in the Word and Sacrament c. If a man desire strangenesse that he cares not how seldome hee receive the Sacrament or come into Gods presence is here love how can love and strangenesse stand together thou art a strange person from God and the things of God thou hast no joy in his presence where thou mayest enjoy his presence here in holy things in this world if thou delight not in his presence and in union with him how canst thou say thou lovest him Can a man say he loves him whose company hee cares not for Thou carest not for Gods company thou mayest meete him in the Word and Sacraments and in good company Where two or three are gathered together I will be in the middest Doest thou pretend thou lovest GOD if thou carest not for these thou hast no fellowship in this businesse all that rellish not heavenly things they doe not love Now to try whether we have this branch of love that is a desire of union Where therefore there is a desire of union with the partie loved of uniting to that person for we speake of persons there wil bee a desire of communion a desire of Vnion will breed a desire of Communion that is there will be a course taken to open our mindes if we have a desire of communion with GOD wee will open our soules often to him in prayer and we will desire that hee will open himselfe in speaking to our hearts by his Spirit And wee will desire that he will open his minde to us in his Word wee will bee carefull to heare his Word and so maintain that sweet and heavenly Commerce betweene him and our soules by this entercourse of hearing him and speaking to him Where two or three are gathered together I will bee in the midst Therefore thâ—se that make no conscience either of hearing the word or of prayer publicke and private aâ—d of using the glorious libertie wee have in Christ of free accesse to the Throne of Grace that doe not use this prerogative and priviledge to cherish that union and communion they may have with God they love not God and Christ Strangenesse is opposite to love and it dissolves and disunites affections therefore when wee are strange to God that we can goe from one end of the weeke to the other and from the beginning of the day to the end of it not be acquainted with God and not open our soules to him it is a signe wee have no love because there is no desire of union and communion with him Againe where wee love we consult and advise and rest in that advice as comming from a loving person especially if he bee as wise as loving so in all our consultations wee will goe to God and take his counsell and when wee have it wee will account it the counsell of one that is wise and loving Those therefore that trust to their owne wits to policie and such like what doe they speake of love when they make not use of that Covenant that is betweene God and them they consult not with him they make not his word the man of their counsell they goe not to him by prayer for advice they commit not their wayes to him as the Psalmist speaketh And this distinguisheth a good Christian from another man A good Christian hee is such a one as acquaints himselfe with his God and wil not loose that entercourse hee hath with God for all the world As Daniel hee would not but pray they could not get him from it with the hazard of his life Againe where this desire of union and joyning is there is a desire even of death it selfe that there may be a fuller union and a desire of the consummation of all things Therefore so farre as wee are afraid of death and tremble at it so farre we want love When the contract is once made betweene Christ and the soule of a Christian for him to feare the making up of the mariage when wee are now absent from the Lord to feare the sweet eternal communion wee shall have in heaven where we shall have all things in greater excellencie and abundance it is from want of faith and love Therefore we should bee ashamed of our selves when wee finde such thoughts rising in our hearts as they will naturally to bee basely and distrustfully afrayd of death Saint Paul sayth I desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ that is good nay it is much better for mee nay it is best of all to bee with Christ therefore you see it stirred up his desire I desire to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ. Come Lord Iesus come quickly sayth the Church Revel 22. and the spirit in the Spouse stirres up this desire likewise Come the Spirit and the Spouse say Come And wee should rejoyce to thinke there are happier times to come wherein there will bee an eternall meeting together that nothing shall dissolve as the Apostle sayth 1 Thessal 4. 17. when wee shall bee for ever with the LORD Oh! those times cheare up the heart of a Christian before hand Now where these things possesse not the soule how can wee say that wee love God In Cant. 1. the Church beginnes Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his mouth shee desires a familiar communion with Christ in his word and ordinances Let him kisse me c. Let him speake by his Spirit to my heart In this world Christ kisseth his Church with the kisses of his mouth But in the latter end of the Canticles Make haste my beloved she desires his second coming thinks it not enough to have the kisses of his mouth Make haste my beloved and bee as the young Roes upon the mountaines of Spices that is come hastily from heaven the mountaine of Spices and let us meet together my beloved These things be somwhat strange to our carnall dispositions but if wee hope ever to attaine to the comfort of what I say wee must labour that our hearts may bee brought to this excellent condition to desire the presence of Christ that is the second propertie of love The third is to rest pleased and contented in the thing when wee are joyned with it so farre as wee are joyned with it to place our contentment in it and it is in the nature of that affection to place contentment in the thing wee desire to have whenwe have it once Now wee may know this our contentment whether wee rest in GOD or no by the in ward quiet and peace of the soule in all conditions when whatsoever our condition be in this world yet wee know wee have the light of GODS countenance and can rest and bee content in it more than worldly men in their corne and wine and oyle as David sayth Psalm 4. I rejoyce more in the light of thy countenance than when they have their corne and wine and oyle When wee can joy and solace
have in the Gospell be such divine truthes above nature altogether Then we must not stand to looke for reason too much nor trust the reason or wit of any man but divine authority herâ— especially For if divine authority cease in the Gospel what were it nothing the law is written in mens hearts but we must trust divine authoritie in the Gospel above al other portions of scripture and not to the wit of any man whatsoever The Church of Rome that is possest with a Spirit of pride and Ignorance and tyranny they will force knowledge on them that be under them from their sole authoritie the Church saith so and wee are the Church and it is not for you to know c. and scriptures are so and so but is the Gospell a supernaturall mysterie above the capacitie of any man and shall we build upon the authoritie of the Church for these truthes oh no! there must bee no forcing of Evangelicall truthes from the authority or parts of any man But these are not things that wee stand in so much need of therefore I hasten to that which is more usefull Eye hath not seene nor eare heard c. Here then we have an use of direction how to carrie our selves in reading and studying holy truths especially the sacred mysteries of the Gospel how shall we study them Wee thinke to breake into them with the engine of our wit and to understand them and never come to God for his spirit God will curse such proud attempts Who â—nowes the things of man but the spirit of a man and who knowes the things of God but the spirit of God Therefore in studying the Gospell let us come with a spirit of faith and a spirit of humility and meeknesse there is no breaking into these things with the strength of parts That hath been the ground of so many heresies as have beene in the Church Only Christ 〈◊〉 the key of David that shutteth and no man openeth and openeth and no man shutteth he hath the key of the Scripture and the key to open the understanding And to presse this poynt a little if eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive the things of the Gospell without the revelation of the spirit then we must come with this mind when wee come to heare the things of the Gospell Lord without thy holy spirit they are all as a clasped booke they are hidden mysteries to mee though they be revealed in the Gospell If my heart be shut to them they are all hidden to me Wee see men of excellent parts are enemies to that they teach themselves opposing the power of the Gospell whence is all this because they thinke only the opening of these things makes them divines wheras without the holy Ghost sanctifying and altering the heart in some measure to tast and rellish these things that as they are divine in themselves so to have some what divine in the heart to tast these things it is impossible but that the heart should rise against them and so it doth for when it comes to particulars you must deny your selfe in this honour in this pleasure coÌ„moditie now you must venture the displeasure of man for this and that truth the heart riseth in scorn and loathing of divine truth when it comes to particulars they know nothing as they should For when is truth knowne but when in particulars wee stand for it and will neither betray it nor do any thing that doth not benefit a Christian If we have not the spirit of God to relish truthes in particular they will doe us no good And except the spirit sanctifie the heart of man first by these truthes the truth will never be understood by the proud naturall heart of man Therefore the course that God takes with his children is this those that he meanes to have he first inspires into their hearts some desire to come to heare and attend upon the meanes of salvation to understand the Gospell and then under the means of salvation he shines into the understanding by a heavenly light and inspires into the will and affections some heavenly inclination to this truth of the Gospell to justification sanctification selfe-denyall and the like and workes a new life and new sences and upon them wrought under the meanes comes the soul to relish and to understand these mysteries and then the eares and the eies are open to see these things and never before A holy man that hath his heart subdued by the spirit of God in the use of the meanes oh he relisheth the point of forgivenesse of sins hee relisheth the point of sanctification he studies it daily more and more and nearer communion with God hee relisheth peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost they are sweete things and all the duties of Christianity because hee makes it his maine busines to adorne his proâ—ession and to live here so as hee may live for ever hereafter And this must be of necessitie for marke out of the text If the naturall eye and eare and heart can never see nor heare nor conceive the things of God must there not be a supernaturall eare and eye and heart put into the soule must not the heart and all be new molded againe If the former frame bee not sufficient for these things of necessitie it must be so From hence learne to arme your selves against all scandalls when ye see men of parts and account and such there may be men of deepe apprehensions and understanding in the Scripture for matter of notion and for the language of the Scripture exquisite and yet to be proud malicious haters of sanctity next to divells none greater consider what is the reason either they have proud spirits that despise and neglect the meanes of salvation altogether or if they doe come they come as Iudges they will not submit their proud hearts to the sweet motions of the Spirit stumble not at it if such men bee both enemies to that they teach themselves and those that practise it the reason is because their proud hearts were never subdued by the Spirit to understand the things they speake of For such a teacher understands supernaturall things by a naturall light and by humane reason that is to talk and discourse c. but hee sees not Supernaturall things by a supernaturall light divine things by a divine light Therefore a poore soule that heares the things published by him understands them better by the helpe of the Spirit than he that speakes them better indeed for his use and comfort As we see there are some that can measure land exactly but the man that oweth the land measured he knowes the use of the ground and delights in it as his owne the other can tell here is so much ground c. So some Divines they can tell there are such poynts and so they are raysed and they can bee
A GLANCE OF HEAVEN OR A PRETIOVS TASTE of a glorious Feast Wherein thou mayst taste and see those things which God hath prepared for them that love him The secrets of the Lord are with them that feare him c. Psal 23.14 By R. SIBS D. D. Master of Katherine Hall and preacher of Grays Inne London LONDON Printed by E. G. for Iohn Rothwell at the Sun in Pauls Church-yard 1638 To the Christian Reader Beloved IT 's growne a custome that every booke whose soever or of whatsoever subject must be presented to you in state with some prescript purposely Were it not that Custome is a Tyrant this labour might now be spared Such matter from such an Elder as here followes needs no epistle of recommendation The Reverend Auâ—hours is wel approved to be a man of God a Seer in Israel by those things which without controule have already passed the presse Might I have my with it should bee no more but a double portion of that Spirit of God which was in him The divine light which radiated into his breast displaies it selfe in many other of his labours but yet is no where more condens'd than in this following It 's truly sayd of Moses by faith hee saw him that was invisible Heb. 11. 27. And S. Paul prayes for the Ephesians that they might know the love of that which passeth knowledge Eph 3. 19. These things imply a contradiction yet in like phrase I feare not to say of this Father Brother he saw those things which eye hath not seen spake those things which eare hath not heard and uttered those things which have not entred into the heart of man to conceive This knot needs no cutting hee that rightly understands the text will easily looke through this mystery without the helpe of an Hyperbole His scope was to stirre us up to love God his motive to perswade is taken from the excellencie of those things which God hath prepared for them who love him That excellencie is expressed in a strange manner By intimating it cannot be expressed no nor so much as comprehended by any naturall abilitie of the body or minde yet it is expressed in the doctrine of the Godpell sufficiently So as herein as in a glasse we may behold the glory of God and in beholding bee changed from glory to glory What duty more necessary than to love God what motive more effectuall than the Gospell for what is the Gospell but a revelation of such things as naturall men could never invent Such things that is so pretious so useful so comfortable to us so divine admirable and transcendent in themselves Many of us are like the Angell of Ephesue Wee have lost our first love Rev. 2. 4. yea as our Saviour prophesied Matth. 24. 12. The love of many maxes cold One reason may bee because to see to wee reape so little fruit of our love Were it so that we had nothing in hand no present pay that we served God altogether upon trust without so much as an earnest yet there is something prepared Let us believe that and our hearts cannot but bee warmed wee shall then bee fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Be we perswaded of that God is not unrighteous to forget your worke and labour of love which you hâ—ve sheâ—ed to wards his name Heb. 6. 10. and then wee may triumphantly insult with Paul Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8. 38. There is this difference between natural sight and spirituall The one requires some nearnesse of the object the other perceives things at greatest distance As Faith makes future things present so it makes remote things near things prepared to affect as if they were enjoyed But what hath God prepared If I could answer this it might not onely â—atisfie but inâ—briate Such as eye hath not seene c. It seemes to bee a proverbial forme of speech whereby the rich plenty of the divine blessings and benefits which God intendeth to us in and by Christ according to the Gospel is shadowed forth The words are to see to as a riddle but here is one of a thousand an Interpreter at hand to unfold them I could say much to invite you but that the matter it selfe is as a Loadstone My testimony will adde little weight yet having some care committed to me by Mr. P. N. whom this businesse chiefly concerned I could doe no lesse then let you understand here is one rich piece of Spirituall Workmanship wrought by a Master-builder very usefull for the building up and beautifying of Gods Temples The blessing of God Almightie bee with it and upon the whole Israel of God So prayes L. SEAMAN A Table of the Contents of this Booke THe Coherence pag. 1 The best Ministers will not shun to bee tryed by the best judgements p. 3. The scope of the words and explication p. 5. The mystery of the Gospell hid from naturall men p. 6 The excellency of the Gospell declared by way of negation 7. What is meant by those things that eye hath not seene p. 11. Doct. God hath a company of beloved Children in the world that he meanes a speciall good unto p. 12. Doct. That God hath prepared great matters for them idem obj If these excellent things in the Gospell bee secret how come we to know them p. 14. Three degrees of revelation p. 18. The Gospell is hid without the Spirit discover the mind of God p. 21. Vse of instruction to shew there is no principle at all of the Gospell in nature 23 Why so many heresies have sprung out of the Gospell 24 2 Vse In Divine truths above nature wee are not too much to trust to Beason p. 26. 3 Vse How to study and read Divine truthes p. 28. Ths course that God takes to shew his children these mysteries p. 32 Supernaturall â—objects require Supernatur all senses p. 34 Knowledge joyned with feeling p. 37. Of spirituall sight p. 40 Nature cannot shew divine mysteries p. 41 Vse value things as they are in another world p. 42 It is the best wisdome to be wise to salvation p. 47 A ground of the Martyrs patience p. 50 A godly man suffers those things in his senses for those things that are above his senses p. 51 What Popery is 52 Merit hath no proportion with Glory 53 We cannot be too exact in holy duties 54 Wisedome of God hid from wise men 65 Wicked men talke of repentance but do not repent p. 61. A holy man feels sin heavy p 62. Carnall men have the light pag. 63. They know them but by a common light p. 64. What true riches and beauty is p. 69. Gods people have a tast of heaven before they come there p. 71. What peace in heaven is p. 72. How to come to know the things of heaven reason from the lesse to the greater p. 74. Ioyes of heaven are pure p. 76. Heaven on earth p. 77 Reasons why God hath prepared such great things
exquisite in this but what profite have they by it The poore soule that heares these things by the helpe of the Spirit hee can say these are mine as the man for whom the ground is measured As it is with those that come to a Feast the Physitian comes and sayes this is wholsome and good and this is good for this and that but eates nothing others that know not these things they eare the meate and are nourished in the meane time so when such men discourse of this and that a poore man that hath the Spirit he relisheth these things as his owne the other goes away onely discourseth as a Philosopher of the meate and eates nothing And therfore when you read heare these things content not your selves with the first degree of revelation no that is not enough when you have done that desire of God to joyne his Spirit to give you spirituall eyes and hearts that you may close with Divine truths and be divine as the truths are that there may bee a consent of the heart with the truth then the word of God will be sweet indeed Againe here we see this divine truth That a man when he hath the Spirit of God knowes things otherwise than hee did know them before though he did not know them by outward revelation of hearing and reading c. And hee believes them otherwise than he did before he sees them by a new light It is not the same knowledge that an unregenerate man hath with that he hath after when God workes upon his heart for then it is a divine supernatural knowledge And it is not the same faith and beliefe the Spirit of God raiseth a man up in a degree of creatures above other men as other men are above beasts hee gives new eyes new ears a new heart he moulds him anew every way Therefore you have good men somtimes wonder at themselves when God hath touched their hearts that they have had such shallow conceits of this and that truth before Now they see that they were in the darke that they were in a dampe before that they conceived things to be so and so and thought themselves some body but when God opens their eyes and takes away the skales and lets them see things in their proper light heavenly things by a heavenly light and with a heavenly eye they wonder at their former foolishnesse in divinity especially so farre as concernes the Gospell for there is more in the Scripture then pure supernaturall divinity there are many other arts in the Scripture The Gospell I say is a knowledge not of naturall men or great wits but of holy sanctified men Therefore we must not think that these things may be known by nature c. It is a sacred knowledge so much as will bring us to heaven it is a knowledge of holy men that have their hearts brought to love and tast and relish that they know Therefore it is no wonder though a company of men of great partes live naughtily they are no true divines because they have no true knowledge The divell is no divine nor a wicked man properly though hee can discourse of such things yet he is not properly a divine because he knowes not things by a divine light or heavenly things by a heavenly light The knowledge of the Gospell it is a knowledge of sanctified holy men but to come neerer to our practise If eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath entered into the heart of man to conceive those things that God hath prepared for his Then let us make this the rule of our esteeme of any thing that is good or any thing that is ill make it a rule of valuation The Apostle here you see hath a ranke of things above the sight of the eye or the hearing of the eare or the conceiving of the heart of man if there be such a ranke of things above this then the greatest ills are those that eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man and indeed they are so Wee grieve at the Ague and at the Stone and the Goute they are grievous things indeed oh but what bee these things that wee feele and see to those in another world that wee cannot apprehend for the greatnesse of them The torments of hell wee cannot conceive and understand them here for it is indeed to bee in hell it selfe to conceive what hell is and therfore when God enlargeth mens spirits to see them they make away themselves And so for the greatest good these goods here this outward glory we can see through it Christ could see through all the glory in the world that the Divell shewed him And these are things that wee can heare of and here the utmost that can be spoken of them therefore surely they are not the greatest good there are more excellent things than they because the eye sees them the eare heares of them and the understanding can conceive of them but there be things that the eye hath not seene nor eare heard not the soule conceived and those bee the joyes of heaven And thereupon to descend to practise if this bee a rule to value things that the best things are transcendent beyond sence and comprehension then shall I for those things that I can see can heare and feele and understand shall I lose those excellent good things thaâ— neither eye hath seen nor eare heard c. Is not this desperate folly to venture the losse of the best things of the most transcendent things that are above the capacitie of the greatest reaches of the world shall I lose all for pettie poore things that are within my owne reach and compasse How foolish therefore are those that are given to pleasures they feele the pleasure indeed but the sting comes after They delight in those ill things that they can heare and heare al that can be spoken of them and never thinke of the excellent things that eye hath not seen nor eare heard c. Let this make us in love with divine truthes in the Scripture with the Gospel that part of the Scripture that promiseth salvation by Christ and all the graces and priviledges of Christianity they are above our reach Wee study other things we can reach them we can reach the mysteries of the Law by long study and the mysteries of physicke and to the mysteries of trades by understanding when men have done all they may be fooles in the maine Solomons fooles they may do al these things and be wise for particular things by particular reaches of that which eie hath seen and eare heard c. and then for the best things that are above the capacitie of men they may die empty of all and goe to the place oâ— the damned To bee wise to Salvation is the best wisdome What a pittifull case is this that God should give us our understandings
I will onely name them to open our understandings a little First It is enough that God will have it so a modest Christian will be satisfied with that that God will have a difference betweene heaven and earth Gods dispensation may satisfie them 2. God wil have a difference betweene the warring Church and the triumphing Church This life is a life of Faith and not of sight We walke and live by faith Why partly to try the truth of our faith and partly for the glory of God that he hath such servants inn the world here that will depend upon him upon termes of faith upon his bare word that can say there are such things reserved in heaven for me I have enough what a glory is it to God that he hath those that will trust him upon his bare word It were no commendation for a Christian to live here in a beautifull glorious manner if hee should see all and live by sight If he should see hell open the terrours there for him then to abstraine from sinne what glory were it the sight would force abstinence If he should see heaven open and the joyes of it present it were no thanks to be a good man for sight would force it The second Reason is this that God will have a known difference between hypocrites and the true Children of God If heaven were upon earth and nothing reserved in faith and in promise every one would be a Christian but now the greatest things being laid up in promises wee must excercise our faith to waite for them now there are none that will honour God in his word but the true Christian that there are such excellent things reserved in another world in comparison of which all these are base there is none but a true Christian that will honour God upon his word that will venter the losse of these things here for them in heaven that wil not lose those things that they have in reversion and promise for the present delights of sinne for a season Wheras the common sort they heare say of a heaven and happinesse and a day of judgement c. But in the meane time they will not deny their base pleasures and their Rebellious dispositions they wil crosse themselves in nothing doe wee thinke that God hath prepared heaven for such wretches as these oh let us never thinke of it God therefore hath reserved the best excellencies for the time to come in promises and in his word if we have grace to depend upon his word and in the meane time goe on and crosse our corruptions it is an excellent condition to be so it shewes the difference that God will have between us and other men Againe thirdly our vessells could not containe it Wee are uncapable our braine is not strong enough for these things as weake braines cannot digest hote liquors so we cannot digest a large revelation of these things As wee see St. Peter was not himselfe in the transfiguration hee forgot himselfe and was spiritually drunke with joy with that hee saw in the mount hee wote not what hee said as the Scripture saith when hee said Master let us make three Tabernacles c. Nay Saint Paul himself the great Apostle when hee saw things in heaven above expression that could not nor might not be uttered could not digest them They were so great that if he had not had somewhat to weigh him downe to ballance him hee had been overturned with pride therefore there was a pricke in the flesh sent to Paul himselfe to humble him Are wee greater than Paul and Peter the great Apostles of the Jewes and Gentiles when these grand Apostles could not containe themselves when they see these heavenly things and but a glimpse of them the one did not know what he said and the other was humbled by way of prevention with a pricke in the flesh and shal we think to conceive of these things No we cannot for that is to be in heaven before our time These and the like reasons wee may have to satisfie us in this why wee cannot conceive of the things to come as they are in their proper nature God sayth to Moses when Moses would have a fairer manifestation of God No man can see me and live If we would see God as he is we must die If we would see heaven and the joyes of it as it is wee must die first No man can see the things that the Apostle here speakes of in their proper light and excellencie but he must die first They are not proportionable to our condition here for God hath resolved that this life shall bee a life of imperfection and that that shall be a perfect estate of perfect glory Alas our capacities now are not capable our affections wil not containe those excellent things therefore God traines us up by little and little to the full fruition and enjoying of it Thus we see how wee come to have some knowledge of them and why we have not a full knowledge of them here Well to leave this and goe on If this be so then let us oft thinke of these things The life of a Christian is wondrously ruled in this world by the consideratiō and meditation of the life of another world nothing more steeres the life of a Christian here then the consideration of the life hereafter not only by way of comfort that the consideration of immortal life glory is the comfort of this mortall base life but likewise by way of disposition and framing a man to all courses that are good There is no grace of the spirit in a manner but it is set on worke by the consideration of the estate that is to come no not one What is the worke of faith It is the evidence of things not seene It sets the things of another world present before the eye of the soule and in that respect it is victorious it conquers the world because it sets a better world in the eye Where were the exercise of faith if it were not for hope of such an estate which feeds faith the excellencie of faith is that it is about things not seene it makes things that are not seene to be seene it hath a kind of omnipotent power it gives a being to things that have none but in the promise of the speaker And for hope the very nature of hope is to expect those things that faith believes Were it not for the joyes of heaven where were hope It is the helmet of the soule to keepe it from blowes and temptations It is the Anchor of the soule that being cast within the vaile into heaven stayes the soule in all the waves and troubles in this world the consideration of the things to come exerciseth this grace of hope we looke within the vaile and cast anchor there upward and not downeward and there wee stay our selves in all combustions and confusions by the exercise of
and strength of our affections with all my strength bee a man what hee will be if hee bee a Magistrate with the strength of his magistracy if he be a minister with the strength of his ministeriall calling in any â—â—ndition I must love him with al that that condition inableth me to For it is a commanding affection and being so it commands all within and without to give content to the person loved it commands the wit to devise and the memorie to retaine good things it commands joy and delight it commands anger to remove hindrances and so all outward actions love commands the doing of all things it sets all on worke It is a most active affection it is like to fire it is compared to it it sets all on worke and commands all that man is able to doe Therefore those that studie not in all their indeavours according to their callings and places according to every thing that God hath intrusted them with to please God and to honour him in their conditions they love not God What a shame is it that when God hath given us such a sweet affection as love that hee should not have our love againe when wee make our selves happy in loving him He is happy in his owne love the father Sonne and holy Ghost but when hee intends to make us happy it is a shame that wee should not bestow our affections upon him Much might bee sayd to this purpose for the triall of our selves whether we love God or no. Let us not then forget these things for it is the command both of the old and new Testament they run both upon love I give you a new Command sayth Christ and yet it is no new command but old and ordinarie But it is commanded now in the Gospell that is it is renewed by new experiments of Gods love in Christ that we should love him as hee hath loved us which is wonderfully that wee should love him and love one another And all this is in this affection as we see when the holy Ghost would set out the disposition and qualification of such as those great things are prepared for that neither eye hath seen nor care heard nor hath entred into the heart of man hee sets it downe by this They are for those that love him FINIS SERMON the fourth 1 COR. 2. 9. As it is written eye hath not seene nore care heard nor hath entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him THat which hath already been sayd should force us to begge the Spirit of God to teach the heart to teach us the things themselves the inside of them for a spirituall holy man hath a spirituall knowledge of outward things of the creatures hee fees another manner of thing in the creature then other men doe As another man hath a naturall knowledge of spirituall things so a holy man hath a spirituall knowledge even of the ordinary Workes of God and rayseth and extracts a quintessence out of them that a worldly man cannot see to glorifie God and to buyld up his faith in the sense of Gods favour c. This I adde by the way to that But the highest performance of this that there are things provided for Gods people that neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard c. It is reserved for another World for the promises of the Gospell have then their fulfilling indeed These words are true of the state of the Gospell here now but they have their accomplishment in Heaven for whatsoever is begun here is ended there peace begun here is ended there joy that is begunne here it shal bee ended there Communion of Saints that is begun here it shall be ended there Sanctification that is begun here it shall be ended there so all graces shall be perfect and all promises performed then That is the time indeed when God shall discover things that neither eye hath seene nor eare heard c. In the meane time let us learne to beleive them and to live by faith in them that theâ—e are such things And GOD resetves not all â—or another World but gives his Children a tast of those things before hand to comfort thâ—m in their distresses in this world as indeed there is nothing in this world of greater use and comfort to rayse them then the beginnings of Heaven upon earth a little peace joy in the holy ghost will make a man swallow all the discontents in the world Now God is so far good to us as that he lets us have somâ— drops of these things before hand to rayse up our spirits that by a tast we may know what great things hee hath reserved for us but of these things and the use of them I spake before We came then to speake of the qualificatioÌ„ of the persons For them that love him Not that we love God first and then God prepares these things for us but God prepares them and acquaints us what he meanes to doe with us and then we love him A christian knowes before what title he hath in Christ to Heaven and then he works he knowes Christ hath wrought salvation for him and then he workes out his salvation in a course tending to salvation in a course tending to salvation for there must be working in a course tending to the possession of salvation that CHRIST hath purchased wee must not worke and thinke by it to merit Heaven wee know wee have Heaven and those great things in the Title of Christ and then wee fall on loving and working There is a cleane contrary order betweene us and those mercinaries they invert the order of God for for whom God hath prepared these things hee discovers them to the eye of faith and then faith works by love this I adde by the way Now he sets downe this description of those persons for whom these excellent things are prepared by this affection of love by this grace of love as being the fittest for that purpose to describe a Christian. Faith is not so fit because it is not so discernable we may know our love when wee cannot know our Faith Oft times those that are excellent Christians they doubt whether they beleive or no but aske them whether they love God and his truth and children or no oh yes they doe Now God intending to comfort us sets out such an affection as a Christian may best discerne for of all affections we can discerne best of our love But to come to the affection it selfe there are 3. things in love There is the Affection Passion Grace of love wee speake of the grace here The affection is naturall The passion is the excesse of the naturall affection when it over flowes its bound Grace is the rectifying of the naturall affection and the elevating and raysing it up to a higher object then nature can pitch on The Spirit of God turnes nature into grace and workes corruption and
his goodnesse and the streaming of it our to the Creature The whole Earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord. What are all the Creatures but Gods goodnesse Wee can see nothing but the goodnesse of God what is all the Creatures but Deus explicatus God unfolded to our senses he offers himselfe to our bodies and soules all is Gods goodnesse And then see this goodnesse fitted to us it is a fit goodnesse that comes from God he is good and doth good and so fitly he proportions his goodnesse for hee hath fitted every part of us soule and body with goodnesse all the senses with goodnesse what doe we see but goodnesse in colours What doe we heare but his good in those delights that come that way We tast and feele his goodnesse against the cold we have cloathing in hunger wee have food in all necessities in all exigences wee have fit considerations of God for all necessities whatsoever outward But then for our soules what food hath he for that the death of CHRIST his owne sonne to feed our soules The soule is a spirituall substance and hee thought nothing good enough to feed it but his own sonne wee feed on Gods love in giving CHRIST to death and on CHRISTS love in giving himselfe to death The soule being continually troubled with the guilt of some sinne or other it feeds on this it is nourished with CHRIST every day more and more especially at the Sacrament Thus we see how GOD hath fitted his goodnesse to us And then in particular dangers how hee fits us with severall deliverances so seasonably as we may see Gods love in it Then as GODS goodnesse is great and fit so it is neare us it is not a goodnesse a farre off but GOD followes us with his goodnesse in whatsoever condition wee bee hee applies himselfe to us and hee hath taken upon him neare relations that hee might bee neare us in goodnesse hee is a Father and every where to maintaine us Hee is a Husband and every where to helpe hee is a friend and every where to comfort and counsell so his love it is a neare love therefore hee hath taken upon him the nearest relations that we may never want God and the testimonies of his love And then againe this goodnesse of God which is the object of love it is a free goodnesse meerely from himselfe and an overflowing goodnesse and an everlasting goodnesse it is never drawn drie hee loves us unto life everlasting he loves us in this World and followes us with signes of his love in all the parts of us in body and soule till hee hath brought body and soule to Heaven to enjoy himselfe for ever there These and such like considerations may serve to stirre us up to love God and direct us how to love God Benefits will worke upon a beast as it is Isaiah â— Heare oh Heavens and hearken oh earth the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters Cribbe but my people have forgotten mee Proud men become baâ—er and more brute then the very brutes benefits will moove the very brute Creatures So I say these favours to us in particuler should moove us except wee will bee more brute then the brutes themselves Especially to moove us all consider some particularities of favours to us more then to others for specialties doe much increase love and respect Consider how God hath followed thee with goodnesse outwardly when others have beene neglected Thou hast a place in the World and Riches and Friends when many other excellent persons want all these There are some common favours to all Christians as the favour wee have in CHRIST forgivenesse of sins Sanctification and such other favours But there bee some specialties of Devine providence whereby it appeares that GODS providence hath watched over us in some particulars more then others those bee speciall ingagements And is there any of us that cannot say that GOD hath dealt specially in giveing them some mercie more then to others I adde this therefore to the rest Againe to helpâ— us to stirre up this grace of love consider those examples of loveing of those that have then lived in former times take David and Paul and other holy men David wonders at his owne love Lord how doe I love thy Law And have wee not more cause comparing the grounds of our affection when wee have more then they in those times What did hee wonder at his love of GODS Law when the Canon was so short they had onely Moses and some few Bookes and wee have the Canon inlarged wee have both the old and new Testament shall not wee say much more how doe I love thy Law thy Gospell and Divine truthes This should shame us when they in darke times so loved the truth of GOD and wee see all cleare and open and yet are cold Likewise it is good in this case to converse with those that are affectionate as face answereth face so spirit answers spirit as Iron sharpneth Iron so one sharpens another Conversation with cold ones will make one cold For the abundance of iniquitie the love of many shall wax cold Conversing with sinfull cold people casts a dampe upon us but let us labour if we will bee wise for our soules when wee finde any coldnesse of affection to converse with those that have sweete and heavenly affections it will mervaylously worke upon our hearts I might say much this way to stirre us up and direct us how to love God But indeed nothing will so much inable us to love God as a new nature nature will love without provocation the fire will burne because it is fire and the water will moysten because it is water and a holy man will love holy things because hee is holy a spirituall soule will love spirituall things because hee is spirituall therefore besides all adde this that our natures bee changed more and more that they be sanctified and circumcised as God hath promised I will circumcise your hearts that yee may love me There must bee a circumcised heart to love God wee must bee sanctified to love God for if nature bee not renewed there cannot bee this new Commandement of love Why is love called a new Commandement and an old Commandement It is called old for the Letter because it was a command in Moses time thou shalt love the Lord with all thy soule But now it is a new Commandement because there is abundance of spirit given by CHRIST and the spirit sanctifies us and writes this affection in our hearts It was written in stone before but now it is written in our hearts by the spirit And now there are new incentives and motives to love since CHRIST came and gave himselfe for us new incouragments and provocations to love therefore it is a new Commandement from new grounds and motions that are more a great deale then before Christ. But there must be a new heart to obey this new command of love
thing in the World and who deserves it better then God and Christ we can never returne any thing but this affection of love wee may againe And can wee place it better then upon devine things whereby we are made better our selves doth God require our affections for himselfe No it is to make us happy It advanceth our affection to love him it is the turning of it into the right streame It is the making of us happy that God requires it For consider all things that may deserve this affection It will keepe us from all sin what is any sin but the abuse of love for the crookednesse of this affection turnes us to present things that is the cause of all sinne For what is all sin but pleasure and honours and profits the 3. Idolls of the World all sin is about them And what are all good actions but love well placeâ— the well ordering of this affection is the well ordering of our lives and the misplacing of this affection is the cause of all sinne And to make us the more carefull this way consider that when wee place our affections upon any thing else consider the vanity of it we loose our love and the thing and our selves For whatsoever else wee love if we love not God in it and love it for God it will perish and come to nothing ere long The affection perisheth with the thing we loose our affections and the thing and loose our selves too misplaceing of it These are forcible considerations with understanding persons And if we would use our understanding and consideration and meditation and our soules as wee should to consider of the grounds and incouragments we have to love God and the best things whereby we may be dignified above our selves it would not be as it is we should not bee so devoyd of grace and comfort It was a miracle that the 3. yong men should bee in the middest of the furnace and bee there as if they were in another place no hotter And it is a miracle that men should be in the middest of all incouragements that we have to love God as there is not the like reasons for any thing in the World to keepe our soules in a perpetuall heat of affection to love God no motives or arguments or incentives all are nothing to the multitude of arguments we have to inflame our affections and yet to be cold in the middest of the fire it is a kind of a miracle to have darke understandings and dead affections that notwithstanding all the heavenly meanes we have to keepe a perpetuall flame of love to God yet to be cold and darke in our soules let us bewayle it and be ashamed of it What doe we professe our selves Christians heires of Heaven so beloved of God as that he gave his owne Sonne to deliver us being rebells and enemies in so cursed a state as we are all in by nature poore Creatures inferiour to the Angells that fell that he should love man sinfull dust and ashes so much as to give his owne Son to free us from so great misery and to advance us to so great happinesse to set us in heavenly places with Christ and to have perpetuall communion with him in Heaven to have such incouragements and to be cold and dead hearâ—ed nay wilfully opposite in our affections to bee enemies to the goodnesse of God and grace having such arguments to love God And yet how many spirits edged by the Divell oppose all that is good and will not give way to Gods Spirit God would have them Temples they will be styes God would marry them nay they will be harlots GOD would have them happy here and here after no they will not they will have their owne lusts and affections Let us bee affrayd of these things as we love our owne soules and ourselvâ—s and consider what incouragments wee have to love God for which such great things are reserved as neyther Eye hath seen nor Eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive FINIS Imprimatur Tho. Wykes Aug. 1638. The coherence The best Ministers will not shun to be tried by the best judgments Scope of the words and explication The mysteries of the Gospell hidden from naturall men Isai. 64. 4 The way to set forth divine things 1. Pet. 1. What is meant by those things the eye hath not seen Dâ—â—trines A question God reveals secret things that are excellent to his children Three degrees of revelation Vers. 11. The Gospell is hid without the Spirit to discover the minde of God 1 Iohn 3. 2. 1. Vse Instruction Why so many heresies touching the Gospel 2. Instruction In dâ—vine truths above nature wee are not to trust to reason too much An use of direction How to study and read divine truths GODS course with his children to shew them these mysteries Supernaturall objects require supernatural senses Simile Of knowledge joyned with feeling 1 Cor. â— 14. 15. Concerning spirituall sight It is not in nature to shew us these divine mysteries Another use of Inâ—struction A rule to value things by Iâ— is the best wisedome to be wise to salvation Augustine Value the Scriptures Ground of the Martyrs patience A godly man suffers these things in his senses for those that are above his senses Rom. 8. What Popery is Isai. 64. Merit hath no proportion with glory We cannot be too exact in holy duties The scopâ— coherence division more cleared The wisedom of God hâ—d from wise men 1 Point Observation Naturall wits conceive not the Gospel Wicked men talk of repentance but do not rerepent A holy man feeles sin heavy Carnall men hate the light They know them but by a common light An objection answered for explicatioÌ„ 1. Answ. Ephes 3. By way of negation By way of eminence What tho we should have of the world What true râ—ches are What true beautie is Gods children have a taste of heaven before they come there What peace in heaven is Heaven on earth 1 Ioh. 3. Reasons 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Reason If wee would see God as he is we must die Use. I. The meditation of the life hereafter steeres a Christians life here 2 Vse 3 Vse Ephes. 1. 1 Pet. 1. Every petty crosse will not cast downe a believer 4 Vse Hee comforts himselfe with his hopes of heaven against the slightings of the world Envie not wicked men but pitty them joy unspeâ— 1 Ioh. 3. To be called a son of God is to be so Vse Why men are drowned in the world How to get the conquest of any temptation The fourth particular Some questions answered for explication 2 Quest. Answ. Fâ—ith a hidden grace Quest. Answ. 4 Quest. Answ. For whom these are prepared Observ. Râ—asons No gettâ—ng to heaven without change of our natures A carnall man-wants eyes to see heaven Vse Take heed of vaine hope Gâ—eatnesse nor honoâ—s can pacifie conscience 2 Vse Look within thee for the evidences Looke to thy affections A briefe recapitulation of some former things with addition God prepared happinesse for us before all eternitie It is a base thing to be too much in love with any earthly thing Try thy selfe by thy love Wee may know heaven to bee ours by the disposition of our hearts 1 Pet. 1. God hath not ordained heaven for his enemies Observ. Merit confuted Love a commanding affection Our actions are but still-born withâ—out affections When a man puts God in stead of himselfe There must be an esteeme of God and Christ. Psal 73. Heb. 11. Ioh. 6. Psal. 27. If we esteeme God wee shall part with any thing besides 2 Where there is true love there is a desire of union Strangenesse is opposite to lovâ— Psal. â—7 Where thiâ— uâ—ion is there is a desire of death it selfe Revel 22. 1 Thess. 4. 17. Cant. 1. Desire the presence of Christ. Psal. 4. Rom. 5. God can fill our soules Psal. 18. Psal. 90. Augustine Seâ— what God loves delight in that and provide it for him Isai. 65. Loveâ— will purge your heart Love from faith woundeth the breast of Christ. If we love God wee shall love whatever is divine or toucheth on God Love to God studies how to please God Studie in thy place how to put forth the best of â—hy indevours to please God 〈◊〉 1. Psal. 34.