Sacrament and do the outward things of Religion but never come to worship God in spirit and in truth let me tell you all this Religion is nothing at all suppose a man comes to Church only and lives in his lusts what then Who required this at your hands to tread in my courts Isa 1. 12. Who why God requires it 't is true but not without uprightness to be proud still and worldly still he requires you to come into his courts but not in this manner so likewise for preaching it is an ordinance of God but if a man will preach and doth not lead an holy and mortified life and is not zealous for God and against sin and to hold forth a blessed pattern of uprightness God had as live have that mans room as his company Psal 50. 16. What hast thou to do to take my word into thy mouth and hatest to be reformed As who should say what makest thou here it is fitter for thee to be in an Alehouse then in a Pulpit so God hath commanded prayer but if a man pray not in spirit and in truth and is not an holy man his prayers are nothing Prov. 15. 8. The prayer of the wicked is an abomination to God As who should say if you prayed with an upright heart your sacrifice would be a delight to God but seeing you are not upright all your prayers and sacrifices are abominable in the sight of God For humiliation to humble us how should we be ashamed there is no uprightness among us the most of us are not upright before men much less before God For exhortation that we would strive and labour to be upright and upright before him that we would cry out with the Prophet David O let my heart be upright before thee that I may not be ashamed if we find listlessenesse and backwardness for God if we find our hearts side with the ungodly let us know we are wicked people and cannot be of God therefore set us labour to be upright before God REV. 3. 2. I have not found thy works perfect before God THe point of Doctrine is this that the Lord will search whither Doctrine God will search whither we be perfect those that seem to be upright be so or no finding presupposeth searching I have not found thy works perfect Now for the meaning of this searching we must know that Gods searching and mans searching do much differ and they differ in five respects First Mans searching may be without finding though a man search all that ever he can yet may be he cannot finde out the matter how it stands Laban searched in Jacobs tent and Leahs tent and the two maids tent and in Rachels tent for his images and when he had done all he could not tell where they were but now when God searcheth men he is sure to find men out O Lord thou searchest me out saith David Psal 139. 1. This is the reason why men that are sligh and subtil they care not much though they be siâ—â—ed by men especially if there be none to witness against them you shall have them swear and swagger they were never guilty of such a thing because they are confident it shall never come to light but if God searcheth he will be sure to find Secondly Mans searching hath ever ignorance foregoing though after search may be he comes to know yet before searching he knows not Job 29. 16. the case I knew not I searched out he searched because he knew not but God as after searching he is sure to know and find out so he knows before all searching as the Church saith if we be false in thy covenant shall not God finde us out for thou knowest the very thoughts of the heart and the reins Psal 44. 21. you see God searcheth because he doth know man because he doth not Thirdly Mans searching is properly so called but when searching is spoken of God it is after the manner of men God doth rather act a kind of searching then search indeed as he doth act a comming down whereas properly he doth not come down for he is everywhere and so he acts a kinde of ignorance as if he knew not and yet he knows all things as he speaks to Abraham concerning Sodom Gen. 18. 21. I will goe down noâ— there is an horrible noyse what horrible sinners these Sodomites be I will gâ— down now and see whither it be altogether according to the cry that is come up unto me if not I will know He speaks after the manner of men he need not come down for he is present everywhere and cannot move from one place to another and whereas he saith if not I will know these things aâ— improperly spoken after the manner of men Fourthly It is mans duty to search if he know not any particular passage of his life whither it be warrantable or no so Magistrates ought to search matters before they determine sentence otherwise they may judge unrighteous judgement now God searcheth not as though he had any need of searching but to tell us our duty to give us a good example this phrase is given to him to shew us what we should do as when there was an horrible attempt in the old world among the Builders of Babel they would build a Tower whose top should reach up unto Heaven Now the Text saith The Lord came down to see the Tower and the City that was built not as if he came down so as taking this phrase unto himselfe but to shew what our duty and Magistrates duty is to search before they pass sentence and to see whether reports given out be true or no. Fifthly Mans searching is for himselfe that things may appear to himselfe but when God searcheth it is not that it may appear unto him but to the world that it may be manifest abroad that a mans selfe and others may see it it is spoken onely in regard of the nature of the thing some things are manifest and some secret Now God is said to search when he makes other things that in their own nature are hidden to men when God brings them abroad and unveils them and unmasks them and openly reveals them 1 Cor. 4. 5. Judge not before the time till the Lord comes who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness He searcheth them not for himselfe but to make them manifest he saw them before but they were not manifest abroad they were under the hatches no body could tell whether they were so or no. Now God is said to search to bring them abroad Now God is said to search five manner of wayes First By his own Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 10. So saith David Whither shall I fly from thy Spirit if I goe up into heaven thou art there c. If thou shouldst goe into the Alehouse or any bad place God is there a spectator though the Devil onely and such as are his Imps are there keeping company with
there is no man is dead but he that hath no care to look after Christ and desire him if we would have Christ if our hearts be open to him if we doe but desire him and long for him if we have but these groanes and outgoings in our souls oh that I had but Christ shed abroad in my heart if I had him I should have life and quickning if I had him I should have right and title to all Gods heavenly comforts if our hearts did but goe up and down longing after Christ this is the way to attain to quickning Isa 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. Come and ye shall have waters that shall never be dried up the want of faith is the cause of hardness of heart and of deadnesse as our Saviour Christ when he saw they were dead Matth. 16. he did upbraid them with unbeliefe if a man did but once believe if a man did but truly cast his soul upon God if he had but once his eyes opened to see the vanity of all other things to see the danger of sinne and iniquity the misery of all unregenerate people and to see the worth of Christ and the infinite goodnesse of God in Christ what an admirable pearl it is to enjoy him how it is better then life it selfe better then the whole world yea then thousands of worlds if a man did but see this and had his heart affected with this to be drawn to Christ and to have his heart and minde run after him to be possessed of him this is faith you that would know whether you have faith or no if you had all the faiths in the world you are infidels without this faith but if you have this faith you have true faith if you have a heart running after Christ minding him and longing for him and casting your soules upon him for all good accounting this your principal and total and main good and accordingly affecting this these are the works of faith and if you have these works you may be quickned believe in the Lord Jesus Christ set your hearts upon him and seek after him and you shall have all manner of good even life it self The second meanes is a careful learning of the Word of God preached Second means When the Corinâ—hians were marvellously blocked uâ— in their minds and hearts and were straightned in good things 2 Câ—r 6 12. mark what the Apostle saith v. 11. Our mâ—uth is â—pen to you c. as who should say in our Ministery there is abundance of grace abundance of life and largenesse of heart abundance of gracious things all manner of good things we bring with us in our Ministery peace and comfort and hope and all the promises of God and all the rich treasuâ—es of Jesus Christ we come with our armes full you are not straightned here but you are straightned in your 〈◊〉 bowels as who should say you may be enlarged sweetly by our Ministry wâ— deliver unto you abundance of grace and mercy and abundance of supply all those deadnesses and lockings up of heart in you would be healed by the Ministery of the Word so may I say if your hearts are locked up certainly it is for not taking what the Word offers if you would come hungerly and greedily to the Word of God with an heart desirous to be edified and instructed and to apply what the Word speaks to your souls certainly you shall here meet with abundance of grace and life for the Word is the Word of life and the Ministery of the Word is the Ministery of the Spirit of God and life so that the deadness of all people is meerly from their own bowels you are not straightned in us saith the Apostle no in thâ— Ministery of the Word is abundance of life The third meanes is A careful shunning of all those causes of deadness which we named formerly we must take heed of sin for if we give way to sinne it will dead the heart it will make a make a man shy of God and put a man to woful tasks and breâ—d loâ—hness to goe about duties it will make a man to have a guilty conscience and dead a man that way it will grieve the spirit of God and quench all the operations and sweet influences and gracious motions of the Spirit that the sweet livelinesse of his workings will be gone away if a man give way to sinne if he give way to the world or slackning in a godly course if a man give way to pride or vanity or any sin this will dead the heart a mans heart will presently be deaded if he give way to the Devil and to his temptations In particular you must take heed of niggardlinesse in Religion they that love quickning must labour for a frank and free spirit that will rather overdoe in Gods service then underdoe as long as a man hath a free heart he shall have a quickened heart therefore labour to preserve it doe as Philemon I knâ—w thou wilâ— dâ—e more than I say Paul knew he had a free spirit that if be commanded him a little he would doe more he would rather overdoe then underdoe our Saviour Christ calls for this free spirit Iâ— a man take thy coat give him thy cloak also rather overdoe then underdoe in any good thing have a free heart if God bid thee pray pray thrâ—e times five times a day rather then not often enough there be mâ—nâ— duties that God doth not set down how often and how frequent and hoâ— long now labour for a free spirit rather do twice as much then underdo Again Take heed of lownesse of Religion of taking up a low and base and mean kinde of Religion that will not reach the Kingdome of God there is a low kinde of Christianity that wil not be able to attain to salvation a low faith that doth not make a man to have his conversation in heaven a low repentance that reacheth not to mortification a low profession of Religion that comes not to the power of Godliness Prov. 15. 24. The way of life is above it is an high thing therefore take heed of low Religion for people think that any kinde of righteousness will serve turn if they have but a little Reformation and Religion they presently think this is godliness but let us take heed of this low Religion that will never do the deed Again We must take heed of want of Watchfulnesse we must set up a gracious and Christian watch in our hearts from day to day when the Lord had found fault with the Church of Sardis for being dead in the next words he bids them be watchful as who should say the want of this watchfulness and looking to your selves and having a care over your thoughts and aâ—fections lest you should be drawn aside the neglect of this is the cause of all deadness Again We must take heed of vanity as David saith Psal 119.
is holiness and righteousness that is a sign of our effectuall calling Thirdly They are signs of justification also as the Apostle sheweth but you are washed c. 1 Cor. 6. 11. you see if we be justified we are also sanctified so 1 Joh. 1. 7. if we walk in the light as he is in the light c. We have not one drop of the blood of Christ sprinkled upon our souls by Gods eternal spirit through faith unless we walk in the light and bring forth the works of the light Fourthly They are signs of adoption John 8. 39. If you were Abrahams children you would bring forth the works of Abraham so if we were Gods children we would do the works of God the will of God The Apostle having spoken of the adoption of Saints behold what love the Father hath shewed to us c. presently he tells us that holiness and righteousness follows from hence he that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure So Rom. 8. 14. As many are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God this is an infallible sign if we be the sons of God we are led by the spirit of God so that we have no mark that we are the children of God but rather of the Divel unlesse we walk in purenesse of conversation from day to day Fifthly They are the marks of our love to God as Christ saith if you love me keep my commundements John 14. 15. we love not God except we keep his commandments as ever you would be able to say in truth you love me keep my commandments look that you yield not to the corruptions of the world look that you renounce the Divel and all his works I will conclude you love me not at all if you keep not my commandments and he that loves not Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha saith the Apostle Secondly Consider this that the reason why we cannot pray better is Motive 2. because we are no more abundant in good works not only because we want faith but because we want good works for certainly this is a great help to prayer a great support to the soul a great encouragement to go to the Throne of grace and a great sign that God means to hear a man when God hath given him an heart to fear him and love him and make conscience of his wayes as the Apostle saith 1 John 3. 22. Whatsoever we aske we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do the things pleasing in his sight As who should say when we go to God and intreat him to be merciful to us and intreat such and such favours that we stand in need of we know that we shall receive them because we keep his commandments These are admirable supports to hold up the hands to the Throne of grace and to make us importunate in prayer and confident because we know God hath poured forth his gracious good will and pleasure into our hearts and hath given us a mark he loves us and beares us good will indeed Why can we pray no better our hands are weake and our knees feeble there is no power in our supplications to the Almighty the spirit of grace is departed from us why the spirit of holiness is gone there is the reason of it when people are loose and do not mortifie their lusts when they are not abundant in following God in fearing God and serving God and obeying the commandments of God they cannot have confidence at the Throne of grace Thirdly Consider this would be a great chearing and rejoycing in the Motive 3. evil day whatsoever afflictions come upon us in this world if we can carry letters testimonial in our own conscience that we do serve God with a pure conscience in this world as Paul saith 2 Cor. 1. 12. God knows what evil may befal us before we are a little older what temptations may await us what distresses and calamities may fall upon us happy are we if we have the testimony of a good conscience that we walk in the wayes of God and fear him and love those things that are beloved of God if we love his children his Ordinances his glory and are tender of it a good conscience tender of the commandments of God and his waâ—es is the best comfort a man can have in the world setting aside his faith in God and this is an evidence of his faith too how can we tell what may be may be the best of us may come to Davids pass you know hoâ— he was put to it once in the time of his misery and affliction he was fain to look if he could see an honest life and conversation whither he had pleased God saith he I communed with my spirit and made diligent search Pâ—al 77. 6. How have I pleased God and followed God what manner of â—e have I led he ransacked all his life and conversation and would be glad to see he had done the things pleasing to God iâ— would be more comfort thâ—n if all the Angels in heaven had spoken comfort so temptations or afâ—â—ictions may be upon us that we would be glad to see signs and tokens of Gods favour in sanctifying our hearts and making us to be obedient to his will and tremble at his word and if we cannot see these things woe unto us 1 Tim 6. 19. charge them that be rich in the world that they be not high minded c. So we do not know what times may come we had need lâ—y a good foundation for comfort against the time to come and charge rich men that they be rich in good works charge all Christians all that desire to had in the evil day to be rich in good works and abound in them and lay up in store a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold of eternal life Lastly Consider that your want of obedience and good works is the cause of all Gods temporal judgements why God doth stop the bottles of Heaven and turns the Earth into dust and parcheth our Corn we see God hath begun the plague among us in the principal place of the Kingdom wherefore is all this see what the Prophet saith Jer. 3. 3. therefore have the showers been withholder because you have been wicked thou hast an whores forehead and refusest to be ashamed thy carelesseness and barrenness under the means of grace thy impenitency and hardness of heart these have caused the showers to be withholden and have made God to deny the former and latter rain The second point is this As the Covenant of grace requires works so it Doctrine The Covenant of grace requires perfect works Objection requires perfect works he tells the Church of Sardis that he looks for works and perfect works but câ—nnot find them so that the second Covenant requires perfect works But you will say how can that he Paul himself that was as forward a man and had as
sins as the Prophet speaks the heart of this people is waxed stiff their hearts are marvellous stiffe the reason of it is because the Law of God hath not taken away their livelynesse it hath not humbled their hearts and pull'd down their spirits whereas if the Law had past upon them and the consideration of their estate were rooted in their minds it would make their stoutnesse to yeild and their stiffenesse to come down infinite is the stiffenesse of a man for want of this work of the law Tell a vain gallant of his locks how sâ—â—â—â—ly will he reason for it Tell a prophane person of the lewdnesse of his course how stiftly will he argue for it This is for want of this killing work of the law 4. Fourthly The last effect of this livelinesse is this it makes the heart peark and brisk what a deal of brisknesse and pearknesse do we see every day in the hearts of men because their hearts are not taken down I will give you two or three Instances If a man have a little knowledge more then others he is proud and brisk and peark and he will be some-body he will be talking and thinks he hath such a deal of knowledg what is the reason of this that he is so peark It is because the Law hath not made it known unto him that he knows nothing as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. There saith the Apostle If a man thinks he knows any thing he knows nothing as he ought to know If the law of God did shew him he were a beast and a bruit for all his understanding if it did discover unto him his blockishnesse and blindnesse and ignorance that he knows nothing of the Mysteries of Grace and Salvation this would pull down his pearknesse take another man that hath more knowledge and can speak better a thousand times if the law hath shewed him his estate and truly humbled him all hâ— brisknesse is taken away the law hath taught him such a lesson that he cannot be peark Oh! saith he I know nothing there is no man more foolish then I I have not the knowledge of the most High in me though he have never so much knowledge and gifts and parts yet the law hath discovered his estate unto him and pulled down the pearknesse of his spirit Again another man is ready to carp at every word every little occasion will make him on the top of the house his heart is so brisk that it is up upon every little occasion but when the law comes home unto him this will pull down all his pearkness alas he angry at a word speaking The law hath told him how he hath offended God and provoked his Spirit from time to time he is now cooled from being so peark to be angry at every word So take a man that is full of pleasure and voluptuousnesse and is ready to be vain and foolish every pleasure puts life into him but now let the law come and be charged upon his conscience and then all his pearknesse is presently down he is not able to look up he seeth so many sins discovered by the law that he is not able to look up Jam. 5. 1. Go to now ye rich men saith the Apostle weep and â—owl for the misery that shall come upon you If the law were charged upon rich men it would make them weep and howle rich men are fullest of pleasure and delight and farthest from weeping and howling but if the Law were charged upon their consciences it would make them weep and howle and have little heart to be so pleasant I come now to the Uses and the First Vse is for Instruction to shew us the reason why there are so many men and women among us that think Vse 1 themselves alive that are so secure and fearlesse and carelesse that have their hearts so sound and their spirits so unbroken the reason is because the Law hath not yet come home and killed their hearts 2 Cor. 3. 6. The very letter of the Law is able to kill as many of us as are in this estate and condition therefore the cause of this livelinesse and security is because we are strangers from the Law of God our eyes were never open to behold it the Law of God never came home unto our hearts The Second Vse is this When we find our hearts to be brisk and peark Vse 2 let us pray unto God that he would be pleased to charge his Law upon our Consciences Let us buy precious eye-salve that we may be able to look into the Law of God this will make our hearts that they will not be so wanton and our spirits that they will not be so brisk though they would never so fain mind earthly things they cannot If the Lord would be pleased but to charge his Law upon the heart it would make the stoutest spirit to yield Thirdly This takes away the imputation that is laid upon the Word of Vse 3 God many think hardly of the Word of God it takes away the spirits of men the Preaching of the Law it pulls down the spirits of men and breaks mens hearts it makes men have no spirits as they said of Jâ—remy thou makest the knees feeble so the Law infeebles the knees and takes away the spirits of a man why here we see that the Law of God will do so it is the Property of the Law to do so wheresoever it comes it kills the heart and pulls down all the pearknesse of it The Law it will ever break a mans bones as David speaks Let me hear of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Psal 51. The Lord had broken his very back-bone by the Law and now he could not rejoyce Isai 57. 15. I the Lord dwell with him that is of an humble and contrite spirit to revive the spirit of the humble When the Law of God hath broken a mans heart and made him contrite he is a dead man till the Lord comes to revive him and raise up his spirit I come now to the Second part of the Text When the Commandment came The latter part of the Text Opened sin revived and I died Here also as in the former part are Two things to be expounded First What doth the Apostle here mean by reviving When the Commandment came sin revived Secondly What doth he mean by dying I died When the Law and Commandment came and discovered me to my self and shewed me what a damnable thing sin was and what a wretched dead creature I was for committing the same and how I lay under the guilt thereof sin revived and I diedâ— Therefore What doth the Apostle mean by sin revived I Answer The Apostle doth not mean here as if sin were indeed dead in him before the Commandment came for sin is alive in every carnal mans heart before the Commandment comes and therefore he cannot mean thus when the Commandment came
is Gods prerogative to teach us 2 God will have hypocrites discovered 127 3 It is for Gods glory to search men out 4 It is for Gods truth 5 For his justice Use 1 To reprove those that consider not that God will search 128 2 Take heed of hiding our sins from others and our selves 129 Use 3 For comfort to people 1 Against others that judge them 2 Against their judging themselves 130 4 To stir us up to be able to stand when God searcheth 1 When offences come 2 When afflictions and persecutions come 3 In time of difficult commandments 4 At judgement 131 5 Let us search our selves Mot. 1. Otherwise we can never repent of what is amisse in our selves or our works 2 'T is a mark of a child of God to search himself 3 If we do not it will be the worse for us DOctr It is an excellent thing for a man to be able to say that God hath effectually called him p. 1. 1 Because then a man may reflectâ—on all his life and see Gods love to him in all p. 3. 2 This interests a man in all the promises 3 Sweetens all the promises 4 Helps a man to pray 5. Encourageth to all good undertakings p. 4. 6 It is a foundation for a godly life 7 It is an help to rise after a fall Reas 1. Because it is an argument of election 2 Sure pledge of all Gods acts of mercy p. 5. Use 1. Then a man may know his effectual calling Proved 1 Because it is the office of the Spirit to make known the things of God p. 6. 2 Because we are commanded to make our calling sure p. 7. 3 Because we are required to be thankful for it 4 Because the making known our calling is one of the ends of the Word of God p. 8. 5 Because the soul hath a power of reflecting and knowing its own state Obj. Why then are those who are called so doubtful Ans 1 Because this knowledge is gradual 2 Experimental p. 9. 3 Spiritual p. 10. 4 Because it may be hindred for a time 1 By a lothness of heart to leave some lust p. 11. 2 By ignorance 1 Of the voice of the spirit p. 12. 2 Of the work of grace 3 Of his Christian liberty 4 Of the tenderness of Christ p. 13. 3 By melancholy 4 By the unskilfulness of a Minister The evil of wanting this knowledge p. 14. 1 Conscience must needs charge sin on you 2 You can have no joy in Christ or his promises 15. 3 You cannot tell what to make of Gods mercies 4 Thou knowest not what to do in time of affliction 5 Thou canst not pray with courage 16 6 Thou canst not go on sweetly in the wayes of God 7 Thou seest no dâ—fference between thy self and a very unbelieving wretch 17. 8 Thou art of all men most miserable 9 If thou be totally ignorant it is a sign thou art not yet effectually called Qu. What difference between the uncertainty of believers and unbâ—lieveris 18 Ans 1 As a believer cannot say it so he cannot deny it 2 Believers question their calling only in their haste 3 They will let others question their grace 4 They most love them that urge th 〈…〉 to seek this knowledge 5 Their uncertainty breaks that hearts p. 19. 6 Though at present uncertain yet they believe they shall be certain 7. Their faith is of a contraâ—y nature to their doubting 8. Christ is to them the power of God p. 20. Doct. Effectual calling is the first gathering of men unto Christ Reas 1 Before effectual calling the soul is without Christ p. 21 2 Before this all was within God 23. 3 All other works follow this calling 4 From the names given to effectual calling p. 24 5 Because it is the first extract of election p. 25. Use 1 Then very dangerous to erre about this p. 26. Reas 1 Because this is the foundation 2 Because a believer must often hate recourse to it 3 Because it is the beginning of Gods works on the soul Use 2. See the reason why Scripture so urgeth the making this sure p. 27. 1 Because it is a work but once done 2 Because all the promises meet here p. 28 3 Because this is the first of all obedience 4 This is the only way to go forward p. 29 5 Because this is the main ground to keep from falling away Matth. 11. 28. Doct. There is a preparatory work unto effectual calling p. 30 Proof 1 From Texts full of terror p. 31 2 From the spirits office 3 Because the Gospel follows the Law 4 From Christs design in coming to save that which wâ—s lost 5 From Gods working with believers after grosse sins p. 32 6 From Scripture examples Reas 1 To declare Gods justice p. 33 2 To sweeten mercy p. 34 3 That God may bring men home to Christ p. 35 4 To wean men from sin 5 To knock men off from every thing else p. 36 Use 1 To reprove daubers 2 Be content to hear the curses of the Law preached p. 37 3 To comfort those that have had this worke p. 38 2 Thes 2. 14. Doct. The Gospel or general tender of grace is that by which God calls men home p. 40 Reas 1 Because this is the sweet ground of faith p. 41 2 Because this is the best answer to Satan p. 42 3 Because this is true before all acts in man 4 This is the only thing which every man is bound to believe p. 43 Obj. Christ is given only to the elect Ans Yet the Gospel must be preached without restraint to election Reas 1 Otherwise the elect would have no ground for faith 2 Because in reference to men calling is before election p. 44 3 Because there is a difference between men and Divels Use 1 To comfort and encourage believers p. 46 2 To confute those that define faith by assurance p. 47 3 To encourage all that are without p. 49 4 To terrifie the obstinate Col. 1. 23. Doct. God in the general tender of mercy works some hopes in the soul p. 51 1. What is this hope Ans It ariseth from the faith of possibility p. 52 2 How doth this hope agree with that which follows justifying faith Ans 1 Both are of God 2 Both are wrought by the Gospel 3 Both set the soul on work 4 Both are the anchor of the soul 5 Neither of them shall make a man ashamed p. 54 3 How differs this hope from that which follows justification Ans 1. This ariseth out of the seeds of grace the other out of grace it self 2 They come from several apprehensions p. 54 Reas 1 To prevent despair 55 2 That a man may not be disabled looking after heaven 3 Because God will not do all at once 4 That he may be sought to for every mercy p. 56 Use 1 To shew the graciousnesse of God 2 To comfort believers 3 To enform how God works this hope p. 57 1 By rooting out
secure for when a Minister shall shew how that the children of God may be marvellously dead and may be quite off the hooks and their zeal be quite gone the life and liveliness that hath been formerly is not seen when they hear this this may help them to hoâ—e 't is true I am dead and my heart is like a stone in prayer and like a block at the hearing of the word of God I have no spirit nor heat nor affections in the ordinance of God yet Gods blessing on the Ministers heart I heard him say a child of God might be dead like a dead tree and I hope I may be a child of God for all this no question when a carnal heart shall read how Christ upbraided his own Disciples with unbelief and hardness of heart no question when they read such passages but they have a great deal of succour to their own consciences for when their consciences flie in their faces for their untowardness and heartlesseness in any thing that is good they think the Saints of God have a great deal of heartlesseness and so reckon themselves to be Saints of God and so the Church of God when it was grown to be marvellous remiss and prophane and loose Jer. 7. though God had told the ten Tribes that he would cut them off yet they comforted themselves how did they comfort themselves they comforted themselves in this they thought verily they were a Church so people if they can get any word that falls out of the Ministers mouth that may make for themselves they catch at it if any word drop out from a Ministers mouth or if any miscarriage or distemper be seen in a godly mans life they lie at catch for these things therefore it is dangerous Thirdly It is dangerous because it may teach people how to be dead nay people that were stirred at their deadness and saw an infinite need of laying it aside and took pains to do it yet when they hear this Doctrine through the corruption of their own hearts they may grow careless and think what need I keep such a pudder I am a child of God still though I am so dead and heartless and have no more feeling under Gods word yet I may be a child of God I heard a Minister make an excellent Sermon upon that point that a child of God may be very dead but let me tell you if any of you came to Church this day with a kind of joy and delight oh this day we shall hear how a child of God may be dead if it be thus you may justly fear that you have a rotten heart for what is this a sign of but that your hearts lie at catch and if you have but any argument to make you think you are a child of God this is enough I know this may be a comfort to the children of God but thâ—y are such as are absolutely dejected and cast down and wrought upon and whatsoever they hear out of the word of God they use it for their help that they may be recovered out of their deadness but if any of you hear this to the end you may be secure this will be your bane Fifthly Though it be dangerous yet it is a necessary point to be insisted 5 Needfulness of the point upon the people of God may have need of it but you will say it is pitty such a Sermon should be preached to â—hew how far a child of God may be dead there be so many stumbling blocks and such a deal of mischief I answer whatsoever truth may tend to the establishing of the people of God and the building of faith is not to be omitted though thousands of reprobâ—tes break their necks aâ— it as Christ when the Pharisees stumbled at his doctrine Mat. 15. 12. see how he answers ver 13. Every plant which my heavâ—â—ly fâ—â—her hath â—ot planted shall be rooted up so I say we must hazard that we must tell people what danger they may catch if they take not heed and we must deliver the truth for it is helpful to the people of God we know that the credit of his servants is precious in his sight and yet he hath disgraced his servants in the Scriptures as it were and hath left their dulness and untowardness upon record that the world may know it as who should sâ—y it is oâ— such use to all generations to know this that it may not be concealed from the world you may see those horrible sins of David and fowl offences that one would think the spirit of God would cast a vail over yet he is so far from hiding of that his murther and adultery and making Vâ—iah drunk that he doth not only record his murther and adultery once 1 Sam. 11. but again Psal 51. and committed the Psalm to the Musitian to be sung in the Church to the end of the world so Peters denial of his Master one would have thought the Scripture would have said nothing of that what a Disciple of Christ to deny his master and curse and ban himself yet the spirit of God is so earnest to have this known that he will have all the Evangelists set it down you have things of great importance that our eternal life depends upon yet there is but one Evangelist toucheth them but every one tells us of peters fault how shâ—mefully he did forget himself and how he was carried away with his lusts so that it is very needful to be known now then to come to the sixth thing how 6. How far forth a child of God may be dead far a child of God may be dead for this we will shew you these particulars First he may lose all his zeal you know zeal is a thing that God baptizeth his peâ—â—le with not only with the holy Ghost but with fire yet a child of God if he stand not upon his guard and looks to himself if he grow secure and drowsie and give way to sin he may come to this to lose his zeal it was the case of many oâ— Gods people in Laodicea though the chiefest bulke in the Town were lukewarm yet it is plain that many of thâ—se that were neither hot nor cold were Gods own children for he saith Rev. 3. 19. as many â—â— I love I rebuke and chasten so in the daies of Saul when Religion went down the wind and the Ordinances of God were slacked every thing went to wrack during his government you shall see how the Church of God had lost their zeal 1 Sam. 17. 16. it is said there that when Goliah of Gath came into the host and all Israel were there and the main bulke of the Church of God were looking on and hearing what this fowlmouth said there he stood defying and blaspheming the Army of God and he shewed himself so forty daies together and all Israel heard him and they were all dull and blockish and not a man stepped out to hazard his
delights this will dead a mans heart as the Apostle sheweth of the Widows that lived in pleasure 1 Tim. 5. 6. they were dead while they were alive as soon as ever David gave way to his sinful corruptions his heart was deaded presently upon it as may appear by the prayer he had afterwards when he came to himself and to look out for quickning uphold me with thy free spirit Psal 51. 12. as who should say I feel a base dull slavish spirit come upon me that former liveliness that was in me it is wofully decayed sin had made a mighty breach in his soul it had knockt off his wheels and made him dull and therefore he is fain to pray that God would give him a free spirit again so it was with Peter as soon as ever he had given way to his curiosity and security and presumption he would needs go and see sights he would go into the high Priests hall and see how the business went he did not see the proneness of his heart to be carried into sin now you may see how wofully it deaded his heart in a moment as soon as the damsel spake thou also wert with Jesus of Galilee a man would wonder how no life at all almost appeared in that mans heart if he had had any life would he have carried himself in that fashion his life was so gone that he cursed and sware that he never knâ—w the Mat. 26. 47. man if he had any life in him he would rather have said what if I were with Jesus of Galilee I was with him and I am with him and I will be with him I am ready to dye with him I profess my self to be his Disciple he had no heart in the world to stand for Jesus Christ he had no heart to appear in pleading for him and expose himself to danger for him he was now called to it but he had no heart at all sin it is even like ashes cast upon the fire the fire cannot then send sorth its heat so sin doth even cast ashes upon the soul that it cannot express such life as otherwise it would The first reason is because sin is a soul killing thing it is like Mare Mortuum the fishes dye as soon as ever they come there so when the Divel hooks a man into sin he hooks him into the dead sea as the Apostle saith of the Ephesians you were dead in sins if the Divel can but hook a man into Eph. 2. sin he is presently in the dead sea Hos 13. 12. it is said of Ephraim when he offended in Baal he died c. before when their affections were up and they trembled before God they were lively but when they gave way to sin and iniquity the Church presently died they withered away more and more till they came to nothing therefore the Apostle calls the Law of sin the Law of death the Law of the spirit of Christ hath freed us from the Law of sin and of death Rom. 8. 2. sin doth even bring a man to deaths door it doth weaken all the powers and faculties of the soul that a man cannot stir to any duty it makes a man like a snake that is frozen with the cold it cannot stir so it is with a man when he gives way to sin and iniquity it freezeth all the powers that are in him and lesseneth all the powers of Gods spirit it is even like a weight as the Apostle calls it Heb. 12. 1. If a man should have a great weight upon his back fetters upon his legs how can that man go he must needs go very dully so it is with sin and iniquity when a man gives way to it it is like plumets of lead like great weights and burthens that clog a mans heart and affections it makes them dull and lumpish and heavy to any thing that is good as Christ speaks of the cares of this life if a man give way to them they will overcharge the heart they will lie heavy that the heart cannot stir Luke 21. 34. sin poysons all the soul it poysons the mind that a man cannot look upon things as he did it poysons a mans heart though his heart were deeply affected towards God it is strange if a man give way to sin how it will take off the affections from God it separates between God and the soul and comes between God the fountain of life and the soul and therefore must needs be a killing and deading thing Secondly Sin is a deading thing because it doth grieve the holy spirit of God that dwels in a man you know all the quickning of a Christian consists in the gracious assistance of Gods spirit as long as Gods spirit is pleased to go along with us and work our works for us then we can pray and deny our selves then we are fitted to every good word and work but if the spirit of God retire if it withdraw and suspend his actions and forbear his operations what can a man do a man is even a block without the spirit of God now though the spirit of God delight never so much in doing good to the Saints and delight in accompanying of them and assisting of them and enlarging of them in all their wayes yet if they give way to sin directly he will be grieved and sent sad back again to heaven as it were and when the spirit of God is grieved all must needs go sad and heavy with the child of God suppose a child of God give way to vain talk and discourse you shall see what the Apostle saith this will grieve the spirit of God grieve not the spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Eph. 4. 13. he speaks of that very sin if a man give way to it the spirit of God will be grieved though formerly he was pleased mightily to help yet now he will withdraw and then how dully shall a man goon so if we should give way to the suffering of our hearts not to be affected with God and his truth not to see God in all his wayes in all his goodness and dealings that we should not be thankful this will quench the spirit of God it will quench its motions as if a man should pour pail-fuls of water upon the fire so this will quench the spirit of God 1 Thes 5. 18 19. there is a manifest dependence between all those exhortations and this is certain let a man once not be affected with God let him not see Gods goodness in all his wayes let him not be affected with Gods mercy and loving kindness it will quench the spirit of God and then consider what a lamentable case a man shall be in Thirdly Sin must needs dead a mans heart because it doth put a most woful bitter hard task upon the soul to go through for you know hard tasks stir up reluctancy against them when a man hath an hard task to go through the
it is not only to make him go but to quicken him up to go we are all dull and careless and blockish now Motives serve to stir us up Eccles 12. the words of the wise are as goâ—ds to provoke and stir up people Well then The first motive shall be this to consider the woful ingredients 1. Motive of this sin of deadness the horrible sins that are contained in it what a compound of spiritual diseases are in this sin First There is a dulnesse and blockishnesse of mind dull and heavy to learn any thing that is good as it is said of the Jews Acts 28. 27. when a man hath an unteachable mind though he be never so long under the word of God it cannot strike into his heart and enter into his understanding his mind cannot â—eel the weight of divine truths take outward truths of profit and pleasure a man may lead him up and down with these truths he feels weight in these but for the word of God he hath no understanding in that may be he can tell what the Ministers say and talk of it but for the weight of divine reason the mind is blockish to this men are like to a blockish scholler that hath gone seven years to school and yet is not beyond the primmer so when a man shall sit so long under the Ministry of the word and yet be a stranger to it as if he had never heard of it he hears discourses of faith and can speak of it and talk of it of the letter of it as well as the best believer and yet is as blockish to go about it as can be what an horrible thing is this that the truth should come to a mans mind and a man should be dull to conceive it Secondly Another evil is awkness and averseness of heart listleseness to the wayes of Jesus Christ as Christ saith of the Jews Mat. 15. 8. their hearts cannot be pulled to that which is good their hearts are untoward and have no list or disposition that way even as if a man should go about a thing that he hath no heart to so people go about prayer and the hearing of the word as if they had no heart to it they have no heart to prayer they have no heart to think soundly of God and of their latter end they come to duties but their hearts are a thousand miles off Thirdly There is senselesness of conscience it is not tender of little sins it feels them not at all and as for great sins it feels them but a little may be peoples consciences find fault with them from day to day for doing what they do and tells them they ought not to do it but yet they will not leave their sins it tells them thus and thus they ought to do but it hath no power to make them do it may be it accuseth them but they are never the better peoples consciences are dull and blunt and have no force at all Fourthly For coldness and lukewarmness of affections the affections of a man are not set upon God they pray without affections and hear without affections the doctrine of eternal life doth not affect their hearts hatred of evil is cold and love of God and goodness is cold as Christ saith the love of many shall waxe cold and so their desires are cold and Matth. 24. languish and come to nothing we can find tears for other matters but not for our sins we can have our affections soon stirred when our selves and our own wills are crossed but God may be dishonoured a thousand wayes and we never grieved or moved at it so when we hear a fine story and carnal news this delights but when we hear the word of God the truth of God that concerns our eternal well doing we are not moved or affected at all with that Fifthly Another ingredient of this sin is the weakness and faintness of endeavours if people have any endeavours any kinde of putting themselves forth to that which is good it is with faintness as if they cared not whither they went about it yea or no as Solomon saith Prov. 13. 4. people desire mercy and pardon and would have hope and salvation and the Kingdom of God but will not be at the cost and charges they ought to be at for these things this is nothing but the deadnesse of our hearts Lastly That same dulness and drowsiness of the whole man though men be careful enough of outward things yet how careless are they of their souls were our hearts broken and contrite under these things we should be soon quickned as the Lord saith Isa 57. 15. I revâ—ve the spirit of the contrite one so God would revive us if we were sensible of these distempers of ours if we would humble our selves before God and plead to him for help he would help us but when we do not lay these distempers to heart and seek out to God for redress no marvel though we are dead and dull still well then is it so that there are so many horrible ingredients in this sin of deadness then how should we labour to fling it away and use all means to be quickned the Apostle being to disswade from following the will of the Gentiles he useth this very argument the abundance of the vile ingredients that is in the will of the Gentiles 1 Pet. 43. so you may see how the wise man disswades Prov. 26. 25. when he speaketh fair believe him not for there are seven abominations in his heart so let us think there is seven abominations yea seventy times seven abominations in this sin of deadness therefore let us look out that God may help us and quicken us and revive us in all our wayes The second motive is to consider that as long as we are dead we cannot 2. Motive pray Psal 80. 18. Lord quicken us and we will call upon thy name as who should say Lord we are not fit to pray and call upon thy name except thou quicken us therefore quicken us that we may call upon thee So Ministers cannot preach unless they be quickned as Dr. Ames tells a story of a godly man of France there was such cold preaching that he was fain to go out of the Town to sâ—t under a powerful Ministry therefore we cannot preach if we be dead the Scribes and Pharisees preached without Authority and life they were dead and therefore had no authority in their preaching but Christ preached with Authority if we were quickned we should be the better able to preach So again you are not able to hear unless you be quickned a dead heart may hear a thousand Sermons but what doth it work upon them even as good as nothing if Paul or Apollos or an Angel from heaven should preach to us unless God quicken us all is nothing nay Christ tells us that his own Ministry and Johns Ministry there were not two such in all the world again yet
how dead and fruitless were they whereunto shall I liken this generation c. Mat. 11. 16. c. the meaning is this John the Baptist he came mourning and in a doleful manner fasting and afflicting himself and crying out Repent he mourned but none would relent Christ he came piping he came in another manner he came eating and drinking and he preached gracious things the Kingdom of God and the acceptable year of our Lord now saith he you have not daunced all these things have not affected your hearts a jot you are as blockish as if you had no Ministry at all as Christ saith Mat. 8. 22. let the dead bury their dead what doth he mean by that he means those that are dead in their souls those that are dead in their spirits and souls they are fit for dead imployments and nothing else the coherence was this there was a man came to Christ and was willing it seems to be the Disciple of Christ but oh saiâ—h he first I pray thee let me go and bury my father bury thy father saith he any man may serve for that let the dead bury their dead those that are fit for nothing else may do that but if thy heart be alive thou art fit for me thou art fit for spiritual employments but when a man hath a dead heart he is sit for nothing as Christ he gave the bag to Judas he was the fittest man for that so let a man be in office if he be dead he hath no heart to punish sin no not so much as to use his faithful endeavour to root it out nay he will pull down the guilt of the sins of the parish upon his own soul rather then he will stickle a little for God Judg. 4. 8. how backward was Barak to go against the enemies of the Lord if you will go I will go saith he to Deborah otherwise he had no heart to go so Esther how dull was she to stand for the Church of God she would let the Church be ruinated rather then she would go and speak to the King in the behalf thereof but that Mordecai stirred her up soundly now is not this a sufficient motive to stir us up to labour for quickning how can we do the things God calls for from day today we should stand for him and call upon him and set up his worship in our families we should fear his name and set him before our eyes and fight against sin and labour to please him in all our wayes now without being quickned we are sit for none of these things now what a woful thing is it when we shall not be furnished to every good work as we should and fitted to do that which God requires of us therefore let us shake off this dulness and blockishness of spirit Thirdly Another motive is this we can have no true sign at all to our 3. Motive souls that we have any true grace at all as long as we are dead when Christ is said to give a man grace he is said to quicken a man Joh. 5. 21. conversion is called the life of the dead a mans repentance is no better then the repentance of a reprobate unless it be repentance from dead works and repentance unto life if a man hath faith it is not the faith of Gods elect if it doth not quicken him I live by faith saith Paul Gal. 2. 20. justification is communicated only to a man that is quickned God together with justification doth quicken a man he doth revive him and make him alive towards God nay we have no argument that we have our sins forgiven us unlesse God hath quickned us Col. 2. 13. he hath quickned them having forgiven them all trespasses when God forgives the trespasses of his people he doth quicken them hâ— takes away the dulness of their hearts and the blockishness of theâ—r minds and the senselesness of their consciences and their awkness and untowardness to that which is good he doth quicken them up â— every man hath life for we see how lively men are in seeking after their profits and pleasures people have life enough but it is upon things here below and they have affections enough love enough and hope enough and joy and delight enough in the world but they are set upon carnal things but if grace comes into the heart it is the vigour of the heart now as long as we are dead and dull what sign of grace can we have if we have grace yeâ— we cannot have any proof and comfort of it as long as we are drowzy and dull 't is true no man can have any grace but he hath some life but if he doth not quicken up himself he hinders himself of the peace and comfort that otherwise he might have hence it is that the conscience is troubled and people are unsetled and are so full of fears to dye hence iâ— is that people are so like to the sea the waves whereof cannot rest their minds are unquiet and unsetled it is for want of quickning if we were quickned we should have great peace come into our souls Fourthly We cannot grow in grace unless we are quickned as long as 4. Motive we are thus dull and heavy and lumpish to the things that are good we cannot grow in grace Hos 14. 7. they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine first they shall revive and then grow first God quickens a man and then he makes him grow the Philippians love was dead to Paul afterwards it quickned again now saith he your love flourishâ—th Phil. 4. 10. now their hearts were quickned it began to grow but when a man hath a dead heart how can he grow as he said Joh. 15. 4. can the branch bear fruit without the vine so may I say can a mans heart grow in goodness without life it is only a living creature that can grow if a plant be once dead it withers away and cannot grow if a man have a dead heart though he should hear lectures and sermons every day he would never grow he would be never the more holy never the more godly if he should have family prayer closet prayer yet if he should be dead he should have never the more ability against his temptations though the ordinances of God be admirable helps to growing yet if a man be dead and dull they will never help him to grow in grace though grace be of a growing nature yet a dead heart starves all the graces that a man hath Fifthly Another motive is this as long as we are dead we shall be so 5. Motive far from growing that we shall be hardly able to keep our own Rev. 3. 2. strengthen the things that remain that are ready to dye as who should say thou art so far from growing that the good things that are in thee are even ready to dye thou wilt lose that very good that is in thee if thou dost
to call for life that he should sell all forsake all and follow him that is the life of a man the soule and heart of a man must be put forth he was sad at that saying So Laodicea was content to do any thing the spirit of God layeth nothing to her charge he chargeth her with no particular sin but lukewarmnesse onely she would do any thing but to be fervent and zealous in it to lay out her strength for God that she would not do so that we had need to take heed of deadness of all other sins it is a deep sin and is the harder to be gotten out and the harder it is to be gotten out the more paines is to be taken Fourthly other sins may be but acts as a man may be drunk but he may not have the habit of drunkenness as Noah was drunk but he was not a drunkard we see David committed adultery but he had not the habit of adultery but deadness is an habit Eph. 2. 1. Now when a man leaves sin in a dead manner he leaves it but his affections are not crucified to it he doth good duties but he is dead to them this man comes neer to the estate of sin now an estate of sin is worse then any particular act of sin Fifthly Other sins are the first death of the soul we are all under trespasses and sins Rom. 5. Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned We are all by nature the children of wrath we were all once dead but now if after we are Christians we grow dead again we grow twice dead of all sins we should take heed of deadnesse for that causeth the second death not the second death of damnation but of being dead after a man hath been quickned as Saint Jude speaks ver 12. twice dead so we are twice dead Now other sins do make a man but once dead but after the Gospel hath come among us and hath stirred up our hearts and quickned us in some measure if we grow remiss and dead and cold again we are twice dead or at least grow and tend that way and so our estate is more dangerous therefore how should we take heed of this Lastly Other sins though God threatens hell and damnation against them yet more specially against deadness did you ever hear of a more special threatning then that 2 Thess 2. 10 11 12. when men doe not receive the truth in the love of it He doth not say When they do not receive it but When they do not receive it with affection with all their hearts You may see there how terribly God threatens when we do not receive the truth in the love of it we do not love Gods Word we do not love prayer and his ordinances we do not love the communion of Saints we do not love obedience to Gods truth this is a most woful thing though we doe receive it yet if we do not receive it in the love of it see there what he saith For this cause God shall send them strong delusâ—ns that they should believe a lye that they might all be damned c. So when Ephesus left her first love God threatned to remove the candlestick Rev. 2. 4 5. When Laodicea was grown cold and careless and of a middle temper Gods threatens to spue her out of his mouth Rev. 3. 16. When Eli was grown cold and remiss and wanted zeal and life to stand for him see how terribly God threatens him I will doe a thing that whosoever heares it both his eares shall tingle 1 Sam. 3. 11. Nay saith he I will judge his house for ever for this thing v. 13. What remains then but that we should with all our might and all care and diligence even set to both our shoulders for the casting off this sin of deadness that if it be possible we may come to be quickned and serve God as we ought to do and follow his heavenly Kingdome with eagerness that none of these things we have spoken may befall us Consider first we have life and why may not God have it He hath breathed into our souls the breath of life in him we live move and have our being he hath given unto us all life and breath and if we have life why may not God have it if he hath given us affections why should they not be given to him again if he hath given us thoughts why should we not bestow them upon him if he hath given us dispositions and inclinations why should they not be set upon him The Rivers that come from the sea return to the sea again It is said of the Macedonians that they did yield themselves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8. 5. So we should yield our selves to the Lord if God did ask any thing that were not in us it were another matter if we had no thoughts and affections if we had no heart and inclinations then no wonder though we did not give him them but when we have them why should not he have them all things are of him therefore let all things be to him shall our lusts have our thoughts and not God shall the world carry away our minds and not God that is against reason Secondly Consider that all the world is alive in their own courses let Christians be alive in theirs as the Prophet speaks Micah 4. 5. Every man walks in the name of his god let us walk in the name of our God So I say every man follows his god those that have their belly for their god all their minde and affections run that way those that have their pleasure for their god and their profit for their god how eager are they after these things as one saith the world is like the Ant poor little creatures they goe carrying of straws after their manner and are so busie so it is with the world what a deal of drudging up and down and going this way and that way is there in the world one for one thing another for another one for his Mammon another for the lusts of his flesh and the pride of life men are busy and stirring every one is setting forward why should not we be as forward in our way if we be Christians and the servants of God why should not we bestir our selves for him the Devil himselfe is a spirit and is working and busie as himself saith Job 2. 2. Then let us walk up and down and bestir our selves this way and that way and every way for God and be as active and agile for him let us consider how the poor prisoners in Ludgate beg for a token what eagerness they use that though a man had no minde yet their importunity will make him give them something and shall not we beg earnestly of God to pardon our sins and quicken us and humble us for our deadness and for the time to come to make us earnest for the Kingdom to come if men be so earnest
everlasting Covenant I will never let them goe I will put a strong fear into their hearts that they shall not doe as the wicked doe they shall stand in awe of God it is a strong light others shall be deluded they shall not be deluded it is a strong apprehension of the Word and Will of God this is the Covenant of God Now when a man shall come to have this sealed when God shall give this Sacrament to make this good and he takes the Sacrament upon it that he will walk according to this Covenant according to the grace that God hath given him this man hath all the witnesses in heaven and earth why should he be weak in faith then There be but three witnesses in 1 John 5. heaven he hath these that hath faith there be but three on earth the spirit water and blood by spirit is meant the same spirit that works true faith and obedience in the hearts of his people then water that is the water of Baptism and blood that is the blood of the Lords Supper the Lord doth witnesse eternal life to this mans heart therefore what can this man want Thirdly This Sacrament is Communion with Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 10. 16. The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ c. So that when a man comes to the Sacrament aright he hath communion with Jesus Christ therefore he must needs be strengthened though he were never so weak before as Solomon saith of the Contes they are a feeble folke and yet they make their houses in the Rocks Prov. 30. 26. So true Christians are a feeble folk yet they make their houses in the Rock where they eat this spiritual meat and drink this spiritual drink they drink of that Rock Jesus Christ when they draw neer to this Table they draw neer to Christ and therefore must needs gather strength they come to this Rock to be rooted and established in this Rock and therefore must needs get strength Fourthly Because this Sacrament is a Sacrament of communion with the members of Christ a man that rightly receives it doth increase the Communion of Saints over all the world though he never saw them yet he is loved more and more of all the Saints therefore he must needs grow stronger Take a man that is woven into every man there is hardly any man of any power but loves him he hath friends everywhere this man is a strong man as it is said of Absolom he grew strong for the people increas'd continually with him 2 Sam. 21. 15. So a Christian must needs grow strong that truly hears the Word and receives the Sacrament for people still come flocking more and more unto him for still as the Church comes to grow or any soul comes to believe in Christ he strengthens himselfe as Paul was strong in every Town where he went in regard of the Communion of Saints such a man is strong in regard of his infirmities he hath many to help him to bear them he is strong also in regard of advice and counsel he shall have the counsel of the Saints Job 4. 3. If a man be doubtful what course to take when instruction comes it strengthens a man much Now when a man hath communion with all the Saints what abundance of counsel hath he you may see how weak David was he was not able to 1 Sam. 25. beat down his wrath and impatience Now when Abigail came with her good counsel he blessed God for it Let us have a care to come so to the Sacrament that we may be strengthened in all good things that we may be more quickned up to every good word Vse 1 and work for it is a strengthening Ordinance it is appointed of God for the very nonce to strengthen Gods people in all business and employments they have to doe from day to day When Moses and all Israel received the Passeover God smote the first borne of all Egypt Psal 105. 30. This was a seal that God smote all the strength of the Egyptians but there was not one weak person among the Israelites So if we did receive the Sacrament aright there should not be a weak Christian among us God would smite the Egyptians and weaken the strength of all their lusts and corruptions is therefore any among us weak and he cannot do this and that his lusts are like the sons of Zerviah to David too hard for him Though I be anointed King I am weak c. 2 Sam. 3. 39. So dost thou say I am very weak this day and though God hath anointed me King over my lusts and I am a Christian that should have power over my lusts yet these base lusts and cursed corruptions are too hard for me I say if we did but wisely and carefully as we ought to do goe to the Word and Sacrament and the rest of Gods Ordinances we should have marvellous supply and help to carry us on in our Christian Combate It is a very remarkable thing that when God would have Joshua and all Israel goe about that same hard work to goe and encounter with 31 Kings of Canaan at one clap and they were now newly come into the Land of Canaan and were hemmed in the waters of Jordan came back and they could not goe back again it is to be noted that before God would have them strike a blow he would have them take the Sacrament of Circumcision you know the Canaanites might have come and cut their throats when they were sore nay when they were circumcised God would not Josh 5. have them goe fight yet but they must take the Sacrament of the Passeover which would cost them seven dayes one would think this was not the way to be strong but this was indeed the way to be strong to go in the strength of heaven this made the spirits of their enemies melt for they were now within the Covenant of God therefore how should we help our own souls if we would but go in the strength of Gods Covenant to prayer and every business we have to do and if we would but rightly partake of this Sacrament as a seal of the Covenant nothing would make it so strong as this This may seem to condemn the most of us all generally How do Christians misse of the partaking of the Sacrament what a deal of weakness is Vse 2 there among us where is there a strong Christian they can hardly doe any thing or suffer any thing whence is all this this comes from not receiving the Sacrament as they ought to doe as the Apostle saith of bodily weakness 1 Cor. 11. 30. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep He speaks there of their unworthy receiving the Sacrament this is the cause that your bodies are weak So this is as true of the weakness of the soule for this cause many are weak among you and many have such
His wings were off and his chariot-wheels were knockt aside he could not goe on in good duties with any pace he was lumpish and untoward his soule cleaved to the dust and yet you see what heaves he gives he would be quickned he would not be at this passe Oh that God would quicken him this was his disease and the burthen of his soule O quicken me O the lamentable throwes and secret yernings that are in a poor soule that is dead and dull he cannot pray nor finde the Word work upon his soule he can receive no fruit and benefit by the Word of God O the moanes and yernings and lookings up to God that God would quicken him though he hath no heart almost but is marvellously borne down yet he is not able to lie down under this it is a disease to him O quicken me Again Let him be never so much hardened as a childe of God may be fearfully hardened yet in the midst of all he hath a feeling of this hardning whereupon he makes out after God and will never give him over till he hath freed him from it Isa 63. 17. Again Though a childe of God be never so secure as he may be secure and grow careless of God yet in the midst of all he can never be quite overcome by security so as quite and clean to forget God no he must listen after God and will hearken after God and hear the voice of God in some measure when the word reproves him and finds fault with his courses he doth hearken to it he is not quite asleep as the Church saith I sleep but my heart waketh Cant. 5. 2. She did take notice of God in the midst of all her security it is the voyce of my Beloved saith she Fourthly A childe of God can never so far goe down the wind but he shall for ever love the Image of God and love mercy and love holinesse and goodness and love the Ordinances of God and the Image of God wheresoever he sees it nay he doth love the children of God and this is a signe unto him that he is passed from death to life when he hardly hath any other signe 't is true when sin aâ—â— corruption hath exceedingly defiled Gods childe it may make him shy of Gods children and make him winde out of their company but yet grace makes him love them they are the amiab lest persons in the world in that mans eye he blesseth the very ground they goe upon he hath this ever left in him and by this a childe of God may know that he is passed from death to life because he loves the Brethren 1 John 3. 14. Fifthly A childe of God shall never be brought so low but in the midst of all he shall chide and check and finde fault with his own soule not as wicked men doe by reason of the terrours of conscience but in a gracious manner why have I done thus is this the thanks for the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ is this the thanks for the Gospel are these the fruits I bring forth under Gods Ordinances why am I thus dull to good duties why am I thus dastardly and cowardly for God there will be these gracious chidings though sin and corruption makes him full of legal terrours yet there be some gracious checkings and expostulations as David saith Why art thou so heavy O my soule O be quickned O be awakened hear better and pray better He doth check and condemn himselfe in a gracious manner and he can never like of these courses this will be for ever Lastly Another thing that shall be in Gods children for ever is the habits of grace they shall ever have these though the acts of grace may be asleep and cease working yet the habits of grace shall ever remain as a man though through violent sickness he may run mad and frantick and lose the act of reason and be like a mad man yet the habit of reason is in him still because he hath a reasonable soule and let the distemper be gone and he will put forth the acts of reason So a childe of God though for the present he be horribly distempered and all the acts of grace are asleep yet he hath the spirit of God in him and therefore hath the habits of grace although no grace were shining in Davids heart in the act of them when he fell in to the sins of murder and adultery yet he had all graces in the habit of them in the root of them as a tree though it seem to be quite dead yet life is in the root so a childe of God will have the habit and life of grace ever remaining in him and this appeares by two things First A childe of God in the midst of all his carelesness and negligence there is a miraculous preserving of that man that though that man hath been very â—areless and wonderful unwatchful and exposing himself to the temptations of Satan yet he shall be strangely kept that he shall not fall in a wonderful manner though it be no thank to himselfe 1 Sam. 2. 9. This is an evident sign of Gods spirit in him that though he let him get abundance of knocks yet he will not let him get that fatal knock but he carrieth him along from day to day Secondly It appeares by this that this man shall never be to be converted again but he shall for ever be a new creature though the spirit of God hide himselfe and withhold his former operations yet he will not goe quite away because a childe of God shall never need to be converted again 'T is true the rising up of a childe of God out of sin into which he is fallen is called conversion sometimes as our Saviour Christ saith to Peter When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Nay a childe of God may think he hath need of new conversion and that he must begin all anew again as David said Create in me O Lord a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51. 10. as though he were to begin anew again But a childe of God is never to begin anew no regeneration is an incorruptible thing 1 Pet. 2. 23. Psalm 112. 5. His righteousness remaineth for ever he shall never have quite lost it so as that he shall be to seek again as if he had never had it for if regeneration were to be renewed a man should be reprobated again but there is but one Faith one Baptism one Lord Eph. 4. Therefore if there be but one Baptism there is but one Regeneration The faith is but once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. God delivers his vertues and graces but once to the soul and is never to deliver them again indeed they may be smothered and choaked sometimes and lie under the ashes as coals under the embers but they shall never be quite extinguished there needs nothing but a stirring up and provoking of the
there is rebellion in the understandings of men carnal reasons and strong holds and haughty and proud principles of reasoning if they are convinced of a sin they will not leave it they have reasonings for that â—n and if they have never such convictions for a duty there is rebellion in the understanding to put off this but an upright heart his understanding is good in some measure he is unfeignedly willing to be instructed of God whatsoever course he takes tell him out of the word of God that it is not good though his life depends upon it it shall goe he dares not stand out against God but a wicked heart hath not a teachable understanding it is still under its stubbornness and stoutness and reasoning against God and things he doth not like he will not see when there is any sin he would not leave or any duty he would not doe as Christ saith Mat. 13. 15. he thus his eyes and will not see What wicked man that lives under the Gospel of God but may see his courses are naught but he will not see it how many sins do ungodly men keep there is light enough and reason enough against their sinnes but they have sturdy mindes and will not be convinced of it Again An upright man his heart is converted and made godly his will is made pliable to be led by God and guided by Gods blessed spirit the stone is taken out of it there may be much hardness but the stone is gone the heart of stone is gone and he hath an heart of flesh given unto him to be sensible of God and sensible of his word and sensible of the light that shines in his face and his heart being converted he is moved by an inward principle and so moves the more willingly and the more freely as David saith 1 Chron. 28. 9. He hath a willing heart But now a carnal heart and a heart that is not turned to God the stone is not taken out a man rebels to this day if he be moved to goodnesse it is not by an inward principle but by education or goodnesse of nature or by the stings of conscience that over-power his heart or by reason of a great light that breaks in and over-awes his heart Therefore a naughty heart be he never so good and fair-carriaged may be his conscience sometimes makes him forbear more then he would and makes him doe more good then he would but a godly heart is willing to doe what good he can nay he would doe more good then he can doe nay he never can doe so much as he would he is ashamed of all his works look what he doth â—he doth it with a willing heart Again A godly heart is good in his memory as David saith Psalm 119. 16. I will never forget thy precepts His memory is turned to good things and made to remember good things he hideth the word of God in his heart that he may not sin against him But a carnal heart forgets to be good and zealous and please God and obey God his memory is not washed and sanctified in any measure Again A good man is good in his thoughts he doth not onely purge the outside of the platter but the inside also he labours to have his thoughts set upon things above he labours that vain thoughts may not lodge in him nay his main care is within doors in his own bosome to have his thoughts upright towards God So again he is good in his affections he doth hunger and thirst after righteousness he doth desire the things that are most excellent he doth delight in God and his presence he mourns for his sins and mourns that he can mourn no more he hath all his affections in some measure rightly seated and qualified he is good all over as the Apostle Paul saith 1 Thes 5. 23. The God of peace sanctifie you throughout As who should say This is sincerity and I pray God give it you that you may not deceive your own souls but that your whole spirit and body and soule and whole man may be true in the eyes of the Lord But now a carnal heart is not thus though he be like a whited Sepulchre he doth seem outwardly to be a good man and a man cannot check him if a man should say such a one is rotten he should be thâ—ught to be censorious and uncharitable yet in his inward parts he is naught if a man be not upright he doth not look to his thoughts but can let them be vaine and unfruitfull and can let his affections run at randome he is not affected with God he doth not mourn for his sins he doth not delight in good things his affections are not set upon things that are above Sixthly An upright man is universal in regard of cases and conditions if he be under any kinde of temptation whatsoever as we may see James 1. 12. It is nothing for a man to be godly and meek and patient and vertuous when he is not tempted the Devil himselfe is good when he is pleased as we say This is godlinesse and uprightnesse when a man resists temptations when a man doth watch and pray and is careful that he may not enter into temptations when a man is careful of all the objects and beginnings and occasions of sin when a man fights against the temptations of the flesh and warres against the suggestions of Satan and puts on all the armour of God to withstand the fiery darts of the Devil though he be tempted to be proud and wrathful and impatient yet he will not 't is true now and then he may be overcome against his principles and care and labour but that is as a dagger to his heart This is his course and practise to fight against temptations nay take him in the desperatest cases yet a godly man is sincere take him when he is most afraid that he is not sincere when he cries out how dastardly am I for God how dead in good duties how full of unbelief what a vile heart have I how filthy and untoward take him in these desperate lifts he is not without sincerity and in this case he doth one of these two things either he walks according to the measure of grace given unto him or else according to the condition wherein he is 't is true the conditions Gods people are in are sometimes better and sometimes worse sometimes horrible distempers are up and sometimes they are down but when they are never so up he doth as a man in that case may doe as a man when he is bound hand and foot what can he doe if he rowle himselfe upon the ground that is all he can doe and this he will doe as you may see what David saith Psalm 119. 40. It seems he felt himself marvellously dead and dull and wonderfully inobedient and he could not get hold of Gods commandements to doe them as he ought yet he rowls himselfe and
righteousness before him all the dayes of thy life and be conformable to his will in all things so that you see the Gospel requires it that we should be thus Again This is the end of the redemption of the world by Christ that they should not only be upright but upright before God as Paul tells the Collâ—ssians chap. 1. To present you holy and unblameable in his sight not only to present you holy and unblameable before men for if a man in his outward carriage be civil and honest and faire this is to be holy and unblamable before men but if a man be holy and unblamable before God he must have a pure conscience and his ends must be right this is the end why Christ redeemed his people to purchase to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works And as it is in the end of redemption so it is the end of election whomsoever God doth elect to eternal life he doth elect to this end not only to be holy before men but before God As the Apostle saith Eph. 1. 4. he hath chosen us to be holy before him not only to be holy before men though those that are not holy before men cannot be holy before God but it is not enough for us to be holy before men but before the piercing eye of the all-seeing God that he may see who knoweth our hearts that we do unfeignedly desire to serve his name and walk before him in the shunning of all sin and in the practicing of all good things so that we have not an argument of our election unlesse we be upright before him Fourthly Because the Lord will search us out certainly though we be upright before men if we be not upright before God he will search us out it is not our profession shall bear us out if we have an unbelieving heart to depart from the living God if we have a minde to live in any one sin and to allow our selves in any one wicked way God will finde us out Neh. 9. 8. he speaks there of Abraham what a comfort was it to Abrahams heart that God sound his heart upright before him God will search us and put us upon the trial and bring something or other that if we be not upright though we be affected and pray and be Protestants and seem to be godly and seem to hold our godliness and uprightness yet if we be not sound at the core God will have something or other that shall discover us and it shall appear what we are nay God doth of purpose bring in heresies that those that are approved may be manifest 1 Cor. 11. 19. Lastly It is God only that doth esteem of the worth of things holinesse is nothing but that which is holiness in Gods esteem and Religion is nothing but that which is Religion in Gods esteem Religion is a divine thing and no man hath the judgement of it but God it is God only that hath invented Religion and framed it to us and it is he only that can tell the worth of it and approve of it and unless we fear his name and hate all sin and be upright before him all is nothing As the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 3. 4. concerning meekness in women in the esteem of God it is of high price may be a beautiful woman of rare parts and great gifts this woman is of high esteem with some men but a woman of an humble and meek spirit she is a mockery in the eyes of the world but in Gods sight it is of great price so far a man to be outwardly Religious this man is very devout and religious in the sight of men but it is the broken heart and the coâ—â—ite spirit one that is holy inwardly as well as outwardly that is upright as Paul saith 2 Cor. 5. 9. all our care and labour is that we may be accepted of him it is no matter what the world say of a religious man and a devout man all our care is to be accepted of him that he may account us upright for we must appear before him This condemns the ceremonious devotion that many content themselves Vse 1 with especially the Church of Rome they are so religious and whatsoever they do they think it is with such devotion therefore they have ceremonies for every thing they have ceremonies to shew that we must be strangers and Pilgrims upon earth therefore they have Pilgrimages to such and such places other ceremonies they have to shew that we must take up the Crosse of Christ and follow him they will have a ceremony to shew that they believe that Christ was offered for a sacrifice and a ceremony to shew that they believe he was God and man and so mixe Wine and water together the one shall signifie that they believe he was God and the other that he was man again they will have other ceremonies to shew that they believe the departure of the Saints therefore they bring in a catalogue of the Virgin Mary and of the Saints again they have another ceremony to shew that they honour the Lords prayer another ceremony they have to shew that they believe the resurrection of the dead another ceremony to shew that they should not be ashamed of the Christian faith and they are so devout and think themselves the only Saints in the world so that they account a man that is godly indeed according as God would have a man to be that makes conscience of the word that is careful to please God and fearful to offend him and scruples every thing that is not according to the word this man is worse then a drunkard or an hell-hound in their account they are counted the vilest hypocrites and dissemblâ—rs that can be what an horrible thing is this men love a life such a Religion as this this shakes no Corn this breaks no bones what care men for this Mat. 15. 8. there is an excellent place for this you know we are bound to be pure and alwayes pure now the Jews to shew this they would never eat nor drink but they would wash their hands to shew that they must be pure which was as good and as clean and as handsome a ceremony as ever was in the Church of Rome and would you think that Christ should ever finde fault with such ceremonies they took on because they neglected this Why do thy Disciples transgress the tradition of the Elders by eating with unwashed hands now Christ was so far from bidding his Disciples yield to this that he calls the Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for it and tells them they made the commandment of God of no effect through their traditions if this were to be devout and religious the vilest drunkard may be religious for they may perform this as well as any other therefore this is nothing Again This may serve to condemn carnal Protestants who give God now and then the hearing of a Sermon and frequent the
should sâ—â—rch us oâ—t is it good for us to leave all this wâ—â—â— to him to neglâ—â—t 〈◊〉 soules to lay aside our lives and consciences and bosâ—mâ—s and never to â—ansick thâ—m from â—ay to day never to enquire into our owne bosomes that we may reforâ—â— our selves but leave all to God to search us doe you think this â—ill doe will saith Job Then when afflictions and death and judgement shall come that then God should search you and lay before you your works therefore as you desire when God shall search you you may be found upright be careful to search your selves FINIS 2 TIM 1. 9. Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began IN this verse the Apostle declares what God hath done for him and for Timothy he hath saved us that is he hath redeemed us with the blood of his Son and freed us from sin and from Satan and from hell and hath given us title to eternal life he hath saved us 2. He hath called us that is he hath given us a pledge of this that we shall be saved that we shall The reasons of Gods mercies to Paul and Timothy certainly have salvation compleatly and fully for he hath called us Now he illustrates this two wayes first by shewing what kinde of calling it is which he here means and that is an holy calling he hath called us with an holy calling and then 2ly By shewing the reason why God would do these things for him and for Timothy these are great things what to save them and make them heirs of his Kingdome and to call them to the fellowship of Jesus Christ and give them interest in all Gods goodness and mercy what should be the reason that should move God to do so much for Paul and for Timothy he doth here expresse this three wayes First by removing all false causes not according to our works as who The removing of false causes should say it is not for any thing in us there was nothing in us that moved God to do this 2ly He layes down the true cause of it in the next words but according to The true cause of it his own purpose and grace that is he hath done it freely out of his own mercy and love and according to his own purpose Lastly He proves this and that by three arguments that this must be the Proved by three arguments cause and no other the first is this it was a gift that was given us therefore it must needs be free 2ly It was given in Jesus Christ as who should say he did not look at any thing in us there was nothing in us that was in his eyes no it was meerly for the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ Lastly Another argument is taken from the time when and that is from all eternity before the world began The point that I will handle out of these words is this that it is an excellent Doctrine thing for a man to be able to say that God hath effectually called him the Apostle here speaks it as a great comfort to his soul and the soul of Timothy and as a pledge of Gods everlasting love and salvation to them both that the Lord had called them and had been pleased to take them out of the world and to make them partakers of his Kingdome and glory Now for the opening of the point I will here first shew you what kinde of For the opening of the point calling it is that is here spoken of and it is not that calling whereby God doth call people to an office as of a Magistrate or a Minister but he speaks of a general calling of a calling out of the Kingdome of sinne and Satan into the Kingdome of his dear Son to be made partakers of eternal communion with himself 2ly It is not an outward call whereby wicked men that go on in their sins are called for so a reprobate may be called he may be called out of his own sinful courses and wretched estate and condition to the participation of Jesus Christ thus every man is called all men are called by Gods Ministers as Mat. 22. 9. the King sent out his servants to bid all that they found to the marriage Secondly A reprobate may be called inwardly by Gods Spirit I mean the How a reprobate may be called Spirit of God may go along with Gods Ministers to strive and wrestle with the soul and conscience of a man that remains in his sins Prov. 1. 24. because I called and ye refused therefore will I laugh at your destruction and mâ—â—ke when your fear cometh Thirdly A wicked man may be called not only with an outward call of How a wicked man may be called the Minister and with an inward call of the Spirit but with some efficacy it may go a great way so far forth as to make a man come in some kindâ— as it was with the man Mat. 22. 12. He was called together with the râ—sâ—â—â— come to the wedding and he came but he came without a wedding garment nâ—w one of these callings are meant here for in this sence many are called but 〈…〉 sâ—n Mat. 22. 14. But the calling here meant is a different calling from them and that in three things First It is a call according to Gods own purpose when God calls a man and hath a purpose to make a man come in deed and to come home this is A calling to Gods purposes the calling here spoken of Rom. 8. 28. We know that all things worke together for the best to Gods children that are called according to his purpose as God calls them so he doth purpose to make them come to himself and make them partakers of everlasting mercy God hath no such purpose when he calls the reprobate he hath a purpose indeed to do them good if it be not through their own default but yet notwithstanding he hath no such purpose and absolute intention to do them good he hath no such purpose to bring them to his Kingdome and carry them quite through in the business Secondly This is a secret in Gods own bosome and that is another difference How one calling differs from another wherein this calling differs from the other it is such a calling wherein God puts forth his power and the greatness of his power too God called the light and it came God called the Heavens and they came when as they were not God calling of them they were made to come so when God doth call a man by his Spirit he calls a man powerfully he doth powre in divine instincts of grace and faith and all other holy vertues whereby the soul is made able to come to God the Lord gives the heart a kinde of touch that being touched by his Spirit it must and
speak he knows not what and he saith he doth not do those things he doth when as those that stand by can see the contrary this humour blinds a mans eyes and presents he knows not what to a mans minde as when David was in that passion he cryed out I am cast off what is the matter Psal 31. 10. he was in a melancholy fit grief hath even wasted me he was even wasted and pined with grief sorrow deading his heart and mouldring and pining and wasting of him this made him speak words that he would never have spoken at another time the Apostle shews that when a man is overmuch sad and grieved and dejected and cast down and lyeth moaping and the devil hath a great deal of advantage by this therefore he speaks to the Corinths to have a care of that poore man that had committed an horrible sinne and it pleased God to humble him he was excommunicated and delivered over to Satan now the Câ—rinths were something harsh to this poore man and were ready to trample upon him and tread upon him as if he were not humbled enough 2 Cor. 2. 7. O saith he forgive him and comfort him least he be swallowed up of evermuch sorrow wherefore I beseech you confirme your love towards him least Satan should get an advantage of us ver 11. that was the reason why he would have him careful of this least Satan should circumvent us the meaning is least the devil should make us guilty of overwhelming a poor man and others by that example might do the like and so the devil might have advantage in aftertimes In the next place it may be hindred by the unskilfulness of a Minister many Grace may be hindred by the unskilfulness of a Minister times those that are effectually called may chance to lye a long time ignorant of Gods mercy unacquainted with the work of grace which God hath begun in their souls by the unskilfulness of the Minister the Minister that should bind up those that God hath broken may be like those that efflict him whâ—m God hath smitten Psal 109. he doth not feed the lambs of Christ and hold forth the grace of Jesus Christ perhaps he may preach good truths admirable excellent passages and yet make those sad whom God would not have made sad and make those grieved whom God would not have grieved as the Lord complains Ezek. 34. 4. The diseased have ye not strengthned neither have ye healed that which was sick neither have ye bound up that which was broken neither have ye brought againe that which was driven away c. A Minister though he preach the wayes of God and Jesus Christ and the promises of the Gospeâ— and eternal life yet if he preach it not in a right maner A Minister ought to preach the word of God in a right manner if he carry it not as he ought to do rightly dividing the word of life he may do a world of mischief if a man preach hell and damnation indeed if a man be going on in his sinnes and be hardened in his wicked courses we are to preach hell and damnation to him but if a man preach hell and damnation to a man that is sencible of his sins and is of a tender conscience and ready to think too hardly of his sinnes it is as if a man should take a beetle to kill a fly upon a mans forehead to lay a heavy load upon those that are not able to beare it Ministers may do a great deal of hurt by preaching the law without distinguishing and all exceptions being shewed when he hath not a tender heart towards those whom God hath wounded and doth not alwayes put in that that may do them good when a Minister knows what it is and hath gone through the pikes himself he can the better stay up the souls of those that are dejected and yet belong to Christ therefore David prayeth give me the way of thy salvation and then I shall teach sinners the way unto thee Psal 51. 12 13. as who should say if I do not know what belongs to the comforts of the Spirit if I have not waded through â—â—ese things and know not how they are given and how they are taken I shall never teach sinners the way unto thee I shall never carry my self aright in that way he that is a Surgeon had not need to have a hard hand so those that have a tender heart and those that are truely broken for their sins and are of a contrite spirit a man had need deale gently with them according to the estate and condition wherein they are Ministers many times are too blame in not preaching Christ aright as they ought to do and so may 〈◊〉 hinderance to the comfort of their people What a woeful thing is it when a man is not able to say thus what laborinths and meanders is such a soul in and what heart aches and terrible fears and terrours and afrightments and quakings and misgivings are they subject unto they must needs be in a miserable and pitiful case for whether can they go what can they hang upon to get comfort and this is the case and condition of most of those that are amongst â—â— even of the best sort though many of them have some good things in them yet who almost comes to know that he is effectually called of God these are declining times and languishing dayes and people are marvelously scattered for want of care and diligence and watchfulness and paines-taking in the wayes of God there is a woeful deale of unsetling and want of groundedness in a good estate people are very much off and all to pieces and that you may see what a woeful thing this is do but consider these particulars First Your consciences cannot but accuse you you cannot say Christ bare First conscience doth accuse your sins you know not whether you are in him or no you know Christ bare the sins of his people but whether he bare your sins or no that you cannot tell all your sins and iniquities lie upon your consciences still though you have been bewailing your sins and confessing of them and craving forgiveness of them yet all your actual sins they still ly upon your consciences what your consciences could accuse you of formerly they accuse you of still such by-thoughts such wandring prayers such unprofitable hearing Paul could say 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a good saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief you cannot say so though you can say that of sinners you are the chief yet that you have obtained mercy your conscience will not let you say it you question whether you ever had any mercy or any hold of the mercy of God therefore you must be like a dry leafe driven to and fro or a reed shaken with the wind and as weak as water you are altogether unstable what a miserable thing is
this that all a mans corruptions and miseries should lie upon a man notwithstanding all his prayers and asking forgiveness and many tears and sighs that they should yet lie upon him as they do until a man knows that he is effectually called of God all the guiltiness lieth upon his soul he cannot say he hath obtained mercy of God he is without God and without Christ and is yet in his sins for ought he knows Secondly As your consciences must needs accuse you so likewise you can N 〈…〉 y in Jesus Christ without knowledge of ouâ— interest in him c. have no joy in Jesus Christ nor any of his promises nor any of the gracious things in his Covenant because you know not wâ—ether they belong to you or no when a man knows not a thing he cannot have any joy in any thing as Prov 27. 1. Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowâ—st not what a day may bring fâ—rth a man cannot boast of that he knows not can a man boast of to morrow O I shall have a fine day to morrow when he knows not whether he shall have a morrow or no he may be dead by to morrow or his house may be burnt over his head to morrow he cannot rejoyee in it So when a man knows not whether he be effectually called of God or no what joy can he have what joy can he have in Christ or his ordinances when his conscience knocks him off and his soul stands in doubt whether these things belong to him or no he may catch at these as Josephs Mistres catcht hold on him but he left his garment and fled away so they catch at the promises and these things but they fly away from them and leave them as a shadow and they are as much to seek as before and it will be thus as long as a man doth not go on to make his effectual calling sure Thirdly Thou canst not tell what to make of Gods mercies and blessings to We cannot tell what to make of Gods mercies without this knowledge thee God hath given thee many blessings life and health and means and maintenance and sweetly provided for thee from thy cradle to this day and hath recovered thee out of many sicknesses and afflictions and hath given thee the means of grace and thou hast heard Sermon upon Sermon and hast had the acquaintance of his children and hast dwelt in the land of uprightness and seen the Saints of God and the examples of Gods Saints and thou hast had the motions of Gods Spirit from day to day and many good things God hath vouchsafed but while a man is questioning and doubting whether he be effectually called or no he cannot tell what to make of these things whether he should call them mercies or no whether they be in wrath or no to fat him up against the day of wrath to whom much is given of him much is required It is said of the Virgin Mary when the Angel saluted her graciously and comfortably the text saith she was much troubled wondring what manner of salutation this should be Luk. 1. 29. So when the Lord sends abundance of sweet mercies the soul is troubled what mercies these should be are these mercies that come from Christ and flow from Gods goodness as pledges of his grace and favour or no he is troubled and cannot tell what to make of them what are these mercies and he is afraid he had been better to have been without them and better he had never known them it is a miserable thing when a man is uncertaine of his effectual calling for uncertaine of that uncertaine of all Fourthly Thou dost not know what to do in time of affliction when affliction We know not hâ—w to beare our selves in afflictions without this knowledge comes as thou canst not but expect it every day yet when it comes how wilt thou bear it how wilt thou be able to suffer for Christ and to go to prison for Christs sake when thou dost question whether the truth ever made thee free if thou wert able to speak of God as thy Father and a Kingdom prepared for thee this would cast out fears feare not little flock it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdom Luk. 12. 37. but when a man questions whether God be his Father or no questions whether he hath given him a Kingdom or no yea whether any such thing belongs to him nay he thinks he is a wretch and he should wrong God if he should lay hold oâ— such things this exposeth a man to fears what is the reason that many â—all away in time of persecution it is because they want hold of God as D 〈…〉 as what is the reason he could not beare Pauls afflictions but fell away and 〈◊〉 the world it was because he wanted Pauls hold a man must have hold some where if not on God some where else this is the reason why many break their necks and when persecution comes they are troubled and put by and make shipwrack of a good conscience and forbear to go on in that way which they ought to go on in and to yield to those things which they knâ—w they ought not to yield to When a man knows he is effectually c 〈…〉 of God this will make a man suffer for God as the Apostle Peter sp 〈…〉 g of the sufferings of the Saints hereunto saith he were you called knowing thâ—â— Christ suffered for you when a man is able to say Christ suffered for 〈◊〉 God hath effectually called me to his heavenly Kingdom to pertake oâ— C 〈…〉 st it and his benefits and sufferings now this will beare a man out this 〈◊〉 able to endure the losse of liberty of means maintenance or any th 〈…〉 t the Gospels sake but before what shall a man do in afflictions as long as a man doth not know that he is effectually called he doth expose himself to lazards and breaknecks and who knows what may be Fifthly Thou canst not pray with any courage thy prayers are but 〈◊〉 and lanke and weak as water thou canst not come boldly to the throne of We cannot pray without this knowledge grace thou art afraid thou art none of Gods and none of Christs afraid â—â—t thou hast not received the Spirit of God that thou mayst be the child of God and art afraid that thy prayers are not accepted of God but he turnes them into sin thou canst never have boldness unless it be the boldness of impudeâ—ce but never the boldness of confidence how shall a man call upon him 〈◊〉 â—e hath not believed a man without faith cannot please God he cannot pray to God O my Lord saith Manoah c. Judg 13. 8. if he had not prayed with faith knowing that God was his God his prayer had not had successe but this made him pray with the more boldness and strength when the Priests of Baal had done praying
up to the brazen Serpent first our first parents saw they were naked and then came forth the promise of the seed of the woman so first God convinceth a man of sinne and then of righteousness Joh 10. 8. first he convinceth a man of his sins and then shews him where righteousness is to be had how he may have righteousness and peace of conscience and be justified before God Now for the opening of the point I will shew you three things first that it is thus God doth first prepare a man before he calls him effectually Secondly the reasons why the Lord doth thus and Thirdly the uses First That it is true the Lord doth prepare a man before he doth effectually Proofe 1. from texts full of terror call him either more or lesse there must be a work of the law one way or other and to prove this first wherefore else are those many texts of Scripture full of terrours of sharp arrows and fierce pellets against sinners wherefore are these but to terrifie a man and pull a man down and that we that are Ministers of God should fling them against sinners and the Lord looks that men should tremble Amos 3. 6 8. The Lord saith there shall a trumpet be blown in a City and people not be afraid c. and ver 8. When the Lyon roars who will not feare all those terrible texts of Scripture they are the roaring of the Lyon of the tribe of Judah against all that go on in sinne now who would not tremble saith the Prophet 't is true many wicked and ungodly men do not tremble a jot almost but some shall tremble God looks upon some and they shall tremble at his Word Isa 66. 1 2. Secondly Because this is the office of the Spirit of God to be a Spirit of 2 From the Spirâ—ts office bondage before he be the Spirit of adoption he was so to the Romans he was the Spirit of bondage in their hearts before he was the Spirit of adoption to make them cry Abba Father Râ—m 8. 15. You have not received againe the Spirit of bondage to feare you did receive it once but you have not received it againe but now you have received the Spirit of adoption whereby you cry Aâ—ba Father Now to deny this doctrine is to deny the maine office of the Spirit which is dangerous for every man naturally is a bedlam now how are bedlams tamed they are beaten and whipt and kept under till they come to themselves so the Lord deals with a man as with a bedlam he comes with the Spirit of bondage flinging in slavish terrours and fears and what a miserable creature he is this sin and the other sinne and the wrath of God is come out against him the Spirit takes a man down from day to day and undermines him and breaks his stomack and then afterwards when he hath â—â—ought that work he comes to be the Spirit of adoption to teach him to cry Abba Father Thirdly Because the Gospels turne is not come till the Law hath done his 3 Because the Gospel follows the law part thâ—s was the method that Christ was anointed to observe in his Ministery he would first have a man bruised and broken and captivated and blind and poore and in misery and then he preacheth the Gospel to him as you may see Lâ—k 4. 19. The Spirit of the Lord hath anointed me to this order saith he it is an excellent place for this purpose to stop the mouthes of those that hope there is an easier way he will preach the Gospel and liberty and comfort and enlargement but he will have a broken heart first and a tender Spirit first Fourthly You may see an expresse place of our Saviour Christ that he 4 From Christs design in coming came to save that which was lost first a man shall be in a lost estate and he shall be in a wilderness and he shall have his sinnes discovered and his misery and then the Lord comes to those that he hath a minde to do good unto Mat. 9. 12. 13. saith he They that are whole need not the Physitian but they that are sâ—â—k he means to deale with a man as a Physitian a man must be sick before he comes to him the Physitian gives Physick to none till they be sick now till a man is sick of his sinnes till they are the diseases of his soul till he is in torments and misery the Lord Jesus saith he will not be his Physician Fifthly Because God doth see it sitting to deale thus with his converted ones when they fall into some foule sinne and grosse iniquity the Lord is 5 From Gods working with believers after grosse sins pleased to go this way to work even towards his own converted ones when they sinne not onely through invincible infirmities and through temptation but when they grow stubborn when they fall into some horrible iniquity the Lord doth use to go even legally to work with them though they lie under grace therefore much more towards those that never yet were under grace that never had any free Spirit that never had any part of an ingenious nature that were never yet wrought to be led by the faire means of grace if God work so with those that he hath given in some measure his grace and given in some measure a portion of his free Spirit unto if when they sinne and sinne foully it is not all the promise of the Gospel all the covenant of Grace that will raise them up againe and make them walk before God with holiness and zeale and fervency then much more will he deale thus with those that never had any grace at all Thus David cryeth out thy fears have got hold upon me and Psal 28. 4. his sinnes were as an heavy burthen unto him too heavy for him to beare he did not onely set his sinnes before him they were not onely the objects before his eyes so they are to a man that walks in the comforts of the Spirit they are before his eyes every man that walks in obedience he hath his sinnes before him at times to humble him and keep him low and make him still hang upon Christ and depend upon him and esteem Christ precious to you that believe Christ is precious 2 Pet. 4. 5. But now he sets them before them not only as objects but layeth them as loads upon their backs that their sins shall not only be seen but felt by them now this is a legal work when any part of a mans sinnes and misery lyes upon his soul and conscience 't is true God never shews sinne to the utmost to his people he never layeth all the load if God should stirre up all the stink of uncleanness that is in his people if God should discover to them all the ugly looks of their sinnes they were not able to beare it As a good man said when I see my self saith he
it is an intollerable horror to me it makes my very flesh to shiver and my soul to quake to think what I am in my self Nay if God should lay all the burden of sinne upon the soul the children of God their Spirits would faile they were not able to subsist under it but thus farre the Lord reveals their sinnes and layeth load upon them to break their hearts and rend the kall of their spirits to tame and pull them to him to bring them under and to make them beare his yoake Lastly Because wheresoever the Scripture doth speak at large and professedly of any mans conversation we do not read of any conversation bâ—t 6 From Scripture examples it was after this manner by revealing their misery in themselves and charging their sinnes upon their souls Thus the Lord dealt with Manasses he did mightily afflict him he opened his eyes by outward afflictions and then charged his misery upon his soul Thus the Lord dealt with Ephraim as with an untamed heiâ—er and then he cryed out Convert me O Lord and I shall be converted Jer. 31. 18. And thus the Lord dealt with the woman in the Gospel that washed his feet with her tears you must think it was not ordinary sorrow that could make her tears trickle down in such plentiful manner as to wash his feet thus it was with her before she had the pardon of her sinnes and thus it was with Peters hearers he told them that they were the murtherers of the Lord Jesus and then they were pricked in their hearts before he did preach the Gospel and bid them repent evangelically Thus did John the Baptist deale first he comes with the axe and hews at them and layes at the root of the tree and then he tells them of Christ there comes one after me that is more worthy then I c. First he did lay about him to detect their misery and reveale to their wretched estate and then at the last he preached the Gospel and poured in oyle So it was with Paul the Lord made it appeare that he fought against heaven and persecuted the Lord Jesus Christ and he laid him flat upon his face nay he smote him with blindness and sent him crying and roaring and made him glad to go to their houses whom before he haâ— persecuted and scorned and afterwards he told him that he was a chosen vessel so the Lord dealt with the jaylor he rent and tore him and burst him in peices as if all the devils in hell were about him and afterwards he saith Beliâ—ve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Act. 16. 26 But you will say there are some in Scripture are related not to have any such Object work Lidia she heard Paul preach and the Lord opened her heart at first and was a convert presently Act. 6. 14. So it was with Cornâ—lius and his company â—eter oâ—â—ned his mouth and preached to them and while â—e 〈◊〉 spake the holy Ghâ—sâ— selâ— on them all Act. 10. 24. Therefore it seems all mens conversions and callings home are not ushered by this legal work I answer This is a poore Argument that because the Scripture doth not Answ say this work of the Law did not go before therefore it did not gâ— before a man cannot make such an inference because the Scripture doth not â—peaâ—e it it is sufficient that the Scripture hath related it in other places how the Lord brings his people â—ome and what method he useth in doing them good first he useth the work â— the Law and then of the Gospel the Lord sets it down in other places and therefore though he omits it here it doth not follow there was no such thâ—â—g in Lidia and Cornelius and 〈◊〉 prove there was in both places that there was a pâ—eparatoâ—â— work in Lida is plaine by two Arguments for the Scripture sheâ—â—th 〈…〉 efore this evangelical work came she was a worshipper of God before 〈…〉 g â—here was something went before this opening of her heart there was a work of the Law before for this was the first work of the Gospel when God opeâ—ed her heart another Argument is in the 13 ver where it is said that Lidia before she heard this Sermon resorted to Paul to the Rivers side to pray therefore it is a plaine sign that she was wrought upon by a preparatory work before Paul converted her and wrought upon her by the Gospel And then for Cornelius and his friends for Cornelius himself it is a plaine case that he was wrought upon before the Holy Ghost fell upon him for in the beginning of the Chapter it is said he was a devout man one that called upon God and set times apart extraordinarily to seek God before the Holy Ghost fell upon him and no question it was so with his kinsfoâ—â—s for whom did he call to meet with Peter at this Sermon but those that he had been conversant with therefore it is likely they were wrought upon before as well as Cornelius otherwise he would have had little hope to get them thither well then the first thing we have proved that God doth thus prepare his people legally before he doth effectually call them Now we come to the second thing why God thus and the first Reason Reas 1. To declare Gods justice is because God will declare and shew forth his justice for as God did shew forth his justice in the Redemption of his people so he will also in the application of this Redemption shew some part of his justice in the Redemption of the World he poured forth the full viols of it he required full satisfaction of the Lord Jesus now he will not let justice be utterly swallowed up of mercy when he comes to apply this but justice shall shew his face and they shall come to see what Christ hath done for them and miseries he hath waded through for a man he shall â—ee that God is a just and righteous God that hates sinne and abhors unquity what a consuming fire he is against them that disobey him the Lord makes his justice appeare in the application of Redemption you see how he takes up his people upon Mount Ebal and delivers the curses of the Law and makes his own people to say Amen and subscribe to them Deut. 27. 26. Here he delivers the curses and makes proclamation of his justice and saith he I will have all the people say Amen he will have all lye a bleeding under this curse and marke what Moses saith in the first verse of the next Chapter it shall come to passe if thou wilt hearken to the voyce of the Lord he will set thee up above all nations here comes in a fire Sunshiny day afterwards the Lord will have his people see his justice and what it is to be delivered from sinne the Lord will make them see that he is a just and righteous God and that there is no sinning against him there
hardly heare of a man so humble in an age as he was he did even grudge to think that Christ should come into his house he thought he was unworthy that Christ should come under his roofe though he were in the dayes of his humiliation in the forme of a servant his heart was employed and brought low he had no hope in himself all the worth he saw was in Christ this helps a man to the more faith the more a man is emplyed the more may be poured in Wherefore serve all those texts in Scripture The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousnesse tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soul of every one that doth evill flesh and blood can never enter into the Kingdome of God that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and such a one can never please God while the world stands Wherefore serve all these texts of Scripture when Gods sâ—ings balls of fire upon men that live in their wicked wayes Why do we not open them and presse them upon mens consciences Why do we not apply them to those to whom they belong are they not in the Bible were the Prophets fooles were the Holy Pen-men of the Scripture mistaken in putting such texts into the Bible If they be there they ought to be uttered and applied and if they be to be applied to whom but to those to whom they belong Then such persons had need to look to themselves and we that are Ministers woe unto us if we do not preach terrour to whom terrour belongs as well as mercy to whom mercy belongs but you will say are not we Ministers of the Gospel 't is true and so was Christ yet mark what he saith repent and then believe first he discovers their miserable conditions and breaks their hearts and then bids them lay hold upon the Gospel of peace this is the Method that we that are the Ministers of God should take first wound and then heale first lance and then bind up first detect mâ—ns sinnes and shew them their miseries and then shew them a remedy first let them see what they are and then see how they may be better Then you must be content to let us go up upon Mount Eball and pronounce Vse 2. Be content to heare the curses of the Law preached the curses of God upon those that go on in their sinnes you must be content to have your estates and conditions ripped up be not ready to be snappish and murmuring against the revelation of the Law and the opening of the hellish sink of sin that is in your hearts be you willing to hear it and let us do it 't is true we must be ready to poure in Oyle into every bruised spirit but first we must come with the hammer of the Law to breake and then bind up let me tell you as many as go on in your sins and are yet without Christ let me tell you what your condition is be it known from the Lord whatsoever you may think you are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity hell is moved for your coming and the pit is digged for such as you are you are under the wrath of heaven and though God be gracious and full of mercy yet he will never save those that disobey him and stand out against his Holy and Heavenly Word though Christ died for sinners yet he is a stumbling block and a rock of offence to those that are disobedient and stumble at the Word 1 Pet. 2 8 Whatsoever you may think of your selves and do not think of these things but suffer the world and your pleasures to take up your mindes think of it what a woefull case you are in know that the great God of Heaven and Earth hath bitter things against you and you shall heare it with both eares when it is too late there is no mercy but for them that repent and forsake their sins there is no Kingdome of Heaven for you you have no hope the Devils and you have one hope What turned so many Angels of Heaven into Hell was it not sin you have that very sin upon you you do not see your misery but if your eyes were open and would but heare what God saith you would loath your selves in dust and ashes and your knees would knock together for anguish of heart What no conversion yet no new creatures yet then no Christ no Heaven no Happiness what a woful thing is this I beseech you think of it and apply it and tell your soules either sin must down or else no Heaven to be looked for either I must be an holy man either God will give me grace and holinesse here or else I shall â—ever see his face with comfort hereafter either I must have my life changed and my conversation made spiritual and godly by Jesus Christ or else I do but deceive my own soul to think of any happinesse this is certaine therefore do not think lightly of any sin there is no sin so small but is able to damn thy soul unlesse thou embrace the Gospel and the Kingdome of God If it were possible that thou never hadst sinned but one sin that one sin will damn thee unlesse thou be a new creature and by Faith embrace the Son of God thou canst not â—e saved there is no sin so small but the wrath of God from Heaven is revealed against it if people did but see their sins like so many Devils if they did but once see these Cockatrices stings if people were but affected with their estates and conditions something might be said but unless mens sins be laid before their eyes and charged upon their souls what hope have we to do them any good Thirdly this is for comfort to those that are humbled such as have had Vse 3. To comfort those that have had this work of the Law on them the Law come unto them and hath knocked them off that they have nothing to trust to and they see what miserable creatures they are look up and hear what the Gospel saith the Gospel of God sheweth mercy freely to be had and delivers promises freely to be apprehended and doth proffer eternal life without money or moneys worth though a man be never so vile and wretched if you see your misery you have Davids own argument go and use it Psal 25. 16. Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am desolate and afflicted all the Saints of God have no other argument but this in begging of mercy as who should say I am a miserable creature no grounds whereupon to expect any mercy I am a desolate afflicted undone man in my self all my hope is in thee go to God and lie at his gate and plead this argument submitting to the Gospel Have mercy on me O Lord for I am desolate and afflicted and here now comes in effectual calling when the Law hath shewed a man his wretched estate
they differ in two things The first is that this hope I now speak of it ariseth out of the seeds of grace the other out of grace it self there are the seeds of grace which are something of grace in the soul before grace it self comes and though we have not any place of Scripture to shew this yet there are abundance of places that aime at and include this As it may be referred to the woeings of Christ Hos 2. 14. when the excellency and necessity of Christ woes the soul and the possibility of having Christ these things allure a man here is this work when the soul begins to be a neuter before the soul believes yet there is a kinde of bending of faith as the man in the Gospel when Christ asked him if he believed in the Son of God he saith Lord what is he that I may believe as who should say I am ready to believe if I could I am ready to resigne my self to believe do but shew me how I may believe Secondly this may be referred to the forming of Christ in the heart Gal. 4. 19. before the babe is organized there is seed so there is a seed of God in the soul and he that hath this seed cannot sin because he is borne of God as there is a seed of generation so of regeneration as the prodigal before he came home to his Father he saith with himself I will go home to my Father and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee c. Luke 15. 16. What made him do this they are nothing else but the effects of the seeds of grace So the Jaylor Acts 16. 13. that cried out Sirs what shall I do to be saved what were these but the expressions of the seeds of grace that were in him the next newes we heare he did believe now the Lord sowes seeds of grace in the soul and these break forth into hope and desires and waâ—â—ings for grace these are the seeds of grace and from thence comes this hope but the other hope comes from grace it self it is true that these seeds of grace are grace in themselves they are the work of grace for grace but they are not grace fully and compleatly wrought in the soul They come from several apprehensions the hope we now speak of apprehends 2. They come from several apprehensions nothing but a possibility of pardon that he may be pardoned and have power over his sins he may attaine to be a new creature and to be one of the redeemed of the Lord and this is that which sends him after God and makes him trace him up and down till the Lord doth it for him but the other apprehends that he hath it already or else rests upon God for it and hopes undoubtedly for the accomplishment of it this hope I now speak of was in the King of Niniveh Who knows but the Lord may repent and turne from his fierce anger that we perish not I cannot tell but there is hope it may be and who knows but God will do it And this hope made him humble himself and seek to God and there was a publike kinde of reformation outwardly So it is here the Lord lets in some hope who knows but the Lord will yet shew mercy and it is not only an imaginary hope such a hope as vanisheth and leaves a man in the lurch but this hope doth stir up a mans soul and provoke a man to look out to God for that mercy whereof he sees a possibility of attaining I come now to the reasons of the point why the Lord doth work this hope Reas 1. To prevent despaire in the soul and the first is this Lest a man should lie all along in despaire when the Lord shews a man his sins and his misery in regard thereof if the Lord should not put in this hope a man would altogether despaire it is impossible a man should be able to stand as Solomon saith A wounded spirit who can beare So when the Lord chargeth a mans sins and iniquities upon his conscience and aggravates all his sinfulnesse a man would sink under this burthen and never be able to hold up his head were it not for this hope as we use to say were it not for hope the heart would break so this is the reason why God puts in this hope he doth it to stay the soul that it may not sink under the hand of God I will revive the heart of the contrite ones I will not contend with them for ever Isa 57. 16 17. Lest their spirits faile before me as who should say if I should let my wrath into their souls and should not put in this hope and reviving into their hearts their very spirits would faile before me and sink under me they would be at their wits end and be utterly overwhelmed therefore God puts in this that he may help their soules if God should shew a man his sins as they are in his ire and shew him all the corruption of his nature and his filthinesse from the womb till now and reckon with him for this in his soul and conscience and let him see what a cursed creature he is his spirit would faile before Almighty God and the stoutest creature under Heaven were not able to stand under it but would rather take an haâ—tar and hang himself then undergo it now when the Lord deales with a man he puts in this supporting hope to stay him up otherwise the soul were not able to hold Secondly if the Lord should not put in this hope it would utterly disable a 2. That a man may not be disabled from looking after heaven man from looking after Heaven when a man conceives no hope this breaks the neck of all his endeavours a man will not toile for nothing and lay out his strength and all that is in him when he conceives he hath no hope at all He that plowes plowes in hope c. 1 Cor. 9. 10. therefore when a man can hardly see any hope this doth ever vale a man it makes a man rather despaire it makes a man do as commonly people do when they see they must go to hell they fill their souls with pleasures and delights there is little hope for them to come into the strict way that they will ever be able to beare it that they may have mercy like those wretches Jer. 2. 25. There is no hope c. there is no hope â—â—ve have loved our owâ— lusts and after them we will go When people have not hope to get through this makes them desperate they care not what they do and they grow carelesse and negligent many a man hath said so I was of the minde once to be precise but the further I pried into it the worse I was and these Preachers will make a man mad when people finde humiliation so hard a thing they think they are not able to wade through and
mans senses in opening a mans understanding a mans understanding is quite blinded and cannot see the things of God and though a man literally know all the cripture yet notwithstanding there is a veile upon his eyes and he doth not see the excellency and glory of it now when the Spirit of God comes and anoints a mans eyes and takes away the scales that they fall off from his eyes the man now begins with open face to see the glory of God and the glorious Gospel of God the natural man saw the Gospel to be a glorious thing yet the God of this world blinded his eyes that he could not see it in this glorious manner now when the Spirit of the Father comes to call a man effectually he doth anoint a mans eyes Esay 35. 5. The eyes of the blinde shall see he makes a man to see the wonders of Gods Law to see his gracious promises in Jesus Christ the freenesse of them the indifferency of them that they are propounded to every man that hath an heart to them and hungers and thirsts after them so that the Lord doth as it were say to the soul here are the promises here you see them beleeve in me this is the speech of the Father these are the promises this is the happinesse if you will embrace it you may be happy for ever now the world and profits and pieasures are not such a thing you may be damned for all them therefore come unto me and you shall have eternal happinesse thus the Spirit of the Father sheweth the soul the glory of the wayes of Jesus Christ and the glory of the promises here they are beleeve that is the first Secondly he opens the sense of hearing for as the minde of a man is stark blinde and cannot see the things of God so the heart of a man is stark dead and cannot hearken to God a man hath no ears by nature to hear God speak to him till the Lord comes and opens his ears as the Prophet speaks Esay 35. 5. The ears of the deaf shall hear when the Lord comes to open the ears of the deaf now the soul begins to hear before it was like the deafe adder that could not hear the voice of the charmer charme he never so wisely though he heard never so many Sermons he yet heard none his hearing was to no purpose in hearing he heard but perceived not but when the Lord comes and takes away the uncircumcision of the eare the soul now begins to heare and hearken to him now the stone begins to vanish out of the heart and flesh and feeling comes in the place thereof the soul is ready to say as Samuel Speak Lord thy servant heareth now the soul begins to hear a Sermon to hear a counsel to hear a threatning when the Lord begins to open the ear this is another thing whereby the soul is able to hear what the Lord saith Again this voice consists in taking away a mans lamnesse for as a man was 2. In taking away a mans lameness perverted and this was taken away by opening the ear yet now a man is lame and cannot come to Christ therefore the Lord takes away his lamenesse Esay 35. 5. The feet of the lame shall walk First he makes the soul walk and afterwards run and at last to flie as an Eagle First it walks you shall walk in my statutes and afterwards runnes and flies as an Eagle thus you see what this voice is Now there be two reasons why it is called a voice First because it is a Called a voice 1. Because it is joyned to the word thing joyned with the Word because it is all one together with the Word as Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing he doth not mean their onely outward hearing for faith will not come by outward hearing but he means the hearing of the outward ear and this hearing of the Father speaking to the heart and so faith comes Secondly because it hath a similitude of a voice the soul doth as it were 2 Because it hath a similitude of a voice hear a voice speaking to it not as though the acts you heard of even now can distinctly be known he doth them not vocally he doth not open the eyes and open the ear vocally but as the blind man said One thing I know that whereas I was blind now I see but how he came to see that he could not tell so when the Spirit comes and speaks to his heart a man can tell no more the way of the Spirit then he can tell how the wind blows or the fashioning of the bones in the womb what man can expresse the manner of Gods secret working could the Apostles see the breath of Christ breathed upon them when he said receive ye the holy Ghost no they could not the acts of the Spirit upon the soul cannot be discerned but as the blind man said once I was blinde but now I see so a man may say whereas I was deaf now I can hear the voice of God and happy is the man that can say this but the things cannot be discerned but at the same time when the Lord works these acts the soul doth as it were hear a speech mentally and spiritualy in the soul Esay 30 22. Thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying this is the way walk in it so the Lord speaks to the soul this is the way and this is the promise and this is the Gospel of peace and this is the mercy that I offer unto thee beleeve it the Lord makes the soule as it were heare a voice the Lord speakes and the soul hears it is done after such a manner so effectually as if the Lord did speak to the heart I will allure her into the Wildernesse the Lord doth as it were entice a man thus and thus it shall be with thee if thou wilt follow me it is done after such a manner therefore it is called a voice The third thing is how we may know whether the soul hath heard this Quest How may we know whether that 〈◊〉 hath heard this voice Answ 1. There is a power goes along with this Word voice or no I answer first there is a power goeth along with the Word when this voice of the Father goeth with it there is a power put into the promises not only the Minister speaks them or the bare letter of the word utters them but when the Spirit speaks with them there is a power goeth along with them as John 6. 44. there is a power to draw the heart when the Lord calls a man when he speaks to a man he puts a power into the promise that it draws the heart of a man the truth the goodness the excellency freenesse attainableness of it the Lord puts a power into these things to draw the heart so that that man is drawn to look after heaven and come to God from day to day
is an instrument whereby God doth by the acting and placing of it aright upon him let out that power which is in Christ to a poore soul that that power which is in Christ is to him and that goodnesse which is in Christ is to him that he shall have grace for grace an answerable grace for every grace in Christ Ephâ—s 1. 19. The exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward that believe When we believe the exceeding greatnesse of his power is to us-ward it is not only a power in God but it is for us and we may take that power and fetch it from God and obtaine of him to put it forth You know that Christ hath promised to take away the stony heart c. He hath made such promises as these to pull down strong holds to overcome Satan and all the enemies of our â—oules to poure out his Spirit upon his people as water upon the thirsty ground now as soone as ever faith comes into the soul it goeth to these promises and takes hold of them Lord here is such a promise Lord make me a new heart make me obey this Commandment and overcome such a sin and all the power that is in God it is to him-ward Secondly Faith doth fetch down power from Heaven in a moral manner 2. In a moral way by considering the exceeding greatnesse of the recompence of reward as it s said of Moses Hebrewes 1. 25. I say faith looks unto Christ looks unto the favour of God unto the forgivenesse of sinnes and Title to Gods Kingdome it looks unto eternal life unto those admirable joyes that are at Gods right hand for evermore which are promised to them that believe it seeth these things and this makes him able to deny any thing to overcome any thing to go about any thing shall I have Heaven the favour of God a Kingdome shall I be happy for ever Shall I have all these things if I will pray and heare the Word Obey God and give over vaine company and joyne to Gods people and hate all manner of evil if I will labour to crosse my own thoughts and desires and approve my selfe to God in all my wayes shall I have all these things this makes him able to do it he looks to this and so goeth about it and when the flesh shall object hardnesse and difficulty and opposition and losse of comfort and losse of carnal ease and delight faith goeth and sets these admirable things against them it sets Heaven and the Kingdome of Heaven and Christ and the joyes of Gods right hand against them and this makes him do it it sets the will of God against his will the favour of God against the favour of men the joyes of Heaven against carnal joyes eternal happinesse for evermore against the sufferings here for a moment weighs one in one scale and the other in the other and so works with them Here we may see what little faith there is among people certainly there Use 2. See what little faith is in the world is but little faith because if there were much faith there would be much obedience given to God we should have admirable Townes gracious Congregations we should have never a drunkard never a prophane person but all Saints and holy men and women every one would be thinking of God and his wayes and heavenly minded if there were much faith people would have their lives changed and their conversations altered as Christ saith When the Sonne of man comes shall he finde faith upon the Earth So may I say if the Sonne of man should now come among us should he find faith among us He should find it very rare for this is certain there are not very many that professe faith drunkards and the greatest company of prophane persons are such as have not the face of holinesse and faith and amongst this little number that professe it how few are there that have true faith indeed You see none have true faith but those that are obedient unto God true faith doth bend the soul to God it makes the soul spiritual and holy and humble and cleane another man from that he was before that he shall be resigned over to God to live at his dispose this is true faith therefore faith is hardly to be found upon earth it is a pitiful thing to see how little Gods will is regarded up and down and though God be our Maker and his hands have formed us though we professe we are his people whom he hath redeemed though we know he hath sent Christ into the world and the blood of his own Sonne is cried up and down in the streets and calls upon men to believe and take hold on it though we do know these things yet for all this equity of obedience to God and notwithstanding the necessity of obedience how do people sleight the will of God it is his will we should be fruitful under the meanes heavenly in holy duties fervent in calling upon his Name that we should have the true feare of his Name before our eyes it is his will that we should serve him in sincerity all the dayes of our lives that we should stand for him and glorifie him before men that we should walk with God and be strangers upon earth and wean our selves from the world and be taken up with him more then with any thing in this life that we should count nothing deare for him and deny our selves in every thing it is his will for us to do these things but who looks after these things As if we were possessed with a legion of Devils we go slighting and contemning and breaking all bonds of equity and necessity of obedience and Gods will is not obeyed his worship is not promoted his name is not feared few give their minds to do these things if God had not thrown millions of devils into hell for â—â—nning against him if God had not revealed his wrath against sinne and iâ—quity and all unrighteousnesse if God had not showen how jealous he stands upon keeping his Lawes and observing his Commandments and his holy and heavenly Word if God had not revealed himself unto us it had been another matter but he hath revealed these things yet how sâ—â—ure are we He hath made it appear Rom. 2. 9. Tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soul that doth evil and cursed be the man that obeyeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wâ—rds of this Covenant Jer. 11. 63. And he will come in â—laming fire to render vengâ—ance upon all that obey not the truth 2 Thes 1. 8. These things are spoken and delivered and we know these things and confesse them yet God is not respected for all this Nay such is the impudency of men that they will acknowledge that God ought to be obeyed and served and it is good to serve him and it is a dangerous thing not to serve him and yet for all this they will not do it as if it
the inward parts how contrary the Law of God was to all his nature thus Paul understood not the spiritual nature of the Law he had not the spiritual understanding of the Law and thus he was without the Law 2. Now for the other words I was alive once 1. It is meant here spiritually towards God he doth not mean naturally for he was alive naturally both before and after the commandment came but the meaning is he did not think himself to be such a wretched cursed creature as he was he thought he had the fear of God in him and true Obedience in him he thought he had a spiritual kind of life as we may see Rom. 6. 11. Ye are dead saith the Apostle to sin but are alive to God in Jesus Christ And Rom. 7. 13. Give not your members as weapons unto sin but give your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead i. e. As those that have the pure and spiritual life of grace in them So Luke 15. 24. This my son was dead and is alive again that is spiritually alive again he was a dead creature he was departed from his Father which is the fountain of life he was dead in sins and trespasses he was a dead man but now he is alive again he hath spiritual life again 2. To be alive is taken to be conceitedly so alive in his own conceit he hath no true life in him yet he doth imagine that he hath life in him he thinks he hath life and is dead Rev. 3. 1. I know thy works thou hast a name thou livest but thou art dead Here the Church of Sardis did imagine she was alive and others conceived so she seemed to be alive and yet notwithstanding was dead she had no true life in her she seemed to be alive not only in the sight of others but in her own apprehension she seemed to be alive and yet was dead now this is the meaning of the words without the Law I was alive once that is I thought my self to be alive I apprehended my self to be no dead man no damned man I thought not my self to be under the wrath of God and one that should perish evermore if I continued in that estate wherein I was I hoped better things of my self I saw these signs of Grace and Life in me and I thought I was alive indeed till the Commandment came till the Law of God was pressed upon my Conscience and shewed me the contrary I thought my self to be a very live man and one that had some hope of eternal happiness and one that might enter into glory I took my self to be alive Thus we see the meaning of the words Now the Point I intend at this time to insist upon is the livelinesse of a Obser carnal mans heart before the Law comes home to him and is pressed to him and shews him his damnable estate and that he is dead in his sins and trespasses he hath some colour of Righteousness that he is moral and civil and orderly and he hath somthing that is like Grace and Life he hath some hope towards God and hath some kind of obedience he seems to be obedient to the commandment of God before he is humbled by the Law of God he is a live creature Here St. Paul shews it by his own example Without the Law I was once alive noting out unto us how it is with every unhumbled man with every unmortified man that is not yet converted to God he hath many things to say for himself but he doth not understand the purenesse of the Law the Law hath not yet killed him it hath not yet pulled him flat down before Almighty God A man that is unhumbled by the Law of God is a live man he will not be perswaded that he is a dead damned creature he doth apprehend and hope he hath life it is so with men before their Conversion they will not believe that they are damned creatures and they think it uncharitablenesse in any to say they are damned creatures and dead creatures they will not believe it so long as the Law is not charged upon their Consciences so long as they see not how it is with them they do verily apprehend that they have life in them their hearts are not killed their spirits are not dead within them they are not pulled down in the apprehension of their own cursed estates before Almighty God this is the thing I intend to insist upon 2. For the Proof of the Point we may see 1 Tim. 5. 5. there the Apostle speaking of VVidows that lived in pleasure saith She that liveth 〈◊〉 pleasure is dead while she is alive that is dead in pleasure dead in sin dead in the vanity of her own heart and yet such a VVidow liveth she liveth not only a natural life but she is alive in her own conceit in regard of a spiritual life for if she conceived she were a dead creature a damned creature such thoughts would kill the heart of any creature under heaven it would break the neck of all her pleasure but in that she took her pleasure it was a plain token that she was not killed Now for the Opening of the Point I will do these Three things First I will shew what this liveliness is and wherein it consists Secondly I will shew what the Effects of it are Thirdly The Uses First I will shew what this livelinesse is and it consists in these Three things I could branch them into Four but I will reduce them into Three Heads 1. First It consists in the non-appearance of a mans dead and damned estate So long as a mans dead and damned estate doth not appear unto him so long a man thinks he is alive and that he is not a dead man he is not a man that hath the sentence of condemnation lying upon him so long as the Law hath not come and shewed a man his wretched estate and made his damnable estate appear in its ovvn colours unto him vvhy he is alive man he conceives himself to be alive because the Lavv of God hath not convinced him of the contrary if the Law of God doth seise upon a mans heart and in its own colours appear to a mans eyes and hold it self as a glasse to a mans understanding and shew him his wretchednesse and what a cursed estate he is in before God this will kill his very heart and break the livelinesse that is in him and make him burst out into out-cries Oh! I am a dead man I am a damned man so that the livelinesse that is here spoken of consists in the non-appearance of a mans dead and damnable estate As for example an Adulterer his damdable estate doth not appear to him he knows not that he is a dead man as Prov. 9. 18. He knows not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depth of hell When he goes to lie with his
killed them and laid them dead in regard of any performance they must have life from without there is no life at home no grace at home no understanding at home they must go out for all but a carnal man he is alive unto all performances Many a man is like unsavoury Salt good for nothing but to throw upon the dunghil He never received the Holy Ghost and yet he will be inducted into a Living and take a Pastoral Charge upon him as if he were able to perform the Duty of a Minister and take the Charge of Souls upon him So Ananias will be a Husband and Sapphira a VVife Athalia vvill be a Queen and Nimred a King and Abimilech a Judge they are alive to discharge all these Duties thus men are alive the Law of God hath not killed their hearts and pulled down their spirits it hath not made it appear unto them what wretched cursed Creatures they are This is the Second thing wherein this Liveliness consists Thirdly This Livelinesse consists in a presumptuous hope he conceives that he is justified before God and that God will not damn him but forgive him his sins There is nothing can make a mans heart more full of life than to think that he is righteous before God and that God will not impute his sins unto him there is nothing can make a man more alive then this If they think they are justified before God they have then a lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God saith the Apostle even the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead So these men have a hope that makes them lively and full of life as a poor man that hath some grounded hope of an Earthly inheritance it makes the heart lively Poverty deads the heart he that hath nothing to maintain himself and those that belongs unto him it deads his heart but if he hath some hopes of an hundred pound a year and his hope is grounded if he hath sure hope of it and he makes no doubt of it it makes his heart full of life so when a man doth believe that he is in a good case that he is delivered from death that he is in the estate of grace when he hath some probability that God hath justified him from sin this breeds an hope in him of an eternal Inheritance and this hope the consideration of it makes the soul full of life There is nothing can make a man more lively then a hope that he is justified before God and that God will not impute his sins unto him Now when a carnal man conceives he is righteous before God and that God will forgive him his iniquities that God will not damn him nor count him a dead and a damned man so long as a man doth imagine this he must needs be a lively man he is alive in his own apprehension nay all the delights in the world cannot make a man so full of life as this hope It is not mens following their pleasure that makes their hearts so full of life as to have hope that the Lord doth not account them dead men that they are justified men and righteous men that they have salvation to shew for Heaven and eternal happinesse to shew for that they shall go to heaven But if now the Law were charged upon a man if he knew that he were a dead man a damned man it would pluck down his spirits and make his spirits dead for all his pleasures It is the conceit that men are Justified that makes them so full of life so long as the Law doth not come home to a man and point him out in his colours and make it appear to him that he lyeth under the wrath of Almighty God that the Lord doth account him an abominable wretched Creature so long as he doth not apprehend this especially if he have any good Gifts and Parts and Qualities and Moral Obedience to the Law doing good Duties and a general laying hold upon the Promises and a hope they belong to him this makes him alive Phil. 3. 9. Paul when he was a Pharisee and did Moral Duties and performed Moral Obedience to the Law of God he thought he had Righteousnesse of his own he calls it there his own Righteousnesse he so apprehended of himself now this is that which makes men alive when they conceive that they have some Religion and some Grace You shall have many men and women that hate the Servants of God and yet think they are godly men and have Grace and Life in them We may see it Acts 13. 50. there it is said that the Jews stirred up certain devout and honourable women and raised Persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their Coasts Though they hated Paul and Barnabas yet they are said to be devout and honourable women They imagined they were very Devout they conceived they were Religious How many men and women are there that think they are Righteous and they will do many Duties and take many good Courses in so much that it would pity a man to think they should go to hell they will be very Zealous they will be very Earnest against Drunkennesse and cry out against the abominations of the times they are marvellous Devout and Godly and yet a man that is Devout and Godly in truth and in deed they cannot abide him but hate him Now if the Law should come home unto them and discover how indeed it is with them it would humble their souls and pull down their spirits and make them dead so that this presumptuous hope that men are in good terms with God and that God will be merciful to them and forgive them their sins this makes them to be alive 2. We come now to the Second thing and that is the Effect of this â—iveliness what Effects it works in the heart And the Effects of this Liveliness are Four 1. First It makes them sound and heart-whole like a Boyl unlaunced it is yet sound The true sight of sin and wrath of God in the soul is able to break the heart of any man it is able to dead his spirit and kill all the Livelinesse that is in him and make him have little life to go on as he doth But so long as the Law of God is not come home to a man though he have no Title to Heaven though Hell be the Portion of his Cup yet he is as sound as can be as heart-whole as may be Let carnal comfort come he can take it let pleasures come he is able to delight himself therewith and go on in his course as if he ailed nothing Prov. 18. 14. the Wise man saith The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities but a wounded spirit who can bear When the Lord comes to wound a mans heart with the sight of his sins and
the fearful condition he is in what a cursed creature he is having no Mercy and being out of Christ having no Pardon no Grace no Holinesse but lyeth under the Curse of God If the Law this come home and wounds his Conscience he is not able to bear it this man let carnal Comforts come he is not able to take them it kills the heart Look as it is with the Stomack if it can take meat and digest it it must needs be alive for if the Stomack be dead it can digest nothing So for the Taste If a mans Palat and all the instruments of the taste be dead he takes no delight in any meats So there is a kind of soundness in the Soul that is the reason why a man can delight in carnal pleasures in Drinking and Sporting and in Profit and Gain There is a kind of soundness and â—iveliness in the Heart the heart is not yet broken If the Law come and take the Hearts life away this will pull down the Heart it will make a mans heart even break it will pull down his spirit But a man whom the Law hath not yet humbled and shewed him his damned estate his heart is yet whole and sound When the Law of God had but a little killed Ahabâ— heart you might see it in his very gate he went softly he could not tread so confidently upon the ground as he was wont to do it tamed his very steps it is wonderful how his heart was broken it appeared in his very going up and down When the Law comes home to a man it is able to kill his heart and makes him Soul-sick and makes him cry out O the wretchednesse of my heart it makes a man sick at the heart it lyes like a heavie Plague upon the heart and conscience it will make a man at deaths door with his sins it will make him say with Paul When the Commandment came Sin revived and I died But another man though he hath evident demonstration that he is a dead man yet the Law of God hath not pulled down his heart sicknesse will pull down a mans Stomack so when the law of God comes home to a mans conscience and makes him sick it makes him yield and pulls down his stomack Many men are crazy and sickly and yet they lye not by it but walk up and down and go abroad but if they were heart-sick it would pull them down and make them lye by it So many a carnal man may have some qualms of sin but yet their hearts can go abroad after profits and pleasures after vanities and delights they can go abroad for all this But when the law comes home it will pull down a mans spirit and make him heart-sick This is the meaning of that place The whole need not a Physician but the sick Mat. 9. 12. Every carnal man so long as he is not humbled and broken under the sight of his sins his heart is yet whole his spirit is yet sound he is not yet wounded as the Prophet Isaiah speaks Isa 1. 6. From the crown of the hâ—ad to the sole of the foot there is nothing but wounds and swellings and sores full of corruption there is no soundnesse in him He is indeed full of wounds but the skin is yet sound it is not broken he fells it not the law hath not yet discovered his estate unto him This is the first effect of this livelynesse it makes men to be sound and heart-whole 2. The Second effect of this livelynesse when a man is alive in the non-appearance of his dead and damned estate alive in performance alive in presumption and self-justifying and self-hopes The effect of it is that he is fearlesse the more lively the more fearlesse First the Object must dead the heart before it can make the heart fear so long as the heart is sâ—out the livelynesse that is in the heart is able to keep out fear So the livelynesse of a sinner makes the heart fearlesse and secure A man would wonder how any creature durst provoke God it is almost beyond the reach of true reason how any creature should dare to provoke God to consider what infinite danger he is in to have the wrath of the God of heaven and earth to hang over his head to be under the hand of revenging Justice to pull down all the Woes and Plagues and Comminations of God upon the Soul that a man should do this and yet be secure it would make a man wonder at it But a man that hath this livelynesse he can provoke God and yet be secure as Jâ—b 12. 6. those that provoke God are secure the reason is the law of God hath not taken down their hearts the law of God hath not deaded their spirits they are alive in presumption and imagination and therefore though they provoke God they are â—ecure and fear nothing It is the disquietnesse of a mans heart that makes him fear therefore so long as a mans mind is quiet and is not disturbed he is fearlesse So long as the law hath not disquieted a mans mind nor broken the rest of a mans Soul nor disturbed his conscience but tells him go on in quiet he spends his dayes in security he fears nothing whereas fearfulnesse and trembling and horrible dread would overwhelm him if the law of God should come and take away his life It is fear that deads a mans heart as we may see Mat. 28. 4. when the Angel of the Lord roled away the stone from Christs Sepulchre it is said For fear of the Aâ—gel the Keepers trembled and became as dead men There is the effect of fear if the law did but open mens eyes and paint out before them how it is with them how they are liable to Gods wrath and under the sentence of condemnation If they were once thus feared it would make them seem as dead men the Drunkards would be so afraid that they would become as dead men All wretched men all ungrounded Christians all that are not truly alive towards God it would make them become as dead men and it is the deadnesse of the heart that makes men fear and such a man cannot be secure Carelessenesse and fear are two contraries as Ezek. 30. 9. In that day shall Messengers go forth from me in Ships to make the carelesse Ethiopian afraid and great pain shall come upon them The Prophet there makes these two contraries they shall be full of fear to rouze them out of security so the cause why men are carelesse to get Repentance carelesse to get deliverance from sin carelesse of their walking with God the reason is because of this damnable livelinesse that is in their hearts they are not yet deaded by the Law 3. Thirdly Another effect of this livelinesse is this it makes the heart stiff what a deal of stiffnesse is in the hearts of carnal men Let God forbid sinne they are stiff and will still continue in their
Now for the meaning of the Second word I dyed that is I saw I was a dead man I saw plainly and clearly that I was but a dead man I thought I was alive before because I did good duties and walked in the Ordinances of God and I thought that I might go for a Christian and Servant of God as well as another I did not think I was a dead man I thought I had some goodnesse in me some hope of eternal life in me I did not conclude that I was a dead man But when the Law of God humbled me and discovered my estate plainly unto me then I saw I was a dead man indeed my heart failed me and the livelyness that was in me before departed from me I saw I was a dead man and had not the Spirit of Christ come and quickned me I had been a dead man to all eternity I now saw that sin began to revive in me and I began to be a dead man Thus we see the meaning of the words Now the Theame I propounded to you was this namely how the Lord converts the will and the first work that prepares a man hereunto is the work of pulling down the vvill and the pulling down of a mans heart for the will of a man is full of obstinacy full of livelinesse against the truth and commandment of God full of livelinesse in sin and conceives it self to be in a better estate and condition and so the will is obstinate still Now when it pleaseth God to convert a man first he pulls down the will of a man and pulls down his spirit now here is a Doctrine to make way for this Namely That when the Lord takes a man in hand to pull him down to pull down his will he doth shew him what a dead Creature he is The Obser Lord by pronouncing a man in his own Bosom a dead man a damned man one that can no way help himself he is dead absolutely dead in his own estate and in Gods account all his hopes are rotten he is meerly a dead damned man hereby the Lord pulls down his Will We may see this in Paul before his Conversion his Will was full of Obstinacy and Rebellion against God he would go and make havock of the Church he would not submit to the Will of God but when the Lord came to work upon him Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks What wilt thou that I shall do Lord saith he Act. 9. 6 Now his Will is come down but mark how the Lord puts him off Go to such a place saith he and there it shall be told thee what thou shalt do The Lord puts him off and would not give him an Answer presently what he should do as who should say Thou hast as yet an obstinate Will thou wilt not do as I command thee I will not tell thee as yet what I will have thee to do but go to such a place and I will Arrest thee there and charge my Law upon thy Conscience and shew thee thy dead and damned estate And now his Will is come down he bids him be Baptized and he was so he bids him go and Preach the Gospel and he did so now his Will is come down So the Prodigal his Heart was marvellous Obstinate against his Fathers commandment he would be gone from his Father he could not abide to stay in a house where there were such strict courses he would have his Goods and Patrimony in his own hand as it is the Property of every carnal man he would have his Inheritance in his own hand he would have Power and Strength and Ability and these Gifts and Parts in his own hand but when he is humbled by the Law he is content to have all in Gods hand he is content to have all his VVisdom there that he may come thither for it he is content to have all his Righteousnesse there and all his Ability Strength and Sufficiency there that he may come thither for it all is there and he sees himself a beggar if he comes not to God and keeps close to God and keeps fast to his Covenant he is a very beggar But this man would have all in his own hands and go and squander away all upon his Lusts and Pleasures and he would not stay at home with his Father Now when the Law of God came home to him to shew this man to himself when he came to himself as the Text saith his Father did esteem him a dead man before but when he came to himself and saw he was a dead man for going away from his Father the Father of Life Novv his VVill is come dovvn I will go to my Father and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants Luke 15. 17. Here his VViâ—l is come dovvn he vvould be gone from his Father before he could not abide to be held in so strictly he vvould fain be gone and be at liberty he had no mind to stay in his Fathers house But vvhen he came to himself vvhen the Lavv shevved him he vvas but a dead man for going from his Father and going after his Lusts and Pleasures novv his VVill is brought dovvn and it submits and yields and novv he vvill go to his Father and humble himself before his Father and say Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee c. Novv I desire here to shevv you Three things as I did in the former Point First VVherein this deadnesse consists Secondly VVhat be the effects of this deadnesse and how it pulls down the heart And. Thirdly The Uses we are to make of it 1. For the First Wherein this deadnesse consists and it consists in Three things First In deadnesse in being Secondly In deadnesse in Gods account Thirdly In deadnesse to all doing 1. First It consists in deadnesse in being When the law comes it shews a man indeed to be a dead man 2 Cor. 3. 6. the Letter killeth saith the Apostle the very letter of the law without the Spirit of life which Christ doth inform it with when he comes to work upon his children The letter alone without the Spirit of God kills a man now when a man is killed he is a dead man he is then fully dead he hath the very being of a dead man he is a dead man that is his Estate and Condition So when the law of God comes â—ome to a man it shews him indeed that he is a dead man The property of the law when it is let in to work upon the heart is to slay a man I have slain them by the words of my mouth Hos 6. 5. The law which proceeds from Gods mouth is able to slay a poor sinner and kill him at the heart and lay him for dead before Almighty God that he can
Now I come to shew you the Effects if this deadnesse how it pulls down the heart this will pull down the heart of a man marvellously when the Law chargeth this upon him that he is but a dead man though the will of man be infinitely unruly it is wild it is like the mad man in the Gospel that the Divel was in no man was able to bind him no Chains were able to hold him no Creature could tame him Mark 5. 34. So it is with the will of an unregenerate man his will is marvellous wild he breaks all bonds and snaps all cords in pieces and casts off the yoak from him Let God bid him do this he will not do it let him be in a good mood he is presently out of it again let him be convinced of his vain hopes and let him see what a wretched Creature he is he will have vain hopes again his will is infinitely unruly and desperately wild the very Divel in hell hath the rule of it it is full of life against God and his Commandments and will never yield while the woâ—ld stands till now the Lord comes with his Law and shews a man that he is a dead man and a damned man and shews him that he is under the wrath of God the Law is able to do this as the Apostle speaks Rom. 4. 15. The Law causeth wrath It makes a man appear to lye under the wrath of God under Gods everlasting displeasure and in the mouth of hell and damnation and if God be not merciful to him and more merciful then to a world of men he seeth he is a dead man utterly lost and undone for ever now this will make his spirit yield and make his heart begin to come in as the Psalmist speaks concerning Princes He shall cut off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 76. 12. Kings and Princes have stout spirits now when the Lord sends but a little terrour into their hearts he is able to snib their spirits for all their security and for all the height of their magnanimity he is able to cut off all by sending his terrour into their hearts so the Law sends terrour into the heart Can there be a greater terrour then to have the Law denounce a man to be a dead man and that the wrath of God is gone out against him and that he lyeth in the very mouth of all the Canons of the fury of the most High This will break the heart of a man if his heart were made of brasse this would break it Look as it was with the Moabites 2 Sam. 8. 2. They were stout against David and would not yield and submit unto him but when David smote them and measured them with a cord and cast them down to the ground when he measured them with two cords to put them to death and with one full cord to keep them alive then saith the Text the Moabites became Davids servants and brought him gifts So it is with a prophane creature whilest God lets him go on he is stout and will not serve God but his will is altogether crosse and contrary to Gods will and Commandments he will not take up those courses that God commands he will not submit himself to the precifenesse of the Gospel his will is infinitely crosse in this kind and marvellous obstinate But if the Lord takes him in hand and charges his Law upon his conscience he puts such terrours into his heart that he is willing to submit unto God upon any terms I confesse the Law cannot do this of it self it cannot thus bring down the will of a man and mortifie a mans sins For if the damned in hell were let loose again to live here upon earth they would forget all their former Plagues and Torments and sin would revive again in them The Law of it self can only lay sinne in a swound it will up again if it be loose the law cannot do this of it self but I speak now of the Law as it is Gods Instrument Hereby he pulls down the heart of a man and pulls down his Spirit labour will pull down any mans spirit when a man is in labour and pain and affliction it will make a mans stomack come down as we may see Psal 107. 11 12. Because they rebelled against the words of the Lordâ— therefore he humbled their heart with labour and heaviness then they fell down but there was no helper Before they were stout against the Lord and would not hearken unto him and obey his Commandments now the Lord brought down their heart But how did he bring them down he pulled them down by laying labours upon them labour and torment and heavynesse pulled down their hearts So when the Law makes the heart labour under the wrath of God it lies labouring and quaking and shaking and weltring and bleeding under the wrath of God this pulls down the will And now I come to speak of the Effects it works in doing of it 1. The First Effect is this It casts the heart into those woful privations we read of there are abundance of comfortable things which the man which is alive in his own conceit thinks himself to have Now when the Law comes to deaden him it knocks him off from all those comfortable things he seemed to have whereas he seemed to have some admittance to God in prayer he could pray to him before but now he sees he is an out-cast and dares not lift up his eyes to heaven Before he hoped that God would have mercy on him and that he had some interest in Christ and hope of salvation but now he seeth he is lost Before he seemed to have liberty and freedom he could do this and that and had a thousand evasions but now he seeth himself a meer captive before he thought he had some riches some goodnesse but now he seeth he is but a poor begger before he had some Fig-leaves to cover him but now he seeth he is altogether naked before he was heart-whole and sound he had peace and comfort and quietnesse within him but now he is altogether broken This is the effect of this deadnesse it brings all these privations into the soul death is a privation it self and it brings an hundred privations with it even a privation of all the priviledges of the living this the Law doth when it comes All this while the Soul is lost and captived and poor and blind and miserable and naked and an outcast it is utterly undone and altogether unable to help it self and this as it doth make a man an Object of the Gospel one for whom Christ dyed as it points out such a man so there is a Finger of the Gospel in it also when the soul understands the goodnesse of the Gospel and sees it self to be lost for want thereof yet notwithstanding the first stroke is given by the Law the first stroke that casts the
the world The Word of God was marvellous powerfull that could convince them of thiâ— so a man that goeth on in his sinful estate and condition it is a marvellous hard thing to convince him that he is a dead man he hears the Word constantly and goes on in his Calling diligently and he hopes that Christ â—ed for him he is afraid of sin and his heart trembles to commit sin and he is sorry for his sins he is thus and thus he that hath so many things to plead for himselfe what he a dead man It is impossible Therefore if the law of God be able to convince a man and make a man a de a man that is so full of lâ—fe the law must needs be mighty that can do this to dead this man and kill this man is a mighty work So that we may say as the Psalmist saith of the Sea and the Mountains Psal 114. 5 6. Wâ—aâ—â—â—ed â—hee O Sea that thou fleddest O Jordan why were thâ—â— turned back Ye Mountains why leaped ye as Rams and ye Hills as Lambs So I may say What ayleth this poor man that he is now driven from his former courses and like the â—ea out of his own Channel what ayls those Mountains of lusts and corruptions that were settled upon his soule as a Mountain upon his Base what ayle these to move and stir and fall away What ayls the man that was so full of life before that at one Sermon he is killed What ayls the man he came brisk and peark into the Church and who but he He was immoveable from his sinful lusts and corruptions and he had this Plea and that confidence and was full of life but by one hours discourse which it may be another heard as well as he and went away as brisk as before but this mans spirit is deaded and his heart taken down what ayls the man now why the law of God hath done it See therefore the marvellous power of the law I told you formerly That when the Law comes home to a mans soule and is charged upon his Conscience it casts the heart into all those woful privâ—tions we read of in Scripture a man before he is thus deaded by the law thinks himselfe to be possessed of abundance of comforts but now he seeth himselfe to be an out-cast and utterly lost to be a captive and poor and miserable and blind and naked he lies under all these privations And as the Philosopher saith That Privation is one of the Principles of Nature Every body saith he hath Three Principles Matter Form and Privation No natural thing can have this or that From put into it but it must be deprived of all other Forms as if fire be turned into air first the form of fire must be taken away before it can be turned into air so it is in Grace Privation is one of the Principles of Religion before the life of Christ can be brought into a man there must first be a Privation of all other contrary lives the life of the flesh that cursed livelinesse of the flesh the life of sin and the life of the world whereby a man lives unto the world and the things of the world A man must be deprived of all other lives of all other forms he must have a Privation of all other forms before the life of Christ can be formed in him As for example Take a man that is worldly wise put him upon civil Affairs he is wise enough to order all his businesse in eating and drinking he is wise enough not to distemper himself wise enough to keep a good diet Put him upon matters of Religion he is wise there too he will not be so precise as some are that are more nice then wise he will be moderate and wise in the Service of God Tell him that he is one that doth not please God that he walks to hell-ward that he hath no care of his Salvation he thinks that he is wiser then so Would you make this man a wise man indeed you can never make him truly a wise man till you bring a Privation upon him till he be first deprived of all that worldly wisdom that is in him If any man among you seem to be wise saith the Apostle let him become a fool that he may 〈◊〉 wise I Cor. 3. 18 Let him have first a Privation of all the seeming wisdom he hath of all the wisdom of the flesh and carnal reason he must first be a fool or else true wisdom is not able to enter it to him So if a man would be high he must first be humbled and brought low before he can be trulâ— high a man must be naked before he can be cloatâ—ed a man â—ust be lost before he can be found there are none of you that live in your sins but you must be stripped of all the forms that are in you there must be a Privation come into you before true Grace can be formed in you Privation is one of the Principles of Religion and unlesse you be deprived of all other forms you cannot have the essential form of Religion come into you it is the poor that receive the Gospel when a man is deprived of all other forms then is he fit to receive the forme of the Gospel When a man is deprived of his own wisdom he may then receive the wisdom of the Gospel when a man is deprived of his own self-confidence of his own strength and sufficiency then he may receive the strength of the Gospel when a man is deprived of all other contrary livelinesse and contrary forms that are opposite to all these when a man is deprived of all these he is capable of the true life of Christ and the Gospel I will Instance onely in one thing which I named before and that is poverty a man can never receive Christ or any impression of the true form of Christianity till first his Heart be emptied and his Will and his Mind be emptied and his Conscience be emptied till all other forms be voided out and he begins to be made poor and nothing in himself till every room in the soule be naked and empty there is never a room for the kingdome of God to come into the soule the kingdom of God is a great thing and will take up a great deal of room where it comes therefore the Heart and the Mind and the Will and the Affections must be emptied the soul must be rid and void of all other things or else there is no room for the Kingdom of God As our Saviour saith Matth. 5. 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall receive the Kingdome of God Then there is room for the Kingdom of God when the heart is made poor and all is voided out the world and the flesh and all cranal delights and pleasures and all self-conceitednesse which the heart was full of When it was full of the world there was no room
man he is a thousand times more dead and a great deal harder to recover nothing can recover that man but Christ let all the profits in the world come they cannot chear him without Christ if the devil should come and put into his minde all good conceits and the good opinion of the world If the Ministers should tell him he is in a good estate they cannot quicken his heart he is dead still he is harder a thousand times to be revived then the other as the Apostle saith Col. 3. 2 3. Set your affections on things that be above not on things that are on earth for ye are dead and your life is hid in Christ The Gospel hath made you dead and you cannot be revived by any thing but Christ your life is hid with Christ do not you set your affections on things that are below they can never put life into you therefore let not them take up your minds and affections any more for your life is in Christ alone 2. Secondly He is most dead that life it self cannot make alive When a man is but legally dead the law hath made him a dead man and killed him and shewed him he is a damned creature this man let him have but a little life or any thought of life come into him let him have any affections towards God any seeming desires it will make him think I am alive But if the Gospel once have made a man a dead man life it self cannot quicken him Christ himself cannot make this man a live man in himself though life come into him and though he hath life from God yet hâ— himself is dead I am dead through the law saith Paul that I might live unto God thus I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and that life I now live in the flesh I live by Faith in the Son of God Gal. 2. 19 20. When the Gospel had made him dead for that is the meaning of the words he was not only dead by the law but by the power of the Gospel working by the law Now saith he though I have life and Christ be come into me and lives in me yet I do not live I live but not I but it is Christ that liveth in me I live yet do not mistake me I am a dead man I have no life it is Christ that liveth in me when a man is evangelically dead it makes a man content that God should keep life in his hand and keep the purse in his hand and all in his hand it makes him content to be without strength and ability and to have nothing in his own hand but to have all from the Lord and he saith I am a dead man and if I ever have comfort I have none in my self I must go to Christ for comfort and life and strength and ability and so for power and activity and riches and means and maintenance and every thing it is not my parts and gifts that can help me to them but I must go to Christ to fetch them now it is the desire of mans heart to have life at home he cannot abide to have life in anothers hands and though the law and hell it self proclaim a man a dead man and make a man see himself a dead man yet it cannot kill this Principle a man would have life and strength in his own hand and ability and sufficiency in his own custody we may see this Principle in Gods own Children though this Principle be begun to be killed yet it rests partly in Gods children there is still a secret lust in their hearts to have life and grace and strength in their own keeping and if any child of God be negligent in coming to God it is because of this Principle that remains in him 3. Thirdly He is most dead that death hath most power over Now when a man is legally dead and the law hath made him a dead man though he be a dead man yet death hath no power over him his heart is stubborn still and will not look toward Christ and the Gospel he is still as stubborn as ever he was he will roar and howl and hear every Sermon but still he hath a hard heart the law hath not power to break his heart to powder and to soften his heart but when a man is evangelically dead when the Gospel hath made him dead as it doth before it quickens a man it breaks the sturdinesse of a mans heart and shatters a man all to pieces that is the meaning of that place Psal 147. 3. He healeth those that are broken in heart and bindeth up their sores Now he is thus made a dead man it makes his heart to burst under the weight of his sins and it beats him to powder but a man that is onely legally dead he is heart-whole still and his spirit is as stout against the kind working of the Gospel asever it was nay worse a great deal there are none more hardened then those that see themselves dead damned creatures by the power of the law without the power of the Gospel But when the Gospel comes it breaks the heart to powder Isa 57. 15. Thus saith the high and lofty one He that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place and with him who is of an humble and contrite spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to give life to them that are of a contrite heart This man is the object of Mercy that is evangelically dead he is the formal object of mercy Why because he is dead with such a kind of death as hath gotten power over him power to break his heart to make it an humble and contrite heart now saith the Lord I will revive such a man This man is the formal object of mercy and into him eternal life will come 2. The Second thing I promised to shew you is the difference between these two between legal and evangelical Privation Between one that is legally dead and one that is dead as the Gospel deads a man before it quickens him 1. First He that is legally dead lies all along in his death but when the Gospel makes a man a dead man it makes him stand up that he might have life Ephes 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee life He doth not mean stand up from being dead but stand up from the dead and then Christ shall give thee life he means such a standing up from the dead as before Christ gives him life the Gospel doth thus far awaken a man though he be more dead a thousand times then he that is dead by the law yet thus far it quickens him that he stands up from his secure estate when the law comes and shews a man that he is a dead man he still lies under his sins he is a dead man and cannot stand up that Christ may give him life
all Christians Watch in all things For the better handling of this point I will shew you First What it is to watch Secondly The things we must watch Thirdly The reasons of it First What it is to watch And to watch in Scripture is taken two What it is to watch wayes Literally and Spiritually First Watching sometimes is taken Literally and then it signifies a waking Literally when the time or nature calls not for sleep for there is a difference between watching and waking we are all awake at this time or else ought to be but yet we cannot be said to watch but this is to watch when time or nature calls for sleep When a man awaketh all night or the greatest part of the night as Luke 2. 8. The Shepherds were watching their flocks by night And this is two fold either Ordinary or Extraordinary Ordinary watching is contrary to immoderatenesse in sleeping As when Ordinary a man is sober in eating and drinking and other lawful things so we ought to be sober in our sleep for it is a dangerous thing if we suffer immoderate sleep to fall upon us Now Extraordinary watching is contrary to sleep it self as ordinary Extraordinary watching is contrary to sleepinesse for it takes away our natural sleep which otherwise we are to have And this is for two reasons The first is for a Civil end when we watch with those that are sick as a For a civil end duty of Charity it is fit that those that are well should break their natural sleep and rest to be helpful to those that are sick this is a Civil end Secondly There is a Spiritual end of extraordinary watching and that For a Spiritual end is when a man is not only moderate in sleeping but abates himself of that rest he may lawfully take for a Spiritual end As Saint Peter saith Watch unto prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. and the Church Lament 2. 19. watched to humble their souls under Gods hand For sometimes we have need to break our very natural rest for the good of our souls Though we be never so careful and conscionable in the day time yet it may so fall out that the day will not be enough but we must entrench upon the night also to seek the Lord extraordinarily but this watching is not here meant though it be sometimes required But a Spiritual watching is specially meant which includes Spiritually Three things in it First It doth note a readinesse of minde to be drowzy for as in natural It implies proneness to be drowzy and literal watching it doth note a natural proneness to be drowzy either through the darknesse of the night or the heat of the weather or the like so this spiritual watching signifieth unto us that we are naturally subject to be secure spiritually and vain and idle and negligent and have need to be rouzed up for indeed all Commandments since the Fall are such as do not agree with our nature as when he commands us to seek the Lord while he may be found that intimates that we are by nature apt to put it off and to be careless of making our peace with God and when the Lord saith pray alwayes it doth imply how backward we are to that duty how apt to neglect it or to shuffle it over and to be luke-warm in it before the Fall when God did bid man do any thing the bidding of him did imply that if he were not careful he was in a possibility of breaking the commandments it did not argue a proneness to break them but since the Fall the commandements of God whatsoever God hath commanded us to do either for matter or manner of it it implyeth how backward to and untoward we are in doing it Secondly Watchfulnesse doth imply a labour and endeavour in our selves to take off this sinful pronenesse to evil that is in us and to be seriously stirred Endeavour to stir up our selves up to look after our Duty whatsoever it is both towards God and towards man we ought to shake off all untowardnesse of Spirit whereby we are unfit to Watch Watchfulnesse implyeth this also Ephes 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead as who should say Shake off thy drowzinesse and labour to break off this folly of heart whereby thou goest dreaming on and rouze up thy spirit and stand upon thy guard The Third and main thing This Watchfulness doth include some further It is an intentive Consideration in all Cases businesse or duty to be done that is not yet performed for watchfulness is an act to help forward some further act As for example We are bound to remember God in all our wayes the want of this is the reason we so often sin against God now if we did remember God if we did remember his Holinesse if we did remember the greatnesse of his Power and the strictnesse of his Justice against Sin if we did remember our Death and what account we are to make before him this would be a great help to keep us from sin now if we would remember this a special way to help us is to watch as Acts 20. 31. Watch and remember saith the Apostle he being desirous that they should remember the admonitions which he had propounded he layes down this as a special means to help them hereunto to watch So we are to be watchful that we may be sober in eating and drinking and all lawful things for how sudduly do distempers break in upon us unlesse a man look to himself now watchfulnesse is an excellent help to Sobriety 1 Thess 5. 6. Let us watch and be sober We had need to watch whatsoever we go about that we may be sober in it whatsoever wordly businesse we go about in our Callings we had need to have this watchfulnesse that we be not overwhelmed and over head and ears in the world that we may not be intemperate in our eating and drinking that we may not give our selves too much liberty and freedom in talking and discoursing of the things here below so we are bound to keep our garments that our nakednesse may not be seen that the sins that are up and down in the world do not defile them that the temptations and allurements and occasions we meet withal and the examples of the times and such like do not take away our righteousnesse from us now watchfulnesse is an help hereunto as we may see Rev. 16. 15. the text saith Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments So that watchfulnesse is an excellent help for a further act to be done when a man hath some duty or other to be done which the Lord requires should be done with care and diligence watchfulnesse is a help thereunto as Hab. 2. 1. the Prophet knowing there was some Prophecy to be bestowed upon them the Prophet laboured to be in a fit case to receive it and that he
bursts forth and so he hath no evidence of comfort to his soul be knows not how to meet God in the field But when the wrath of God breaks out in any kind upon his Goods or Wife or Children or Body or Friends or any thing he is at a losse and knows not what to do he is fain to sink under the hand of God and hath no refuge to flie unto therefore we should watch against the day of Gods anger Thirdly We should watch over the times of Grace for there be gracious Time of Grace and acceptable times as the Apostle calls them 2 Cor. 6. 21. Many times good motions come in Now if we do not watch to keep them and nourish them in our hearts the Lord will passe us by at another time and we shall not be moved Sometimes God affects thy heart at a Sermon and puts in a good resolution to forsake sin and lead a new life now have a care to keep these resolutions and let them not perish in thee and go out like lightning The Lord hath given many a blessed season and oportunity of mercy the water was moved if he would have but stepped in if he would but have taken hold of the mercy he might have had it but afterwards he may go mourning and thirsting and longing and never have the mercy offered more and it is well if he can be humbled for missing of that mercy by his neglect and watch for the future the times of Grace Again we should watch the times of Death we are all mortal men Death must die and Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find him so doing Mat. 24. 5. If any of us should dye before we are converted and brought home to God we perish for ever Whosoever thou art if thou die in thy sins with thy dead hard unsanctified unregenerate heart thou art damned thou goest to Hell Therefore watch for the coming of death that so when it comes it may not be the King of Terrours and an amazement to thy heart Againe We must watch for the day of Judgment as Death leaves us so Judgment will find us Therefore we should consider with our selves seriously Judgment the strictnesse of the account we are to give at the dreadful day of the Son of man when all works shall be brought to a Touch-stone and all secrets shall be Preached on the House top It is an excellent thing when a man doth consider these things before hand when a man hath looked upon his thoughts for they shall be Judged and upon his speeches and upon all his wayes for they shall all be brought before the Judgment Seat of God and according as a man hath done such reward he shall receive for evermore The next thing is the Reasons why we are to Watch. Reasons Our proneness to be drowzy And the First Reason is Because we are marvellous prone to be Drowzy in Spiritual things In temporal things we are watchful enough for Covetousnesse and Pride and the like we are very watchful but in Spiritual things how subject are we to Drowzyness Paul himself was fain to complain I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. Is thy heart better then Saint Pauls If he were left to himself he should be as miserable and proud and untoward as another and have as vile an heart as another and therefore that made him watch Therefore we had need to watch for how loath are we to be brought to watch And how unwilling to take such an hard piece of service to do we are marvellous apt to be secure If Jonah had watched if he had had a watch over his heart he would have gone to Nineveh but for want of watchfulnesse he ran away Cant. 5. 2. I sleep saith the Church it was not like the sleep of she wicked and ungodly for her heart waked but she was asleep she was proud and marvellous secure there was a great deal of untowardnesse of spirit grew upon her And as we are untoward to that which is good so we are prone to that which is evil we are glued naturally to the world and the things of this life it is an easie thing to draw us away into evill therefore we had need to watch As it is said of the Disciples of Christ in regard of temporal drowziness so it is with us in regard of Spiritual drowziness Matth. 26. 43. He came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy Though Christ had awakened them and jogged them yet they were asleep again for their eyes were heavy So though the Lord hath awakened us even now we were awakened by a Crosse by Sicknesse by a Sermon by a Reproof something or other God hath been pleased to waken us by but all on the suddain we fall asleep again for our hearts are very heavy as it is with an heavy brain what a doe he hath to keep himself awake though he pinch himself and rowze up himself yet he hath much adoe to keep his eyes open so the heart of man is so drowzy that he hath much adoâ— to keep any Grace alive in himself we are so apt to be so secure that we had need to watch Zech. 4. 1. the Prophet complains of the drowziness of his heart The Angel that talked with me came again and waked me as a man is wakened out of his sleep when God was talking with him he fell into a sleep So when we are in Prayer we have much adoe to hold out in the duty we have such vile natures and cursed dispositions How ought we then to watch over our selves Secondly Another reason why we should be watchful is because our life is a Warfare and we do not lie like two Armies in a field removed Christians life is a Warfare one from the other but we lie in the midst of our enemies round about us and so they are ready to surprize us The greatest means of doing us mischief are most commonly those things we have need of as our meat and drink and affaires and callings The world an Eenemy we cannot go to prayer but worldly thoughts are ready to intangle us we cannot go to the House of God but a man is in danger to be intrapped There is danger in every thing we go about by reason of the worlds powerful enticements therefore we had need to stand upon our guard and be careful for else how can we avoid to be suprized and led away This is the reason why so many sink into Perdition Many that have given good hopes many that have promised excellent things have come to nothing but have fallen away as the fall of a leafe Whence comes this but because they have not been careful and watchful The Divel is watchful to insnare and intrap us therefore we should watch The Divel to avoid his snares As the Apostle saith 1 Pet.
5. 8. Be sober and watchful for your Adversary the Divel goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour The Divel is alwayes busie and therefore we had need watch and busie our selves and be careful at all times when we are secure and consider not God and consider not the good of our Souls and the peace of our Consciences Satan presently hath advantage against us If the Divel had any thing else to do it were something but the Divel hath nothing to do but to hurt us and lay Siege against us All his practice from the beginning of the world to this day is to go roaming and ranging up and down to do mischief it is all his employment from the beginning of the day to the end thereof If he get us alone he will ensnare us there if not there he will ensnare us in company if he cannot get us there he will get us in a Sermon and if any thing falls against our lusts he will cause our hearts to rise against it Now when we do not watch over our selves we are led away by Satan therefore we had need be careful for the Divel is alwayes watchful therefore we should labour to be alwayes provided to resist him Again we have the flesh that is continually about us it is an enemy within us it is that which doth betray us to the World and the Divel even our own hearts do betray us and therefore we had need be careful we have enemies from without and our own hearts within and all to undo us Take a man that is in a good way and hath all means and helps to make him Godly though there be no temptation from without yet he may de damned from his own heart if he be not delivered from it Jam. 1. 14. Every man is tempted by his own lusts and Jam. 4. 5. The Spirit that is within us lusteth to envy and covetousness and security and vanity and carnal ease it lusts after these things and therefore we had need to watch A Third reason is Because it will do us a great deal of good for as if we do not watch we are easily surprized so if we do watch it is an easie thing to The certain advantage of Watchfulness stand all our miscarriages in the duties of Religion lye in security whereas if we were watchful and would walk with eyes in our heads and would consider the snares that be laid for us and consider Gods threatnings and Commandments the duties of Religion would be easie For if we do not watch the Divel and the World and the Flesh have advantage against us but if we do watch this is as it were a fence to the hearâ— to hedge a man in to keep him safe Rev. 3. 2. There is an excellent place Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain it is the strength of the soul When a man watcheth let a man have but a little grace suppose a man be marvellously fallen off and hath but a little good remaining a few graces in him a little faith a little hope a little sanctified desire he hath but a little strength to go on against sin if a man doth but now watch if a man do but husband this little how strong will he be A little Faith is able to overcome all the Divels in Hell well managed a little hope is able to keep a man above water from sinking a little strength is able to maintain the Combate a little affection to goodness if a man have a carefull heart to improve it to the uttermost will go a great way if a man did but watch it would strengthen the things that remaine Though a man were never so infeebled and come to never so low an ebb watchfulnesse is a stay and strength to the heart Fourthly Again if we do not watch we cannot so much as pray to God to We cannot else expect help or pardon forgive us our consciences tell us unlesse the Lord save us we cannot be saved now how can we expect that God should save us if we do not pray unto him And we cannot pray to him to save us unlesse we watch it is to tempt God to pray to him to preserve us from evil when we do not watch over our selves it is to tempt God to pray to him to quicken us when vve deaden our selves to intreat God to give us an holy mind vvhen vve our selves let in vain thoughts Therefore see vvhat Christ speaks Mar. 14. 38. Watch and Pray that ye fall not into temptation As vvho should say You cannot Pray that you may not enter into temptation you tempt God if you intreat him to do any thing if you do not vvatch over your ovvn souls Though a man hath no Activity to do any good yet God vvill have him be vvatchful if he mean to purifie a man he vvill make him purifie himself if he mean to keep him from pride he vvill make his ovvn heart resist pride therefore watch that thou enter not into temptation if thou mean to pray to God not to lead thee into temptation But you will say All a mans watching will do no good except God watcheth over him Psal 127. 1. Except the Lord keep the City the Watchmen Object watch in vain I answer 'T is true indeed unlesse the Lord keeps a mans soul all a mans Answ watching is nothing But I tell thee If thou watchest thou hast Two watchers thou hast God to watch over thee and thy self to watch over thee thou hast God to watch over thee and keep thee in all thy wayes and then thou watchet over thy self and art sustained by God so that thou hast two watchers God above and thy own soul within thee employed about this work A Fourth Reason is Because this is the very means prescribed by God to do us good It is the very remedy that the Lord of Heaven hath appointed Gods appointment unto us to save us from danger and keep us from falling the Lord hath sanctified this means to this very end and purpose therefore when our Saviour Christ would disswade his people from carking and caring for the things of this life Luke 21. 36. see what means he prescribeth and layeth down to do it Be watchful saith he and pray the world is ready to get in therefore watch saith he and pray alwayes that you may be accounted worthy to escape these things So that we see this the means prescribed by God himself to escape the falling into sin Fifthly Again We should be so much the more careful in this watch None can Watch for us because no other can watch for us in outward things one man may watch while another sleepeth as in sailing when all the rest are asleep there is one watcheth so in war when all the Souldiers lye in their tents asleep it may be some few are watching that the rest may take their rest but it is not so in
regard of our souls one man cannot watch while another man sleeps but every man must watch over his own heart If we do not watch our own souls we shall perish and if we do not perish everlastingly we shall have miserable temptations and evils and many inconveniences we shall be exposed unto But some may say Are not Ministers to watch over us How then is every Object man to watch over himself Ministers are watchmen Son of man I have made thee a watchman over the house of Israel saith the Lord to the Prophet Ezekiel and Heb. 13. 17. The Apostle speaking of Ministers saith They watch for your souls I Answer The word in the Original is not for your souls but over your souls to watch for a man is to watch for another that he may not watch Answ as when a man watcheth for his neighbor that his neighbour may not watch but the Ministers are not so to watch for the people that the people may not watch but the Ministers are to watch over the people that they may watch as when a man watcheth Deer or Hawkes he watcheth them that they may watch and not sleep that so he may tame them as a man that watcheth with a man which is sick of the Lethargy which is such a Diseâ—se that if a man be let sleep he goeth away in his sleep therefore their friends stand about them to watch over them that they may not sleep knowing that if they do sleep their lives are hazarded and if they see them but to slumber they awaken them lest in their sleep they die and go away So it is with the Ministers of the Gospel we ought to watch over your souls that you may not sleep for you are all sick of the Lethargy of sin and if ye sleep you go away if you be not careful for heaven and heavenly things if you follow vanity and security of heart and do not take heed to avoid sin your souls will die therefore the Ministers are to watch over you and keep you from sleeping and shew you the danger of it and labour to awaken you and keep your eyes waking The First Use is To condemne the infinite security that is grown upon people Vse Condemning the general neglect of Watchfulnesse that though it be so excellent a duty for a man to watch yet where is the man almost that is careful of it They put this duty over to God as if it did not belong to them they will watch over outward things for plowing and sowing and reaping and the like but for the good of their souls they never acquaint themselves with this watching their hearts are like the wildernesse as the wildernesse is open for all wild-beasts so their hearts are open for all temptations that is the reason they have such dead hearts and cold affections that is the reason they look so little after salvation and eternal life because people never look after this duty of watchfulness nay they are so far from watching how to be saved that they watch how the divel may take them when a man sins he wisheth the Divel would help him to more sin a covetous man is so far from watching over his sin that he would have more opportunities and more occasions of getting the Devil cannot come fast enough to fill his heart with these things So if a man be given to pleasure he thinks he cannot have enough but would have more still Thus people would have the Divel put more corn into the hopper They are so far from watching for good that they watch for evil they devise evil upon their beds as the Prophet Micah speaks They are possessed with the spirit of slumber they have eyes and see not they have eares and hear not hearts and understand not they do not know what watchfulnesse is if they do they are the lesse excusable because they practice it not they do not watch and wake unto Prayer that they may not enter into temptation but are carried away with the world and sin The Second Use is To them that are Godly in some measure that we Reproving the godly's too great neglect cannot say they altogether do not watch yet how negligent are they in this duty Many Christians are there among us that have some goodnesse in them yet how doth this duty lye unpractised whence come all the vanities in our minds and untowardnesse in the Ordinances of God Whence comes all unfruitfulnesse in our meetings and unsettlednesse in our Consciences It is because we do not watch Whence comes it that we are no more ready to good duties When we are called forth on the sudden to pray or do any thing for the good of Gods Church and People that we are so unfit to do it and so backward it is for want of watchfulness Nay what is the reason that we perform not the Worship of God in our Families better but because we do not watch the very Regenerate themselves what a world of mischief do they do to their own souls for want of this duty of watchfulness How do they swell in sin and are slack in goodnesse and slubber over Gods service How do they favour themselves too too much and suffer the dishonour of God by the wicked and suffer their own hearts to dishonour him too too much Thirdly The next Vse shall be to shew you the Rules that are to be observed Directing how to watch in watching and the Rules are these If you would watch over your selves First Count watchfulnesse your very life and think if you let watchfulnesse Account watchfulness our life go you let your life go for if once watchfulness go hovv dead are you in Prayer and hearing the Word of God So that the security of the heart vvill be the death of the heart vvherefore if vve vvould go on in vvatching let us labour to keep this Holy disposition count it your very lives and think vvith your selves I let Life go if I let Watchfulnesse go We use to say of Sleep that it is the brother of Death and 1 Thes 5. 6. vve may see the Phrase used by the Apostle vvhere vvaking is put for living and sleeping for dying that is the meaning of the vvords So that as sleep natural sleep doth lively represent death so it is vvith Spiritual sleep vvhich is the death of the soul Therefore dost thou find thy self to be out of frame and not vvatch over thy vvayes then think vvith thy self that thou art a dead man and take up thy vvatch as fast as thou caâ—st again Secondly Thou must let thy watch stand Catholically universally in all Watching in all things duties and all times vvatch thereunto and persevere therein vve must not only watch but Persevere Be careful in the morning how vve may begin our vvatch in the day hovv vve may spend it at night hovv vve may end it So vve must vvatch in all duties vvhen vve go
watch over our souls we had need be our own Porters Matth. 13. 34. our Saviour Christ doth compare every Christian to a Porter The Lord of the house takes a great journey and commands the Porter to watch We should all be Porters and keep the gates of our Souls for we are alwayes in danger Thirdly Consider that God hath awakened many of in already and therefore We are already awakened it is a miserable thing for us to sleep again wicked and ungodly men that were never converted and healed and awakened and wrought upon they go to Hell and damnation in a sleepy security but when a man hath been once awakened and hath shaken off sleep and God hath made him look about him to see how he might be saved if this man fall asleep again it is a most miserable thing the latter end of that man will be worse then his beginning Fourthly Consider the badnesse of the Times and Places and Families Badness of the times and carelessness of the most we â—â—ve in they are all secure and therefore we had need be so much the more vvatchful and you knovv it is a very hard thing for a man not to do as others do therefore the Apostle 1 Thess 5. 6. vvould not have them sleep as others do as vvho should say Others do so and therefore you have so much the more need to look to your selves that you may not do as others do THE NEVV BIRTH Joh. 3. 6. That vvhich is born of the Flesh is Flesh but that vvhich is born of the Spirit is Spirit MY Purpose is to speak of the several VVorks of Gods holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of his chosen they are Gods peculiar people and therefore he vvill vvork greater Mercies for them then for any else Novv the First grand distinguishing vvork of the Holy Ghost in the Elect is Regeneration he is the Author of Spiritual life in them they are born of him though by nature they are born of the flesh and so are flesh and in that estate can never enter into the kingdom of God yet vvhen the Spirit of God comes to regenerate them they come to be Spirit they come to have a nevv life and the Spirit of God gives it them it is true that Christ is the Author of this life he procured it by his death he quickens whom he will as he told his Disciples Joh. 14. 19. Because I live ye shall live also Life is derived by Christ to all the Members of Christ for as all in Adam died Adam is the general root of all in his loins and by him they come to be dead in sin so Christ is the Second Adam and all that are in his loins all that are in him he is a quickning Spirit to them 1 Cor. 15. 45. The first man Adam was made a living Soul the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit Christ is the second Adam and is a quickning Spirit to all that are in him God the Father hath appointed him to be the Prince of Life as Peter tells his Hearers Act. 3. 15. The Lord Jesus Christ he is the Prince of life to all the people of God and therefore Saint John saith He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5. 12. He is the Father of this new Birth and he is the daily and continual Father of it He is not a Father for one or two or divers years but Isa 9. 6. he is called An everlasting Father to regenerate a people to God and he doth it by his Resurrection 1 Pet. 1. 3. This must needs be granted That Christ must be the Author of this new Life Now you will say Then why is it attributed to the Spirit The Text gives it to the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost now if Christ be the Author of this new Birth and the giver of this new Life and God the Father hath appointed him to be so Why is it then here said That the Spirit doth it Regeneration attributed to the spirit I Answer It is given to the Spirit for Three Reasons First Because Christ doth it by the Spirit Whatsoever Christ doth without he doth it by the Spirit when he cast out Divels here upon Because Christ doth it by the spirit Earth he did it by his Spirit all the outward VVorks that he wrought he wrought them by his Spirit and therefore the Spirit is called the Finger of God Luk. 11. 20. Now if Christ do this VVork by his Spirit if he do Regenerate all his people by his own Spirit there is Reason why they should be said to be born of the Spirit Secondly Another Reason is Because though this life be all from Christ Spirit is the bond of union between us and Christ it is he that begets it it is he that is the soul of every Believer as I may so speak yet it is the Spirit that is the Bond of Vnion it is the Spirit that joyns Christ and them together it is the Spirit that tyeth the knot it is the Spirit that unites and puts them together into one though Christ be life and eternal life yet notwithstanding they are all Aliens from Christ they are all out of Christ that the Spirit doth not joyn together with Christ they that have not the Spirit of Christ they are none of his they are all out of Christ they are like dead branches out of the Vine it is the Spirit that is the bond of Vnion between Christ and those that are Christs Thirdly Another Reason is Because the Spirit quickens the Word whereby Because the spirit quickens the word whereby we are born again this is done The people of God the thing that they are born of again it is the immortal seed of the VVord 1 Pet. 1. 23. You are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible Now this seed is sowen in all mens hearts scattered among all the Congregation but yet it doth not Regenerate all the Congregation The Reason is where the Spirit comes that makes it fruitful and that makes it to quicken the heart and thus you see the meaning of the words That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Now here are Two Points First That the Spirit of God or the Holy Ghost Regenerates all the people of God whosoever is born again is born of the Spirit The Second Point is this That all that are Regenerate all that are born of the Spirit they are Spirit that is they are spiritual they are like the Spirit The First is That it is the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost that doth Regenerate That the spirit of God doth regenerate all the Saints all the people of God this is that which makes them to be new Creatures to be new men to be altogether different from that they were before this is that which doth distinguish them from themselves even as much
so when the Lord doth pluck up this sluce and lift up a mans heart and mind and understanding now the waters of life flow into the soul this is against them now that have plenty of knowledge and yet notwithstanding go no further that have new minds and old wills and affections there is a new brain but an old heart this is not regeneration regeneration it is true begins in the understanding but it runs along in all the soul it descends into heart and mind and all the whole man and therefore it is called a new creature whosoever is in Christ is a new creature Behold I make all things new saith Christ Rev. 21. 5. As Regeneration is the renewing of a man so it is the renewing of the whole man Thirdly It is done by degrees Though Regeneration be in all parts By degrees perfected yet it is not in all degrees at once the spirit of God doth renew more and more and beget a man more and more there is of the old birth a great while but he doth eat it out more and more as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 3. 18. And we all with open face c. Mark here he calls this change glory because it is a glorious creature as long as a man is not renewed he is a base creature but when he is renewed he is a glorious creature Now saith he when the Lord doth this he doth it from glory to glory from one degree to another as this is done by the spirit of God so he doth it more he proceeds from little beginnings to greater perfections it was not so with Adam God made him in his full stature at the first he was a man at the first dash but this new creature is as a Babe conceived in the VVomb it begins there and so grows up As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word 1 Pet. 2. 2. He is a babe first aâ—d so growes though it be not a starveling but grovvs yet it is but a vveak one at first and must grovv and come to its strength more and more it is like a good husband that begins vvith a little and ariseth up to a great estate in the end so Regeneration makes a man a good husband puts a little stock into his hands and makes him rise to a great matter Fourthly This is according to the Image of God It is not all kind of Renewing A man may have a new work that he had not before According to Gods Image but the work of regeneration as it is a renewing so it is a renewing after the image of God man had quite and clean lost the Image of God which consisted in Righteousness and Holiness Now when Gods Spirit comes to regenerate a man that reneweth him according to this Image As the Apostle speaks Ephes 4. 24. That ye put on the new man which is created after his image and how is that In Righteousness and Holiness As it is in Nature though a man be never so godly when he begets a man he begets him after his image as he is by nature polluted and unclean Gen. 5. 3. So Adam begat Seth in his own image so when the Spirit begets a man again he begets him after his own image he makes him merciful as his heavenly Father is merciful Luke 6. 36. and perfect as he is perfect Matth. 5. ult There are none regenerate and born again but those that are like God the Lord stamps upon them his own similitude and makes them like to himself Fifthly This is the Image of God in Jesus Christ who is the express image of his Father he is the pattern after which this frame is made In Jesus Christ nay God did order it should be so from eternity Rom. 8. 29. Whom he did fore-know he did predestinate that they should be conformed to the image of his Son 'T is true this similitude is not presently made out it is but by halves as it were it is but a poor first draught and never perfect in this life but it shall be made perfect 1 Joh. 3. 2 3. We know when he appears we shall be like him and shall see him as he is then we shall be perfectly like him and see him as he is and know him as he is as Paul saith Col. 3. 2 3. You are dead and your life is hid in Christ c. Here the work is hardly come to its glory there is a great deal of basenesse and old rubbish still but it shall be glorious before God hath done it shall come to be perfect then in the mean time it is but by degrees but the work of regeneration puts a man to go to Christ and believe in Christ You that follow me in Regeneration c. saith our Saviour Matth. 19. 28. When a man is regenerate regeneration puts a frame into a mans heart to be like unto Christ and to follow his steps and his example that as he hath done so he may do more and more this is the work of regeneration That the Spirit of God works in Gods people conforming them to the Image of Christ Yea Regeneration doth more than repair a man more than reduce a man to that estate wherein he was in Adam's loins before the Fall it is the ingrasting of a man into Christ and the estating a man into the Merits and Priviledges of the Lord Jesus Christ it is a greater matter then the bare restoring of a man to that which he lost it is the restoring of a man to a better estate this differences it from Sanctification Thus we see what Regeneration is Now the Second Thing is Why it is so called Why this same blessed work of the renewing of the whole man after the Image of God in Christ Why called Regeneration Jesus is called Regeneration There be Two Reasons of it First To shew us how marvellously we are corrupt by Nature Until the To shew the great Corruption of Nature Spirit of God take us in hand a man is quite rotten there is no soundnesse left there is nothing in him will serve it is not a little melting will serve the turn it is not a little plaistering or patching or piecing will do the deed though there be a thousand changes in a man yet if a man be not another man if he be not a new creature it is to no effect it will never bring a man into the kingdom of God what saith Christ Joh. 3. 3. Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of God As who should say Verily verily I say unto thee a man is all to shatters all to pieces all rotten and unlesse he be born again and made a new creature it is impossible he should enter into the kingdom of God though a man be never so much altered he is not in the estate of Grace till he be a new man till the Lord hath
saith To as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God Here be Two Things and both these Regeneration consists of First A Passive receiving of Christ Whosoever receives him Secondly An Active Title to God as to a Father They have power to become the Sons of God First A Passive receiving of Christ To as many as received him for Passive receiving Christ he came to his own and they received him not his own even his own Elect would not receive him till he made them receive him but as many as received him as many as were made passively to receive him did receive him also actively so that this word implyes the Passive receiving of Christ for there is none can receive any thing except it be given him from above Joh 3. 27. That is except there be first a passive reception of it It is a strange phrase Nâ— mâ—â— can receive Christ till Christ is first received of him he can never take Christ till Christ come into him till Christ ingraft himself into him and him into Christ this is an act of God it is a passive receiving of Christ the reason is because all the Graces and all the Activity of Gods people flowes from this their Faith and all for Faith is an act which receives from the passive receiving of Christ as Paul speaks to the Colossians As you have received Christ so walk in him Faith receives Christ that is an active receiving of Christ but there was a passive receiving of Christ first for a man is in Christ first in a passive manner before he is in him in an active manner Christ hath taken him already before he can take Christ actually This is the first Thing wherein this work of Regeneration consists The Passive receiving of Christ Secondly It consists in having an active power and title to become a Son of An active power to become a child of God God together with Jesus Christ These are the Two Things wherein Regeneration consists I know many Divines branch it otherwise and make Regeneration to consist otherwise First Of Mortification Secondly Of Vivification First Of Mortification Whereby the Spirit kills the Lusts of the Flesh more as Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the Flesh ye shall live Mark here is Mortification and it is done by the Spirit if you through the spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Secondly There is Vivification that is when a man doth not only die unto sin but rise up again to a new life Rom. 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the other work of Vivification when a man is made alive unto God and is made able by the spirit of God to be alive unto God and to wind himself out of death into life by the spirit of the holy One. These be the Two Parts whereof many Divines make Regeneration to consist of but though they beat at the same thing yet I rather make them the Effects and Consequents of Regeneration as flowing from Regeneration this passive work goeth before a man never goeth on in mortifying the works of the Flesh and never raiseth himself up to this heavenly life till he be Regenerated so that regeneration is the first ingrafting of a man into Christ whereby he is alive that he may do all these things it is a power put into him whereby he may believe and repent so that Believing and Repentance and Mortification and Vivification are acts of the new creature a man must therefore be a new creature first now this is by Regeneration so that Regeneration consists only of these Two Things First Of a passive receiving of Christ the Son of God Secondly In having a title to be the Son of God and Regeneration doth not only bring a relative change but a real change to a man If you would know the meaning of the phrase A relative change is this when there is a change in a man from that he was before but the change doth not lye in a man as the change of Justification before he was not Justified now he is Justified the man is changed but he is not changed in himself but it stands only in Gods imputation he is not just in himself but by imputation just Now the real change is When God doth purifie and make up the defects in a man more and more that is a real change so that I say Regeneration is not only a relative change whereby God accounts a man as a child but it breeds a real change in a man it gives a man a spiritual Being for the Spirit of God when it comes to work this work is a fruitful principle of all good in that man more and more Therefore the Apostle saith The fruits of the Spirit are joy peace long-suffering c. Gal. 5. 22. 'T is true the Spirit doth not bring forth these Graces till after a man is regenerate but by working that Regeneration which makes the soul to bring forth these fruits and making the heart an honest heart and so a good ground to bring forth these seeds the Spirit is a fruitful principle of all good in that man Thus you see the Third Thing viz. Wherein Regeneration consists Now the Fourth Thing is the Reasons of this Point Why the Spirit of Reasons why the Spirit worketh Regeneration God doth work this work of Regeneration The First Reason is Because it is meerly according to the Will of God Man hath no power at all man hath no activity it is meerly at the pleasure It is the good pleasure of God of God whether he will do it or no Jam. 1. 18. Of his own Will begat he us he only had an hand in it he only did it and it was meerly at his good Will and Pleasure he might have chosen whether he would have done it or no it is no fruit of our liberty it is no brood of our breeding it is meerly the free act of God in a man Joh. 6. 44. No man cometh to me except the Father draweth him There Christ sheweth it this bringing of a man to be in Christ it cannot be from any man except the Father draw him except he send forth his heavenly Spirit he can never come to Christ all our sufficiency is from God we cannot so much as think a good thought we cannot renew our thoughts we cannot renew our inclinations or our wills or our affections we can do nothing of our selves it is only his work therefore seeing it is such a special work it must be only the Spirit of God that must work it it is a glorious work a supernatural work this new Birth is such a Birth as comes from above Psal 110 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power c. saith the text that
a man hath not the Spirit of God he should pray to God Lord Give thy holy Spirit to me and send down thy holy Spirit into my heart that may work this work in me But it may be many of you will think that you expect this and desire it and wish it and use some means I Answer Then shew it by thy coming unto God for it from day to day will any man say That Noah did expect that God should deliver him from the Deluge if he had not took that course which God appointed If he had not built an Ark certainly we may justly say That he did not look that God would deliver him Therefore it is said of Noah That as he did expect that God should keep him so being warned of God he built an Ark c. Heb. 11. 7. So when a man shall say That he looks that God should deliver him from his natural estate and condition that God should renew him by his Grace and goodness yet if a man will not prepare an Ark if when a man is Commanded and directed by God what to do yet he will not come to God to do that which should be done for him these men do but deceive their own souls and treasure up indignation against themselves I remember the story of Moses Exod. 14. when the Children of Israel were in Piâ—hahiroth and the Egyptians were behind them and the Mountains were on the side that they could not pass and the Sea was before them and there was notable crying out Oh! that God would deliver them now they were dead men the Egyptians were come out to destroy them the Mountains were on the side and the Sea before them Now mark what an Answer God gives to their cry cause the people to go forward you keep a crying to me I pray go forward you are not yet at the red sea but go to the red sea and when you are there then cry to me you are idleing and lazing and mistrusting me though the red Sea be before them yet cause them to come thither and when they are there then cry for help to me So thou sayest thou desirest that God would Regenerate thee and quicken thee and turn thy heart and vouchsafe thee his holy Spirit do you so I say it is very well the thing is very good but if the desire be sincere you will take that course Gods bids you art thou come to the utmost difficulty Are not many things to be done which thou refusest to do Must thou not seek God more and more carefully Go forward go forward if thou meanest to have help and aid from God otherwise it is in vain if thou wouldst go on in the wayes of God and do what God Commands thee thou shouldst be quickened and renewed Fourthly Another Vse is for Examination To examine our selves Of Examination whether regenerated or â—o First Signe When doing good is natural whether the Word of God hath wrought this for us yea or no. And the first sign is this If thou beest born again if thou hast this new Nature then it is natural to thee to do good duties to follow good courses and to yield obedience to the commandements of God it is not enough for a man to do good duties a natural man an unregenerate man may do them but whether is it natural to thee A proud man may do the actions of humility a proud man may pull off his Hat and give the time of the day and speak meanly of himself a proud man may suffer another to do him wrong and put up base language he may do these things but the man is a proud man still he hath no humble nature but the question is whether it be thy nature to do this May be thou dost these things for fear or some by-respects A worldly man may speak of heavenly things but is thy nature heavenly A man may think of God but is thy nature godly Here is the thing If a man be regenerate there is Grace got into a mans Nature Jer. 31. 33. When God Regenerates his people he saith He will write his laws in their inward parts he doth not only say they shall do these duties but their very hearts shall carry them their very hearts shall go to a Sermon their very souls shall go about the duties of God as it is with the fire water may heat but not by nature but it is the nature of fire to heat So if a man be Regenerate it is natural to him to do good duties Rom. 2. 14. A man by nature may do the things commanded in the Law but here is the question Whether he doth them with this new nature this heavenly nature The old creature may hear and pray and be sober and moral for by nature the Heathen did the things contained in the Law But if a man be Regenerated as he doth the things contained in the Law and Gospel so he doth them with a new nature as Deut. 5. 29. when the Children of Israel had spoken admirable speeches All that the Lord saith to us we will do they made goodly professions now mark what God saith Oh that there were an heart in this people to keep my commandments As who should say These are very good words and I know that you think what you speak but Oh that this were written in your hearts that this were natural to you this will not hold your hearts are not carried this way Secondly If the Spirit of God hath Regenerated a man then the heart The heart 's a good soil for Grace begins to be a good soyl for Grace and the heart begins to be sutable so that the heart is fit for Grace A natural heart is not a proper soyl for Grace As if a man should bring a Plant from Spain and set it here in England it cannot thrive unlesse a man meet with a soyl that is fit for it So Grace if it come into the heart and the heart is not a soyl for it it can never thrive there unlesse the heart be Regenerated and unlesse there be a new nature There may be admirable things in a natural man excellent good purposes and resolutions God may come to him as a Passenger that lodgeth for a night but he is gone the next morning he may come as a sojourner to endure for a while but here is no dwelling for him these resolutions and purposes and desires cannot last long that heart will squander them away it is like the putting of a new piece into an old garment Matth. 9. 16. When a man puts a new piece into an old garment a fine new purpose into an old heart a new good desire into an old mind the rent will be worse for that man will return back again and will have his lusts and will be worse then he was before for the heart is not able to hold these 't is true in the best hearts of Gods people is a
look as one believes so another believes and look as one apprehends of God and comes before him with affection and fear and trembling so doth another though they never saw one another yet they all meet in the same life for they have the same root of life the same cause of life In the Fourth place It makes a man to be of one consent with all the people It makes of one consent with all the people of God of God every where As you may see Zeph. 3. 9. For then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent The Lord helps them all to Pray after one pure language and gives them all one pure consent in the Service of God though it is in different degrees indeed one ariseth to an higher pitch than another therefore the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that ye speak all the same things that there be no divisions among you As who should say All the Members of Christ are so I beseech you endeavour to have this sign of being Members of Christ be all joyned together in the same mind it is true that this union and consent and agreement and oneness of heart and mind as I may call it is very imperfect but in some it is more imperfect then it is in other some have attained to a further degree there is a great deal of unlikeness of affections a great deal of unlikeness in Prayer a great deal of unlikeness in Obedience there is a great deal of jarrings now and then through weakness but as the Apostle saith As far as we have attained let us be thus minded Phil. 3. 15 16. Let us walk by the same rule and mind the same things the Children of God throughout the whole world they are of one mind as far as they have attained though in Faith in Repentance in new Obedience they differ gradually in their attainments yet they all agree in this consent of judgment That sin must be hated that a man must live in no sin that a man must yield Obedience to all Gods commandments that a man must deny himself in all things that in all things God must be glorified they all agree that we are Members one of another and that we must love one another and forgive one another as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us they all agree in this They are all of one mind and as one is mortified so is the other and as one is meek and gentle so is the other It is true indeed one hath attained further then another but whereunto they have attained they are all alike minded Now whereunto we have not attained God will reveal it in his good time unto us saith the Apostle May be one seeth such a thing is a duty which another doth not yet all see that it is their duty to fear God and obey him in all their wayes and they all set themselves to hate and oppose all manner of known sins As far as they have attained they are all of one minde Fifthly All this is for mutual profit and help and care and sympathy For mutual care and help as you may see delivered by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. That it must be for mutual profit see the seventh vers The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal that is when the Spirit of God doth manifest himself in one man one way and in another man another way he gives one man may be the gift of Teaching to another man the gift of Knowledge some have excellent gifts in one kind some in another but all have the gifts of new Obedience Now look whatsoever gifts they are whensoever the Spirit doth manifest it self to any Member of the Body of Christ it is to be helpful and useful to others so that the Members of Christ need one another that you may see vers 21 22. The eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee nor the head to the foot I have no need of thee c. We cannot be without the poorest and vilest and contemptiblest Member in the Body nay the very life of the Body may depend upon the vilest Members So again That they are to care for one another That you may see in the 25. verse Lest there should be any division in the Body but that the Members should have the same care one for another You see how it is in the Body of a man the head hath care of the feet it guides the feet and the foot hath care of the head to hold it up and carry it up and down and the hand is useful for the relieving of any part they have all the same care one of another so it is in the Body of Christ And for a Sympathy see it in the 26. verse Wherefore if one Member suffer all suffer with it and if one Member rejoyce all rejoyce with it all have a fellow-feeling of one anothers necessities and comforts Therefore when the Spirit of God doth implant a man into the Body of Christ it is all one with the implanting a man into Christ he doth give him a common life one minde and heart he doth give them all natural help and natural care one of another for they have need one of another In the Third place we must shew That the Spirit doth this And why he That this is the Spirits work doth it First That it is the Spirit that unites and tyeth all these Members together This makes them hang together therefore it is called the unity of the Spirit Eph. 4. 3. He exhorts the Ephesians that were the Members of Christ to keep the unity of the Spirit because as the Members of Christ are united to Christ so they are united mutually by the Spirit Therefore take heed saith the Apostle to keep the unity of the Spirit that you may be of one mind and one heart Therefore the Apostle speaking of the Body of Christ he compares it to a building A building consists of divers bricks and stones and timber which being joyned together make up an house So the Members of Christ being joyned together make up an house for God to dwell in But who makes this The text saith the Spirit of God Eph. 2. 22. The Spirit of God makes up this blessed building all the elect of God all the faithful all the heirs of Grace in the world are as an house or body though there be never so many parts in it yet they make all but one body or house so it is here Now the Spirit unites these and layes them artificially together so that they may prop one another Ezek. 11. 19. The Lord there speaking of his Elect I will give them saith he one heart and make them of one mind How will he do it I will
put a new Spirit within them And so he makes them to be of one and the self-same mind Now the Reason Why the Spirit of God doth do this is Reasons why the Spirit of God doth thus unite to the Body of Christ None but the Spirit is able First Because none else besides the Spirit is able to do it For by nature we are wofully and fearfully different from the Body of Christ we are of another nature of another kind of another life nay we are contrary to it all the Members of Christ they are as young sucking children but wicked men and all men by nature are Lions and Leopards and Bears and Tigers as the Prophet speaks Isa 11. 6. 7. Now the Prophet there speaking how Christ means to effect it is to unite these together to make the Lion and the Lamb to have communion together to make the Bear and the Kid to lye down together Mark how he sheweth how Christ will do it in the second verse of the same Chapter the text saith The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him he speaks of Christ that is whereas this requires a great deal of power to do this to make a man to be clean contrary to his nature whenas a mans nature is carnal and wicked and earthly to make him of the Body of Christ therefore saith the text The Spirit of Might shall be upon him c. There is a great deal of Might required to turn their dispositions it is a mighty thing to change a man that is a drunkard a proud person a wicked wretch to turn this man topsie-turvy to make him mind other things to make him clean another man this requires infinite wisdom Therefore the Spirit of Wisdom shall rest upon him to do it and the Spirit of Knowledge and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord that is the Lord Jesus shall put in the Spirit of Fear into mens hearts and this will turn them this will alter mens minds and conversations Secondly There is none so fit as the Spirit of God to do it For this None but the Spirit is fit to do it Body of Christ it is a company of Sons and Daughters that God hath up and down in the world that are able to cry Abba Father now who is so fit to do this as the Spirit of the Son As the Apostle saith That he might redeem them that were under the Law that they might receive the Adoption of Sons Gal. 4. 5. Fourthly How the Spirit of God doth this and that is Two wayes as How the Spirit doth Unite to Christ's Body By being one and the same spirit in all Members the Scripture reveals to us The One is By being one and the same Spirit in all the Members of Christ He comes into them and dwells in them as one and the self-same Spirit and so makes up this union The same Spirit that was in Paul was in Peter and so all the rest of the Members of Christ one and the self-same Spirit is in them 1 Cor. 3. 16. Know ye not that yeare the Temple of God and that the Spirit dwelleth in you Therefore look what Spirit of Faith one man hath another comes to have the same Spirit of Faith as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same Spirit of Faith with them as it is written I believe and therefore I speak so we believe and therefore we speak Secondly The Spirit doth this by uniting and tying a knot between these By tying a knot between all the Members Members He doth unite them and make them hang together in one he makes them to be of one heart and of one soul by knitting and combining of their hearts all together Therefore this fellowship is called the fellowship of the Spirit Phil. 2. 1. Though Paul were far off from Philippi yet he could adjure the Philippians by the fellowship of the Spirit But you will say How can this be Can the people of God have communion and fellowship one with another when they are so far asunder one from another and may be never saw one another may be never heard one of another How can this be I say Very well for the Spirit of God hath a long arm and is able to make the people of God shake hands though they be a thousand miles asunder it is the Spirit that tyeth this knot and unites them together As Paul speaks Col. 2. 5. Though I be absent in the Flesh yet I am present with you in the Spirit and methinks I am in your company and meetings when you meet together I see you in my mind methinks and I joy in your order The Spirit makes the communion between the people of God and hence it is that they can love one another because all the Members are tyed together by one knot and they come to help one another and do any thing one for another even by the very love of the Spirit which they have one towards another Rom. 15 30. The Apostle had some need of the good Romans to help him Now see how he doth intreat help from them he desires them by the love of the Spirit to pray heartily for him he knew that the love of the Spirit would be a great motive to them you know you and I are joyned together by the same Spirit for the love of the Spirit pray for me Thus we see First What this Body of Christ is Secondly What the putting a man into this Body is Thirdly The Reasons why Fourthly How the Spirit doth it Now I come to the Vses Vses The want of the Spirit is the cause of difference And First Is it so that the Spirit of God doth unite all the Saints of God together in one Body Then here we may see the reason of the difference of men in the world The difference of our Congregations some companies that hang together are of one mind another of another mind the reason is they have a different Spirit but all the Saints of God have the Spirit of God which makes them hang together and the wicked they have another Spirit Secondly Doth the Spirit of God joyn all the Saints of God together in Let none put asunder what the Spirit joyns one Body Then that which God hath joyned together let no man put asunder It is spoken in regard of man and wife if it be such a horrible thing to part man and wife then what a horrible thing is it to part Saint and Saint that are joyned together by the Spirit of God this blessed communion of the Spirit what a fearful thing is it for a man to root it out When there shall be heart-burnings and strivings between those that are the children of God what a fearful thing is this Is the number of those that fear God so great that we can spare any Or are the Graces of Gods Spirit Wilderness Graces that can walk alone and need no
for Gods Kingdome but when a man is made poor in spirit when he hath a Privation of those things wherewith his soule was filled now there is room for the Kingdom of God the reason is because a man can never be brought to Christ till he is pinched with these Privations before he can never come to Christ his heart can never be brought to bid so much and stake down so much for Christ as he must do if ever he come to attain him unlesse his heart be pinched with poverty unlesse his heart be void of all these high imaginations he had of himself he will never come to Christ It is plenty that brings down the market and scarcity that makes it rise plentiful years will make Corn of no price almost but if there be famine and scarcity and no bread almost to be had but men are ready to dye for hunger then they wil give any thing they will give ten shillings a bushel twenty nay fourty shillings hath been given for a bushel of Corn as I have read in Chronicles it is poverty that makes men come to a price So must the heart be pinched with Spiritual poverty else it will not come to Christ men will give nothing for the Kingdom of God they will not part with a single groat for Christ the prophane Gallant will not part with a look for Christ the proud vain fool will not part with a foolish lace a foolish fashion for Christ the drunkard will not foregoe a pot for Christ men will not part with any thing for Christ they will not part with a paultry lust or base affection for Christ People will not stir they will not open their purses they will not open their hearts to give any thing for Christ the reason is their hearts are full already People count their profits and pleasures and lusts and vanities and delights their Jewels a man must be poor before he will part with his Jewels but if a man be throughly pinched with poverty he will part with his old Gold and Rings and Jewels and all but he will never part with his Jewels till he be forced to it by extremity So all the lusts of the heart all the things of the world that the mind and affections run upon men account them their Jewels and they will not part with them till they be pinched with poverty Thus it was with the Jaylor Acts 16. 30. when he was pinched with this poverty he cryes out Men and brethren what shall I do to be saved when his heart was pinched with this poverty he was content to part with any thing he was willing to do any thing to hearken to any terms that he might have mercy So that it is necessary for a man to have all these Privations wrought in his heart and be made poor else he will never take Christ upon those terms whereupon he is offered Secondly Suppose a man should conceive worth to be in Christ suppose he should put a great price upon him yet if a man be not under these Privations if he be not pinched with poverty with Spiritual need and want he will never use all means for the attaining of the Kingdom of God He will never betake himself to all those courses that God hath commanded himselfe to be sought in It was need that made Ahab send up and down all Countries and Soiles for water it was need that made the rich Women of Shunem to hazard her life and her family and houshold in a forraign Country she would not have gone a mile of that Journey but for her poverty as Divines use to speak Let two men go to the market the one hath need the other hath not he that hath need will go whatsoever the weather be though the weather be never so foul he will go bread he wants and bread he must have and bread he will have and if he cannot have it at an easie rate he will part with any thing he will pawn his very cloaths from his back for it Why Because he and his Wife and his Children want it But the other he will go according as he likes the weather if the weather be answerable to his mind it may be he will go and it may be not and when he is there it may be he will buy and it may be not according as the price goeth because he hath no need of it So it is in Grace let two men be called upon to seek out for Grace one doth not feel any great need he is not pinched with the want of Faith and Repentance and Pardon and Peace of Conscience though he want these yet he is not pinched with the want his heart is yet full he is not yet come to this Spiritual poverty It may be he will come to a Sermon it may be not it may be he will part with a Lust and it may be not it is according as the bargain pleaseth him he will never use all means nor take up all courses that are prescribed But a man that is ready to starve for want of Christ as Sisera said Give me drink or else I perish so give me Christ or else I perish This man will take any course use any means he must have Christ and will have him when he comes to the Word Christ he wants and Christ he will have and must have all Sermons and all hearing are but as Oile to the fire they do but pinch his Soul so much the more till Christ comes he must have Christ in his Ordinances because he is sensible of his Spiritual poverty So that it is he which is lost that will be found it is he which is a captive that will be freed it is he that is blind that must have his sight and it is he that is naked that must be cloathed he that lies under these woful Privations he must have the form he looks after it he cannot be without it Thus we see that Privation is necessary for Religion the true life of Religion can never come into a man till he be layed under all these woful Privations we read of in Scripture But now here is a Question which will arise which those that are godly Quest would be glad to have resolved and that is this Whether these Privations that the Apostle here speaks of makes a man the formal Object of mercy Saint Paul was alive once before the Law came but when the Law came and was charged upon his Conscience it deprived him of his livelynesse and made him a dead man I dyed saith he Now the Question is this Whether is such a man the formal Object of mercy When the Law hath deprived a man of his conceited riches and made him a poor man and hath proclaimed him a bank-rupt and a begger and made him a captive that he is not able to stir one foot he is not able so much as to think a good thought but he lyeth under wrath and is