dust keepeth their bones Well then if the spirit of Christ hath freed them from the snares of sin he hath freed you also from the bands of death or as 't is said in the Revelations if you have part in the first resurection the second death hath no power over you Rev. 10.6 That is you shall not be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone The good spirit hath prevailed over the evil spirit and therefore your resurrection will be joyful VSE Let us give up our selves to the Holy Spirit as our sanctifyer set open your hearts that he may come into them as his habitation do not receive him guestwise in a pang or for a turn or in some solemn duty but see that he dwelleth in you as an inhabitant in his house A man is not said to dwell in an Inn where as a stranger or wayfaring man he goeth aside to tarry for a night or in the house of a friend where he resorteth no use all Christs Holy means that he may fix his abode in your hearts that he may dwell there as at home in his own house that he may be reverenced there as a God in his Temple Motives 1. He richly requiteth us he keepeth up the house and temple where he dwelleth The spirit is our seal and earnest The spirit of God and of glory resteth upon you 1 Pet. 4.14 2. The heart of man is not a waste you will have a worse guest there if not the Holy Spirit Satan dwelleth and worketh in the Children of disobedience 1 Sam. 16. â— But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him and Eph. 2.2 The spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience and Eph. 4.27 Neither give place to the Devil That cursed inmate will enter if we give place to him and hearken to his motions So that then he will make the body a sink of sin and a dunghil of corruption tempts you to scandalous sins which do not only waste the body for the present but is a pledg of eternal damnation 3 Consider how many deceive themselves with the hopes of a Glorious Resurrection Alas they are strangers to the Spirit it may be not to his transcient motions they resist the Holy Ghost which will be their greater condemnation but to his constant residence for where he dwelleth he maketh them more Heavenly acquainting them with God Col. 1.6 more Holy that is his office to sanctifie 1 Pet. 1.22 To love God more for he is the operative love of God Rom. 5.5 1 John 4.15 To hate sin more that bringeth death and his business is to come as a pledg of life Alas in most the spirit that dwelleth in them lusteth to envy are ruled by an unclean spirit by the spirit of the world 1 Cor. 2.12 have no love to God no real hatred of sin 2. VSE Live in obedience to his sanctifying motions Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit are the sons of God The spirit of God by which you are guided and led is that divine and potent spirit that raised up Christs dead body out of the grave and if you be led and governed by him you shall be raised by the power of the same spirit that raised Christs Body his power is the cause but your right is by his sanctification 3. VSE Vse your bodies well possess your vessel in sanctification and honour 1 Thes. 4.4 1. Offer up your selves to God For every Temple must be dedicated Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a liveing sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Rom. 6.13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yeild your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead 2. When devoted to God take heed you do not use them to sensuality and filthiness which wrong the body both here and hereafter the pleasures of the body cannot recompence the pains of your surfeit or intemperance much less eternal torments for what will be the issue if you live after the flesh Rom. 8.13 you must die therefore you should daily keep the flesh in a subordination to the spirit 1 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims that ye abstain from fleshly lusts To please and gratifie the flesh is to wrong the Soul 3. We should deny our selves even lawful pleasures when they begin to exercise a dominion over us 1 Cor. 6.12 All things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the power of any 'T is a miserable servitude to be brought under the power of any pleasure either in meat drink or recreations inchanted with the witchery of gaming tho it grieve the spirit wrong the soul defraud God of his time rob the poor of what should feed charity yet they are inslaved SERMON XV. ROM VIII 12 Therefore brethren we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh IN the Words we have 1. A note of Inference 2. The truth inferred In this latter we find 1. A Compellation Brethren 2. An Assertion That we ars debtors 3. An instance or exemplification to whom we are debtors The negative is expressed not to the flesh to live after the flesh and the affirmative is implied and must be supplied out of the Context To the spirit to live in obedience to the holy spirit 1. The Inference therefore he reasoneth from their priviledges the priviledg is asserted v. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 'T is applied to the Christian Romans v. 9. But ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit These reasonings are pertinent and insinuative from the priviledg asserted Exhortation must follow Doctrine for then it pierceth deeper and sticketh longer On the other side Doctrine becometh more lively when there is an edg set upon it by Exhortation from the priviledg implied certainly priviledges infer duty and therefore having comforted them with the remembrance of their condition he doth also mind them of their obligation Ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit therefore we are are not debtors to the flesh to walk after the flesh but to walk after the spirit 2. The truth inferred Where first observe the compellation Brethren a word of love and equality of love to sweeten the exhortation for men are unwilling to displease the flesh of equality for he taketh the same obligation upon himself this debt bindeth all high and low learned or unlearned ministers or people greatness doth not exempt from this bond nor meanness exclude it 2. The assertion that we are debtors Man would fain be sui juris at his own dispose affecteth a supremacy and dominion over his own actions Psal. 12.4 Our tongues are our own who is Lord over us But this can never be we were made by
1. Cor. 2.12 But we have not received the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God If I have this I am safe the carnal cannot say so they have no earnest 2. By way of effectual influence The Spirit is given as an earnest of Blessedness to come and causeth all the motions and inclinations of the Soul to tend that way in the heart he is as a Spirit that came from Heaven exciting the Soul to look and long for and prepare for that Happy Estate The Life of grace begun and maintained by the Spirit in our hearts wholly tendeth to this to carry up our hearts thither The Spirit mortifieth the earthly and sensual disposition Rom. 8.13 But raiseth in us hopes desires and endeavours after the other World Phil. 3.20 But our Conversation is in Heaven Inclineth us to drive on a trade for another Countrey and another World yea our very confidence is wrought by him and increased by his influence The Devil the World and the Flesh do continually assault it but the Spirit maintaineth it Therefore the more of his Spirit the more confident 'T is his work within us to promote it and to maintain it This cometh of the Spirit of God He causes us to live in Peace and Hope and Joy and die in Hope and Peace and Joy 3dly By way of gracious improvement on our part For if God giveth the Spirit as an earnest we must make use of him as an earnest The Spirit and grace of Christ is not only given us to subdue corruption to carry us on delightfully to converse with God but as an earnest that we may live in hope but we may reason within our selves God hath not only offered me this happiness when I had no thought of it but followed me with incessant importunity till my anxious Soul was troubled began to make a business of it By the secret drawings of his Spirit he inclined my heart to choose him for my portion since given me the comfort of the pardon of my sins bound up my broken heart visited me in Ordinances supported me in troubles helped me in Temptations his Spirit still liveth dwelleth and worketh in you therefore I am confident and wait on him 2 Cor. 1.20 21. For all the promises of God are yea and Amen in Christ Jesus to the Glory of God by us Now he that hath established us with you and hath anointed us is God Who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 1. Use is to shew us that true confidence is not a devout sloath or idle expectation but breedeth in us a noble choice excellent Spirit maketh us vigorous in our duty watchful against sin patient under the cross longing and breathing after more of God and hastening our preparation for the injoyment of him 2. Vse to put us upon Self-reflection 2. Have we the earnest of the Spirit His comforts are not so sure an evidence as his sanctifying influence Are our hearts changed God giveth earnest before he giveth Heaven 2. Do we improve it to an Holy confidence such as sheweth it self in diligence 1 Cor. 15.58 Wherefore my Beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. And courage 1 Phil. 28. And in nothing terrifyed by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of Salvation and that of God A Spirit of courage under sufferings which is the same with confidence here so as not to be driven from our duty or to take any sinful course for our safety 3. Use to press us to seek after this confidence with diligence it may be kept up Heb. 6.11 And that you do shew forth the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end SERMON IX 2 Cor. 5.6 Knowing that whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord. FRom the connexion with the former branch you see a Christians Condition in the World is mixed he is comforted but not satisfied his Faith is satisfied for he is confident but his love is not satisfied For while he is at home in the Body he is absent from the Lord. And that not for a little time only but for his whole course as long as his Life shall last all the while that he is at home in the Body This is added to shew the reason 1. Of groaning 2. Of confidence Of groaning because we are absent from Christs presence and full Communion with him in Glory Of confidence We must be sometime present with the Lord. Now we are not therefore we have a certain perswasion that there shall be granted to us a nearer access after Death Then we look cheerfully upon Death as that which bringeth us home to God from whom these earthly Bodies keep us as strangers Two points offer themselves to us 1. That a Christian is not in his own proper home while he sojourneth in the Body or liveth here in this present World in an earthly Tabernacle 2. The main reason why a Christian counteth himself not at home is because he is absent from the Lord. 1. That a Christian is not in his own proper home while he sojourneth in the Body or liveth here in this present World in an earthly Tabernacle The Greek words run thus We in dwelling in the Body dwell forth from the Lord. That is from the Lord Jesus the beholding of whose Glory and presence we must want so long which is grievous to a Christian. Instances Abraham who had best right by Gods immediate Donation Heb. 11.9 He sojourned in the Land of promise as in a strange Country As in a place wherein he was to stay but a while and to pass thorough it to a better Country David who had most possession an opulent and powerful King Abraham inherited or purchased nothing in the Land of Canaan but a burying place but David counted himself a stranger too Psa. 39.12 I am a stranger and a pilgrim as all my Fathers were He that bore so full a sway in that Land did not look upon the world as a place of rest and stability But it may be he spoke this when he was chased like a flea or hunted like a partridge upon the mountains No in the midst of all his wealth and opulenlency when he had offered many Cart-loads of Gold and Silver for the building of the Temple See 1 Chron. 29.15 For we are strangers and sojourners before thee as were all our Fathers Nay Jesus Christ who was Lord Paramount telleth us John 17.16 I am not of this World He that was Lord of all had neither House nor home he passed through the World to sanctify it as a place of service but he setled not his constant residence here as in a place of rest We do not inhabit only pass through to a better place Reasons 1. Our birth and
First Let me observe to you that there is a twofold fear Filial and Servile Child-like and Slavish The one is a lawful and necessary fear such as quickneth us to Duty Phil. 2.12 And is either the fear of Reverence or the fear of Caution The fear of Reverence is nothing else but that awe we are to have of the divine Majesty as Creatures or our humble sense of the condition place and duty of a Creature towards its Creator The fear of Caution is a due sense of the Importance and Validity of the business we are engaged in in order to Salvation certainly none can consider the danger we are to escape and the blessedness we aim at but will see a need to be serious And therefore this fear is good and holy 1. But there is besides this a slavish fear which doth not further but extreamly hinder our work For though we are to fear God yet we are not to be afraid of God This is that which the Apostle calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opposite to the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 and a cowardly fearful Spirit opposite to that Spirit of Power and Love and of a sound Mind which is the principle of all faithful Service to God They that are under the Spirit of bondage serve not God as Children serve a Father but as Slaves serve an hard and cruel Master Fear is the inseperable Companion of this Spirit which must needs be a great hinderance to our Duty because it begets hatred to God and the torment it bringeth to our selves As it breedeth Hatred to God Oderunt quem metuunt quem odimus periisse cupimus when we only dread God for his Vengeance we keep off from him as a dissolute servant hateth that Master who would scourge him for his Debaucheries The Nature of this fear is to drive us from God Gen. 3.7 10. I was afraid So because of the Torment it bringeth to us Eph. 4.18 For the legal Spirit 't is called a Spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 It hath fear and torment in it and is an Enemy to us for it banisheth all those sweet Principles which should enliven our Service as Love to God and Delight in our work which doth enliven and inspire every thing that we do with an earnest Spirit But where Love is wanting and all the Comfort that should accompany our duties 't is lost either a man doth nothing or all that he doth is in a compulsory manner by meer force and so our hands must needs be weakned in Gods Service if we be not totally discouraged For often it endeth in a Despair of pleasing or being accepted with God There is a lazy sottish Despair as well as a raging tormenting Despair Jer. 18.12 There is no hope we will walk in the Imagination of our own Hearts Cast off all care of the Souls Welfare This was the fear of the sloathful Servant in the Text and such a fear have many others in the bosom of their hearts by which they can never do any thing effectually in the business of Religion by reason of their-strong Prejudices occasioned by their own tormenting fear 2. That this fear is begotten in us by a false opinion of God that rendereth him dreadful rigorous and terrible to the Soul The Servant in the Text doth not only say I was afraid but giveth a reason of it I knew that thou wert an hard man reaping where thou hast not sowed and gathering where thou hast not strawed A parabolical speech to set forth a cruel Tyrant that doth exact upon those that are under him without Mercy and Reason Our Affections follow our Apprehensions and we either love or fear according to the inward notions that we have of God in our minds They that know thy name will trust in thee Psal. 9.10 If we had righter notions of God we would love him more and trust him more But when we conceive amiss of him accordingly we are affected to him And therefore we should take heed what Picture we draw of God in our minds for if we have only such apprehensions as render him grievous and burdensome to us these thoughts will leven our Hearts and make us either neglect his Service or do it by constraint in a very awkward and uncomfortable manner If the Devil can bring you to have a base opinion of God as cruel and tyrannical and once possess you with sowre thoughts and fretful Jealousies or harsh surmises of his Government it will turn all your love and obedience into hatred and slavish fear Therefore those that consider that Love is the great principle of Obedience should also consider that there is nothing so necessary to breed love as good thoughts of God and a due sense of his goodness in Christ come to this once and then all that he requireth and doth will be acceptable to us His Laws will not be grievous nor his Providences seem burdensom to you nor his Judgments intolerable How can you love him till you represent him as an Object of Love one upon whom you may chearfully depend for Life and Defence and from whom you may comfortably expect the Rewards of Obedience Therefore take heed of painting out God in your thoughts as an hard Master The Apostle telleth us Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him As soon as we apprehend his Being we should also pitch upon his Bounty and Goodness First That he is and then That he is a Rewarder There is in all men some Impression of a Godhead which is clearly understood and seen by the things that are made Rom. 1.20 This Apprehension of God calleth for Worship for next that God is we must believe he must be Worshipped Joh. 4.24 These two notions live and dye together they are clear and blotted out together As the apprehension of God is clear and more deeply engraven upon the Soul so is this notion of mans Duty of Worshipping God clear and imprinted upon the Soul also The one Impression cannot be worn out without the other But now want of a true Knowledge of God breedeth slavish fear fearing God in excess rather than loving him in any tolerable measure because a man naturally looketh upon God with the same eye that a Malefactor doth upon his Judge Fear is more natural to carnal men because a bad Conscience is very suspicious and our sense of Gods Benefits is not so great as the sense of our bad deservings is quick and lively Therefore naturally we have no other notions of God than as a rigid Law-giver and severe Avenger The Heathens who in all their Worship discovered the natural Sentiments of Religion that are in the Hearts of men observed this in the Straits Vt prius placarent iratos Deos c. Wrath and Anger were the first thoughts they had of a Divine Power and 't is as true among Christians Guilty Nature is more presagious of
this Prayer You may observe hence That it is of advantage to use vocal Prayer not only in Publick when we may quicken others as one Bird setting all the rest a chirping and we profess we are not ashamed of God or his Worship but in private also God made Body and Soul and will be served by both Words are as giving vent to or as the broaching of a full Vessel Strong Affections cannot be confined to Thoughts Psal. 39.2 3. My Heart was hot within me while I was musing the Fire burned then spake I with my Tongue Musing makes the Fire to burn There is a continual Prayer by Ejaculations and Thoughts but words become solemn and stated times of Duty Words are a boundary to the Mind and fix it more than Thoughts which are usually light and skipping The Mind may wander but words are as a Trumpet to summon them again into the presence of God Our roving Madness will be sooner discerned in Words than in Thoughts When a Word is lost or misplaced we are more ashamed and by Words a dull sluggish Heart is sometimes quickned and awakned It is good to use this Help Now I come to the Prayer it self Father It is a Word of Confidence and sweet Relation in which there is much of Argument in that Christ as God's only Son speaketh to his own Father Father glorify thy Son A Father is wont to be delighted with the Glory and Honour of a Son as the Mother of Zebedee's Children sought their Preferment Matth. 20.20 It is good to observe that Christ doth not say our Father as involving our Interest with his because it is of a distinct Kind Christ would observe the distinction between us and himself he is a Son that is equal with the Father eternal with his Father but we are adopted Sons made so When he speaketh to his Disciples he saith not our Heavenly Father but your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things Mat. 6.32 And John 20.17 I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God clearly distinguishing his own Interest from ours And mark Christ useth the Argument of Son and Father to shew that he was not therefore glorified because a Son but therefore a Son because glorified We may note hence 1. That it is very sweet and comfortable in Prayer when we can come and call God Father It is a Word of Affection Reverence and Confidence in all which the excellency of Prayer consisteth So Christ in all his Addresses Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me Mat. 26.39 So also all his Prayers are bottom'd on this Relation Vers. 5. And now O Father glorify thou me with thine own self Mat. 11.25 I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth c. He hath taught us the same to pray Our Father which art in Heaven Mat. 6.9 The great Work of the Spirit is to help us to speak thus to God not with Lips that feign but from our Hearts Rom. 8.15 Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father We confine the Spirit 's Assistance to earnest Tendencies and vigorous Motions the main Work is to help us to cry Father with a proper and genuine Confidence Now all cannot do thus a wicked Man cannot say safely to God my Father Whosoever claims Kindred of God while he is unjust and filthy it is not a Prayer but a Contumely and Slander He that sanctifieth and those that are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2.11 Christ counteth none to be of his Kindred but the Regenerate Pagans are Strangers and Carnal Men in the Church are Bastards they had need study Holiness that would claim Kindred of Christ. Consider then What Claim and Interest have you in God It is sad if we can only come as Creatures cry as Ravens for Food out of a general Title to his Providence or to cry Father and lie to take his Name in vain It is sweeter to speak to God as a Son then as a Creature Lord Lord is not half so sweet as Our Father This is a sweet invitation to Prayer Mat. 7.9 What Man of you who if his Son ask Bread will he give him a Stone Vers. 11. If ye then that are Evil know how to give good Gifts to your Children how much more will your Heavenly Father give good things to them that ask him It is a Consolation in Prayer Gal. 4.6 Because ye are Sons he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father It is a ground of Hope and Expectation after Prayer Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption to call God Father 2. Christ was about to suffer bitter things from the Hand of God and yet he calleth him Father In Afflictions we must still look upon God as a Father and behave our selves as Children Christ felt him a Judg yet counts him a Father God as a Judg was now about to lay on him the Sufferings of all the Elect yet Christ calls him Father to declare his Obedience and Trust. The Hour was come in which the whole weight of God's Displeasure was to be laid upon him yet in this Relative Term he acknowledgeth his Father's Love and manifesteth his own Obedience We should do so in all our Afflictions 1. Maintain the Comfort of Adoption 2. Behave our selves as Children 1. Maintain the Comfort of Adoption It is the folly of the Children of God to question his Love because of the greatness of their Afflictions as if their Interest did change with their Condition and God were not the God of the Vallies as well as the God of the Hills We have more cause to discern Love than to question it Bastards are left to a looser Discipline Heb. 12.8 If ye are without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sons To be exempted from the Cross is to be put out of the Roll of Children The Bramble of the Wilderness is suffered to grow wild but the Vine is pruned The Stones that are designed for a noble Structure or Building are hewed and squared when others lie by neglected 2. Behave our selves as Children with Patience and Hope 1. With a submissive Patience Father is a word that implieth Authority and Love and Care all which are Arguments of Patience Fathers have a natural Right to Rule we must take it quietly and patiently at their Hands Isaac yielded to his Father when he went to be sacrificed It is said Gen. 22.8 they both went together which noteth his quiet submission But Fatherly Acts are not only managed with Authority but with Love and Care Slaves may be corrected out of Cruelty and Hatred by their Masters but Fathers do not deal so with Children Heb. 12.9 10. Furthermore we have had Fathers of our Flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence Shall we not much rather
most when we are like him Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all Men and Holiness without which no Man can see God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Masculine Article referreth to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tho they have not Peace with Men whatever Entertainment they meet with in the World they are sure to have the Favour of God Peace with God That seeing God referreth to the Enjoyments of the other World the degrees of Vision are according to the degrees of Sanctification 1 John 3.2 We shall be like him for we shall see him as as he is but it holdeth good also in the present World A dusky Glass cannot represent the Image so distinctly we cannot have such a sight of God we cannot expect any Communion and Intimacy with him till we be holy It is said Psalm 5.4 Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in Wickedness neither shall Evil dwell with thee The Idols of the Heathen are stained with filthy Practices God is not such an one Likeness is the ground of Delight God loveth himself for his own Holiness and they are best loved and liked that are most holy for others God professeth he will have no Intimacy with them he will have nothing to do with Sinners nor be of their Fellowship and Communion and they shall have nothing to do with him Psalm 50.16 What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant in thy Mouth Nay God will not afford Sinners one good Look Habbak 1.13 Thou art of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity and canst not look upon Evil. As the Prophet to profess his Detestation of that prophane Prince said 2 Kings 3.14 Were it not that I regard the Presence of Jehosaphat the King of Judah I would not look towards thee nor see thee God would not look towards a Congregation were it not for his People in it But what shall we do and who can say My Heart is clean and who is able to stand before this holy God I answer God hath provided a Remedy in the Gospel in the Gospel-sence he only is pure who is purged and washed from the Guilt of his Sins in the Blood of Christ. In a Child of God there are many Failings but God in Christ giveth him an Acquittance But this is not all there must be an habitual Disposition of Purity and a Man must enter into a true course of Sanctification if he would be accepted in God's Eyes 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are justified but ye are sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God The Work of the Spirit and the Merit of Christ are inseparable There is a relative and a real Change not only a judicial Abolition of Sin but a real If you would come to God as your holy One you must be his holy Ones as David was called God's holy One Psal. 16.10 Somewhat answerable there must be to God's Nature before he can take pleasure in you You will find it 1. By an hatred of Sin Where God doth change a Soul he breedeth a Disposition in it in some sort like himself Those Sympathies and Antipathies that God hath the Soul hath Now God is an Holy God he cannot endure Sin so it is with an holy Heart What have I to do with Sinners saith God and what have I to do with Sin saith the Soul the displacency is keen and strong they have a Nature put into them like God's and therefore hate what he hateth It is said Psal. 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate Evil In what measure we love God we hate what is contrary to God In Grace there is a Love to the chiefest Good and an Hatred of the chiefest Evil the one as well as the other is natural to the Saints Let us never talk of Love to God except there be a Zeal to reform what he hateth It 〈◊〉 true we have a mixed Nature there is the Divine Nature and the Carnal Nature a Believer is partaker of both Flesh and Spirit there will be Slips and Failings but the prevailing part of the Soul abhorreth Sin It is the Evil which we hate and tho a Child of God falleth into Sin yet he cannot rest in it A Fountain may be troubled but it will work it self clean again The Needle in the Compass may be joggled but it rests not till it turns to the Pole A neat Man may be dirtied but he cannot endure any Filthiness should lie on his Cloaths impure Men are in their own Element if they abstain from Sin their unholy Nature likes it they forbear it but do not abhor it as Phaltiel forsook Michal only for fear of David's Displeasure Sinful Affections continue in their full Force and Strength when the Act is suspended 2. By an Act of Duty and Conformity to God's Will and Nature Ephes. 4.24 That ye put on the New Man which is after God created in Righteousness and true Holiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a counterfeit Holiness and true Holiness the true Holiness is such a Holiness as God's is answerable in Quality tho not in Equality Now what is God's Holiness such an Attribute by which he loveth himself above all things and all other things as they do more or less partake of his Nature So when we are holy in Truth we love God out of a Principle of the new Nature God is lovely not only for his Benefits but for his Essence as he is deligibilis naturâ it is eminently in him what is in us in a weaker degree So there will be a Delight in the Saints because of the Resemblance they bear to God Psal. 16.3 To the Saints that are in the Earth and to the Excellent in whom is all my Delight Certainly they have cause to question their Holiness to whom good Company is a Prison and a Burden they have not such Dispositions as God hath So they delight in Duties as they exhibit much of God And they delight in the Practice and growth of Holiness as it maketh them more like God Thus Christians should you strive to come up to the Divine Patern more and more You will think a Child uncapable of Learning when the longer he hath been at the Writing-School the more he swerveth from the Copy and certainly that Holiness that doth not grow up into a greater Likeness and Resemblance of God is to be suspected Thus must you look to come in an holy State 2. With holy and prepared Affections You should remember you have to do with the holy God Josh. 24.19 Ye cannot serve the Lord for he is an holy God Do you know what it is to worship him Rash entring upon the Worship of God is not without Sin and to come reaking from your Sins into God's Presence it is but as Cains's approach from Blood to Sacrifice Before Worship there must be a special purging When Joseph came before Pharaoh he
is as Oil to the Wheels It is a Question which is most useful Godly Joy or Godly Sorrow Sorrow maketh us serious Joy active But what should I divide what God hath joined Gaudium ineffabile cum suspiriis enarrabilibus both are wrought by the same Spirit he is a Comforter and he descended in the Form of a Mourning Dove But certainly Joy doth more quicken us in well-doing it rendreth the Functions of Body and Mind free and vigorous that we may walk with alacrity and good Conscience The Joy that we press you to is not a wantonness by which we cast away all Care and Labour and give our selves up to Ease and Lusts as those do that make their Life to be nothing else but a Recreation but such a Joy as maketh us go about our Duties and Callings with comfort This is sweet when a Man out of the Refreshings of the Spirit can go about the Business which God hath given him to do with delight Acts 20.24 Neither count I my Life dear to me so I might finish my Course with Joy and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the Gospel of the Grace of God As the Eunuch went his way rejoicing Acts 8.39 not like slow Asses that go by compulsion but like generous Horses that delight in their strength and swiftness to take pleasure in praying in hearing in suffering in doing good in following the Duties of our Calling Most Men count Sorrow to be a Vertue and Joy to be an undecent Presumption When Men are sluggish carnal careless that they may flow in worldly Delights this is naught 2. To mar the Taste of carnal Pleasures The Soul cannot remain without some Oblectation it delighteth either in earthly or in heavenly Things Love will not remain idle in the Soul Now God will give us a taste of spiritual Joy of Pleasantness in Wisdom's Paths that we might disdain carnal Pleasures It is not a wonder for a Clown that hath not been acquainted with Dainties to love Garlick and Onions but for a Prince that hath been acquainted with better Diet to leave the Dainties of his Father's Table for those things that were strange I do not wonder at carnal Men that they are delighted with carnal Objects they never knew better but for a Child of God that hath tasted how gracious and sweet God in Christ is to find sap and savour in courser Fare this is wonderful 3. It is for his Honour Nothing bringeth Reproach upon the Ways of God so much as the Sadness of those that profess them Spiritus Calvinianus est Spiritus Melancholicus was a Lutheran Proverb because the Calvinists were against Wakes and Dancings and Revels You darken the Ways of God by your Melancholy Conversation Religion should be cheerful tho not wanton and dissolute We are to invite others Psal. 34.2 My Soul shall make her Boast in the Lord the Humble shall hear thereof and be glad Otherwise thou art as one of the Spies that discouraged the Children of Israel by bringing up an evil Report upon the Land of Canaan 4. Because he delighteth to see us chearful He delighteth in the Prosperity of his Saints Certainly the Lord doth not delight in a sad Devotion and that the Finger should always be in the Wound As a Man delighteth that his Fields should prosper and laugh with Fatness so doth Christ in the Saints They are his Charge John 15.11 These things have I spoken unto you that my Joy might remain in you and that your Joy might be full Would you make Christ's Heart glad keep your own chearful Fourthly I shall give you some Observations concerning Joy 1. God's Providence to all the Creatures doth aim at their Joy and Welfare In inanimate Creatures there is a Cessation and Rest in the Beasts a sensitive Delectation in a Man Joy All Actions that tend to the preservation of Life have their pleasure mixed with them and therefore certainly he hath provided some Christian Joy for a Christian All Actions of Godliness have a delight mixed with them 2. Spiritual Joy ariseth more from Hope than Possession Rom. 12.12 Rejoycing in Hope Heb. 3.6 If we hold fast the Confidence and the rejoycing of the Hope firm unto the end Rom. 5.2 We rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God It is an Affection proper to the next Life but some Birds sing in Winter Tho we have not an actual Possession of Glory yet there is a certainty of Possession 3. This Joy is more felt in Adversity than Prosperity 1 Pet. 1.6 Wherein ye greatly rejoyce tho now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold Temptations Rom. 5.3 We glory in Tribulation Partly from God himself He proportioneth his Comforts to our Sorrows and then sheddeth abroad his Love most plentifully 2 Cor. 1.5 As the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ. Partly from the Saints They rejoyce most in Afflictions because they taste in them what Evil they are freed from in Christ. If we never had Afflictions we should not know what it is to be freed from eternal Horrors and Pains but when we feel them then we say If I have much ado to bear these temporal Sorrows what should I have done if I had been still liable to eternal O blessed be God for my deliverance in Christ Partly because of sweet Experiences We are kept from perishing with the World a Servant and Stranger is turned out of Doors but a Son is corrected If it serveth for nothing else yet for a Spite to Satan to confound him when he thinketh he hath most advantage against us now to overwhelm us with Grief as when one seeketh to wrest a Staff out of our hands we hold it the faster 4. Those have the highest feeling of Joy that have tasted the bitterness of Sorrow Isa. 57.18 I have seen his Ways and will heal him I will lead him also and restore Comforts unto him and to his Mourners Jer. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised c. Verse 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child For since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still c. Unutterable Groans make way for ineffable Joys they feel the most lively Elevation of Joy as a Recompence for the Pangs of the New Birth God permits Sorrows that we may find the fuller Comfort Bernard thinks that the Joy of the Saints is greater than the Joy of Angels because they who have been kept and not restored had never experience of any other Condition however his Reason is notable Placet sanctis securitas sed ei magis qui timâ—it jucunda omnibus lux sed liberato de potestate tenebrarum jucundior transisse de morte ad vitam gratiam duplicat 5. The feelings of this Joy are up and down yet when the Joy is gone the Right remaineth and this
Ordinances Heb. 6.18 We have strong Consolation Mat. 26.30 When they had sung an Hymn they went out into the Mount of Olives tho it were a sad time The Eunuch went away rejoicing as soon as he was baptized because he was made sure of the Grace of God Acts 8.39 It is as when a Man hath a good Lease confirmed to him It is not the Bread and Wine rejoiceth the Heart but the renewing of the Covenant 4. Meditation It refresheth the Soul and feeds Joy It is the proper and natural use of Reason The Speculation even of terrible Things is grateful It was the Comfort God himself took in his Works he made them he saw them It is a refreshing to the Soul to think of Creation and Providence as a Son taketh pleasure in a History wherein are recorded his Father's valiant Acts. It is a pure Recreation But oh the sweetness of Redemption the excellency of Glory The Thoughts are sent as Spies into the Land of Promise hereby we have a Pisgah-sight it giveth us a foretaste of Heaven and filleth our Souls with Joy and Blessedness SERMON XXII JOHN XVII 14 I have given them thy Word and the World hath hated them because they are not of the World even as I am not of the World CHRIST had urged several Arguments on the behalf the Apostles their Interest his own Departure their Danger in the World this is the Argument he now presseth Their Danger because of the World's hatred is set forth by the occasion of it their Office I have given them thy Word the Cause of it They are not of the World which is amplified by their conformity to the Patern and Example of Christ Even as I am not of the World So that we have here the Condition of the Saints in the World and then their Constitution and Temper I have given them thy Word Partly by external Revelation in his Ministry during Life Partly by inward Illumination he had given them the Knowledg of it John 16.27 Ye have loved me and have believed that I came out from God John 17.6 I have manifested thy Name to the Men which thou gavest me out of the World Partly by Tradition or Commission he had left the Word with them not only that they might profess it but preach it to others There is an Emphasis in Thy Word Christ grounded his Plea with the Father upon it Men are wont to respect those that suffer for their Sake and Cause And the World hath hated them By the World is meant that Party which is contrary to Christ's Kingdom they are sometimes called the Kingdom of Darkness because the Devil is their Head and Chief sometimes the World because that is their Aim they are guided by the malicious Spirit of Satan and acted by their own Ends and Interests Briefly they are called the World either because the greatest the most flourishing part of Mankind are obstinate against the Gospel or because their whole Bent their Way their Savour is of the World they relish nothing but the World the wicked unbelieving obstinate part of the World And it is said hath hated them hitherto in their Profession they have had but sad experience of the World and in the Course of their future Ministry they can expect no better Because they are not of the World Of the World that is of that strain and sort of Men as of the Devil is to be swayed by him John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do They are different from the World in Spirit in Worship in Conversation In Spirit or in the frame of their Hearts 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit that is of God There is a particular Genius that runneth out that way they have other manner of Affections and Dispositions In Worship they are to root out inveterate Superstitions both among Jews and Gentiles Now Men are tender of their old Customs and Traditions Unconformity doth exasperate them much more zealous opposition against Traditions received from their Fathers In Conversation they are come out from among them they are Heteroclites 1 Pet. 4.4 They think it strange that you run not with them to all excess of Riâ—i speaking evil of you Their Course is a countermotion to the Fashions of the World they have renounced worldly Desires and Practices Even as I am not of the World most estranged from the Customs and Fashions of it John 8.23 Ye are from beneath I am from above ye are of this World I am not of this World He tasted of the World's hatred John 15.18 19. If the World hateth you you know it hated me before it hated you If ye were of the World the World would love its own but because ye are not of the World but I have called you out of the World therefore the World hateth you This is added for the Consolation of the Disciples that it may not be grievous to them to suffer what their Master suffered before them When the King is wounded in Battel should the Souldier shrink They have my Spirit and are to inherit my Office and they that have Christ's Spirit must look for Christ's Entertainment Only when it is said Even as I am not of this World it noteth not an exact Equality but some Conformity Christ never was of the World Heb. 7.26 He was Holy Harmless Vndefiled separate from Sinners that is he never was of their number After the Fall all Men are of the World but by Regeneration they are so no more therefore it is said John 15.19 Ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World Ye are separated by God's Fan the Wheat from the Chaff and cut off from your old Root by the Sword of the Word 1. Observe That Christians especially Ministers to whom Christ hath given his Word must expect the World's hatred I apply it to both because Christ hath given the Word to both to ordinary Christians by Regeneration to Ministers by special Commission Ordinary Christians are cut off from the World by the Sword of the Word and Conformity is the ground of Love as Difformity and Dissonancy of Practice is of Hatred and Aversation And Ministers have a special Commission to preach it And then both hold forth the Word Ministers clearly they manage the Fan and of private Christians it is said Phil. 2.15 16. That ye be blameless and harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as Lights in the World Holding forth the Word of Life They copy out the Word in their Lives they are a living Sermon a walking Rule they preach by their Lives the Truth is held forth in a Minister's Mouth but in a Believer's Conversation 1. Christians that do not let fall the Strictness and Majesty of their Conversations if they keep the Word that Christ hath given
have an Interest in his Care if their hatred be for Righteousness-sake and your being zealous in the Ways of God then you may know God will keep you for that is the main Request Keep them through thine own Name And why Because I have given them thy Word therefore the World hates them The more they are our Enemies for God's sake the greater help will God afford us Men use to send relief there where the Battel is sharp and hottest so when the Battel is sharpest and hottest thou hast an Interest in God's Protection 2. Point The World hateth them because they are not of the World because of their strictness and holiness they live contrary to their Interests and Lusts this is the very Cause Observe There is such a Sin as Antipathy against the Power of Godliness or hatred of others because of their strictness in the Service of God and diligence in Heavenly Things Here I. I shall give you Instances of this from the Word of God II. Discoveries of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Malignity III. Reasons of it and then come to apply it I. Instances of it from the Scripture The World's Hatred is disguised under other Pretences but this is the proper cause of it The Word is the best Judg of that which is a searcher of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart God and his Word have the same Properties Heb. 4.12 The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of Soul and Spirit and of the Joints and Marrow and is a discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart Now what doth the Word say The Word of God doth tell us doctrinally that it is so and giveth Instances and Examples of it 1. Doctrinally that it is so Let us begin with that place which describeth the first rise of it Gen. 3.15 And I will put enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed There is a natural enmity between the two Seeds as there is between a Toad and a Man a Wolf and a Lamb a Raven and a Dove so there is between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent that is between Christ and his upright Followers and so many of Mankind as fall to the Devil's share an Enmity that will never be laid aside while the World is the World and till the Devil turn Christian and be converted which will never be The next place is Prov. 29.27 An unjust Man is an abomination to the Just and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the Wicked There is a mutual Enmity between the Good and the Bad so as they can never piece in a firm Friendship only there is a difference between the prosecution of this Hatred the Just hate not virum but vitium Sin is to be hated not the Person as we are not to love the Sin for the Person 's sake so we are not to hate the Person for the Sin 's sake A good Man abhorreth that which is evil he loatheth it in others but chiefly in himself Or as the Schools distinguish there is odium abominationis offensionis and odium inimicitiae The Godly are offended with the evil Deeds of others tho they do not hate their Persons but the Wicked hate the Godly odio inimicitiae they have an inbred Enmity against them and seek their destruction they hate them despightfully because of the old Hatred The next place is John 15.19 If ye were of the World the World would love its own but because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you You see Men are divided into two Ranks some are of the World and some are not of the World some there are whose Hopes and Hearts and Conversations are wholly here their Manners the temper of their Spirits and the course of their Worship is wholly calculated for the World Others there are that neither conform to the World in Judgment Affections nor Practice but wholly favour things past this Life are fitted for another World breath after it and labour for it Now let us see what different entertainment both these meet with some are dandled on the World's Knees suck freely of the Breasts of her Consolation Others are troubled and molested and exercised with all manner of Displeasures And why because they are chosen out of the World and called to the love and enjoyment of better things It is true there may be Contentions and Emulations among the Men of the World as their Lusts and Interests interfere and cross one with another but because they differ not in contrary general Principles and Ends the Hatred which they have towards their own is nothing so violent and extream as that which they have against the Godly and they do not so hate one another but that they can easily agree in this common Enmity against those who are upright with God as Herod and Pontius Pilate did and the Herodians and Pharisees against Christ and Gebal and Ammon and Amalek against Israel Thus you see Doctrinally the Scripture speaketh of such a thing 2. By way of Instance and Example Let us see how this Spirit of Enmity hath been working and how the Holy Men of God have had bitter experience of it Abel was slain by Cain Let us begin with Cain the Patriarch of Unbelievers Now the Holy Ghost giveth us a Comment on that Action 1 John 3.12 Not as Cain who was of that wicked One and slew his Brother And wherefore slew he him Because his own Works were Evil and his Brother 's Righteous The one was the Seed of the Woman the other of the Serpent the one worshipped God after the right Order and brought the First the Fat the Tenth to the Lord the other was slight and careless in Worship The Targum of Jerusalem mentioneth a Disupte that happened between them concerning the Providence of God and the Last Judgment and the World to come and those wholesome Doctrines by which Godliness is maintained Non est judicium nec Judex nec Soeculum aliud nec munus pro justis nec poena pro impiis However this we are sure it was for his Godliness that this outrage was committed upon him Let us go a little lower in the story of the Patriarchs we shall find Isaac scoffed at by Ishmael Gen. 21.9 Upon which practice of his the Apostle glosseth thus Gal. 4.29 As he that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit so it is now Scoffing and Mocking is a kind of Persecution ever so it was and ever so it will be while there are two Seeds in the World Whatever civility the Men of the World have they are all opposite to Grace and Godliness and do not only refuse and resist it in themselves but hate it and persecute it in others I say they that have
testimony to their Consciences that they could find nothing against them but in the matter of their God Dan. 6.5 They have no real matter against them and therefore feign and suppose these Crimes to justify their Opposition for they devise Crimes because they find none 5. Because if a Man be Strict and Conscientious Mortified sober of Life and Behaviour the World is apt to judg him one of such an hated Party As if any named the Name of God with reverence they suspected them for Hereticks if they said if the Lord will And we read in the Story of the French Martyrs when Sanpanlius reproved a Man for Swearing he was presently suspected to be a Hugonot and so condemned As if it were said in the Language of the Damsel to Peter Thou art one of them for thy Speech bewrayeth thee If any were humble mortified serious the World suspecteth them 6. The Consciences of Wicked Men are as a thousand Witnesses Non amo te Sabedi c. Ask Conscience what is the matter they cannot look upon them without fear and shame Their Heart riseth against them and what is the Reason All regular Affections may be justified the Cause is bad and Men are loth to render it 7. It appears by the Joy that Wicked Men take when they have any thing offered to justify their Opposition as suppose by the Scandals of any that profess the Ways of God as the Heathens took an advantage from the impurity of the Gnosticks to defame all Christians Regular Zeal is accompanied with Compassion and flyeth not from the Persons to the Cause from the Faulty to the Innocent to the whole Generation of the Just. It is Hatred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Haman thought scorn to lay hands upon Mordecai alone but sought to root out the whole Seed of the Jews Esther 3.6 SERMON XXIII JOHN XVII 14 I have given them thy Word and the World hath hated them because they are not of the World even as I am not of the World III. HAVING Given the Instances and Discovery of the World's Hatred to the People of God I now come to the Reasons thereof 1. Difference and Estrangement in course of Life is a provoking thing Therefore Men that live in any sinful course are loth that any should part company with them 1 Pet. 4.4 Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to all excess of Riot speaking evil of you Therefore they hate them because of the difference in course of Life Now this Suitableness and Oneness of Course can never be between the serious Worshippers of God and others There is a contrariety in their Dispositions the one have the Spirit of the World the other have an heavenly Spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 They are employed in the Service of contrary Masters Christ and Mammon Mat. 6.24 Christ and Belial 2 Cor. 6.15 They are guided by contrary Rules the Law of Sin and the Law of Righteousness the Customs of the World and the Will of God And they are carried in all their Ways and Actions to contrary Ends the one living for earthly the other for heavenly Things Whence it must necessarily follow that they must continually cross one another in the Course of their Conversation 2. This is not all it is not only a Difference but a Difference about Religion and usually Hatreds that arise from Difference in Religion are very deadly that which is for the Restraint of Passion is made the Fuel of it and instead of a Judg a Party The Samaritans and Jews could not endure one another The nearer they agree the Strife is the greater when they are outstripped in that Form Proximorum odia sunt acerrima A Turk hateth a Jew more than a Christian a Jew hateth a Christian more than others So in the other Subdivision the nearer and more conjoined in a common Profession the greater the particular Breach and the Hatred more fierce 3. It is not only difference about Religion but between the true Religion and false False Worships tho never so different may better agree together than the false with the true as Darkness and Darkness will better suit than Light and Darkness and one Error will give better Quarter to another than either will to the right Worship of God The Heathens tolerated the Epicureans that denied Providence and took away all respect and care about Divine Matters and yet persecuted Christians The strict Profession of the Name of the true God enrageth more than to say There is no God The Romans when they had captivated any Nation worshipped the Gods of it except it were Jehovah the God of the Jews yea afterward tho the Jews were equally against the Idolatries of the Gentiles as the Christians yet they were not so generally hated and persecuted So that Hatred and Persecution is the Churches Lot and the evil Genius that followeth the Gospel where-ever it goeth Other Religions tho much different among themselves can agree well enough and live together in Peace when the malignity of the World is turned upon that which is true Under Rome-Antichristian the Jews were tolerated but not Protestants But why is there such a Spite and Enmity at the sincere and serious Profession of the true Religion It is needful to speak to this that we may search this Sore to the bottom Holiness is lovely and there is a natural Veneration of what is strict and Godliness in the Power of it tendeth to Love and Meekness and teacheth Men Patience in Wrongs and Readiness to give and to forgive to do good to all to pass by Injuries and to render good for evil Why should such an amiable Thing be hated I answer 1. The Devil's Instigation is one great Cause he hath great Wrath against the Saints their Increase presageth his Ruine Rev. 12.12 The Devil is come down unto you having great Wrath because he knoweth he hath but a little Time And he hath great Power over wicked Men Ephes. 2.2 The Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience As he worketh other Sins in them so this Sin of Hatred and Trouble to the Saints John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do he was a Murderer from the beginning And Cain is said to be of that wicked One 1 John 3.12 They are his Seed and there is an old Enmity between the Seeds The original Cause is Malignity against God Rom. 1.30 Haters of God It is a part of Original Sin they hate God and hate his Saints God should speed no better than his Saints if he were in their Power But the actual Cause is 2. On Man's part and there seemeth to be a double Reason Pride and Envy Pride is impatient of Reproof and Envy looketh with an evil eye upon their Privileges and Advantages in Christ. 1. Pride which is impatient of Reproof Strictness is an Object reviving Guilt Heb. 11.7 Noah
Nay the People of God may have a spice of Carnal Envy and be guilty of some unkindness if not hatred to their Godly Brethren Job was deeply censured by his Godly Friends and Paul by his own Hearers 1 Cor. 4.10 We are Fools for Christ's sake that is in their account Tho there be not in them that desperate hatred against the Power of Godliness yet there is offence too often taken and carried on with too great heat and animosity Some Godly Men are too favourable to their own Interests 4. When there is a secret rising of Heart against the purity and strictness of others Natural Malignity beginneth to Work you had need suppress it betimes exulcerated Lusts will grow more tumultuous One godly Man may reprove another that is less godly reprove his Conscience by his Life they cannot look upon them without shame Let it be an Holy Emulation not a Carnal Envy 5. In opposing those that are godly we had need be tender Take care what thou dost for this Man is a Roman Acts 22.26 A Man that medleth with any that profess Religion in strictness had need go upon sure grounds Mat. 18.6 Whoso shall offend one of these little Ones which believe in me it were better for him that a Milstone were hanged about his Neck and he were drowned in the depth of the Sea Men that know the danger will not easily kick against the Pricks At least do not join with the Opposite eat and drink with the Drunken and smite your fellow Servants for the Lord of that Servant shall come and cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the Hypocrites Mat. 24.49 50 51. When you cry up a Confederacy with wicked Men to prosecute your private Differences with more advantage there is much of the hatred of Godliness in it 6. If you be glad when you find any blemish whereby to eclipse the lustre and glory of their Innocency there is a secret Hatred You should be affected with the Scandal brought upon the Common Cause Phil. 3.18 For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the Enemies of the Cross of Christ not real Christians but Professors only The Chams of the World laugh to see a Noah drunk It is a sign you hate them because they are Holy when you are glad of any blemish wherewith to stain them especially when the Miscarriages of a few are cast upon all 7. To be at a great distance from this take heed of the hatred of any Man We should love all Men with the love of Good-will tho our delight should be in the Excellent Ones of the Earth the Saints of God There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.7 Add to Brotherly-kindness Charity Live in Enmity and Malice with none tho you take just offence at their Sins as Lot's Righteous Soul was vexed from day to day 2 Pet. 2.8 For that Righteous Man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his Righteous Soul from day to day with their unlawful Deeds It troubled him to see them They are an abomination by way of caution for our selves and just abhorrence of their Impurities but we must not hate them with a mischievous hatred odio inimicitiae Vse 3. Advice to the People of God 1. Be not amazed at it if you meet with trouble and opposition from Wicked Men even for Goodness-sake 1 John 3.13 Marvel not my Brethren if the World hate you So it hath ever been and so it will be We are surprised and perplexed at it as Men use to be at something that is strange The Wonder is on the other side if there be any remission of this Enmity it were a shrewd suspicion that we were of their stamp or complied too much with their Humors and did symbolize with them in carnal Practices Luke 6.26 Cursed are you when all Men speak well of you for so they did to the false Prophets 2. To walk holily and watchfully so to live that their Religion may be their only Crime and to keep up the repute of Godliness that they may not be hated as Evil-Doers but as Saints 1 Pet. 4.15 Let none of you suffer as a Murderer or as a Thief or as an Evil-Doer or as a Busy-Body in other Mens Matters It is a sad thing to be a Martyr to Passion Interest vain Glory and private Conceits and Opinions to suffer for your own Shame The World doth but watch for such an Advantage their Conscience telleth them you do not deserve their Hatred and therefore they seek other Pretences Do not suffer for Pride indiscreet Zeal and unnecessary Intermedling It is the Glory of the Christian Religion always to have Holy Martyrs and Infamous Persecutors that they should have nothing against them but in the Matters of their God 3. Let not this discourage you tâ—â— Power of Godliness as it is a provoking so it is a daunting thing the Wicked hate you and fear you Mark 6.20 Herod feared John knowing that he was a Just Man and an Holy and observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly He feared him not only as a zealous Preacher but as a strict Man A Man would think that John had more cause to fear Herod And God will respect it it is his Quarrel tho you have the management of it you have good Company Christ suffereth with you 1 Pet. 4.13 Rejoice in as much as ye are Partakers of Christ's Sufferings You do not only suffer for him but with him in such a case ye are not only look'd upon as His but Him they cannot hate you as much as they do Christ you are the World 's Eye-sore but God's Delight you have glorious Assistance glorious Hopes The Spirit of God and of Glory resteth upon you 1 Pet. 4.14 4. Walk wisely towards them that are without Col. 4.5 How is that Not to swerve from the course of a Godly Life or neglect our Service to God or to cool and slack in our Zeal for his Glory or to conform our selves to any of their wicked Practices but to forbear to provoke them without cause to live peaceably with all Men as much as is possible Rom. 12.18 To overcome Evil with Good Vers. 21. This was that which Christ hath prescribed Mat. 5.44 Love your Enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you 3. Point A Christian should live in the World as one that is not of the World There is not a total separation from the Men of the World Live in the World he doth here is his Corporal Presence and Conversation but not his Heart And live in the World he must here is his Station and Place of Service 1 Cor. 5.10 Yet not altogether with the Fornicators of this World or with the Covetous or Extortioners or with Idolaters for then
to have a good opinion of a thing till we make trial The Testimony of the Church hath inclined us to think that the Scriptures are the Word of God not that the Church can make and unmake Scripture when it pleaseth as a Messenger that carrieth Letters from a King doth not give Authority to them 3. How the Church hath witnessed to the Truth of the Scriptures in all Ages Partly by Tradition partly by Martyrdom 1. By Tradition Holy Books were indited one after another according to the necessity of Times and still the latter confirmed the former Moses was confirmed by Joshua Chap. 23.6 Be ye couragious to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses And Joshua and others by succeeding Prophets and all were confirmed by Christ Luke 24.44 These are the Words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and 〈◊〉 the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning me For the New Testament it was confirmed by all the succeeding Ages of the Church Christians different in other things yâ—t agreed these to be the Writings of the Apostles So that we have a more general consent than we have about any other Matter probable in the World Men of excellent Parts and Learning that were not apt to take Matters on trust all assent to Scripture as the publick Record for the trial of Doctrines When Heirs wrangle they go to the Last Will and Testament 2. By Martyrdom The Patience and Constancy of the Martyrs who have ratified this Truth with the loss of their dearest Concernments yea even of Life it self Rev. 12.11 They overcame by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of their Testimony and they loved not their Lives unto the Death It is possible that a Man may suffer for a false Religion and sacrifice a stout Body to a stubborn Mind but because there is counterfeit Coin is there no true Gold The Devil's Martyrs are neither so many for number nor for temper and quality so holy so wise so meek as Christ's Champions The Christian Religion can shew you Persons of all Ages Young and Old of all Sexes Men and Women of all Conditions of Life Noble and of low Degree of all Qualities Learned and Unlearned Persons that could not be suspected to be mopish or melancholy or tired out with the Inconveniences of an evil World but were in a capacity to enjoy temporal Things with the highest delight and sweetness and yet counted not their Lives dear to them to confirm the Truth of this Word What is dearer to Men than Life And this not out of any desire of vain Glory their Death being accompanied with as many disgraceful as painful Circumstances not out of any sensless stupidity or fierceness of Mind they being of a meek Temper and blamed for nothing else but their constancy in asserting that Truth which they professed not out of any confidence in their own strength in bearing those horrible Cruelties that were inflicted upon them but humbly committing themselves to God and imploring his Strength did deliberately and voluntarily give up themselves to be cruelly butchered and tormented as a Testimony of the Power of this Truth upon their Hearts some of them kissing the Stake thanking the Executioner others wrestling a while with Flesh and Blood and natural desires of Life yet the Love of the Truth prevailing came at length to encounter the Horrors of a cruel Death with a well-tempered Constancy and Resolution which certainly in so many thousands even to an incredible Number could not be without some Divine Power and Force upon their Souls That all this should be done by Persons otherwise of a delicate tender Sense and a meek and flexible Spirit what should move them to it but the Power of the Truth This being a Religion of little Reputation in the World which the Philosophers and Disputers of that Age sought to batter down with Arguments the Politicians with all manner of Discouragements the Orators with a Flood of Words the Tyrants with Slaughters and Torments the Devil by all manner of Crafts and Subtilties What had the poor Christians before their Eyes but Prisons and wild Beasts and Gibbets and Fires and Racks and torturing Engines more cruel than Death They had Flesh and Blood as well as others a Nature that continually prompted them to spare themselves as well as others Life was as dear to them and their care of their Families and Little-ones as great their respect to Parents and Friends as much in them as any yea more Religion requiring natural Affection in the highest Exercise and intendering their Hearts with a sense of their Duty Yet rather than give their Bibles to be burnt or be led away from their Religion they could trample upon all Certainly such an invincible constancy could not be imputed to any rigid Sullenness or foolish Obstinacy or distempered Stiffness but meerly to the love of Truth which prevailed over all other Concernments Let it shame us that they could part with Life and all their Interests for Christ and his Truth and we cannot part with our Lusts they with their well-being and we not with our ill-being Could they suffer the Persecutors to destroy their Bodies and will not we suffer the Fire of the Word to consume our Lusts Reason and Conscience is calling upon us to quit these things and yet we hug them to our great Prejudice we to whom a little Duty is so irksome a little pains in Prayer so tedious what would we do if the Fires were kindled about us and we were every day to carry our Life in our Hands and could look for nothing but Halters and Stakes and Instruments of Destruction Surely our Spirits are too silken and soft for such a Religion so abstracted from Ease and Pleasure and worldly Interests III. The Malignant World hath owned it the deadly hatred of the Devil and the constant opposition of wicked Men is a proof of it The Malignant World know it and therefore they hate and oppose it The Reason of the Argument is because the Heart of Man is naturally averse to God 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Now that which all wicked Men do universally and constantly oppose and malign certainly that is of God As Christ saith of his own Disciples John 15.19 If ye were of the World the World would love its own but because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you So may we reason If the Scriptures were of Men if devised by them and suitable to their Lusts and Humours the Men of the World would receive them with a great deal of stillness Flesh and Blood would love its own But carnal Men have constantly
wantest a sense of his Love because of thy manifold Failings it is unreasonable to think that all will end in Wrath which was begun in so much Love If he expressed Love to thee in thy unconverted Estate and hath brought thee into God's Family will he destroy thee and turn thee out again upon every actual unkindness The Lord doth gently question with Jonah in his Fret Dost thou well to be angry Jonah 4.9 When the Disciples fell asleep in the Night of Christ's Agony he doth not say Ye are none of mine because ye could not watch with me one hour but rather excuseth it Mat. 26.41 The Spirit indeed is willing but the Flesh is weak This great Love of God overcometh all the unkindness of his Children 2. What may evidence they are concerned in this Love 1. There is some change wrought in you thou art now no despiser of God and his Holy Ways the Heart of thy Sensuality Pride and Worldliness is broken tho too much of it still remaineth in thee Now it is good to be in the way to a further Progress and we begin with Mortification 2 Cor. 5.17 If any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Every change for the better is either the New Creature or a Preparation to it 2. The Gift of the Sanctifying Spirit is more prized by thee than all the Riches and Honours in the World Now without Holiness we cannot esteem Holiness and practically prefer it above other things God loveth Christ as he bore his Image so he loveth us we are sealed by the Mark of the Spirit Psal. 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy People O visit me with thy Salvation And Psal. 119.132 Look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name 3. Thou lovest and preferrest Christ's People and that for their Holiness and therefore seekest to discountenance all sorts of Wickedness Psal. 15.4 In whose Eyes a vile Person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He laboureth to discountenance all sorts of Wickedness and desireth to bring Goodness and Godliness into a creditable Esteem and Reputation and payeth an hearty honour and respect to those that excel therein So Psal. 16.3 But to the Saints that are in the Earth and to the Excellent in whom is all my delight He doth value them and esteem them above the greatest Men in the World because they are so loved prized and set apart by God 4. You labour more and more to be such whom God loveth as he loved Christ. Jesus Christ was the express Image of his Person we strive to be such in the World as Christ was 1 John 4.17 hating what God hateth and loving what God loveth then we make it our business to walk as he walked 1 John 2.6 doing his Will seeking his Glory God loved Christ for that Spirit of Obedience that was in him who shrunk not in the hardest Duties but whatever it cost him was faithful in his Work 3. Observe That God would have the World know so much and be convinced of this great Love which he beareth to the Saints that the World may know that thou hast loved them c. 1. The Necessity of the World's Knowledg 1. Because the World is blinded with Ignorance and Prejudice against the Children of God they cannot or rather will not see 1 Cor. 2.14 But the natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discerned They will not see because they have a mind to hate 2. The Life that floweth from this Union is a hidden thing Col. 3.3 For our Life is hid with Christ in God It is hidden because maintained by an Invisible Power the Spiritual Life is hidden under the Vail of the Natural Life Gal. 2.20 The Life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me It is obscured by Infirmities The best shew forth too much of Adam and too little of Jesus It is hidden under Afflictions Heb. 11.37 38. They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Of whom the World was not worthy c. and the World's Reproaches 2 Cor. 6.8 By Honour and Dishonour by evil Report and good Report as Deceivers and yet true 2. The Means whereby the World is convinced 1. The Promises of the Word shew God's great Love to the Saints and hereby he hath engaged himself to do great things for them 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature He hath engaged to pardon their Sins accept their Persons sanctify their Natures keep them blameless to his Heavenly Kingdom and finally to translate them to Glory Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O People saved by the Lord and who is the Shield of thy Excellency thy Enemies shall be found Liars unto thee and thou shalt tread upon their high Places Psal. 144.15 Happy is that People that is in such a Case yea happy is that People whose God is the Lord. 2. By the visible Fruits of the Mystical Union The Gift of the Spirit cannot be hidden they have a Power and Presence with them which others have not 1 Pet. 4.14 The Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you They live contrary to the course of this World so as to become the World's Wonder 1 Pet. 4.4 Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of Riot And Reproofâ— Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark for the saving of his House by the which he condemned the World 3. By the wonderful Blessings of God's Providence they are hidden in the secret of his Presence strangely preserved Psal. 4.3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is Godly for himself not only as Instruments of his Glory but as Objects of his special Favour and Grace 4. This is more fully seen for the utter confusion of the Wicked at the last Day 2 Thess. 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe Now it is for their Conviction or Conversion then for their Confusion these are those whose Lives we judged Madness and Ways Folly 3. Why Christ was so earnest that the World should know this 1. To restrain their Malice 1 Cor. 2.5 Had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory If God loveth Believers it should stop the Violence and Malice of the World against them they are the Beloved
is a permanent and abiding testimony By his constant operation we are acquainted with him and know him what moveth and stirreth in us but now and then we understand not but the Holy Ghost is familiar with us resideth and dwelleth in our hearts we feel his pulse and motions John 14.7 I will send you the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you Therefore they know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that constantly feel his Operations in comforting quickning instructing them they may see how they are beloved of God and minded by him upon all occasions the effects of the spirit are life holiness faith strength joy comfort and peace he enlightneth our understanding confirmeth our faith and assures us of salvation exciteth us to prayer stirreth up holy desires and motions comforteth us in crosses awakeneth us in groans after heaven Now those that have such constant experience of the illuminating sanctifying quickning work of the spirit on their souls cannot but know what kind of spirit dwelleth and worketh in them 4. The sanctifying spirit is the surest note of our reconciliation with God as that which will not deceive us when he sanctifieth he is pacified towards us Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus the great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight And 1 Thes. 5.23 The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly in body soul and spirit 2 Cor. 5.17 18. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. A man lieth open to delusions by other evidences and may be long enough without true and solid comfort 4. From Gods constant government But there is a twofold way of Providence by which he governeth the world or else conducteth souls to glory There is an external sort of government by prosperities and adversities and afflictions and worldly blessings now these have their use to invite us to obedience and to caution us against sin but these things are not dispencâ—d as sure evidences of Gods love and hatred Eccles. 9.2 Worldly good things may be given in anger lest men should be marked out by their outward condition rather than the disposition of their souls God would not distinguish the good by the blessings of his common providence nor brand and mark out the bad by their afflictions Therefore these mercies that run in the channel of common providence are dispenced promiscuously But God hath another way of internal government carried on within the soul by troubles of conscience for sin and the comforts of a good conscience as the reward of obedience Now in this sort of Government the influence of the spirit is mainly seen God sheweth his anger or his love his pleasure or displeasure by giving and withholding the spirit When he is pleased we have the Testimony of it in our Consciences by the presence and comforts of the spirit when displeased he withdraweth the spirit this is reward and punishment the accesses and recesses of the spirit if we have sinned Psal. 51.10 Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me The retaining and withholding the spirit is one of the greatest calamities in the world v. 11. renew a right spirit in me 12. and uphold me by thy free spirit On the contrary the reward of obedience is the increase of the spirit Rom. 14.17 For the kingdom of God is not in meats and drinks but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy ghost Now this being Gods constant way of internal government whereby he manifesteth his pleasure or displeasure by withholding or withdrawing or giving out his spirit and this a surer way than the effects of his external Providence I cannot say God hateth me because he denieth earthly blessings or blasteth them when bestowed This may be for other reasons than to manifest his anger or hatred I cannot say God loveth me because I enjoy outward prosperity but if I have the spirit that is never given in anger 1. VSE is To perswade us to seek after the presence of the spirit in our hearts 'T is not enough to be baptized to have the common Faith and Profession of Christians no we must also have the spirit of Christ for while we are carnal we are Christians only in the Letter two things I will press you to To receive and retain him to get him and keep him 1. Get him See that he be entred into your hearts to recover your souls to God John 3.5 See that you be born again of water and of the Spirit And not only so but get an increase and supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.17 Through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Seek more of the Spirit and lose him not in part nor in whole quench not the spirit Eph. 4.30 To encourage you consider God is ready to give the holy spirit Luke 11.13 And Christ hath purchased it that it might not be shed on us in a sparing manner Tit. 3.5 6. 'T is applied to us by the Word or Gospel-Dispensation 2 Cor. 3.18 Baptism hath its use Tit. 3.5 It doth not signifie so much the blood of Christ as the sanctifying cleansing spirit purchased thereby The promise of the spirit is sometimes made absolutely as Zech. 12.10 I will pour out a spirit of grace and supplication as implying the first grace you must take your lot if you miss of it 't is long of your selves you resist former warnings motions and strivings of the spirit wait in the use of means Sometimes conditionally to faith John 7.39 This he spake of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive Sometimes to Repentance Acts 2.38 Repent and thou shalt receive the gift of the Holy Ghost Prov. 1.38 Now these must be often renewed if we would get more of the spirit into our hearts for the spirit is continued and encreased to us by the same acts by which it is gotten at first by faith and repentance faith assenting or consenting or denying 1. Assenting with admiration of the infinite goodness and love of God shining forth to us in our redemption by Christ the assent must be strong that it may more effectually lead on other parts of faith and because the actions of the three Persons are a great Mystery 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the foreknowledg of God the father through the sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Here is the eternal love of the Father the infinite merit of Christ and the all powerful operation
The Lord shew me favour in the sight of this man for I have been the kings cupbearer 3. Pray God to bless you and ever keep in remembrance the former debt 1 Cor. 6.15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid SERMON XVI ROM VIII 13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die HERE is another Reason rendred why Christians should not live after the flesh before a debito now a damno or if you will take the whole Verse you have the danger of the carnal life and the benefit of the spiritual both Propositions are hypothetical or conditional both include perseverance in either course The Apostle saith not If you have lived after the flesh ye shall die All have lived after the flesh before they lived after the spirit and in the other part if ye go on to mortifie in the one branch the doom is heavy death not only temporal but eternal in the other the boon or benefit is as much as we can desire and far more than we can ever deserve or requite both have their use for man is apt to be moved by hope or fear if honesty and duty will not perswade us yet danger and benefit may have an influence upon us Let us now consider the first clause where death is propounded as the necessary consequent of carnal living we need not only milk but salt as milk to nourish the new creature so salt to fret out the corruption of the old man A sore penalty is threatned to them that fulfil the desires and inclinations of the flesh we buy carnal delights at too dear a rate when we must die eternally to enjoy them Doct. That God threatneth those that live after the flesh with eternal death and destructiion I shall speak to this Point 1. By way of Explication 2. By way of Confirmation In the Explication I shall shew you 1. What is meant by flesh 2. What by living after the flesh 3. What is the death threatned 2. By way of Confirmation 1. That this threatning is every way consistent with the Wisdom and Goodness of God Secondly The certainty of its being accomplished and fulfilled First by way of Explication 1. What is meant by flesh 1. The flesh is sometimes taken for the natural bodily substance that corporeal mass we carry about us so 't is said No man ever hated his own flesh but nourisheth it and cherisheth it Eph. 5.29 The body is a part of us and deserveth due care that it might be an holy Temple for the Spirit to dwell in and sanctifie and make use of it for God 2. For corruption of nature which inclineth us wholly to things grateful to the body and bodily life with the neglect of God and our precious immortal souls John 3.6 That which is born of flesh is flesh Now flesh in this latter sense is taken 1. Largely 2. Strictly First Largely For the whole dunghil of Corruption in whatever faculty it is seated in the Understanding Will or rational Appetite so Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit that is corrupt nature 2. Strictly Or in a limited sense for the corruption of the sensual Appetite 1 John 2.16 All that is in the world is either the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye or pride of life Sensuality is expressed by the lust of the flesh and Eph. 2.3 Fulfilling the wills of the flesh and of the mind As 't is taken more generally for natural corruption both in Will Mind and Affections so more particularly for the disorder of the sensual Appetite which carrieth us to Meats Drinks Riches Pleasures Honours therefore there are two Branches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flesh must not be confined to this latter sense but taken in the latitude of the former we read of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wisdom of the flesh Rom. 8.7 and of a fleshly mind Col. 2.18 Man is a corrupt carnal creature in all his faculties of the soul even those which are more noble the Understanding and Will and when the Apostle reckoneth up the works of the flesh Gal. 5.19 He doth not only reckon up Fornication and Adultery Uncleanness Wantonness which belong to the sensual Appetite but Idolatry and Heresie which are the fruits of blind and corrupt Reason and Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Sedition Envyings Murther which belong to the depraved Will we must take flesh then in the largest sense Secondly What it is to live after the flesh Living doth not note one single action but the trade course and strain of our conversations they are said to live after the flesh where the flesh is their principle their work and their scope 1. Where it is the governing principle or that spring which sets all the Wheels a going Once it was thus with us all we were wholly acted by the inclinations and desires of the flesh and did nothing but what the flesh moved us unto and therefore natural men are said to be in the esh Rom. 8.8 and after the flesh v. 5. and to serve divers lusts and pleasures Tit. 3.3 But when our cure is wrought we are acted by another principle the spirit or new nature Rom. 8.1 and Gal. 5.16 Not that the old principle is quite abolished 't is in us still Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit lusteth against the flesh And 't is in us not as dead but as working and operative and there is a mixture of the respective influence and efficacy of these two principles in every action yea in some actions a prevalency of the one above the other The worser part in a particular conflict may get the upper hand yet there is a sensible difference between the people of God and others the better principle is habitual and constant and in predominancy and doth not only check and thwart the other but overcome it and the interest of the flesh decreaseth and that of the spirit prevaileth and keepeth the carnal part in subjection but when the flesh is the chiefest principle that beareth rule in our hearts and we are acted and guided by it in our course of life we live after the flesh 2. Their work and trade or the business of their lives men are said to live after the flesh that wholly mind the things of the flesh Rom. 8.5 That take no other care but to spend their time wit and estate upon the service of their own fleshly lusts their whole life study and labour is to please the flesh and satisfie the flesh If God gets any thing from them 't is but for fashion sake and 't is only the flesh's leavings so Gal. 5.8 To sow to the flesh there is their business To make provision for the flesh Rom. 13.14 Neglecting God and the eternal welfare of their precious and immortal souls be it in the way of sensuality or be it
upon us first to observe the touches of Gods punishing and chastising hand reclaiming us from our wanderings Psal. 119.59 Before I was afflicted I went astray Secondly To reflect upon the motions of his spirit to draw us out of this estate that we may not resist the Holy Ghost Acts 5.31 Thirdly To examine every day what advantage the spirit hath gotten against the flesh how the interests of it is weakned its lusts checked its acts restrained Gal. 5.16 Every one that doth seriously mind the business of his salvation cannot but see these things of great advantage to his spiritual estate and there is no great difficulty in them to the serious soul that hath a mind to be saved 2. To those that seem to be recovered and to have a care of the spiritual life that they may not revert to this bondage and that the work may be more thoroughly wrought in them 1. Look to the mind take heed there be not flesh there for the fleshly mind is a great enemy to godliness Ro. 8.7 The carnal mind is enmity to God and 't is a low poor mind blinded with the love of present things Jam. 3.15 The wisdom that descendeth not from above is earthly sensual devillish it hindereth us from discerning the reallity of our hopes and from having a true sense of our duty impressed upon our hearts 1 Cor. 2. 14. but the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned And also from applying our Rule to particular cases either in judging of our estate or in guiding of our actions 't is strange to see how the world or the delusion of the flesh do blind very knowing men and how unacquainted they are with their own hearts or unable to discern their duty in plain cases when the performance of it is likely to be displeasing to the Flesh. What strange disguises it puts upon a Temptation and how they wriggle and distinguish themselves out of their duty when either God must be disobeyed or the Flesh displeased the Flesh is always partial for its self therefore get a sound mind and this spiritual discerning 2. Look to the heart that there be no Flesh there Sinful inclinations must be observed and mortified Satan doth observe them and shall not we He seeth which way the Tree leaneth and what kind of diet their soul-distempers crave and suiteth his temptations accordingly As the skilful Angler suiteth his Bait as the fishes will take it every month 1 Cor. 7.5 lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency He hath a bait of Preferment for Absolom for he is ambitious a bait of Pleasure for Sampson for he is voluptuous a bait of Money for Judas for he is covetous Thus will he furnish them with Temptations answerable to their inclinations A man by Temper Voluptuous esteems not Profit much nor an Earth-worm Pleasure nor an Ambitious man much either of them but Honour and Reputation and great Place Now 't is sad that our Enemy should know our Temper better than our selves Your uprightness and faithfulness to God is seen in weakning your particular inclinations to sin Psal. 18.23 I was also upright before him and kept my self from mine iniquity Observe the decay of your Master-sin and other things will come on the more easily fight not against small or great but the King-lust the domineering sin Satan is the more discouraged when we can deny our domineering lusts As Sampson's strength lay in his locks so doth the strength of sin in one lust more than another Every man knoweth his darling commonly but that which is our great care is to wean our hearts from it Herod raged when John Baptist touched his Herodias Felix trembled when Paul touched his bribâ—ry and intemperance and the young man goeth away sad when Christ discovereth his worldliness Mark 10.22 We have all our tender parts which we cannot endure should be touched But now when you are willing to part with this sin pray strive and watch against it grow in the contrary grace it sheweth your self-denial and sincerity you will not spare your Isaac Well then see that no worldly thing be too near and dear to you and that God hath a greater interest in your heart than the flesh or any thing that belongeth to it 3. Let not the senses cast off the government of reason and be the ruling power in your souls They were not made to govern but to be governed and to be subjected to God and Reason Man by the fall is inverted Tit. 3.3 hateful and hating one another Man in his right constitution should be thus govern'd The Understanding and Conscience prescribe to the Will the Will according to right Reason and Conscience moveth the Affections the Affections move the bodily spirits and the members of the body but by corruption all is inverted and changed Pleasure affects the Senses the Senses corrupt the Phantasy the Phantasy the Bodily spirits they the Affections and the Affections by their violence and impetuous inclination to forbidden things move the Will and the Will yeilding blindeth the Mind and so man is carried headlong to his own destruction the feet are where the head should be e contra Well then you must guide the senses as Job made a covenant with his eyes Job 31.1 and David prayeth Psal. 119.37 Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity They let in Objects and Objects stir up Thoughts and Thoughts Affections Mat. 5.28 Now take heed they do not grow masterly if they transmit Temptations and stir up evil motions crush the Scorpion on the wound 4. Keep up a readiness for your work which is to obey the will of God It argueth some prevalency of the Flesh when our duty beginneth to grow troublesome and uneasie Therefore the Spirit or the better part cannot so readily produce its operation the soul in the right Temper doth willingly and cheerfully obey God 1 Joh. 5.3 this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous Psal. 40.8 I delight to do thy will O my God thy law is in my heart And Psal. 112.1 Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his commandments Therefore 't is time for you to check the Flesh and overcome it lest farther mischief increase upon you 5. Refer all things to your ultimate End And consider whether what you do doth hinder or further you therein for all things are to be regarded and valued as they conduce to Gods service and your salvation Eccles. 2.2 What doth it 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever you do let all be done to the glory of God Be true to your scope 6. Take heed of the servitude and bondage which the flesh is wont to bring upon the soul where it reigneth It maketh men very flaves the heart groweth weak and lust strong Ezek. 16.30 They are
cannot rationally expect the best and richest Fruits of this gift and to be inabled and inlarged by the spirit who do not give such ready entertainment and obedience to his motions as the more serious and fruitful Christian doth 4. But do all that have it know that they have it I Answer 1. The spirit of adoption is in some weak and therefore not so perceptible as it is in others for small and weak things are hardly discerned All Gods Children have the spirit of adoption in the effects though not in the sense and feeling of it They have the spirit of comfort though not the comfort of it for if any have not the spirit of Christ they are none of his Rom. 8.9 The Witness of his spirit is spoken of as distinct from receiving the spirit v. 16. There is a Child-like inclination and impression left upon them tho they know it not own it not There is a difference between the thing its self and the degree we cannot say we have not the spirit of adoption because we have not so much of this spirit calming our hearts rebuking our fears and filling us with joy and peace in believing The spirit was given to Christ without measure but to Christians in a different measure and proportion as they yield up themselves more or less to the conduct of his grace and overcome the enemies of their peace the Devil the World and the Flesh the impression is left upon some in a smaller upon some in a larger character all are not of a growth and size some are more real Christians others only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eminent grace will more discover its self than a little grace under an heap of imperfections a fervent love will be felt and a lively hope of Heaven demonstrate its self and an exact obedience less liable to dispute as we increase in Love and Heavenly mindness so the spirit discovereth his presence in us 2. Where the spirit of adoption acteth at the lowest rate there is something to difference it from the spirit of bondage 1. They are carried on to wait upon God upon Gospel grounds though they cannot apply the comforts and enter themselves heirs to the priviledges thereof some know they are of the truth and can make out their title with clearness and satisfaction 1 John 3.14 And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him others depend on Gods general offer while their claim and sincerity is as yet questionable God offereth to be a Father in Christ to all penitent believers and so we are incouraged to come to him by Christ the Apostle telleth us Heb. 7.19 That the gospel brought in a better hope by vertue of which we draw nigh to God There is a Child-like inclination when there is not a Child-like familiarity and boldness the soul cannot keep away from God but will come to him that he may pardon our sins and heal our souls and save our persons now this is the spirit of adoption in the lower or more obscure way of addressing our selves to God as a Father 2. There are child-like groans as well as child-like comforts compare Rom. 8.26 The spirit it self maketh intercession for us with sights and groans which cannot be uttered with 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory In some the spirit only discovereth himself by hungring and thirsting after righteousness in others he worketh peace which passeth all understanding and joy unspeakable and full of glory 3. There is a child-like reverence when there is not a child like confidence They are affraid to offend their Heavenly Father though they cannot challenge all the fruits and effects of his Fatherly love as belonging to them when they cannot own him as a Father with delightful confidence yet they dare not offend him for all Gods Children have a Child-like love to him when they have not a full sense and assurance of his paternal love to them for he hath a title to our dearest love before we can make out a title to his benefits now they that love God hate evil Psal. 97.10 are tender of omitting any duty or committing any offence where there is this Holy awe there is a spirit of adoption 't is an owning of God as a Father 1 Pet 1.17 If ye call on the Father c. And therefore this reverence we call filial fear 4. The heart is carryed out to heavenly things though we cannot call them ours All that are children do look after a childs Portion there is a twofold hope First an hope which is the effect of regeneration 1 Pet. 1.3 And an hope which is the effect of experience Rom. 5.4 Now this puts a difference between the spirit of Bondage and the servile mercenary spirit when the currant of thine affections is carried out after the eternal inheritance servants and mercenaries must have pay in hand they covenant with you from day to day or from quarter to quarter or from year to year a child in the Family tarryeth for a Childs Portion Math. 6.4 When thou dost thine alms do not sound a trumpet before thee as 〈◊〉 hypocrites do in the synogogue and in the street they have their reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 present wages they look for discharge God from other things if he wiâ—l give them the honour and pleasure of the world they are satisfied and look for no more 5. Why this is the fruit of the new covenant dispensation There are three things which must not be severed 1. The object 2. A powerful agent 3. The disposition of the subject thence resulting 1. There is an object and that is the Gospel offering pardon and life reconciliation with God and the everlasting fruition of him in Glory In the Gospel or new covenant we have the highest discovery of Gods Fatherly goodness that he might be more amiable and lovely to us and be loved by us the great end of reconciling and saving lost man by Christ his wonderful condescention in his incarnation life sufferings and death was to commend his love to us Rom. 5.8 Herein God commended his love to us in that when we were yet sinners Christ died for us To this end also tend his merciful covenant and promises that we might not look upon God as a condemning Judg but as a gracious and reconciled Father offering to be so to all that will accept Christ and submit to him God would not immediately beget this perswasion in our minds by his own secret power but use this objective means work upon our love by love because he will work on man agreeably to the nature of man his covenant shall speak him a Father that we may apprehend him as a Father 2. There is an internal powerful agent and that is the spirit Besides the external objective means there must be an internal effective cause for though Gods Fatherly love
not flaunt and rant and please the flesh as others do but take time for Meditation and Prayer and other Holy duties they that choose a larger sort of Life think them Mopish and Melancholy Or else self-denyal when they are upon the hopes of the World to come dead to present Interests and can forsake all for a naked Christ. The World thinks this folly and madness in the Judgment of the flesh it seemeth to be a mad and foolish thing to do all things by the prescript of the Word and to live upon the hope of an unseen World Or else zeal in a good cause 'T is in its self a good thing Gal. 4.18 It 's good to be zealously affected always in a good thing But the World is wont to call good evil As Astronomers call the Glorious Stars by horrid names as the Serpent the greater and lesser Bear and the Dog-Star and the like God will not be served in a cold and careless Fashion Rom. 12.11 Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. This will not suit with that lazy pace which pleaseth the World therefore they speak evil of it Another is an holy singularity as Noah was an upright Man in a corrupt Age Gen. 6.9 And we are bidden Rom. 12.2 not to conform our selves to this World Now to walk contrary to the course of this World and the stream of Common examples and to draw hatred upon our selves and hazarding our interests for cleaving close to God and his ways is counted foolish by them who wholly accommodate themselves to their interests John 15.19 The World will love his own but because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you Once more Fervours of Devotion or an earnest conversing with God in humble Prayer the World who are sunk in flesh and matter are little acquainted with the elevations and inlargements of the Spirit think all too be imposture and Enthusiasm And though praying by the Spirit be a great priviledge Jude 20. Rom. 8.26 Zach. 12.10 Yet it is not relished by them a flat dead way of praying suiteth their gust better Christ compareth the Gospel to new wine which will break old bottles Matth. 9.17 As fasting in Spirit praying in Spirit A little dead insipid Taplash or Spiritless Worship is more for the Worlds turn Missa non mordet 3. The reasons why it is so 1. Natural blindness 2 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God For they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned They are incompetent Judges Pro. 24.7 Wisdom is too high for a fool For though by Nature we have lost our light we have not lost our pride Pro. 26.16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason Though mens way be but a sluggish lazy dead way yet they have an high conceit of it and censure all that is contrary or but a degree removed about it And therefore is it that worldly and carnal men Judge perversely and unrighteously of Gods Servants and count zeal and forwardness in Religious duties to be but madness which is a notable instance of the miserable blindness of our corrupt Nature 2. Prejudicate malice which keepeth them from a nearer inspection of the beauty of Gods ways and the reasons and motives which his Children are governed by their eyes are blinded by the God of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 And their own forestalled prejudices and then who is so blind as they that will not see In the ancient Apologies of Christians they complained that they were condemned unheard and without any particular inquiry into their principles and practices Nolentes audire quod auditum damnare non possunt Tertull. They would not enquire because they had a mind to hate And Caelius Secundus Curâ—o hath a notable passage in the Life of Galeacius Carraciolas which was the occasion of his conversion The story is thus one John Francis Casarta who was enlightned with the knowledg of the Gospel was very urgent with this Noble-man his Cousen to come and hear Peter Martyr who then preached at Naples one day by much intreaty he was drawn to hear him not so much with a desire to learn and profit as out of curiosity Peter Martyr was then opening the first Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians and shewing how blind and perverse the Judgment of the natural understanding is in things Spiritual And also the efficacy of the Word of God on those in whom the Spirit worketh among other things he useth this similitude that if a man riding in an open Country should see afar off Men and Women dancing together and should not hear the Musick according to which they dance and tread out their measures he would think them to be fools and madmen because they appear in such various motions and antick Gestures and Postures But if he come nearer so as to hear the Musical notes according to which they dance and observe the regularity of the exercise he will change his Opinion of them and will not only be delighted with the exactness thereof but find a motion in his mind to stand still and behold them and to join with them in the exercise The same saith he happeneth to them who when they see a change of Life Company Fashions Conversation in others at their first sight impute it to their folly and madness but when they begin more intimately to weigh the thing to hear the harmony of the Spirit of God and his Word by which rule this change and strictness is directed and required that which they Judged to be madness and folly they see to be wisdom and reason and are moved to join themselves with them and imitate them in their course of Life and forsake the World and the vâ—nities thereof that they may be sanctified in order to a better Life This similitude stuck in the mind of this Noble Marquess as he was wont to relate it to his familiar friends that ever afterward he wholly applyed his mind to the search of the truth and the practice of Holiness and left all his honours and vast possessions for a poor Life in the profession of the Gospel at Geneva Well then 't is because prejudice condemneth things at a distance and men will not take a nearer view of the regularity of the ways of Godliness 2. Because they live contrary to that Life which they affect and do by their practice condemn it This reason is given by the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.4 Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them into the same excess of riot Speaking evil of you Worldly men think there is a kind of Happiness in their sort of Life which is so plausible and pleasing to the flesh they cannot but wonder at it and as long as they are carnal they cannot discern those Spiritual reasons which make believers
to give thee heat and influence and cherishing 'T is out of his store-house that provisions are sent to thy Table He furnisheth thy dishes with meat and filleth thy cup for thee He did not only clothe man at first Gen. 3.21 Vnto Adam and his Wife did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them When he turned unthankful man out of paradise he would not send them away without a Garment As he performed that office then so still he causeth the silk-worm to spin for thee and the sheep to send thee their fleeces only there is a wretched disposition in man we do not take notice of that invisible hand which reacheth out our comforts to us Acts of kindness in our fellow Creatures affect us more than all those benefits we receive from God What should be the reason Water is not sweeter in the dish than in the fountain man needeth himself never giveth so freely and purely as God doth but out of some self respect No kindness deserveth to be noted but the Lords who is so high and Glorious so much above us that he should take notice of us nothing but our unthankfulness is the cause of this disrespect and forgetting the goodness of his daily providence and our looking to the next hand and to the Ministry of the Creature and not to the supream cause 3. Case of Conscience about love is about the intenseness and degree of it The Soul will say God is to be loved above all things and to have the preferment in our affections choice and endeavours For he is to be loved with all the Heart and all the Soul Deut. 6.5 And earthly things are to be loved as if we loved them not Now to find my heart to be more stirred towards the Creatures than to God and seem to grieve more for a worldly loss then for an offence done to God by sin To be carryed out with greater violence and sensible commotion of Spirit to carnal objects than to Jesus Christ I cannot find these vigorous motions or this constraining efficacy of love over-ruling my heart Answer 1. Comparison is the best way to discover love comparing affection with affection our affections to Christ with our affections to other matters for we cannot Judge of any affection aright by its single exercise what it doth alone as to one object but by observing the difference and disproportion of our respects to several objects The Scripture doth often put us upon this kind of tryal 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God Singly and apart a man cannot be so well tryed either by his love to God or his love to pleasure there being in all some kind of love to God and a lawful allowance of Creature delights provided they do not most take us But when the strength of a mans Spirit is carryed out to present delights and God is neglected or little thought of the case is clear that the interest of the flesh prevaileth in his heart above the interests of God So Luke 12.21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God Mindeth the one and neglecteth the other namely to inrich his Soul with Spiritual and Heavenly treasure That followeth after Spiritual things in a formal and careless manner earthly things with the greatest earnestness The objection proceedeth then upon a right supposition that a respect to the World accompanyed with a neglect of Christ sheweth that the love of Christ is not in us or doth not bear rule in us 2. That God in Christ Jesus is to have the highest measure of our affections and such a transcendent superlative degree as is not given to other things Luke 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters and his own life also he cannot be my disciple He that loveth any contentment above Christ or equal with him will soon hate Christ. So Matth. 10.37 He that loveth Father or Mother Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me And the sincere are described Phil. 3.7 8 9 10 The nearest and dearest relations and choicest contentments all trampled upon all is dung and dross in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of our Lord. 3. Love is not to be measured so much by the lively act or the sensitive stirring of the affection as the solid esteem and the setled Constitution A thing may be loved intensively as to the sensitive discovery of the affection or appretiated by our deliberate choice and constant care to please God Partly because the vigorous motion is hasty and indeliberate is the fruit of fancy rather than faith Some by constitution have a more moveable temper and are like the Sea easily stirred the reading the story of Christs passions will draw tears from us though we regard not Gods design in it nor how far our sins were accessory to these passions and sufferings This qualm is stirred in us by fancy rather than faith the story of Joseph in the Pit will work the like effect as of Jesus on the cross yea the fable of Dido and Aeneas In all passions the setled constitution of the heart sheweth the man more than the sudden stirrings of any of them Men laugh most when they are not always best pleased We laugh at a toy but we joy in some solid benefit True joy is a secure thing and is seen in the judgment and estimation choice and complacency rather than in the lively act So love is not to be measured by these earnest motions but by the deliberate purpose of the heart to please God And partly because the act may be more lively where the affection is less firm and rooted in the heart The passions of suitors are greater than the love of husbands yet not so deeply rooted and do not so intimately affect the heart Straw is soon enkindled but fire is furnished with fit materials and burneth better and with an even and more constant heat These raptures and transports of Soul fanatical men fell them oftner than serious Christians who yet for all the World would not offend God And partly because sensible things do more affect us and urge us in the present state while we carry a mass of flesh about with us our affections will be more sensibly stirred by things which agree with our fleshly nature our senses which transmit all knowledge to us will be affected with sensible things rather than Spiritual I confess 't is Good to keep up a tenderness and we should be affected with Gods dishonour more than if we had suffered loss Psa. 119.136 Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because men keep not thy Law But in some tempers grief cannot always keep the rode and vent it self by the eye Certainly the constant disposition of the Soul is a surer note to Judge by sensible stirrings of affection are more liable to suspicion and not so certain
iniquity They can look upon themselves as only objects of his wrath and hatred Now this hatred and enmity of God is seen Partly as all commerce is cut off between God and them Isa. 59 2. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear So that he will not hold Communion with us in the Spirit Partly in that he doth often declare his displeasure against our sins Rom. 1.18 For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness And Heb. 2.2 Every transgression and every disobedience received a just recompence of reward Every Commandment hath its Trophies to shew that God hath gotten the best of sinners some are smitten because they love not God and put not their trust in him some for false worship some for blaspheming his name and profaning his day Sometimes he maketh inquisition for blood sometimes for disobedience to Parents and Governours By these instances God sheweth that he is at war with sinners It may be the greatest expression of Gods anger if he doth not check us and suffer us to go on in our sins Hosea 4.17 Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone Word Providence Conscience let him alone Psa. 81.12 So I gave them up to their own hearts lusâ—s and they walked in their own Counsels 'T is the greatest misery of all to be left to our own choices But however it be whether God strike or forbear the Lord is already in Battle aray proclaiming the war against us Psal. 7.11 12. God is angry with the wicked every day if he turn not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his bow will make it ready He hath also prepared for him the Instruments of death He hath ordained his Arrows against the Persecutors God's Justice though it doth for a while spare the wicked yet it doth not lye idle Every day they are a preparing and a fatring As all things work together for good to them that love God so all things are working for the final perdition of the obstinately impenitent God can deal with them eminus at a distance He hath his Arrows Cominus hand to hand He hath his Sword He is bending his bow whetting his Sword Now when God falleth upon us what shall we do Can we come and make good our party against him Alas how soon is a poor Creature overwhelmed if the Lord of Hosts arm the humours of our own bodies or our thoughts against us If a spark of his wrath light into the Conscience how soon is a man made a burden and a terrour to himself God will surely be too hard for us Job 9.4 Who ever hardened his heart against God and prospered What can we get by contending with the Lord One frown of his is enough to undo us to all eternity Can Satan benefit you The Devil that giveth you Counsel against God can he secure you against the stroaks of his vengeance No he himself is faln under the weight of Gods displeasure and holden in chains of darkness unto the Judgment of the great day Therefore think of it while God is but bending his bow and whetting his Sword The Arrows are not yet shot out of the terrible bow the Sword is but yet a whetting 't is not brandished against us After these fair and treatable warnings we are undone for ever if we turn not speedâ—ly 'T is no time to dally with God We read Luke 14 31. Of a King that had but ten thousand and another coming against him with twenty thousand What doth he do While he is yet a great way off he sendeth an Embassy and desireth Conditions of peace You are no match for God 't is no time to dally or tarry till the Judgment tread upon our heels or the storm and tempest of his wrath break out upon us The time of his patience will not always last and we are every day a step nearer to Eternity How can a man sleep in his sins that is upon the very brink of Hell and everlasting destruction Certainly a change must come and in the ordinary course of nature we have but a little time to spend in the World Therefore since the avenger of Blood is at our heels let us take sanctuary at the Lords Grace and run for refuge to the hope of the Gospel Heb. 6.18 And make our peace ere it be too late Cry Quarter as to one that is ready to strike Isa. 27.5 Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me This is the first motive 2dly Gods condescension in this business 1. That he being so glorious the person offended who hath no need of us should seek Reconciliation 'T is such a wonder for God to offer that it should be the more shame for us to deny For us to sue for reconciliation or ask Conditions of peace that 's no wonder no more then it is for a condemned malefactor to beg a pardon But for God to begin there is the wonder If God hath been in Christ reconciling the World to himself Then we may pray you to be reconciled And surely you should not refuse the motion We did the wrong and God is our Superiour and hath no need of us Men will submit when their interest leadeth them to it Acts 12.20 They desired peace because their Country was nourished by the Kings Country We should make the motion for we cannot subsist without him what is there in man that God should reguard his enmity or seek his friendship He suffereth no loss by the faln Creature Angels or men Why then is there so much ado about us He was happy enough before there was any Creature and would still be happy without them Surely thy enmity or amity is nothing to God Surely for us to be cross and not to mind this is a strange obstinacy Men treat when their force is broken when they can carry out their opposition no longer but God who is so powerful so little concerned in what we do he prayeth you to be reconciled 2dly In that he would lay the foundation of this treaty in the death of his Son Col. 1.21 He hath reconciled us in the body of his flesh through Death Therefore we pray you to be reconciled God to secure his own Honour to make it more comfortable to us would not be appeased without Satisfaction Though his nature inclined him to mercy yet he would nor hear of it till his Justice were answered that we might have nothing to perplex our Consolation and that we might have an incomparable demonstration of his hatred against sin and so an help to sanctification He would have our satisfaction and debt paid by him who could not but pay it with overplus Since he hath not spared his only Son we know how much he loveth us and hateth sin Oh!
above him or equal with him is to hate him Now because men love the World and the things of the World as well yea more then God they hate him and are enemies to him Now all carnal men are guilty of this 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore 't is positively said Jam. 4.4 That the friendship of the World is enmity with God And whosoever is a friend of the World is an enemy to God Oh! That men would look upon things as the Scripture expresseth them That the love of the World is the highest contempt and affront which can be offered to God In comparison of our love to him all the pleasures and contentments of the World should be hated rather then loved So far as we set our Hearts upon these things so far they are deadned and estranged from God and God is easily parted with for the Worlds sake If a Father should come to a Child and say if you love such a young man or woman you cannot love me and I shall take you for my utter enemy Would not any Ingenuous Child rather then be an enemy to his Father part with his vain and inticing company 3dly By Interpretation still we are said to hate God and to be enemies to him if we Rebel against his Laws and love what God hateth So The carnal mind is said to be enmity to God because it is not subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 Love is determined by obedience 1 Joh. 5.3 And hatred by disobedience That hate me and keep not my Commandments We apprehend God sâ—andeth in the way of our desires because we cannot injoy our lusts with that freedom and security as we might otherwise were it not for his Law We hate God because he Commandeth that which we cannot and will not do Therefore an impenitent person and an enemy to God are equivalent expressions 4thly There is a twofold hatred Odium abominationis and odium inimicitiae The hatred of Abomination and the hatred of Enmity The one is opposite to the love of good-will the other to the love of Complacency Pro. 29.27 The wicked is an abomination to the Righteous He hateth not his Neighbour with the hatred of Enmity so as to seek his destruction but with the hatred of offence so as not to delight in him as wicked In opposition to the love of complacency we may hate ouâ— sinful neighbour as we must our selves much more but in opposition to the love of benevolence we must neither hate our Neighbour nor our Enemy nor our selves Apply this now to the case between God and us 't will be hard to excuse any carnal men from either hatred certainly not from the hatred of Offence or Abomination there being such an unsuitableness and dissimilitude between God and them In pure nature we were created after his Image and then we delighted in him but when we lost our first nature we lost our first love for love is grounded upon likeness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we love those that have like affections especially in a good thing Now there being such a dissimilitude between God and us we love what he hateth and hate what he loveth therefore how can there choose but be hatred between us How can we delight in a Holy God and a God of pure Eyes delight in filthy Creatures What can carnal man see lovely in God Zech. 11.8 My Soul loathed them and their Soul abhorred me and therefore from this hatred of Loathing Offence and Abomination none can excuse them till they come to hate what God hateth and love what God loveth there is still the hatred of Offence Pro. 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil c. And for the hatred of enmity which is an endeavour to do mischief and seeketh the destruction of the thing hated we cannot excuse the wicked from that neither for there is a secret positive enmity as you have heard before 5thly Gods enemies carry on a twofold war against God Offensive and defensive 1. The offensive war is when men Rebel against Gods Laws and seek to beat down his interest in the World and employ their faculties mercies and comforts as weapons of unrighteousness against God Rom. 6.13 Yield not your members as Instruments of unrighteousness unto sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or weapons but yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as weapons of Righteousness unto God Our Faculties Talents Interests are employed either as armour of light for God or as weapons of unrighteousness against God And warring Satans warfare I call the offensive war against God The defensive war is when we slight his Word and resist the motions of his Spirit Acts 7.51 When God bringeth his Spiritual Artillery to batter down all that lifteth up it self against the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. He layeth seige to their Hearts and battereth them daily by the rebukes and the motions of his Spirit yet men will not yield the fortress but stand it out to the last and delight to go on in their natural corruption and will not have Christ to Reign over them and so they increase their enmity and double their misery by a resistance of grace So that they are Rebels not only against the Law but the Gospel and stand out against their own mercies As they are enemies to an earthly Prince that not only molest him with continual Inroads and Incursions but those also that keep his Towns against him Well then all this that is said sheweth that though men do not break out into open acts of hostility against God yet they may hate him be enemies to him Though they may not be profest Infidels yet secret enemies under a shew of respect to his Religion Enemies by Interpretation as they love him not or love him less or impenitently continue in a course of disobedience If they seek not the destruction of Gods interest in the world yet their Soul loatheth God the thoughts of his being are a trouble to them And they do not walk in his ways nor will not be reclaimed from their folly by any of his intreaties 2dly Now let me prove that God is an enemy to a carnal man or man defiled with sin He is so though he doth not stir up all his wrath though he bestoweth many favours upon us in the blessings of this life he is so though he useth much patience towards us He is so though he vouchsafeth us many tenders of grace to reclaim us All these things may consist with the Wrath of God He is so whatever purposes of grace or secret good will he may bear to any of us from everlasting for our Condition is to be determined by the sentence of his Law and there we are Children of wrath even as others Eph. 6.3 Liable to the stroak of his Eternal Vengeance Psa. 5.5 Thou hatest all the workers of