something to doe to keep his heart from a second time embracing what it hath beene once ashamed of 5. Doe you make Christ all your delight and your sole delight is hee to you solus desideria totus desideria Are your hearts taken more with Christ than with all the world besides and so taken with your husband that nothing of him nor from him displeaseth you can you bee content with Christ alone and say with David to the Lord Thou art my portion could you quest all things else for him and is there nothing of him but seemes lovely to you doe his strictest lawes seem excellent to you Is hee excellent to you in the intent of his Kingly office as well as in the comfort of his Priestly office doth his very yoke seem easie and his burthen seem light to you 6. Do you abide with Christ as the wife abides with the husband and the branch abides in the vine every true branch abides in him Joh. 15. 4. is your dwelling with him or are you onely religious by fits the hypocrite may bee so religions but the Saint makes the Lord his dwelling place Which is that which you count your home the best of Gods Saints may have some inclinations to vanity and be sometimes trading with the world Ah! but Christ is his home Christ is his dwelling place hee thinkes himselfe in a strange place when he is not with Christ in duties of holy communion Christian which is thy element Is your soule in its element when it is conversing with things below Christ that 's an ill signe by these things you may take a scantling of your owne haarts The Lord help you in applying these things to your soules I proceed to a 3d use 3. Here 's comfort to the Saints joy to the upright in heart especially 1. Against all the uncomelinesse and indesireablenesse the Saint apprehends in himselfe There 's none so comely as the Saint in Christs eyes nor any so uncomely and ugly in their owne eyes Paul cries out O wretched man that I am Rom. 7. 24. and againe I am as one borne out of due time the least of the Apostles not worthy to be call'd an Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 8 9. It is an usuall account the Saints give of themselves ah wretched creatures poore indesireable wretches hard-hearted sinners vile persons c. Bee of good cheare Christian The King hath desired thy beauty thou art black in thine owne eyes but comely in Christs eyes Black in respect of thy merit but comely in respect of imputation comely through the comlinesse that hee hath put upon you Secondly 2. Here 's comfort against all the dirt the world casts upon you all the uncomelinesse they conceit in you who so despicable creatures in the eyes of the world as those men and women whom the Lord delights to honour these are the despised ones upon the backs of these it is that the Plowers plow and make long furrowes they are the upright in heart that they privily bend their bow to shoot at against these are the puttings out of the fingers and the liftings up of the hands upon these are laid all the scoffes of the ungodly and through their weaknesse the barkings of these dogges sometimes trouble them But Christians hath not the King desired your beauty the beauty that these wretches are so blind they cannot see Hath not the King desired it Is it desireable in Christs eyes and despised in their eyes which is the best judge think you is it not enough for you that you please your husband 3. Here 's comfort for you not only against all their scoffes but against all their low esteeme of you David saith I am small and of no reputation Christ was accounted the least in the kingdome of Heaven hee was the stone which
thou know the joyes of a married life to Christ dost thou put no difference betwixt being a bondslave to hell and one free in Jesus Christ betwixt the enjoying the communion of the children of the Devill and enjoying the communion of Saints no difference betwixt enjoying the communion of devils in everlasting torments and the communion of God Angells and Saints in the highest Heavens where eye hath not seen nor hath eare heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what things God hath prepared for them that love him now if thy conscience bee not seared thou hast ever and anon some flashes of hell in thy face The merriest sinner of you all I believe is not alwayes free Is there no difference betwixt that condition think you and a peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost Now you never lie downe in your beds but if you dare look back and consider how you have spent the day your soule is stricken with terrour and there is a dart almost struck through your liver and you dare not let your soules feed upon the thoughts but are glad to shusfle it over for feare you runne madde but if your soules would but forget these vanities ah how sweetly would you sleep and when you had spent a day in duties of hearing or praying how sweetly would your soules look back upon it Now if you were not rock't into a sleep of damnation you would scarce lie downe to sleep but you would feare lest you should wake in the morning with hell flames about your eares nor walke in the day but like the selfe-accused murtherer your eye would be over your shoulder for feare the devill should be laying hold of you then you would lie downe in peace and rise up in peace and nothing would make you afraid Is this world nothing Christian ah that the Lord would perswade you of this Besides 3. Consider Christian there is nothing in your fathers house but you shall find in Christ by a way of eminency Must you forsake your sinnes you shall be filled with the graces of the spirit of God Must you forsake a little idle vaine company you shall have the communion of Saints yea a fellowship with the father and the sonne the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 3. Must you forget your pompe and glory c. you shall bee called the sonnes and daughters of God heires coheires with Christ Rom. 8. Must you forget worldly riches you shall have the riches of grace Must you forget a few vaine pleasures you shall have a fulnesse of pleasures at Christs right hand and that for ever more Psal 16. 11. Must you forget your owne righteousnesse you shall bee clothed with the righteousnesse of Josus Christ what 's lost by the exchange Christian 4. Consider againe Christ forgot his fathers house for you and yet it was worth many of yours hee forgot the glory the company the pleasures of his fathers house for you he was content for you to be a companion of fishermen yea of sinners yea of theeves when he died upon the crosse for you this he did freely he made himselfe of no reputation hee nothinged himselfe for you Hark what the Apostle sayes 2 Cor. 8. 9. you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who though he was rich yet for your sake bee became poore that you through his poverty might be made rich Let that melting love winne you Besides 5. It is the way to be beautifull what abundance of paines poor vaine wretches take to be beautifull surely this must move Beauty is a desirable thing the vaine creatures of the earth would never else set nature with the heeles upward doe any thing to obtaine it wee should never else have so much precious time lost and so many precious soules undone with paintings and trimmings patchings and perfumings and a thousand such apish tricks but beauty is the idoll of the world to which the very soule shall be offered up in sacrifice and when all this is done the soule is amisse and the way to adorne that is to undresse all againe Hark you that desire beauty here 's the way of beauty which you have not known it is to deny your selves in all these things and whatsoever else is contrary to the law of Christ or short of him yea and this 6. Shall make you desirably beauteous that Christ shall desire you and the Saints shall desire you this is the way to ravish his heart But no more by way of motive God must doe all I know when I have spake my utmost I might tell you who it is will desire your beauty It is the King of heaven of glory and peace the King shall desire your beauty If this all this will not doe the Lord open your eyes and then I am sure it will But this is an hard work and young ones especially had need of a great deale of helpe to it and truly nature affords none all is laid up in Christ onely In order to the getting of it from Christ let me advise you Dir. 1 First With a serious eye to look upon your fathers house and see what there is in it desirable that should so bewitch one that hath not outlawed his or her reason to it Look seriously upon your sinnes will you not see a filthinesse in them Look upon your vaine company bee they what they will will you not discerne some sordidnesse or basenesse in their actions upon your honours and greatnesse will they not appeare bubbles upon your pleasures will they not appeare shaddowes You look upon these things as pictures side-wayes or at a distance that makes you admire them and runne after them come neerer to them will they not look dawbed with some uncomelinesse or other Will not the colours that look'd so sweetly afarre off stink if you bring them neere your nose Let that bee the first piece of advice Dir. 2 While you enjoy these things take heed of letting out your heart to them rejoyce as if you rejoyced not and use the world as if you used it not be not too much intent upon your fathers house converse not too much with any thing there things of the world have a glutinous quality the heart will cleave to them if you let it lie very long amongst them and if it once cleaves there will bee no wayes but either your heart must be soundly rent upon the severing or hell-fire must part them Dir. 3 Thirdly Ah Learne to live from your fathers house betimes take the wise mans counsell it was after a large survey and discourse of every roome and the vanity of every roome in our fathers house Eccl. 12. 1. Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth if rottennesse enter into the bones it will hardly ever â—ut You that are young for the Lords sake think of this Ah come off your youthfull vanities before they can plead custome with your soules live from home
the mistakes he hath therefore rather chose to put himselfe upon thy charity then put thee or himselfe to the trouble of a table of Errata's which is usually made with trouble and seldome used when it is done A short Table of the severall things contained in the two last Sermons THE Psalme analysed and the words of the Text opened 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. 5. Doctrines noted out of the words 13 14. The fifth Doctrine handled viz. That soule that would have the Lord Jesus Christ desire its beauty must forget its owne people and its Fathers house and whosoever doth that shall be beautifull 14 15 16 c. The Method of handling the Doctrine propounded 15. What is meant by our Fathers house 15. What of our Fathers house must be forgotten opened in five particulars 1. The manners of our Fathers house viz. our sins 16. 5. Sorts of sins chiefely hinted in that expression 16 17 18 19. Sinnes 1 Originall 16. 2 Of Education 17. 3 Of Company Conversation 18 4 Of Custome 18 19. 5 That are our beloved sins 19. 2. The Company of our Fathers house 19 20. That is two-fold ib. 1. Our dearest Relations 19 20. How they must and must not be forgotten 20. Not 1 in honour 2 nor affection nor 3 providentiall care but. 1. If God they draw severall wayes 20 21. 2. If their love beclâ—eâ— us out of the way when God calls us 21. 2. Sinfull Company is the company of our Fathers house 23. 3. The soule must forget the honour and pomp and riches and greatnesse of its Fathers house 24 25 26. How that must be ibid. 4. The soule must forget the pleasures and vanities of its Fathers house 27. That explained 28 29. 5. The soule must forget the Righteousnesse of its Fathers House 30 31. VVhat that is ib. Civility is but a smooth way to hell it is worth nothing no more is fâ—â—â—â—lity in duties â—â— 2. Br. Of Explic. How these things must be forgotten 32 33 34 45. c. 1. Sin and sinfull Company must be forgotten absolutely 32 33. 2. The rest must bee forgotten secundùm quid 33. 3. They must be forgotten Conditionally 33. that explained 34. 4. Comparatively they must be forgotten 35. 5. In effect they must be forgotten 35 36. 3 Br. of the Explication viz. How that soule shall be beautifull that thus forgets its Fathers house 36 37 38. That shewed Negatively Positively 36 37. Negatively not with A corporal beuty 36. A natural beauty 37. in its owne eyes a creatures eye 37. Positively it shall be beautifull 1. By Imputation 37. 2. By Christs Acceptation 38. 3. In Saints eys 38 39. 4. Branch of the Explication viz. what is meant by that phrase The King shall desire thy Beauty 39 40. Opened Generally 39. 2. Particularly Six things implyed in it 40 41 42 43. 1. Christ shall see an excellency in such a soule 40. 2. He shall love such a soule ib. 3. He shall in his heart preferre such a soule 40 41. 4. He will endeavour and effect an union with such a soule 42. 5. He will covet a neare Communion with such a soule 4. 6. He will love such a soul with a constant and inseparable love 43. 5. Reasons of the Doctrine 44 45 46. Because 1. It is the very law of marriage 44. 2. While the soule lives in its Fathers house it cannot be beautifull 44. 3. Till the soule part with these it cannot cleave to Christ 45. 4. Because God is a jealous God 46. 5. Because it is the will of Christ to whom aâ— an Husband the united soule must bee obedient 46 The Application of the Doctrine à 47 ad 89. 1. For Instruction in severall Branches Br. 1. That the most part of the world 〈◊〉 those which the world esteems of are uncomely indesireable creatures in Christs eye 47 48 49 50. Br. 2. Which may the way to heaven lyes and that it is a straight way 51 52 53 54. Br. 3. That something more than Nature must make a soule beautifull in Christs eyes 54. Br. 4. With what an infinite love hath Christ loved his Saints 54 55 56. Br. 5. What happy creatures are poore self-denying Saints 56 57 58. 2. Use For Examination Whether we have forgotten our fathers house and our beauty be desireable in Christs eyes or no. 59 60 61 62 63 c. 1. You have seen a great deale of folly in your Fathers house 60. 2. You have had another excellency discovered to you 60 61. 3. Your parting hath not been without some teares 61 62. 4. You have some combatings of spirit with your fleshly inclinations to go home againe 62 63. 5. Christ is your sole delight and all Christ is your delight 63 64. 6. Doe you abide and dwell with Christ 64. 3 Use For Consolation 1. Against all the uncomelinesse Saints apprehend in themselves 65. 2. Against all the dirt the world casts upon Saints 65 66. 3. Against the worlds low esteem of them 66. Severall Objections of misdoubtings Christians answered 67 68 69 70 71. 1 Ob. I am ready to yeeld to temptations and fall into sinne I feare I have not forgot the manners of my Fathers house An. Notwithstanding thy falling into sinne sometimes yet thou maist have forgot it try therefore 1. Which way stands thy Affection 68. 2. Doe you not chide your selves back 69. 3. How long doe you stay at home 69. 2. Ob. I have not forgotten my Fatheas house I am often in vaine company yea and I love them my heart is too much glued to my Relations Answ 1. Are they thy invited guests or intruders 71. 2. Art thou a companion of them in sin or only in civill actions 71. 3. Dost thou love them with a meer naturall love or more 71. 4. Could thy Relations hinder thee from Christ or thy love hinder thee from discharging thy duty to them faithfully 72 73. 3. Ob. I am not low enough for Christ I am rich and noble c. Answ 1. This is a melancholy fancy fat folk may get in at the straight gate with crowding 74. 2. Dost thou not affect and delight and hunt after worldly pompe and glory 74. 3. Dost thou look upon thy title of the servant of Christ as the highest title of honour 74. 4. Is thy outward greatnesse no snare to thee in the waies of Christ if none of these it cannot hinder thee 74 75 4. Obj. Ah! But I am so much addicted to vaine pleasures c. 1. Answ Dost thou love thy pleasures more then God 76. 2. Wilt thou baulk an opportunity of communion with Christ or his saints to enjoy a vaine pleasure 76. 3. Dost thou affect pleasures that cannot consist with holinesse as adultery c. 77. If none of these thou mayest enjoy them and yet be beautifull in Christs eyes ib. Vse 4. For exhortation 1. To those who have not forgotten their fathers house 77 78 79 80 81.