favoured or indulged unto may be also reconcileable with a regenerate state so farre as not wholy to quench the spirit of God to cause spirituall desertion though it do greive that spirit wast the conscience wound the soule and provoke Gods displeasure from which nothing but hearty repentance can deliver us and commonly bring some temporall judgement upon us S. What then are unreconcileable with a regenerate state C. Whatsoever are not compatible with an honest heart a sincere indeavour particularly these two Hypocrisie and Custome of any sinne Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne 1 Jo. 3. 9. i. e. doth not live in sin as in a trade or course for his seed remaineth in him there is in the regenerate a new principle or seed of life a principle of cognation with God which whilst it continues in him is still a hazening him out of sin and he cannot sinne in such manner because he is borne of God or if he do he is no longer a child of Gods or regenerate person or as Gal. 5. 16. walke in the spirit and you shall not fullfill the lusts of the flesh i. e. these two are unreconcileable when we say an honest man cannot do this our meaning is not to affirme any naturall impossibility that he is not able but that he cannot thinke fit to do it the principles of honesty within him as here the seed of God or new principles in him will resist it or if he do it he is no longer to be accounted an honest man S. This place in Saint Johns Epistle hath sure great difficulty I beseech you make it as intelligible to me as you may C. I shall do it and that most clearely by bringing downe the sense of the whole chapter from the begining to this place in this breife paraphrase do you looke upon the words in your Bible whilst I do it v. 1. Gods love to us is very great in that he hath accepted us Christians to be his Children which by the way is the reason that the world which rejected Christ rejecteth us also v. 2. being children though we know not exactly the future benefit which shall accrue to us by this meanes yet this we know that when this shall be revealed to us we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and that vision will assimilate us to him v. 3. the very hope of it now hath the same power of making us pure as he is pure for 1 Hope includes desire and love of the thing hoped for which being Heaven a place of purity the hope of Heaven must include a desire of purity and therefore the Heaven that the sensuall man desires if he desire it for the present is a mockeheaven and if it be the true Heaven the state of purity then he desires it not for the present but hereafter when sensuall pleasures have forsaken him And 2 the condition of Gods promises being our purification or sanctification and the particular condition of this seeing God being Holynesse 't is madnesse for us to hope any thing but upon those grounds and therefore he that hath this hope of seeing him or being like him hereafter labours to become like him now in purity a speciall imitable quality of his And v. 4. he that wants it i. e. every one that committeth sin is guilty of the breach of the law of this Evangelicall law of his that sin it selfe is that breach upon which consequently followes the forfeiture of those promises contained in it v. 5. and to that end that we for whom he dyed should not thus sinne it was without doubt that he came amongst us and sinne or any such impenitent committer of sinne is not in him v. 6. For every one that remaineth in him as a member of his sinneth not wilfull deliberate sinnes if any man do so pretend or professe be what he will he hath neither seene nor knowne Christ v. 7. I pray suffer not your selves to be deceived Christ you know is righteous and the way to be like him is to be righteous also and that cannot be but by doing righteousnesse living a constant Christian life v. 8. He that doth dot so but goes on in a course of sin is of the Devill and by his actions expresses the stocke he comes of For 't is the Devill that began his age with sinne and so continued it and so sin is his trade his worke this was a speciall part of the end of Christs comming to destroy his trade to dissolve that fabricke he had wrought i. e. to turne sinne out of the world v. 9. and therefore sure no child of God's none of that superiour stocke will go on in that accursed trade because he hath God's seed in him that originall of cognation betweene God and him Gods grace that principle of his new birth which gives him continuall dislikes to sin such as though they doe not force or constreine him not to yeild to Satans temptations yet are sufficient to enable him to get out of those snares and if he be a Child of God of Christs making like him that begat him in purity c. he cannot he will not thus go on in sinne v. 10 So that hereby you may clearly distinguish a child of God from a Child of the Devill he that doth not live a righteous and charitable life to do justice and to love mercy as Micah saith is no child of Gods hath no relation of consanguinity to him I shall need proceed no farther by this you will understand the sence of the verse to be this and no more Those that are like Christ and so God's children 't is supposed that they have such a seed or principle of Grace in them that inclines them to dislike and enables them to resist all deliberate sinnes and if they doe not make that use of that grace sure they are not like Christ none of his fellow-Sonnes of God a regenerate man remaining such will not nay morally cannot do so so doing is contrary to a regenerate state S. I heartily thanke you for this trouble I shall divert you by another scruple which is this Will not I pray you the flesh as long as we continue in these houses of clay be we never so regenerate lust against the spirit the members warre against the mind and so keepe us from doing the thing that we would yea and captive us to the law of sin and so will not this captivity and thraldome to sinne so it be joyned with a contrary striving and dislike be reconcileable with a regenerate estate C. Your question cannot be answered with a single Yea or Nay because there be severall parts in it some to be affirmed others to be denyed and therefore to satisfy you I shall answer by degrees 1. That there is a double strife in a man the one called a warre betwixt the law in the members and the law in the minde the other the
lusting betwixt the spirit and the flesh The former betwixt the law in the members and in the mind is the perswasions of sinne or carnall objects on one side and the law of God inviting us on the other side commanding us the contrary and in this case the law as the Apostle saith being weake and not able of it selfe to helpe any man to do what it commands him it must needes follow that they that have no other strength but the bare light of the law in the minde no grace of Christ to susteine them in their combats will by their carnall appetite be led to do those things which the law tells them they should not which if they do and continue in them this condition you will have no colour of reason to mistake for a regenerate state 1. Because it is the state of him only that knowes the law which is not able to quicken or renew considered without the grace of Christ which is necessary to a regenerate man 2. Because this law in the minde when it is not obeyed but despised doth serve only to testify against us that we knew our Masters will and did it not i. e. that what we did was against thedictates of our owne conscience which sure will never helpe to excuse a sinne but tather to aggravate it or consequently to make that act reconcileable with a regenerate estate which otherwise would not be so and therefore 2. Of this kinde of composition of a man when his minde or upper soule being instructed in its duty dislikes the sinnes he commits and yet he continues to commit them you may resolve that this striving or this dislike of his mind is no excuse or Apology for his sinne much lesse any argument of his regeneracy or good estate but on the other side his serving of or captivity to the law of sinne in his members is all one with the reigning of sinne in his body to fulfill the lusts thereof and that a sure token of an unregenerate for of every regenerate 't is said 1 Joh. 5. 4. that he overcommeth the world which is quite contrary to being sold under sinne a phrase referring to the Romans custome of selling of slaves under a speare or to that which is said of Ahab 1 King 21. 25. that he was sold the Greeke reading to do evill being a slave of sin or serving with the flesh the law of sin therefore you may conclude that he whosoever it is that with the minde serves the law of God i. e. approves of Gods command or consents to it that it is good and yet with the flesh the members serves the law of sinne not only commits some act of sinne but lives indulgently in it and is thereby enslaved to it is never to be counted of as a regenerate man but only as one that by the law is taught the knowledge of his duty but by that bare knowledge is not enabled to performe it S. But what then is the other thing you told me of the lusting of the spirit and flesh one against the other C. Those words you will finde Gal. 5. where by the spirit is meant the seed of grace planted in my heart by God as a principle of new life or the minde and upper soule elevated yet higher above the condition it is in by nature or by the bare light of the law by that supernaturall principle and by the flesh is meant againe the carnall appetite still remaining in the most regenerate in this life and the lusting of one of these against the other is the absolute conttariety that is betwixt these two that whatsoever one likes the other dislikes whatsoever one commends to the will the other quarrelleth at S. What then is the meaning of that which followes this contrariety Gal. 5. 17. in these words so that you cannot do the things that ye would C. The words in Greeke are not that you cannot do but that you do not and the sence is either 1. That this contrariety alwayes interposes some objections to hinder or trash you from doing the things that you would i. e. sometimes the spirit trashes you from doing the thing that your flesh would have done sometimes the flesh trashes you from doing the thing that the spirit would have done And 2ly whatsoever you do you do First against one velleity or other And secondly with some mixture of the contrary Or else that this contrariety gives you trouble that whatsoever you do on either side you do it not quietly stilly but with a great deale of resistance and opposition of the contrary faculty S. Well then may this lucta this resistance be in a regenerate man C. Undoubtedly it may and in some degrees will be as long as we carry flesh about us for the flesh will alwayes dislike what the spirit likes but then we must be sure that the flesh do not carry it against the spirit i. e. do not get the consent of the will to it for if it do lust conceives and brings forth sinne even those workes of the flesh mentioned v 19. for though this lucta be reconcileable with a regenerate state i e. that a man may be regenerate for all this yet it is not an argument of a regenerate estate so that every one that hath it shall by that be concluded regenerate for if the flesh carry it from the spirit to fulfill the lusts thereof it seemes that man walkes not in the spirit v. 16. and consequently is not in a regenerate state S. But is every man unregenerate that doth any thing that the flesh would have C. I told you frailties and imperfections and also sinnes of suddaine surreption and those that by daily incursion continuall importunity at some time or other gained in upon us so they were as suddainly taken and repented of were reconcileable with a regenerate estate and therefore if it proceed no farther it is onely mixture of the flesh in our best actions or else slips and trips or falls suddainly recovered againe but not carnality or walking after the flesh And for these you know the remedy I prescribed you daily prayer for pardon for daily slips and daily caution and care and endeavour to prevent them But as for indulgence in or habits of carnality 't is not the lusting of the spirit against the flesh that will excuse them from being workes of the flesh or him that is guilty of them from being carnall For it being too too possible and ordinary for the lustings of the spirit i. e. spirituall motions to be resisted it will be little advantage to any to have had these motions unlesse he have obeyed them i. e. unlesse he walke in the spirit and be led by it for to such onely it is that there is no condemnation Ro. 8. 1. S. I shall not detaine you but with one scruple more and that is whether a vow or a wish that I were penitent will not be accepted
very being persecuted though it be not a duty againe is yet a marke and character of a Christian and the Scripture doth seeme to affirme that no good Christian shall ever be without his part in it Heb. 12. 6. c. And it will be hard for any to find out one holy man that hath passed through his whole life without this portion 3. If it shall not be so generall a rule as to be capable of no exception but some good Christians be found which are not persecuted yet still the preparation of minde for this indurance is necessary to every Christian 4. The being persecuted shall contribute much to the increase of our glory and so may still be said necessary respectively though it should not be affirmed absolutely to the attaining of that degree of glory and therefore this is placed after all the rest as a meanes of perfecting consummating the Christian that as the former seaven are necessary to the attaining a crowne at all so this to the having so rich a crowne or so many gemms in it S. Is there any thing now which from the Order of these Beatitudes you would thinke fit to teach mee C. Yes especially two things 1. That the grace first named is a generall principall grace which is the foundation of all the rest Where that is once seated and planted all the rest will more easily and more happily follow Humility is the seed-plat of all and from thence it is most proper to proceed 1. To mourning or sorrow for sinne the humble heart is a melting heart 2. To meekenesse and quietnesse of spirit the humble heart is the next degree to that already 3. To hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse the humble heart will most impatiently desire both pardon of sinne that first kinde of righteousnesse and grace to sanctify that second kinde of righteousnesse 4. To mercifullnesse the humble heart will be most ready to give and forgive 5. To purity of heart the humble heart is most unreconcileable with all filthinesse both of the flesh and spirit but especially the latter of which pride a cheife particular is the direct contrary to humility 6. To peaceablenesse contention being generally the effect of pride 7. To persecution and revileing humility 1. being apt to tempt the proud worldlings to revile and persecute 2. being sure to worke patience of them in the Christian S. What is the second thing that from the Order you observe C. The interchangeable mixture of these graces one toward God and another toward man thus interweaved that the first respects God the next man the next God againe and so forward till it comes to the last which respects God againe For having told you that the first is a generall fundamentall grace as the head to all the rest it followes that the second that of mourning must be the first particular which being fastened particularly on sinne respecteth God against whom we have sinned then next to that meekenesse respecteth our neighbour especially and 3. hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse which is all to be had from God respecteth God Mercifullnesse againe respecteth man Purity in heart God Peaceablenesse man and lastly persecution for righteousnesse sake and patience of it as comming from a consideration and beleife of Gods provident disposall of all things respecteth God againe So that you see the first and the last respecteth our duty toward God who is Alpha and Omega the first and the last and those betweene divided betweene our neighbour and God That so we may resolve that to God belongs the cheife and first and last of our love and obedience yet so as not to exclude but require also in its subordination our care of duty and love toward man also one intermixing lovingly and freindly with the other and neither performed as it ought if the other be neglected S. § 2 I conceive you have now concluded the explication of the first part of this Sermon God give me grace to lay all the severalls to heart What is the summe of the second branch or Section in it C. It consists of the foure next verses to wit v. 13. 14. 15. 16. and the summe of them is the necessity that the graces and virtues of Disciples or Christians should be evident and exemplary to others also i. e. to all heathens and sinners and all indefinitely which may be attracted by such example This is enforced by foure resemblances 1. Of salt which as long as it is salt hath a quality of seasoning of other things to which it is applyed 2. Of the Sun that is apt to illuminate the darke world 3. Of a City on a hill which is conspicuous 4. Of a candle set in a candlesticke which giveth light to all that are in the house By all which he expresses that those graces are not to be accounted Christian which either 1. do not bring forth fruits so remaine but dull habits uselesse possessions Or 2. that are not made exemplary to others S. But sure all this belongs to Ministers and men in eminent place onely they are the salt of the earth and light of the world not every private Christian C. Yes every private Christistian for such are the Disciples to which Christ here speakes the same auditors to every part of of the Sermon and so the duty of exemplary lives in some measure required of every of them who before were bound to be meeke or peaceable c. i. e as 't is apparent v. 1. all those that are entred into the Schoole of Christ not only Apostles whose successors Ministers are for as yet there were none such the Apostleship and sending abroad to preach with a commission to that purpose beginning together both after this c. 10. 1. but I say all Disciples that is all Christians that undertake to follow Christ and expect any good by him S. What then is the meaning of this necessity that the Christians graces must be evident and exemplary C. 'T is this 1. That a Christian must not content himselfe in doing what Christ commands but must also dispose his actions so as may most tend to Gods honour which consists in bringing in many disciples unto him and which ought to be as pretious to a Christian as the salvation of his soule 2. That he ought to labour the conversion of others in charity to them the extending not inclosing of God's Kingdome S. This doctrine is cleare and therefore I will detaine you no longer on this section What is the summe of the next Section which consists of foure verses more 17. 18. 19. 20 C. § 3 It is in breife the attestation of two great Christian truths S. What is the first of them C. That Christianity is not contrary to the lawes by which mankind had formerly beene obliged is not destructive of them Christ now commands nothing that the naturall or morall law had forbidden or forbids nothing that that had commanded this is affirmed
In using all powerfull meanes to convert or turn i e. to bring all mankind to repentance S. What be those meanes C. First the communicating that spirit to us whereby he raised up Jesus from the dead Rom. 8. 11. Secondly sending the Holy Ghost to convince the world of sinne and righteousnesse and of judgement that is appointing a succession of Ministers to the end of the world to worke in mens hearts a cordiall subjection to that doctrine which at Christs preaching on earth was not beleived Thirdly the giving of grace inspiring of that strength into all humble Christian hearts that may enable them to get victory over sinne Fourthly his interceding with God for us which you know is the peculiar office of the Preist as he promised he would for Saint Peter that his faith faile not that is that God will give us the grace of perseverance which intercession of his being now with power and authority all power is given to me saith Christ is all one in effect with the actuall donation of that grace and as a crowne of this followes another kind of blessing actuall bestowing of heaven upon such blessed persevering children of his Father S. What is required of us in answer to this part of his Office C. First to seeke and pray for grace to descend towards us through this conduit of conveyance Secondly to receive it when it thus flowes with humble gratefull hearts Thirdly to count grace the greatest blessing in the world Fourthly to make use of it to the end designed by Christ not to pride or wantonnesse or contempt of our meaner brethren but to the converting and reforming of our lives And fifthly to looke for no finall benefit pardon of sinnes or eternall salvation from that Preist either as suffering or satisfying for us but upon the good use of his grace which will engage us to walke painfully here and to approach humbly to receive our reward the crowne not of our workes but Gods graces hereafter S. What is the second part of Christs Melchizedek-Preisthood C. Blessing or praising God for ever in heaven for his goodnesse his mercy his grace towards us poore sinfull enemies of his in giving us the victory over our so bitter adversaries sin Satan death hell by the bloud of the Lamb and the power of his Grace S. What is our part in this businesse C. To follow this precentor of ours in blessing magnifying that God of all grace and never yeilding to those enemies which he hath died to purchase and given us power to resist overcome S. I doe already discerne the influence of this Office thus explained upon our lives yet if you please give me your direction and opinion what is the maine practicall doctrine emergent from this Office of Christ especially as it consists in blessing C. This is it that from hence we learne how farre forth we may expect justification and salvation from the sufferings of Christ no farther it appeares than we are wrought on by his renewing and sanctifying and assisting grace this being the very end of his giving himselfe for us not that absolutely or presently we might be acquitted and saved but that he might redeeme us from all iniquity from the reigning power aswell as guilt and that impartially of all iniquity and purify unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Tit. 2. 14. without which acquisition of purity and zeale of good workes in us as in a peculiar people Christ failes of his aime and designe in dying for us he is deprived of that reward of his sufferings which is mentioned Is 53. 10. The seeing of his seed the having the pleasure of the Lord which is said to be our sanctification 1 Thes 4. 3. prosper in his hand the seeing of the travaile of his soule v. 1. dividing his portion with the great and the spoile with the strong v. 12. that is rescuing men out of the power of sinne to amendment of life and to holinesse which is the crowne and reward of his pouring out his soule to death and making intercession for the transgressours And if he faile of his hope much more shall we of ours after all that Christ hath done and suffered the impenitent unreformed fiduciary shall perish And what can you imagine more obligatory to good life then this S. I acknowledge the truth of what you say to be very convincing and shall thinke my selfe bound in charity to my poore tottering soule no longer to flatter and foole my selfe with such vaine hope that Christs active and passive obedience shall be imputed to me unlesse I am by his blessing thus qualified to receive this benefit from his death Yet now I thinke of it if Christs active obedience may be imputed to me then what need have I of obeying my selfe If the righteousnesse that was in him by never sinning be reckoned to me what need I any other initiall imperfect inherent righteousnesse or holinesse of my owne this is to me a scruple yet not answered by you C I confesse it is for I have had no occasion to mention that active obedience of Christ it being no part of his Preistly Office And now if you will have my opinion of it I conceive it cleare that Christs active obedience is not imputed unto any other person For first if his active righteousnesse were imputed to me then by that I should be reckoned of and accepted by God as if I had fulfilled the whole law and never sinned and then I should have no need that Christ should suffer for my sinnes and so this would exclude all possibility of having Christs passive obedience imputed to me For what imaginable reason could be given why I should suffer for sinne or any other surety for mee if by some former act I am accounted to have performed perfect unsinning obedience at least have the benefit of that obedience performed by that surety of mine and accepted for me Secondly the truth is cleare that Christs active obedience was required in his person as a necessary qualification to make it possible for him to suffer or satisfy for us for had he not performed active obedience that is had any guile beene found in his mouth or heart had he ever sinned he must have suffered for himselfe and could no more have made satisfaction for us then one of us sinners can now doe for another From both which reason 't is cleare that Christs active obedience will not supply the place of ours or make ours lesse necessary and consequently that our renewed obedience and sanctification is still most indispensably required though mixed with much of weakenesse ignorance frailties recidivations to make us capable of pardon of sinne or salvation which sure is the intimation of those places which impute our Justification rather to the Resurrection of Christ and the consequents of that the subsequent acts of his Preisthood heretofore mentioned then to his death Such are Rom. 8. 34. It
is whether his sorrow bring forth fruits of amendment if so this is not the sinne of Desperation yet he hath the Grace of Hope which brings forth fruits of Hope though it be so clouded over with a melancholy vapour that it be not discernible even to himselfe But if this trouble of minde set him a sinning farther like Judas who had sorrow but then hanged himselfe this is Despaire indeed S. I shall sollicite you no farther in this point but for your prayers that God will keepe me from all premature perswasion of my being in Christ that he will give me that Hope that may set me a purifying and not suffer me to go on presumptuously or desperately in any course Onely upon occasion of this Grace of Hope give me leave to aske you whether he that now lives in sinne and hopes he shall one day repent and go to Heaven this Repentance and that Heaven being a future good and so the object of Hope may be said to have the Grace of Hope in any kind C. By no meanes Because God hath made no such promise that he shall repent nor without Repentance that any man shall have Heaven This is a ground-worke of carnall security and no degree of the Grace of Hope S. Once more may he that hath gone on in a continued course of sinne and at last is overtaken with Gods judgments and seeing Hell gates open upon him doth greive for his former wicked life and upon that hopes for mercy be conceived to be saved by that Hope C. I list not to passe sentence on any particular because I cannot throughly discerne his state onely I can say in generall I know no promise of pardon in Scripture to a bare death-bed sorrow because indeed none to any sorrow at any time but that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Godly sorrow which worketh Repentance which Repentance as it is available if true though never so late so is seldome true when it is late nor can well be knowne to be true but by persevering fruits which require time And though a serious purpose of amendment and true acts of Contrition before or without the habit may be accepted by God to my salvation yet in this case there is no sure judgment whether this purpose be serious or these acts true acts of Contrition And so in this case there is no foundation for his Hope and then a groundlesse Hope or a bare Hope without the other conditions to which the promises belong will never be able to save any S. Shall we now proceed to the third Grace that of Love or Charity C. Most willingly it is a precious Grace and that which Saint Paul preferres before Hope and Faith S. But is any Grace to be prefer'd before that of Faith I thought that had beene the most necessary Gospell-grace C. It is most certaine there is Faith being taken in that notion which I told you belongs to that place because Saint Paul hath affirmed it that Charity is the greatest of the three 1 Cor. 13. 13. And it is as sure that no other Scripture hath contradicted this and although very great things are said of Faith as of the onely condition of Justification and Salvation yet 1. This is when it is in conjunction with Charity Faith consummate by love And 2. 'T is observable that the most imperfect things are alwaies the most necessary and consequently the great necessity of Faith is no argument of it's dignity in comparison of this other Grace For indeed Faith is necessary so as without which Charity cannot be had but then this alone is unsufficient to save any if Charity be not added to it Faith is the foundation which though it be the most necessary part of the building yet is it the lowest and most imperfect Charity the superstruction which is never firmely built but when grounded in Faith and when 't is so 't is farre more excellent then it's foundation Besides Charity is a Grace not out-dated in Heaven as Faith and Hope are S. But what is Charity C. The sincere love of God and of our neighbour for his sake S. Wherein doth the love of God consist C. As love in its latitude is of two sorts of Freindship and of Desire the first betwixt freinds the second betwixt lovers the first a rationall the second a sensitive love so our love of God consists of two parts 1. Esteeming prizing valuing of God 2. Desiring of him S. How shall I know whether I doe Esteeme God as I ought to doe C. If you would be content to doe any thing or suffer any thing rather then loose his favour rather then displease him If you love me saith he keepe my Commandements And therefore loving him and obeying him love and workes to wit Evangelicall workes are taken for the same thing in Scripture S. How must this love be qualified C. The speciall qualification or rather indeed essentiall property of Charity is the sincerity of it as that is opposite to hypocrisy or a double heart or divided love or joining any rivall or competitor in our hearts with him The loving God above all and all other for his sake this is set downe both by Moses and Christ in these words Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy mind with all thy strength The Heart as I conceive signifying the Affections The Soule the Will or elective faculty The Minde the Understanding or rationall faculty And the Strength the powers of the body for action and all foure together making up the whole man and the word All affixt to each not to exclude all other things from any inferiour part in my love but onely from an equall or superiour to exclude a partiall or a halfe love S. What are the motives that may stirre up this love in my heart C. 1. The consideration of Gods infinite essence And 2. Of his most glorious Attributes And 3. Of his bounteous actions towards us in creating redeeming preserving and providing such rewards for those that love him S. What is that other part of love which you call the Desiring of him C. The actuall appetition or fastening our affections on him desiring to enjoy him 1. His Grace or sanctifying Spirit here And 2. The perpetuall vision of him hereafter The former part of this is called hungering and thirsting after righteousnesse A hatred and impatience of sinne a desiring to be out of that polluted condition and to be made like unto God in holinesse and purity and you may know the sincerity of that 1. By assiduity and frequency and fervency in prayer that way of conversing and communing with God a most infallible concomitant of this kind of love 2. By loving and seeking the meanes 1. of resisting sin and 2. of receiving and 3. of improving of Grace that one principall desire of Davids That he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his
that they must be sanctified before he perfect them he addeth a proofe by which these two things are cleared First that to perfect there signifies to forgive sinnes or to justifie Secondly that this doctrine of the priority of sanctification is agreeable to the description of the second covenant Jer. 31. 33. That by perfecting he meanes justifying or pardoning of sinnes 't is apparent by v. 17. their sins and iniquities will I remember no more which must needes be acknowledged to be that part of the testimony that belongs to that part of the proposition to be proved by it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath perfected for ever the former part of the testimony belongs to the latter part of the proposition as being an expression of sanctification which may farther thus appeare to perfect in this Author signifies to consecrate to preisthood c. 2. 10. 5. 9. 7. 28. that being applyed to us is a phrase to note boldnes or liberty to enter into the Holies v. 19. that againe to pray confidently to God which v. 18. is set to denote pardon of sinne and washing our hearts from an evill conscience i. e. from guilt of sinne v. 22. Which being premised the second thing most necessaryly followes that in Jeremy 31. 33. the tenure of the covenant sets Sanctification before Justification for saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he first said I will put my law into their hearts and put or write them in their thoughts or minds and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the saying of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also I will no more remember their sinnes nor their offences Many other Scripture-evidences might be added to this matter if it were needfull As for those that make Justification to be before Sanctification I hope and conceive they meane by sanctification that sanctified state the actuall performance and practice of our vowes of new life and our growth in grace and by our Justification that first act of pardon and then they say true but if they meane that our sinnes are pardoned before we convert to God and resolve new life and that the first grace enabling to do these is a consequent of God's having pardoned our sinnes this is a mistake which in effect excludes justification by faith which is that first Grace of receiving of Christ and resigning our hearts up to him and must be in order of nature precedent to our Justification or else can neither be condition nor instrument of it and besides this is apt to have an ill influence on practice and therefore I thought fit to prevent it The issue of all is that God will not pardon till we in heart reforme and amend he that forsaketh i. e. in hearty sincere resolution abandons the sinnes of the old man shall have mercy and none but he And then God will not continue this gracious favour of his but to those who make use of his assisting grace to persevere in these resolutions of forsaking so that the justification is still commensurate to the sanctification an act of justification upon an act of sanctification or a resolution of new life and a continuance of justification upon continuance of the sanctifyed estate S. But is not God first reconciled unto us before he gives us any grace to sanctifie us C. So farre reconciled he is as to give us grace and so farre as to make conditionall promises of salvation but not so as to give pardon or justifie actually for you know whom God justifies those he glorifies i. e. if they passe out of this life in a justified estate they are certainely glorified but you cannot imagine that God will glorify any who is not yet sanctified for without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. And therefore you will easily conclude that God justifies none who are unsanctified for if he did then supposing the person to dye in that instant it must follow either that the unsanctified man is glorified or the justified man not glorified Any thing else God may doe to the unsanctified man but either save him or doe somewhat on which saving infallibly followes and therefore give him Grace he may but till that Grace be received and treasured up in an honest heart he will never be throughly reconciled to him i. e. justify or save S. I pray then from these premises set me downe the order or method used by God in the saving of a sinner C. I will It is this 1. God gives his sonne to dye for him and satisfy for his sinnes so that though he be a sinner yet on condition of a new life he may be saved Then 2. In that death of Christ he strikes with him a New Covenant a Covenant of mercy and grace Then 3. According to that Covenant he sends his spirit and by the word and that annexed to it he calls the sinner powerfully to repentance If he answer to that call and awake and arise make his sincere faithfull resolutions of new life God then 4. Justifies accepts his person and pardon 's his sinnes past Then 5. gives him more grace assists him to doe as before he enabled to will to performe his good resolutions Then 6. upon continuance in that state in those performances till the houre of death he gives to him as to a faithfull servant a crowne of life S. The Good Lord he thus mercifull to me a sinner I blesse God and give you many thankes for these directions and shall be well pleased to continue you my debtor for the other particular you promised me till some farther time of leisure and so intermit your trouble a while LIB II. S. § 1 THe benefit I reaped by your last discourse hath not satisfied but raised my appetite to the more earnest importunate desire of what is yet behind the consideration of Christ's Sermon in the Mount Which I have heard commended for an abstract of Christian Philosophy an elevating of his Disciples beyond all other men in the world for the practice of virtue But I pray why did Christ when he preach't it leave the multitude below and goe up to a Mount accompanied with none but Disciples C. That he went up to the Mount was to intimate the matter of this Sermon to be the Christian law as you know the Jewish law was delivered in a Mount that of Sinai And that he would have no auditours but Disciples It was 1. Because the multitude followed him not for doctrines but for cures c. 4. 24 25. And therefore were not fit auditours of precepts 2. Because these precepts were of an elevated nature above all that ever any Law-giver gave before and therefore were to be dispensed onely to choise auditours 3. Because the lights and mysteries of Christianity are not wont to be abruptly dispensed but by degrees to them that have formerly made some progresse at least have delivered themselves up to Christ's Lectures entred into his Schoole i. e. to his Disciples S. What then
are none but Disciples the men to whom this Sermon belongs and if so will it not thence follow that the commands conteined in it shall oblige onely the successours of those Disciples the Ministers of the Gospell and so all others be freed from that severity C. That it was given onely to Disciples then it may be acknowledged but that will be of latitude enough to conteine all Christians for to be a Disciple of Christ is no more then so for you know Christ first called Disciples and they followed him some time before he sent them out or gave them commission to preach c. i. e. before he gave them the dignity of Apostles of which as onely the Ministers of the Gospell are their successours so in Discipleship all Christian professours And therefore you must resolve now once for all that what is in this Sermon said to Disciples all Christians are concern'd in indifferently it is command and obligatory to all that follow him S. You have engaged me then to thinke my selfe concern'd so nearely in it as not to have patience to be longer ignorant of this my duty Will you please then to enter upon the substance of the Sermon wherein I can direct my selfe so farre as to discerne the 8 Beatitudes to be the first part I pray how farre am I concern'd in them C. So farre as that you may resolve your selfe obliged to the beleife 1. That you are no farther a Christian then you have in you every one of those graces to which the blessednesse is there affixed 2. That every one of those graces hath matter of present blessednesse in it the word blessed in the front denoting a present condition abstracted from that which afterwards expects them 3. That there is assurance of future blessednesse to all those that have attained to those severall graces S. I shall remember these three directions call upon you to exemplify them in the particulars as they come to our hands and therefore first I pray give me the first of these graces what it is C. Poverty of spirit S. What is meant by that C. It may possibly signifie a preparation of minde or spirit to part with all worldly wealth a contentednesse to live poore and bare in this world but I rather conceive it signifies A lowly opinion of ones selfe a thinking my selfe the meanest vilest creature least of Saints and greatest of sinners contrary to that spirituall pride of the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3. 17. which said she was rich encreased with goods and had need of nothing not knowing that she was wretched miserable poore and blinde and naked This is that insant child-temper that Christ prescribes so absolutely necessary to a Christian Mat. 18. 4. and c. 19. 14. and that in respect of the humility of such c. 18. 4. and the littlenesse Luk. 9. 48. i. e. being in our owne conceit which I conceive is meant there by the phrase in spirit the least and lowest and meanest and as children most impotent unsufficient of all creatures S. What now is the present blessednesse of such C. It consists in this 1. That this is an amiable and lovely quality a charme of love amongst men where ever 't is met with whereas on the other side pride goes hated and cursed and abomined by all drives away servants freinds and all but flatterers 2. In that this is a seed-plat of all virtue especially Christian which thrives best when 't is rooted deepe i. e. in the humble lowly heart 3. Because it hath the promise of grace God giveth grace to the humble but on the contrary resisteth the proud S. What assurance of future blessednesse is there to those that have this grace C. It is exprest in these words for theirs or of them is the Kingdome of Heaven which I conceive signifies primarily that Christ's Kingdom of grace the true Christian Church is made up peculiarly of such as in the answer of Christ to John Mat. 11. 5. a way of assuring him that he was the Christ 't is in the close the poore are Evangelized or wrought on by the preaching of the Gospell and as Mat. 18. 4. He that shall humble himselfe as the child the same shall be greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven i. e. a prime Christian or Disciple of Christ and c. 19. 14. for of such which is a like phrase parallell to of them here is the Kingdome of Heaven i. e. the Church into which he therefore commands them to be permitted to enter by baptisme and chides his Disciples for forbidding them Thus is the Kingdome of Heaven to be interpreted in Scripture in divers places of the New Testament which you will be able to observe when you reade with care S. But how doth this belong to future blessednesse C. Thus that this Kingdome of Grace here is but an inchoation of that of Glory hereafter and he that lives here the life of an humble Christian shall there be sure to reigne the life of a victorious Saint S. What is Mourning C. Contrition or godly sorrow conceived upon the sence of our wants and sinnes S. What wants doe you meane C. Spirituall wants 1. Of originall immaculate righteousnesse and holinesse and purity 2. Of strength and sufficiency to doe the duty which we ought to God our Creatour Christour Redeemer and the Spirit our Sanctifier S. What sinnes doe you meane C. 1. Our originall depravednesse and pronenesse of our carnall part to all evill 2. The actuall and habituall sinnes of our unregenerate And 3. the many slips and falls of our most regenerate life S. What is the present felicity of these mourners C. That which results from the sence of this blessed temper there being no condition of soule more wretched then that of the sencelesse obdurate sinner that being a kind of numnesse and lethargy and death of soule and contrarywise this feeling and sensiblenesse and sorrow for sinne the most vitall quality as it is said of feeling that it is the sence of life an argument that we have some life in us and so true matter of joy to all that finde it in themselves And therefore it was very well said of a father Let a Christian man greive and then rejoyce that he doth so Besides the mourning soule is like the watered earth like to prove the more fruitfull by that meanes S. What is the assurance of future felicity that belongs to this mourner C. 'T is set downe in these words for they shall be comforted Christ who hereafter gives now makes promise of comfort to such the reaping in joy belongs peculiarly to them that sow in teares and godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation when all other worketh death And besides this assurance ariseth from the very nature of comfort refreshment by whichthe joyes of heaven are exprest of which none are capable but the sad disconsolate mourners nor indeed is heaven the vision of God and
children after death but a proposall of a sad payment which would never be done the paying of it would be a doing for ever S. I thanke you for these supernumerary meditations I hope they shall not be cast away upon me I shall detaine you no longer here but call upon you to proceed to the next period which I see to begin in like manner with a commandement of the old law Thou shalt not commit adultery and the same introduction to it which was to the former Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time which by what I before learn't of you I conclude should be to them of old time or to the ancient Jewes Exod. 20. 14. I shall propose 〈◊〉 more scruples in this matter but onely crave your directions for the maine what you conceive forbidden here in that old Commandement C. As in the former God by Moses restrained all the accursed issues of one kinde of sensuality so in this place of the other this of lust And naming the cheife kinde of breach that of Adultery i. e. lying carnally with a married woman he forbids also all other acts of uncleanenesse which are not conjugall Thus have some of the Jewes themselves interpreted the word and so in the Scripture and good Authors in common use adultery and fornication are taken promiscuously to signifie all manner of uncleanenesse Of which though some kinds seeme to have beene permitted the Jewes yet this permission is not to be conceived to extend any farther then the benefit of legall impunity not that they were lawfull or without turpitude Yea and that some kinds of them were by their law severely punished you shall see Deut. 22. But more severely by God himselfe as Numb 25. So that under the letter of that old Commandement are conteined not onely the knowne sinnes of adultery and fornication but all other kind of filthinesse mentioned Rom. 1. 24 26 27. v. 29. Where there are foure words which seem to conteine all sorts of it under them Fornication Villainy Immoderate desire Naughtinesse And so againe 2 Cor. 12. 21. Vncleanenesse fornication lasciviousnesse and Gal. 5. 19. Adultery fornication uncleanenesse lasciviousnesse and idolatry Which last word in that and other places seemes a word meant to conteine all such kinde of sinnes under it because they were so ordinary in the Idolatrous mysteries of the Heathens most of their rites and secrets of their religion being the practice of these filthy sinnes So Eph. 4. 19. 5. 3. in both which places as also before Rom. 1. 29. Col. 3. 5. The word there rendred Covetousnesse in the three latter and greedinesse in the first signifies that irregular desire and so those Heathenish sins which here also Col. 3. 5. are called Idolatry I would not give you any more particular account of these sinnes but desire God to fortify you with all care and vigilance against them grounded in a sence of hatred and detestation of them as of the greatest reproach to your nature greivance to the Spirit of God defamation of Christianity where ever they are to be found and the sinnes of such a nature that when they are once in any kinde indulged to they are apt to breake out into all the basenesse and vilenesse in the world and that in breife are called by Saint Peter abominable idolatrie 1 Pet. 4. 3. S. The Good Lord of all purity by the power of his sanctifying grace proserve me from all such taints to be a Temple for the Holy Ghost But what else is reducible to this Commandement of the law C. 1. All desires of these sins consented to although they break not out into act 2. All morose thoughts i. e. dwelling or insisting on that image or phansying of such uncleane matter with delectation 3. The feeding my lust with luxurious diet inflaming wines c. or other such fewell and accentives of it c. S. What now hath Christ added to this old prohibition C. You have it in these words That whosoever looketh after a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart S. What is the meaning of that C. That he that so lookes c. 1. Signifies his heart to be adulterous though himself be not either through want of opportunity c. 2. That he shall by Christ be censurable as the adulterer under the law S. But what is the full importance of looking on a woman to lust C. It is not to looke to that end that I may lust as some are willing to interpret here by this meanes making the looking sinfull onely in order to that end that lusting without designing of which they conceive the looking it selfe will be no fault but either to looke so long till I lust or else to satisfy my lust though not with the yeilding to the corporall pollution yet so farre as to feed my eye to gaze to dwell on the beauty of other women I shall give it you in the language of the Fathers who have thus interpreted it He that stands and lookes earnestly Theoph. He that makes it abusinesse to looke earnestly upon gallant bodies and beautifull faces that hunts after them and feeds his minde with the spectacle that nailes his eyes to handsome faces Chrys And againe Not he that desires that he may commit folly but lookes that he may desire And againe God hath given thee eyes that seeing the creatour thou mayest glorifie him and admire him As therefore there was an immoderation and fault in anger so in looking If saith he thou wilt looke and be delighted looke upon thine owne wife and love her continually but if thou lookest after other beauties thou dost both wrong her letting thy eyes rove otherwhere and thou wrongest her whom thou lookest on medling with her illegally For though thou touchest her not with thy hand yet with thy eyes thou doest To this Saint Peter referres 2 Pet. 2. 14. Eyes full of adultery there being an adulterous looke as well as an adulterous embrace the former forbidden by Christ as well as the latter by Moses S. I had not thought this prohibition of Christs had beene so severe but seeing it is the opinion of the ancient Fathers that the words are thus to be interpreted and that the feeding of the eye yeilding to satisfy that with unlawfull objects the beauty of any but our owne wives and the stirring up of fire within which is apt to be kindled by that meanes is here forbidden I shall no longer doubt of it but resolve and with Job make a Covenant with my eyes that I will not behold a maide i. e. please my selfe with the contemplation of her beauty and the Lord give me grace to make good this resolution But then if it be a fault thus to behold will it not be so also in the woman that is thus beheld as the patient in adultery sinnes as well as the agent
and against the law of Nature by which hating or hurting is avowed onely in case of injuries done and even then also the contrary commended and so that which Christ hath here to doe is partly to recall and reforme the Jewes to the law of nature and to command that which that commended partly to advance and set it higher then the law of the Jewes had required of them before S. What then is now the law of Christ in this matter C. It is set downe v. 44. But I say unto you love your enemies c. to the end of this Chapter The summe of which is that other mens faults or sinnes against us nay against God himselfe for the Jewes enemies the people of the seven Nations Amorites c. being most detestable sinners before God are here referr'd to in this word Enemies give not us any dispensation for the non-payment of that great debt of our nature love to all our kind 'T is true indeed the passions and affections that our nature is subject to doe incline us to revenge against our enemies or if we can conquer that yet we cannot choose but make a distinction betweene freinds and foes and at least have a great coldnesse and indifference to those who have deserved so ill at our hands But Christ is come to mortify those affections of rage and revenge and to leade us higher then nature would bring us to affections and words and actions of kindnesse and benignity to those that have exprest the contrary of every of these toward us S. But is it not aboundantly sufficient if my affections and behaviour toward mine enemy be not like his to me unkind retaliating of injuries c Is there any more required of me C. Yes undoubtedly of a Christian who is to transcribe that copy that Christs owne dealing with us when we were enemies did set us I must not onely negatively not hate or curse or pursue with injuries but love and blesse and doe good and pray for my greatest enemy S. What is meant by Loving him C. That denotes the affection of charity and kindnesse and benignity toward him 1. Wishing him all the good in the world but that especially which he most wanteth the good of his soule conviction of sinne reformation c. 2. Pitying and compassionating him and that the more for being mine enemy because that implies a sinne in him which is of all things the most proper matter of compassion 3. Being cordially affected toward him S. What is meant by Blessing him C. The word in Greeke and the opposition to cursing i. e. evill or bitter speaking noteth kindnesse and freindlinesse of language giving them all freindly and courteous words who have nothing but railing and evill speaking for us commending in them whatever is capable of it though they doe nothing but defame and backbite us S. What is meant by Doing good to them C. All outward reall effects and actions of charity Such are almes if they be in want feeding giving to drinke clothing them when they are hungry thirsty naked comfort if in any distresses Counsell if in any difficulty rescuing their goods c. if we see them in danger admonishing them in a freindly manner and such as may be most likely to prevaile with them when we see them falling into any sinne reproving and correcting fatherly when we see them fallen In a word contributing our utmost to the good of their bodies estates families reputations but especially their soules and all this without any tincture of our revenge or rage mixing with it S. What is meant by Praying for them C. Desiring of God for them whatsoever they want 1. Pardon of sinne with an expression of my free pardoning them 2. Grace for amendment of life 3. All other blessings temporall and spirituall which they stand in need of S. This is a duty of some difficulty what helpe can you direct me to to facilitate the performance of it C. Many considerations there are which will tend to that end Three there are here named S. What be they C. The first is the example of God who sheweth mercy to sinners who are his enemies and in the outward disspensation of temporall blessings giveth as liberall a portion many times to the wicked unthankfull provokers as to his good servants and for the common advantages of life Sunne and Raine dispenseth them generally in an equality to all And then for us to doe the like is a God-like thing the greatest dignity that our nature is capable of S. What is the second helpe C. The consideration of the reward which God hath decreed for such who doe this and that proportioned to their actions retribution of good to evill of mercy and happinesse though we are sinners and enemies Whosoever doth but thinke of that how much the joies of Heaven for eternity are beyond the pleasure of a little revenge for the present will never thinke fit to make such an unequall exchange to lose so rich a reward for so poore a pleasure S. What is the third helpe C. The consideration of what is done by all others the vilest and wickedest men in the world For such were the Publicanes accounted and yet they could thinke themselves obliged to love their freinds and satisfy that obligation they could use civilities and courteous compellations and salutations to their neighbours c. And if we who are bound to exceed the Scribes and Pharisees the strictest sect among the Jewes shall be but in the same ranke with Publicanes who are otherwhere put with heathens and harlots and sinners the vilest and most abominable of all men this will sure be a great reproach to us Christians S. What other motives can you adde in this matter why I should love my enemies C. 1. That by this meanes I shall conquer my selfe my unruly passions with a most glorious heroicall peice of victory 2. That by this I shall preserve my selfe in a great calmenesse and quiet of minde which thoughts of revenge wholly deprive me of 3. That this is of all others the most probable way of overcoming my enemies Revenge being a meanes of exasperating and enflaming him charity of melting him Which if I doe I first get a freind for an enemy and secondly have the honour and claime to the reward due to them that convert sinners from the errour of their wayes 4. That this is a way of excelling all other men in the world none but Christians thinking themselves obliged to doe this 5. That this is the speciall way of Christian perfection and is so called in the close of this Chapter Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect In stead of which Saint Luke reads 6. 36. Be ye mercifull c. nothing this mercy or almes or benignity to enemies to be the highest degree of Christian perfection S. I beseech God by his renewing quickning spirit to mortify the contrary sinne and worke this truly Christian