ever was bought even Christ and grace and salvation which if you will but lay out your stocke of grace to buy him you shall have him that is if you have but a desire to receive Christ and lay him up in your hearts I tell you it will yeeld you a hundred for one Nay Christ the commoditie himselfe saith in Marke 10. He that for saketh father and mother and wife and children and life for my sake shall receive a thousand-fold in the life to come but men will not beleeve it but a time will come when you shall see it to bee true and befoole your selves that you lost so precious a bargaine as Christ and salvation is for the disbursing of a little profit and pleasure but as I said before the difference lyes here men want faith and hence it is that they neglect the strengthning of the inward man and are so over-burthened with losses and crosses because they want faith And so much for the third difference The fourth difference is this the naturall strength leades a man but unto a forme of godlinesse but the spirituall strength leads a man unto the power of godlinesse I call that the forme of godlinesse when a man doth performe or doe any thing with carnall affections not to a right end and this is knowne by this when they fall away from that stedfastnesse or forme and show of holinesse that they seemed to have this forme of godlinesse is the same with that in Heb. 6. A tasting of the Word of life and yet notwithstanding fall away they seemed to have tasted of saving grace and to have the power with the forme but it was not so because they continued not they lost that forme which made them seeme to bee that which now it appeares they were not Againe I call that the power of godlinesse which is performed by the divine power force and efficacy of the Spirit Rom. 2. 14. it is said that the Gentiles that were not under the law did by nature the things contained in the law that is they did it by the efficacy and power of nature Semblable unto this is that of the same Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 3. in the latter time men shall come in a forme of godlinesse that is with a forme in show without substance or power of the Spirit but the inward strength which is the inward man doth not onely teach you to doe but also it teacheth you how to doe them but men that have but a common strength have some bubles to good and they seeme to have this strength because they have the law of nature written in their hearts and they may promise much and yet he is not spiritually strong because he cannot doe spirituall actions in a spirituall manner for hee goes about that with a naturall strength which should be performed with a spirituall strength 1 Pet. 1. 5. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation when a man is truely regenerated when he hath not power of his owne to doe the Will of God then hee hath the spirit to helpe him that is they are not onely kept by the power from evill but also they are inabled to doe good by it The fifth difference betwixt the naturall and spirituall strength is this that which proceeds from the spirit is alwayes ioyned with reluctancy of the will but in the naturall strength there as no reluctancy because there is no contraries but in the spirituall man there is two contraries the flesh and the spirit and you know these can never agree but they are still opposing one another as for example a man that is going up a hill he is in labour and paine but a man that is going downe a hill goes with much ease so there is much labour and paine which a spirituall man takes to subdue the flesh but the naturall man hath no reluctancy at all he hath no fighting and strugling with corruption but he goes without paine because hee is but one and one man cannot be divided against it selfe but in every spirituall man there are two men the old man and the new man the flesh and the spirit and hence growes that spirituall combate Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh that they cannot doe the things that they would these two men in a regenerate man strive for masteries and so hinder one the other Yet know also that in the naturall man there may be reluctancy in the will against some particular sinne as covetousnesse may strive against pride and pride against nigardnesse yet not fight against it as it is a sinne but as it crosseth and thwarteth his pride Againe know that a naturall man may have reluctancy in some part of the soule as in the conscience which is sensible of sinne and hence it may convince the man and the rest of the faculties notwithstanding they are at peace but where this spirituall strength is it is in all parts not one faculty against another but all are fighting against sinne in the whole man now the reason that there is not this reluctancy against sinne in every faculty in the naturall man is because hee wants saving grace grace is not in the faculty opposite unto the corruption that is in it but in the holy man there is and therefore he is like Rebecka they have two in them Iacob and Esau the flesh and the spirit and Paul complaines of so much Rom. 7. I finde another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde that is I finde something in me that is contrary unto me In my members that is in my body and soule notwithstanding first I hate the evill of sinne as being most contrary unto grace but yet I cannot avoyde it I cannot doe the things that I would but the naturall man doth not hate the evill of sinne otherwayes then as it brings punishment Secondly I delight in the Law of God in the inward man that is howsoever I am violently carried unto the committing of sinne yet it is against the desire of his soule he hath no pleasure he can take no delight in it for his delight is in the inward man but the naturall man takes Gods Lawes as burthens and therefore he will not submit himselfe unto them because he is not strong in the inward man hee promiseth but he performes not hee yeilds and yeilds not he yeilds to something but not to every thing And thus much for this last difference betwixt the naturall strength and the spirituall strength Is it so that the strength of the inward man is to be desired above all things then as it was in the first place for reproofe so in the second place it may serve for exhortation to all men that they would labour to grow strong in the inward man and that they would now at last gather the fragments of their thoughts and
iudgements shall bee more if you be an example either of euill to others or evill to your selfe I say the greater you are in place the greater should be your care because the greater is your sinne Inferiors depend upon superiors consider I pray if you bee eminent in place what a good example from you will doe unto others that are under you and on the contrary what evill will follow from being carlesse and prophane they will marke you for an example to euill therefore you see that the greater conditions that you are in the more cause you haue to be humble The sixt meanes to get humiliation is this you must be earnest with God to get the spirit for this makes the law effectuall the flesh profiteth nothing it is the spirit that quickneth the law and the letter of the law will not worke grace in you no more then the flesh will except the spirit goe with it It is the spirit that alwaies enlighteneth the minde and workes a change in the whole man and puts new habits on the faculties and objects sit for those habits and here now appeares the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell nothing will make a man truely humble without the spirit If the Lord should speake unto you this day as he spake heere to Paul yet if the spirit did not shine into your hearts it would not bee effectuall to humble you it is not the word but the spirit in the word that is able to change you and make you new creatures I say if Eliah should preach unto you or one in the spirit of Eliah hee would never humble you except the spirit accompany it it will be but like the shaking of the earth unto the Iayler Acts 16. but it must bee the spirit that changes your hearts but when the spirit comes and gives but a glimps of that light in the soule then hee can cry to Paul Sirs what shall wee doe to bee saued Felix at the preaching of Iudgement can tremble but it is the spirit that opened Lydias hart to beleeue I say if you had Paul and Eliah and Iohn Baptist that came in the spirit of Eliah yet it were nothing worth if you get not the spirit therefore be ye earnest with God to get the spirit and never rest till you finde him in your soule and remember that there was a time when the Angel stirred the water at the Poole of Bethesda that they that first stepped in were healed of what disease soeuer they had So there is a time when the Lord turnes and when the spirit mooues the heart to good let vs make vse of this opportunity and strike while the Iron is hott and grinde while the the windes blow and watch euery opportunitie because the spirit will come and mooue the heart as the Angel did the water that so wee may first steppe in and bee healed therefore if you would get humiliation bee earnest for the spirit and you may haue him for asking it is Christs promise to give him if you want him it is because you doe not aske him aske therefore that you may have him and be humbled The 7th meanes is this that as we must get the spirit so we must adde the word it is true that the spirit is the only meanes to make us humble it is the efficient meanes without which nothing will humble us it is as true also of the word because the spirit makes the word as the instrumentall meanes to humble us and therefore if you would be humble you must joyne with the Spirit the Word and that you may have the word effectually to humble you you must doe these things First you must labour to get the saving knowledge of the word because it is the meanes to humble you that is the Word with the Spirit inlightens the soule for as a man that is in the darke cannot see any thing till hee have a candle so he that is ignorant of the Word he is in darknesse and cannot see his sinnes in such a manner as to humble him or as a man cannot see the motes that are in the house till the Sunne shine into the house though they were in the house before so hee that hath not the saving knowledge of the Word in his heart cannot see the severall windings and twinings and corners corruptions of his heart till by the Spirit he come unto the saving knowledge of the Word Ahab saw not the chariots and Horsemen of Israel which Micha saw because he was Ignorant of the Word and therefore the Lord saith Ierem. 31. 34. they shall know mee from the greatest unto the least they thinke they do know me but indeede they doe not but then they shall know me that is when I haue giuen them my spirit and by the spirit they haue attained unto the true knowledge of the word then they shall know me they knew me before and they knew sinne before but now they shall know sinne by the word in another manner then they did so Paul Rom. 7. saith I knew sinne by the law that is I knew sinne before but now I know sinne by the word in another manner then I did I saw it but not with that hew as I did before the law had made mee to see things in another colour then afore Labour as to get the spirit so to get the sauing knowledge of the word The Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 10. that the spirit searcheth the deepe things of God now these things are showne unto us by the word they are plainely discouered unto the soule in another manner then before Knowledge workes a deepe impression unto the soule of a Christian and searcheth into the corruptions of the heart into the diuers lusts of the flesh findes them poysonable and hence is humbled for where there is the greatest knowledge there is the greatest light and where there is the greatest light there is most filth seene and where there is most corruption seene there is greatest cause of humiliation therefore that the word may humble you labour to abound in knowledge Secondly as you must know the word so you must receiue the word as the word of God if you will haue the word to humble you you must receive it as Gods Word and from God for if it doe come unto you and be not received of you as the Word of God but as the word of man it will neither enlighten you nor humble you this is the difference betweene the word that is received as from God and the Word that is received as from men if you receive it as from God it will worke effectually in you it will make you to renounce the world it will worke feare and humiliation in you but if it come as the word of man it will be slighted by you it will take no solide roote in you it will wither and bring forth no fruite in you and therefore
such let them now humble themselves and seeke the spirit with earnestnesse that ye may be renewed that ye may be strengthned and quickned to good and received to favour againe but if you will not but continue in this condition still you have but a name that you are alive but indeed you are dead Rom. 6. 8. it is said that they that dye in Christ shall live in him if you once live the life of grace and have received the sanctifying spirit you shall never dye but live for ever in Christ this was the promise that Christ made unto his Disciples and in them unto every Christian that he would send the spirit and hee should abide with them forever Therefore examine if the spirit doe not remaine in you and make you constant in good it is not the sanctifying spirit The fift signe whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no is this examine whether it be the spirit of adoption if it make you to call God Father then it is the sanctifying spirit Gal. 4. 6. We have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father this is the property of the holy man no wicked man can call God Father because they have not amity with God they neither love God neither doth God love them The Apostle saith I doe this to prove or know the naturalnesse of your love they that have the spirit they have as it were a naturall inclination wrought in them to love God againe and delight in God and in the Communion of Saints and therefore our Saviour saith Iohn 4. 34. It is my meate and drinke to doe the will of my Father he that hath God for his father will serve him willingly without constraint as willingly as a man will cate meate A man will eate and drinke without wages he needs not have wages to doe that so he that hath the spirit he will delight in doing Gods will hee would serve God though he should give him nothing and this that God is our Father it will raise some like affections in us to love God againe so likewise in prayer to have God to be our father it raiseth some like affections in us whereby wee doe not onely beleeve that the things we pray for wee shall have but we have boldnesse also to come unto him as unto a Father which no man can doe till he have this Spirit of adoption Therefore examine with what confidence and boldnesse you pray with what reverence you heare with what affections you love examine whether you have the Spirit that doth make you to call God Father The sixth signe whereby you shall know whether you have the Spirit or no is this you shall know it by the manner of working if it change you and lye combating in you as Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh if you have the spirit you will have a continuall fighting and striving in the soule and this will not onely be against one or some more particular lusts but it will be against all that it knowes to be sinnes I say not that there is onely a striving or a suppressing but a lusting or a striving and suppressing by way of lusting because a naturall man that hath not the sanctifying Spirit may keepe downe a lust for some by-respects but it is not by lusting it is not because his heart hates it or suppresses it by another power then a naturall power for they retaine the love of sinne still but the opposition and resisting of sinne in the godly is by way of lusting because they hate the sinne and they fight against it with courage Therefore examine what lusting there is in you what hating of sinne and then see with what courage and power you goe about the subduing of it It is said that Iohn Baptist came in the Spirit of Eliah that is he came with that Spirit that is full of power you will fight but faintly against sinne except you have the Spirit Acts 4. they spake with great boldnesse that is they had greater power to speake then before therefore the Lord exhorts all men in Esa. 31. 3. trust not in them they are men and not Gods as if the very name of men were weakenesse they are men they have no power it is God that hath power and therefore trust not in them but in every thing labour to see the power of God in it and seeke for all spirituall power to good from God and examine your selves what power you have when you pray what power have you to goe through it to the end when you heare what power have you to edification when you see evill what power have you to avoid it when you are offered the profits and pleasures of the world what power have you to forsake them if they may proove hurtfull unto the inward man if you have strong lusts in you what power have you to suppresse and lust against them therefore you shall know by this whether you have the sanctifying Spirit or no by the manner of working of it The seventh signe whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit or no is this you shall know it by your carriage in your words and actions and by your Christian-like walking and holy conversation and this is the same that the Apostle speakes of when he would assure them of their resurrection unto life in Rom. 6. 8. If you dye with Christ you shall also rise with Christ againe if your actions be the actions of the Spirit proceeding from the inward man and have some resemblance with Christ shewing that you are dead with him then you shall rise againe to life with him and then in Rom. 8. 14. hee comes unto the workes of the Spirit so many saith he as are lead by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God that is they are lead unto all holy actions and then he comes in Gal. 5. 22. unto the first fruits of the Spirit the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace c. well then examine whether you have the Spirit by the actions of the Spirit and by the working of the Spirit and by the teaching of the Spirit for it is the Spirit that is the Doctor of the soule that teacheth it all spirituall and saving knowledge and therefore the Lord saith you shall not need to be taught of one another for you shall be all taught of God that is mens teaching will never be effectuall to worke grace and holinesse in you except God teach you by his Spirit Now you must know that there is a twofold teaching First there is a teaching of beasts by man that they may bee serviceable unto men which may serve to put men in mind of this spirituall teaching for as God hath put such a nature into some beasts that they cannot choose but obey being
great for he persecuted Christ for which he was strucken downe and it was inevitable he saw no way to escape it is hard for thee to kicke against the prickes that is it is in vaine for thee Paul to set thy selfe against me and prevaile there will bee no resisting without great danger thus when hee saw no way by no shift to escape then he was astonished I might note many doctrines from the words but least I should be prevented in the maine I will therefore omit them and come unto the proper point intended by the holy Ghost which is this That whosoever will receive Christ and be ingrafted into him and receive the Gospell as he ought to doe he must be first humbled I say it is necessary for the right receiving of Christ that a Christian bee humbled It is a necessary condition because no man will receive Christ till then till hee bee cast downe Christ will not bee prized grace will not be esteemed and then hee will see a necessity of Christ and holinesse Now that humiliation is of such necessity wee will prove by Scripture even by those phrases by which this humiliation is set forth First it is called a pricking of the heart Acts 2. 37. And when they heard it they were pricked in their hearts they had then broken hearts they were thorowly humbled and when it was thus with them then they can inquire after Christ what shall wee doe to be saved and on the contrary that which keepes men from Christ is the want of sound humiliation in Ezek. 36. 26. I will take away the stony heart out of you and I will give you a heart of flesh that is till I have made you sensible of sinne you will not prize mee that is you will not doe it till you be humbled Againe consider that Christ came to this end to revive the humble sinner Esa. 61. 1. the spirit of the Lord is come upon mee to preach glad tidings to the meeke to binde up the broken hearted hee that is not broken hearted and wounded with sinne will not seeke to the Physician to be healed Christ is no precious balme unto him He feeles himselfe not a prisoner to sinne and therefore cares not for the libertie that is in grace because he is not broken hearted but if he were thorowly humbled it would be farre otherwise with him Secondly it is called poore in spirit in Matth. 5. 3. those who are broken hearted and mourne for sinne will seeke to be inriched by Christ and therefore Christ promises to comfort these in Esa. 61. 2. to comfort those that mourne those that are are thus spiritually poore and mourne for the want of grace shall have comfort because I am come to this end the contrary to this you shall see in Revel 3. 17. the Laodiceans they thought themselves to be rich wanting nothing and therefore they sought not after Christ but thou art poore and blind and naked the way to make thee to come unto mee is to humble thee in the sight of thy spirituall povertie Thirdly it is called a melting heart that is such a heart as will take any impression of grace this we see in the 2. Chron. 34. 27. Because thy heart melted within thee and thou humbledst thy selfe before me that is because thou wast thorowly humbled and thy heart sensible of sinne and of the Iudgements that I would bring upon thy people therefore I have heard thy prayer if thou hadst not beene humbled thou couldest not have sought to have made thy peace with mee so in Ier. 31. 19. after that I turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed So that till a man bee humbled hee will not turne unto Christ but when hee is humbled then hee will seeke unto Christ and be ashamed of himselfe the contrary to this we see in Hosea 4. 16. Israel is like an untamed heiffer viz. because shee was not humbled Fourthly it is called a trembling at the Word Isai. 66. 2. and Iob 42. 5. 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare therefore I abhorre my selfe c. that is when I heard thee in thy Word it much humbled mee and caused mee basely to esteeme of my selfe and highly to esteeme of thy favour Prov. 28. 14. Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes the contrary to this is hardnesse of heart when the Word wants this effect to humble men they feare not at all Now that this humiliation is a necessary condition will appeare more apparantly and fully if we doe but consider Gods dealing with men in all ages I say it is the course that God himselfe takes first to humble sinners Thus he dealt with Adam Gen. 3. 8. When he heard the voyce of God he trembled and feared and thus hee dealt with the children of Israel hee showes unto them but a glimpse of his power at the delivering of the law and they were much cast downe Againe this was the course that the Prophets used when they came unto any people you shall see they first pronounce the judgements of God against them Thus and thus saith the Lord c. thorowly to humble them and then after they preach of mercy and the loving kindnesse of God of the readinesse of God to receive those unto mercy that are thorowly humbled Againe this was the course that Iohn Baptist tooke he came in the Spirit of Eliah with sharpe words pronouncing heavy judgements against those that remained impenitent and therefore Matth. 3. 7. he calles them O generation of Vipers who hath forewarned you to flye from the wrath to come c. And all this to humble them because hee knew they would never receive Christ nor prize grace till they were humbled Againe this was the course that our Saviour tooke in Ioh. 4. 31. with the woman of Samaria first hee humbles her and then he comforts her that is first he makes her confesse that shee was a sinner and then shee beleeved and therefore he saith I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance to wit to make them see their sinnes and be humbled for them that so they may flie unto God for mercy Againe this was the course that the Apostle Peter tooke Acts 2. 37. first he humbles them and then after comforts them so Paul Acts 24. 26. when hee preached of Iudgement Felix trembled and so likewise in the three first Chapters to the Romanes Paul preacheth matter of humiliation in the first Chapter hee taxeth them with their Idolatry bringing unto their remembrances particular Iudgements which the Lord inflicted upon them for it in the second Chapter hee brings them to the Law in which they so much boasted of and makes a comparison betwixt the Gentiles and them that howsoever they thought hardly of the Gentiles yet they were as bad
REMAINES OF THAT REVEREND AND LEARNED DIVINE JOHN PRESTON D. in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majesty Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne â—â—ntaining three excellent Treatises Namely IVDAS'S Repentance The Saints Spirituall Strength PAVLS Conversion HEBR. 11. Being dead hee yet speaketh LONDON Printed for Andrew Crooke 1634. IVDAS HIS Repentance OR THE LAMENTABLE EFFECTS OF A STARTLED CONSCIENCE Delivered in eight severall Doctrines raised from the third fourth and fifth Verses of the 27. Chapter of the Gospell by St. MATTHEVV All the usefull and profitable Observations of that late Reverend Divine IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne Printed at London for Andrew Crooke 1634. The Contents of JVDAS Repentance DOCTRINE I. SVch as a Mans life is such is his Name after death page 3 REASON I. God blessethor curseth man according to his workes p. 4 1 In regard of his Truth ibid. 2 In regard of his Glory ibid. REAS. II. Manappeareth like himselfe p. 4 REAS. III. Other men in the end speake truth without enuie or feare p. 5 USE I. Not to be secretly wicked for God is a publike rewarder of all ibid. USE II. To cleansethe heart from sinne by daily repentance left sin should rot the name p. 6 USE III. To encourage good men their ill reports shall soone vanish p. 7 To discourage wicked men their good reports shall not long last p. 7 DOCT. II. Sinne seemes small before it be committed after most vile and hainous p. 8 REAS. I. Lust blindes the eyes of our understanding p. 9 REAS. II. The Divell lessens the sinne before committed aggravates it afterward ibid. REAS. III. God leaves a man to himselfe ibid. Good men for sinne sometimes of God left to themselvs 1 For increase of Gods glory p. 10 2 For awakening their consciences ibid. The reason of insensiblenesse in grose sinnes p. 11 USE To beware of the Divels subtile temptations ibid. Satans deceits to draw man into sinne are 1 Promise of pleasure profit c. p. 13 2 Hope of escape and going to heaven p. 14 3 Hope of leaving it when we will p. 15 4 Neerenesse to vertue p. 16 5 Pronenesse of Nature ibid. 6 Turning away the thoughts to something else p. 17 7 Beginning by degrees ibid. DOCT. III. Tishard to discerne false Repentance Confession and Restitution from true False Repentance goes very farre both in respect of the Reasons drawne from the Grounds and Concomitants p. 19 I. The Grounds of false Repentance 1. Selfe-love p. 20 2 Common gifts of the holy Ghost to disapprove the foulenesse of Sinne. p. 21  Hate the uglinesse  3 Aiarnall apprehension of beautie sweetnesse and excellencie in Gods wayes ibid. 4 Good Education ibid. II. False Grounds of Confession 1 Passion p. 22 2 Evident discovery of sinne  3 Torture of conscience  III. False ground of Restitution is the burthensomenesse of sinne ibid. USE I. To shew the vanitie of Popish Doctrine ibid. USE II. To exhort men to try whether their owne Repentance be true or false p. 23 Two things hinder this judging of a mans selfe I. Vnwillingnesse to search the causes whereof are 1 Along perswasion of ones good estate 2. A desire to taine some delightfull sinne II. Inability to judge Helpes to judge whether ones Repentance be true or false are by I. Inward Differences five 1 An inward inclination to holy Duties p. 24 2 An abilitie to performe good purposes p. 25 3 A particular apprebation of holmesse p. 26 4 A detestation of all sinne ibid. 5 A love to God in his Attributes ibid. II. Outward Effects 1 Constancie p. 27 2 An uniformitie in life p. 28 3 Generalitie of obedience ibid. The godly man differs from the wicked in his Relapse 1 In using all meanes against his sinne and shunning all occasions p. 29 2 In not allowing himselfe in it ibid. 3 In labouring to overcome it ibid. 4 In increasing more and more in grace ibid. Differences betweene true and false confession are 1 Confession of the least and secretest sinnes p. 30 2 Constancie ibid. 3 A good ground namely Humiliation ibid. Differences betweene true and false Restitution is a cheerefull not unwilling restoring the things we love and delight in ibid. VSE III. To teach men what to judge of others Repentance p. 31 USE IV. To shew the wofull case of such as have not gone so farre in Repentance as Iudas did ibid. DOCT. IV. Good things are approved in wicked mens consciences whether they will or no. p. 31 REAS. I. Because it is not in mans owne power to iudge as he list but from the light of conscience p. 32 REAS. II. Because Godwill have glory from all his creatures p. 33 USE I. To teach us to thinke well of the waies of God ibid. USE II. Not to be discouraged with any opposition ibid. DOCT. V. Mans nature apt to excuse sinne after t is committed p. 34 REAS. I. Actuall sinneleaves darknesse in the minde ibid. REAS. II. It begets passion that corrupts the judgement p. 35 REAS. III. It weakens the faculties of the soule ibid. REAS. IV. It drives away Gods Spirit from us ibid. USE To flye sinne that blindes our eyes and binders our receverie ibid. USE II. Being falne to remember how apt we are to excuse sinne p. 36 DOCTR VI. Companions in evill least comfortable in times of extremitie p. 36 REAS. I. Gods justice who sets them one against another that joyne against him p. 37 REAS. II. Mans nature apt to love treason hate the traytor ibid. REAS. III. Their owne love being gaine or somebase end ibid. VSE I. To make us beware how we joyne with wicked men ibid. DOCTR VII The greatest comfort in sinne proves commonly the avost discomfortable p. 38 REAS. I. The Curse of God ibid. REAS. II. Sinne makes the soule sicke ibid. VSE I. To make men take beed how they turne from God to sinne p. 39 DOCT. VIII Gods wrath and sinne charged on the conscience are exceeding terrible and insupportable p. 39 What horror of conscience is shewed in six Questions QVEST. I. How horror of conscience wrought 1 By Gods Spirit p. 40 2 By the Divell ibid. Notes to discerne by which of these t is wrought are 1 By the falsehood mingled with the trouble of conscience 2 By the Affection it striketh in us 3 By the extremitie of anguish it causeth 4 By the manner of doing it p. 41 QVEST. II. What a condition such are in ibid. QVEST. III. Whether God sends it for a punishment or preparation of Grace ibid. QVEST. IV. What is to be thought of those that are in such trouble of Conscience p. 42 QVEST. V. How to be discerned from melancholly ibid. QVEST. VI. Whether it may befall the childe of God in the estate of Grace p. 43 As in joy A good thing  The conjunction of that to
and servitude that there in making brickes they did undergoe His second deceipt is this he tels us that though we sinne yet we may escape and goe to heaven notwithstanding I answer Doe but remember what God saith to this temptation Deut. 29. 19. When hee shall heare the words of this curse if hee shall blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbornenesse of mine owne heart quasi dixit though I commit such and such sinnes yet notwithstanding I shall goe to heaven but marke what God saith I willnot be mercifull unto that man but my wrath and my jealousie shall smoake against him every curse that is written in this booke shall light upon him and his name shall be roâ—ted out from under heaven So Esd. 28. 12. I will disanull your covenant and your agreement with hell shall not stand qvasi dixit when a man thinkes he shall efcape hell and goe to heaven though he commitsinne he doth as it were make a covenant with hell but God saith that covenant shall not stand So Esd. 44. 11. Destruction shall come suddenly on them and they shall not know the morning thereof Indeed perhaps they say we will repent in the meane time but I wish them seriously to consider the fore-named places Thirdly the Divell tels us that though we commit finne yet we may leave it when we will But for the answer of this know it is a meere delusion for can a black-moore change his skinne Ier. 13. 23. Suppose a black-moore should be warned to come before a Prince with a faire skinne and have a weekes space to prepare himselfe and deferre it untill the last day thinking he could doe it soone enough would he not be accounted a foole yet a black-moore shall sooner change his skin then a wicked man depart from his evill way Sinne is like to sicknesse it weakens the strength of the mind of the judgment and affections and takes away all our purposes which we had at the first If a man that is sicke can keepe his strength then may a man that lives in finne keepe his and rouze himselfe up by repentance at his pleasure but it is not so its God onely that giveth repentance now the spirit bloweth were it lusteth If you say I will be sorrowfull forsake my sinnes and repent when sicknesse comes this will hardly prove true repentance for Iudas did so This repentance most commonly riseth from selfe-love every creature loveth his owne safety so at death a man is willing to leave sinne but this comes from nature and selfe-love because he would not goe to hell and most commonly thesemen if it please God that ever they recover out of their sicknesses they fall into the same courses againe Fourthly He will excuse our sinne by some vertues wherewith it hath affinity he will put on us palliata vitia those vices that have some neerenesse to vertue I answer howsoever the divell may use such distinctions to helpe out his baits to sinne for a time yet in the time of trouble they will not hold out but appeare as they are indeed Fifthly He makes men beleeve their nature is prone to it and they cannot leave it If I were as such and such men are indeed I could abstaine but my nature is such that it will not suffer me I answer Thou must know that this doth not excuse but aggravate thy sinne if thy nature be prone to any sinne know that the sinne is much more grievous we loathe a toad because of the venomous nature of it so God loatheth our nature because its sinfull As a drunken man that murthers another commits a double sinne one of drunkennesse another of murther which comes from drunkennesse so if our nature be prone to any sin which we commit it s a double sinne first in that it is naturall to us and originall secondly that we commit thereby originall transgressions We had you know a part in Adams sinne by propagation now if we have a hand in it our selves by our strong inclinations thereunto wee our selves are causes thereof likewise let us not therefore goe about to excuse our selves with this that because I am of an other temper then another man I may take more liberty and God will beare with us herein for God certainly will beare with us the lesse Sixthly He will turne away thy thoughts from the sinne and fasten them on something else so Iudas his eye at the first was fastened on the thirty peeces of silver but afterwards he thought of his sinne For this I commend unto you Davids practice I considered my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies So looke thou first upon thy sinne before thou commit it and labour to see his cunning therein If David had seriously looked on the sinne of adultery before he had committed it he would never have done it hence is it that the Wise man councelleth us Prov. 4. last Ponder thy wayes aright c. And this is commonly the greatest deceit of all Seventhly Helabours to draw men on to sinne by degrees by a little and a little he never aggravates the sin at the first but extenuates it I answer when water hath gotten a little passage it will soone make a great breach one little wedge makes way for a greater so it may be a man commits but a little sinne at the first but afterward the Divell drawes him to commit greater A man that commits sinne is as one in a quicke sand who sinkes deeper and deeper or as a little sparke that kindles a great fire Seeing therefore the case standeth thus we ought to resist the beginnings of sin and give peremptory deniall to the first temptations And thus much for this point Now followeth the third point viz. the repentance of Iudas in these words Hee repented himselfe c. which repentance of his consisteth of three parts 1. His restitution he brought againe c. 2. His confession I have sinned c. 3. He was sorrowfull From which repentance of his learne this Doctrine That there is a false repentance confession and restitution that is very like the true repentance confession and restitution and can hardly be discerned This repentance consession and restitution which Iudas made was not true yet it was very like to true Such was that of Saul Ahab and the rest Such is the repentance of many at this day who in some good mood or in some afflictions seeme to repent but this repentance breakes as bubbles and vanisheth as the lightning in the ayre This repentance is false yet so like the true that the difference betweene them is very hard to discerne although in themselus they differ much as true gold and counterfeit are hard to be discerned asunder by us although in themselves there is a broad difference as much as betweene gold and copper This false
their deaths 2. Be not discouraged for any opposition or hatred that thou shalt meet withall what though they hate thee yet they have that within them that will approve thee Wee cannotapprove our selves to their wils affections or lusts but whether they will or not we may approve our selves to their conscienees It is therfore a basenesse when we labor to approve our selves to any by doing evill the best way is to approve our selves to their consciences and take Davids course who when Micholl scofsed at him for dancing before the Arke sayes If this bee vile I will yet be more vile so shall I bee had in honour of the Virgins So likewise Art thou hated for Religion Labour to exceed in that so shall they honour thee in their consciences and it 's better to approve thy selfe to their consciences for they indure then to their lusts for they are vanishing and their good opinion of thee shall vanish Hee that reproves shall finde more favour in the latter end then he that flatters because he approves himselfe to the conscience this onely to the lusts Now followes the carriage of the Elders towards Iudas they excused themselves saying What is that unto us Looke thou to it although they were the chiefest Agents therein Whence learne this Doctrine That there is a marvellous aptnesse in the nature of man to excuse a sinne when hee hath committed it The Pharises here were the men that moved and hired Iudas to betray Christ Iudas was but the Instrument they used and they had purposed to have put him to death although Iudas had never betrayed him yet they say What is that to us Thus also Adam having done that that was directly contrary to Gods Command yet excuseth himselfe Thus did the Kings of Israel as Asah when hee had committed an evident sinne he would not acknowledge it but when the Prophet comes to tell him of it hee falls a threatning of him Thus also did Amaziah First because all sinne after it 's committed leaves a blot in the minde which is compared to a shadow which darkens the minde so that it cannot see For that that the Apostle sayes of hatred 1 Joh. 2. 9. that such an one as hates his brother liveth in darkenesse the same may bee said of all other sinnes Secondly because actuall sinnes increase the passion which at the first made us commit it now the stronger the passions are the more is the judgement corrupted Thirdly because sinne worketh on those faculties which should judge it weakeneth the judgement and is like a blow on the head that taketh away all sense Fourthly because actuall sinne grieveth the holy Ghost and makes him depart and it is hee onely that convinceth us of sinne and therefore how can we see when hee is gone that enlightneth us And when this holy Spirit is gone then in comes the evill spirit which puts into us false reasons and so we by them excuse our selves The Use is first therefore to let us take heed of declining from God and falling into any sinne seeing it 's so difficult a thing to get out of it againe What makes us to recover but a sight of our sins Now falling into sinne blindeth our eyes wherefore it must needs be very hard to recover Seeing then it 's so hard to recover take heed of first falling into sinne for a man that is a little fallen into sinne is like a man in a quicke-sand ready to sinke deeper and deeper Suppose a man doth pollute Gods Sabbaths at the first there is sorrow for it afterward he beginnes to doe it more and more but at last he doth it with delight What is said of uncleannesse is true of all sinnes Prov. 30. 20. Shee wipes her mouth i. e. excuseth so that although she must needs confesse it to be a sinne yet in that case shee accounteth it none Secondly if thou art fallen into any sinne remember thy aptnesse to excuse it and labour to get out as soone as thou canst 1. Remember what thy judgement was of that sinne before thou fellest into it although now thou judge it small Thy judgement is like a glasse before it is crackt it shewes true but after it is crackt it representeth things otherwise then they are Thinke with thy selfe therefore how ill once thou thoughtest that sinne and seeing thy owne judgement is blinded helpe thy selfe with other holy mens judgements concerning that sinne 2. Labour to abstaine from the acting of that sinne and so will light come in againe by a little and a little and then thou wilt see the uglinesse of it for no man sees the uglinesse of a sinne untill first he comes out of it And now we come to their Answer What is that to us looke thou to it From hence againe learne this Doctrine That for the most part in the time of our extremity wee have least comfort from those which were our companions in evill Iudas here comes to the High Priests which were his companions in the betraying of Christ but they give him poore comfort What have wee to to doe with that looke thou to it Miserable comforters to a man in his extremity Now the Reasons are taken first From Gods Justice it 's just with God when men joyne against him to set them one against another Thus he set Abimilecke and the men of Sechem one against another God sends an evill spirit betweene them he can make enemies to be friends and friends to be enemies There are abundance of such examples in hystories Secondly from mans nature which is apt to love the treason and hate the Traytor he hath a love to the lust and so may love the treason hee hath a principle in him to hate the Traytor Thirdly from the nature of their love it 's for commodity or gaine or some by end or other and therefore when the commodity ceaseth that also ceaseth yea and often turnes to hatred as Ammons love to Thamar did This should teach us to take heed how wee joyne with men to doe evill It 's better to joyne to their consciences in doing well for their consciences will continue then to their lusts for they wil end and then their love to you wil end also Hence it 's said in the Proverbs That he that reproveth shall finde more favour in the end than he that flattereth Many rejoice in the love of evil company but all that love is but like glasse sodered together when God sendeth the fire as he did to Abimilecke to melt that they fall asunder and all their love ceaseth Now the next thing is Hee cast downe the thirty peeces of silver And here the Doctrine is this That that that is the greatest comfort when God once turnes his hand against us proves most discomfortable Iudas here thought these thirty peeces of silver a great matter but when once God moved his conscience he casts them away So suppose a man get
favour honor riches or any other thing naughtily it will prove but a trouble 1. From the curse of God although the thing in it selfe be good yet God ever mixeth some evill with it which maketh it bitter Stollen bread is sweet but God filleth the mouth with gravell All misery with Gods favour is most sweet as Pauls imprisonments and whippings and Iosephs but on the contrary side all pleasure with Gods displeasure is bitter 2. Because sinne makes the soule sicke and then it 's never well untill it casts up and thus Iudas the thirty peeces burdening his soule must cast them up Many goe on in sinne and are never troubled As in our bodies though there be ill humours yet they make not a man sicke untill they be stirred so doth not sinne untill God stirres it as here hee did in Iudas and then it makes us sicke This should therefore move men to take heed how they turne saile for their owne advantage Suppose by going from God thou gettest what thou wouldest yet God can make that comfort to prove but a burthen unto thee as hee did Iudas his thirty silver peeces Be therefore content to lose all before thou lose God Now followes the event of all Hee went and hanged himselfe Whence learne That Gods wrath and sinne are exceeding terrible and unsupportable when they are once charged on the conscience This made Iudas to hang himselfe Doe but a little consider mans nature how loth to destroy himselfe how afraid to be killed and you shall find it to bee some great matter that must cause him to make an end of himselfe and to cast himselfe into that which he feared namely hell thus heavy is sinne when God once chargeth it on the conscience that it maketh a man doe all this Indeed sinne was as heavy before but then it lay at our foot and we felt it not but when God layes it once on our shoulders and on our Consciences then shall wee feele the burthen thereof to be farre beyond all torments that can be imagined See this in Christ when God did but charge our sinnes on him how intollerable werethey Now for your better understanding of this point I will first shew you what this horror of conscience is which I will doe by explaining these five questions following By what meanes is this horror of conscience wrought Two wayes sometimes by Gods owne Spirit sometimes by Satan First it 's done by Gods owne Spirit when by it the mind is enlightned to see that he is in bondage by reason of sinne Hence it is that it is called the Spirit of bondage Rom. 8. Secondly and more frequently by Satan when hee by Gods permission doth vexe and terrifie the soules of men and drive them to despaire and this is called horror and the vexing of the soule Now whether this horror of conscience bee wrought by Gods owne Spirit or by Satan we may know by these foure differences 1. If wee find any falshood mingled with this trouble of conscience then it comes from the Divell for the holy Ghost mingles no falshood but onely enlightens and shewes the truth light makes a thing seeme as it is 2. You may discerne of it by the affection it striketh in us for that that the Devill causeth in us striketh a hatred of God but that that Gods Spirit worketh in us causeth a servile feare 3. You may know it by the extremity of anguish it causeth Gods Spirit worketh by meekenesse and consolation but the Divell worketh by extremity of terror and feare 4. You may know it by the manner of doing for the Divell doth it disorderly suddenly and violently without any equality but the Spirit proceedeth orderly first it enlightneth the mind and then it raiseth objections and so goeth on by a little and a little but the Devill worketh violently Hence is that that Satan is said to buffet Paul for all buffeting betokeneth violence Indeed sometime the Spirit doth unequally but yet there is a great difference betweene Satans working and his What is to bee thought of such a condition I answer That such a condition being simply in it selfe considered is very miserable because it estrangeth and draweth the heart away from God yea and from Christ who is the end of Gods works and so therefore must needs be a most haynous sin but yet as God useth it it is a signe or one of the first steps to faith and a good meanes to subdue and weaken the stubbornnesse of our hearts Quest. How may wee know whether God intends this for a punishment or for a preparation of grace Answ. You may know it by the event for when God doth it for the salvation of the creature then after it there followes grace but if it brings not grace after it if there be onely a plowing and no harvest the pricking with a Needle and no thred then it 's a sparke of hell fire and the very praludium of hell What shall wee then thinke of those that never had this horror and trouble of conscience Their estate for all that may be very good for this vexation is not absolutely needfull although humiliation is wherefore if thou hast it not seeke not after it for God useth many meanes yet thou mayest take hence occasion the more to try thine estate Whether comes this horror from mellancholly or how shall wee disceme it from mellancholly If thou apprehend sinne and the wrath of God then it is horror of conscience for when the faculty is pinched upon the right object to wit sinne then it 's no melancholly but in horror the conscience is pitched upon the right obeject viz. sinne for that is the proper object of the conscience As for melancholly that is not griefe but extendeth griefe as varnish is not colour but doth extend the colour Indeed melancholly may bee joyned with it and draw it forth but it comes not wholly from that but from some other inward principle As the fatnesse of the soyle may bring forth the corne the sooner but yet that is not the cause thereof but the root that it hath Againe I answer that all diseases are healed by their contraries If that this were melancholly then might it be healed by merry company which is the contrary unto it but if it bee the horror of conscience then must it onely be healed by the apprehension of Gods love in Jesus Christ. Whether may it befall the childe of God to be in this case after he is in the estate of grace or not I answer That this extremity of horror which Iudas here tasted of never befals the childe God after he is in the estate of grace and my reason is this Because that as perfect love casteth out all feare so where there is some love left there is no perfect feare Indeed Gods children are never wholly without feare Rom. 8. yet in their greatest
feare there is in them the root of comfort remaining There are many examples that may bee brought to prove the same but I know none like that of our Saviour Christ who although he was in such unspeakeable horror of conscience that it made him cry out My God my God why hast thou for saken mee yet this horror was mingled with faith comfort and the assurance of Gods favour So Gods Children may have such sorrow and be so drunken with wormewood that it may make them not to know what to doe yet in all this griefe the fire of Gods love is not quite extinguished but there are some sparkes thereof remaining under these ashes Here is a Caveat to be given of two things First Let those that are in this disposition of minde take heed of that that Satan in this condition may labour to bring us unto for then they are in a disease and those that are in a disease incline unto some thing Take heed then of polluting the Sabbath and other sinnes that hee may intice thee to for Sanus and AEger differ the one desires one thing the other another Secondly Something must bee done positively for the healing of our griefe when that we are in sorrow wee must pitch it upon the proper object to wit sinne and put away all worldly sorrow for that bringeth death but sorrow for sinne that bringeth life All these things thus being expounded the point is manifest That sinne and Gods wrath being charged on the conscience are exceeding terrible Indeed when the burthen lyes on the ground we feele it not but when it lyes on our shoulders So before this horror is charged on the conscience wee feele it not but then is it exceeding terrible It is with griefe as it is with joy There are three things in all joy 1. There is a good thing 2. There is the conjunction of that good thing to us 3. A reflect knowledge thereof So also in griefe there are threethings 1. There is a bad thing 2. The conjunction of that to us 3. The reflecting of the understanding whereby we know the hurt that comes to us thereby When a man feeles and sees and knowes his sinne then is it unsupportable and the reason thereof is because that then a mans spirit is wounded and cannot beare it selfe The Reasons of this point are these three First because that sinne and Gods wrath are in themselves the greatest evill as righteousnesse and Gods favour are the greatest good Men may thinke that punishment were the greatest evill but it is not for that is but the effect of sinne sinne is the cause thereof now we know that the cause is alwayes greater than the effect Now when God shall open our eyes to see this sinne and Gods wrath then it will be an insupportable burthen This is the reason that at the day of Judgement the wicked shall cry Hils and Mountaines fall upon us to hide us from the presence of the Judge because that then God shall open their eyes to see their sinnes which if hee should doe now while they are here on earth would make them cry out as much As it is with comfort so it is with griefe If we know not of it it affects us not As the Army that was about Gebezai it comforted not him because hee saw it not So for griefe although hell and damnation be about us yet if we see it not wee doe not regard it The second Reason is taken from Gods manner of working on the spirit of the creature hee then leaveth it now wee are to know That the greatest comfort the Creature hath is the fruition of Gods presence the greatest griefe is his absence if we want that wee are deprived of all comfort as if the Sunne be absent wee are deprived of all light If there were but a little comfort remaining that would serve to hold the head above the water but if all comfort bee gone it then presently sinketh The proper object of feare and griefe is the absence of good and prelence of evill and both them come by the privation of Gods presence The third Reason is taken from the nature of conscience it selfe when it is awakened because that then it is sensible of the least sinne for every faculty as it is larger so it is more capable of joy and griefe therefore men are said to be more capable of joy and griefe than the bruit beasts and in man the soule is more capable than the body and in the soule conscience of all other parts most capable and as the conscience is capable of the greatest griefe so also of the greatest comfort it is capable of the peace of God which passeth all understanding And surely this horror of conscience is nothing else but a sparke of hell fire which the Heathen had some inkling of when they sayd they were exagitated with the furies Seeing then that the wrath of God is thus insuppartable this should teach us in all things especially to labour to keepe a good conscience and to labour to be free from the guilt of sinne if the wrath of God be the greatest evill then should the whole streame of our endevours be to take heed thereof by labouring for to keepe a pure conscience Proportion your care herein to the good that will come thereby it will bring the unspeakeable comfort without this labour to keepe a good conscience thou wilt neuer have thy heart perfect therefore labour for it consider the good it bringeth Men busie their heads here to the utmost for other things as for Learning Credit Riches Honour and all because they thinke that they are worthy their labour Let us then but consider the fruit that this peace of conscience will bring let us but gather up our thoughts that are busied so much about other things and but consider this a little which if men would but doe they would spend more time about it then they d ee for now these things are done but by the bye and have not that tithe of the time spent about them that should be which we spend about other things But let such know that it is but a folly to goe about that worke with a finger which requires the strength of the whole body When this worke of the building of grace doth require the whole strength of a man and we put not our whole strength thereto it is no marvell if we doe not prosper therein Let us therefore seriously consider our wayes let us consider with what tentations the Devill daily assayeth us Consider that it were as good get ground of the raging Sea as of raging lusts Consider these things with thy selfe I am verily perswaded that the chiefest cause why there is so much deadnesse in those that belong unto Christ is because they consider not their wayes Take time therefore to consider thy wayes It is no wonder to see men complaining of their weaknesse when
III. THe Spirit is a free gift p. 168. How said to bee a free gift in five particulars p. 169 USE To terrifie those that be not sanctified by the spirit lest they be deprived p. 170 Meanes to get the Spirit I. Knowledge of him p. 171 Simon Magus and some men now commit the same sinne in three particulars p. 172 II. Faith p. 173 III. An earnest desire joyn'd with Prayer p. 174 IV. Obedience p. 176 V. Wayting on the Meanes THE SAINTS SPIRITVALL STRENGTH EPHES. 3. 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to bee strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man THESE words are part and the summe of that Divine Prayer that Paul made for the Ephesians the principall thing that the Apostle prayes for is this That they may bee strengthned by the Spirit in the Inward man and this hee sets downe in such a manner that he answereth all doubts that might hinder the Ephesians from obtaining of this grace For first they might demand this of Paul you pray That we might be strong in the Inward man but how shall we or what meanes shall we use to get this strength the Apostle answers to this and tels them the meanes to be strong in the inward man is to get the Spirit that you may be strengthned by the Spirit in the inward man Secondly they might demand I but how shall we doe to get the Spirit the Apostle answers to this you must pray for him for your selves as I doe for you For I pray that he would grant you the Spirit that you may be strengthned in the inward man Thirdly they might demand but what should moove God to give us his Spirit and to heare our prayers to this the Apostle answers that the motive-cause is the riches of his glory that hee would grant you according to the riches of his glory that you may be strengthned by the Spirit in the inward man Fourthly they might demand I but what shall we be the better for this strength if we get it to this the Apostle answers in the verses following then saith he You shall be able to comprehend with all the Saints what is the length and the height the depth and the breadth of the riches of the love of God towards you in Christ Now in that the Apostle above all other good things that hee wishes vnto them prayes for this That they may be strengthned by the Spirit in the Inward man I gather this point That which is to be desired of every Christian and to be sought for above all things is this that he may be strongthened in the inward man I gather it â—â—â—r it thus Paul was now to pray for some good to the Ephesians and considering what might bee most profitable for them he makes choice of this above all other good things making it the summe and substance of his prayer that they may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inward man I shall not need to prove it by any other place of Scripture because this in hand sufficiently proves the point as being the maine scope and intent of the Spirit in this place to shew the necessity of this doctrine of strengthening the inward man But for the more fuller explaining of this point we will first shew you what this strength is and then we will come to the uses There is therefore a twofold strength First there is a naturall strength Secondly there is a supernaturall strength First I say there is a naturall strength and this is when a man is naturally strong either in the parts of his body or in the gifts of his mind as for example a strong memory in a man that is a naturall strength and so other qualities of the mind so likewise when a man is strong in the parts of his body as in his armes or legges or necke these are naturall strengthes but this is not the strength that is here meant Secondly there is a supernaturall strength and this is twofold the first is a supernaturall strength which is received from the evill spirit that is when Satan shall joyne with the spirit of a man to doe evill then he addes a supernaturall strength and so makes him to doe more or suffer more then otherwise by nature he is able to doe with this spirit are all the enemies of the Church strengthned withall Paul himselfe before he was converted was thus strengthned and so was hee that killed the French King hee had more then a naturall strength to undergoe all those torments and not to shrinke at them but this is not the strength here meant but there is 2. a supernaturall strength and this is that strength which comes from the sanctifying spirit whereby a Christian is able to doe more then naturally he could doe and this is the strength that is here meant in this place and with this strength all the Saints are strengthned withall This was the strength that Eliah Stephen Iohn Baptist and the Apostles had this made them speake boldly in the name of Christ. But you shall the better understand what this strength is if you doe but consider the particulars of it which are these the first particular in which this spirituall strength is seene is this if a man can beare any wrong patiently without seeking revenge any way it is a signe that they are spiritually strong the second particular wherein this spirituall strength is seene is this if a man can thrive under many afflictions rejoycing under them he hath this this strength as in the Acts 5 41. it is said of the Apostles that they departed from the Councell rejoycing that they were thought worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Christ hee that can beare some troubles hath some strength but to beare great troubles is required great strength that is to stand fast to Christ to professe his name there as the holy Ghost saith in Revelation 2. vers 13. where Satan hath his throne must needs be a great supernaturall worke of the spirit the third particular wherein this spirituall strength is seene is this If a man can beleeve though hee hath all reason and strength of reason against him or if a man can doe all things of knowledge this is to be strong in the inward man But to goe further that you may the better know what this strength is I will give you a description of it that is I will describe what the strength of the inward man is more fully First I say it is a generall good disposition or right habite temperature or frame of the minde whereby it is able to please God in all things I say it is a generall good disposition or right habite because if it be onely in some particulers and that at sometime onely it is not strength as for example to have a passion to good and not to
worke and change in the soule and therefore the holy Ghost saith they suffered with patience the spoiling of their goods that is they let them willingly goe life and liberty and all shall goe ere Christ shall goe A noble Roman may doe something for his countrey and for himselfe but there is a by-end in it he doth it not in a right manner unto a right end but the spirituall strong man doth all things in a spirituall manner unto a saving end the one doth it for vain glory but the other in uprightnesse of heart for there is a double worke of faith First it empties a man as a man that hath his handfull cannot take another thing till hee let his handfull fall so when faith enters into the heart of a man it empties the heart of selfe love of selfe will it purgeth out the old rubbish that is naturally in every mans heart and lets all goe to get hold on Christ all shall goe then life and honour and profit and pleasure and hee is the truly spirituall man that can thus loose the world to cleave to Christ and miserable are they that cannot Secondly as it empties the heart of that which may keepe Christ out of the soule so in the second place he seekes all things in God and from God that is he first seekes Gods love and Gods blessing upon what he doth injoy and then he goes unto secondary meanes and uses them as helpes but a man that wanteth faith he will not let all goe for Christ hee will not seeke first unto God in any thing but unto secondary meanes and then if hee faile that is want power to supply then it may be he will seeke unto God and hence it is that he will not loose his life or liberty or honour for Christ because he sees more power and good in the creature then in God Againe this makes the difference betweene Christian and Christian namely faith and hence it is that some are weake and others are strong hence it is that some are more able then others for the greatest duties of Reiigion as for example Caleb and Ioshua can doe more then the rest of the people and what is the reason but because they were stronger in the faith then others and so Paul said of himselfe that he could doe more then they all because Paul had a stronger faith For the truth of a mans strength is knowne by his strength of faith that he hath whether he be naturally strong or spiritually strong for this is the first worke of the Spirit after the humiliation of him in the conversion of a sinner namely to worke faith in him and no sooner faith but as soone by degrees strength and then the promise followes faith He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned Marke 16. 16. and this is the course that wee take in preaching first wee Preach the Law unto you and we doe it to this end to humble you and to breake the hard disposition of your hearts that so they may be fit to receive Christ and when we have throughly humbled you then wee preach unto you the Gospell beseeching and perswading you to beleeve in Christ for the pardon of sinnes past present and to come and to lay downe the armes of rebellion which you have taken up against Christ and you shall be saved but yet notwithstanding you are neither humbled by the one nor perswaded and provoked by the other but are as the Prophet saith You have eyes and see not you have eares but you heare not seeing you doe not see and hearing you doe not heare as for example when a man is showed a thing but yet hee minds it not when the eye of the minde is upon another object that man may be said to see and not to see because he doth not regard it or a man that hath a matter come before him he hears it but his minde being otherwayes employed he regards it not in which regard hee may be said to heare and not to heare because he minds it not And what is the reason that though wee preach the Law and the Iudgements of God so much unto you beseech and perswade you so often to come in and receive Christ and you shall be saved time after time day after day yet we see no reformation at all what is the reason that the word wants this effect in you as to humble you and that you are no more affrighted with the Iudgements of God then you are and that you remaine as ignorant and carelesse as ever you were the reason is because you doe not beleeve you want a true saving applying faith for if you had that the word would worke other effects in you then it doth If one should tell a man that such or such a benefit or legacie is befalne him that would raise him unto great honour though before hee lived but in a meane condition now if this man did but beleeve it then surely he would rejoyce Truly so if you did but beleeve that Christ and grace and salvation were so excellent and that holinesse and the strengthning of the inward man would bring you unto so happy a condition and estate as to be the heires of heaven you would rejoyce in Christ and grace only Againe if you did beleeve that the Word of God is true and that God is a just God if the drunkard did but beleeve that drunkards shall be damned or if the Adulterer did but beleeve that no adulterer should inherit the Kingdome of God Christ or if the prophane person and the gamester did but beleeve that they must give account for all their mis-spent time and idle words and vaine communication they would not sport themselves in their sinnes as they doe Againe if men did but beleeve that God calles whom and when he lists and that many are called but few are chosen that is here is a Church full but it may be but a few of you shall be saved I say if men did but beleeve this they would not surely deferre their repentance they would not put off the motions of the Spirit but they would strik whilest the iron is hot and grinde whilest the wind blowes but men will not beleeve and therefore it is that they goe on in sinne as they doe It is not so for earthly things men are easily brought to beleeve any promise of them as for example if one should come and tell a man of a commoditie which if he would but buy and lay by him it would in a short time yeeld a hundred for one oh how ready will men be to buy such a commoditie with the wise Merchant Mat. 8. 44. They wold sell al that ever they had to buy this oh that men would be but thus wise for their soules beloved I tell you this day of a commoditie the best the richest the profitablest commoditie that
speciall meanes for the strengthning of the inward man for as hee sets up the building and furnisheth the roomes and gives power unto the soule to use them so that which makes all these effectuall is this when hee gives power and efficacy unto the meanes that are for the strengthning of the inward man now you know that the Word is the onely meanes to worke new habits and qualities in us to call us and beget us unto Christ. And if the Spirit should not adde this unto it namely efficacy it would never beget us unto Christ therefore this is the meanes to make all effectuall it gives a blessing unto the meanes of grace the Word alone without the Spirit is as I told you but as a scabberd without a sword or a sword without a hand that will doe no good though you should stand in never so much need therefore the Apostle joynes them together Act. 20. 32. he calles it the Word of his grace that is the spirit must worke grace by it or else the Word will nothing availe you Againe prayer is a meanes to strengthen the inward man but if the Spirit bee nor joyned with it it is nothing worth and therefore the holy Ghost saith pray in the holy Ghost that is if you pray not by the power of the holy Ghost you will never obtaine grace or sanctification The Spirit is unto the meanes of grace as raine is unto the plants raine makes plants to thrive and grow so the spirit makes the inward man to grow in holinesse therefore it is the promise that God makes unto his Church in the Scripture that hee will powre water upon the dry ground The heart that before was barren in grace and holinesse shall now spring up in holinesse and grow strong in the inward man and this shall be when I shall powre my Spirit upon them therefore you see how the Spirit doth strengthen grace in the soule by building and setting up the building of grace in the soule and then by furnishing the roomes with new habits and qualities of grace and then by giving power unto the soule to use those habits to good and then by giving a blessing unto all the meanes of grace The use of this stands thus If the Spirit be the onely meanes to strengthen the inward man then it will follow that whosoever hath not the holy Ghost hath not this strength and whatsoever strength a man may seeme to have unto himselfe if it proceed not from the Spirit it is no true strength but a false and counterfeit strength for a man may thus argue from the cause unto the effect the true cause of strength must needs bring forth strong effects and on the contrary that which is not the cause of strength cannot bring forth the effects of strength so I may reason that no naturall strength can bring forth the strength of the inward man because it wants the ground of all strength which is the Spirit and therefore you may have a flash or a seeming power of strength such as the Virgins had Matth. 25. that seemed to be strong in the inward man but it was but a fained strength because they had not the Spirit it is the Spirit that must give you assurance of salvation and happinesse And I have chosen this point especially in regard of the present occasion the receiving of the Sacrament before which you are especially to examine your selves whether you have this or no which if you have not then you have neither strength in the inward man nor any right or interest unto Christ For I may well follow the Apostles rule that they that are Christs have the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10. The Spirit searcheth the deepe things of God which hee hath revealed unto us by his Spirit Ephes. 1. 13. You were sealed with the Spirit of promise Rom. 8. 11. That they should bee raised by the Spirit that dwelleth in them and againe as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God thus you see that it stands you upon to examine your selves whether you have the Spirit but above all places there are two places which prove the necessity of having the Spirit the one is this place which is my text That you may be strengthned by the Spirit in the inward man and the other is the place which Saint Iohn hath in 1 Iohn 3. 14. By this wee know that we are translated from death unto life because we love the brethren it is a signe to judge of your spirituall strength by your love if we be united in the bond of love it is a signe that wee have the Spirit and having the Spirit it is the cause that we are translated that is changed so that you must be changelings from sinne to grace before you can be saved Examine therefore what effectuall spirituall strength you have what spirituall love there is amongst you and so accordingly you may judge of your estates whether you have any right or interest unto Christ and that I may helpe you in this thing I will lay downe some signes by which you shall know whether you have the Spirit The first signe whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit or no is this if you have the sanctifying Spirit you will be full of fire that is it will fill you with spirituall heat and zeale now if you finde this in you then it is the sanctifying Spirit and therefore Iohn saith of Christ Matth. 3. 11. that hee will baptize them with the Spirit and with fire that is he will baptize you with that Spirit whose nature is as fire that will fill you full of spirituall heate and zeale and therefore it is said Act. 2. 3. that they had tongues as of fire and againe it is said that the Apostles were stirred up with boldnesse to speake that is when they saw God dishonoured this Spirit kindled a holy zeale in them it set their hearts on fire it set their tongues on fire so when the spirit enters into the heart of a Christian it will fill it full of heate and zeale the heart the tongue the hands the feete and all the rest of the parts will be full of the heate of the spirit And it is unpossible that any man should have true zeale except hee have the spirit therefore it is said that they spake with new tongues as the spirit gave them utterance they spake with a great deale of zeale of another nature and qualitie then they did before Well then examine what heat and zeale you have in your actions so much heate so much spirit Hee shall baptize you with the Spirit and with fire If you have the sanctifying Spirit you shall know it by the zeale that is in you in the performance of holy duties therefore I say this is an excellent signe whereby a man may know whether he have the spirit
or no. Now that a man may know this the better I will make it cleere by this example Take a bottle that is full of water and another that is full of Aqua-vitae looke upon them outwardly and they are all one in colour but if you taste the one is hote and lively but the other is cold and rawe so if you looke unto the outward formall actions of wicked men they have the same colour that the actions of the holy men have but if you taste them examine their lives and search into their hearts you shall finde a great difference the one of them it may be may seeme to have life and heate in them but they want the Spirit for they have neither a loathing of sinne nor power to resist sinne they may put a false colour upon their actions but it will not hold they may restraine some lusts for some ends but such cannot master and subdue them and it may heat a part of his heart but it cannot heat all his heart but where the sanctifying Spirit comes it heats all the soule kindles a holy fire in all the faculties to burne up sinne which is there And this was the difference betweene Iohn Baptists Baptisme and the Baptisme of Christ. Iohn would baptize them with water but Christ in the spirit and with fire therefore examine what heat there is in you against evill and what zeale there is in you to good are you cold in prayer in conference in the Communion of Saints it is a signe that you have not the spirit it may be you heare and reade and pray and conferre but see with what heat you doe them Is it with you in these things as the Apostle would have you to be in earthly 1 Cor. 7. 30. 31. To sorrow as if yee sorrowed not to use the world as if you used it not doe you performe holy duties with that coldnesse as if you cared not whether you did them or did them not doe you heare as if you heard not and doe you receive the Sacrament as if you received it not and doe you pray as if you prayed not and doe you love as if you loved it not then surely you have not the Spirit And on the contrary if you finde spirituall heat and zeale in you a nimblenesse and quicknesse to good it is a signe that you have the Spirit for it is the propertie of the Spirit to heate the soule therefore the Prophet saith That the zeale of thine House hath even eaten mee up Intimating I have such a measure of zeale wrought in mee by thy Spirit that I cannot see thee in the least measure dishonoured but I must burne with zeale Therefore examine what zeale you have for God and godlinesse are you hot for the things of the world and cold for grace and holinesse whatsoever you thinke of your selves yet you have not the sanctifying Spirit There is not a holy man or woman that belongs unto Christ but they have this holy fire in them and yet I would not have you to mistake mee as if every Christian did attaine unto the like heate and zeale as others doe For you must know that some have more some have lesse according unto the measure of the sanctifying Spirit that they have but this you must know that you must be full of heate full in some measure answerable unto the measure of the sanctifying Spirit but if you finde no heate at all in you then you have not a graine of the Spirit not to be hot is to bee luke-warme and luke-warmenesse is that which God hates it is a temper mixt which is both loathsome to nature and odious to God Revel 3. 15. the Laodiceans were neither hotte nor cold but luke-warme that is they had neither heate to good nor so cold as to forsake the truth Sinne and holinesse stood in aequilibrio together and they had as good a minde unto the one as unto the other now because it was thus with them therefore saith God I will spue them cut and then in the next verse hee exhorts them to be zealous and amend except you labour to bee hot in the Spirit you cannot be saved Titus 2. 14. the Apostle saith That Christ dyed that hee might purchase unto himselfe a people zealous of good workes this zeale must not bee a constrained zeale but a willing zeale and if there were no other motive to move men to bee zealous but this because Christ came to redeeme them for this end that they might be zealous for his glory if there bee any sparke of the fire of the Spirit in him it will burne at Christs dishonour and if Christ came unto this end to make men zealous then surely Christ will not loose his end but they that Christ will save shall be zealous therefore I beseech you labour to be strong in the inward man and labour to get the Spirit that you may be zealous but alas men have drunke too much of this Cup of giddinesse they thinke they need not be so zealous as they are but I say if you be not it is a signe that you have not the Spirit especially it stands men now upon if they have any holy zeale in them to show it I say it is time you should show it when you see such halting betweene two opinions show your zeale by hating and abhorring popery and by labouring to draw men from it especially now when we see men so desirous to goe into Egypt againe which is to be lamented in these dayes for which the Lord hath stretcht out his hand against us but where is our zeale what spirituall heate is there in us where are these men that at such a time would have beene hot and zealous nay where are the generation of these men surely they are all gone for there is no heate and zeale left it is true we abound in knowledge we have the same knowledge that they had but we want their zeale and spirit and we have the same gifts but we want their Spirit but let us now at length shew our selves to be in the spirit to have the Spirit in vs by our zeale against evill But you will say that many holy men that have the Spirit yet are not so hot and zealous against evill but are marvellous milde and patient therefore a man may have the Spirit and yet not bee zealous First to this I answer that holy men may have pits wherein they may be falne They may have drosse aswell as Gold and hence they may bee drawne by a strong passion and lust not justly to weigh sinnes aright whence ariseth remissenesse and neglect both in doing good and resisting evill but this in a regenerate man I call but a passion because it continues not for prayer and the preaching of the pure Word will recover this againe that is will recover his strength and make him zealous against sinnes but if you see a man whatsoever
his As in the Canticles the Church saith I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine that is because hee is my husband and I am his spouse therefore I will labour to be like him in holinesse and our Saviour prayeth for this holinesse for his Disciples Iohn 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth the Word is the meanes to worke holinesse in them when the Word comes then comes holinesse but when profit or pleasure comes to take place then the Spirit of holinesse is as it were pluckt from them but when they have the Spirit then they see the vanity of these earthly things and therefore it is that men are deceived with false and counterfeit wares because they want the Spirit of discerning but when the Spirit of God comes into the heart of a Christian then it showes him the vanity of these things and this he doth by enlightning the mind and therefore it is that they are kept from playing the adulteresses with these things because they have the Spirit of discerning Now examine what strength above nature what conjunction of holinesse have you with it what Spirit of discerning have you are not these things in you then you have not the Spirit The third signe whereby you shall knowne whether you have the Spirit or no is this examine when and by what meanes it came into the heart this is the signe that the Apostle makes in Gal. 3. 2. Did you saith hee receive the Spirit by the workes of the Law or else by faith Preached that is if you have the Spirit then tell me how came you by it when and by what meanes came hee first into the heart But here all the question is how a man may know whether the Spirit be come into the heart in the right manner or no. To this I answer that this you must know that the onely meanes to receive the Spirit into the heart the right conveyance of the Spirit into the heart is by the Word purely preached when it comes in the evidence of the Spirit purely without the mixture of any thing of mans with it and further you shall know whether you have received the Spirit by the preaching of the Word by these two things by the antecedent and by the consequent First you shall know it by that which went before if the Spirit hath beene wrought by the Word then there will bee a deepe humiliation wrought in the soule for sinne and then Christ and the Spirit comes into the heart and begins to cheere up the dejected soule and strengthens the inward man and then thereupon there will be a thorow change wrought in the whole man and it must needs be so because the nature of the Spirit is first to pull downe what mans corruption hath built and then to lay downe the foundation of the spirituall building humilitie and then after to reare the building of grace in the soule as for example if you would know whether the plants receive vertue from the Olive or no then you must know that first they must be cut off and then they must be ingrafted in and then see whether they have the fatnesse of the Olive and then whether they beare the Olive leaves so a man that hath not received the Spirit by the word hee shall see it by the ripenesse of sinnes the corrupt branches the bitter fruite that comes and is brought forth by him but on the contrary if the Word by the Spirit hath cut you down and humbled you throughly in the sight of sinne and then ingrafted you into Christ by working in you a saving justifying faith and if it hath then made you fat and well liking in grace that you have brought forth better fruit then you could before then certainly the Spirit came into the heart the right way and workes in the right manner but as I said it will first humble you by the Word as in Iohn 16. 8. the Spirit shall reproove the world of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgement First he will reproove them of sinne to humble them Secondly of righteousnesse because they have not beleeved the all-sufficiency of Christ. Thirdly of judgement that they might change their opinions that they might doe these things and bring forth such fruit as is agreeable unto God Will. Secondly consider the consequence that is looke to the thing that followes the Spirit where it comes for where the Spirit comes it workes a thorow change in the soule I call it not a bare change but a thorow change for as there may be a glistering shew of something that is like gold and yet no gold so there may be a cessation from sinne and a change from sinne but not truly or thorowly and so not at all for what will it availe Herod to forsake some sinne and like Iohn well in some things if he will not forsake all and like Iohn in the reproofe of all in like manner what if you change your opinions of some sinnes what if you esteeme some sinnes to be sinnes indeed if you have not the like opinion of all whatsoever you thinke of your selves as yet you never had the Spirit therefore if you would know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit or no in you then examine whether there be a thorow change wrought in you that is whether you doe not onely esteeme every sinne to be sinne but also what spirituall life you find in you I say you shall know whether the holy Spirit be in you by this if you find your owne spirit dead in you and Christs Spirit quicke and lively in you and this you shall know also by your affections if you have other affections both to God and Christ to holinesse to the Saints than you had before it is certaine you have the Spirit for this is that which followes the Spirit for when the sanctifying Spirit comes into the heart of a Christian it works another kinde of love in a man then a man naturally hath and again it makes a man to live another kinde of life then he did before thus it was with Paul in Galath 2. 20. Thus I live yet not I but Christ in mee that is there is a proportion and likenesse betweene the life of a Christian and Christ that is when the Spirit enters into the heart then it begins to put off the old man and to put on the new man it will put off its owne spirit and strength to good and put on Christs wholly yet mistake mee not I say not that the substance of the soule is changed for the soule in substance is the same as it was before but here is the difference when the Spirit comes it puts new qualities and habits into it alters and changes the disposition of it gives it that sense which before it felt not and that sight which before it saw not Hence it is throughly changed in
regard of the qualitie and disposition to what it was and yet in substance remaines the same as for example put Iron into the fire the Iron is the same it was in substance before it came into the fire but now it hath another qualitie it was cold and stiffe and hard and unplyable but now it is hotte and soft and plyable and this change is throughout in every part of it and yet it is Iron still So it is with the Spirit when it comes into the heart of a Christian he mingleth and infuseth spirituall life into all the parts of the soule and therefore it is said if Christ be in you the body is dead as touching sinne but the Spirit is alive The body is dead that is as touching raigning sinne he is like a tree that wants both sap and roote or as a man that is dead that wants a soule hee is now dead whatsoever he was before but the spirit is alive to God Therefore examine if this thorow great change be in you see then what death there is in you to sinne and what life unto holinesse I call it a thorow and great change because a little one will never bring you in such a frame as to be fit for heaven And againe the Apostle calles it a great change in Rom. 12. 2. be you metamorphosed that is throughly changed new moulded againe in 2 Corin. 3. 18. You are saith the Apostle changed from glory to glory and therefore consider that every change will not serve the turne but it must bee a great change as the changing of Christs Spirit for your owne spirit which if you have then you shall come out of every affliction and every difficultie like gold out of the furnace like cloath out of the die of Lions you shall bee Lambes of Serpents you shall be Doves therefore see whether this change be in you or no if this change be in you then when your old guests that is your old lusts shall come and finde that his old companion is cast out of doores and that the soule is swept and cleansed hee will not stay but seeke abiding else-where but on the contrary if your opinions of sinne be the same if you have the same lusts reigning in you if you use the same evill company and have the same haunts that ever you had you have not the Spirit and so long as you remaine thus doe you thinke that Christ will come and sup and dine with you and yet you will not erect a building for Him in your hearts therefore if you would have Christ and the Spirit then labour to get holinesse The fourth signe whereby you may know whether you have the spirit or no is this if it be but a common spirit you shall find that it will doe by you as the Angels doe by assumed bodies they take them up for a time and doe many things with them to serve their owne turnes but they doe not put life in them such is the common spirit but the sanctirying spirit puts life into the soule Wherefore examine your selves whether the spirit makes you living men or no for when the sanctifying Spirit shall joyne with the soule of a man it will make him to doe suteable things and bring forth suteable actions for as the body is dead without the soule so the soule hath of it selfe no spirituall life to good without the spirit wherefore as Paul speakes of unchast widdowes that they are dead while they live 1 Tim. 5. vers 6. so I may say of every man that hath not the spirit they are dead men dead to God to good to grace to holinesse I say there is no life without the Spirit men are not living men because they walke and talke and the like but they are living men that live in the spirit and by the spirit and on the contrary there is no true life neither are men to bee esteemed living men that want the spirit Now for the examination of our selves by this rule consider First wee have but an assumed body of grace and holinesse when in the practice of life we assume unto our selves onely the outward forme of godlinesse but regard not the power cleaving in our affections to that which is evill and leaving the things that are truely good I doe not say when you hate good but when you preferre evill before it in your choise and set it at the higher end of the Table and serve it first and attend upon it most when that crosseth holinesse but you will not againe crosse it for the Love of Christ when it is thus with you whatsoever you thinke of your selves you have not the sanctifying Spirit but a common spirit without life Secondly you have but an assumed body of grace if you have it not in a feeling manner the sanctifying spirit workes a spirituall sence and taste in the soule that is if you have the sanctifying spirit then holy things will have a good taste they will bee sweet unto you it will purge out that which is contrary to the growth of the inward man on the contrary the common spirit will never make you to taste grace as it is grace or because it is grace that is grace will not bee a dainty thing it will bee without a good savour Therefore examine what taste of good you have whether you can rellish grace or no if not you have not the sanctifying spirit but an assumed habit of grace that is a common spirit without the life of grace Thirdly as assumed bodies are unconstant that is walke onely for a time but they walke not alwayes even so if you have but a common spirit you will not be constant in good but off and on the rule A man that is living in Christ you shall still find him living and moving and doing the actions of the new man a man that hath but a common spirit may do somethings that are good hee may keepe and presse downe some sinne awhile but not alwayes neither then because it is sinne but because it crosseth his profit or pleasure or some other thing Againe he may have some taste and rellish of spirituall things but hee is not purged and cleansed by them First he may walke as a living man walkes that is performe holy duties but they are not constant in holy duties neither doe they performe them in obedience but out of selfe love that is they are still ebbing and seldome flowing they omit ofter then they performe Therefore let me exhort you that are alive and have beene dead be you carefull to prize your life and you that have beene alive but now are dead that is you that have falne from your holinesse and zeale and have lost your first love and strength labour now to recover it againe And you that are alive and yet are falling let me exhort you to strengthen the things that are ready to dye if there bee any here
taught there is a kind of necessity laid upon them by God in the very instinct of nature so when the Spirit comes into the heart of a Christian it openeth another light in the mind which makes them to doe Gods will as hee teacheth them And therefore the Apostle saith That I need not to teach you to love for you are taught of God to love one another that is there is a kinde of necessity laide upon you therefore you must needs love I grant that sometimes a theefe may be in the high way but it is for a booty and a holy man may be out of the way he may have slipt aside the way but here is the difference the one sets himself of purpose to do evill but the other is forced unto evill unwillingly and you shall know the difference betweene these two in these things if a holy man have gone besides the way assoone as the passion or temptation is once past hee will returne againe unto the right way hee will not goe forward nor stand still but hee will returne but the other though in some sence he knowes it and is told that he is off the rule yet he cares not he will goe on forward therefore examine what fruits of the spirit doe you bring forth and what way doe you delight in are you in the way of holinesse Doe you delight to pray to heare to receive doe you love God and Christ and the Communion of Saints then it is a signe that you have the spirit but on the contrary if you follow drunkennesse and uncleanenesse and prophaning of the Sabbath and idlenesse and goe on herein as in your way you had never the spirit Againe consider what are your walkes that is doe you follow your old evill haunts now as fast as ever you did it is a signe that you have not the spirit Againe thinke not it will excuse you to say whatsoever your actions bee yet you have good hearts you must know that your hearts are much worse then your actions as I said before for if you had the spirit it would not be idle in you but as it makes the heart holy so likewise it sends forth holy speeches and actions unto the life The working power of the Spirit is excellently set forth betwixt Eliah and Elizeus In that story it is said that Eliah cast his mantle about Elizeus then presently Elizeus cryes out let me goe first and take leave of my father and then I will goe with thee Eliah might have well reasoned thus with him what have I done unto thee or what have I spoken unto thee that you should thus reply unto me as if I tyed thee to the contrary said I any such a word unto thee that thou must not goe but there was a kinde of necessitie laid upon Elizeus by the Spirit to goe with him and therefore hee brake out into these words that is the Spirit now entred into his heart that he was not now his owne man hee must goe whither the Spirit will have him and doe what the Spirit bids him and so we see in Acts 4. 20. when the Iewes came to Peter and commanded that he should not Preach Christ unto them he answereth that hee cannot chuse but he must preach Christ and in the beginning of the Chapter you shall see the reason of it They had received the holy Ghost and they spake boldly therefore you see that the Spirit is not idle but he is marvelous working and operative therefore examine what power you have what actions you have and what fruit you bring forth But you may say that sometimes the spirit seemes to bee dead in the heart therefore it is not alwayes working To this I answer that the property of the spirit is alwayes to worke and it doth alwayes worke but he may sometimes withdraw his actions of growing as when a temptation comes and you are taken in it there the spirit seemes to absent himselfe by with drawing his power but notwithstanding he workes still for at the instant there is lusting and labouring in you against it and afterwards hee gives you power to returne againe Againe it is not alwayes thus with you but sometimes thus much for this use The next use stands thus if the holy Ghost strengthens us in the inward man then let me exhort you above all things to seeke the Spirit because it will doe so what would a man desire either for the outward or inward man if he have the spirit he shall obtaine it would a man be inabled to pray would a man bee inabled to beare losses and crosses would a man master particular lusts is a man in bondage and would bee set at liberty from sinne is a man spiritually dead and numbe is a man spiritually affrighted with sinne would a ther they tooke away his strength and it weakens us because it drawes the affections away from God but when the spirit comes then it casts us into another frame as appeares if wee doe but compare these two places together Iames 4. 5. with Act. 20. 22. Saint Iames saith that the spirit lusteth after envy it labours to carry us head long unto the committing of sinne and to the doing of that which is evill but then comes the sanctifying spirit and it stayes us and makes us to lust after good that is it binds up our hearts and suffers us not to doe that which otherwayes wee would doe therefore examine whether you are bound with another spirit that you doe not the evill that you would then it is certaine that you have the holy spirit Therefore Paul in the place before named said that he was bound in the spirit for Ierusalem as if he should say the Spirit of God bound up my Spirit to goe that I cannot otherwise choose therefore what doe you meane to breake my heart doe you meane to hinder mee I tell you there is a kind of necessity laid upon me by the spirit and I must goe whatsoever doth befall me for it is the office of the spirit to bind up our spirits and therefore in Reuel 1. 10. It is said that Iohn was in the spirit that is he was compassed about with the spirit he was in the spirit as a man is in Armour it keepes I say our hearts in a spirituall disposition that it shall not doe the evill that it would The second benefit that a Christian hath by the spirit is this it enables a Christian both to see and beleeve the things that otherwise hee would not beleeve I gather it from that place of the Prophet Isai. 6. 9. where it is said seeing they should see and not perceive and hearing they should heare and not under stand they saw but they wanted another sight which is the sight of the spirit and therefore they cannot see a man may have great sight in humane things by learning and Philosophy and the
knowledge of Arts and Sciences by these he may see both into naturall and spirituall things in some measure but I say hee cannot see as hee should except hee have added unto this another sight which is the sight that the spirit brings and therefore it is called the opening of the eyes and the boring of the eares and it is the same that St. Iohn speakes of in Iohn 1. 5. That the light shone in darkenesse and the darkenesse comprehended it not before a man have this sight of the spirit whatsoever he sees yet it is with a great deale of darkenesse but when the spirit comes it drives away this darkenesse by giving us another eye to see thorow it And the darkenesse comprehended it not so that till a man have the spirit he doth neither truely see nor beleeve You cannot beleeve till you have the spirit but when you have got the spirit then you will beleeve in Christ. Wee preach Christ unto all and exhort you to beleeve but what is the reason that some beleeve and others beleeve not but because they doe not see they want the spirit to shew them sinne to humble them and Christ to comfort them and therefore Peter cals them purblind As men that are purblind cannot see things a farre off except they bee neere so men without the spirit are but purblind men that cannot see Christ and Grace and Salvation a farre off as neere but if they had the Spirit then they would see them neere hand that is you would see a marvellous beauty in Christ and holinesse it is that which the Apostle speakes of in 1 Cor. 2. 9. The eye hath not seene c. that is he saw them before but he saw them not in that manner hee sees them now they are represented unto him in another fashion Againe he sees them in another hue hee sees another beauty in them thus you see the sanctifying spirit openeth the eye of the understanding to see more A blind man might see if hee had but the faculty of seeing so a spirituall blind man will see when hee hath the spirit The third benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this it breeds heavenly and spirituall effects in the soule as joy and comfort and the like and therefore in Iohn 14. he is called the Comforter First I say the Spirit will beget joy in the soule and therefore saith Christ hee will speaking of the Spirit lead you unto all peace and joy in beleeving now I make a difference betweene joy and comfort thus joy is unto the soule as a wall is unto a Citie the wall doth compasse the Citie and so is a defence for it that is it keeps pettie dangers out so doth joy it walles and fences the soule and keepes out many enemies that otherwise would destroy it 2. effect is comfort and this I call a Bulwarke because a Bulwarke is of greater strength to beate backe and keepe out any that shall besiege it and makes the Citizens more secure so comfort is the Bulwarke of the soule against the greatest temptations and tryalls it makes the soule secure resting upon Christ. 3. effect that the Spirit begets is boldnesse that is there is no true boldnesse without the Spirit Let Adam witnesse it aske him what boldnesse he had when hee hid himselfe from God and what was the reason of it but because he wanted the Spirit and on the contrary when the Disciples had received the Spirit they spake with boldnesse 4. effect that the Spirit begets is holy and heavenly desires in the soule therefore the Church in the Canticles when shee had got the Spirit shee had bred in her loving desires after Christ as in Canticles 1. 7. shee is marvellous inquisitive where to finde Christ for what is the reason that there is in men such a want of holy desires but because they have not this Spirit 5. effect that the Spirit begets is holy indignation that is holy anger it is an effect of the Spirit and therefore the Apostle saith in 2. Cor. 7. 11. what indignation or wrath this he speakes in the commendation of the Corinthians men will not be angry with sinne as evill till they get the Spirit 6. effect of the Spirit is holy affections it will make you to have heavenly affections to God to grace to the Saints therefore the Lord saith Ezech. 36. 26. I will give you a new heart carnall men they may doe something to make their children reverence them or to love them in regard of some domination they may proffer an object but they cannot beget holy affections this is the onely worke of the Spirit thus to change the heart 7. effect of the Spirit is this it will purge the soule it will cast out all rubbish out of the soule therefore the Lord saith that he will purge the sonnes of Levi as silver that is that they may be fit for the Priesthood he will purge out of them by the Spirit that which otherwise would make them unfit And David often in Psal. 51. vers 2. 7. prayes that the Lord would purge him wash him and cleanse him from his sinne and then after hee prayes for the restoring of the Spirit making the absence of the Spirit the cause of his uncleannesse 8. effect of the Spirit is this it kindles holy affections to good in us I said before that the holy Spirit workes holy affections in us but now I adde that hee kindleth those affections in us to good and this is that which gives us great advantage against sinne I say wee have no small advantage of the divell but great advantage when the heart is full of heavenly affections and that for these Reasons The first Reason is because the more holy affections the better man God accounts more of him a man is esteemed of God as hee hath or hath not holy affections a man is that which he is in his affections a man is not a good man because he knowea much but he is a holy man because he hath holy affections that is he is full of love to God to Christ and to the Saints The second Reason is because holy affections they are a meanes or a second cause of good they are the cause of good actions as for example for a man to suffer for Christ and yet not to doe it with holy affections out of love unto Christ it is nothing worth therefore when the affections are right they are drawne upward by the Spirit both to doe and to suffer The third Reason is because holy affections they widen the soule they make the soule large for when holy affections are dead in you the soule will begin to shrinke in even as cloath that is not throughly made when water falles upon it will runne in but if you stretch it it will come to the same length againe so when the
Spirit comes and workes holy affections they widen the soule and make it large and firme therefore that you may have large hearts in praier in meditation labour to get the Spirit that you may have holy affections kindled in you The fourth benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this it will make the heart good because it is the proper worke of the holy Ghost to sanctifle the heart to cleanse and change and so make it good it is the worke of the Spirit to worke repentance in us a thorow change in us I call repentance a thorow change because men for the most part mistake repentance taking that for repentance which is no repentance men thinke that if they be turned this way and that way from this sinne and that sinne though it be not from every sinne and evill way that they have true repentance but they are deceived for repentance is a thorough change of the whole man consisting both of soule and body whereby the parts and faculties of both are turned a quite contrary way the heart is turned out of the way of sinne into the way of holinesse now that a partiall turning is not repentance I will make cleare by this comparison take any naturall thing that is of an earthly substance whose nature is to goe downeward yet you may force it upwards by meanes that you may use as for example water you know is of an earthly substance and the nature of it is to descend yet you see by the force and strength of the Sunne it is drawne upward first into vapors and then congealed into ice and snow and raine and then it will not rest till it descend againe but there is another ascent of the fire and that is upward and not forced but naturally doth ascend up even so a carnall man may doe the same things that a spirituall man doth hee may keepe downe some lust and he may forsake some evill he may forsake his drunkennesse and uncleannesse and his old evill haunts yea he may doe some good but yet he doth not forsake the evill neither doth he doe the good by the power of the sanctifying Spirit but by a naturall strength if he doth a good action it is by constraint he is forced by something Spirit is a free agent it workes freely of himselfe therefore to whom it goes it goes as a free gift Now that the Spirit is a free agent it appeares by this that reason makes man to be a free agent but it is the Spirit that gives reason therefore the Spirit must needs be most free Thirdly the Spirit must be a free gift by his carriage to them hee will save hee might have chosen the elder and not the younger hee might have chosen Esau and not Iacob or if he would have chosen the younger then hee might have brought him first out of the wombe but he will not because he is most free in his choice he will save Iacob and cast off Esau and so he might have chosen honourable and noble men to have both preacht the Gospell and to be all saved by the Gospell he might have chosen them only for salvation but he will not but the poore they shall receive the Gospell he will make choice of them for salvation he might have chosen Simon Magus aswell as Simon Peter but hee will not therefore you see he is free Fourthly the Spirit is free which appeares by the paucitie of them he choses he is at libertie he might have saved more but this shows his freedome he is not tyed to one more then unto another the winde bloweth where it listeth Iohn 3. 8. hee calles when and whom he will Let them come in that my house may bee full none shall come no more no lesse then I have chosen Fifthly the Spirit is a free gift which appeares by the prosecution of his decree both of Election and Reprobation nothing more free then the Spirit is he might as I said have chosen Esau and not Iacob for there cannot a reason be given wherefore he should chuse the one and not the other he will choose the wife and not the husband hee will choose the husband and not the wife hee will choose the childe and not the father and hee will choose the father and not the childe againe he will choose this man and that woman and not another man or another woman and what is the reason of it surely there can be no reason given of it but because the Spirit is free to choose and choose not thus briefely I have shewed you that the Spirit is a free gift Is the spirit a free gift and doth it worke freely then let them consider this and tremble that are not sanctified by the Spirit and in whom the spirit hath not yet wrought his good worke least they may seeme to be deprived Againe if the wind bloweth where it listeth then it stands you upon to doe as Millars are wont to doe to watch the opportunity and grind if the Spirit doth blow upon you if at any time the Spirit doth kindle any sparke of grace in you take heed of neglecting the opportunity doe not say in this case unto the spirit as Festus said unto Paul that you will heare him another time but bee sure if the spirit commands doe you runne or if he cals be sure to answer him least he call you no more I have often told you that there is a time when he will call you no more therefore thinke with your selves what a time of darkenesse and sorrow it will bee to you then when with the five foolish Virgins you shall be shut out of heaven and happinesse I say there is a time when he will sweare that you shall not enter into his rest and doe not onely labour and watch for the opportunity to take the Spirit when it is offered but labour to get the opportunity Vse the meanes whereby you may get him and for your helpe herein I will lay downe some meanes whereby you may get the spirit The first meanes to get the Spirit is this you must labour to know the Spirit for what is the reason that men doe not receive the spirit but because they know him not they doe not know him in his purity in his free working in his incomprehensible greatnesse in his increate holinesse and therefore they put off the working of the Spirit Men thinke that now their sinne in this kind is not so great as Simon Magus was it is true say they Simon Magus sinne was a great sinne and worthy of punishment because hee thought to have bought the Spirit with money but if wee well consider mens dealings now with the Spirit wee shall finde that the same sinne is committed now I say men thinke they doe not commit this sinne of Simon Magus when indeed you doe you know how great the sinne was in him and what a judgement was inflicted
by pronunciation against him and your sinnes are as great and the same but you know them not and therefore let us compare them together and you shall see that they are the same and all one and that in these three particulers First Simon Magus thought that the Spirit might have beene had at any time for he neglected the meanes and despised that presuposing that at any time with a small reward hee might get it of the Apostles what shall I give thee c. Even so when you put off the spirit is not your sinne the same thinking that you may have him when you will that you can have him at your pleasure to mortifie a strong lust a sinne that you would be rid of and for a sinne that is pleasing unto your nature you can when you will subdue it you can when you will forbeare it and is not this one part of Simon Magus his sinne Secondly Simon Magus thought it was in the power of men to give the Spirit What shall I give thee Peter for the spirit and is not your sinne the same doe not many men thinke that it is in the power of men to give the spirit when all the time of their life they will neglect the calling of the Spirit but in some great affliction when they lye upon their death beds then they will send for the Minister but not till then as if it were in his power to give the Spirit O Sir what shall I doe to be saved can you tell mee of any hope of salvation and the like Thirdly Simon Magus hee desired the spirit to a wrong end namely for his owne advantage That upon whomsoever I shall lay my hands they may receive the holy Ghost and doe not men do the like they desire to have the spirit and they could wish with all their hearts that they had him but yet not for a right end for Gods glory but for some carnall end of their owne that they may be reputed thus and thus but not to any other end For know that a man may desire grace but if the ayme of his desire be for his owne end the desire is sinne the same that Simon Magus was therefore I beseech you deferre not put not off the opportunity and remember what the Lord saith Hebr. 3. 15. to day if yee will heare his voice harden not your hearts this is the day now you have the opportunitie the candle is in your hands and you may light your soule by it the Word is neere you Well light your candles by it you may now light them whilest the fire is here but if you will not now how will you when the candle is out when you shall be either taken from the meanes or else the meanes from you therfore labour to know the spirit and judge aright of him if you would get him The second means to get the spirit is to beleeve and the best meanes to get faith is to be conscionable and constant in hearing the Word preached the preaching of the Word is a meanes to get the spirit and therefore the Apostle saith received you the Spirit by the workes of the Law or else by faith preached Gal. 3. You may know whether you have the spirit or no by this examine whether you have gotten faith by the preaching of the Word our Saviour saith that the tree is knowne by his fruit the branch cannot beare fruit except it receive vertue and strength from the roote so if we get not faith in Christ and be joyned with him wee shall never get the spirit therefore if you would get the spirit you must get faith for faith is the knitting and drawing grace it will draw the spirit into the soule and it will knit him fast unto the soule that he can never depart away from it faith will recover the Spirit if it seeme to want his power of working in the soule it will returne him if he seeme to depart away it will enlarge the heart if the spirit be scanted in it it will widen the narrow bottle of your hearts and you know what Christ said unto the woman in the Gospell So be it unto thee according unto thy faith therefore if you would get the spirit you must get faith in your hearts if you would get a large measure of the spirit then get a large measure of faith for what is the reason that men thrive not in the spirit but because they thrive not in faith The third meanes to get the spirit is an earnest desire joyned with prayer to desire and pray earnestly for the spirit is a meanes to get the spirit an instance of this wee have in Elisha servant to Eliah he earnestly desires and prayes that the Spirit of Eliah his master might bee doubled upon him not that hee meant that hee might have asmuch more againe but that hee might have a greater measure of the Spirit then other of the Prophets and hee did obtaine his desire for hee was indued with a greater measure of the Spirit then other of the Prophets were even so if you would but desire and pray earnestly for the Spirit you might get him Salomon desired wisedome and prayed for it and he had it and that in a larger measure then those that went before him so if you would pray for the spirit you have his promise Luke 11. 13. That he will give the Holy Ghost unto them that aske him and this hee doth speake by way of opposition if you that are evill can give good things unto your children then much more will God give you his Spirit that is if a man will bee importunate for grace and the spirit as a child will be unto his father for bread then he cannot deny you But you will say if hee were my father and I his child then it is true he would give me his spirit but alas he is not for any thing I know neither my father nor I his child To this I answer suppose thou be not his child in thy owne apprehension yet looke backe unto the 8. verse and see what Importunity doth though hee would not open the doore and give him that which he would have yet in regard of the importunity of him that asketh he will open and give him what he would have thus doe you though you may have a deniall sometimes no answer at all or an angry answer yet take no deniall and your importunity will at last prevaile with him and to incourage you against former runnings out from God the Apostle saith that he giveth and upbraideth no man Iames 1. 5. As no man meriteth at Gods hand so no man shall be upbraided with any failing to shame him he gives unto all men that comes unto him without exceptions of person without any gift freely and reproaches no man that is he will not lay before him either that which might hinder him from
comming unto him or him from receiving of him he might doe both but he will doe neither and you know the promise the Disciples they must goe unto Ierusalem and he will after a certaine time send the spirit but they must waite for him and this they did by constant prayer and they had the promise made good unto them for the holy Ghost came upon every one of them in Acts 2. 4. so if you be constant in prayer what though for the present you get him not yet at last you shall have him thus much for this meanes if you would have the Spirit you must pray and desire him earnestly The fourth meanes to get the Spirit is to obey him and this you doe when you make him good entertainment when you feed him with heavenly thoughts and doe what he would have you to doe but if you slight him set light by him and will not obey and be ruled by him you will never get him and this you doe when you resist greive and quench the spirit you resist the spirit when you resist that light which the spirit hath wrought in you when you fight against it against its reason and arguments this is a great sinne you grieve the spirit when you mingle two contraries PAVLS CONVERSION OR THE RIGHT VVAY TO BE SAVED As it is excellently well set out in divers Doctrines raised from ACTS 9. 6. And he trembling and astonished c. By the late faithful and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne Printed at London for Andrew Crooke 1634. The Contents of PAVLS Conversion NOthing can deject a sinner so much as the fearefull power of God pag. 108 Three things cause an astonishment Suddennesse of evil p. 181 Greatnesse  Inevitablenesse  DOCTRINE I. He that will receive Christ or the Gospell must first bee humbled p. 182 Humiliation how t is call'd in Scripture 1. Pricking of the heart ibid. 2. Poverty in Spirit p. 183 3. A melting heart ibid. 4. A trembling at the Word p. 184 Humiliation of necessity to salvation because without it men keepe backe from Christ. Two hinderances that keepemen from Christ. 1. Vnbeleefe p. 187 2. Neglect of Christ which is twofold 1. Totall refusing all offers of grace p. 188 2. Partiall having a mixture of the love of the world and Christ. p. 189 Men compared to the three grounds in the Gospel p. 190 Whether Humiliation bee absolutely necessary or no p. 191 A two fold sorrow Preparative p. 193  Godly p. 194 Godly and worldly sorrow differ in the Objects p. 195 Causes ibid. Effects p. 196 They are distinguished by the Ingredients p. 197  Continuance p. 198  Event ibid. The degrees of godly sorrow p. 199 The least measure of Humiliation is that which makes a man beleeve in Christ. p. 200 USE I. To examine our selves whether wee have received Christ or no for it must be by a deepe Humiliation p. 201 Without Humiliation no receiuing the Gospell shew'd in five particulars 1. A man will not find any need of Christ. p. 202 2. He will not hold out to entertaine Christ. p. 203 3. He will not for sake all things for Christ. p. 204 4. He will not wholly depend on him p. 205 5. He will not undergo any thing for Christs sake 206 Meanes to attaine humiliation of Spirit are I. A rectifi'd Iudgement p. 207 From a rectifi'd Iudgement proceeds sorrow for sinne in respest 1. Sinne is evill of its owne Nature p. 208 2. It is the greatest evill because it deprives us 1. Of the best outward good which is God ibid. 2. Of the chiefest good within us For 1. It deformes the beauty and strength of the inward man 2. It weakens grace within us p. 209 3. It produces evill effects ibid. 4. It needs the greatest medicine to beale it even Christ himselfe ibid. II. Humility of heart p. 210 The way to get our hearts humbled is 1. To labour for some sense of holinesse p. 211 2. To consider the punishment of sinne ibid. III. Application p. 213 IV. Bringing things to a propinquity p. 216 V. The removall of all excuses p. 818 Excuses or deceits are 1 We doe as well as the best p. 219 2 We have as good meanings as the best p. 221 3 It is our Nature to be thus and thus p. 222 4 Our condition privilegeth us p. 223 The better the condition the more reason to serve God 1 Because a greater account is to be rendred p. 224 2 Because their knowledge is the more p. 225 3 Because a greater Iudgement will bee inflicted p. 226 VI. The obtaining of the Spirit ibid. VII A joyning the Word with the Spirit p. 228 The Word will effectually humble us 1 If we get saving knowledge of the Word ibid. 2 If we receive it as the Word of God p. 229 3 If we bring it home to the Conscience p. 231 Three Rules that the Word by Application may be effectuall to humble us 1 Not to defer or put off the worke of the Spirit p. 232 2 Not to make too much haste out of humiliation p. 233 3 To proportion humiliation to the sinnes p. 235 USE II. To exhort us to get our selves throughly humbled p. 236 Motives hereunto are 1. All we doe till we be humbled is but lost labour p. 237 Reasons hereof are because 1 A broken heart is the Altar on which we must offer ib. 2 An humble soule is a fit habitation for Gods Spirit 238 3 Without humiliation no keeping close unto Christ. ib. 2. Whatsoever profession we make it is worth nothing without humiliation Reasons hereof are because without humiliation 1 A man withers will not hold out in his profession 239 2 He will not grow strong in Christ. ibid. 3 Good duties wil be chok'd as the seed amongst thornes p. 240 3. There can be no sound cōfort without humiliation 241 Two Questions answered 1 What kind of sorrow meant here p. 242 2 Whether it be of absolute necessity to salvation 243 Signes to know whether we be truly humbled or no are I. To love much p. 247 Motives to love Christ grace and holinesse are 1 To consider the goodnesse and exoellency of the thing you are perswaded to ibid. 2 To consider the good you see in Christ is yours if you be his p. 248 II. To tremble at the Word Preached p. 249 III. To be affected with the Word when it comes in the edence of the Spirit p. 251 In the Word two things 1 Meat ibid. 2 Medicine p. 253 IV. To be little in ones owne eyes p. 254 V. To yeeld a generall obedience unto Christ. p. 255 Humiliation fits the soule for obedience because 1 It makes a man see God in his holinesse and power 256 2 It makes him desire the favour of God ibid. 3 It makes him chuse God
when any earthly thing which his affections were glewed to stood in competition with Christ he had rather loose Christ then hee would loose all his pleasure in these earthly things because he is not thorowly humbled humiliation comes and takes all impedimouts away plowes up the hardnesse of the heart sets the affections on another object to delight in checkes the will opens the mind awakeneth the conscience that Christ is all to him in all things and therefore it is compared unto the good ground that received the Word with an honest and good heart the heart will not bee fit to receive that good that will make it good till it bee plowed deepe and humbled then the Word will grow the heart must bee humbled before grace will grow and therefore this is the effect that humiliation works when the heart is humbled hee will not part with Christ for any thing in the world Therefore you see upon what ground humiliation is necessary because men will not receive Christ till they be humbled The second question is whether humiliation is simply and absolutely necessary To this I answer that it is not simply and absolutely necessary for it is not a simple grace and therefore not necessary on Gods part But it is a condition required on our parts because we will not receive Christ till we be humble I say it is not a simple grace or simply necessary For that which a man may exceede in is not simply necessary but a man or woman may have too much of it that is he may exceed in the measure he may be over humble and therefore Paul writes unto the Corinthians 2 Cor. 2. 7. That they should comfort the incestious person least hee should bee swallowed up of griefe now that which is a simple grace a man cannot have too much of hee cannot exceed in it as for example a man cannot have too much faith or repentance or love sanctification c. but the more hee hath of these the better now howsoever it is not simply necessary on Gods part because hee can save men without it yet it is a necessary condition on our parts and in regard of us because we will not receive Christ till we be humbled And therefore it is that we Preach the Gospell generally sometimes sometimes with the condition as in Matth. 11. 28. Come unto mee all that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you till men doe feele sinne as a heavy burthen they will not come unto Christ to bee cased of it Againe in Revel 22. 17. whosoever is athirst let him come and take of the water of Life freely except they first be athirst and finde they stand in need of Christ they will not come unto him to be refreshed Againe sometimes it is put without any condition except faith Revel 22. and whosoever will let him take of the water of Life freely that is whosoever hath a desire to come unto Christ let him come and he shall have him without any exception of persons or condition Hee that beleeveth shall bee saved and hee that beleeveth not shall bee damned bring true saving purging working Iustifying faith and thou shalt have Christ and salvation where there is no mention of humiliation For there may wee know be seedings without plowing and there may be plowing and yet no sowing and sowing and no reaping so I say there may bee saving and sanctifying grace wrought in the heart without humiliation and againe there may be humiliation and no true grace at all or generall graces but not speciall and saving graces but the way to make us fit to receive grace is to be humble A man may be said to receive Christ by a common light of knowledge and hereupon doe many things for Christ but yet he will not take Christ for his King aswell as a Saviour except he be humbled hee will not take Christ so as to be ruled by his Lawes and to live under his Commands he will not take him with losses and crosses disgrace and reproach till he be humbled he will not indure reproach he would be content to have Christ but if Christ must cost him all that then Christ and he must part but when a man is thorowly humbled then he will part with all things for Christ nothing shall be so deare and precious unto him as Christ will be if any thing come in Competition with Christ hee will refuse it for Christ thus you see that humiliation is a necessary condition on our parts though not a simple grace The third Question is this whether there bee any kinds of humiliation more then one To this I answer that there is a two-fold sorrow the first is a preparative sorrow the second is a godly sorrow The preparative sorrow is nothing else but a sorrowing for sinne as it causeth punishment or a sorrowing for some Iudgement likely to insue and pronounced against him but this is not the true sorrow a reprobate may have this sorrow which shall never be saved this was the sorrow of Iudas and Cain and Ahab they sorrowed but it was a false sorrow only a worke of the flesh it hath his originall from nature its object punishment and its end despaire but the second is a godly sorrow such as the Apostle speakes of in 1 Corinth 7. 7. that workes repentance not to bee repented of that is it turnes the heart to God it takes away that flintie disposition of nature by the conveyance of grace it makes the heart better it brings it into a frame of obedience it workes a willingnesse in it to good so that the difference of them lyeth in this the one is outward but the other is inward the one is from grace the other is from temporall things the one is a worke of the flesh the other is a worke of the sanctifying Spirit the one will make a man flye unto Christ because of our wants as in the example of the Publican especially in the prodigall sonne hee never seekes unto his father till hee be thorowly humbled then he concludes I will goe unto my father the other will set and push a man further from God this wee see in Cain and Iudas their sorrow made them run away from God but this godly sorrow or humiliation never rests till it bring a sinner into the presence of Christ and when the soule is in Gods presence then it will never rest till Christ have made its peace with God but as I said the nature of the worldly sorrow is to drive a man further from Christ. Adam had this sorrow he runnes and hides himselfe A carnall man will sorrow either for some present Iudgement upon his person or else upon his substance but yet it will not turne the heart that will not worke a plyable disposition in the heart to yeeld obedience out of love in hatred to sinne but on the contrary that hardneth the heart the
without wavering I say howsoever a man may practise and promise and doe much for Christ yet except hee bee humbled hee will not hold out and therefore we see in many that there are bubbles of grace as if they would retaine Christ and continue with him they doe something but they doe not persevere to the end like those in Hebr. 6. 5. that have tasted that is professed but fall away and this was the fault of the three grounds they received the Gospell but they continued not Christ entred not into them deepe enough Now the difference of the foure grounds was humiliation every ground was plowed but none plowed to purpose but the fourth ground when there is but an outward show of holinesse in a man it will not keepe his colour alwayes it may glister and carry a shew of the right stampe but when it comes to tryall it is but counterfeit but when the sanctifying Spirit comes and toucheth the heart of a Christian and hee is thorowly humbled hee will never loose his beauty hee is Gold try him how you will Thirdly to receive the Gospell is to take Christ and to part with all things for Christ making him his chiefest joy prizing him so that hee will loose any thing for him like that wise Marchant in the Gospell which when he had found the Iewell went and sold all that hee had and bought it there must be a prizing of Christ above a mans selfe hee must part with all things in the world with husband and wife with father and mother with brother and sister with friends with honour and riches pleasure and all things else and account Christ more then all things now this a man will not doe till he be humbled But you will say What must I forsake father and mother and wife for Christ or else I cannot have him this is a hard thing the worke is too great there is not sure such need of Christ or grace or at the least Christ will not impose such a burthen upon mee I answer yea you must forsake all these things if you will not you shall never have him this was the fault of the second ground there was both a receiving and a rejoycing in Christ and this was a good propertie but yet there was not joy enough because there was not humiliation enough the plow had not gone deepe enough and therefore it was that they continued not some things he would doe but not all things for Christ but when the heart is humbled that is when the plow hath gone deepe enough in humbling a man then hee will and not till then make Christ his chiefest joy Fourthly to receive the Gospell is to trust in Christ wholly to depend upon him both for grace and salvation and every thing else that is good he will labour to know the length and the height the depth and the breadth of the riches of Christ he will looke still unto the preciousnesse of Christ because he will not have his minde exercised about vaine and foolish things and this no man will doe till he be humbled no man will see his need till he be humbled hee feares nothing he thinks he stands in need of nothing but when a man is brought to see hell hee will cry for Christ and grace then hee will prize things according to their worth then he will see such excellencies in Christ that he never saw in any thing else such an infinitenesse of puritie and holinesse such aboundance of sanctification and redemption such joy such glory and such pleasure such love such content as is not in any thing else now he will deny the world profit or pleasure or any thing else and seeke depend and trust wholly in Christ. Fifthly to receive the Gospell is to doe and suffer what is commanded him as Paul in this place Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe as if he should say I am ready both to doe and suffer whatsoever thou wilt have mee and Paul was as good as his word as appeared by those reproches and sufferings that hee bare for Christ alwayes making ready to lay downe his life for Christ now such a disposition no man will have such a thing no man will doe till he be first humbled Yet as I said a man may doe some things as the dead hand of the Dyall it may perhaps point right at one stroke without the help of the master-wheeles but to goe round and misse none it cannot so a carnall man may hit upon some good dutie that God commands and refraine some sinne that God forbids but to goe thorow he cannot to take up reproach and disgrace to lose his credit to forsake his friends to lose honour and riches and pleasure this he will not doe till he be humbled therefore labour to see the necessitie of this dutie of humiliation or else you will not doe all things for Christ and labour to get the degrees of it and withall get the degrees of grace and that will increase spirituall sorrow and degrees of sorrow makes degrees of joy a man or woman that never sorrowes or never had the degrees of sorrow never truly rejoyced in Christ for as the spirit workes grace and grace workes true humiliation so true humiliation works joy therefore you see it is necessary againe there will be no suffering for Christ till there bee rejoycing in Christ a man will not either doe any thing or suffer any thing for that thing that he cannot delight in therefore labour to be humbled Now to helpe you in this worke I will lay downe some meanes by which you may come unto this humiliation of spirit The first meanes to get this humiliation is to get the Iudgement rectified because men cannot see sinne nor know it till then and men will not be humble so long as they remaine ignorant but when the judgement is rectified then hee knowes sinne to be the greatest evill Againe a man will not sorrow till he have a fit object for sorrow as a blind man cannot see any object so a naturall man is a blind man and hee must have new eye sight before hee can see sinne to sorrow for it as sinne and this is the rectifying of the judgement but when the judgement is rectified then it will sorrow for sinne and that in these respects First because sinne is of its owne nature evill because it is contrary unto the nature of good and of its owne nature is an enemy unto God The Philosopher saith if God bee the chiefest good then sinne is the chiefest evill from whence wee may thus argue that which is most contrary to God is the greatest evill but sinne is most contrary unto God therefore it is the greatest evill and the reason is because sinne is that which makes the creature most odious unto God No creature or thing so contrary unto the nature of men as sinne is unto God nothing makes God to
loath the creature but sinne all the imperfections and blemishes and diseases and infirmities of the creature makes not God to loath it if there be not a mixture of sinne with it because they are not contrary unto God they fight not against God but sinne fights against the purity and holinesse of God and therefore Gods hatred of the creature is onely a hatred for sinne Secondly to us it is the greatest evill the argument stands thus that which deprives us of the greatest good is the greatest evill but this sinne doth Ergo. for it doth deprive us of all things that are good but especially of two things wherin standeth our chiefest good As first it deprives us of the best outward good which is God as the Prophet saith Your sinnes separate betweene you and your God and they keepe good things from you of all other good especially they hinder the comming of grace into your hearts Now what greater evill can there be then this to keepe both God and his Grace from us Secondly it deprives us of the chiefest good within us as for example First it deformes the beautie and strength of the inward man Secondly it weakens that grace that is within that is it makes us unable to resist evill this is the nature of sinne Thirdly if you cannot see it in these then come unto the effects that it workes and it will appeare to be the greatest evill First it turnes all the faculties and parts of the soule body to evill and is the breeder of all distemperature as feare and horrour in the soule Secondly it brings all the evill that doth befall a man in this life they all come by sinne all shame reproach povertie disgrace punishment comes by sinne now if you will but consider sinne in these you will see it to be evill but especially you shall see the evill of sinne in a distressed conscience what feare what amazement what astonishment and despaire what sorrow what anguish of heart is there as upon Iudas no restitution will serve no comfort will worke no perswasion will prevaile thus if you looke upon sinne it will appeare the greatest evill Fourthly sinne is the greatest evill if you consider the medicine that must come to heale it Christ must lay downe his glory for a time hee must abase himselfe hee must come from heaven to earth he must take our nature upon him and humble himselfe unto a cursed death before sinne can be healed now put them altogether sinne is evill by nature Againe it is evill because it deprives us of the greatest good both within us and without us it is the cause of all diseases shame and reproach such an evill that nothing will heale but the blood of Christ looke upon sinne thus cloathed and it will appeare the greatest evill Make conscience therefore of little sinnes for they bring great evils though the sands of the Seas be but little yet a many heaped together make a great burthen so sinne though but in an idle word thought or behaviour seeme to be but a little sinne yet lay many of them together and they will breake the soule and make it barren and unfit to good if a man owe but little debts yet if they be many if he looke and cast them up in the totall hee will finde himselfe presently to bee but a bankerupt so it is with sinne what though the sinne be but a little sinne yet give this a little vent put it to action and this sinne will proove a great sinne give once consent and in time it will be a raigning sinne and when it is thus then it turnes the soule into evill sets it on a rage imprisons it makes it to obey and to be a slave to Sathan now what greater evill can there bee then sinne thus much for the first meanes to get the Iudgement rectified which will see sinne so as to humble it The second meanes to be humbled is this you must labour to make your hearts fit to be humble and that you may doe this you must doe these things First you must labour to get some sense of holinesse that is you must get the heart in a frame of grace for except a man get the spirit he will not be humbled but when there is holinesse bred in the heart then he will see sinne to be humble hee will see sinne out of his place Take any heavy thing especially water and in its place it is not heavy but let it be remooved out of its place and it will be a heavy burthen even so will sinne bee unto you when you have once gotten the spirit you will then see sinne out of his place and to be a heavy burthen that you will not willingly beare it but you will stoope under it and therefore the more holinesse that any man gets the more will be his sight of sinne and where there is most sight of sinne there will be most griefe for sinne and this griefe is alwayes accompanied with this humiliation that I speake of and where there is the greatest humiliation for sinne there is the greatest doore of mercy opened where there is most sence of sinne there the heart is best fitted for grace and in this case the more tender of conscience the better Christian. Secondly if you would be fit to bee humble consider another thing which is the punishment of sinne if you continue in sinne you shall be damned deprived of glory you were once good consider now wherein your happinesse consists consider that you have an immortall soule and that you must be called to an account the serious considerations of these things will make you to bee humble Nebuchadnezzar when he is brought to be like a beast then he confesseth that the Lord is God and humbles himselfe even so should wee Againe doe but consider that all things are in the hands of God and that every one of you in particular are and that he is able presently to dispose of you as he will Againe consider that God is alwayes every where that hee sees all things and that he will judge all men and that a day of judgement a day of departure to judgement is appointed unto all consider also the severity of the Iudge the sentence that hee will pronounce the punishment that he will inflict the eternity of the time I say if men would but consider these things wishly they would not goe on in sinne as they doe but the want of consideration of these things keepes men from Christ. For if the adulterer would but consider what the Scripture saith that no adulterer shall be saved or if the covetous man or drunkard c. that wholly devotes themselves unto evill would but consider that in 1 Cor. 6. 9. that none of these should inherit the Kingdome of God they would not goe on in sinne as they doe Againe if they did but consider that all sinne ends in paine that
every act sinne wounds the soule it would surely make them humble this is that which the Lord complaines of in Deut. 32. to 29. verse O that my people were wise that they would but consider with themselves viz. their sinnes their afflictions my love in their deliverances that is O that they would but looke backe unto the former account and see what they have done for my love it would cause them to be humble Dolour is the reluctancy of the will now the Will will not strive till there bee a change wrought neither will a man be humbled truly till there be a thorow change in the soule therefore labour after holinesse and get both a sence of holinesse and a sence of sinne and this will humble you The third meanes to get humiliation is application you must apply both what you have received and what you have paid together and then cast up the account first consider what you have received from God and what you doe presently enioy and then consider what have I paid what have I done how have I demeaned my selfe what obedience have I yeilded what thankes have I returned Againe consider the excellency that is in grace and then consider sinne that it is evill by nature that it is evill to me that it brings forth evill effects except you thus wisely apply it it will not humble you you will not feele sinne or esteeme it as a burthen because you will not see it out of its place It will be as a heavy burthen at the foote which though never so heavy yet it is not felt it will not hurt a man so long as it lyeth there even so sinne will not be a burthen unto the soule till it be applyed unto the soule by the spirit but when it is applyed then it will bee like a burthen upon the backe which a man will quickely be weary of sinne will then clogge a regenerate soule and humble him and this wisedome wee may learne of the divell himselfe when hee will bring a man unto despaire hee will still hold out before a man his sinnes and that with aggravation of them that so he may come unto the sight of them and then he will hold out the Iustice and purity of God that he will not let sinne goe unpunished that he shall not be saved that so a Christian may be out of measure dejected and thus a Christian should doe if hee will bee humbled let him still set sinne before him and that not only in the generall but also to apply it in particular unto the conscience and especially in cases of relapse for as figures added to Ciphers doe make the totall the more so relapse in sinne is a great sinne and a particular notice of them will cause great humiliation Againe let man set before him sinnes against knowledge or great sins and this will be a meanes to humble you for what is the sinne against the holy Ghost but sinning against knowledge upon an obstinate will in despight of God and the Spirit and that the sinne of knowledge is a great sinne appeares in Acts 17. 30. At the time of their ignorance God wincked that is so long as you wanted the meanes of knowledge both of knowing mee and my Spirit I little regarded it I wincked at it that is I esteemed it not so great but past it over but now the cause is altered since I came in my owne person and preacht unto you now I will not wincke at your sinne as before I will not passe it over as I did before but I will behold you in another manner After the knowledge of sinne to fall into it and then not to bee humbled is to slight a sinne and to slight a sinne after the committing of it ismore dangerous then the sinne it selfe wounds the soule more provokes Gods wrath against a man the more as a servant after a fault committed when his Master tels him of it if he shall then slight it as not regarding it the slighting of it incenses his Master more against him then the fault it selfe therefore if you would be humbled apply sinne unto the soule and come from the generall unto particular sinnes especially fasten your hearts upon great sinnes that rule in Logicke holds true that generalls worke not but particulars are prevalent As I said before when sinne lyeth like a burthen at the foote it hurts not but when it is laid upon the shoulders then it hurteth saving knowledge breakes the heart and humbles the soule on the contrary ignorance hardens more and more this wee see in Ioh. 4. in the woman of Canaan the reason wherefore she received not Christ was because she wanted knowledge to know her owne estate generall conference and exhortations to receive Christ will not serve till Christ comes in particular unto her and tels her in plaine words that she is an harlot untill then shee little regarded him then shee can bestirre her selfe then shee can confesse and bee humbled and thus hee dealt with Paul in this place Paul why persecutest thou mee and thus hee dealt with Adam what hast thou done hast thou eaten c thus he dealt with Peter Iohn 21. 15. c. Lovest thou mee feed feed feed c the remembrance of particular sinnes wrought a generall change in them and mightily humbled them therefore if you would be humbled apply particular failings and exclude none and God will not exclude thee you know that which will take a great staine out of a garment will surely take out a lesser even so feare not but if God hath given thee a heart to see some great sinne and the assurance of the pardon of that sinne hee will forgive thee all sinnes thus much for the third meanes The fourth meanes to get humiliation is this we must labour to bring things unto a propinquity that is let vs looke upon sinne past as present and so neere at hand for this is our folly wee looke upon sinne great way off and that is the reason that sinne is so little regarded of us because we cannot as we might see how odious it is the Philosopher saith that things a great way off are as if they were not they doe not hurt us and this is the cause why men are not humbled experience proves this you know death is the terriblest thing in the world but yet because we looke upon it a farre off therefore it is that it doth not affright us now to helpe you to bring things to a propinquity that you may be humbled you must observe these two rules First I say you must looke upon things that are past as present consider that the sinne that is past is as great a sinne as ever it was though it seeme afarre off that is committed long agoe it is mans weakenesse to thinke otherwise of sinne a malefactor that hath committed a foule fact a long while agoe if his pardon be
the Apostle rejoyces in the Thessalonians 2. Thessalonians 2. vers 18. that they received the Word of God from him not as the word of man but as it was indeed the Word of God and therefore it was that it wrought those gracious effects in them as it did so that no Church was so commended of Paul no Church so eminent in grace as this Church of the Thessalonians was And so Adam in the garden when hee heard the voyce of God then he feared because when the Word comes as from God then it comes with a force upon the conscience then it humbles and casts downe a sinner in Micha 5. vers 4. the Spirit saith And hee shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord and in the Majestie of the name of God that is hee shall speake so as if God spake himselfe and with such a Majestie that hee shall convince the conscience this was spoken of Christ and Christ did fulfill the prophecie and therefore the Iewes confesse that no man spake as this man spake and in another place it is said that Hee spake as one having Authoritie Matthew 7. vers 28. 29. Now no man speakes with authoritie whether hee bee an Embassadour or Constable or any other officer but onely when hee speakes in the name of the King and uses his name then hee comes with authoritie his words take effect so doth the Word when it comes and is received by us as from God then it workes upon us Let us now examine our selves how wee have received the Word whether it hath come unto us with authoritie or no if it hath then wee shall bee humbled by it but if otherwayes it will not humble us Thirdly if you would have the Word effectuall to humble you you must apply it bring it home unto the conscience otherwise it will not humble you as the preciousest medecine will not heale till it bee applyed unto the sore so the Word will not heale the brachs and bruises of the soule till it be applyed unto the conscience for howsoever wee account of it or though it bee in its owne nature a two edged sword yet except you strike it will not hurt except you apply it it will not heale the soule by cutting of sinne and corruption from the heart therefore this is your worke to apply it when wee haue done our parts in preaching the Word if you will receiue benefit by the Word in making it your owne so as it may bee vnto you the power of God vnto your saluation then apply it and so doing it will make you humble and receiue Christ now that you may attaine unto this and that the Word by application may be effectuall to humble you obserue thesethree Rules which I will lay downe for your helpe herein The first Rule is this As you must get knowledge before you will bee humble so now in the first place you must not deferre or put it off when God doth giue you a sight of sinne it will be your wisedome to apply the medicine presently whilest the wound is greene the Word will have a greater power of working then then it will have afterwards if it in this case be deferred it will gather corruption it will put you to more paine and charge it is good therefore not to deferre humiliation or put off the working of the Spirit in this case but if the Spirit giue thee a sight of sinne presently apply it vnto the Soule and that so much the rather because the labour will bee lesse the paine lesse and the danger lesse When a bone is out of ioynt it is good setting it whilest it is hot no man will deferre it in such a case the defering of it will be with much more griefe so when the heart is put out of loue with sinne if you then presently apply the Word unto it it will humble and change you but if you defer it will be a hard and difficult thing to bring the heart unto repentance to bring it unto a good frame and soft disposition Againe therefore consider this and make good use of the opportunity the Apostle gives the reason why it is so hard to bring the heart unto a fit temper againe Heb. 3. 13. Take heed saith he that you be not hardned through the deceitfulnes of sinne there is a deceit in every sinne which if you looke not unto it will beguile you if you doe not put out the sparke it will be a harder thing for you to put out the flame to stoppe the passage of sinne but you will be like unto those Rom. 2. 5. that have hearts that cannot repent hearts past grace therefore take heed of quenching the spirit and this we doe when wee put off repentance and humiliation when we are by the spirit brought unto a sight of our sinnes The second rule is this as in the first place we must not put off the worke of the spirit so in the second place we must not make too much haste out of it you must not thinke that a little humiliation will serve the turne a little sorrow a few teares or a few sighes but you must continue in it and it must remaine in you the contrary unto this is that sorrow which the Lord reproves in the people of Israel Isaiah 8. 6. Is this the fast that I have chosen that men should hang downe their heads like a bulrush for a day they were affected with sinne and it wrought some effect in them but it did not continue it was but a for a time it lasted not and therefore it was that the Lord hated it you must let sorrow breed in our hearts you must let it stil continue with you or else it will not humble you the nature of the bulrush is for a time to hang downe the head when it is over-prest with water but when it is dry then it lifts up it selfe againe so there are many that for a time will hang downe their heads and seeme to have this true sorrow but it is but when some judgement is upon them then they can humble themselves and cry and weepe but when it is removed that is when they are freed from the judgement they are lifted up their humiliation is gone now that you may have this humiliation to continue with you you must doe as the Apostle exhorts you Iames 4. 8. you must purge your hearts that is you must purge hypocrisie away that deceives you in the matter of humiliation and if you aske how you shall keepe your hearts humble hee tels you how Let saith he your joy be turned into mourning that is keepe a taste of sinne and the displeasure of God in your hearts and this will humble you therefore you must continue in sorrow this was that which was commanded the people of Israel Levit. 16. 29. You shall humble your selves and doe no worke at all they must separate
themselves from all such workes on that day which may bee a meanes to keepe them from humiliation for the object being holden long on the faculty it will at last humble us for our nature is like the fire if matter be not upplyed unto it it will goe out so if we keepe not a sence of sinne humiliation and sorrow in our heart it will dye Therefore you must take paines with your hearts and set sinne still before you Davids sinne was ever before him and Paul was ever humble in remembring his sinnes therefore let this humiliation and godly sorrow bee in you not like a land flood but like a spring this sorrow must still be running and springing and flowing or else you will not remaine humble I confesse it is true that they that have received the spirit have not the spirit of bondage to feare that is to sorrow hopelesse but yet they have received such a spirit that keepes them still in awe that keepes them still in this sorrow that keepes them still in feare but yet the evill that is in the sorrow and feare is taken away because of a mixture of spirituall joy hope and confidence that they have wrought in them by the spirit The third is this you must proportion your humiliation according unto your sinnes if your sinnes have beene great sinnes then your humiliation must be a deepe humiliation this wee see in Manasses as his sinne was exceeding great so his humiliation was exceeding great it wrought in him a great measure of humiliation and so Peters sinne was great and his humiliation was great for as the sinne is greater or lesser so the humiliation should be greater or lesser because the greater the sinnes are the greater shall bee the judgement for them and therefore when you can passe over your sinnes as little sinnes it is a signe that you are not humbled for if you were you would then otherwise conceive of sinne now where there is great sinnes forgiven there will be great love as the woman in the Gospell she loved much that is she had many sinnes forgiven her therefore shee exprest much humiliation and love unto Christ. Againe let every man labour to feele their sinnes the more that they may love Christ the more for that which the affections are most affected with that the understanding apprehends most and then the bent of the will followes and a man may if he will come unto this to see sinne in himselfe in such a manner as to humble him and make him to love God the more As a man that hath a desire to see the Prince in a multitude hee will ever fasten his eye unto him so if a man would but fasten his understanding and minde upon sinne he would at last see it to humble him and this did David in the sinne of Vriah he brought his sinne unto this that it was ever before him no sinne humbled him as this did And thus much for the meanes of getting humiliation Is it so that humiliation is so necessary a condition on our parts though as I said before it is not simply necessary on Gods part neither a simple grace because there is no promise that follows it but the promise is made without exception of persons or conditions generally unto all Whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely that is without any antecedent condition faith excepted yet as I said except we be humble we will not come in and receive Christ and without Christ there is no meanes to bee saved and this we will not doe till we be humble therefore it behoves you to examine your selves whether you have this condition in you or no and now that I may make you willing to examine your selves for except you be willing you will not consider these three things to moove you hereunto The first motive is this consider that all that you doe till you bee humble is lost labour you heare in vaine you reade in vaine you receive in vaine you pray in vaine you give almes in vaine till you be truly humbled Psal. 51. 17. the sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart all the prayers that a man makes all the almes that hee gives all the holy duties that he doth performe if they doe not proceed from a truely humbled soule they are unsavory things and that for these reasons I. Reason The first reason is this because a broken heart is the altar on which we must offer whatsoever we offer up to God they are not such as God accepts of if they be not offered up upon this altar for the sacrifices of God are a broken heart a truly humbled soule for as in the time of the Law the Priest was to offer up sacrifices for the people in all humilitie so Christ in the Gospell on the Crosse with a broken and a contrite spirit offered a sacrifice for all his children and makes them acceptable unto God yet except the heart be humble he will not accept of a sinner II. Reason The second reason is added in Isaiah 66. 2. hee will dwell in a broken and a contrite spirit a humble soule is a fit habitation for the spirit now the spirit dwels in the heart as the sunne in a house by communicating his grace unto the soule where he will come into and where the spirit will dwell there he doth certainly love and no sooner doth he dwell in the heart but he will fill the heart full of holinesse and on the contrary he will not come neere a proud heart therefore if ever you would have the spirit to dwell in you you must get humble hearts III. Reason The third reason is because except a man have a broken heart he will not be constant with Christ he will serve him but by halves and fits and not constantly now and then as passion rules him but when a man is truly humbled hee will keepe close unto Christ now a man that is unstable God doth not esteeme of as a friend he doth not esteem him as a friend that is unstable because he knowes not how to depend upon him hee stands now with him but whether he will when he shall need whether he will hold close to him or no he knowes not and therefore the Apostle saith that the unstable heart shall receive nothing of God Iames 1. 7 8. God will not accept of any thing that he doth thus you see all is lost labour till you be humbled men are unwilling to loose their labour in any thing but much more in this if they had hearts to beleeve it The second motive is this because whatsoever profession a man makes in religion it is nothing worth till a man be humble for what is the reason that men doe not hold out in their profession but fall away and loose their first love but because they were not throughly humbled for pride of heart
something joyned with it as a man that is full who cares not for eating Grapes and therefore stands looking and gazing on them or as a man that is not a thirst hee will gaze more on the graving of the cup then hee will desire to drinke that which is in the cup when as the hungry or thirsty man he will not so much gaze on the Grape or respect the outside of the cup as to eate and to drinke so a truly humbled man he will not regard eloquence and wit in the Word this is unto him but as a graven cup that will not satisfie him but the pure word alone is that which will satisfie him and nourish him up in grace A man that is not humble is like a sieve that looseth thorow it all that is good but keeps nothing but motes and durt when he comes unto the word if there be any thing that may fit his humour that he will hold which is nothing but vanitie and nourisheth not but for that which is able to feed the soule and make him wise in all spirituall wisedome which is the application both of the threatnings and the promises unto the soule this he lets goe as not worth the keeping and this is the reason why men remaine so barren and fruitlesse because they doe not retaine that or love that which would make them fruitfull in holinesse these men are like children that cry for bookes not because they have a desire to learne but because they may turne over some gaudy or gilded letters so these men they come to Church and they heare and they receive the Sacraments and they reade the Word but not to learne to be edified by them but to play with some golden letters to heare the folly and foolishnesse of him that preacheth himselfe and not Christ or for fashion sake or for some other by-respect but not to this end that they may bee builded up in grace The second part of the Word is the Medicine part the healing part for as there is power in the Word to fill the soule full of grace so there is another power in the Word to heale the breaches and wounds in the soule now hee that will finde this saving power in the Word he must be humble he must finde and feele himselfe sicke of sinne unto death then the Word hath this power to save and to heale but if a man doe not finde himselfe spiritually sicke the Word will never heale him but it will be a quite contrary medicine rather a destroying medicine then a healing medicine it will be unto him like as the Sun is to him that hath sore eyes the more the Sun shines the more offensiue it is unto him and the greater paine it puts him unto So it is with a man that is not humble and sicke of sinne the more the Word lights upon his sinne the more hee stormes and strives against it it is with him as it is with a man that is sicke when men are sicke then every thing troubles them then they will be humble so when men are spiritually sicke then sinne troubles them it is with them as it was with Absolon and David there was a rumour of warre before there was true warre so it is with men in this case they have a kinde of warre in themselves they seele sinne and are affrighted with it but the warre is not true it is but a counterfeit warre a feigned warre because it is betweene the conscience and hell and not betweene the flesh and the spirit therefore examine your selves by this whether you be truly humbled or no. The fourth signe whereby you shall know whether you bee throughly humbled or no is this when a man is little in his owne eyes when hee thinkes himselfe worthy to be destroyed this wee see to bee the true property of a humbled soule in Eze. 36. Then shall you remember your own euill waïes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your owne sight for your iniquities they shall so remember them that they shall think them selues worthy to be destroied for then and not till then is a man truely humbled Lam. 3. 22. saith the Church It is thy mercy that wee are not consumed as if shee should say I am worthy to be destroyed and therefore it is a great mercy in thee to saue me now if a man bee humbled he will be patient milde and gentle and louing he will patiently vndergoe reproach and shame for Christ and loue them that show no true loue unto him on the contrary you may see if a man bee not humbled then he is proud and impatient collericke and angry Danid was humble in the matter of Vriah and Eli was humbled when hee heard the judgement that was threatned against his house It is the Lord saith he 1. Sam. 3. Let him doe what is good in his owne eyes that is I am worthy of it let come what will come but if your hearts rise with pride and impatience your hearts are not truely humbled and broken for hee that is the humblest man is least in his owne eyes sinne will breake the heart of a holy man and humble him but if you be not humbled your hearts will remaine stiffe and stubborne that is they will not yeeld therefore the more humility that a man gets the more is his heart broken with sinne the lesse hee esteemes of himselfe therefore examine your selves whether you bee little or great in your owne eyes and accordingly judge of your selves The fift Signe whereby you may know whether you be throughly humbled or no is this examine your obedience unto Christ if the soule be humbled it will yeild generall obedience unto God True humiliation will breed obedience in you now if you finde that you yeeld no obedience unto God but you will notwithstanding prophane the Sabbath and be drunke and game it is because you were never truly humbled for if you were you would yeeld obedience humiliation fits the soule for obedience makes it of a plyable disposition and that for these reasons The first reason is because humiliation makes a man to see God in his holinesse and power he that before respected not God when he comes to this to see the power of God will submit himselfe an example of this wee have in Belchazer that feared the Lord after he was throughly humbled but when a holy man with the power of God sees the purity and perfection that is in God this humbles him more and that also in regard of his owne basnesse and vilenesse and hence properly the obedience of a holy man proceeds Obedience depends upon humiliation As with men when a man or woman sees the power of a superiour and that he is under his power then hee becomes humble and obedient The second reason is because humiliation makes a man to desire the favour of God now you know a man
according to my uprightnesse according to the cleannesse of my hands in his eyes sight and then in the 25 26. verses both parts are clearely expressed that he will walke more frowardly with you as you walke more frowardly with him and againe as you walke more purely with him so he will show himselfe more gracious and loving unto you as for example goe thorow all the Iudges of Israel and you shall see this true looke to Gedeon one sinne was the destruction of him and his house looke to Sampson that sinne of fornication brought upon him shame imprisonment and death Againe goe through all the Kings of Iudah and you shall see that they prospered so long as they prospered in grace and when they fell into sinne then presently they fell into misery looke to David to Salomon to Rehoboam Ahab to Asa Manasses c. Againe looke amongst the Corinthians some were sicke and weake amongst them for not receiving the Sacrament worthily so all sicknesses in body breaches in estate ill hansels in businesses troubles from enemies griefes from wives children and friends they all even now in our dayes proceed from the sinnes which you have committed Againe as I said all the prosperity whether it bee outward in riches or honour or wife or children or friends or inward the saving graces of the spirit they all proceed from your uprightnesse of heart And needs it must be so because if God be the Governour of all the world then it must needs bee best with them that serve him best and worst with them that offend him worst this rule must bee understood of the Saints to comfort them and not of wicked men for they want afflictions and enjoy prosperitie in Iudgement but with the godly it is not so therefore they are like to taste of both in this life according to their thriving in sinne and going backward in holinesse let this moove you to hate sinne that you may escape these miseries The sixt Motive to moove you to hate sinne is because sinne is a vaine thing it can yeeld us no true comfort or content and this we may see in the vanitie and changeablenesse of earthly things when we make them our onely joy how soone are wee deprived of them for indeed what is our portion or what can yeeld us any sound and solid joy and comfort but God and Christ and so Iob reasoneth in Iob 31. 2. what portion shall I have with God Almighty it is no small portion but a great portion to have Communion with Him to be sure of Him for a refuge in all troubles a Counseller in all duties a helper in all wants to stand by us when all else forsake us he that knoweth the sweete consolations of the spirit will account sinne and the world but a vaine thing I say no man that knowes the sweetnesse there is in the Communion with God will loose it for all the pleasures of sinne Iob 14. hee showeth the vanity of earthly things some conceive the comforts of the Spirit but a vaine thing but this is because they never tasted of the sweetnesse of the spirit there is no man but he hath something that he resteth his heart upon as the Psalmist saith Some trust in Princes some in riches others in their friends but it is God that is the strength and prop of every sanctified mans heart on which every holy man and woman resteth now take from any man that which is his prop and stay and his heart sinketh and dyeth in him like a stone so will the heart of a childe of God when the assurance of the favour of God is taken away by sinne therefore as the favour of God is sweeter then life it selfe unto him so the very interruption and suspending of it is as bitter as death and therefore in this regard sinne is to be hated The seventh Motive to moove you to hate sinne is because sinne is restles if you doe but truly consider the restlesnesse of the heart till it be sanctified it will make you to hate sinne the heart is restlesse till it bee set in a good frame of grace Sinne is unto the soule as a disease in unto the body a man that is bodily sicke will never be at rest till he be well so a regenerate man is never at rest till sinne be healed in him wickednesse is of a restlesse nature according unto that measure it is found in any as the Prophet saith in Isaiah 57. 20 21. where he compares the heart of wicked men unto the raging Sea that still is in motion purging and cleansing it selfe so a holy man is not at rest whilest his heart is not cleansed from his sinnes let this therefore moove you to hate sinne because it is restlesse The eighth Motive to moove you to hate sinne is because sinne is not acquainted with God it hath no familiaritie with him it is not accustomed to stand or be in his presence it stands in such termes with him that the sinner dares not looke upon God or draw neere him without shame and feare no wicked man dares doe thus so long as any uncleannesse cleaveth unto him in any degree But grace breeds an holy acquaintance with God and doth beget in the heart a kinde of noble friendship and familiaritie with God which will make a holy man to abhorre sinne as a base thing which beseemeth not that purenesse of that friendship which hee hath with Christ hence is that speech of Ezra in Ezra 9. O my God I blush and am ashamed to lift up my face to thee my God for my iniquities are gone c. that is because of my sinne I am ashamed to have any familiaritie with thee The ninth motive to move you to hate sinne is because if you live in sinne God will show you no mercy you shall find him not as a father but as a Iudge The mercy and kindnesse of God is a great and effectuall motive which God often uses in Scripture to move us from sinne thus the Lord dealt with David in 2 Sam. 12. 7 8. I gave thee thy Masters daughter and I made thee King in his steed and if this had beene too little I could have done much more wherefore then hast thou done thus and thus c. Againe in Micah 6. 4. 5 6 7. O my people what have I done unto you remember what I did for you when I brought you out of the land of Egypt remember what Balack King of Moab consulted and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Sittim unto Gilgall c. Againe in Deut. 32. 6. Doe you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise is not hee thy father that hath made thee and fashioned thee that hath bought and established thee c. Gods dealing with us being soundly considered how often hee hath spared us and borne with us how much hee hath loved us and
sinne is called foolishnesse hence then it is extreame folly to commit the least sinne it is good to oppose this conclusion against all the reasons of Satan That wee will not sinne because it will bee our folly and if wee cannot answer in particulers let us answer him in the generall that we will not yeild to any It may bee hee will tell you that you shall gaine some profit or pleasure or sweetnesse or commodity by sinning but if you can bring your hearts not to beleeve this you will never doe it and say the Scripture tels us that it is extreame folly to doe so and we shall find it to be so therefore we will not Let this move you to hare sinne The sixteenth motive to move you to hate sinne is because sinne will take you away from God and God from you and therefore that must needs bee an evill thing and worthy to bee hated of you that will deprive you of God it is the terriblest thing in the world to have God taken away from a man that which makes a man to loose any thing that he loves is hated of him as for example a man that loves and respects his credit he had rather loose any thing then that it is a great griefe unto him to be disgraced to a rich man that loves his riches it is a griefe to part with them and therefore he doth hate a theife so it is the slaying of the soule to part with God a holy man had rather part with wife and children riches pleasures and friends and life it selfe then part with God and therefore it is that in every regenerate man there is bred by the spirit a loathing of all sinne if you would not then part with God hate sinne God and Mammon cannot abide together no more then light and darkenesse Now if these will not move you to hate sinne then consider some motives to move you to hate it in regard of God First consider that God doth take notice of all that you doe he sees into the secret corners of your hearts and makes a diligent search I know thy thoughts a farre off saith God and hee knowes the intent of your hearts Revel 3. 8. I know your workes and patience and so forth I take notice of them I knew them before you did act them therefore in every action that thou goest about say now God sees me what I am doing and hee knowes what I intend to doe it stands me upon to carry my selfe uprightly in this action least he meete with me for he is a God of pure eyes and cannot beare with evill in his owne You know what hee said unto Nathaniel Iohn 1. 48. I knew thee before I saw thee that is thou marvailest how I came to know thee but marvell not for I did not onely know thee but I also know thy heart therefore consider this that God sees you and takes notice of your actions and thoughts Againe consider that so much sinne so much seed and the more seed the greater harvest the more sinne the more punishment therefore labour to hate sinne Secondly consider that when God doth strike for sinne his wrath is exceeding bitter and terrible for if it were not for the wrath of God that followeth sinne afflictions would not bee so bitter and therefore the Lord saith unto the Church Rev. 2. 10. Feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer that is feare them not for that which makes them terrible shall not be mingled with them which is my wrath for it is not afflictions that are bitter but sinne in the afflictions that makes them bitter therefore let this make you to hate sinne that you may escape the wrath and vengeance of God Thirdly consider that the longer God stayes from afflicting of sinners the greater and terribler shall the stroke be when it comes and therefore it were better for thee that hast no interest in Christ that hee would strike presently then deferre it longer that so thy punishment may bee the lesser in Amos 5. saith God I will strike at once and I will not strike the second time that is when I doe strike I will strike so that I shall not need to strike the second time and thus the Lord said unto Eli in 1. Sam. 3. vers 12. When I begin I will make an end and this is the greatest punishment that the Lord can inflict against any sinner it is as if he should have said I will not begin to afflict them and then cease and give them space of repentance but I will make an end that is I will doe it in a moment on a sudden I will but make one worke of it I will begin and I will finish it in an instant and this we see the Lord did upon Hephni and Phineas therefore let this moove you to hate sinne Thus much for this point And hee said Arise and goe into the Citie and it shall bee told thee what thou shalt doe The point is this that Christ is exceeding mercifull and exceeding ready to speake mercy unto those that are truly humbled I gather it thus Paul was here strucken downe with an apprehension of sinne and being thus exceedingly humbled in the sight of his sinnes Christ meets him upon the plyablenesse of his will with a word of comfort Arise this word is full of comfort for it is as if hee should have said Paul bee not too much dejected and cast downe at the apprehension of thy sinnes as if there were not aboundant mercie in mee to pardon it but arise that is goe and I will shew thee what thou shalt doe to save thine owne soule and it shall be told thee what thou shalt doe for mee but feare not bee of good comfort now that Christ is full of mercy we will proove it by Scripture Matth. 11. 28. Come unto mee all that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you in these words there are three things First the conditions of the persons that must come and those are such as are weary and heavy laden The second thing is the qualification of the persons that are truly weary and heavy laden first they must bee meeke secondly they must be lowly the third thing is the patterne or teacher of them and that is Christ the best the holiest and wisest Teacher in the world learne of Mee I am ready to teach all and to upbraid no man and then in the last place the thing that they must doe they must take Christs yoke and so they shall be rid of their burthen the summe of it is this if you bee weary and heavy laden with your sinnes and have a desire to be eased it is no more but come unto Christ and hee will ease you that is if you bee heavy laden with sinne Christ is ready to take off your burthen and to put upon them the easie yoke of obedience and holinesse