by the light of the spirit within them As Mahomet the vilest of men did pretend that he was inspired by the holy Ghost in the form of a Dove so these miserable creatures pretend to the teachings of the spirit upon their hearts that so their hereticall and blasphemous Tenents may receive the better entertainment If they had not fathered their falshoods blasphemies heresies upon the Spirit of God I had slept in silence but when they make the Spirit of God to be a lying spirit a deluding spirit a profane spirit by their saying that the Spirit teacheth them to live above Ordinances to blaspheme to scoffe at the word of his grace that the Spirit will supply all their wants without the use of means and that they stand not in need of those beggarly Elements to wit the Word Prayer Sacraments and other means of grace as they call them and all upon the account of the Spirits teaching I had no rest in my spirit till what light was imparted unto me concerning the teaching of the spirit upon the hearts of believers I had published for the benefit and comfort of true honesthearted Christians expecting to undergoe the censure of some Aristarchus or other though God who trieth all things knoweth the sincerity of my heart in this matter I wish the subject of my discourse had had a better workman to have handled it but what is defective in my endeavours shal be supplied in my prayes that God would poure forth of his Spirit more and more upon the hearts of his people according to the tenour of the covenant and that Gospel promise that we shall be all taught of God and to rectifie those horrid abuses which are done to the blessed Spirit and to shame those impudent creatures who say they are taught of the spirit while they fulfill the dictates and commands of the flesh and of the Divel and to destroy the spirit of errour prophaneness the spirit of Antichrist which exalts it self in the lives of many Saints eminent in the eyes of the world and to preserve his people his Embassadors his Sacraments his truth his Word in the power and purity of it and to keep us from Popery superstition will-worships and from the doctrnes of men and to make his Church a glorious Church for purity of worship and piety of life in this thrice blessed Nation for the means of grace and for the true knowledge of God which is in it which is and ever shal be the request of him at the thron of grace who is Yours most obliged in all duty add observance J. R. TO The Ingenuous and Honest-hearted READER IT is well known to the grief and sorrow and daily vexation of many righteons Lots who daily torment themselves for the perversnesse of this crooked generation amhngst whom they dwell that the common plea of most men who pretend to the knowledge of the things of God is the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts Never was the spirit so much cryed up in respect of its teachings as it is now adays Caution God forbid that I should sin against the generation of the righteous and offend one of Gods litle ones by opening my mind in so free a way I am verily perswaded God hath at peculiar people a godly party amongst us most dear and precious unto him who know what their generation work is what it is to serve God in spirit and in truth a praying people for whose sakes this very sinful Nation laden with sin and with iniquity is still preserved a most glorious Nation By these therefore whom I so characterize in this Epistle understand those overly righteous people who confining salvation religion to themselves as if none were saved but they set themselvs with all their might against those who doe not comply with them and by opposing godly Magistracy Ministry of this present Nation seeke to extirpate both so be it their ends and aims may be carried on And I am verily perswaded had done it had not God procured in his mercy a gracious liberty for us Wo to those who abuse this liberty by venting forth uncouth opinions strange doctrines horrid blasphemies these persons the Lord will consume with the breath of his nostrils and never were men less void of the spirit and besotted with the delusious of the Divel and with the fancies of theis own pernicious braines then they are now If self-pride intolerable covetousness ambition of honour contempt of the word and Gospel of Christ disrespect slighting and open scoffing it the Ministers of the Gospel If a secret covert-acting of prophaness under the cloak of religion as to lye to deceive to cozen to backbite to revile to reproach to revenge to hate to rejoyce at the harmes of others who are far better then themselves and to lay wait for their falls as if it did them a pleasure to see God dishonoured to persecute to molest and the like and all this under a pretence of doing God service If want of love to the Saints of God and to the waies of his worship a not receiving of the truth in meekness of spirit if earthly mindedness and a groveling in this present world a not obedience to Magistracy and the powers set over us by God If a slavery to the traditions and inventions of men If a prejudice oâ—a heart against whatsoever is not sutable to their corrupted minds If self-seeking when they seek their own things and not the things which are of Jesus Christ and a refusing whatsoever they cannot apprehend and the light within them directs them to If an undervaluing of others and a preferring of themselves when every true Christian esteems each other better then himself If a proud censorious critical spirit interpreting and judgeing of persons and of things according as their blind reason and ill affected minds lead them If inconstancy and levity of mind ignorance prophanesse and a building upon truths without any ground or foundation If a boasting and bragging of an infallible spirit and of the light of the spirit within them If a making of sections parties and factions needlesly and without any cause onely upon the account of singularity because they love to be Christians by themselves and to walk upon their own leggs and to stand upon their own bottoms If a walking contrary to the mind of the spirit making the spirit the author of confusion in Church and State when meerly upon the account of the spirits teachings as if these were a sufficient call for a man to be an Embassador of Jesus Christ and therefore he must break his bounds and leave that calling and station God hath set him in and run upon irreverent things when they are not sent If superstition will-worship sacriledge neglect of the Sacraments of Prayer of the Word and of building up one another in the most precious faith If a malicious frame of heart under a sheepish sanctity for many wolvish professors
doctrine of faith and love which is in Christ Jesus he must keep it and reserve it by him as a most pretious treasure The Law of God is a perfect rule of righteousness commanding good and forbidding evil The Gospel t is the doctrine of faith and repentance from dead works that by Jesus Christ we may have eternall life The Word of God as it takes in both parts is a compleat rule of faith and obedience The main thing the Law requires is obedience He that doth them that is the Commandments of God shall live in them The main thing the Gospel requires is to beleeve on Jesus Christ Act. 16.31 Beleeve and thou shalt be saved Now Jesus Christ is the summe both of the Law and the Gospel Joh. 1.45 Of him speak all the Law and the Prophets He is the substance of the Ceremoniall Law which either typified Christ himself unto us or represented unto us the benefits which come by him to beleevers The Sacrifices were but shadows of good things to come The Morall Law it is our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ Gal. 3.5 for the Morall Law being become weak through our corruptions to bring us unto life and we being driven through a holy despair of our selves and of our insufficiency to seek to Jesus Christ that he would fullfill the Law for us and that through his righteousness our imperfect sincere obedience might be accepted the rigour of the Law is taken away How beleevers are bound to the Law so that we are not bound to the strictness of it as the unregenerate are who have no part nor portion in Christ but only as it is a testimony of our obedience to God the Father and of our hearty love to Jesus Christ How a be leever is said to keep the Law Every sincere convert may be said to do the whole Law in an Evangelicall sense because Christ hath done it for him Rom. 8.3 4. For that which was impossible to the Law in as much as it was weak because of the flesh God sending his own Sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh That the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit For salvation Jesus Christ ought to be the foundation of our faith to wit as the Word of God doth set him forth a Prophet ☜ a Priest and a King the Word of God ought to be the rule of our faith in respect of discipline and manners Not the Testimony of the Church not mens traditions and inventions but the pure Word of God which he hath set up for a light in his Church unto the end of the world which shall never perish not the least tittle or Iota thereof shall fail but as God is the first eternall truth so the Word of God is the eternall truth Cursed shall they be ☜ yea thrice cursed shall they be who shall count the Word of God as a thing of no use and that look for another word to wit a Revelation of the Spirit I know not what revelation but a delusion of the devil and a giddy fancy of their own pernicious brains and shall not receive the Word of God as the rule of their faith Zech. 5.4 If the curse of God enters into the house of the thief and of him that sweateth falsly by his name how much more into the house body soul estates relations good name posterity of the sacrilegious thief who is guilty of most horrid blasphemy in taking away the Authority of the Word of God and denying that end for which God hath appointed it How many are they that cavil at the plainness and evidence of it because it points out as it were with the finger the evil practices of this crooked and perverse generation That most blasphemously say if they had been in Gods place they would have made a better word wherein every punctillo should have been so plain that none of those doubts which distract the mindes of men should have been in it and all those false interpretations quite taken away not knowing what they say Like that proud King of Arragon who said that if he had been in Gods place he would have made the world after a better manner for which blasphemy he was smitten with a dreadfull judgement by God If men had but a spirit of discerning and their mindes enlightened to see the excellency and the majesty speaking in it they would esteem and value it as much as ever yea much more than they now disrespect it The Word is clear in it self but because darkness is upon our understandings therefore we cannot see the beauty of it O that we could prize the Word as David did Psal 119.72 above thousands of gold and silver Job 23.12 and as Job esteemed it more than our appointed food making it the joy and the delight of our souls Deut. 6.8 That it may be continually between our breasts and as a frontlet before our eyes that we could meditate therein day and night David out of an admiration of the excellency of Gods love cries out O how love I thy Law Psal 119.97 it is my meditation all the day He loved it because he meditated in it Vbi amor ibi animus and this love was so great that he could not express it therefore cried he out by way of admiration O how love I thy Law and in another place he saith Psal 119.11 I have hid thy word within my heart that I might not sinne against thee that is in the chambers of my soul for the soul of a man is a large cabinet fit to receive many pretious truths against the time of need Mat. 13.52 Therefore every Scribe instructed for the Kingdom of heaven bringeth out of his treasure that is out of his heart things both new and old I have treasur'd up thy threatnings against sin and sinners that whensoever a temptation is offered to sinne against thee I may draw forth a direct command against such a sinne or denunciation of wrath against such a sinne As if he were tempted to uncleanness he would object Gods direct command against it Exod. 20.14 Thou shalt not commit adultery As Christ vanquisht the devil by the sword of the Spirit ☞ saying It is Written Mat. 4.7 Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God So should we take the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith whereby we may quench his fiery darts As that pious Matron when a lewd Ruffian tempted her to uncleanness desired of him again to hold his finger one hour in the fire for her sake at which request he answering that the demand was unreasonable replied How much more unreasonable is yours that would have me burn in hell for ever to satisfie your lust So should we say How can we do this great wickedness and sin against God We
nothing Men may pronounce the words but they cannot give the Spirit They may speak marvellous well but if the Spirit holds its peace they enflame not the heart They deliver the letter but the Spirit opens the sense They bring forth mysteries but the Spirit unfolds them They declare thy Commandments but the Spirit helps to fulfill them They shew us the way but the Spirit gives us help to walk in it They water outwardly but the Spirit gives fruitfulness Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is God that gives the increase All other knowledge if thou hast not the light of the Spirit will little avail to bring thee any substantiall good or any true or solid comfort Consider with me in these severall particulars the vanity of all other knowledge compared with the light of the Spirit that hereby thou maist be stirred up to seek to God to give the Spirits teachings upon thy heart 1. All other knowledge it breeds distraction of minde and pierceth the soul through with many sorrows Eccl 1.18 He that increaseth wisdom increaseth sorrow and in much knowledge there is much grief When a man sees those many defects and fallings that are in the world those corruptions which are in Church and State those evils that attend this miserable life sees the utter impossibility to flesh and blood that these things should be amended For saith Solomon That which is crooked cannot be made straight Eccl. 1.15 and that which is wanting cannot be supplied The best of us fail in many things and there are many defects in the world which cannot be supplied in this miserable life When a man that hath his eyes in his head considers this it cannot but be a grief unto his soul The more a man knows the more he seeth his own ignorance when a fool is proud knowing nothing He sees that for all his knowledge he knows nothing in comparison of what may be known and that in many things he is uncertain and that he errs in many things this is a trouble and a vexation to his Spirit Acts 26.24 Saith Festus to Paul Much learning hath made thee mad Too much study it is a wearisomness to the flesh And over-hasty pursuit of knowledge hath crackt the brains of many men and when they attain'd that they sought after they have been as unquiet and unsetled in their Spirits as ever they were before yea they have been much more unquiet for as we commonly say what the eye sees not the heart grieves not so if men were not more knowing than formerly they have been there would not be those actings of fear of distrust of strifes contentions and emulations as there are in their spirits The Poets feign of Promotheus A Morall that having stoln fire from heaven his carckass was bound to the mountain Caucasus where a Vulture doth continually feed upon his lungs The Morall of it is good noting unto us this that when men seek after that knowledge which will not profit they do but eat out their spirits with many sorrows But the light of the Spirit it is full of comfort Psal 97. Light is sown for the righteous and joy for the upright in heart There is no such comfort like to that which flows in upon a sanctified knowledge of the things of God 2. A little knowledge with true grace is better then all the knowledge in the world without the light of the Spirit If thou didst know the whole Bible by heart and the sayings of all the Philosophers what would it avail thee without charity and the grace of God Vanity of vanities all is vanity but only to know God and to love him being known What would it avail thee to dispute profoundly of the Trinity if thou be void of humility It is not knowledge but grace makes a man glorious in the eyes of God The Kingdom of God it consisteth not in words but in vertue The Kingdom of God is within you it cometh not by observation If men religions men professing Christians would bestow so much labour in rooting out of vices and planting of vertues as they do to move doubts and questions there would not be so much prophanness in the world nor so much looseness amongst Professors 3. Other knowledge puffeth up but the light of the Spirit it humbleth The Titles that the Schoolmen had do evidently show their monstrous pride one was called Jacobus de Voragine as though he had eaten up the whole book of God in reading it another Doctor Scraphicus Angelicus another Doctor Subtilis Doctor Irrefragabilis venerabilis inceptor Doctor fundatiffimus Dector illuminatus Doctor resolutum 1 Cor. 13. Knowledge puffeth up but charity edifieth As winde in the head makes a man giddy so this vain worldly knowledge it makes a man giddy and unstable in the truth It is as leaven A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump so a little vain knowledge will swell the heart of man that it can hardly contain it self A vain knowing person he never ascribes to God his parts and abilities and gives him the increase of his talents but to himself As Herod did when he had made an elegant Oration in the Auditory he is so farre from giving glory to God that he suffers the people to cry out It is the voice of a God and not of a man So it is usuall with Scholars when they have done a thing whereby they have gained credit as made an elegant Oration or done some great thing whereby they have gained some honour Dr. Goodwin on the variety of thoughts to be often pondering with themselves the chief things contained in the work and to revolve in their mindes those commendable speeches which have been given them for their pains As the Cow after it hath sed it useth to chew the cud so these do as it were chew the cud by meditating in their mindes with self-applause and self-pride what glorious things they have accomplisht and what praise they have obtained for them And as Nebuchadnezzar prided himself in the glory of his outward pomp Dan. 4.30 saying Is not this great Babel which I have built So these pride themselves in the glory of their archievements Have not I done such a curious piece of business worthy of the name of a Scholar Pride ambition and covetousness do sweetly sleep in the hearts of many Scholars Cyprian What is the reason that in these later times there shall be such an apostacy from the faith This is the reason The true reason of apostacy in these our daies because knowledge shall abound men shall pride themselves in their parts and abilities and exalt themselves above the grace of Jesus Christ and the simplicity of the Gospel and therefore cause God to give them over to strong delusions that they should beleeve lies Ezek. 28.3 The proud King of Tyrus he thought himself wiser than Daniel he thought himself wiser and in a better condition than
of the Son of God and art thereby become guilty of the death of Jesus Christ and of thy own eternal condemnation Walk up to this precious light seek not to put out the candle of the Gospel lest God in wrath for thy idleness thy unprofitableness thy stubbornness come and put it out himself But walk in the light as long as thou hast the light repent of thy sins repent from thy sins leave thy sins which have crucified Christ which have been nails and spears in thy Saviours side and as thou art willing to be saved by him so likewise be thou governed by him that Christ might be thy Lord as well as thy Saviour lest otherwise by the hardness and impenitency of thy heart thou treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath and the righteous revelation of the judgement of God by despising the riches of Gods Grace revealed unto thee in the Gospel of his Son R m 1.2 3 4. 5. To the light of the conviction of Gods spirit walk up to the light of the spirit convincing thee of thy sins The spirits conviction is the spirits setting home upon the conscience some sin by undeniable arguments A description of the spirits conviction and by an evident demonstration derived from the Word of God whereby the sinner may know that he is guilty of the same sin together with some dreadful place of Scripture holding forth the terrible judgement of God upon those who commit such a sin that thereby he might be drawn to a loathing and to a forsaking of it Sad is their condition who have such a conviction upon their hearts and do not comply with the conviction for the forsaking of their sins That think by merry company by worldly employments by long continuance to shake off this conviction from their spirits Better had it been for thee that thou hadst never been born then that thou shouldst live all thy days in the commission of any known sin or in the omission of any known duty that spirit convincing thee of thy sins Motives against this sin 1. Motives to close with the spirits conviction That in not complying with the spirits conviction thou opposest the spirit in its first werk tending to thy conversion upon thy soul The spirit convinceth before it converteth the spirit of bondage must go before the spirit of adoption The thundering and terrible voice of the Law before the sweet and the still voice of the Gospel the Arrows of the Almighty within thee make way for the sweet oyle of consolation in resisting the spirits interest in this work thou opposest thy own salvation 2. In opposing the light of the spirit by way of conviction upon thy soul thou wilt bring by little and little such a brawniness upon thy conscience such a hardness upon thy heart such a deadness upon thy affections such a customariness in sinning such an indisposition and averseness upon thy soul to any good thing that the meats of grace which should have been for the food of thy soul shall bâ—thy poyson every Ordinance unprofitable and thou shalt be a burden to the earth an abominable creature in the eyes of God the spirits quench-coal an utter enemy to all goodness and when thou comest to dye Magormishabib a terror and an astonishment unto thy self another Francis Spira another Judas another Saul when thou comest to lye upon thy death deb 3. This not walking up to the light of conviction will be an unconceiveable torment and vexation of spirit unto thee in the flames of hell fire When thou shalt have nothing to do else but to consider how foolishly how vainly thou didst spend this transitoty life in fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and besides which will be the greatest misery when thou shalt with anguish of spirit and with gnashing of teeth consider that if thou hadst closed with such a spiritual truth committed unto thee in a Sermon perhaps the Minister beseeching thee inviteing exhorting thee perswading thee with tears in his eyes to leave thy beloved sins and to embrace Jesus Christ under the penalty of eternal condemnation and hadst complyed with the conviction of the spirit at such a time upon thy heart thou hadst escaped this place of torment All convictions impressions motions of the spirit which the damned souls have had in this life all powerful Sermons all opportunity for the advantages of their souls all good counsels exhortations beseechings of friends relations acquaintance all that progress which they have made in Christianity and that if they had gone but one step farther they might have obtained heaven if they had not loved this present world too much and with the young man in the Gospel loved their possessions above Christ they might have been while now they are in extream misery and when above all this the consideration of the spirits conviction how that they were convinced in their own consciences by the act of the spirit setting home this sin I say when all these means of grace advantage and precious opportunityes with superadded convictions shall be upon their spirits as then they shall be in a most eminent matter their affections being quickened and raised to the full vigor of them God is the immediate inflicter of the souls punishment in hell their memories strengthened their understandings enlarged and all their vain hopes and confidence ruined to their exceeding grief and misery they will weigh heavier then the sand of the Sea and did not infinite power support them under this unconceiveable torment as well as infinite justice inflict this torment by way of vengeance and in full fury upon them the damned spirits could not subsist one moment What language do you think you should hear supposing you were at hells gate Such as this O wretch that I am what a foolish silly wretch was I that I did neglect so great salvation that I did shift off the spirit striving and pleading with me from time to time convincing me of my sins saying to morrow and next day I will begin a new lesson I will redeem the time I will bethink me of eternity but this morrow never yet came till now it is too late time being swallowed up in this Ocean of eternity O what a sluggard was I to shift off the blessed spirit with such fond foolish and frivolous excuses to make every thing an objection and a doubt to keep me off from an obedience to the truth What a mad fellow was I to create fears where no fear was and to think that Gods wayes were full of bitterness and that pleasure of sin exceeding sweet to make offence and stumble at a crucified Christ to believe the divel to hearken to flesh and blood and to follow the course of this present evil world O that I had those opportunities and those precious means for the good of my soul again afforded me how would I live How would I walk up to that light which God hath
which Christ hath purchased for us upon a cordiall acceptation of them and receiving of them by the hand of faith then the purchase of Christ doth not hinder but that the things of eternity may be free to us 2. There are some things which Christ cannot properly be said to purchase for us but God out of the abundance of his mercy added as it were an over-plus to the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ Heaven and eternall glory and the beatificall vision is not strictly said to be purchased by Christ but it is a redundancy of the Fathers love The immediate effect of Christs death is Justification a redeeming us from the curse of the Law and from the wrath of God which was due to our sinnes The more remote and consequentiall effect is heaven and eternall glory Having explained the words I come now to raise some Observations from them From the matter implied That the teachings of the Spirit are absolutely necessary to know the things of God Observe this Note That none can know the things of God but those who have the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts From the words expressed observe 1. That worldly men or the men of this world are led by a worldly spirit 2. That the spirit of the world is altogether opposite to the Spirit of God 3. That all that are the people of God have or shall receive the Spirit of God 4. That the end why they receive the Spirit is that they may know the things of God 5. That all things are given to us freely of God The Observation which is the subject of my ensuing discourse is drawn from the thing implied which is this That none can know the things of God but those that have the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts In the handling this Observation I shall shew First The various acceptation of the word Spirit and that here is meant the Spirit of God Secondly What are the teachings of the Spirit 1. By way of premonition that it is a very hard thing to know them 2. Positively according to the Scripture phrase what they be Here briefly I shall distinguish between the motions impressions and flashes of the Spirit and the teachings of the Spirit Thirdly How the Spirit teacheth to wit 1. By enlightning our understandings 2. By taking away that enmity which is upon our wils against the things of God Fourthly Shew what more peculiar things the Spirit teacheth Fifthly What manner of teachings they are Sixthly Prove the conclusion That none can know the things of God but they that have the Spirits teachings Seventhly Make application 1. By way of Information to shew that the greatest part of Christians are void of the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts 2. By way of Exhortation to stirre you up to seek after the teachings of the Spirit and this Exhortation is pressed home upon a threefold account And a threefold cord is not easily broken 1. From the excellency of the Spirits teachings and of that light which comes thereby above all other teachings and above all other knowledge whatsoever 2. Because if the Spirit teacheth thee it is an evident sign thou art the friend of God 3. If the Spirit teacheth thee it is a sign thou art instated into the Covenant of grace Eighthly I shall give severall signes whereby we may know we are taught of the Spirit Ninthly Shew how we may distinguish between the more extraordinary teachings of the Spirit upon our hearts which are peculiar to more eminent Saints and other teachings Tenthly Shew the times wherein the Spirits teachings are most manifest 1. In times of affliction 2. Near the time of death Eleventhly Answer some doubts and questions arising from the Spirits teachings Twelfthly Shew that it is the duty of every one to walk up to the light which he hath received The various acceptations of the word Spirit in Scripture I. The Spirit is put in opposition to the body Luke 24.39 A spirit hath not flesh and bones c. so the gross foul of a beast is called a spirit The spirit of a man goeth upward Eccl. 3.21 and the spirit of a beast goeth downward II. It is applied to any tenuious nimble or subtile substance So the winde may be called a Spirit Job 4. A spirit passed before my face i.e. a nimble substance resembling the gliding motion of a spirit So we commonly say the spirits of wines because of the refinedness of them III. Any strong impetous or violent inclination Burroughs upon this place in his Comment upon Hosea or full purpose to do a thing may be called a spirit Hosea 4. 12. The spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to erre i. e. a strong inclination and full bent of will to go a whoring from God hath caused them to erre IV. For the heart of man wherein listh the affections in opposition to the will and the understanding and the memory according to the intellectuall part of it 1 Thes 5.23 I pray God that your whole soul spirit and body may be kept blameless till the coming of Jeses Christ By the soul is meant the understanding and the will and by the spirit the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein lieth the affections Rem 1 9. God whom I serve with my spirit Luke 8.55 You know not of what spirit ye are of i. e. of what affections Though some have another interpretation of it as you may see hereafter V. It is taken Quo plus materiae co plus potentiae quo plus formae co plus actus Quo plus potentiae viz. passivae co plus corruptibilitatis quo plus actus co plus substantia â—ic Philosophi aiuns 1. For strength and courage 2. For incorruptibility Isa 31.3 Their horses are flesh and not spirit i.e. subject to corruption and not abiding weak and not strong What is weaker than flesh all flesh is as grass What is stronger than a spirit spirits are of vast strength and operation What is more corruptible than flesh the word flesh notes corruption What is more abiding than a spirit a spirit is of a durable nature in respect of it self though God can suddenly destroy it Luke 1.17 It is said of Jesus Christ that he shall come in the Spirit and in the power of Elias i. e. in the courage strength and power of Elias The Scripture usually puts one word for the further explanation of the other VI. It is taken for the soul of man Luke 23.40 Father into thy hands I commit my spirit Zech. 13.1 The Lord formeth the spirit of man i.e. the soul of man so saith Stephen Act. 7.59 Lord Jesus receive my spirit VII For life Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be allwaies wroth for the spirit would fail before me i.e. the life and the souls which I have made When God comes to contend with sinners for their sins there is no standing before him
the Spirit upon thee Besides dost thou know how long the Spirit will move upon thy heart how long the prosperous gales will laft which if thou hadst sailed along with would have brought thee to heaven Dost thou know how long the Spirit will strive with thy heart crying out Why sinner how long shall it be ere Christ shall be thy Lord and Saviour Beloved Christian though there be hope as long as the pool is open and thou art alive and livest under the Ordinances of grace that the Spirit may descend again upon thee yet seeing thou hast sinned so often against the pleadings of the Spirit and hast quenched the Spirit so long who can tell whether ever he will come down in mercy again upon thy soul for ever For God hath a time in this life to bid his Spirit to let sinners alone and never to strive with them more but let them be filthy if they will be filthy Though this time God hath reserved in his own wisdom secret from men that they should not know it The black book of reprobation is known only to God and none may say positively God hath rejected him unless he is certain he hath sinned against the holy Ghost as too many weak Christians under desertion are apt to say and how knowest thou thou hast sinned the sin against the holy Ghost if thou hast a desire to repent for thy sinnes if thou art willing to receive Jesus Christ for thy Lord and Saviour never fear it Christian all is well thou art in a good condition yet I beseech thee do not quench the motions of the Spirit upon thy heart XI The Spirit is put for a state or a condition or a calling as some interpret We have not received the spirit of bondage Rom. S. but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father i. e. not a state or condition of bondage but a state of adoption so Ravanellus Likewise when Christ said to his Disciples You know not of what spirit ye are of Luk. 9.55 i. e. of what state of what calling of what condition ye are of It is not suitable to men of your profession of your coat to be so fiery and so impatient so Aretius Yet I rather follow the judgement of a judicious Divine in our daies who in the forementioned place in the Romans means by spirit not a state there but a person i. e. the third person in the blessed Trinity very judiciously explaining the words after this manner Shewing that when once the Spirit hath been the Spirit of adoption that Spirit is never after the spirit of bondage again unto us this in no waies hindering but that a childe of God after the Spirit of adoption may have the fears of bondage again for though the Spirit doth not contradict his testunony yet he may withdraw his rest mony for a time and leave us in the dark yea the devil may trouble and affright us and our own consciences may condemn us XII By Spirit may be meant a pretence and opinion of some revelation Dr. Goodwin in his excellent Book called A childe of light walking in darknels concerning something which a mans own private conceit or imagination inclined him so to think 2 Thess 2.1 Be not troubled neither by spirit nor by word to think the day of judgement is at hand By spirit i. e. if any pretend a revelation that the day of judgement is at hand do not beleeve him 1 John 4.1 Try the spirits i. e. those pretended revelations which men feign and see whether they are of God or no. Beleeve not every spirit because that many false Prophets are gone out into the world XIII The Spirit is taken for the graces of the Spirit in you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 1. To the seven Spirits of the seven Churches i. e. to that Spirit which is seven-fold in respect of its graces to the seven Churches The Spirit of God dwelleth within you that is according to some not the Spirit it self but the graces of the Spirit Gal. 5. These are the fruits of the Spirit love joy peace meekness temperance patience c. XIV The Spirit is taken for those unclean lusts which the devil brings along with him in the hearts of those in whom he lodgeth Matth. 12.45 When the unclean spirit returneth he bringeth with him seven other spirits worse than the former i. e. many other filthy lusts more abominable than the former XV. Consule Pareum in Genesin na hunc locum interpretatur viz. Spiritum illic accipi pro vi seu officacia divina Cap. 1. Geneseos The Spirit is taken for Divine force and efficacy Judg. 14.19 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him i. e. a Divine force from on high came upon Sampsons spirit whereby he set upon the enterprize of killing the Ashkelonites XVI The word Spirit fignifieth a new quality of holiness created and wrought in all the Elect by the Spirit of God whereby all the powers and faculties of the soul and body are renewed according to the Image of God in wisdom holiness and righteousness otherwise called the Regenerate part Rom. 8. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit XVII Spirit is taken for the chief and excellent faculties of the soul called reason and understanding 1 Cor. 2.11 XVIII The Spirit is taken for the vigour and efficacy of the understanding Be ye renewed in the spirit of your minde More particularly First The Angels are called spirits 1. Good Who maketh his Angels spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire Heb. 1. 2. Evil Mark 5.4 We reade of a man possessed with an unclean spirit and saith Christ What is thy name saith the unclean spirit again My name is Legion for we are many A Legion of devils in one poor man Secondly By way of eminency God is called a Spirit John 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth God is a Spirit if you take God essentially for the Deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or personally for the three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost Thirdly More particularly the third Person in the blessed Trinity distinguished from the Father and the Sonne is called a Spirit Often times in Scripture he is called by the Name of the holy Ghost Matth. 3.16 I saw the holy Ghost descend upon him like a Dove Having done with the ambiguity of the word Spirit I come to shew what are the teachings of the Spirit upon the hearts of Beleevers In handling of this I shall premise That it is a very difficult thing to know what the teachings of the Spirit are As thou canst not tell how the bones grow in her that is with child or what properly be the influences of the starres Eccl. 11.5 or how-one spirit communicates its minde to another or the causes of naturall sympathy or antipathy as thou canst not tell whence the winde cometh John
the smoaking flax untill he bring forth judgement into victory that is he will cherish grace and knowledge though covered over with manifold imperfections and very small till they shall come to that measure of perfection which is appointed for them Reply Doth the Spirit teach successively though he will teach us all things which pertain to life and godliness What hindereth but that a childe of God may erre in many things and yet the Spirit of God be said to teach him all things v. g. A Schoolmaster is said to instruct his scholar in all the rudiments of Grammar yet the scholar may commit solecismes and false concordance and why because the Master doth not teach him all the elements at once but by degrees So the Spirit though it teacheth all things which pertain to life and salvation in time yet because it teacheth by degrees a childe of God may in the mean time fall into errour till the Spirit of God shall give in a further light into his soul declaring unto him that his tenent is an errour Secondly They are inward teachings that is they reach to the heart Many times Ministers teach but 't is not from the heart to the heart but from the heart to the head We may inform your judgments but we cannot enkindle your affections and inflame your hearts with an ardent desire and fervent love of the things delivered unto you The Spirit makes you not only to know the things of God but in love with the things of God A spirituall man can finde more sweetness in reading one of the Psalms penned by that sweet Psalmist of Israel Davia than in reading all the merry books in the world besides Another man may reade the Word of God but it is only the Spirit that can make us delight in the Law of God according to the inward man Another man may hear of the excellency of Jesus Christ but it is only the spirituall man that esteems him the chiefest of ten thousand and desires him above all things When the Spirit teacheth the soul let it be never so dull of apprehension let its affections be as cold as a stone to heavenly things let him be as Epraim like a silly Dove without a heart let him be altogether averse from any thing that is good yet the Spirit shall produce inward heat life and motion to runne in the waies of God and not to be weary to go on and not faint The Spirits teachings will make hearts as hard as rocks to flow forth with rivers of living water they will cause floods to come into the wilderness where no water is It is unexpressible what are the kindlings of love and meltings of heart in a soul towards God that hath once been toucht with this heavenly light of the Spirit from heaven What is the reason we remain so dull and so cold under such powerfull Ordinances and such plenteous showrs of grace Why I will tell you you want the inward teachings of the Spirit upon your hearts In the Word preached you may have light but you can have no heat you may have motion but you can have no zeal Where the Spirit is there is light and heat you will be burning and shining lights Thirdly They are evident teachings 1 Cor. 2.4 We reade of the demonstration of the Spirit the Spirit when it comes it makes a demonstration from the effect to the cause because the Spirit worketh in us what it teacheth The way to faith is by working knowledge in our hearts and by opening our eyes to see in what a case we are in by nature and into what a good condition we are instated into by Jesus Christ Knowledge is put for faith This is life eternall to know thee Joh. 17.3 and Jesus Christ whom thou bast sent that is to beleeve on thee and Jesus Christ We may know we are taught by the Spirit if we live in the Spirit if we walk in the Spirit if we warre after the Spirit and not after the flesh 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our Warfare are not carnall but spirituall and mighty to the throwing down of sinne and Satan The Spirits writing upon the heart is in great letters not in small so that he that runnes may reade it as it is spoken of the vision in Habakkuk grace is written in legible characters The Saints of God generally stand in their own light By others I do not understand the world the wicked world but the Saints of God The true Saints are hid to the world The life of every Saint is hid with Christ in God But one spirituall Christian may easily discern another because of that likeness which each hath one to another and the conformity both of them have no Jesus Christ their head that they cannot see those graces in themselves which to others are very plain and visible True grace loves to lie hid under the vail of humility the more it seeks to hide it self the more it is discovered The Saints are the Epistle of Christ known and read of all men The Spirit doth not teach by tipes and figures and by shadows but it teacheth the very thing the very substance We reade of the manifestation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall Ephes 1.17 So the Spirit of revelation That the God of our Lord Jesus and the Father of glory might give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him The Spirit it is our remembrancer to bring all things to our remembrance which Christ and his Apostles have spoken unto us in the word Saith Christ John 14.26 When the Spirit comes he shall bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have spoken unto you that is the things of God shall be made so plain unto them as if they had known them of old as if they were well verst in them and the things deeply rooted in their memories This is quite contrary to those who say the Spirits teachings are full of mysteries dark and obscure and hard to be understood What is this but to make the Spirit of God like the impure spirit the devil Indeed when Oracles were in use the devils answers were very obscure witness when Pyrrhus sent to the Oracle to know whether he should overcome the Romans or the Romans overcome him the answer was so dubious that he could not understand either of them before the sword decided the doubt on the Romans part Aiote Aeacida Romanos vincere posse But the Spirit of God teacheth plainly and when he speaks he speaks to the purpose If the Spirits teachings should be obscure who should interpret the minde of the Spirit there is none that can resolve the Spirits meanings but the Spirit it self this is the great resolver of all doubts and questions Wouldst thou be resolved whether thou art a childe of God or no Gal. 4. the Spirit will
tell thee God hath sent the Spirit of his Son crying in our hearts Abba father The Spirit of God witnesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God Fourthly The Spirits teachings are irresistible teachings Acts 6.10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which Stephen spake i. e. the writings of God upon Stephens heart or the teachings of the Spirit were so evident upon him that they could not withstand him or oppose what he said When the Spirit comes it shall convince the world of sinne of judgement and of righteousness It shall convince if it doth not convert It shall either drive thee besides thy self ☜ and make thee despair of salvation or to go out of thy self and to trust in Jesus Christ There is no opposing the Spirit when he comes with the prevailings of grace upon thy heart It is said of Christ that he spake as one that had anthority Mat. 7.29 and not as the Scribes Why because he spake by the Spirit My words saith he they are spirit and they are life Joh. 6.63 Let there be never so much opposition in the heart never so much prevalency of sinne let the soul be kept never so fast bound and setter'd with the vanities of the world with the devices of Satan and with the deceitfulness of sinne Yea supposing thou wert fast asleep in the midnight of earnall security yet if the Spirit comes and joggs as the Angel did Peter we shall presently awake Act. 12.7 and the prison doors shall be open and our fetters shall be knockt off and we shall be set at liberty It is our misery that when God comes to deal with his Spirit for our souls good the Spirit doth not finde us sitting still and quiet and out of the way to heaven but posting with all speed in a quite contrary way as fast as we can to hell We do not only by nature not love God but we hate God and preferre sinne and the devil before him Now when the Spirit comes supposing we are at the very brink of hell just dropping in yet if we hear the voice of the Spirit that voice which Isaiah speaks of Isa 30.12 a voice behind thee saying This is the way walk in it we shall return and be as fire-brands pluckt out of the fire The Spirit when it comes to write the things of God upon our hearts it doth not finde our souls a rasa tabula a meer blank wherein there is nothing written but the rudiments of the world of the flesh and of sinne are naturally written upon them the devil is engravened and pourtrayed all abroad upon the heart of a wicked man Now the finger of God can presently blot out this writing and unteach us whatsoever the flesh the devil and the world hath taught us and write his own characters as it were with the juyce of an onyon never to be blotted out again Joh. 5.25 It is said in the Gospel of John the dead shall hear the voice of the Sonne of God and live that is those that are dead in sinnes and trespasses that are spiritually dead that have no spirituall life that do not relish the things of God that cannot move one foot towards heaven when the Spirit cals which is meant by the voice of Christ like those dry bones which the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of they shall arise and walk and live the life of faith Ezek. 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my waies to do them When the Spirit teacheth Isa 32.4 the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly No naturall impediment no indisposition can hinder the effects of the Spirit Fifthly They are arbitrary teachings As the winde bloweth where it listeth Joh. 3.8 so is every one that is born of the Spirit The Spirit teacheth when it listeth and where it listeth The Spirit is a free agent bound to none and whatsoever he doth Matth. 11.25 he doth it freely I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things frem the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes even so Father for so it seemeth good in thy sight By the same Spirit is given severall gists but all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit 1 Cor. 12.11 dividing to every man severally as he will The Spirit of God out of a family perhaps it teacheth the Master and leaveth the servant in darkness the childe and leaves the father in darkness And as Christ said in the Gospel of Matthew Matth. 24.41 there shall be two a grinding in the mill the one shall be taken and the other left so say I in the same seat at the same time there be many a hearing of the word together and the Spirit may come and teach one and leave all the rest in darkness What a mercy is it therefore to thee whosoever thou art to thee I say that art so highly honoured as to have the Spirit to be thy teacher that the Lord should open thine eyes to see the ugly nature of sinne and the excellency that is in Jesus Christ Why might'st thou not have been one of the ignorant prophane world one that never knewest experimentally and savingly what it is to beleeve in Jesus Christ what it is to sit down at Christs table and to eat of the feast of fat things which he hath prepared for thee Why maist thou not have lived under the dispensations of the old Law when the Patriarchs had but the glimmerings of the Spirit but that thou shouldst live under the Gospel And why under the Gospel shouldst thou have a more plentifull measure of the Spirit than others but because it is the Spirits pleasure it should be so Even so Father for so it seemeth good in thy sight As Christ said to his Apostles though in another sense Mat. 13.16 17. Blessed are the eyes which see the things which you see and the ears which hear the things which you hear so I may say to you that live under the teachings of the Spirit in these Gospel-times Blessed are the eyes which see the things which you see and the ears which hear the things which you hear And as Christ said to the woman that came to him saying Luke 11.27 Blessed is the womb which bare thee and the paps which gave thee suck Nay saith Christ rather blessed are they which hear the Word of God and do it So say I Blessed are they that hear the voice of the Spirit speaking in their hearts and walk up to this voice of the Spirit Sixthly They are determinating fixing and quieting teachings They fix the soul in the waies of God They resolve all the doubts and carnall reasonings which are in our hearts and quite stop the mouth of flesh and blood When Paul had received
the Spirit how couragious was he in the work of the Lord he that formerly was mad with fury against the Church of God how strongly doth he row the other way As soon as ever Ananias had said Brother Saul receive thy sight Act. 9. his eyes were opened and his heart enlarged in the knowledge of God he presently goes about his Masters business to win souls over by the evidence of the Spirit to the obedience of the word Yea he was ready not only to be bound for the Lord Jesus ☞ but to suffer for him A spiritual man he chooseth and pitcheth upon mature and serious deliberation with himself being helped by the light of the Spirits teachings I say he chooseth God for his God and Christ for his Christ and the Spirit for his Spirit and the Word for his rule and Gods Commandments for his delight An implicit faith Many Christians have but an implicit faith for what they believe some believe the Word of God because they were taught so and so were instructed by education others believe so because it is the generall opinion of most men others because this way seems the best to their corrupt naturall reason others there are because such a man said so because they are perhaps engaged to him in Church-society when they have no ground in their own consciences why they close with this rather than with that The devil will have a shrewd combate with this mans faith in the hour of temptation when he shall come to die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 efflagitavit The devil hath desired to winnow thee as he did Peters faith He will try thee of what mettall thou art made whether thou art dross or silver he will sift thee throughly and if thou art found wanting as I am sure thou wilt be found for this faith hath no foundation thou shalt be cast forth as chaff out of Christs floor to be burned for ever What is the reason that we drive on so slowly for heaven why it is because of the unsetledness of our spirits We do not walk by fixed principles Go to this point whether the Word be the Word of God were you never under the buffetings of Satan for a while concerning this thing hardly any but some times or other have been under such a cloud of temptation If you were really fixed upon this principle that the Scripture is the Word of God reading what judgments attends sinners in their evil courses and what happiness follows the Saints there could not be such a general spirit of prophanness amongst men as there is and that little care to walk exactly according to the preciseness of the Gospel The Spirit quiets our mindes concerning this doubt by discovering unto us the majesty purity and perfection of it A spiritual man can say I know whom I have believed 2 Tim. 1.12 I know what I speak I know that God is true and that there is no unrighteousness in him God is in me of a truth Besides have we not Atheisticall thoughts of God like that fool Psal 14.1 who said in his heart there was no God denying the providence of God When we see the wicked men of the world prosper and we our selves counted the offscouring of it are we not ready to say like David 1 Sam. 27.1 I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul or that we shall fall of everlasting happiness God hath cast us off for ever calling the servants of God liars who speak unto us in the name of the Lord and to distrust the word of promise Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee where there are five negatives for the confirmation of it I will never never never never never leave thee nor forsake thee Psal 73. Now as David when he went into the Sanctuary of God he was better principle'd and understood their latter end that God had set them in slippery places that they might fall and not rise again So if we would wait till the Spirit comes down upon our hearts we should have all these carnall reasonings and these fleshly doubts removed and we should be setled in the truths of God When a man is taught by the Spirit he doth not stand to reason with flesh and blood shall I do this or shall I do that shall I choose heaven or shall I choose hell shall I choose sinne or shall I choose grace shall I choose God or shall I choose Baal he doth not stand reasoning the case Shall I be religious or shall I not Shall I trust all upon Gods bare promise or shall I close with the pleasures of sin which are really present but he presently renouncing all those carnall reasonings which arise from flesh and blood presently sets upon the work of the Lord knowing that his labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. So did Paul Gal. 1. 15 16. When the Lord had endued him with his Spirit sutable for his calling whereunto he was called he stood not to reason with flesh and blood but presently sets upon his great Masters business Jesus Christ The great danger there is in consulting with flesh and blood This consulting with flesh and blood hinders many a poor soul from a through closing with Jesus Christ Flesh will say Do not close with Jesus Christ do not serve God you had better take a certainty for an uncertainty and those present enjoyments here and live merrily In consulting with flesh and blood you consult with the enemy of Jesus Christ of the Gospel of his grace and with an enemy to your own souls Be sure the flesh will decide the controversle on the devils part against Jesus Christ Now the Spirit of God determines the matter on Christs part against the devil teaching thee the insufficiency of all the creatures to make thee happy and the true happiness only resides in God putting thee into the way wherein God is to be found and preserving thee in the same that at length thou maist reap everlasting life Seventhly The teachings of the Spirit are consonant to the Word they agree with the Word of God As the minde of the Spirit in one place of Scripture agrees with the minde of the Spirit in another and there is a sweet harmony in the Word of God So the teachings of the Spirit upon our hearts they also are correspondent with the word Saith Paul to the Galatians Gal. 1.8 If an Angel from heaven should deliver any other doctrine unto you than what you have received let him be accursed And the Apostle by a resumption or ingemination repeats it again If any man teach any other Gospel unto you than what you have received let him be accursed ◠11 12. And why My Doctrine is not of flesh nor of the will of man but of God Note this well ☜ As if the Apostle had said My word which I have delivered unto you being the Word of God
and seeing I have received it from God I am certain God will not send a message contrary to his Word or send an Angel from heaven to infirm and weaken that which I have delivered unto you So I say ☜ whosoever thou art that pretendest to revelations and mysteries and high discoveries from God if the manifestations you pretend to be to draw you to the promoting of any thing contrary to the Word of God or to encourage you in the waies of sinne and to carry on the interests of the flesh it is a lying Spirit it is not the Spirit of God I am sure God will not send a message to contradict his own Word or give in a revelation which shall weaken and destroy that word which his Apostles and Prophets have delivered unto us I could wish that the Quakers of our times who pretend so much to the Spirit The Quakers are void of the Spirits teachings and yet walk after the flesh vilifying and reviling the precious servants of Jesus Christ their mouths being black with hellish imprecations against the servants of Jesus Christ would lay this to heart Certainly they are void of the Spirits teachings upon their hearts if any people in the world are void because they are so full of malice against the Word of God which is the minde of the Spirit and so impetuously carried by a spirit of envy An envious person is the very picture of the devil against those who watch for their souls good that they may be saved at the great day of account Isa 8.11 To the Law and to the testimony if they hearken not to these it is because there is no light in them I know the devil can put on Samuels mantle and he will bring Scripture in his mouth as well as the best He brought Scripture to Christ Mat. 4. but you may easily perceive him by his cloven foot it is either to tempt thee to sinne as here he did Christ or to some errour and heresie The devil is Gods Ape The devil is Gods Ape and as God hath his miracles so he hath his wonders as appears by the Sorcerers in Egypt and he will set up his standard by Gods standard in this world If God hath his revelations the devil will have his but you may easily difference them by these signes 1. The devils revelations are but hidden things How do men in these times who talk much of the light of the Spirit within them runne all upon Allegories wresting the Scripture to their own damnation 1 Cor. 14.32 2. The devils revelations put men into strange passions and phrensies Spiritus Prophetarum subjecti sunt Prophetis ie nihil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacient sed decentèr ntilitèr Et hoc distinguuntur Prophetae veri à vatibus prophauis quia illi omnia faciunt quodam furore ecstafi alie nautur mentè abripiun tur extrà sese ut saepe seipsos non intelligant inde ambiguè etiam ludunt quia incerti sunt de rebus At veri Prophetae non ita modestè sedatè omnia agunt spiritum habeut sibi subjectum ut nihil indecorum admittant idco libemèr cedunt aliis Arecius The spirits of the Prophers are subject to the Prophets that is they do nothing disorderly but with decency and profit And by this manner are distinguished the true Prophets from the false and prophane ones because they do all things with a certain kinde of fury and madness and are estranged in their minds and snatch besides hemselves that many times they do not understand themselves and speak ambiguously because they are uncertain of the things themselves But the true Prophets do not so they do all things modestly and quietly hâ—y have their spirits in subjection so that they do nothing ancomely and can willingly give place to others and I know not what distempers but the Spirit of God doth not so reveal it self but teacheth in a milde gentle and in a quiet way 3. After the devils revelations there follows great disquietness of minde and little settlement of spirit but they are left in manifold perplexities sometimes the light that is within them as they call it carrying them to such a place and sometimes to another and whatsoever the light bids them do that they must do As the evil spirit hurried Christ up and down setting him upon the pinacle of the Temple but the teachings of the Spirit bring peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost which is unspeakable and full of glory Saith Christ When the Spirit comes it shall speak of me and shall bring all things to your remembrance Whatsoever I have spoken unto you Whatsoever Christ speaks and the Word speaks the Spirit speaks but whatsoever the devil speaks he speaks it of himself and not according to the word for he was a liar from the beginning he abode not in the truth and the truth is not in him Eighthly They are effectuall powerfull transforming teachings As God by his word in the Creation did create light upon the earth God said Let there be light and there was light so God by one word from heaven by his Spirit can create light in our understandings As Christ by a-word did raise Lazarus out of the grave so God by one word by his Spirit can raise us up from the grave of sinne to newness of life As thou canst not hinder the influences of heaven nor cause it not to rain when God hath unlockt his store-house of rain or from keeping the light of the sunne from the world much less canst thou hinder the work of the Spirit upon thy heart the influences of his Divine working Prov. 21.1 The Lord tunneth the heart of man as he turneth the Water-brooks One would think that such a one as Saul a persecutour should never have been a Paul a chosen vessell to bear his Name before the Gentiles That a Manasseh who made Jerusalem to swim with blood should have been a Convert That a Mary Magdalen out of whom Christ had cast out seven devils should become a Saint but such is the power of the Spirit that though thou hadst a legion of devils Christ by his Spirit which is called the finger of God as Christ saith Luke 11.20 If I by the finger of God cast out devils he can cast them out and fill thee with his good Spirit When Christ comes to a mans house and saith This day is salvation come to thy house as he did to Zacheus Luk. 19.9 let him be a Publican he shall give half his goods to the poor and if he hath wronged any man he shall make restitution So when Christ shall come to thy heart by the Spirit and cry saying This day is salvation come to thy soul thou shalt open and become a new creature be thy former condition what it will 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are
many of them and speak not soberly enough of the great mystery of the Trinity bringing in Philosophicall reasons whereas these mysteries should rather be adored than searched after They distinguish were God disting uisheth not being full of vain Philosophy and needless doctrines Weems that seeing they might not see who are called men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith 2 Tim. 3.8 But by the naturall man is understood every man whatsoever that is not taught and inlightened by the Spirit As fleshly is opposed to spirituall so animall or naturall is opposed to spirituall So that whosoever he be let him have the highest perfections of nature or morality or common endowments he is an ignoramus in the things of God if he be void of the Spirit Wicked men they count spirituall things foolishness As the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God so the wisdom of God is foolishness with the world 1 Cor. 1.25 Though the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men So we reade of the foolishness of preaching in the 21 verse of the same Chapter Wicked men count preaching of the Word of God foolishness and Religion but a toy a bable and as a bug-bear to keep us in awe they cannot savour or relish any spirituall thing Besides saies the Apostle they are spiritually discerned Now wicked men who are void of the Spirit they have not that Spirit of discerning which other men have As a man who hath a vitious humour in his eye whatsoever he looks upon it is represented under that humour as if a man hath the Jaundis in his eyes all things are presented to his sight under a yellow colour So wicked men because they are sensuall and have not the Spirit as Jude speaks they look upon all things with a carnall eye and so are not able to discern aright Many times naturall men they judge of things according to their bulk and quantity they judge of the goodness of a prayer by the length of it of faith by a meer casting of themselves at all adventures upon Jesus Christ for salvation never seeing whether their hearts are purified by faith or no Indeed the wicked that have learning may perceive and know those things of the Spirit but they know them in a carnall manner not in a spirituall manner and howbeit they may reform their outward courses and cut off many acts of sin and like grace somewhat in their hearts thus farre and farther may a carnall man go being but changed not renewed Now they cannot spiritually discern grace for in regard of spirituall discerning they are in the dark even as the eyes if they would see without light the eye-sight and the goodness and the excellency of the ball will not avail to make them see so the wicked even the learned'st of them all they cannot see grace because they have not the Spirit of discerning light their learning their wit and all their good parts cannot suffice to descry the things of God as they are seen by the godly They seeing see not and hearing they might hear and not understand This knowledge of the things of God this spirituall knowledge it is called the Unction of the holy Ghost 1 John 2.20 You have an Unction from the holy One and you know all things It is called eye-salve Rev. 3.18 It is called the opening of the eyes Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold the wondrous things in thy Law It is called the lightning of the eyes Psal 13.3 Lighten my eyes It is called seeing Isa 29.18 And the eyes of the blinde shall see out of darkness Mr. Feuner in his mystery of saving grace or joyned with a true love unto him They mistake common grace for speciall grace and rest satisfied with the common graces of the Spirit never minding whether they have that prevailing degree of grace to love God and Jesus Christ above all things They are ready to think themselves the children of God because they prosper in the world and have not crosses as other men because they are quiet in respect of sinne and have no trouble of conscience upon their hearts as other men have They are apt to conclude that God loves them and delights in them because they have sometimes more than ordinary raptures of Spirit and are sometimes stirred up to prayer and the like because they have more head-knowledge than many other honest-hearted Christians have All these false conclusions come from corrupt flesh because they are not inlightened by the Spirit of God John 2.11 He that walketh in the dark knoweth not whither he goeth You are all in the dark unless you have the Spirit If the people of the world had the eyes of the children of God they could not but love grace and holiness and Christ and the Word and the Ministers for the beauty and the excellency that is in them Then they would say with David Psal 84. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness a thonsand years Psal 42.1 As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God when shall I come and appear before God! They would hate sinne for that odious nature and that vileness that is in it but their eyes are vitiated and in stead of the Doves eyes of the spouse of Christ their eyes are bewitched with the things of this world Gal. 3.1 O ye Galatians who hath bewitched you It is a bewitching with the eyes as the Greek word imports It is said of Agar that when she was in the wilderness and the Lad was ready to die for thirst that God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water So though Jesus Christ that fountain which is open to Judah and Jerusalem for sinne and for uncleanness be daily put before our eyes yet if God doth not open our eyes we shall never see it we shall never taste of the waters of life What is the reason that David prayed so often Psal 119. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold the wondrous things of thy Law Teach me thy statutes Make me to understand the way of thy precepts I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy precepts Why Because David knew that he could not understand the things of God unless he were taught by the Spirit When the earnall men of the world condemn the children of God for their zeal and constancy in his waies and for their preciseness in living up to the terms of the Gospel they may answer them as one did his fellow in another case for looking upon a picture said his fellow Why dost thou gaze upon it so long O saith he if you did see with my eyes and had that skill to discern as I have you would gaze upon it as long too So if you did see with our light and had that Spirit of
confidence and boldness into the presence of God Before we have the Spirit we are in bondage 1. To sinne 2. To the beggarly and slavish rudiments and customs of the world To sinne and so the Spirit as it delivers us from the state of bondage 't is called a Spirit of holiness a Spirit of sanctification His servants we are whom we obey in the service of God there is perfect freedom but in the service of the devil there is the greatest slavery What more slavish than to serve a lust What greater bondage can there be than to have the devil our Master When the Spirit of God hath sanctified us and renewed us then we bear the Image of our heavenly Father according to that place in John He that is born of the flesh is flesh Joh. 3.6 and he that is born of the Spirit is spirit that is he that is born of the flesh bears the image of the flesh and he that is born of the Spirit the image of the Spirit As he that is born of corrupt flesh is corrupt so he that is born of the holy Spirit of God is holy Likewise we are delivered from the rudiments of the world and those superstitious waies wherein the world walketh How many are there kept in bondage to old customs in the worship of God to Ceremonies and serving of God after the tradition of their fathers that stand upon places and outward form more than the inward and more spirituall part of worship Some cavil at the Churches calling them Steeple-houses and the Pulpit a Tub and the servants of God Tub-preachers If the Church of God be a Steeple-house what place may we term their private meetings wherein the subject matter of their discourse is to broach and vent forth new fangled notions nothing materiall to the salvation of their souls and how they may vilifie and cast contempt upon the true worship of God and upon the servants of Jesus Christ Others put too much upon these places as if there were an inward holiness in them as if God would rather hear them there and answer them for the place sake rather than at another place Under the Gospel there is no place more holy than another for it is not the place that makes the duty holy as it was under the Law when the Altar sanctified the gift and not the gift the Altar but duties now put a dignity upon the place and not the place put a dignity upon the duties So that this place the Church while we are praying it may be called the house of prayer and while we are doing Gods work and God is manifesting himself unto us it may be called the house of God As Jacob called the place where he had his vision The house of God But yet you must observe this by the way that under the Gospel-dispensation there is not so much put upon places as there was under the Law God under the former dispensation did more immediatly limit his presence to one place though not alwaies for God is found of all them that diligently seek him but his visible presence is more reserved to the Temple and to his shining forth between the Cherubims over the Mercy-seat 2 Chron. 6.20 God is said to put his Name into the Temple and the Psasmist saith Psal 80.1 O thou that shinest forth between the Cherubims in allusion to Gods manifesting himself over the Mercy-seat Therefore it was Jeroboams sin which the Prophet Hosea reproves that he did not only set up Calves to be worshipped instead of the true God but that he set them up in Dan and Bethel keeping the people from the place of Gods worship where God had put his Name Yet under this dispensation the Church it may be called a holy place as under the old Law many things are called holy in that it is separated and set apart in a publick way in opposition to meeting houses for the pure worship of God and a joynt calling upon him in his own way The Spirit likewise puts us into a state of liberty A state of Sonship it is a state of liberty Rom. 8.11 Therefore we are said to be translated from the Kingdom of darkness into the glorious liberty of the children of God If children then heirs joynt heirs with Jesus Christ Now you know a childe when he is under age he differs nothing from a servant but is under Governours and Tutors till he comes to be heir and Lord of all things A reverent Divine whom I heard occasionally said that there were four priviledges which attend Adoption 1. Liberty 2. Right and title 3. Correction and 4. Boldness Now how come we to be the Sons of God but by the Spirit the Spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God This spirituall freedom it is not such a freedom as the world dreams of ☞ it doth not exempt us from the obedience to the Laws either of God or man The Spirits liberty what it i. it is not a freeing us from obeying the Civil Magistrate it is not a freeing us from afflictions and crosses in the world Nay rather it is a sign thou art a child of God and that thou art instated into this liberty if thou art corrected God chastneth every son whom he receiveth The Spirit likewise gives us freedom and liberty to come with confidence by faith into the presence of God Eph. 2. For through him we both have access through one spirit unto the Father By the Spirit we have access by Christ unto God the Father so that whatsoever prayer you put up to God the Father What prayer is accepted by God if it be not a fruit of the Spirit and tendred up in Christs Name it shall never be accepted God owns nothing but what is his own Whatsoever is not of the Spirit it is of the flesh Men may be moved with fait speeches enticing words eloquent phrases as the people of Tyrus and Sidon with Herods eloquent Oration Act. 12.21 but all the eloquence in the world is no more to God than the lowing of an Ox or the howling of a Dog if it come not from the Spirit Dr. Gouge in his whole Armour of God and whatsoever is of the flesh it is our own it comes from us and not from God A childe of God he is partly flesh and partly spirit Now God the Father for Jesus Christs sake in whom they are in Covenant with him he over-looks all the fleshly part all their infirmities all the wandrings and gaddings of spirit in their prayer and what is the fruit of his own spirit that he receives and looks upon it as a spirituall prayer in and for the sake of Jesus Christ and because some of the actings of the Spirit have been seen in it God severs the light from the smoak when it ascends up into heaven the light is the Spirits the smoak is ours Having the Spirit we must go along
with him pouring forth those desires which he suggesteth unto us the fire which God would have continually to burn upon his Altar came out from the Lord Rev. 9.24 If sacrifices were offered up with any other fire that fire was counted strange and the sacrifices no whit acceptable but abominable to the Lord the heavenly fire whereby our spirituall sacrifices of prayer must be offered up is that holy Spirit which cometh out from God he carrieth the very Image of God we must therefore give unto God that which is Gods A childe of God upon this ground may come with boldness to the throne of grace that God will accept his prayer because it is a fruit of his Spirit He may wrastle with God and never let him alone till he obtain the blessing or some gracious answer to his prayer though not in the same kind he petitioned for He can say I am thy childe thou art my father I am one with thee by thy Spirit I belong to thy family both in heaven and in earth I am one of them for whom Christ sweat drops of blood for I have thy Spirit interceding for me with sighs and groans which cannot be uttered and therefore Lord I know that thou canst not deny me my petition if it be for my good and for the glory of thy Name Now is it so that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty is it not too too evident that the greatest part of professing Christians are void of the Spirit Are they not in bondage to some secret lust Doth not their speech bewray them in stead of speaking the language of Canaan do they not speak the language of Ashdod In stead of being led by the Spirit of God are they not led by the spirit of the world While they talk of the Spirit do they not walk after the flesh Have they not the Spirit to talk by and the world to walk by Are they not in love with the fashion of the world and intangled with the rudiments of it Can they pray in the Spirit can they sing in the Spirit can they restore a fallen brother in the evidence of their own spirit If they can What means these swarms of lusts in their hearts of pride envy self-love contempt of their poor weak brethren and little regard they have to the promoting the work of the Spirit in the hearts of others These with many others are true notes that the greatest part of Christians are void of the Spirit Secondly Is it so That none can know the things of God but they that have the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts Then I beseech you to desire God to give you the teachings of his Spirit Pray earnestly for that wisdom which comes from above that St James speaks of Jam. 3.17 Which is first pure then gentle then easie to be intreated which is full of good works If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God for he giveth liberally and upbraideth none He will not upbraid thy ignorance thy poverty thy former unwillingness and disrespect if thou wilt ask it of him If the Lord blessed Solomon so much for asking wisdom before riches 1 King 3.11 honour life that the Lord gave him a wise heart together with riches honour and life as an over-plus into the bargain how much more pleasant and wellcom will thy petition be to God if thou askest of him spirituall wisdom which is not to be compared with the most precious Rubies or with the finest Gold If thou would'st have spirituall wisdom desire God to give thee the Spirit of wisdom to give thee the grace of unction as well as the grace of union that as Jesus Christ had the Spirit of wisdom resting upon him so thou maiest have likewise To stirre thee up to this main duty Consider first of all Fidelis mater utra que praebet infautulo ubera Sic Deus pater non solum dedit filium sed ctiam dedit Spiritum sanctum Haec duo ubera vino sunt pulchriora That thou askest nothing but what is agreeable to the will of God Matth. 7.11 If ye being evil know how to give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Spirit to them that ask it of him 2. Thou askest nothing but what Christ hath promised Saith Christ when I go away the Comforter shall come unto you So likewise I will pray the Father and he shall fend you another Comforter If Christ who is the Amen of all the promises Rev. 1.5 who is the true and faithfull witness who is truth it self Saith he John 14. I am the way the truth and the life who hath sealed the Covenant with his own blood if he hath promised the Spirit he will not be worse than his word if thou ask it of him 3. Consider that Christ was anointed with the Spirit and received a more plentifull measure of it for our sakes that we might partake of his fulness he was filled with the Spirit that we might partake of the same Spirit with him Joh. 3.34 Non ad mensuram i. e siue mensurâ The Spirit was not given unto him by measure that we might have a measure of his Spirit 4 Consider that we are to ask nothing but what we are to expect at Gods hand under the Gospel It is said that the Spirit was not yet given because that Christ was not yet glorified Joh. 7.39 that is it was not poured forth in that measure and abundance as it was to be given after Christs ascension Now Christ being ascended and sitting at the right hand of God on high the Apostles long ago and the Saints in the primitive times having had the first-fruits of the Spirit When the holy Ghost descended in the form of cloven tongues we also may expect the gleanings of so plentifull a harvest Sicut unctio à capite Aaronis in ipsius membra descendebat fic à Christo capite vigor Spiritus sancti in omnia membra dimanat As the oyntment did runne down from Aarons head to the rest of his members So from Christ the Head the efficacy of the Spirit flows forth upon all the members To stirre you up to desire the Spirits teachings consider this that it is a singular mercy to be taught by the Spirit Blessed is the soul that heareth the Lord in or by his Spirit and that receiveth from his mouth the word of comfort If the Queen of Sheba 2 Châ—on 9.7 after she had made triall of Solomons wisdom cried out with admiration Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants that stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom How much happier are they then that heard the gracious words which proceeded from the mouth of Christ when he was upon the earth and that have the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts All other teachings besides the Spirits teachings will avail
are now adays in sheeps cloathing If an impudent contradicting blaspheming spirit If a persecuting spirit If an advancing of their own fictions before the pure and unspotted word of God If a rash impetuous zeal not moderated with discretion and the love of the truth and of the word of God which is rather madness and folly then zeal If unbelief Atheisms Heresies and most horrid blasphemies not to be mentioned If a living above Ordinances without the use of the Word Sacraments and Prayer If a coldnesse and deadnesse in affection to the things of God and a full bent of will to oppose Jesus Christ in his Saints and in his servants and a continual persisting therein though they are condemned in their own consciences and so are like to commit that unpardonable sin against the holy Ghost from which sin I heartily beseech God to preserve the Quakers of these times with many others who sin against the light of their own consciences If a hating of the power of godliness and of the pure worship of God If a want of self-denial and daily bearing the cross of Christ If an Apostacy from the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints If a setting up of false doctrines under the pretence of new discoveries If we are not fallen into the last times of the world wherein that place is too much verified wherein men shall be covetous lovers of themselves boasters proud blasphemers 2 Tim. 3.1.2 3 4 5. disobedient to parents unthankeful unholy Without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good Traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God Having a form of Godliness but denying the power of it If these things be so as it is too apparent to the grief of many righteous persons who weep in secret for the iniquity of the times then we may as truly say that Turks Infidels and Pagans have the teachings of the spirit upon their hearts as the most part of our luke-warm proud opinionative and carnally-minded professors have Such evil principles and wicked practises as are now amongst those that goe for Saints cannot agree with the blessed spirit I am verily perswaded that if once the furnace of affliction should wax hot again and Christ should come to sift England again by the red fiery flaming sword of persecution and bring us under the hatchet and under the hand of Tyrannical persecutors and should come to purge his floor to distinguish between the precious and the vile between him that feareth God and him that feareth him not between him that serveth him out of an upright heart and him that serveth him but under a colour and pretence I am verily perswaded that the greatest part of profesting Christians now adays who make such a fair shew in the flesh who seem so beautiful and glorious in the outside who are so hot at the first onset and taking up a form of religion who pretend so much to the work of the spirit upon their hearts if they were singled out to undergoe the fiery tryal would fall the fowlest in the flesh No outward priviledge or benefit can afford a man any comfort under an afflicted condition but onely the sense of the love of God unto us in Jesus Christ by an act of the spirit sealing it to our souls is a certain sign that we shall continue unto the end For who God loves once he loves to the end And those whom God loves God will preserve unto himself as a peculiar treasure as precious jewels in his cabinet secretly and will make their mountains strong as strong as Mount Sion which shall never be moved that their faith and confidence shall be in the Lord Jehovah for ever and ever I beseech thee Christian for the good of thy soul to separate thy self from these deceiving creatures let not their hypocrisy their jugling with the world and their own consciences though they cannot mock God their seeming sanctity their pretended piety their high notions and deep interpretations far fetch from the simplicity of the truth which neither they themselves nor others well understand delude thee while they lay claim to the spirit they are in the bonds of iniquity Consider whether they have the spirit before thou closest with their sayings for truth that they are taught by the Spirit of Christ and that the light of the spirit reside within them Are they regenerated born again and renewed by the Spirit of Christ Do they grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ Have they the witness of Gods Spirit concurring with their spirits that they are the children of God Doth the spirit help their infirmities Was ever the spirit of prayer and supplicatton powred forth upon them Have they the preventing grace the renewing grace the establishing grace the comforting grace the quickning grace the healing grace the directive grace of the spirit Do they love the brethren because they are brethren and one with thee in Jesus Christ or because they are of such an opinion Do they acknowledge the spirit in others and magnifie Gods goodness unto their soul Did the spirit ever rarifie the scorching heat of their burning lusts Did the sanctifying influences of the spirit ever descend upon their hearts Did the spirit ever soften their hard hearts Cant. 7.7 fructifie their barren souls The brests of the spouse are like clusters of grapes Cant. 4 16 Did the spirit ever blow upon their gardens that the spices thereof may send forth a precious smell in the nostrils of God Do they bring forth fruits unto holiness that their end might be everlasting life Did the spirit ever quench the fire of hell within their consciences by powring in the sweet oyl of consolation made up of the blood of Christ Did the spirit ever cleanse their consciences from dead works that they may serve the everliving God Heb. 9.14 Ez. 36.25 The spirit is resembled by water I will pour clean water upon you and you shall be clean It is the nature of water to molifie to fructifie to quench to cleanse and purifie what zeal what heat what ardency of spirit what kindlings of affections are there in them towards God and the waies of his worship what lights do they hang abroad to others that others seeing their good works might glorifie God and what progress do they make in Christianity with what eagerness of spirit as if they were serious for their souls good do they lay hold on eternal life Nay rather do they not stand still as if they had already obtained perfection when they are on the declining hand In fire there is heat brightness and motion Ex. 13.22 What Dove-like qualifications have they Doth the spirit of meekness of love and of a sound mind reside amongst them The spirit of peace of unity of gentleness of fear of sonlike obedience to the commands of God The Spirit of God came down in the form
They are inward teachings 3 Evident teachings 4 Irresistible teachings 5 Arbitrary teachings 6 Determinating fixing and quieting teachings 7 They are consonant to the Word of God 8 Effectuall powerfull transforming teachings 9 Quiet and comfortable teachings 10 Abiding teachings 11 Uniform teachings 12 Only teachings 6. Prove the conclusion that only those that know the things of God can have the teachings of the spirit upon their hearts Where that place of Scripture is opened 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned Because all the men that have not the spirit are either bewitched or besotted or overcome with the power of some domineering lust or drunken with the pleasures of sin or have no other light to judge by but that little sparke which is left within them since the fall which is overpressed with the corruptions of sin or are guided by sense which is not able to judge aright of spiritual things 7. Make application 1. By way of insormation to shew that the greatest part of Christians are void of the spirit from that place of Scripture 2 Cor. 3 17. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty Now most Christians are in a state of bondage Wherein you have three respects how the spirit is called a spirit of liberty 2. By way of exhortation to stir you up to seek after the spirits teachings upon a three fold account 1. It is a singular blessing to be taught by the spirit 2 The teachings of the spirit are better then all other teachings and the wisedome of the spirit is better then all other wisdom whatsoever for these reasons 1. All other knowledge it breeds distraction of mind and pierceth the soul through with many sorrows 2. A little knowledge with true grace is better then all the knowledge in the world without the light of the spirit 3. Other knowledge it puffeth up but the light of the spirit it humbleth 4. All other knowledge it doth but furnish a man that he might be a more able instrument for the Divel and to carry on his designs in the world 5. All other knowledge will but aggravate our condemnation because it is not sanctified by the spirit 6. All other knowledge it is subservient to the light of the spirit 7. All other knowledge will never make a man a good Christian 8 All other knowledge will never satisfie and quiet our souls 9. All other knowledge is but vanity and vexation of spirit 10. All other knowledge it rather hinders then promotes the salvation of men 11. God hath a time when he will blast upon all humane unsanctified knowledge 2. If thou art taught by the spirit it is an evident sign thou art the friend of God 3. If thou art taught by the spirit it is a true sign that thou art instated into the Covenant of grace 8. Give several signs whereby we may know we are taught of the spirit 1. He that is taught by the spirit of God is of an humble spirit 2. He is of a joyful spirit 3. He that is taught from above will not grudge at the dispensations of God to others but will do what lies in his power to teach others 4. He that is taught of the spirit is a man of another spirit then he was before 5. He is of a meek spirit Wherein you have the several kindes of meeknesse opened and what it is to be of a meek spirit 6. He that is taught of the spirit is one that seareth God Wherein you have the several kinds of fear declared and what it is to fear God aright 7 He that is taught of the spirit will still desire to have further discoveries of the spirit upon his heart 8 He that is taught of the spirit is of a heavenly mind and can perform all duties in a spiritual manner 9. Shew what are the extraordinary teachings of the Spirit from the ordinary 10. This head is discovered in four particulars Declare the times wherein the spirits teachings are most manifest 1. In times of affliction 2. Neer the time of death 11. Answer several doubts and questions arising from the spirits teachings 12 Declare that it is the duty of every Christian to walk up to that light which God hath given him 1 To the light of nature 2 To the light of conscience 3 To the light of naturall improvements morall education good examples 4 To the light of the word which includes both Law and Gospel 1 Those that have only the light of the Law ought to walk up to that light 2 It highly concerns all Christians to walk up to the light of the Gospel because of the nature of this most excellent light and the aggravations of their sins who sin against it 5 To the sight of the conviction of the Spirit of God Reasons 1 Because every one shall be judged according to what measure of light he hath received 2 From the nature of light which manifests to us our evil deeds that thereby they may be reformed 3 Because he that walks not up in some cases to the light of his conscience offends in not so doing Where is shewed in what cases we may walk according to the light of our own consciences The Teachings OF CHRIST'S SPIRIT Upon the Hearts of BELIEVERS 1 COR. 2.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given unto us of God IN the former Chapter the blessed Apostle of the Gentiles after his wonted salutation to this Church of Corinth in the 10th verse of the same Chapter he exhorts them to unanimity and concord of spirit to wit that there be no dissentions among them but that they be knit together in one minde and in one judgment And to bring them over to this oneness of spirit of being knit together in love he doth not come in a rigorous way pleading his authority as the Apostle of Christ or the power of the Keyes or Church censures or denouncing the threatnings of the Law and the curses of God but by a sweet and alluring compellation calling them brethren and befeeching them in the Name of Jesus Christ he winnes them over to the obedience of the truth Hence observe That the readiest way to win gainsaying bretheren to the obedience of the faith Note is not to be of a fiery spirit as James and John were and presently to count them as disjoyned and disunited from the body of Christ and to count them enemies to the power of godliness and to excommunicate and dismember them but as good spirituall bone-setters according to the Apostles word Gal. 6.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 6.1 Metapho ra à Ghirurgis artus dissolu tos leviter connect entibus Mal. 3.2 3 To restore our fallen brethren with the spirit of meekness and to pray for them daily and to expect their re-union when the light
of the spirit shall shine into their hearts through the face of Jesus Christ Till Christ shall sit as a refiners fire and purifie the hearts of his people as the Prophet Malachy hath it and shall make them willing in the day of his power to receive the truth in the love of it But yet we ought to distinguish Psal 110.3 Rom. 14.1 and to make a difference between the pretious and the vile between him that is weak in the faith and him that offends out of malice and obstinacy and knows that he is in a wrong way and will not be reformed With the later we are to deal in a more severe way openly 1 Tim 5.20 Mat. 7.6 Mat. 18.17 rebuhing them before many witnesses and if they still persist turn to Dogs and rent us then let them be unto us as Heathens or Publicans and let them be given over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh 1 Cor 5.5 that their spirits may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus I finde that the Scripture useth severall Greek words to express and shew forth the various waies we ought to proceed withall in handling those that have erred from the faith 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Admonition a friendly and courteous telling them that they are not in the right way and that as long as they stick to these principles and adhere to those false conclusions they are to seek in the things of God Beseeching them to examine them by the light of the Word and the Spirits speaking in the hearts of others who have further discoveries upon their hearts of the truths of God and of those things which accompany salvation than they and to judge according to the analogy and proportion of Faith Rom 12.6 To beseech them to examine upon what grounds they close with these opinions and of the ground of their faith and of the reason of their hope For we are not upon Trust and upon bare Tradition to close with any Doctrine delivered unto us though it comes with never so fair a species of truth 1 Joh 4.1 but to try the Spirits whether they be of God or no and be alwaies ready to render a reason of our Faith 1 Pet. 3.15 and of the work of Grace upon our hearts to every one that shall require it of us And to search into the lives of those men who endeavour to draw us to their opinions Gal. 6.13 whether they are those that seek themselves and their honour and the pleasing of their own humour or the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in the hearts of his people Now this admonition it must not be once but again and again till by the power of the Word and the bright shining forth of truth they being overcome by the beauty and the excellency and the power of it for what is stronger then truth they be over-weaned and prevailed upon to a sincere and hearty affection to it Now this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Admonition includes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 falsae doctrinae a demonstration of the absurdity and the falsity of the opinion they are in love withall as the Apostle Paul did who proved Justification to be of Grace and not of Works shewing the impossibility of it by an Antithesis between Works and Grace If it is of Works Rom. 11.6 it is not of Grace otherwise Grace is no more Grace We must first shew them that they are in a wrong way before we can perswade them of the right Saith Solomon Prov. 14.12 There is a way which seems right to a mans eyes but the ends of those waies are death Now till a man sees that death and destruction follows and attends his waies he will never seek after Wisdoms path and the waies which tend to life Act. 8.3 Act. 9.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As long as Paul was nurtur'd up in the Jewish doctrine and insensible of the depravation of it he was inraged in his spirit against the Church of God haling men and women to the Judgement seat but when once the Spirit had convinced him of the weakness of that dispensation under which he lived Rom. 10.1 and that the Law was not able to bring any thing to perfection and the Ceremonial Law is Statutes which were not good Ezek 20.25 as the Prophet Ezikiel cals them and that he cannot be justified by the works of the Law he presently disclaims whatsoever formerly he imbraced counting all things but loss and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ 2. A secret insinuating unto them the truth and the excellency of the opposite to which they hold saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 12.16 I beguiled you i. e. I caught you as fishes are caught in a net before you were aware by the power of the Word upon your hearts We ought to strike the iron while it is hot and to work upon mens hearts when they are stirred up by a holy compunction of spirit to search into the nature of things Every time is not fit to deal with men for their souls good because the spirits of men according to mens various assections stirred up at such a time rather then another are more sutable to receive an impression than at another time as the stories of Amaziah and Asa will clearly shew 2 Chron. 25. We read of Amaziah that having hired an hundred thousand valiant men out of Israel of the Tribe of Ephraim to assist him against the children of Seir the Propher came to him in the Name of the Lord commanding him to separate these men from the men of Judah that they might return to their own place Here Amaziah readily obeyed the Word of the Lord by the Prophet though to his own damage with the loss of the hundred Talents of silver Yet we finde in the following verses of the same Chapter that the same King Amaziah when the Prophet came to reprove him for serving the Gods of the Nations whom he had overcome he was wrath with the Prophet and disobeyed the Word of the Lord. O what a happy issue might many of Gods people have had of their admonitions and reproofs upon the souls of others if they had done it when the soul was of a tender frame of spirit sensible of its own infirmity and under the sense of its insufficiency kept low in its own eyes desiring above all things to be taught by the Spirit I have known many who at the first onset of a reproof though sugar'd over with many sweet words which is a great oversight in the people of God Psal 141.5 and farre from Davids temper who said If the righteous smite him it shall be as a pretious balm which shall not break his head who afterwards were as Lambs apt to be guided by the weakest hand 2 Sam. 15.6 As Absolon is said to steal away the hearts of the men
have his command to the contrary his Word bids us not to do it How can we violate the authority of the sacred Majesty of heaven and earth How shall we be able to stand before God who is a consuming fire and commit these abominations in his sight What a good thing were it if Christians would make a Common-place-Book in their hearts out of Gods Word and by often reading of it and by that excellent duty of meditation laying it up that they may have spirituall matter to furnish their souls withall upon all occasions This is the true pondering of the Word of God So much of the Word of God as we meditate on and by meditation is concocted to the nourishment of our souls so much we have and no more This hiding of the Word within our heart is an excellent means to further the gift of prayer whereby we shall have store of matter at all times and upon all subects to render up our petitions unto God ☜ That is the best prayer that is founded upon the Word of God How sweetly doth the Spirit of God breathe forth in Davids Psalms and what heavenly expressions there are suitable for a Christians spirit to exercise his faith and comfort in God by in the greatest trials and most soul-dejecting desertions This hiding of the Word of God to wit the sweet promises which concern salvation contained therein to poor broken-hearted sinners affords abundance of peace of conscience and consolation of the spirit Saith David I have hoped in thy Word ☞ He is a true emblem of a faithfull soul A true sign of a beleeving soul who can trust God for his word sake and build upon the Word of consolation who can plead with God upon a bare word of promise Lord hast thou not said it and wilt thou not bring it to pass If we would by a lively faith suck eagerly at these breasts of consolation and dive deep into these wels of salvation and carry our buckets often to draw and look to Jesus Christ in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen for the earnest of his Spirit upon our hearts that they may be rightly applied to our everlasting comfort our souls would be satisfied abundantly as with marrow and fatness So likewise saith David Thy Word is a light unto my feet and a lamp unto my paths and in the same Psalm Psal 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Commandments are exceeding large The literall Word of God though it hath a beginning and an end in respect of the letter yet the Word of God considered Doctrinally as it is the wisdom of God the Father it is infinite like God himself and hath unfathom'd depths of the riches of Gods grace to sinners in Jesus Christ contained in it Rom. 8. O the depths of the riches of the wisdom of God how unsearchable are his works and his waies past finding out ☜ It is a rich Mine of excellent discoveries of the Almighty God which never yet hath been searcht to the full though when we come to heaven we shall know abundantly more of it than we do now and all doubts concerning it fully satisfied which do so trouble us in the body of this flesh Let men of corrupt mindes talk what they will that they fully understand the minde of God in his word by the light of the Spirit speaking within them that they can unfold all mysteries and that they need not hearken to the word any longer but only hearken to the voice of the Spirit speaking in their hearts because the light of the Spirit is a greater light they say than the light of the word I am certain that they are grosly deluded by the father of lies for the Apostle Paul that knew as much of the things of God as any Enthusiast whatsoever yet did see but through a glass as it were imperfectly till this veil of the flesh being laid aside he shall see God face to face We know in part Now if the Word of God be exceeding large larger than the perfections of all the creatures so that there is no sinne that can be conceived of but is forbidden in it and threatned with eternall death and no grace but what is commanded and exhorted to under the promise of everlasting life and the means to eschue the evil and to imbrace the good fully declared unto us without all controversie this and this only is the Word of God and ought to be the ground and rule of our faith 2. That for men to preach their own inventions When men are much addicted to Allegorize Scripture suddenly they fall into some and new fangled notions and the fancies of their own intoxicated brains or for men to Allogorize Scriptures according as their minde serves them neglecting the pure fountain of the Word of God is to build mens faith upon humane wisdom and not upon the power of God We live in a Scepticall age deadly errour and are caught as it were in a snare before they are aware What a Solaecism upon his own body Origen the father of Allegories committed by Allegorizing that portion of Scripture Mat. 19.12 is known to all those that are verst in Ecclesiasticall History wherein most Christians being troubled with that itching humour the Apostle speaks of are all for novelties and vain questions which are nothing materiall to the establishing our souls in grace and neglect the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ They are all for light but little for zeal all for knowledge but little for practice all for notions but little for truth all for further discoveries of secret mysteries but little searching into their own hearts all for those truths that may inform the Judgement but little for those truths which may work upon the affections Lord A sweet ejaculation I pray thee to give me no more knowledge than what may work upon my heart to the joyning of a hearty obedience unto it and that above all other knowledge I may seek to know Jesus Christ and him crucified to be made partaker of his sufferings and of the fellowship of his resurrection that as he rose from the grave of death so I may arise from the grave of sinne unto newness of life Lord grant that while others dive into thy secrets and search after thy Decrees and do limit thee who art the holy one of Israel by speaking of thee irreverently and ascribing unto thee those things which are not convenient and as the fly about the candle never leave prying and approaching too near till they be consumed in the pride of their own hearts and in the vanity of their own imaginations I may sincerely and humbly with all fear and reverence to thy great and glorious Majesty take thy Name into my mouth and only speak of thee as the word speaks and no further Lord thou hast said that thou art Jehovah Jchovah Jah Eheie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
outward worship that we should bow before him and fall down at his presence and testifie the brokenness and contrition of heart by outward gestures as well as heart-worship though that be the principall he aims at Pray observe that God looks to every circumstance of his worship as well as to the essentials of it yea to the least circumstance and when he shall come to revenge the quarrell of his Covenant will severely punish those who have failed in the least particular of his worship O that men would consider this who are all for duty but little for the right performance of it after Gods way and manner ☞ all for worship but care not how they worship God I finde in Scripture 1 King 18.28 that hypocrites have been most in duty Baals Priests used to cut selves from day to night Mat 6.7.23.14 and the Pharisees used to make long prayers but I finde that the people of God have studied more how to please God and to serve him after his own way and method The circumstances of an action saith the Philosopher aggravate the action more than the action it self You will think Nadab's and Abihu's fault to be of no consideration Lev. 10.1 2. as to deserve so great a punishment as to be destroyed for it What was their sinne why they offered fire to the Lord as he commanded but not that fire which he commanded that fire which should be continually kept in upon the Altar for that very use but fetcht elsewhere and therefore 't is called strange fire such fire as the Lord never demanded Let Gods Word be our rule and Gods glory the ultimate end and scope of all our actions and then we cannot do amiss in point of worship and if we continue in well doing at the length we shall reap everlasting life But when men corrupt the Word of God 2 Cor. 2.17 as the Apostles phrase is putting new glosses upon it and making it as a nose of wax to turn every way according as their genius tends and it serves for the carrying on of their designes for how glad are wicked men if they catch at any part of a sentence which according to their blinde apprehensions though to a judicious minde and to one enlightened by the Spirit it is nothing to the purpose or handling the Word of God deceitfully 2 Cor. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cauponantes Adulte rantes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A corrumpendo vine atque infuscando ut caupones sâ—lout Men adulterate the word and take away the beauty and the majesty from it when they think to put a lustre upon it by their own inventions mixing it as a Vintner doth water with wine according to the Apostles word or neglecting the Word of God lean to the light of their own understandings and studying strange and unheard-of doctrines under the name of experimentall truths and which by long experience they have found out deliver unto the people the scum and the froth of their own vain mindes as the false Prophets of old who spake lyingly in the Name of the Lord saying they had a vision and a revelation when they had not that so both Minister and people might both fall together and both might be destroyed for ever and ever and rendring themselves abominable in the eyes of God they build their faith upon their own wisdom which is rather folly than wisdom for every man as the Psalmist saith Ps 49.10 by the fall is become brutish in his understanding and is of a reprobate minde that is Tit. 1.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 void of judgment of a minde that cannot approve of the things of God and neglect the wisdom and the power of God They cry up themselves as Simon Magus did for some body Act. 8.9 for the great power of God as he for his miracles was termed so and delighted in this appellation so these would be so termed for the abundance of the Revelations and the great measure of the Spirit which they pretend to partake of as if they were the only lights in the world and the Oracles which God hath set up in his Church Lord I beseech thee by the power of thy sanctifying Spirit to destroy this Babell in the hearts of those who are thy people that they may not build their faith upon lying vanities and trust to the sparks of their own understandings 1 Sam. 5.4 but that this Dagon of superstition and false worship of will-worship Col. 2.23 and of that worship which seems to carnall flesh glorious and beautifull 2 Cor. 7.1 may fall down at the appearance of Jesus Christ in their hearts that being kept from the pollutions of the flesh and Spirit they may perfect holiness in the fear of God for as long as this wisdom of the world is in us which is foolishness in thy sight there is no room for thy word or for Jesus Christ who is the eternall wisdom of God the Father Joh. 6.27 Let us not build our faith upon traditions and mens inventions and feed upon that meat which perisheth for all ceremonies customs and will-worship is but perishing meat but upon the Word of God as our rule and Jesus Christ for our Saviour that so we may finde comfort and peace of conscience at the hour of death and in the world to come everlasting life To proceed in the context the Apostle having shewed that he did not preach the wisdom of the world yet to magnifie his Doctrine and that he might give it the preheminence Vers 6. he saith Yet we preach wisdom amongst those which are perfect yet not the wisdom of this world that is though our preaching be plain to you who are but as babes in understanding yet we can preach in a higher style and more profound matter amongst those which are perfect that is amongst those who are men in understanding and more knowing in the things of God vers 7. We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery Ver. 8. Wisdom which the world cannot attain unto Vers 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Hence observe Note That a servant of Jesus Christ must suit his style and his matter according to the capacity and judgement of his hearers Saith Luther Optimi ad Vulgus sunt concionatores qui popularitèr pnerilitèr trivialiter docent They preach best to the common people who preach in the plainest way and method The converting of souls to Jesus Christ and the building up Christians in the most pretious faith and comforting sad dejected spirits and destroying the Kingdom of Satan in the hearts of wicked men and to dispossess them of the unclean spirit and to convince gain-sayers who oppose the truth and to vindicate the purity of the Word of God against men of reprobate mindes is the work and main business of a true Ambassadour of Jesus
the Lord know the heart but by our actions and by the temperament of our body and by the exorbitancy of our affections and unruly passions he doth conjecture the bent and the frame of our spirits and accordingly suit his various temptations which is more deceitfull than any thing else yea so deceitfull that we our selves cannot know the depths of it For if our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things Now if we cannot know the things which are in another mans heart much less are we able to know the secrets of Gods breast but by the Spirit of God The Spirit is the great interpreter of Gods minde the great revealer of Gods secrets the great unfolder of the mysteries of heaven that knoweth all the counsels and decrees past between the Father and the Son from all eternity Quest. But some may say How came you by the Spirit whence is it that you have the Spirit The Apostle by way of anticipation saith in the words of my Text We have received the Spirit the Spirit is given unto us And so having done with the Context and having shewed the connexion of the words I am come to the subject matter of my ensuing Discourse We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given unto us of God In the words you have 1. Something implyed 2. Something expressed The thing implied is That only those who have the teachings of the Spirit can know the things of God In the words expressed you have these parts 1. The spirit of the world put in opposition to the Spirit of God implied in this particle But We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God 2. The end for which the Spirit of God is given or received by the faithfull to wit that they may know the things of God 3. The manner how God gives his things to wit Freely That we may know the things which are freely given unto us of God More particularly First We have the Subjects in which or the Patients in which the Spirit of God is expressed in the particle We We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God We the Apostles and Disciples of Christ together with all the faithfull of Jesus Christ Only the Saints have this priviledge to enjoy the Spirit Saith Christ I will send you the Comforter even the Spirit which the world knoweth not John 14.16 17. and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth which the world cannot receive because it seeeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you O sweet and heavenly place full of marrow and fatness to the godly but full of terrour to the wicked Art thou a childe of God the Spirit of God dwels with thee and shall be in thee Pray observe the words he not only dwels with a Saint and as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How the Spirit is in a beleever an assistant unto him but the Spirit of God is in a Saint And as Christ and a beleever is as it were all one so the Spirit of Christ and a beleever is said to be as it were all one See what a near and unexpressible union there is between God and a gracious soul Joh. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom I in them and they in me that they may be one even as we are one We shall have a likeness and a resemblance of that union which is between God the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ficut nou nota aequalitatis sed fimilitudinis ut variis locis Scripturae ostendere poffimus and Christ though not the same for substance The Spirit not only dwels but hath its in-being in every Saint And as we cannot see our own souls because they are of a spirituall nature and so not subject to any of the outward senses but we know we have a soul by the immediate operations of it We know we have a rationall soul because we understand and are able to inferre one thing out of another Anima infert unum ex hoc hoc ex alto Angclus unum post hoc one thing after another The Spirit of God dwelleth not in the Saints essentially more than in other creatures yet the faithfull have a speciall right to the essence of Gods Spirit and he dwelleth in them by way of speciall efficacy Downam An immortall soul because incorporeall and not subject to change as considered in it self but only in respect of divine power A sensitive soul because we walk eat drink and do the actions of living creatures so we cannot see the Spirit of God within us but we know we have the Spirit because it quickens it comforts it upholds it sanctifies us and stirres us up to our spirituall duty He that hath Christ hath the Spirit of Christ every Saint of God hath Christ and therefore he hath the Spirit of Christ As faith unites us to Christ on our part so the Spirit unites us to Christ on his part If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 The world is void of the Spirit because they cannot receive it As they cannot receive Christ so they cannot receive the Spirit Christ makes his abode in no soul but an empty soul Ps 107.9 Luk. ◠53 He filleth the hungry with good things but the rich he sends empty away A full stomack loathes the honey-comb and a carnall soull filled with the pleasures of sinne and with the satisfying of fleshly lusts hates the sweetness and the rich treasures of grace and mercy which are in Jesus Christ The Spirit of Christ loves to dwell in an empty soul Now the world is full of an impure spirit and while this spirit keeps the room of the heart there is no place for the Spirit of Christ O that this worldly spirit were dispossessed and cast out this unclean filthy abominable spirit that the holy Spirit of God might enter in Our hearts must not only be swept but washed before the Spirit of God will enter in You reade Matth. 12.44 that when the house was but only swept the evil spirit returned again with seven other spirits worse than before but when our hearts are once washt the Spirit of God will presently enter Ier. 4.14 Wash thy heart from filthiness O Jerusalem how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Iam. 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wicked men may sweep their hearts from that superfluity of naughtiness Saint James speaks of and may remove the excrescencies and the open breakings forth of sinne they may lop the boughs and as it were pare the nails all which is but a
superficiall piece of work and a light piece of business but the godly only we who have the Spirit of God Tit. 3.5 we only have our hearts washed with the water of Regeneration therefore we and we only have the Spirit of God Secondly Here is the way by which or after what manner they came to have the Spirit We have received it They came to have it by receiving It is not said we have purchased it or we have obtained it by our praiers or by our duties or the like or we have bought it with our money Act. 8.18 as Simon Magus thought to have bought the holy Ghost but we have received it 1. How the Spirit is received 1. The Spirit it is a free gift Luke 11.13 Gal. 4.6 As a free gift given by God to beleevers in Jesus Christ The Spirit it is a free gift God is said to give us his Spirit How much more shall your heavenly Father give his Spirit to them that ask it of him Because ye are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father From this place we must not think our Sonship is the cause why we have the Spirit Quia pro ergo Because It is not causal but illative rational in this place or rather demonstrative for the Spirit goes before Adoption now the effect doth not go before the cause but follow it but because ye are sonnes that is to witness unto you that ye are the sonnes of God God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father 2. As a promise of Jesus Christ 2. We have received the Spirit as a promise of Jesus Christ at his departure Christ when he was to leave the world promised to send another Comforter even the Spirit of truth Christ deals with his Church as a loving friend doth with his friend You know when friends are going a long journey or a dangerous voyage by sea they use to leave behind them with their dearest friends some pledge or token of their love Some leave their pictures some a ring some a good book some one thing some another with this saying When you look on this remember me and though you should see me no more yet be not troubled here is a pledge of my love which I have left with you keep it be sure you keep it and do not part with it So our blessed Saviour that he might not leave his Church all-together comfortless at his departure Luk. 22.14 15 19. first of all he leaves his Sacraments with them as lively pictures and emblems of his death and sufferings so that in the Sacrament of the Communion of the body and blood of Christ when we see the bread broken we should remember and present to our view the breakings of Christs body upon the Cross and when we see the wine poured forth remember the pouring forth of Christs blood upon the Cross and this do remembring the Lords death till he come Secondly His Peace My peace in opposition to the sottish peace that the world giveth My peace I leave with you Ioh. 14.27 Ioh. 15.26 Thirdly His Spirit I will send you the Comforter so that we are to receive the Spirit as a promise of Jesus Christ 3. 3. As a redundancy of Gods love As a redundancy and fruit of the Fathers love As Christ is a most eminent fruit of the Fathers love so is the Spirit As Christ sends the Spirit so doth God 4. 4. As a testimony of our adoption Rom. 8.16 As a testimony of our Adoption The Spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God Our spirits do nothing avail to the grace of Adoption without the comforting Spirit of Jesus Christ The Spirit of God lindx if it withdraws its testimony for a while our souls are even in Hemans case Psal 88. at the brink of despair And before conversion before the Spirit witnesseth our spirits like Nabals are sottish and secure like a dead piece of flesh insensible of the greatest evil If the Spirit comes by receiving and not by any thing in us but is a fruit of the Fathers love what a Popish spirit are they of who think to procure the Spirit by their prayers and by their duties Though Christ hath promised to give the Spirit to those that pray yet not for their prayers We are to pray for the Spirit because God hath commanded it but not to expect it for our prayers because God hath promised it The Spirit of God comes by receiving therefore whosoever thou art that thinkest by thy endeavours to have the Spirit though I will not curse thee as Paul did Simon Magus for thinking to purchase the holy Ghost with money though he had but such a thought in 's heart yet I tell thee thou shalt never have it Pray for the Spirit but look not to obtain it by thy prayers but only by the way of receiving Thirdly The spirit of the world put in opposition to the Spirit of God 1. A remotione subjectorum infertur diversitas for marum quia lapis non est idem subjectum cum plantâ ergo habet diversam formam ratio quia in omni subjecto debet apta esse organizatio membrorum ut melius forma introducenda suo munere fungatur In omni vero subjecto promiscuè sic dicto non datur sufficiens organizatio membrorum quo quaelibet forma suas operationes exerceat In lapide non dantur organa satis quo anima sensitiva quod suum est exercere exerceat Non datur organum videndi in lapide nec inplantâ By way of remotion in respect of the subject We have recived not the spirit of the world i. e. The world hath its own spirit and the children of God have theirs different subjects have different forms Now the world is not only different but divers quite another thing and other men considered with the people of God therefore have they different spirits and not only different but divers The Spirit of God makes us altogether other men and other persons than we were before When the Spirit of God comes into the heart all old things are done away and all things are become new There is a Metamorphosis a transmutation non ex hoc sed ab hoc in aliud totalitèr diversum from corrupt nature to grace from the flesh to the Spirit from darkness to light from being the children of the devil to become the children of God from the power flavery and dominion of sinne and Satan unto the glorious liberty of the children of God from the fulness of the devil of sinne and of the world to that fulness which is in Christ to that fulness which is of God Joh. 1.16 Of his fulness have we received all grace for grace that is one degree of grace after another That ye may be filled with all the fulness of
God Ephes 3.19 Not so as Christs humanity was filled with the fulness of God for the Spirit was not given unto him by measure Plenitudo gratiae est duplex 1. Respectu suipsius Quando aliquis consequitur ultimum gradum gratiae quoad essentiam quoad virtutem in tensivè extensivè ut aiunt qui habes gratiam juxta omnes illius effectus operationes secuudum quas se potest extendere Hoc modo Christus tantùm gratiam habebat 2. Respectu subjecti Quando aliquis habet plenitudinem gratiae secundum suum statum conditionem Sic Stephaum dicitur esse plenus Spiritu sancto And in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily But we as imperfect creatures in this life shall receive of that communicable fulness or of that fulness which can be communicated to creatures as creatures fulness of grace and fulness of the Spirit according as we are able to receive it Every thing which is received is received according to the capacity of the receiver a bucket can hold no more water than what is meet for a bucket to hold Now we who are but as the drop in the bucket and as the dust in the balance in his sight that are not able to receive all the fulness of God but only all that which may be communicated to the creature and that is very little in this life though in the lise to come our buckets shall be enlarged i. e. our souls made of a more capacious nature and we shall be able to draw more abundantly and to contain more of this ocean of happiness We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit Eph. 5.18 Be ye filled with the Spirit and as Commentaors observe the former clause of the verse being this Be not drunk with wine the later clause of this verse may be interpreted likewise But be ye drunken with the Spirit This is a good drunkenness to be drunk with the Spirit as those in the Acts were who were drunk in a spirituall sense though not in that carnall sense as they judged them to be because they were filled with the Spirit The world and the godly are quite Antipodes the world is acted by a worldly spirit and the people of God by the holy Ghost which appears by that malignity which hath been in the world since the Creation against the people of God the first actings of which were seen in Cains murdering his brother Abel Simile simili gaudet like rejoyceth in its like and if the world and the children of God were alike they would love one another Saith Christ If you were of the world Ioh. 15.19 the world would love you but seeing you are not of the world and I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Sed est particula discretiva seu disjunctiva apud Logicos 2. This opposition between the Spirit of God and the spirit of the world is implied in this particle But We have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God Here I should shew the difference and that vast discrepancy between the Spirit of God and the spirit of the world But because for the future when God shall enlarge my spirit and occasion may be offered this may be a fit subject for a future Discourse I shall omit this as not belonging to my present intent and purpose only by the way I shall distinguish between a double spirit by which the world is acted The world hath a double evil spirit 1. Satan that evil spirit Ephes 2.2 Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the ayr the spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per modum eminentiae emphatically that now worketh in the children of disobedience Here we have two Epithetes ascribed to the devil and both as he hath relation to the world 1. He is called the Prince of the world the Prince of the power of the ayr i. e. the Prince of all the infernall brood that are in the world And the word Ayr is put Synecdochically as a part for the whole for the world and the inhabitants thereof because God hath given him power by his permission to raise commotions in the ayr and to do seeming miracles as appears in the story of Job Job 1. when he caused a wind to come from the four parts of the earth and to smite the four corners of the house when it fell down and killed the children of Job A strange wind that could smite all the four corners of the house all at once Now because the devils greatest power is seen in the ayr by doing his seeming miracles in that he is called the Prince of the power of the ayr is meant that he is the Prince of this world Agreeable to this is that place where he is called the God of this world and the Prince of darkness 2 Cor. 4.4 The god of this world hath blinded their eyes lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine in their hearts The devil is the great Master of misrule in the world and he it is that breedeth all the confusion which is in it He is that great sower of discord amongst men and he will sow his tares amongst the wheat Matth. 13.25 and breed quarrels and dissentions amongst the children of God he is a great slanderer a great accuser full of enmity against God and his Saints He is the envious one and all envious proud discontented lying persons are the devils subjects He is that cunning Politician wiser than all the Achitophels Judases and Maehiavillians that ever were and knows how to play his cards for the best advantage to allure souls to come under his government and ever since the Creation he hath been plotting and contriving how to root out the Gospel to persecute the Saints and to destroy the Church of God here upon earth He hath stirred up and provoked his evil instruments his great engines wicked Emperours and blood-sucking Popes the Power of the ayr in all ages to persecute the Church of God and to banish it out of the world But blessed be God who hath preserved himself a name upon the earth and though the Egyptians Babylonians Turks and Insidels and all the wicked men in the world did combine together under their leading Captain Satan against the Lord and against his anointed and against his pretious servants and thought to swallow them up alive at once and to devour them altogether that the name of God might be had no more in remembrance that yet God hath reserved himself a name upon the earth and a peculiar people to shew forth his praise and hath drowned the Egyptians in the red sea of eternall vengeance What is the reason that the Church hath been preserved against the cruell assaults of furious persecutors and against the rage
for him It is not agreeable to the everlasting providence of such a Father who is Lord of heaven and earth to see his childe to be in want command therefore that these stones be made bread do a miracle that we may see thou art the Sonne of God God the Father will work a miracle before he will see his childe to want This the devil did to take away his minde from the love of God his Father and to drive him from his faith and confidence in God Besides it had been a sinne in Christ if he had obeyed the devil Christ had another sore conflict with the devil though not immediatly yet mediatly by Peter observe the subtilty of the devil seeing he could not prevail upon him in a publick way he comes upon him in a more covert way tempting him in a beloved Disciple Jesus Christ speaking of his sufferings that were to come to him at Jerusalem Peter disswades him from going up thither but what answer did Christ make him Get thee behinde me Satan Matth. 16.23 for thou savourest not the things which be of God but the things which are of men Christ presently espied out Satan in Peter though a beloved Disciple though a Saint though one that spoke out of a good will to Jesus Christ and out of a desire not to have his Master die ☜ O that we could so suddenly espie the devil tempting us in his wicked instruments and when they tempt us cry out Avoid Satan as Christ did So that Satan is Antichrist and he is called Satan because he is Christs and the Churches adversary Apoliyon the Destroyer the roaring Lion the subtill Serpent As the world hath a double evil spirit to wit Satan and that inbred wickedness that is in the world so the children of God have a double Spirit 1. The holy Spirit of God 2. The Regenerate part within them As appears by those two places Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit The flesh lusteth against the Spirit By Spirit may be meant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either the holy Spirit of God striving with us by his motions and impressions or the Regenerate part within us which is called a Spirit The unregenerate part the corrupt flesh is called a spirit saith James Jam. 4.5 The spirit within us lusteth to envy i.e. that fleshly part within us is full of envy Lusteth to envy the same word which is in the fore-mentioned place the flesh lusteth against the Spirit And it is observable that the same action that is applied to the flesh is applied to the Spirit the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh i.e. lusteth against the Spirit Now if the same action is applied to both the principles to flesh and Spirit to wit lusteth which action is a proper action of spirits therefore the unregenerate part is a spirit And if the unregenerate much more the regenerate But you will say it is a contradiction to call the flesh a spirit Indeed to say naturall flesh were a spirit it were a contradiction in the very terms but to say flesh i.e. corrupt flesh is a spirit is no contradiction but an abuse of the word But you will say Analogum per se positum stat pro famosiore significatu therefore seeing flesh is put alone by it self it must not be meant of corrupt and sinfull flesh but of naturall flesh To this I answer That the unregenerate part is not Analogically but Aequivocally called flesh It is improperly so called because originall sin by naturall generation is propagated from the parents to the children according to the series of generation sin running continually in a direct line though it self be the only obliquity Fourthly We have a divine attribute noting the Deity of the blessed Spirit in this particle Which is of God We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God this phrase in that the holy Spirit is said to be of God imports three things 1. That the Spirit proceeded after an ineffable manner from God the Father Hic processus apud Graecos dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abusivè tamen not excluding God the Sonne Agreeable to this is that axiom in the Schools Dius Pater est principium Sanctae Trinitatis non tamen causa Principium ordinis sive relationis non essentie seu Deitatis 2. Which is of God Per Hebraismum which is God But the Spirit which is of God i.e. but the Spirit which is God 3. Which is of God that is which came from God Saith Christ I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter Joh. 14.16 Hence note these two Observations which I shall briefly discuss and so pass over 1. That the Spirit the third Person in the blessed Trinity proceedeth from the Father and the Son Not from the Father excluding the Son as the Eastern Churches say but from the Father and the Son joyntly considered From the Father and so 't is called the Spirit of God Rom. 8.11 If the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you i. e. the Spirit of God he also shall quicken your mortall bodies From the Sonne and so 't is called the Spirit of Christ If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 i.e. which proceedeth from Christ he is none of his In that the holy Spirit is called the Spirit of God Sic Metaphrastes in Romanos Siquidem enim est spiritus Dei Patrīs non ipse pater sit necesse est tamen quia Dei Spiritus est verus Deus fit oportet and the Spirit of Christ is observed these three things 1. That the Spirit of God is God 2. That he is a distinct person from the Father and the Son 3. That he proceedeth from them both 2. That the Spirit of God is God Acts 5. Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the holy Ghost thou hast not lied unto men but unto God 2 Sam. 23.2 3. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and his word was in my tongue The God of Israel said the reck of Israel spake to me 1 Cor. 12.6 But there are diversities of gifts but the same God which worketh all in all 1 John 5.7 For there are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one 1. Consider the Scripture gives those attributes to the Spirit which are only proper to God 1. Eternity Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit c. 2. Omniscience 1 Cor. 2.10 The Spirit searcheth all things 3. Omnipresence Psal 139.7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit 4. Almightiness 2 Tim. 2.7 Isa 11.2 2. Those works are applied to the Spirit which are onely proper to God 1. Creation Gen. 1.2 And the
to make them humble for their sinnes or to prevent the breaking forth of the boyls of sin for the future They know that God looks more to the frame of their hearts and how their spirits are under Gods hand whether perverse and peevish or patient and submissive than at any thing else Besides they consider that these afflictions are but to drive them to their Fathers house and when they are sufficiently broken and sufficiently humbled under his afflicting hand he will take them up in his arms and kiss them as a loving mother doth a weak sickly childe and restore unto them the joy of his salvation There are two extreams we are apt to runne into under afflictions either to despise the chastning of the Lord Heb. 12.5 or to faint under his displeasure Wicked men they despise the hand of God and Christians are ready often to faint but that Jesus Christ stands by as he did by that blessed Martyr and wipes the sweat off from their faces when they are nigh to swound and gives them some comfortable sun-shines of his loving presence X. The Spirit is taken for the motions of the Spirit upon our hearts 1 Thes 5.19 Quench not the Spirit i. e. the motions and impressions of the holy Spirit of God upon thy heart Beleeve it Christian for a truth that though thou canst not blot out the teachings of the Spirit yet thou maiest shift off and extinguish the motions of the Spirit Have a care of this great sinne lest by thy impenitency ingratitude and willfull rebellion thou stiflest the glowings of the Spirit Have a care that when God strives with thee thou doest not strive with God again It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks Act. 9.5 Have a care thou beeft not found a fighter against God Saith Stephen of the rebellious Jews Ye stiff-necked Act. 7.51 ye do alwaies resist the holy Ghost i. e. you turn the deaf adder you stop your ears against the blessed Spirit warning you of that destruction which you have brought upon your selves in betraying the Lord of life Wicked men when they quench the Spirit are said to provoke the Spirit They stirre up a holy anger and revenge in the Spirit against their sins Mark 3.5 As Jesus Christ looked upon the Pharisees with a holy anger being grieved for the hardness of their hearts so the Spirit is angry at the hardness of the hearts of stubborn hearted sinners Eph. 4.30 But you who are the people of God you grieve the Spirit of God by your unkindness when ye seek to put out the light of the Spirit within you Walk in the light while you have the light for though God will never leave you wholly in the dark and utterly deprive you of his Spirit yet he may bring a cloud of temptation over you which may eclipse the glory of it for a time I beseech you grieve not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption As you would not be said to kick against the bowels of a bleeding Saviour by your sinnes so neither do you kick against the bowels of a most gracious Spirit or of the Spirit of grace striving with your hearts to the obedience of the truth As wicked men by their often sinning against the Spirit do quite sinne away the Spirit for by sinning so often against conviction they sinne so long till they have no light to sinne again having sinned it all away so the godly by sinning against the Spirit do cause it to withdraw its gracious influences for the present O that troubled consciences mourning under the loss of the comfortable presence of God in Jesus Christ would consider this Thou that complainest of the Spirits absence Hast thou not sinned away the Spirit by quenching its motions and resisting its impressions Thou that complainest of the want of assurance and of the Spirits not witnessing with thy Spirit Hast thou not sinned away thy assurance by committing some sinne or omitting some duty against the light of the Spirit What a wicked thing is it that Christians should complain of the Spirit and murmur against God for the light of his countenance when God and his Spirit have more reason to complain of them Christians are said to quench the Spirit two waies 1. When they withdraw the fuell which should maintain the Spirit as fire is put out when you withdraw the fuell which should maintain the fire so you quench the Spirit when you withdraw the fuell by which the Spirit is cherished When you will not hear the Word when you will not pray when you neglect the Sacraments the Sacrament often received is a great confirmation of our faith and a great cherisher of the work of the Spirit upon our hearts when you will not be much in meditation the Spirit loves to meet with a solitary soul disburdened of the world and seeking to have communion with God when you will not conferre and often speak of the things of God when you forsake the assembling of the Saints together As one coal kindles another and one candle enlightens another so the light of the Spirit in the heart of another may in time kindle and flame thy heart 2 Tim. 1.6 When men fail to stirre up the gift of God which is in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iguem rineribus absconditum resuscitare and to excite their graces and to bring them forth into action but let them sleep and lie dead and buried in their souls by these means they substract the fuell of the Spirit Christians should be men of activity alwaies doing and never idle in the work of the Lord. As the fountain is still purging forth that filth which lies nigh it so Christians should be still purging forth the remainders of that originall corruption which is in them still resisting temptations continually treasuring up the whole armour of God against the fiery triall daily weaning themselves from the world and preparing to meet Jesus Christ the Bridegroom of their souls As an idle man is the devils shop wherein he forgeth what he pleaseth so an active Christian is the Spirits shop If we do what we are able beleeve it Christians the Spirit will not be behind hand but will further the work of grace in our hearts It is because we are so backward in our duty that the Spirit is so backward upon our souls If thou wouldst have the continuall flowings in of the Spirit I beseech thee Christian for the good and for the comfort of thy soul for I speak what all true Christians do generally finde good pray more 1 Thes 5. pray continually that is lose no opportunity let no time pass when thou oughtest to pray or when thy occasions require it for there are many emergencies which fall out which require this duty and of some Christians more than others but be sure to pray hear the word at all occasions let not a
Sermon pass if you can hear it let not your souls be famished for want of nourishment As you would not be said to murder your bodies so do not you murder your precious souls Many do quench the Spirit when they do not know it Some will hear a consciencious Minister a long while and highly commend him as most of our profane Esau's do but when once this Minister shall touch their beloved sinnes they presently fall off and hear him no more Mar. 6.20 Herod heard John gladly for a time and reformed many things but when once he touched his Herodias and toucht the apple of his eye he presently distates him and cuts off his head What a sad thing is it that men should shift off such an impression and wipe off the sweet and heavenly dew If you will not wait at the pool you are never like to have the Spirit descend upon you and if you will not mark the time of the Spirits coming down and comply with the Spirit at such a time you are never like to have any feeling effect wrought upon your souls Have a care therefore of withdrawing the Spirits fuell 2. When men cast their lusts in the Spirits face and damp the breathings of the Spirit by their lusts then they may be said to quench the Spirit As water quencheth fire so lusts they quench the Spirit Lust is the great quench coal of the Spirits motions As mud and filth doth damp up the course of the water so every lust doth dam up the course of the Spirit Yea every particular sinne which is committed with a high hand to the reproach of godliness and to the dishonour of God quencheth the Spirit for a time When David had committed those two great evils murder and adultery in the matter of Vriah upon the commission of these sinnes God withdraws his Spirit and the comfortable presence of his countenance Hence he complains of brokenness of bones and of wounds in his soul Psal 5.8 My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness And he prayeth God to uphold him with his free Spirit ver 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit As the water free-zeth when the sun goeth down so your spiries wilk freeze when the spirit goes away from you What do you think will become of you when the Spirit departs from you You are in a dull lumpish condition you cannot pray nor hear the word nor do any spirituall duty with that rejoycing and freeness of spirit and alacrity of minde as formerly you did you are left in a sottish condition for a time Your spirits will be as heavy as lead very unapt and contrary to the service of God and if those sparks of grace which God hath put into your hearts did not inable you to do somewhat more than those who never knew what the saving work of the Spirit meant you would as wicked men do when the Spirit leaves them never seek to God for his Spirit any more As lusts choak the Word so they choak the Spirit Whence is it that many Christians do complain of the Spirits absence and of the departure of God from them as Saul did 1 Sam. 28.15 Wo is me for God is departed from me Why As Saul by his disobedience and rebellion caused God to depart from him so you by your disobedience and resisting of his motions have caused the Spirit to depart from you Search your hearts diligently and see whether there be not some abominable thing which the Spirit would pluck forth of thy heart Is there not a hankering after thy old beloved lusts Hast thou not an itching after past delights when thou wert in the flesh The Spirit doth not all its work upon a soul at the first work of conversion but still afterwards is imployed to purge out every abominable thing out of thy heart a child of God after conversion may fall into the same sinnes he committed before conversion yea the very same beloved sins the venomous humour is not throughly purged out in conversion and the Spirit by its good will would not leave a hoof or any root of bitterness in the heart but because we are in the body of this flesh we must grow by degrees and make progress daily Search I beseech you and examine your hearts whether there be not some lust the Spirit would give a deaths wound to and throughly mortifie and extinguish and you will not yield to the Spirit that you may be mortified I beseech you Christians to set about it The Spirit will never be quiet and let you alone if you belong to God till this root of hemlock and wormwood be rooted out i. e. whensoever it comes to thy soul the controversie shall be about thy lust whether thou wilt yet leave it or no whether thou wilt be throughly purged from thy old lees whether you would have this body of flesh throughly crucified It will never come with its comforting presence till thou closest with the Spirit in this great work Examine your hearts I beleeve if the business were throughly fifted there is some lust at the bottom some filth that lies below which keeps out the Spirit from coming into thy heart Sic ut fumus apes fater columbot sic Spiritum sanctum expellit grave oleus peccatum Basilius As smoke driveth away bees and an ill sent the doves so a noysom lust driveth away the Spirit As loth as thou art to go into a dungeon full of toads and serpents and venomous creatures so loth yea more loth is the Spirit to come into thy heart if there be a lust or an abominable thing at the bottom Yea I say the Spirit cannot come into thy heart while thy lust standeth out against him There is an opposition in respect of the things themselves What communion hath light with darkness God with Belial the pure Spirit with thy filthy lust The Spirit may come and knock long enough and Christ may knock long enough and to no purpose if thou art not willing that the Spirit should accomplish the work upon thy heart I beseech you examine your hearts in this matter Note this well A man may live a Professor all his daies and be as conscientious in the waies of God ☞ as any Christian in the world and think himself as fair for heaven as the best and yet at last perish for some unknown lust in his heart which if he had examined and found out it might have been mortified and his soul saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Besides consider you have not the influences of the Spirit at command The Spirit will not blow upon thy heart when thou wouldest have it but when it lifteth The Spirit comes down but upon certain times and those times are uncertain to thee how therefore doth it behoove thee Christian to take the Spirits time and to joyn with the work of
into their mindes and in their hearts will I write them and I will be their God and they shall be my people 2 Cor. 3.2 3. In that you are manifest to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us and written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart Jer. 31.33 34. But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those daies saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord. You see that the Law must be first written in their hearts by the finger of God i. e. by the Spirit before they can know the things of God Ezek. 36.27 And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them the Spirit doth not only write upon our hearts the Law of God but all things which accompany salvation John 17. And when the Spirit comes he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you There is no truth which accompanieth salvation in the Word of God but the very same is written by the finger of God upon the hearts of beleevets That even as you see in a seal when you have put the seal upon the wax and taken it away again you shall see it stamp answering to stamp character to character print to print so it is in the hearts of the faithfull after their hearts are softned the Spirit of God writes the Law in their hearts So that there is a Law within answerable to the Law without i. e. an inward aptness and disposition whereby a man is inclined to keep the Law in all points which Law within us is called the Law of the minde Rom. 7. I see a Law in my members warring against the Law of my minde The teachings of the Spirit do not only put the things of God into our mindes but ingraff them as naturall dispositions in our hearts yea the Spirit of God ingravens them As when letters are engraved in marble so the teachings of the Spirit engraven the things of God upon our hearts I call them the writings the engravings of the things of God upon our hearts to distinguish the teachings of the Spirit from the motions impressions flashes illuminations of the pirit These are but light superficiall transient works they reach not to the bottom of the soul but they float at the top These impressions are suddenly begun and suddenly ended They are but as a flash of lightning which is no sooner seen but vanisheth They are but as the morning cloud and as the early dew which suddenly pass away as the winde presently scatters the clouds and the sunne takes away the dew so all these common works of the Spirit pass away and melt as the dew before the sunne The best seeming professors that want the teachings of the Spirit they are but as blazing comets which appear for a while and presently disappear Wandring starres Jude 13. to whom is reserved the blackness of darkenss for ever Heb. 6.5 Psal 34.8 They do but taste of the goodness of God and so away But the teachings of the Spirit make a Christian not only to taste but to see the goodness of God They are permanent upon the soul never to be blotted out again They are not as the flash of lightning but as the noon-day full of brightness and comfort They are riveted in the soul and imprinted in it 2. I say they are the Printings of the things of God upon the hearts of beleevers Beleevers only have the teachings of the Spirit And ye shall be all taught of God Joh. 6.45 i. e. all ye who are under the Covenant of grace and are interrested in Jesus Christ shall have the teachings of the Spirit Unbeleevers may have the motions the breathings the quicknings the flashes and the illuminations of the Spirit but not the teachings 3. I say these printings and writings of the things of God are done by a secret method unknown to us yet known to the Spirit What he 〈…〉 tell but how he writes we cannot tell what he prints we can tell but how he prints we cannot tell Dan. 5 5. As Belshazzar saw the hand when it wrot but could not tell what the hand did write so beleevers on the other side they see the writing of the Spirit but cannot see the hand that writes nor understand how the Spirit writes yet we are in a farre better condition than Belshazzar was For t is better to understand the writing than to know how the hand doth write what is printed than how the Spirit prints as it is farre better to know that we are elected that we are justified that we are renewed in the Spirit of our mindes considered in themselves than to know what Justification and Adoption is though we may know what Justification is and that we are justified by the Spirit 4. Only we see the effect of the Spirits teachings upon our hearts as a woman may know she is with childe because the infant moves in her belly so we may know what the Spirit hath been doing on our hearts by that knowledge zeal life heat motion activity and courage we find in our spirits towards Gods waies We hear the clock strike though we do not see the hand or the wheels that set it a going so we may see our hearts eccho back to the Spirit though we do not see the Spirit setting them on work Ezek. 1.20 As Ezekiels wheels wheresoever the Spirit went the wheels went for the spirits of the living creature was in the wheels So because the Spirit of God is in us wheresoever the Spirit carries us we are carried The Spirit moves and we are moved the Spirit praies when we pray the Spirit witnesseth when our spirit witnesseth the Spirit sets the wheels going and we go God is of a truth in every Saint though they cannot see him but in his operations We know that God is in us of a truth because we act for God and have the principle of spirituall life from him As we know the evil man hath been teaching of us when we see his evil tares and heresies and prophaneness to spring up so we may know the Spirit hath been teaching of us when we see the wheat to grow apace Otherwise The Spirits teachings is the Spirits creating a new light within us by a secret way unknown unto us at the first which light in our consciences enkindled by the Spirit doth in all things correspond with the light of the
word and addes more clearness to it in respect of our selves that we may know the things of God 1. A creating a new light within us As God in the naturall creation created light out of darkness so it is in the spirituall creation when the new man the infant of grace is born in us Eph. 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. In the Lord that is Jesus Christ by his Spirit hath enlightened our mindes in the knowledge of him 2 Cor. 4.6 God who caused the light to shine out of darkness hath caused the light of the Gospel to shine into our hearts through the face of Jesus Christ This light wrought by the Spirit it is a creation for before this light ariseth before the sunne of righteousness ariseth upon us we were altogether darkenss we were darkness it self And as it is said of the people amongst whom the light of the Gospel shined Isa 9.2 that the people that sate in darkness and in the region of the shadow of death saw marvellous light so we poor souls before the Spirit enlightened us were in utter darkness as in a dungeon where there is not the least crany to let in any light Jude 13. Blackness of darkness i. e. in utter darkness according to the Gospel phrase Extream darkness where there is not the least light not any light at all We were in a spirituall sense as it were in the blackness of darkness but when the Spirit was pleased to come into our hearts he created light out of darkness Non ex materiâ quasi componente sed quasi ex termino à quo that is from darkenss he hath translated us into marvellous light Yea I may say the Spirits setting up a light in the new creature is more than a creation if I may so speak For it is harder to create a thing out of its opposite in the abstract out of darkness it self to create light than to create a thing out of nothing Excellently therefore did the Spirit of God set down this portion of Scripture to note unto us the great work of the Spirit in setting up a light in the heart of man 2 Cor. 4.6 God who caused the light to shine out of darkness I may say that spirituall darkness which is upon the hearts of unregenerate men hath a positive entity in it opposing the light of the Spirit for a time The light shined round about Iohn 1.5 but the darkness comprehended it not It is a willfull darkness and a wilfull ignorance but that first darkness was a non-ens a meer privation and as soon as ever the light shined the darkness vanished away As to make a man that is born blinde to see is a work equivalent to the work of creation as Christ did So to remove that blindness which is upon our mindes that naturall blindness whereby we are as blinde as beetles in the things of God We have eyes and see not to remove that blindness and to make us see it is a work of creation and the only work of the Spirit 2. A new light That is a more excellent light a more transcendent light More excellent than the light of nature or the light of conscience more excellent than the light of Ordinances the light of means the light of naturall improvements More excellent than the light of knowledge or any light whatsoever The light of the Spirit is the most excellent light It may truly be said In thy light O blessed Spirit Psal 36.9 we shall see light in thy comfort we shall have comfort by thy teachings only we shall know the things of God Blessed are they that walk in the light of the Spirit Revel 5.8 The four beasts and the twenty four Elders fell down before the Lamb â—nd they sang a new song saying c. a new song i. e. a more excellent song a new light i. e. a more excellent light 2. A new light in respect of that abyss of darkness we were in before A new thing is either a rare thing or otherwise a thing that never was before There is no new thing under the sunne Eccl. 1.9 that is there is nothing but what hath been before Which light in our consciences enkindled by the Spirit Conscientia est judicium rationis practicae circa particularia per ratiocinatiouem deductum è principits universalibus contentis in synteresi Sic Philosophi Synteresis est habitus sive conservatio printipiorum practicorum doth in all things correspond with the light of the Word The conscience it is an act of the practicall understanding together with the memory bearing witness unto God by accusing or excusing us accordingly as our deeds be whether good or evil Or it is a spark of that primitive light left within us since the fall whereby in some measure we are able to distinguish between good and evil and accordingly to judge and consure our selves Now because the light of the Spirit it is a diffusive light spreading it self over all the powers and faculties of the new creature And not only a diffusive light but a perswasive convincing directive irresistable light which dispelleth all the darkness which is upon the soul such a light which is the life being and vigour of the spirituall life For as knowledge is the life of the naturall soul so is the light of the Spirit the life of the spirituall soul giving life heat and motion unto it The light was the life of men Now because the light of the Spirit is a superadded light to that naturall light which is within us the light of conscience which light consists of the practicall part of the understanding and the memory both concurring together therefore though the first work of the Spirit is to enlighten our understandings yet because our consciences wherein is the seat of spirituall life are benummed and dead and the Spirits teachings according to the practicall part of them which is the greatest part of them reach to the conscience therefore I place the hearts or consciences which in Scripture phrase are Synonymicall the subject of the light of the Spirit Correspond with the Word The light of the Spirit and the light of the Word do not clash one against another but in all things do agree in respect of the subject matter though the light of the Spirit is far the clearer ut antea By which light of the Spirit we come to know the things of God Whereupon David praies Give me O Lord thy good Spirit which may leade me into the Land of uprightness Now I come to shew how the Spirit teacheth 1. By opening the eyes of the understanding and making us to see the things of God A naturall man hath eyes but they be shut he hath ears but they be stopt Now the work of the Spirit is to open our eyes and unstop our ears that we might hearken to the things of God We
unclean heart Besides the Spirit takes away those objections which are in carnall mens hearts against the purity of religion What needs this preciseness this Pharisaism muchness in duty to be alwaies praying and alwaies hearing and the like It is a wearisomness to the flesh it duls the spirit and makes one melancholy it is more then needs be required As long as our hearts are upright with God and we desire to glorifie him in all his waies and we have upright intentions this is sufficient for heaven though we are not so much in duty as the pharisaicall men are Now the Spirit setting home the love of Christ upon our hearts and shewing us what he hath done for us brings us off from this lure to a perfect resignation of body and soul to his service Moreover he sheweth us that we must be holy in all manner of conversation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we must walk exactly and as much as in us lies keep every circumstance that is contained in the Law of God And truly there is not a more certain sign of an upright heart than to have an universall respect to all the Commandments of God When out of a conscience to the command of God we would not commit the least sin or omit the smallest duty When the enmity is removed and the prejudice taken out of our hearts and all our misgivings and misapprehensions rightly placed we can easily hearken to the voice of the Spirit What things more peculiarly the Spirit teacheth 1. Thou canst not know God aright without the Spirits teachings Malè vivitur ubi de Deo non benè creditur A childe of God may know more of God in one Chapter of the Book of God which is the minde of the Spirit than all the writings of all the men in the world are able to shew forth without this word of God It is the Spirit alone that can ravish our hearts to the love of God in Jesus Christ 1. Gods love That can make us see the heighth depth and breadth of Gods love unto us Who would ever have thought that apostates rebels enemies should ever have become the sonnes of God heirs joynt-heirs and coheirs with Jesus Christ but that the Spirit hath made it clear Behold with what manner of love hath the Father loved us that we should be called the sonnes of God Philosophers could tell you that the Being of beings the first mover the first Cause of all causes must be infinite just mercifull and the like but that God through Jesus Christ should finde out such a way of reconciliation that sinners should be called the sonnes of God and that they should be one with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ and that they should have communion with him for ever and ever this only the Spirit teacheth It is the Spirit only which sheweth the most holy nature of God 2. The holy nature of God 1 Joh. 1.5 In God is light and in him there is no darkness He is holiness it self therefore saith God Be ye holy as I am holy We are apt to think that God is such an one as our selves that he mindes not our iniquities that he walks aloft in the heavens and cares not for the things which are done upon the earth but the Spirit hath declared unto us Hab. 1. That God is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Psal 5. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all the workers of iniquity I have read of some Nations that because they have thought their Gods to have delighted in some vice therefore they have addicted themselves in the imitation of their Gods to the same vice Some have thought their Gods delighted in uncleanness some in drunkenness others in cruelty and therefore they have been drunken unclean and cruell but we have learned God otherwise by the mind of the Spirit that there is no iniquity in the God of Israel Mercy and truth goes before his face justice and judgement is the habitation of his Throne The Spirit alone hath shewed us the exact justice of God against every sinne 3. The exact justice of God that the least sinne unrepented of and not washed away by the blood of Christ though it be but an evil thought or an idle word shall be punished with everlasting destruction Origin with some others have thought that it could not stand with the mercy of God to punish a sinner everlastingly in hell and therefore they have jumpt in with the Popish purgatory thinking that after the soul hath been punished so many years in hell fire it shall be released and set at liberty But this is contrary to the Spirit of God in many places of Scripture 2. The mystery of the blessed Trinity The Spirit only hath shewed us the mystery of the blessed and incomprehensible Trinity That there should be three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost and yet these three but one God There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one All the great Rabbies of the world will never attain this mystery it is only the Spirit that teacheth it What Pla. to writes of the blessed Trinity it is supposed he had it out of Moses his writings or else some other way This doctrine of the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity that there should be three persons and but one God and one God and yet three persons that the Father should be God the Son should be God and the holy Ghost should be God it is a doctrine of faith and not of reason a doctrine which ought to be beleeved because the Spirit hath revealed it and therefore not to be disputed of The Schoolmen whose foolish hearts are darkned have become vain in their imaginations concerning this transcendent and exceeding great mystery 3. It is the Spirit alone that teaches us the great mystery of the incarnation of Christ that there should be two natures the humane and the Divine united together and yet but one person The union or the two natures in Christ is 〈…〉 by a fiery flaming sword or rather by the similitude of a branch engrafted into a stock of another tree where there is not a mixture of the nature of these trees nor a constitution of a â—hird out of them but a drawing of one of them into the others subsistance Dr Field this is the mystery of mysteries And without controversie great is the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels beleeved on in the world and received up into glory John 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us and we saw the glory as the glory of the only begotten Sonne full of grace and truth Was made flesh This destroys the Heresie of the Marcionists who said that Christ was not made flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est articulus
demonstrativus notans ipsum verbum fieri carnem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indefinite sumitur fine ullo articulo inde notans eum accepisse totam nostram naturam and that he was not formed in the womb of the Virgin Mary but that he passed through the womb of the Virgin as water passeth through a Conduit And dwelt amongst us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek Had his Tabernacle among us There are many other duties which only the Spirit teacheth as justification by faith alone the doctrine of the resurrection of the immortality of the soul of the happiness of the Saints in heaven and of the future torments of the wicked in hell The Schoolmen with their fine-spun distinctions and criticall questions do rather darken the minde of the Spirit in these waies than adde any further light unto them Their teachings are like the way of a serpent upon a stone very slippery and uncertain 4. The evil nature of finne The Spirit alone hath shewed unto us the evil nature of sinne It condemns an evil look a malitious thought Mat. 5. He that looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Eph. 5.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 urbanitas apud Spiritum est vitium upud Aristoteleus est virtus 1 Thess 5. He that hâ—ttih his brother in his heart is a murderer It condemns jesting and evil speaking It is to be observed that that very word which Aristotle cals a vertue the Spirit of God terms a vice Jesting with Aristotle is a vertue with the Spirit of God it is a vice We are commanded to abstain from all appearance of evil To hate the very garments spotted with the flesh To resist the first motions and allurements to sinne Rom 7. I had not known sinne but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Unless the Word of God had told us and the Spirit of God had set down this for a certain truth that these motions to sin are sin we should never have known it or beleeved it These first motions were never counted for sinnes by any of the Heathen Philosophers or by the more refined wits of the Schoolmen only the Spirit hath pricked them down for sinnes That they are sinnes ☜ appears by this because they tempt a man to sinne If concupiscence were not a sinne it would never tempt a man to sinne for nothing bringeth forth sin formally but sinne Lust when it conceiveth it bringeth forth sin and sin when it conceiveth it bringeth forth death Ob. The wages of sin is death now if lust were a sinne it would bring forth death how then is it said that luft when it conceiveth bringeth forth sin and sin when it conceiveth bringeth forth death Resp St James in this place distinguisheth the severall sorts of sinnes There are some sinnes consummated and finished and those bring forth death but it followeth not that other sinnes bring not forth death but that they do not bring forth death to the same degree as those sinnes do for there are diversities of torments in hell and the best place in hell is very lamentable As he that cals his brother fool is worthy of hell fire Raca i.e. a fellow of no worth from the word Rik ovacuare yet it will not follow that he that cals his brother Raca is unworthy of it but that he is not worthy of it in the same degree and measure Lust it bringeth forth death but not to the same degree that sin consummated doth God judgeth the secrets of mens hearts that secret wickedness which is within us and reproves it and makes it manifest to our consciences Rom 2.16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of mens hearts according to my Gospel It is only the Spirit that condemneth heart-wickedness So saith Peter to Simon Magus Pray to God that the thought of thy heart might be forgiven thee The Laws of man do not reach to the conscience to heart wickedness to the secret inward abominations to which God and thy own conscience are conscious to Only the Law of the Spirit doth reprove this heart wickedness The Spirit of God it condemns hypocrisie when men will seem religious and would be counted true Christians though their hearts runne whoring after their base lusts When like a man at Oars they will row one way and look another Pretend for God and for Gods cause when their design is to carry on the interest of the flesh and of the devil When they will worship God and speak him fair to his face and give him a parcell of good words in a few formall words and in an externall lip-service when malice and covetousness and carnall lusts are in their hearts Matth. 23. How many woes hath Christ denounc'd against hypocrites Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites Externall worship is sufficient in mans sight but God requireth the heart and the whole heart Matth. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy might and with all thy strength Hypocrisie is no sinne in the worlds account but a criminall fault a crimson sinne in the sight of God Dost thou think to mock God and to put him off with shadows in stead of substance with thy formality in stead of sincerity Gal. 5. Be not deceived do not deceive your selves and think to put off God with any thing the heart of man is full of deceit deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked Why be not deceived why I will tell you for what a man soweth that shall he reap if ye sow chaff you shall reap chaff if you sow wheat you shall reap wheat Hypocrisie is an epidemicall sinne in this professing age Consider against this sinne Cor secundum Auagramma est Camera omnipotentis Regis The heart is the seat of the great King of heaven and earth the King of Kings and Lord of Lords God hath two places wherein he most especially is resident the highest heaven and the lowest heart In heaven he is by his glorious presence In an humble heart by his gracious presence 1. That all thy endeavours will be utterly lost unless thou hast an upright heart if thou praiest never so much if thy heart be not perfect with thy God all thy prayers will do thee no good As good not at all as never a whit the better 2. Consider that God judgeth a man and esteemeth of him according as his heart is if that be sincere thou art a sincere Christian but if that be rotten thou art unsavory in the sight of God 3. God answereth a man according to what is in his heart not according to what is in his lips when he praieth to him Thou art a drunkard or a whoremonger or a covetous wretch or an extortioner c. and thou comest as Gods people do and sittest before him and
of the word of life that I speak Rom. 9. and 't is a certain truth that a godly poor man let him be unskilfull in humane Learning yet if he hath but that unction of the Spirit that St John speaks of he is able to discourse of the things of God more savingly experimentally and powersully than the greatest Clerks and Rulers of the world 1 Cor. 1.20 Not many mighty not many wise not many noble are called but God hath chosen the base things of the world to confound the honourable and the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty God did chuse for his disciples not the learned Rabbies of the world as the Scribes and Pharisees were but a poor company of Fisher-men and Tent-makers delivered this Book unto us God called Amos from following the sheep to go and Prophesie to Amaziab And this God did to stain the pride of worldly wisdom shewing that he stood not in need of an arm of flesh to accomplish his design upon the earth but that by weak and inconsiderable means in themselves he was able to bring about the greatest designes What is the reason that the greatest Scholars are most to seek in the things of God especially in those things which accompany salvation Why as Solomon speaks they leaning to their own understandings and exalting themselves in the pride of their parts and abillities do justly cause God to leave them to themselves and in the dark because they seek not after the Spirit of God which is the chief thing to be desired if they will know the will of God We usually say that he that made the Laws can best tell how to interpret them so the Spirit of God which made the Word of God for holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the Spirit knows best how to explain it We are to compare spirituall things with spirituall and the Spirit of God speaking in one place with the Spirit speaking in another if we would know the scope and intent of the Word No man can say Jesus is the Christ but by the Spirit Saith Christ to Peter when he confessed him to be the Christ Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven Now the Father as it is clear from Ephes 3.5 declared this mystery by the Spirit Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy Prophets and Apostles by his Spirit As for practicall duties 't is the Spirit only that inflames the heart enlightens the minde breeds compunction and brings sundry comforts That teacheth us to despise earthly things to leath things present and to seek after things eternall to fly honours and to suffer scandals and to place our hope and confidence in God That teacheth us that great duty of mortification If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the flesh to subdue our lusts to overcome the world to live a life of faith and not of sense to endure afflictions and to resist temptations The Spirit helpeth us to pray We know not how to pray as we ought but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities by making intercessions for us with groanings which cannot be uttered He helpeth together with and over-against us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 collaborantes adjuvat The originall word imports as when another man sets his shoulder to bear a part with us in the lifting up of any burden The Spirit of God removes those clogs and weights which be upon our spirits and puts life into the Chariot wheels of our souls by raising up our affections by stirring up the gift of God that is within us that we may pray with readiness of minde And maketh intexcession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Not that the holy Spirit is a Mediator of intercessions that is properly the office of the Sonne who is therefore stiled our Advocate 1 Joh. 2.1 But because the Spirit of God doth stirre up our hearts to prayer and infuse into us holy desires stirring us up and instructing us in this duty therefore he is said to intercede for us The Spirit likewise by causing us to groan and sigh for our sinnes is said to make intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered It is the Spirit alone that must convince us of our sinnes When the Spirit shall come be shall convince the world of sinne Joh. 16.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corripio pervim demonstrationis of righteausness and judgement The Spirit convinceth plainly by a demonstration shewing Thou art the man as Nathan said to David and powerfully to the conscience It is the Spirit that unites us to Jesus Christ he is the bond of our spirituall union He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his It is the Spirit that quickens The Spirit quickneth Joh. 6.63 the Word profiteth nothing It is the Spirit that sanctifieth and that regenerates the hearts of beleevers 1 John 5.18 He that is born of God sinneth not i.e. he that is born of the sanctifying Spirit of God sinneth not that great sinne against the holy Ghost which is unpardonable It is the Spirit that is the true Comforter Hence he is called by way of eminency John 16. The Comforter The earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1.14 because of his inward testifying act upon our spirits that we are Gods children It is the Spirit that driveth out that slavish fear out of our hearts making us to come with boldness and with confidence to God Psal 51. Vphold me with thy free Spirit It is the Spirit that justifies 1 Cor. 6.10 But ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God It is the Spirit that preserves the faithfull from falling away by his preventing and establishing grace from that hope that is within them unto the day of their appearance before Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ What manner of teachings the Spirits teachings are First They are infallible teachings The Spirit teacheth truly without the least errour or deceit He is called the Spirit of truth because whatever the Spirit teacheth it cannot but be truth John 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter which shall abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth The Spirit is said to lead us into all truth Joh. 16.13 When the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dux vobis erit Dux viae He shall lead you by the hand as the Nurse doth a weak sickly childe and be a guide unto you in your way In the way of truth but what he hath heara of me that
shall he speak and he shall shew you things to come If truth it self can lie and deceive then the Spirit may deceive you but it is impossible that truth it self should deceive God is not as man that he should lie or the sonne of man that he should repent The Spirit it is God as I have proved already and therefore 't is impossible he should lie i. e. deceive or fail us in our expectations when we wait upon him If we think the Spirit to be God and take him for our guide and we acknowledge him for to be our councellour it is impossible that the Spirit should deceive us of our expectations Matth. 24.24 There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders and if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect if it were possible but 't is impossible they should deceive the elect 1 John 2.20 They have the unction from the holy one and they shall know all things i. e. all things that pertain to life and godliness What is the reason why we beleeve the Word of God to be true and as Chrift saith not the least tittle thereof shall fall till all things shall be accomplished but only because it hath the stamp of the divine authority of the blessed Spirit 1 Cor. 2. The Spirit teacheth all things yea tho deep things of God It is called the Spirit of wisdom Isa 11.21 It is prophesied of Christ That the Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of counsell and might and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord shall rest upon him Wisdom it self it cannot erre it cannot deceive The Spirit it is the fountain of all wisdom Isa 40.13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord and being his counsellour hath taught him v. 14. With whom took he counsell and who instructed him and taught him in the paths of judgement and taught him knowledge and shewed to him the way of understanding If wisdom it self and the fountain of all wisdom teacheth you you need not fear that you shall be taught amiss Popes and generall Counsels and all men yea the best men may be sound liars and may deceive and put darkness for light and light for darkness and may call good evil and evil good and may put truth for errour and errour for truth but it is quite otherwise with the Spirit of truth which shall lead you into all truth Quest Do not the people of God erre some times and fall into error how then are the Spirits teachings infallible Ans 1. As farre as they are taught of the Spirit they do not erre or fall into any heresie Gal. 5. Heresies are reckoned amongst the fruits of the flesh These are the fruits of the flesn envyings strifes emulations heresies so that errours are not fruits of the Spirit but fruits of the flesh A childe of God may be led away with an errour for a time Gal. 2.13 As Barnabas was led away by their dissimulation so a childe of God may be led away 2. God sometimes out of his justice may permit a childe of God to runne into waies contrary to the truth because he did not prize the Word of God as he ought to do and seek it with his whole heart that afterwards being recovered out of the snare of the devil he may more esteem the Word of God than formerly If a Christian who hath lived in England under the means of grace by providence should be cast among the Heathen where there is no knowledge of the true God but idolatry and false worship set up in place of it how would he esteem the Ordinances of Christ So when a gracious soul shall be given up to the delusions of Satan for a time and afterwards be recovered certainly he would let go all ere he would lose this pretious jewel of truth Quest It is said that the unction of the Spirit teacheth them all things How can they erre therefore Ans It is true that is there is nothing that belongs to life and salvation but some time or other shall be revealed to the children of God The Spirit doth not teach us all the mysteries of God at once but successively as we are able to receive them We are not capable to receive all truths at one time It is with truth as it is with light the light grows by degrees as the sun ascends higher and higher in the firmament so the greater is the light The Spirit teacheth successively and the more it is dispersed Truth comes not all at once into the understanding but first one truth comes in and then another The Logicians say that upon the receiving one absurdity a thousand follow so one truth makes way for another Therefore the perfectionists of these times who think because they say they have the teachings of the Spirit they know all things and that they need not have any body to teach them they are in a gross mistake and as the Apostle faith while they think they know all things they know nothing as they ought to know Those that are above the Ordinances are beneath salvation and those that contemn the ordinary teachings of the Spirit in his Word and Ministers are farre to seek in the extraordinary The Spirit hath babes to nurture as well as strong Christians it hath several books to reade to those that are in the lowest form in the School of Christ and not so high and lofty as to those that are in a higher degree The former he teacheth the principles of the doctrine of God the later those mysteries which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world The former he deals with in a more gentle and tender way to these he is more rough and more severe Christ hath his Lambs as well as his Sheep and what doth he do with them Isa 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and gently leade those that are with young Christ and his Spirit drives on as Jacob did Gen. 33.13 My Lord knoweth that the children are tender and the flocks and herds with young are with me and if men should drive them over-hard one day all the flock would die Let my Lord I pray thee pass over before his servant and I will lead on softly according as the cattell that go before me and the children are able to bear Christ leads us as we are able to bear and the Spirit teacheth us as we are able to learn The light breaks in upon us by little and little and Christ said unto the Apostles he had many things to say unto them but they could not bear them yet so the Spirit hath many things to teach us but we are not sufficiently humbled to receive them Isa 42.2 3 As it is said of Christ so it may be said of his Spirit He will not break the brnised reed nor quench
present Eccl 7 6. but suddenly are out That all the creatures are but broken cisterns Jer. 2.13 pits which can hold nothing but muddy and defiled comforts Besides the Spirit it teacheth us the fulness of God the sufficiency that is in Jesus Christ the joys that flow in from above and what a mass of glory is treasured up for us if we continue faithfull unto the death Mark 14.25 That the time is at hand when we shall drink the new wine of eternall consolation with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of heaven hereafter When a man hath a spirit of discerning to discern between the true riches and the fading riches of this world and the Spirit hath enlightned his understanding and he sees the what things are prepared for him hereafter if he love God and keeps his Commandments He is more Saint-like and is as it were a stranger upon earth seeking rest and finding none till he come to his Fathers house and finished his course One that is taught of the Spirit can do all duties in a spirituall manner He can pray in the Spirit sing in the Spirit walk in the Spirit live after the Spirit warre after the Spirit rejoyce in the Spirit and subdue his sinnes by the strength of the Spirit His affections desires aims and intentions are heavenly You may see a spirituall man by his going by his talking by his eating and drinking by his company by his continuall course and progress in his life Watch him narrowly ☞ and you may see somewhat of the Spirit in his common carriage he doth not minde the world he lives as it were a stranger upon earth all his discourse is about his fathers business and of heavenly things He cares not so much what becomes of his body so his soul may prosper All his delight is with the excellent and with those that fear God He is often upon his knees confessing his sins and abhorring himself for his iniquities He is much with God and little with the world and if it stood with Gods good pleasure and the Churches good he could be absent from the body Phil. 1.23 24. that he may be present with the Lord. Self-deniall is the great lesson he is continually a conning sinne is his greatest burthen the world his purgatory Jesus Christ his only joy God his portion and heaven his rest Now I come to shew what are the extraordinary teachings of the Spirit that so we may know the one from the other 1. A man hath then an extraordinary teaching of the Spirit upon his heart when he is certain God will give him the same thing he asked of him in prayer in the very same kinde and manner he asked it of God when he is fully perswaded and verily believes that God will grant him the very same thing which he asked of him It is an extraordinary work of the Spirit upon the heart that must produce such a strong confidence in God that God will give him the very same thing he desires When a soul can say I know that God heareth me alwaies and will hear me in this thing and give me my hearts desire especially when there is no promise in the word made to that particular thing which he praies for As suppose thou hadst a friend sick and thou praiest for his recovery and hast such a strong confidence in God by the Spirit that thou undoubtedly believest that he shall recover such a confidence had Luther when he wrote to Myconius hearing that he was sick that without he should recover so he did according to Luthers prayer So had Elijah when he prayed for rain and Jesus Christ when he did his miracles 2. When a soul hath that Plerophory that full assurance of faith without all doubting then he hath an extraordinary teaching of the Spirit upon his heart When he can say with Job I know that my redeemer liveth Job 19.25 and though worms destroy my body yet I shall see him with these very eyes 2 Tim. 4.7 And with Paul I have fought the good fight of faith I have finished my course hence forth there is laid up for me a Crown of life c. When a soul can say by the full evidence of the Spirit upon his spirit without the least wavering or doubting I know that both in life and death Christ shall be unto me advantage When a soul can merrily and cheerfully rejoyce in the expectation of the glory of God Many precious Saints are without this full assurance till they come to die as that godly Martyr Mr Glover was who was full of fears and doubts till he came to the stake and then out of a sense of Jesus Christ he cries out He is come he is come That is Jesus Christ was come with his extraordinary comforts unto his soul the Spirit of God sealing unto him the pardon of his sinnes and the love of Jesus Christ unto his soul 3. When a soul hath such a spirit of zeal courage and magnanimity in the waies of God that though he were the Butt of the whole world and the laughing-stock of men and Angels for the cause of God and were persecuted on all sides yet he patiently can undergo it for the sake of Christ These are Saints of the first magnitude who have more than ordinary to other Saints flowings in of the Spirit upon their hearts Such were the Apostles Luther Ignatius Athanasius Gregory Nazianzen and the like Tempore Athanasii totus mundus gemuit sub Ario. The Martyr Antipas who is spoken of in the Revelation of St John Rev. 2.13 who dwelt where Satan had his seat and kept himself unspotted amongst that wicked and perverse generation and witnessed to the truth with the loss of his life had an extraordinary measure of the Spirit upon his heart 4. When men have an infallible Spirit so that whatsoever they say is truth and as it were an Oracle from God and when upon all emergencies they have Divine influences from the Spirit of grace then they have the extraordinary teachings of the Spirit When they have an infallible Spirit so only had the Apostles For they being universall messengers of Jesus Christ not tied to one particular place but to plant Churches in severall places and to pen one part of the Word of God which was to be a standing rule to the end of the world they were guided by the infallible Spirit of God so that they could not erre in things which belong to faith and piety Only the Apostles were infallible in their doctrine Popes and generall Councils may erre and have erred grosly from the faith Also when upon all exigencies they have the supplies of the Spirit of God then they have the extraordinary teachings of the Spirit so had the Apostles Luke 12.11 And when they bring you unto the Synagogues and unto Magistrates and Powers take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer or what ye shall
Gods providence he hath undergone and all to the benefit of his precious soul what heavenly Soliloquies have been between God and his soul in private Prayer and heavenly Meditations what reiterated conquests he hath had over his domineering lusts and what spiritual wisdome to discern the sleights of the Devil How often he hath had the witness of the spirit upon his heart though for a season the spirit hath withdrawn its testimony What groans and sighs and daily complaints under the sense of the burden of his sins What change hath been wrought upon him considering his vain conversation while he was in the flesh what experimental truths both Theoretical and Practical for the establishment of his soul in grace have been imparted unto him and what future hopes of glory he hath enkindled in his brest by the operation of the spirit that so his faith and hope might be in God alone at the hour of death 2. To express those fears which are within us arising from that original corruption and from that unbelief which is in the best of Gods servants which do most of all shew themselves at such a time A believers fears are commonly more then his hopes when the hopes of a wicked man and of a presumptuous sinner overcome all his fears Fear it is a distracting passion filling the minde with a multitude of trembling amazing astonishing tumultuating perplexing thoughts that a true childe of God many times is in great doubts when he comes to dye but yet the spirit of God will bring in at such a time such sweet experiences of Gods love to his soul of what God hath done for him that though he may not have the full assurance of faith which is without any doubting at all yet he shall have sufficient motives and encouragements to keep him as from sinking and despair and upon firme grounds to repose himself in God for salvation upon the account of Jesus Christ Perfect love casteth out all slavish fear and when once the soul is well grounded in this principle that God loved him in Christ before the foundation of the world of which love he hath had some foretasts thereof by the earnest of his spirit in his heart there is no ground left for despair but for a firme belief that God is his and he is Gods God keepeth his strongest arguments to oppose the greatest conflicts Now I come to answer those doubts which arise from the Spirits teachings on the hearts of Believers 1. Quest How may we distinguish between the teachings of the spirit and that common Illumination spoken of in in the sixth of the Hebrews 4. verse which persons being so enlightned may fall away finally to the perdition of their immortal souls 1. Common illumination never descends to particulars but remaines onely in generals A carnal man may know what faith is what repentance is what humiliation is what self-denial is what sincerity is what new obedience is He may know all those things in a general way but he can never come to particulars by way of propriety unto himself He cannot say I believe I repent I am truely humbled for my sins I have learned the lesson of self-denial I am sincere I am obedient to the will of God but the light of the spirit within makes a Christian to say experimentally feelingly out of that abundance of comfort which he hath by reason of the experience of those things upon his soul that Christ is mine and I am his I have given glory to God by believing I have worked the works of God I have had the spirit of God leading me into the Land of uprightness Rom. 4.20 I have that heavenly fire of love enkindled in my brest by the divine sparks of light from heaven Psal 143.10 which will burn for ever still ascending to be united unto God in heaven The valley of Baca is turned into a valley of vision though not the immediate fruition The teachings of the spirit do make a Christian go to particulars because what the spirit teacheth if it be a habit or a qualification connatural to the soul as spiritual the spirit worketh the same quality in it The spirit teacheth us to believe and the spirit worketh faith in us for faith it is the gift of God 2. Common Illumination produceth but a common faith which is rather presumption then true faith a common love which is rather lukwarmness then the ardent love which is a fruit of the spirit a common joy which is rather like a flash of lightning then that Meridian joy of the Saints of Jesus Christ a common humiliation which is rather an Ahabs humiliation a legal conviction upon the soul by the terror of the Law then any true genuine sorrow for the displeasure done to God by their sins a common hope which is rather self conceitedness and vain confidence then that lively hope which purifies the soul a common well-wishing to leave their sins then a setled determinate resolution to forsake them and to turn to the Lord God with all their hearts As a mans knowledge is so is his faith so is his love so is his obedience Now this knowledge which ariseth from common illumination it never savingly works upon the heart to an hearty obedience of the things known it is never joyned with true Grace but that knowledge which comes from the teachings of the spirit works a true faith in the soul and is ever accompained with all the saving effects of the blessed spirit The Apostle joyns Grace and Knowledge both together Grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 For where there is a sanctified knowledge there is true and saving Grace 3. Common Illumination never makes a man serious in the service of God to serve him constantly let his condition be what it will but as his joys and his outward comforts are so are his services unto God as when the Mood the Fit takes them then they will seem Religious like the Lunaticks which are mad only at the full of the Moon when any profit or honour or any advantage goeth along with the serving of God or when nothing is offered which may displease their carnal minds then who but they in an outward profession for the serving of God but the teachings of the spirit make a Christian resolute in the ways of God like Noah that his whole life shall be nothing else but a continual walking with his God A true Christian let his outward state and condition be what it will yet he will be sure not to forget his God his Maker his Preserver his All in All in whom are all things and in whom he enjoyes all things but like Zachary and Elizabeth as far as he can he will walk in all the commandements of the Lord blamelesly 4. Common Illumination it breeds not the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit whereby a man upon good and solid grounds may truely believe that he
God hath set him apart and endowed him with gifts and graces sutable for such a work there is required an outward call which is a designation approbation and setting him apart peculiarly for the work of the Pastorall charge and office the Church and people of God electing him in whose hearts he hath approved himself by his pious life and wholesom doctrine and the Presbyters by the laying on of hands ratifying their election and confirming him in his Office Acts 6. v. 3. with v. 6. 1 Tim. 4.14 Yet the inward call the call of Gods Spirit is the principall call because thereby a man is sure that God hath appointed him for this work who will bless him in it if he be faithfull unto the death Happy is that servant who goeth forth in the Name of the Lord his God that is in the authority of his God God will bless his labours and give him the reward of his work 12. Every Christian ought to walk up according to his light and that measure of knowledge which he hath received Wo be to those that walk not up to that light which God hath given them Luke 12.47 He that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes 1. They that have only the light of nature to see by ought to walk up according to their light By the light of nature we know that there is a God that this God is one only God for there can be but one cause of all causes who is the first cause of all causes of whom all causes depend in esse in operari one that is infinite in whom the perfections of all the creatures do meet as all the lines do in the center that this God is to be worshipped and that this God is to be worshipped after his own way and method for who dares be so impudent to prescribe Rules and Canons of Gods worship but God himself Hence we know naturally that as there is a God so that this God hath his word wherein he delivers his minde how we ought to serve him and after what manner to do him homage By the light of nature we know that we must live honestly justly that we must wrong no man and give every one his own The Gentiles who withheld the truth in unrighteousness Rom. c. 1. and disobeyed the light of nature were punished with a dreadfull judgement from God being given over to a reprobate minde to commit all iniquity with greediness Those that walk not up to the light of nature shall be damned as well as those that sin against the light of the Gospel though their damnation shall be the lesser Although the light of nature is not a sufficient light for salvation yet I conceive that if the Heathens would but improve that naturall light which they have unto the glory of God God would come in with a greater light for the salvation of their souls And who knows but that if the Heathens did improve that light which they have to Gods glory but that God might break in upon them with a greater light with the light of the Spirit upon their hearts The work of nature is the work of the God of nature according to the Philosophicall Axiom Causa causae etiam causa causati Etsi hoc axioma cum grane salis accipiendum and if God did see us walk up to that light God would come in with a greater light upon our souls 2. The light of conscience every man ought to walk up according to the light of his own conscience Pro. 20.27 Saith Solomon The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly God hath set up a candle in every man whereby in some measure he may be able to distinguish between good and evil This candle of the Lord is conscience searching all the inward parts of the belly which conscience is both a witness and a Judge a witness to testifie to our deeds accordingly as they be and a Judge to absolve us or condemn us for them Miserable is the condition of those persons who have their consciences continually accusing them Saith God to Cain Gen. 4.7 It lies at the door like a Mastiff-dog If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou dost evil sin lieth at the door Sin by a Metonymy for the guilt of sinne The guilt of sinne lieth at the door it lieth at the door as a Mastiff dog lies at the door it will let thee have no rest day nor night it will haunt thee up and down in thy bed-chamber Saith Solomon Pro. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thought for the bird of the air shall tell the matter and that which hath wings shall carry the thing This bird of the air is our own conscience which will never let us alone till we have confessed them Wo be to those that sinne against their own consciences their sinnes will finde them out and will torment them Blessed be they that endeavour to keep a good conscience void of offence towards God and man that will approve their hearts as in the sight of God that would not violate the peace of their own consciences in the omission of any known duty or in the commission of any known sinne for the whole world A good conscience is a continuall feast He that would keep faith and a good conscience let him be sure to walk up according to the dictates of it 3. To the light of naturall improvements morall educations wholesom instructions good examples pious conversations Wo be to those who walk not up to the light of naturall improvements that by their studies good conference offices conditions employments have much improved that light which they had according to the contemplative part of it and yet never truly have digested this light with the incomes of it by turning it into practise for the benefit of their souls Perhaps they have got a great deal of knowledge by reading by good education holy counsels observance of others and yet are never the better in their lives and conversations He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow unless true sanctified grace be joined with it And all those good instructions morall educations which thou hast had from thy parents Master friends relations and others will but aggravate thy condemnation one day unless thou art reformed by them The good examples and the pious conversations of others do but reprove the hardness of thy heart and will rise up in judgement against thee at the last day because thou hast been admonished by their righteous dealings Noah in preparing an Ark according to Gods Word condemned the old world of unbelief and of stiff necked impenitency Every pin the good man drove into the Ark was a secret reproof of their unbelief Wo be to those that hate the light of counsell of instruction of reproof and of exhortation Consult that
dreadful place Prov. 28.1 He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddainly be destroyed and that without remedy 4. To the light of the word which includs both Law and the Gospel 1. Sad is their condition who have onely the Law to be their light and yet sin against this Law that know they should not commit adultery and yet commit adultery they should not steal and yet will steal they should not prophane the Sabbath and yet will prophane the Sabbath that know they should not serve idols and yet will serve idols c. How many sore judgements and grievous captivities do we read of in the old Testament which God brought upon his own people the Jews for the breach of his most holy and righteous Law They had the Law and the Prophets in which Prophets some Gospel which intermingled though little in respect of that light which we have and yet their sinning against the light of the Law and the word of Prophesie delivered unto them did so incense the Lord against them that he often plagued them with sore judgements for their revoltings 2. To the light of the Gospel See the sad condition of those souls that walk not up to the light of the Gospel in the second of the Hebrews 2.3 v. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be preached by the Lord and afterward was confirmed unto us by them that heard him Sins against Gospel light are crying sins in the ears of God By how much the greater engagements of mercy by so much the more hanious will our sins be If we walke not up to the light of the Gospel we sin against a more clear and evident light against such a light which discovers such love of God unto us in Jesus Christ which can never be expressed Against such a light which holds forth the clearest testimony of Gods good will to sinners far beyond the apprehension of men and Angels Such a light which the Angels themselves desire to behold prying into and adoring the infinite wisdom of God revealed in it Such a light which if we sin agaist it will for ever render us altogether inexcusable at the last day so that our mouths shall be muzzled as the mans was which came to the feast without a wedding garment being not able to speak a word for our selves Such a light which if we walke not up to will sinke us deep into the gulfe of misery and the blackness of darkness for ever Such a light which if we walk not up to but maliciously resist and oppose we render our selves guilty of that unpardonable sin against the holy Ghost being condemned in our own consciences and obnoxious to our selves that we deserve eternal vengeance for the slighting of it Such a light which if we do not obey makes us guilty of the highest unbelief the most notorious ingratitude the greatestwant of charity the most out-crying rebellion of the greatest hardness of heart and of the most malicious hatred that possibly can be He that rejecteth the light of the Gospel forsaketh his own mercies he hath bid adien to God to Christ to the Spirit to the Sacraments to the promises to the priviledges of the Saints yea to the Saints themselves being without hope for the present Ephes 4.17 18. being turned from a Christian to be like those Gentiles who walke in the vanities of their minds having their understandings darkned lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ should shine into their hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 1.3 Justitia Dei Dom. 1.17 Divina Virtus potentia 1 Cor. 1.24 Such a light in which is revealed the manifold wisdom of God the riches of his grace the righteousness of God Divine power and vertue the truth of God Against such a light which is the ministery of the spirit for the Gospel it is the ministery of the spirit and not of the letter Against such a light which if we walk not up to we mightily incense the great Jehovah of heaven and of earth Do you think that if a great Monarch should send to the poorest beggar that he hath under his dominions having been a notorious rebel traytor and apostate from him A simile a message of reconciliation unto him upon promise that if he would accept of pardon upon the supposition of amendment of life he would not onely be appeased with him and receive him into favor but make him as it were his Son if this miserable creature should refuse the pardon upon such noble terms himself being exceedingly worthy of death would not this render him guilty of the highest ingratitude and of the greatest contumacy if he should not close with this most courteous offer of grace and favor such stubborn hearted sinners are they who walk not up to the light of the Gospel We are all of us by nature miserable poor and wretched creatures enemies rebells traytors and apostates from God The King of Kings the Lord of Lords who is Lord over heaven and earth sends unto us by his onely son a message of reconciliation upon condition that we will receive this his onely son who hath dyed for us to redeeme us from the captivity of sin and Satan and from the curse of the Law and from eternal death for our onely Lord and Saviour and serve him only and obey him and keep his commandments unto which gracious message if we would but repent of our former rebellions and endeavor to believe on Jesus Christ is annexed a most gracious promise of everlasting happiness that we shall be his sons and that he will give us a Kingdom a Crown of Glory an everlasting inheritance and that we shall reign with Jesus Christ our elder brother and with himself for ever and ever Now what rebels and stout-hearted sinners are they who shall not accept of this gracious offer upon so small conditions The conditions are onely to repent for our sins and to receive Jesus Christ for our Lord and Saviour to rule and govern us by his Word and Spirit Who would refuse such an honourable good and gracious Master such a noble service which hath a most copious reward annexed to it In the service of Christ there is perfect freedom but in the divels service the greatest slavery Then are you free indeed John 8.6 if the Son shall make you free Do not stand off I beseech you close with this gracious offer accept of these conditions lest that thereby thou incensest God against thee to destroy thee if thou refusest this offer of reconciliation thou shalt never have the like again for in rejecting it thou sinnest against the remedy which God hath provided for the sin of thy soul by trampling under foot the precious blood
afforded me alwayes praying reading doing good and working out my salvation with fear and trembling But alas there is no more time there are no more seasons of grace afforded me God is departed from me in respect of any future mery for ever hell hath shut her mouth upon me and therefore O that I had to my everlasting comfort complyed and hearkened to the voice of the spirit contending with me That I had walked up to the light of the spirit then it had been otherwise with me to my perpetual joy then it is now to my eternal misery Thus the wretched sinner laments it self when it is too late and wishes it had never been unless he had been better because he improved not those talents and walked not up to that light which God had given him Reasons why every soul ought to walke up according to its Light 1. Because God judgeth every one according to his light Rom. 2.12 For as many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law and as many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law that is those that are without the moral Law written upon tables of stone but have onely the Law of nature written upon their hearts though the moral Law is nothing but what is founded upon nature as appears in the 15. verse For the Gentiles which have not the Law i. e. the moral Law do by nature the things contained in the Law if they sin against the Law written in their consciences shall onely be judged according to that Law and those that have the moral Law shall be judged according to the moral Law but those who have the light of the Gospel shall be judged according to the light of the Gospel 16. v. In the day when God shal judge the secrets of mens hearts according to my Gospel And those that have sinned against the light of conviction and the strivings of the spirit shall be judged according to that light and according as our light is so will be our condemnation Mat. 11.22 It will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement then for us who live under the light of the Gospel and the spirits convictions because our light is the greater And for those who live under Gospel light it will be more tolerable for those at the day of judgement who have lived under a powerful Ministery all their dayes and have had more influences of the spirit upon their hearts and have had the spiritual Manna continually falling round about their houses as the inhabitants of the famous City of London have who are blessed above all other Nations with spiritual blessings then those who are less watred with showers of Grace from heaven if they shall let slip their opportunities and sleep out the day of visitation which is afforded them The Lord takes notice of every Sermon we hear and of every prayer we have prayed of every time we have received the Sacrament of every impression we have had upon our spirits of all those counsels exhortations admonitions reproofs corrections instructions we have had of all that naturall knowledge we had with the improvements of it of all the prayers and beseechings others have made and put to God for us of all those secret checks of conscience of all those various acts of providence in the course of our lives marvellous deliverances from dangers from sicknesses from imprisonments in providing for us when all other helps and means have failed of all those resolutions we have made of better obedience upon some notable conviction upon our spirits of all our services performed unto him in private and in publick and of all that conference and communion we have had with the Saints of all that progress we have towards heaven and that if we had gone but a step or two further we might have been happy and according to the severall gradations of our spirituall advantages upon the neglect of them so shall our condemnation be God will judge us for every Sermon wherein we have not met him in a Sermon for every prayer wherein we have not met him in a prayer for every receiving of the Sacrament wherein we have not met Christ in that Sacrament We are then said to meet God in a duty when upon the right improvement of it God comes nigher to us in waies of further discoveries upon our hearts or our hearts are drawn nigher to God and to Jesus Christ in way of heavenly mindedness and son-like obedience 2. We ought to walk up to that light which we have because God hath to this end given this light unto us that our evil deeds being made manifest we may loath our selves for them and avoid them for the time to come Wicked men they hate the light Joh. 3.20 because their deeds are evil they know that it is the nature of light to make manifest and thereupon if they should come to the light their consciences would be awakened and the peace of their besotted spirits lul'd asleep in gross ignorance carnall security the pleasures of sinne and by the devil would be disturbed But the godly on the other side they rejoyce in the light in the light of the Word in the light of the Spirit and bless God for the time that ever they were acquainted with the evil nature of their sinnes and with the experience of Gods infinite goodness unto them in Jesus Christ A righteous man fears not the terrours of the Law 1 Tim. 1.9 for the Law was not made for him but for the rebellious disobedient murtherers of fathers and murtherers of mothers And he rejoyceth in the glad tidings of the Spirit He desires to be taught by the Spirit and daily to be nurtured up in the School of Christ till he shall come to the perfection of the Saints in glory He that doth truth cometh to the light Joh. 3.21 that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wronght in God 3. Because if a mans spirit gives him in that such a thing is a duty though it be nor or such a thing is a sinne though in it self it be not a sinne yet if he walk not up according to that verdict his conscience gives in of it unless the Word of God speaks directly against it and it be directly opposite to the analogy and proportion of faith he sinnes in not so doing Saith the Apostle Whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 that is whatsoever we do doubtingly and ambiguously being in distrust whether the thing ought to be done or no if we do it we sinne in so doing We should do nothing but what we verily believe ought to be done In these two cases we may follow the light of our own consciences 1. In things indifferent which are neither simply commanded nor simply for bidden 2. In things which do not positively contradict the doctrine of faith and piety and the express Word of God or a direct and an immediate consequence plain to the capacity of all understanding men void of any prejudice against the truth drawn from solid and evident places of Scripture pat to the purpose we have in hand But if any man shall pretend a Tenet or a Custom or a Doctrine to be received believed performed and practised because his own conscience gives him in it is so or ought to be believed and practised though he hath an express command to the contrary in Gods Word I say that this mans heart is full of Atheism and unbelief and grosly deluded by the devil and though his erroneous conscience gives him in it must be so yet he sinnes if he doth it because it is directly contrary to the Word of God Now if a man sinnes if he walks not up to the light of his conscience in some cases though it may be erroneous then much more he walks not up to the light of the Word and of the Spirit these are infallible lights without the least errour and deceit Lord God we beseech thee that seeing our hearts are so apt to deceive us and to be deceived the world to flatter us and the devil to beguile us and because we live in unstable times full of delusions wherein the mystery of iniquity begins to work and Satans agents are now transformed into Angels of light that our hearts might not be bewitched with these meer phantasmes and ghosts of piety with these shadows in stead of substance but give us that spirituall eye-salve whereby we may discern the cunning sleights of men who lye in wait to deceive and that Christian prudence to foresee the evils that are coming upon the earth Psal 43.3 Send forth thy light and thy truth we beseech thee thy light is a true light and thy truth is light that by thy light we may see light and by the teachings of thy Spirit upon our hearts we may be so established in the waies of God that neither the Errours Heresies and Blasphemies that are abroad in the world may taint us nor that desolation which is coming upon us for our sinnes unless they be washed away with the tears of repentance and with amendment of life may drive us from our hope and confidence of God but that patiently enduring the chastening of the Lord because we have sinned against him by that witnessing act of thy Spirit evidently teaching us that we are thy children in the midst of all these heart-quaking times we may rejoyce in the expectation of future happiness FINIS