fire for its mollifying power Jer. 23. 29. If you are poysoned with sin here is an herb to expel it Look upon the Word as a soveraign Elixir to comfort you in distress it comforts you against all your sins temptations and afflictions What are the Promises but divine Cordials to revive fainting Souls A gracious heart goes feeding on a Promise as Sampson on the Hony-comb Judg. 14. 9. The word comforts against sickness and death 1 Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting A Christian dies embracing the Promise as Simeon did Christ Heb. 11. 16. Read the Word as the last VVill and Testament of Christ. Here are many Legacies given to them that love him Pardon of sin Adoption Consolation this Will is in force being sealed in Christs Blood With what seriousness doth a Child read over the Will and Testament of his Father that he may see what is left him Read it as a Book by which you must be judged John 12. 48. The Word I have spoken shall judge him at the last day They who live according to the Rules of this Book shall be acquitted they who live contrary to them shall be condemned There are two Books God will go by the Book of Conscience and the Book of Scripture the one shall be the Witness and the other the Judge How should every Christian then provoke himself to read this Book of God with Care and Devotion This is that Book which God will proceed by at the last They who fly from the Word as a Guide shall be forced to submit to it as a Judge 2. The second Duty of Religion wherein we must provoke our selves is in Hearing of the Word We may bring our bodies to the Word with ease but not our hearts without offering violence to our selves When we come to the Word Preached we come about a business of the highest importance therefore should stir up our selves and hear with the greatest devotion Constantine the Emperour was noted for his reverend attention to the Word Luk. 19. 48. All the people were attentive to hear him In the Greek it is they hanged upon his lip When the Word is dispensed we are now to lift up the everlasting doors of our hearts that the King of glory may enter in How far are they from offering violence to themselves in hearing who scarce mind what is said as if they were not at all concerned in the business they come to Church more for custom than conscience Ezek. 33. 31. They come to thee as the people cometh and they sit before thee as my people and hear thywords but they will not do them If we could tell them of a rich purchase or of some place of preferment they would diligently attend but when the Word of Life is Preached they disregard it 2. How far are they from offering violence to themselves in hearing who come to the Word in a dull drowsie manner as if they came to Church to take a Receipt to make them sleep The Word is to feed it is strange to sleep at meat The Word judgeth men it is strange for a prisoner to fall asleep at the Bar. To such sleepy hearers God may say Sleep on He may suffer them to be so stupified that no Ordinance shall awaken them Mat. 13. 25. While men slept the enemy came and sowed Tares The Devil is never asleep but sows the tares of sin in a drowsie hearer That we may when we come to the Word offer violence to our selves and stir up our selves to hear with devotion consider 1. It is God that speaks to us If a Judge give a charge upon the bench all listen If a King speaks all give attention When we come to the Word we should think thus with our selves We are to hear God in this Preacher Therefore Christ is said Now to speak to us from Heaven Heb. 12. 25. Christ speaks in his Ministers as a King speaketh in the person of his Embassadour When Samuel knew it was the Lord that spake to him he lent an ear 2. Sam. 3. 5. Speak Lord thy Servant heareth They who slight God speaking in his Word shall hear him speaking in his wrath Psalm 2. 5. Then shall he speak to them in his wrath 2. Let us consider the weightiness of the matters delivered to us As Moses said to Israel Deut. 30. 19. I call Heaven and Earth to Record this day that I havâ—… set before you life and death We preach to men of Christ and the Eternal Recompences here are the magnalia Legis the weighty matters of the Law and doth not all this call for serious attention There is a great deal of difference between a Letter of news read to us and a Letter of special business wherein our whole Land and Estate is concerned In the Word preached our Salvation is concerned here we are instructed to the Kingdom of God and if ever we will be serious it should be now Deut. 32. 47. It is not a vain thing for you because it is your life 3. If the Word be not regarded it will not be remembred Many complain they cannot remember here is the reason God punisheth their carelesness in hearing with forgetfulness He suffers Satan to take away the Word from them Mat. 13. 4. The Fowls of the Air came and devoured the seed The Devil is no Recusant he comeâ—… to Church but it is not for any good intent he gets away the Word from men How many have been roâ—…ed of the Sermon and their souls both at once 4. It may be the last time that ever God will speak to us in his Word it may be the last Sermon that ever we shall hear and we may go from the place of hearing to the place of judgeing Did people think thus when they come into the Houseof God Perhaps this will be the last time that God will counsel us about our souls the last time that ever we shall see our Minister's face with what devotion would they come how would their affections be all on fire in hearing We give great attention to the last speeches of friends A Parents dying words are received as Oracles Oh let all this provoke us to diligence in hearing let us think this may be the last time that Aarons Bell shall sound in our ears and before another day we shall be in another World The third Duty wherein we are to offer violence to our selves is in Prayer Prayer is a duty which keeps the trade of Religlon agoing When we either joyn in prayer with others or pray alone we must use holy violence not eloquence in prayer but violence carries it Theodorus speaking of Luther Once saith he I over heard him in prayer but good God with what life and spirit did he pray It was with so much Reverence as if he were speaking to God yet with so much confidence as if he had been speaking to his friend
There must be a stirring up of the heart 1. To Prayer 2. In Prayer 1. A stirring up of the heart to Prayer Job 11. 13. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards him This preparing our heart is by holy thoughts and ejaculations The Musitian first tunes his Instrument before he playes 2. There must be a stirring up of the heart in Prayer Prayer is a lifting up of the mind and soul to God which cannot be done a right without offering violence to ones self The names given to prayer import violence It is called wrestling Gen. 32. 24. and pouring out the soul 1 Sam. 1. 15. both which imply vehemency The affection is required as well as the invention The Apostle speaks of an effectual fervent prayer which is a parallel phrase to offering violence Alas how far are they from offering violence to themselves in prayer 1. That give God a dead heartless prayer God would not have the blind offered Mal. 1. 8. As good offer the blind as the dead Some are half a sleep when they pray and will a sleepy prayer ever awaken God Such as mind not their own prayers how do they think that God should mind them Those prayers God likes best which come seething hot from the heart 2. How far are they from offering violence that give God distracted prayer while they are praying they are thinking of their shop and trade How can he shoot right whose eye is quite off the mark Ezek. 33. 31. Their heart goes after their covetuousness Many are casting up their accounts in prayer as Hierom once complained of himself How can God be pleased with this Will a King endure that while his subject is delivering a petition and speaking to him he should be playing with a feather When we send our hearts on an â—…rrand to Heaven how often do they loiter and play by the way This is matter of blushing That we may offer violence to our selves and by fervency feather the wing of prayer let these things be duly weighed The Majesty of God with whom we have to do He sees how it is with us in prayer whether we are deeply affected with those things we pray for The King came in to see the guests Mat. 22. 11. So when we go to pray the King of glory comes in to see in what frame we are he hath a window which looks into our breasts and if he sees a dead heart he may turn a deaf ear Nothing will sooner make Gods anger wax hot than a cold prayer Prayer without fervency and violence is no prayer it is speaking not praying Liveless prayer is no more prayer than the picture of a man is a man To say a prayer is not to pray Aschanius taught his Parrot the Lords Prayer St. Ambrose saith well It is the life and affection in a duty that baptizeth it and gives it a name 'T is the violence and wrestling of the affections that makes it a prayer else it is no prayer But a man may say as Pharaoh I have dreamed a dream Gen. 41. 15. 3. The zeal and violence of the affections in prayer best suits with Gods nature He is a Spirit John 4. 24. and sure that prayer which is full of life and spirit is the savoury meat he loves 1 Pet. 2. 5â—… Spiritual Sacrisices acceptable to God Spirituality and fervency in duty is like the spirits of wine which are the more refined part of the wine Bodily exerâ—…ise profits nothing 'T is not the streaching of the lungs but the vehemency of the desire makes musick in Gods ear 4. Consider the need we have of those things which we ask in prayer We come to ask the favour of God and if we have not his love all that we enjoy is cursed to us We pray that our souls may be washed in Christs blood and if he wash us not we have no part in him These are such mercies that if God deny us we are for ever undone Therefore what violence had we need put forth in prayer When will a man be earnest if not when he is begging for his life 5. Let it provoke violence in prayer to consider those things which weask God hath a mind to grant If a Son ask nothing but what his Father is willing to bestow he may be the more earnest in his suit We go to God for pardon of sin and no work more pleasing to him than to seal pardons Mercy is his delight Micah 7. 18. We pray to God for an holy heart and this prayer is according to his will 1 Thes. 4. 3. This is the will of God your sanctification We pray that God would give us an heart to love him How pleasing must this request needs be to God! This if any thing may excite prayer and carry it in a siery Chariot up to Heaven when we know we pray for nothing but what God is more willing to grant than we are to ask 6. No mercy can be bestowed on us but in a way of prayer Mercy is purchased by Christs blood but it is conveyed by prayer All the promises are bonds made over to us but prayer puts these bonds in suit The Lord had told Israel with what rich mercy he would bespangle them he would bring them to their native Country and bring them thither with new hearts Ezek. 36. Yet this Tree of the Promise would not drop its fruit till shaken with the hand of prayer verse 37. For all this will I yet be enquired The brest of Gods mercy is full but prayer must draw the brest Surely if all other waies are blockt up there 's no good to be done without prayer How should we ply this oar and by an holy violence stir up our selves to take hold of God 7. 'T is only violence and intensness of spirit in prayer hath the pâ—…omise of mercy affixed to it Mat. 7. 7. Knock and it shall be opened Knocking is a violent motion The Aediles among the Romans had their doors alwaies standing open that all who had petitions might have free access to them God's heart is ever open to servent prayer Let us then be fired with zeal and with Christ pray yet more earnestly* 'T is violence in prayer makes Heaven-gates fly open and fetcheth in whatever mercies we stand in need of 8. The large returns God hath given to violent prayer This Dove sent to Heaven hath often brought an Olive-leave in its mouth Psal. 34. 6. This poor man cried and the Lord heard him Crying prayer prevails Daniel in the Den prayed and prevailed Prayer did shut thâ—… Lions mouth and open the Lions Den Fervent prayer saith one hath a kind of Omnipotency in it Sozomen saith of Apollonius that he never asked any thing of God in all his life that he obtained not Sleidan reports of Luther that perceiving the interest of Religion to be low he
HEAVEN Taken by STORM OR The HOLY VIOLENCE a Christian is to put forth in the pursuit after Glory By THOMAS WATSON Minister of the Gospel Phil. 3. 4. I press toward the mark 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost de Poen Hom. 59 LONDON Printed by R. W. for Tho. Parkhurâ—… at the Sign of the Golden-Bible on London-Bridge 1670. TO THE Right Honourable Sir WILLIAM TURNER Knight LORD MAYOR OF THE CITY OF LONDON Right Honourable IT is the happiness of this City to have a Magistrate that bears not the Sword in vain Your place is high God hath lent you his own Title your work is great it lies in the distribution of Justice which according to Aristotle comprehends all virtues in it And in this your high orb you have acted vigorously Your good Government hath helped to raise if not London's structures yet its fame My Lord to be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a publick Good will both render your life honourable and your death comfortable God did reserve you for such a juncture of time as this When is there more need of zeal in superiours than when vice grows heady in inferiours The subject I here humbly dedicate to your Lordship is Violence for Heaven A Divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or temperature of soul to be much aspired after for by this you may help to save not only your self but others Put on Integrity as a Robe and let zealous violence more adorn you than the richest Chain of Gold But I have cause to break forth into Panegyricks Indeed your own works praise you in the gates Your prudence and courage your impartiality in deciding Causes your punishing of Oaths and correcting the false ballance your compliance with his Majesties Royal Proclamation against Health-drinking have erected for you a living monument in the breasts of all sober and pious men Among other things your Self-denial hath been eminent in leting go some of your Perquisites for the good of others Posse nolle nobile est The former Governours that had been before me saith Nehemiah were chargeable unto the people and had taken of them Bread and Wine c. but so did not I. What pity is it that London should like Sparta keep such a Governour but one year My Lord I hate to give flattering titles but I have taken this boldness to say this little both for your Lordship's encouragement and the imitation of those that shall succeed in your Chair My Lord this small Tractate comes under your Honours Patronage and entreat your favourable perusal and acceptance of it it was intended you sooner but some emergent occasions intervening prevented If this little spark shall give light or heat to any heart I have my desire The great God who hath placed you at the helm of this City fill you with his heavenly benediction and so animate you with all might by his Spirit in the inner man that you may be an Eben-ezer a stone of help to us that you may do worthily in London and be famous in your Generation so prayeth he who is Sir Your Servant in the Gospel THO. WATSON July 9. 1669. AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE A. APostasie whence it ariseth page 109 Arguments to Violence in prayer 36 B. BAckwardness to Self-examination 56 Bloody violence 9 C. CArnal sriends obstructions 179 Caution about violence 168 Comfort to the violent Christian 191 Company of the Saints to be frequented 188 Covetousness condemned 103 D. DAnger in losing our former strictness 107 Decay of Holiness reproved 104 Degrees of Glory 150 Dividers of Religion 115 Difficulty of Self reflexion 57 Drawing near to God a duty 199 E. EArthly things unsatisfactory 143 Examples of zealous Saints 162 Excellencies of God to be studied 213 Exhortation to draw near to God 209 F. FOrmalists in Religion censured 96 G. GRace when declining 105 H. HEaring of the Word 29 How we may hear with devotion 31 Heart to be bound to God by Vows 186 Help to meditation 55 How we may do to draw near to God â—…14 Hinderances of holy Violence 169 Holy Conference 71 Hypocrisie reproved 207 I. IGnorant Violence 8 Incentives to holy violence 134 Interest in God to be cleared 215 K. KIngdom of Heaven how understood 5 Kingdom of Heaven excelient 144 L. Love draws the heart to God 216 M. MAgistrates to punish the nocent 6 Magistrates to defend the innocent 7 Manner of our drawing near to God 202 Meditation what 42 Moderation in matters of practical Piety dangerous 92 Mortification of sin 17 Motification how effected 19 Motives to draw near to God 209 Motives to meditation 53 O. OBjections against this holy Violence answered 121 P. PRrayer to be kept up in the Family 183 Promise made only to ardent Prayer 39 Provoking our selves to holy duties 20 R. REasons inforcing holy violence 84 Rules for the promoting holy violence 691 S. Saints Objection answered 193 Salvation-work not so facil as some imagine 88 Sanctifying the Lord's Day 63 Self examination what 56 Sinners far off from God 197 Slothful Christianâ—… rebuked 94 Spirit of God to be implored 189 Stirring up of the heart in prayer 34 Subject of Meditation 44 Subtilties of Satan in tempting 75 T. TRial of a violent Christian 118 Truth 's Excellency 11 12 V. VIgilance the way to violence 185 Violence for Heaven what it implies 14 Violence to be offered to Satan 74 Violence to be offered to the world 79 Violence of wicked men how shown 98 100 Violence for Heaven and diligence in a calling not inconsistent 154 Unbelief to be avoided 169 W. WOrd of God how to be read 23 24 World an enemy to Religion 172 HEAVEN taken by Storm MATTH 11. 12. The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force John Baptist hearing in prison the fame of Christ sends two of his Disciples to him with this Question Art thou he that should come or do we look for another verl 3. Not as Tertullian thinks that John Baptist knew not that Jesus Christ was the True Messiah for he was confirmed in this both by the Spirit of God and by a sign from Heaven John 1. 33. But John Baptist hereby endeavoured to correct the ignorance of his own Disciples who had a greater respect for him than for Christ. In the fourth Verse Christ answers their question Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see the blind receive their sight the lame walk the Lepers are cleansed c. Jesus Christ demonstrates himself to be the true Messiah by his Miracles which were real and ocular proofs of his Divinity John's Disciples being departed Christ falls into an high elogium and commendation of John Baptist Vers. 7. What went ye out into the Wilderness to see a reed shaken with the wind As if Christ had said John Baptist was no unconstant man fluctuating in his mind and being shakâ—…n as a Reed from one opinion to another he was no
a Sea of wrath 3. They are violent for their oppressive lusts they wrong and defraud others and by violence take away their right Instead of cloathing the naked they make them who are cloathed naked These birds of prey live upon rapine They are cruel as if with Romulus they had been suckled with the milk of Wolves They smile at the curses of the poor and grow fat with their tears They have forgotten Christ's caveat Luk. 3. 14. Do violence to no man Ahab violently took away Naboth's Vineyard 2. King 21. 11. Hell is taken by this violence Prav 4. 17. Who drink the Wine of violence This wine will turn to poison at last Psal. 11. 5. Him that loveth violence God's soul hates 4. They are violent for their covetous lusts Covetousness is the soul's dropsy Amos 7. 2. Who pant after the dust of the earth They compass Sea and Land to make Mony their Proselyte Their god is made of gold and to it they bow down Those who bowed down on their knees to drink of the waters were accounted unfit Souldiers for Gideon Judg. 7. 6. So are those unfit for Christ that stoop immoderately to the love of earthly things They who are violent for the world what have they but the wind Eccles. 5. 16. What profit hath he who hath laboured for the wind The world câ—…nnot enrich the soul it cannot remove pain If pangs of conscience come the world can no more give comfort than a Crown of Gold can cure the head-ach 4. It reproves them who have in part left off that holy strictness and violence in Religion as once they had Their fâ—…rvour is cooled and abated What they do is so little that it cannot be called violence They serve God but are not â—…ervent in spirit They do not leave off duty but they grow dead in duty They have left their first love Rev. 2. 4. It is with them as fire when it is going out or as the Sun when it is going down Like aguish men before they were in a Paroxysm or hot fit of zeal but now the cold fit hath taken them they are formal and frozen in Religion Time was when they called the Sabbath a delight Isa. 58. 13. How were their hearts raised in duty how diligently did they seek him whom their soul loved but now the case is altered their Religion doth languish and even vanish Time was when they were in an Agony and did send forth strong cries in prayer Now the Chariot-wheels are pulled off and the spirit of prayer is much abated Their prayers do even freez between their lips a clear sign of the decay of grace These persons are grown both lethargical and consumptive 1. Lethargical Cant. 5. 2. I sleep but my heart wakes Though grace was alive in her her heart waked yet she was in a dull drowsie-temper I sleep When the heart burns in sin and cools in duty it is a sure sign of growing to a stupid lethargy 2. Consunptive There are two signs of persons in a spiritual consumption 1. When their desire after Christ and Heaven is not so strong as it was A consumptive man's stomach decaies Christians have not such violent affections to heavenly things they can desire Corn and Wine and the luscious delights of the earth but Christ is less precious they are not in pangs of desire after him a sad symptom their grace is in a consumption 2. When they are not so vigorous in motion A man that is lively and stiring at his work it is a sign he is in health but when he is listless and cares not to stir or put his hand to any thing a sign nature is a declining So when men have no heart to that which is good they care not to put themselves upon the exercises of Religion they have lost a spirit of activity for God they serve him in a faint sickly manner 't is a sign they are consumptive When the pulse can scarce be felt it beats so low men are near dying So when those who were once violent for Heaven but now we can scarce perceive any good in them the pulse beats low grace is ready to dye Rev. 3. 2. To you who have abated in your holy violence and are grown remiss in duty let me expostulate with you as the Lord did by the Prophet Jer. 2. 5. What iniquity have your Fathers found in me What evil have you found in God that you leave off your former strictness Hath not God fed you with Manna from above and given you his holy Spirit to be your guide and comforter Hath he not made you swim in a Sea of mercy What evil have you found in Prayer that you are less violent in it Have not you had sweet intercourse with God Have not you sometimes been melted and enlarged insomuch that you have thought your selves in the subbuâ—…bs of Heaven when you have been upon this Mount Hath not the Dove of Prayer brought an Olive-branch of peace in its mouth What evil have you found in the Word Time was when you did take this Book and eat it and it was hony in your mouth Hath the Word less vertue in it now Are the Promises like Aaron's dry Rod withered and sapless What iniquity have you found in the waies of God that you have abated your former violence in Religion O remember whence you are fallen and repent and do your first works Rev. 2. 5. Consider seriously 1. The less violence for Heaven the less peace Our consciences are never at peace in a drowsie state It is the lively acting of grace makes the heart calm and serene These two go together walking in the fear of God and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost Acts 9. 31. Christian if once thou growest remiss in Religion conscience will chide If thou belongest to God he will never let thee be quiet but will send some affliction or other to awaken thee out of thy security and make thee recover that active lively frame of heart as once thou hadst 2. You that grow more dead in God's service and leave your first love give great advantage to Satan The less violent you are the more violent he is the less you pray the more he tempts and what a case are you now in How can grace that is weak and sickly withstand violent temptations Hence it is God suffers his own people sometimes to fall into sin as a just punishment of their lukewarmness and to make them more zealous and violent for the future 3. Your remisness in Religion though it may not damn you it will dammage you You will lose that degree of glory which else you might have had Though your remisness may not lose your Crown it will lessen it and make it weigh lighter 4. The more lazy a Christian's desires are the more lively his corruptions The weaker the body grows the stronger the disease grows Oh therefore pray for quiâ—…kning grace Psal.
sweetens that violence St. Paul made Religion his recreation Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man In the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I take pleasure not only Heaven it self is delightful but the way thither What ravishing delight hath a gracious soul in prayer Isa. 56. 7. I will make them joyful in the house of prayer What delight in holy contemplation A Christian hath such illapses of the Spirit and meets with such transfigurations of soul that he thinks himself half in Heaven Serving of God is like gathering of Spices or Flowers wherein there is some labour but the labour is recompensed with delight The way of sin hath bitterness in it The â—…ears while they lick the honey are stung with the Bees So while men are following their lusts they have checks of conscience which are a foretast of Hell Better want the honey than have this sting But the violence for Heaven is spiced with such joy that it is not labour but pleasure V. This violence and activity of Spirit in Religion puts a lustre upon a Christian. The more excellent any thing is the more active The Sun is a glorious creature as a Gyant it runs its Race Psal. 19. 5. Fire the noblest element sparkles vigorously The Angels are described with wings Isa. 6. 2. which is an emblem of their swist obedience The more violent we are in Religion the more Angelical we are 7. How violent was Christ about our salvation He was in an Agony he continued all night in prayer Luke 6. 12. He wept he fasted he dyed a violent death he rose violently out of the grave Was Christ so violent for our salvation and doth it not become us to be violent who are so nearly concerned in it Christ's violence was not only satisfactory but exemplary It was not only to appease God but to teach us Christ was violent in dying to teach us to be violent in believing 8. This holy violence brings Rest motion tends to rest Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth a rest for the people of God Indeed there is a motion which doth not tend to rest they who are violent in a way of sin shall never have rest Revel 4. 8. They rest not day and night Such as are graceless shall be restless But the violence a Christian takes leads to rest As the weary Traveller sits down at night and rests him Psal. 116. 7. Return to thy rest O my soul. Holy violence is like the flying of Noah's Dove to the Ark where it found rest 9. If we use what violence we are able God will help us Phil 2. 12. It is God who worketh in you both to will and to do The Spirit helps us in prayer and so proportionably in all other duties of Religion Rom. 8. 26. The Promise encourageth and the Spirit enableth In all earthly Races a â—…an runs in his own strength but in the Race to Heaven we have the Spirit of God helping us he not only gives us the Crown when we have done running but he gives us legs to run he gives exciting and assisting grace the Spirit of God helping makes our work easie If another helps to carry a burden it is less difficult If the Loadstone draw the Iron it is not hard for the Iron to move If the Spirit of God as a divine Loadstone draw and move the heart in obedience now the work goes on with more facility 10. This blessed violence in Religion would be preventive of much sin While men are idle in the Vineyard they are a prey to every temptation We do not sow our seed in fallow ground but Satan doth sow most of his seed of temptation in hearts that lye fallow When he sees persons unimployed he will find them work to do he will stiâ—… them up to one sin or other Matth. 13. 25. While men slept the enemy sowed tares When Satan finds men in a drowsie condition their sleeping time is his tempting time but by holy violence we prevent the Devil's design we are so busied about salvation that we have no leisure to listen to a temptation St. Hierom gave his friend this advice to be alwaies well employed that when Satan came with a temptation he might find him working in the Vineyard When the bird is flying it is safe when it sits still on the bough then it is in danger of being shot When a Christian sits still and is unactive now the Devil shoots him with his fiery darts 11. The folly of such as are violent for the world but not for the Kingdom above Alas how insipid are all these things that we lay out our sweat and violence upon they will not make us happy King Solomon did as it were put all the creatures into a limbeck and still out the quintessence of them and behold all was vanity Eccles. 2. 8. 1. These earthly things that we so toil for are uncertain 1 Tim. 6. 17. 'T is uncertain whether we shall get them All that are Suitors to a Virgin do not speed All that come to a Lottery have not a prize 2. They are unsatisfactory Could men heap up Silver as dust had they as much as the Devil promised Christ All the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them yet they can no more fill the heart than a drop of water can fill the cistern Eccles. 5. 16. What profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind 3. They are transient death feeds at the root All worldly possessions are like a Castle of Snow in the Sun or like a posie of flowers which withers while we are smelling to it O what folly is it to put forth all ones violence for the world which is but for a season and not for Christ and grace As if a condemned man should be earnest to get his dinner but never mind getting his pardon 12. The next motive is in the text this violence is for a Kingdom The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence And what will we be violent for if not for a Kingdom Men will wade to a Kingdom through blood This is a Kingdom worth striving for Cyprus is an Island so exceeding fertile and pleasant that it was antiently called Macaria which signifies Blessed This title of Blessed may more fitly be given to the heavenly Kingdom If the Mountains were Gold if every Sand of the Sea were a Diamond if the whole Globe were a shining Chrysolite it were infinitely beneath the glory of this Kingdom 1. The immunities of the heavenly Kingdom are great 1. There shall be a freedom from sin here sin keeps house with us it is as natural to us to sin as to breath The soul that is most refined and clarified by grace is not without some dregs of corruption St. Paul cryed out of a Body of sin He who is inoculated into Christ hath still a taste and rellish of the wild Olive But when we
grace as will keep life and soul together A sick man may have life but is not lively Grace may live in the heart but is sickly and doth not flourish into lively acts Weak grace will not withstand strong temptations or carry through great sufferings it will hardly follow Christ upon the water Little grace will not do God much service A Tree that hath but little sap will not have much fruit It may be said of some Christians though they are not still born yet they are starvelings in grace They are like a ship that comes with much ado to the Haven Oh labour to grow to further degrees of sanctity The more grace the more strength and the more strength the more violence If you would be violent for Heaven take heed of this opinion That it is not so hard to get the Kingdom less violence will serve turn He that thinks he need not run a Race so fast will be apt to slack his pace This hath undone many Who will take pains for Heaven that thinks it may he had at a cheaper rate But if it be so easie what needs Christ say Strive as in an Agony What needed Paul beat down his body Why doth the Text speak of taking the Kingdom by force Is not conversion called a new birth Joh. 3. 7. a Creation Psal. 51. 10. and is that facil O take heed of phancying that work easie which is both above nature and against it 'T is as great a wonder for a soul to be saved as to see a mill stone to be lift up into the middle Region 2. Uâ—…e those means which will promote this holy violence 1. Keep up daily prayer Prayer is the bellows that blows up the affections and a Christian is most active when his affections are most violent Prayer keeps the trade of Religion agoing Prayer is to the soul as the animal spirits are to the body the anmal spirits make the body more agile and lively so doth prayer the soul. That the motion of a Watch may be quicker the spring must be wound up Christian winde up thy heart every day by prayer Prayer fetcheth in strength from Christ and when his strength comes in it sets the soul a working Prayer leaves the heart in a good frame As the morning Sun leaves a warmth in the room all the day after When Christians lay aside prayer or leave off fervency in it then by degrees they lose their holy violence If you would be violent for Heaven get under lively preaching The word is quick and powerful Heb. 4. 12. It puts liâ—…e into a dead heart It is both a sword â—…o cut down sin and a spur to quicken grace The word is a fire to thaw a frozen heart Jâ—…r 23. 29. Is not my Word fire As good almost be without preaching as be under such preaching as will not warm It is a part of the Word not only to inform but to inflame Psal. 119. 50. Thy Word hath quickened me 'T is the lively dispensation of the Oracles of Heaven must animate us and make us lively in our operation If you would be violent for Heaven get your hearts filled with love to Religion This is like the Rod of Myrtle in the Travellers hand Pliny â—…peaks of which makes him fresh and lively in his travel and keeps him from being weary When a man hath warmed himself at the fire now he is sittest for work If you would be violent in working out salvation warm your selves at this fire of love A man will be violent for nothing but what he loves Why are men so eager in their pursuit after gold but because they love it Love causeth delight and delight causeth violence What made St. Paul labour more than all the other Apostles The love of Christ constrained him 2 Cor. 5. 14. Love is like Oyl to the wheels Get love to Religion and you will never be weary you will count those the best hours which are spent with God He that digs in a silver Vein sweats yet love to the silver makes his labour delightful If you would be violent be vigilant The Prophet stood upon his Watch-tower Hab. 2. 1. Why are Christians so listless in their work but because they are so careless in their watch Did they but watch to see how their enemy watcheth they would be violent to resist him Did they but watch to see how their time runs or rather flies they would be violent to redeem it Did they but watch to see how their hearts loiter in Religion they would spur on faster to Heaven The reason there is so little violence in Religion is because there is so little vigilance When Christians neglect their spiritual watch and grow secure now their motion to Heaven is retarded and Satan's motions to sin are renewed Our sleeping time is Satan's tempting time If you would be violent for the Kingdom bind your heart to God by sacred vows A servant will be more diligent after he is bound to his Master Vow to the Lord that by his grace you will act more vigorously in the sphere of Religion Psalm 56. 12. Thy vows are upon me O God A vow binds the votary to duty He looks upon himself now as under a special obligation and that quickens endeavour No question but a Christian may make such a vow because the ground of it is morally good he vows nothing but what he is bound to do namely to walk more closely with God Only remember that we vow not in our own strength but Christs We must confide in him as well for strength as righteousness Isa. 46. 24. In the Lord I have righteousness and strength If you would be violent for Heaven be sure you make going to Heaven your business What a man looks on as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or thing by the by he will never be violent for but that which he makes his business he will be industrious about A man looks upon his trade as the only thing to get a livelihood by and he follows it close So if we would but look upon Religion as the main business wherein our salvation is concerned we should be violent in it Luke 10. 42. But one thing is needfull This is the One Thing to get Christ and Heaven This is the end we came into the world for If we could thus look upon the things of eternity as our business the One Thing how earnest should we be in the pursuit of them If you would be violent have Heaven continually in your eye This made Christ violent to the death he had an eye to the joy set before him Heb. 12. 2. Set the Crown ever before you and that will provoke endeavour immensum gloria â—…alcar habet The Mariner hath his hand to the Sterh and his eye to the Star While we are working let us have an eye to that place where is Christ the bright morning star How
so facil can a man be saved per saltum can he leap out of the Devil's arms into Abraham's bosom Oh no there must be offering violence Some think free-grace will save them but it must be in the use of means Watch and Pray Others say the promises will bring them to Heaven but the promises of the Word are not to be separated from the precepts The promise tells us of a Crown but the precept saith So run 1 Cor. 9. 24. The promises are made to encourage faith not to cherish sloth But say others Christ hath died for sinners and so they leave him to do all for them and they will do nothing Then the text is out of date and all the exhortations to striving and fighting the good fight of Faith are in vain Our salvation cost Christ Blood it will cost us Sweat The boat may as well get to shore without rowing as we can to Heaven without offering violence 2. It shews us the great mistake of ignorant people who think the bare doing of duties though in never so slight superficial a manner is enough The text tells us of offering violence 1. In the business of Prayer They think it is enough to mutter over a few words though the heart be asleep all the while what offering of violence is here Christ was in an Agony at prayer Luk. 22. 44. Many when they pray are rather in a Lethargy than in an Agony Jacob wrestled with the Angel in prayer Gen. 32. 24. The Incense was to be laid upon burning coals Levit. 16. 22. Incense was a type of prayer and the Incense upon coals was a type of fervency in prayer Few know what the spirit of prayer means or what it is to have the affections boil over When they are about the world they are all Fire when they are at prayer they are all Ice 2. In Hearing of the Word Many people think it is enough to bring their bodies to the Assembly but they never look to their hearts They satisfie themselves that they have been at Church though they have not been with God there Others go to a Sermon as to the Exchange to hear news new notions that please their phancy but do not attend to the word as about a matter of life and death They do not go to meet with Christ in an Ordinance to have the breathings of his Spirit and the infusions of his Love Alas what little violence for Heaven is to be seen in most peoples worship In all the Sacrifices of the Law there was fire How can those duties be accepted which have no fire in them no offering of violence 3. If there must be this offering of violence to Heaven then it shews us how dangerous moderation in Religion is Violence and moderation are two different things Indeed moderation in the things of the world is commendable We should moderate our desires here and use the world as if we used it not We may as Jonathan dip the end of the Rod in honey but not thrust it in too far in this sense moderation is good but moderation in matters of practical piety is sinful it is contrary to offering violence Moderation in the world's sense is for one not to be too zealous not to be too fierce for Heaven Moderation is not to venture further in Religion than may stand with self-preservation As the King of Navarr told Beza He would launch no further into the Sea than he might be sure to return safe to Land To keep on the warm side of the hedge is a main Article in the Politicians Creed Moderation in the world's sense is neutrality The moderate person hath found out a medium between strictness and prophaneness he is not for debauchery nor yet for purity It was the advice Calvin gave Melâ—…ncthon that he should not so affect the name of moderate that at last he lost all his zeal To be lukewarmin matters of Religion is far from offering violence to Heaven Rev. 3. 19. Be zealous and repent If any shall ask us why we are so violent tell them it is for a Kingdom If they shall ask us why we make such haste in the waies of Religion tell them we are running aâ—… heavenly Race and a softly moderate pace will never win the prize Moderation hath made many lose Heaven they have not made haste enough they have come too late like the foolish Virgins when the door hath been shut Use 2. Reproof Out of this text I may draw forth several arrows of Reproof 1. It reproves slothfull Christians who are settled on their lâ—…es they make a lazy Profession of Religion but use no violence They are like the the Lillies which toil not neither do they spin The Snail by reason of its slow motion was reckoned among the unclean Levit. 11. 30. St. Austin calls idlness the burial of a man alive There are some faint velleities oh that I had Heaven but a man may desire Venison and want it if he doth not hunt for it Prov. 13. 4. The soul of the sluggard wisheth and hath nothing Neque mola neque farina Men could be content to have the Kingdom of Heaven but they are loth to fight for it They chuse rather to go in a feather-bed to Hell than to be carried to Heaven in a fiery Chariot of zeal and violence How many sleep away and play away their time as if they were made like the Leviathan to play in the Sea Psal. 104. 26. It is a speech of Seneca No man is made wise by chance Sure it is no man is savâ—…d by chance but he must know how he came by it namely by offering violence Such as have accustomed themselves to and idle lazy temper will find it hard to shake it off Cant. 5. 3. I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on The Spouse had laid her self upon the bed of sloth an though Christ knocked at the door â—…he was loth to rise and let him in Some pretend to be Believers but are idle in the Vineyard They pretend to make use of faith for seeing but not for working this Faith is phancy O that Christians had a spirit of activity in them 1 Chron. 22. 16. Arise and be doing and the Lord be with thee We may sometimes learn of our enemy The Devil is never idle he walketh about 1 Pet. 5. 8. The world is his Diocess and he is every day going his visitation Is Satan active is the enemy upon his march coming against us and are we asleep upon our guard As Satan himself is not idle â—…o hâ—… will not endure that any of his servants should be idle When the Devil had entred into Judas how active was Judas He goes to the High Priest from thence to the band of Souldiers and with them back to the Garden and never left till he had betrayed Christ. Satan will not endure an idle servant and do we
think God will How will Heathens rise up in Judgement against slothful Christians What pains did they take in the Olympian games they ran but for a Garland of flowers and do we stand still who run for a Crown of Immortality Certainly if only the violent take Heaven the idle person will never come there God puts no difference between these two slothful and wicked Matth. 25. 26. Thou wicked and slothful servant 2. It reproves the Formalist who puts all his Religion in gestures and vestures emblems of devotion and thinks this will entitle him to Heaven Rev. 3. 1. Thou hast a name to live and art dead The form and outside of Christianity is judged necessary 1. It is a means to keep up menâ—… credit in the world Should they be visibly prophane such as are sober would not come near them they would be looked upon no better than baptized Heathens therefore they must make a â—…ew of devotion out of policy to gain some repute and esteem among others 2. A form serves to stop the mouth of conscience had not they some kind of outward devotion their conscience would fly in their face and they would be a terrour to themselves therefore they think it expedient to have a form of Godliness But alas what is all this The Text speaks of offering violence to Heaven What violence is there in a form Here is no taking pains with the heart a form but no power 2. Tim. 3. 5. Formalists are like the Tombs in the Church which have their eyes and hands lift up to Heaven but no soul. The Formalists devotion runs out most in punctilioes and niceties he neglects the weightier matters of the Law Faith and Mercy Matth. 23. 23. He scruples superstitious phancies but makes no reckoning of sin he is more afraid of an Hare crossing his way than of an Harlot in his bed He haâ—…es sanctity Christ had no such bitter enemies as the formal Pharisees The formalist is never violent but in persecuting the power of godliness 3. It reproves such as are violent in a bad sense they are violent for Hell they go thither in the sweat of their brows Jer 8. 6. Every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel A war-horse rusheth violently among the guns and pikes so did they rush into sin violently Men are violent 1. In opposing Good 2. In pursuing Evil. 1. In opposing Good Several waies 1. They offer violence to the Spirit of God The Spirit knocks at the door of sinners hearts he waits till his head be filled with dew and his locks with the drops of the night but sinners repulse and grieve the Spirit and send away this Dove from the Aâ—…k of their souls Acts 7. 51. Te do alwais resist the Holy Ghost The Spirit offers grace to the sinner and the sinner offers violence to the Spirit Isa 63. 10. They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit and may not the Lord give over striving God who is willing to come in when we open to him hath not promised to come again if we unkindly repulse him 2. They offer violence to conscience Conscience is God's Preacher in the bosom and this Preacher cannot flatter it tells men of their pride coveâ—…ousness abuse of mercy but they instead of being violent against their sins offer violence to conscience they silence and imprison conscience But as the Prophet Zachary when he was dumb called for a table book and did write Luke 1. 63 So when conscience cannot be permitted to speak it will write it writes down mens sins and when at death they shall be forced to read the hand-writing it will make their hearts tremble and their knees smite This I fear is too common for men to offer violence to their conscience and what will be the issue They who will not hear the voice of conscience shall be sure to feel the worm of conscience 3 They offer violence to God's image The Saints who are God's lively picture are opposed and shot at This is a cursed violence Gal. 4 29 As he that was born after the flesh persecuted him who was born after the Spirit so it is now Christ himself is stricken at through Believers The Church hath been alwaies in the Torrid zone The Plowers have plowed upon her back The earth hath been sown with the bodies of the Saints and watered with their blood Persecutors I grant are of an antient Family The first man that was born in the world was a Persecutor namely Cain and he hath had a numerous off-spring Nero Trajan Domitian Dioclesian Maximinus Chrysostom saith that the apples of his eyes fell out Faelix Earl of Wartemburg being at supper at Auspurg did take an oath that before he died he would ride up to the spurs in the blood of the Lutherans but was afterwards choked in his own blood Persecutors are the curse of the Creation being some of those thorns and briars which the earâ—…h brings forth 2. Men are violent in pursuing Evil. 1. They are violent in their Opinions 2 Pet. 2. 1. Privily they shall bring in damnable heresies denying the Lord that bought them Arrius was such an one and afterwards his bowels gushed out And truly the spirit of Arrius is yet alive at this day while men dare deny the Deity of the blessed Son of God Many of the Hereticks of old were so violent that their Opinion was to them a Bible and some of them died in maintaining their heresies These were the Devil's Martyrs 2. They are violent in their Passions Anger is a short frenzy Jam. 3. 9. The tongue is a fire a world of iniquity In this little member there is a great world viz. a world of sin such as would be counted sober yet are drunk with passion Their prayers are cold but their anger hot They spit fire as the Serpent doth poison Fiery passions without Repentance bring men to the fiery furnace 3. They are violent for their lusts Tit. 3. 3. Serving divers lusts Lust is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inordinate desire or impulse provoking the soul to the gratifying its carnal desires Aristotle calls them brutish lusts because when lusts are violent they will not let reason or conscience be heard but a man is carried brutishly to the satisfying the flesh 1. Men are violent for their drunken lusts Though death be in the cup they will drink it off One having almost lost his eye-sight the Physitian told him there was no cure for him unless he would leave off his excessive drinking then saith he Farewell sweet light he would rather lose his eye-sight than leave his drinking 2. They are violent for their unclean lusts Men are said to burn in lusts Rom. 1. 27. The Apostle intimateth that lust is a kind of feavour Feavourish heats are not more pernicious to the body than lust is to the soul. O what folly is it for a drop of pleasure to drink
143. 11. Beg fresh gales of the Spirit to blow upon you Never leave till you have recovered that holy violence which once you had 2. It reproves those who have quite left off all violence they have left off reading and praying in their family There is not so much as a face of Religion to be seen they are fallen finally Such were Joash Jehu Julian The goodly building of their profession which others admired now hath not one stone left upon another But Why do men thus run retrograde in their motion and quite throw off that violence which they seem'd once to have 1. Because they never had a principle of spiritual life Things that move from a principle of life are constant as the motion of the pulse but things artificial are apt to be at a stand and their motion ceaseth As a clock when the weights are hung on goes but take off the weights and it stands So the Apostate never moves in Religion but for gain and applause and when these weights are taken off he is at a stand he goes no further That branch must needs wither that hath no root to grow upon 2. Men throw off all violence and degenerate into Apostasie because they never did duties of Religion with delight St. Paul delighted in the Law of God in the inward man Rom. 7. 22. It was his Heaven to serve God A man that delights in pleasure will never give over but the Apostate never had any true delight in the waies of God he was rather forced with fear than drawn with love he served a Master that he never cared for no wonder then he leaves his service 3. Men degenerate into Apostasie through unbelief Psal. 78. 22. They believed not in God vers 41. They turned back and tempted God Sinners have jealous thoughts of God they distrust his love therefore desert his service they think they may pray and hear and to no purpose Mal. 3. 14. What profit is it that we have kept his Ordinaâ—…nes We may draw near to God in duty but He will never draw near to us in mercy Thus Unbelief and Atheism prevailing the livery of Religion is presently thrown off and all former violence for Heaven ceaseth Infidelity is the Mother of Apostasie 4. Men leave off their former violence and prove Judasses and Devils be cause they love something else more than Religion There is some lust or other their heart is ingaged to and their violence for sin hath destroyed their violence for Religion Solyman the great Turk seeing many Christians go over to Turcism he asked them What moved them to turn Turks They replyed They did it to be eased of their Taxes They were drawn from God through the prevalency of covetousness If there be any lust in the heart predominant it will get head and destroy all former zeal for Religion Abimeleck a Bastard destroyed threescore and ten of his Brethren upon one stone Judg. 9. 15. If there be any lust the heart runs after this bastard-sin will destroy threescore and ten duties it will murder all that violence for Heaven which a man did once seem to have 5. Men leave off former violence out of pusillanimity if they are violent in Religion they fear they may lose their profits and preferments nay their lives The coward never yet won the field When carnal fear grows violent all violence for Heaven is at an end Incipit esse malus qui timet esse bonus Many of the Jews who were great followers of Christ when they saw the swords and staves left him Prov. 26. 25. In the fear of man there is a snare Carnal fear makes sin appear less than it is but danger greater 6. Men leave off violence for Heaven for want of patience Sensible feeling of joy is with-held and they have not patience to stay for the full recompence of reward Hypocrites are all for present pay and if they have not that suddenly which they desire they bid adieu to Religion and say as that wicked King 2 King 6. 33. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer They consider not that God is a free Agent and will dispense his blessings in the fittest season but they go to tye God up to their time They forget that joy is a part of the reward and would they have the reward and their work not yet finished Doth the servant use to receive his pay before his work is done Jam. 5. 7. The Husbandman waits for his precious fruits of the earth He doth not look to sow and reap in a day But Hypocrites are alwaies in haste they would reap joy before they have done sowing the seed of Repentance and because comfort is a while deferred they are offended they will serve God no longer their patience is at an end therefore their violence is at an end 7. Men leave off holy violence and degenerate into prophaneness out of a just judgement of God leaving them to themselves they oft resisted the Spirit and sent it away sad from them and now as a just judgement God saith My Spirit shall no longer strive and if this wind doth not blow upon their sails they cannot move If this Sun withdraw from their climate they must needs freeze in impenitency They before sinned against clear convictions they silenced conscience and God hath seared it And now if an Angel should preach to them from Heaven it would do them no good O how dismal is this the thoughts of it may strike us into an holy consternation Thus we see why men apostatize and leave off their violence for Heaven Well but what do they get by this let us see what a purchase Apostates make They proclaim their folly for all their former violence for Heaven is lost He who runs half the Race and then faints loseth the Garland Ezek. 18. 24. When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned All mens prayers and tears are lost The Apostate unravels all that he hath been doing He is like a man that with a pensil draws a curious picture and then comes with his spunge and wipes it out again Gal. 3. 4. Have ye suffered so many things in vain Perhaps for Religion a man hath suffered many a reproach and affront and have ye suffered all this in vain Here is folly indeed It will be bitterness in the end Jer. 2. 19. Know therefore that it is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord. Men by leaving off their violence for Heaven get a thorn in their conscience a blot in their name a curse in their souls What got Judas by his Apostasie but an halter So that it will be bitterness in the end The Apostate when he dies drops as a wind-fall into the Devil's mouth 5. It reproves those who put off this violence for the Kingdom till old age When they are fit for no other work
then they will begin this No man saith I will learn my trade when I am old It is imprudence for one to begin to work for Heaven when he is past his labour There is a night of sickness and death coming and our Saviour saith The night cometh when none can work Joh. 9. 4. Sure a man can put forth but little violence for Heaven when old age and old sins are upon him Besides how unworthy and dis-ingenuous is it to give the Devil the flower of youth and God the dâ—…egs of old age Therefore God rejected Cain's Sacrifice because it was stale before he brought it Gen. 4. 2. There is little hope of their salvation who are never violent for Heaven till their disease grows violent 6. It reproves those that are so far from using this violence for Heaven that they deride it These are your zealous ones 2 Pet. 3. 3. In the last daies there shall be scoffers Holy walking is become the object of derision Psal. 69. 12. I am become the song of the drunkards This shews a vile heart There are some who though thy have no goodness themselves yet honour them that are good Herod reverenced John Baptist. But what Devils are they who scoff at goodness and reproach others for doing that which God commands This age produceth such as sit in the chair of scorners and throw their squibs at Religion In Bohemia when some of the Martyrs were the next day to suffer they comforted themselves with this that this was their last Supper and to morrow they should feast with Christ in Heaven a Papist standing by asked them in a jear if Christ had any Cooks in Heaven to dress their Supper Oh take heed of such an Ishmael-spirit â—…t is a sign of a man given over to the Devil God scorneth the scorner Prov. 3. 34. And sure he shall never live with God whose company God scorns 7. It reproves them who instead of taking Heaven by force keep it off by force as if they were afraid of being happy or as if a Crown of glory would hurt them Such are 1. The ignorant who shut their eyes against the light and refuse to be taught the way to Heaven Hosea 4. 6. Thou hast rejected Knowledge The Hebrew word signifies to reject with disdain As I have read of a Scotch Bishop who thanked God he never knew what the Old and New Testament was I wonder where that Bishop took his text 2. The prophane who hate to be admonished and had rather die than reform Amos 5. 10. They hate him that rebuketh in the gate These keep off Heaven by force Such were those Acts 13. 46. Seeing you put away the Word from you The Greek word may be rendred seeing you shuff it away with your shoulders As if a sick â—…n should bolt out the Physician lest he should cure him Job 21. 14. Who say unto the Almighty depart from us God is loth to bâ—… gone he woes and beseecheth sinners to accept of terms of mercy he is loth to be gone but sinners will have him gone They say to him Depart May not we say to these quis effascinavit who hath bewitched you What madness beyond Hyperbole is this that you should not only forsake mercy but fight against it as if there were danger in going to Heaven These who put away salvation from them are felo de se they do wilfully perish they would not hear of any thing that should save them Were it not a sad Epitaph to be written upon a man's Tomb-stone Here lies one that murdered himself This is the condition of desperate sinners they keep off Heaven by force they are self-murderers Therefore God writes their Epitaph upon their grave Hosea 13. 9. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self 3. Let us then examine whether we put forth this holy violence for Heaven What is an empty Profession without this like a Lamp without Oyl Let us all ask our selves What violence do we use for Heaven 1. Do we strive with our hearts to get them into an holy frame How did David awaken all the powers of his soul to serve God Psal. 57. 8. I my self will awake early The heart is like a Bell that is a long while a raising 2. Do we set time apart to call our selves to an account and try our evidences for Heaven Psal. 77. 6. My Spirit made diligent search Do we take our hearts as a Watch all in pieces to see what is amiss and mend it Are we curiously inquisâ—…ive into the state of our souls Are we afraid of painted grace as of painted happiness 3. Do we use violence in prayer Is there fire in our Sacrifice Doth the wind of the Spirit filling our sails cause groans unutterable Rom. 8. 26. Do we pray in the morning as if we were to die at night 4. Do we thirst for the living God Are our souls big with holy desires Psal. 73. 25. There is none upon earth my soul desires besides thee Do we desire holiness as well as Heaven Do we desire as much to look like Christ as to live with Christ Is our desire constant Is this spiritual pulse ever beating 5. Are we skilled in self denial Can we deny our ease our aimes our interest Can we cross our own will to fulfill God's Can we behead our beloved sin To pluck out the right eye requires violence 6. Are we lovers of God It is not how much we do but how much we love Doth love command the â—…astle of our hearts Doth Christ's beauty and sweetness constrain us 2 Cor. 5. 14. Do we love God more than we fear Hell 7. Do we keep our spiritual watch do we set spies in every place watching our thoughts our eyes our tongues When we have prayed against sin do we watch against temptation The Jews having sealed the stone of Christ's Sepulchre seâ—…t a watch Matth. 27. 66. After we have been at the Word or Sacrament that sealing Ordinance do we set a watch 8. Do we press after further degrees of sanctity Phil. 3. 13. Reaching forth unto those things which are before A good Christian is a wonder he is the most contented yet the least satisfied he is contented with a little of the world but not satisfied with a little grace he would still have more Faith and be anointed with fresh Oyl Paul desired to attain unto the resurrection of the dead Phil. 3. 11. that is he endeavoured if possible to arrive at such a measure of grace as the Saints shall have at the Resurrection 9. Is there an holy emulation in us do we labour to out-shine others in Religion To be more eminent for love and good works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do we something which is singular Matth. 5. 47. What do you more than others 10. Are we got above the world though we walk on Earth do we trade in Heaven Can we say as David Psal. 139. 17. I am
still with thee This requires violence for motions upward are usually violent 11. Do we set our selves alwaies under God's eye Psal. 16. 8. I have set the Lord alwaies before me Do we live soberly and godlily remembring whatever we are doing our Judge looks on If it be thus with us we are happy persons This is the holy violence the text speaks of and is the right way of taking the Kingdom of God And surely never did Noah so willingly put forth his hand to receive the Dove into the Ark as Jesus Christ will put forth his hand to receive us into Heaven 4. It exhorts all Christians to this holy violence for Heaven But before I press the exhortation let me remove some Objections that may be made against this blessed violence 1. But we have no power of our selves to save our selves you bid us be violent as if you should bid a man tied fast in fetter â—…to walk 'T is true We cannot till grace come effectually operate to our own salvation Before conversion we are purely passive and when â—…od bids us convert and turn this is to shew us what we ought to do not what we can do Yet let us do quoad posse what we are able 1. We have power to avoid those Rocks which will certainly ruine our souls I mean gross sins A man needs not to bâ—… in bad company he needs not swear or tell alye nor would he do it if it were by Law death to swear an Oath 2. We have power to put our selves upon the use of means praying reading holy conference this will condemn men at the last day they do not act so vigorously in their sphere as they might they do not use the means and try whether God will give grace God will come with that silencing question at last Why didst not thou put my mony to the Exchangers Matth. 25. 17. Why didst not thou improve that power I gave thee 2. Though we have not power to save our selves yet we must pursue after salvation because God hath made a promise of grace as well as to grace He hath promiâ—…ed to circumcise our hearts to put his Spirit within us to inable us to walk in his statutes Ezek. 36. 27. So that by prayer we are to put the bond in suit and to press God with his own promise Though I will not say with the Arminians upon our endeavour God is bound to give grace yet he is not wanting to them that seek his grace Nâ—…y he denies his grace to none but them that wilfully refuse it Psal. 81. 11. Israel would none of me 2. But this offering violence is hard and I shall never be able to go thorow it Admit it be hard yet it is a duty and there is no disputing duty God hath made the way to Heaven hard To try our Obedience A child obeys his Father though he command him hard things Peter's obedience and love was tryed when Christ bade him come to him upon the water God doth it that he may raise the price of heavenly things Were the Kingdom of glory easily obtained we should not have valued it to its worth Such is our nature that we slight things which are easily come by If Pearls were common they would soon fall in their price If Christ and Heaven might be had without violence these blessings of the first magnitude would not have been had in such high veneration But let not the difficulty be objected What though salvation-work be hard 1. Is it not harder to lye in Hell Is not suffering vengeance worse than offering violence 2. We do not argue so in other things An estate is hard to come by therefore we will sit still No difficulty doth the more wheâ—… and sharpen our indeavour and if we take such pains for these infâ—…riour things how should we for that which is more noble and sublime The profit will abundantly countervail the labour 3. Though the business of Religion at first seems hard yet when once we are entred into it it is pleasant When the wheels of the soul are oiled with grace now a Christian moves in Religion with facility and delight Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God in the inward man Christ's yoke at the first putting on seems heavy but when once it is on it is easie To serve God to love God to enjoy God is the sweetest freedom in the world The Poets say the top of Olympus is alwaies quiet The first climbing up the rocky hill of Heaven is hard to flesh and blood but when we are gotten up towards the top there is peace and delight we see a pleasant prospect and are ready to cry out as Peter on the Mount of transfiguration It is good to be here What hidden Manna do we now find this is the anticipation or forâ—…tast of glory 3. But if I put my self upon this violent exercise in Religion then I shall lose that pleasure I have in my sin my mirth and melody and I shall exchange delight for labour and so I shall be no more Naomi but Marah Voluptuous persons speak as the Fig-tree in the Parable Judg. 9. Shall I leave my fatness and sweetness all my former pleasures and now offer violence to Heaven live a strict mortified life This crosseth the stream of corrupt nature Leave the pleasure in sin The Scripture doth so describe fin that one would think there should be little pleasure in it The Scripture calls it 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a debt Sin is compared to a debt of ten thousand talents Matth. 18. 24. A talent of gold among the Hebrews was valued at almost four thousand pounds Ten thousand talents is a figurative speech to express how great a debt sin is and do you call this a pleasure is it any pleasure for a man to be in debt 2. The Scripture calls sin a disease Isa. 1. 5. The whole head is sick Is it any pleasure to be sick Though all do not feel this sickness yet the less the distemper is felt the moremorta 3. The Scripture compares sin to Gall and Wormwood Deut. 29. 18. It breeds a bitter worm in the conscience What a worm did Spira feel Sin stings a man with wrath Joh. 3. 34. And do you call this a pleasure sure you put bitter for sweet Isa. 5. 20. The pleasures of sin do gratifie only the sensitive part of man not the rational Pleasures are called carnal because they delight only the body How absurd was that speech of the rich man in the Gospel when he was speaking of his store of goods and his barns being full Soul take thine ease Luke 12. 19. He might have said more properly Body take thine ease for his soul was never the better for his riches nor could it feel any delight in them Though his barns were full his soul was empty Therefore when Satan tells thee If thou usest violence
Heaven yet miss it Jer. 8. 12. And they said There is no hope Unbelief destroies hope and if you cut this sinew of Religion all violence for Heaven ceaseth Unbelief raisethâ—… cloud of despondency in the heart Alâ—… you will never be able to go thorow the work of Religion so many precepâ—…s to obey so many temptations to resist so many afflictions to bear that you will succumbere oneri fall under the burden you will tire in your march to Heaven Unbelief raiseth jealous thoughts of God it represents him as an austere Master and that if we fail in never so little a punctilio he will take the extremity of the Law upon us This discourageth the soul in the use of means Unbelief doth as 〈◊〉 and Toâ—…iah did to the Jews Neheâ—… 6. 9. They made us afraid faying Their hands shall be weakned from the work Oh take heed of unbelief it destroies this holy violence We read of Joroboam's arm being withered 1 King 13. 4. Unbelief withers the arm of the soul that it cannot stretch it self forth to any spiritual action Unbelief doth the Devil the greatest kindness it makes way for his temptations to enter which do so incâ—…ant and bewitch us that we cannot work Beware of this sin believe the Promises God is good to the soul that seeks him Lam. 3. 25. Do but seek him with importunity and he will open both his heart and Heaven to thee Take heed of puzling your thoughts about Election A Christian may think thus what should I take pains perhaps I am not elected and then all my violence is to no purpose Thus many are taken off from the use of means and the business of Religion is at a stand Whereas no man can justly say he is not elected It is true some of God's children have said so in temptation But as Peter in a transfiguration said he knew not what so these in a temptation But no man can say on just grounds he is not elected â—…nless he can prove that he hath sinned the â—…n against the Holy Ghost For any one to asseâ—…t nonâ—…ection is a sin for that which keeps him in â—…in must needs be sinful But this opinion keeps him in sin it discourageth him from the use of means and cuts the sinews of all endeavours do not therefore perplex your thoughts about Election this Book is sealed and no Angel can unclasp it The Rule Christians are to go by is God 's Revealed Will not his Secret God's revealed will is that we should pray and repent by this we makâ—… our calling sure and by making our calling sure we make our election sure If I see the beds of spices grow and flourish I know the Sun hath been there And if I find the fruits of obedience in my heart I may conclude Gods electing love hath shined upon me 2. Thes. 2. 12. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification Take heed of too much violence after the world the world cools good affections The earth puts out the fire The world's silver Trumpet sounds a retreat and calls men off from their pursuit after Heaven The world hindered the young man from following Christ he went away sorrowfull whereupon saith our Saviour How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God Luke 18. 24. Demos his Religion lay buried in the earth 2 Tim. 4. 10. Demos hath forsakeâ—… me having loved this present world It was a saying of Pius Quintus When I first entred into orders I had some good hope of my salvation when I became a Cardinal I doubted of it but since I came to be Pope I do even despair of it Jonathan pursued the victory till he came at the hony-comb and then he stood still 1 Sam. 14. 27. Many are violent for the Kingdom of God till gain or preferment offers it self when they meet with this hony then they stand still The world blinds mens eyes that they do not see the way and fetters their feet that they do not run in the way of God's Commandments Mithridates King of Pontus being worsted by the Romans and fearing he should not escape them caused a great deal of silver and gold to be scattered in the waies which while the Roman souldiers were busie in gathering he got away from them The like stratagem Satan useth knowing what tempting things Riches are he throws them in mens way that while they are eager in gathering these he may hinder them in their pursuit of happiness I have observed some who did once Jehu-like drive on furiously in the cause of Religion when the world hath come in upon them their Charet-wheels have been pulled off and they have driven on heavily Were a â—…an to climb up a steepy Rock and had weights tied to his legs they would hinder his ascent Mens golden weights hinder them in climbing up this steepy Rock which leads to salvation The world's musick charms men asleep and when they are asleep they are not fit to work A thing cannot be carried violently to two extreams at once The ship cannot go full sail to the East and West at the sametime So a man cannot be violent for Heaven and Earth at once he may have Christ and the world but cannot love Christ and the world 1 Joh. 2. 15. He that is all fire for the world will be all ice for Heaven Take heed of engaging your affections too far in these secular things Use the world as your servant but do not follow it as your Master Take heed of indulging any lust Sin lived in will spoil all violence for Heaven Sin infeebles 't is like the cutting Sampson's hair and then the strength departs Sin is aegritudo animi the soul's sickness Sickness takes a man off his legs and doth so dis-dis-spirit him that he is unfit for any violent exercise A sick man cannot run a Race Sin lived in takes a man quite off from duty or makes him dead in it The more lively the heart is in sin the more dead it is in prayer How can he be earnest with God for mercy whose heart accuseth him of secret sin Guilt breeds fear and that which strengthens fear weakens violence Adam having sinned was afraid and hid himself Gen. 3. 10. When Adam had lost his innocence he lost his violence Therefore lay the Axe to the root let sin be heâ—…vn down not only abstain from sin in the Act but let the love of sin be mortified and let every sin be put to the sword Many will leave ail their sins but one save one sin and lose one soul. One sin is a fetter a man may lose the Race as well by having one fetter on his leg as if he had more I have read of a great Monaroh that flying from his enemy he threw away the Crown of gold on his head that he might run the faster So that sin which thou didst wear as a Crown of gold
shall we do to draw near to God Let us contemplate the excellencies of God He is the God of Glory Psalm 29. 3. full of orient beauty in comparison of whom both Angels and men are but as the small dust of the ballance He is the God of love 2 Cor. 13. 11. who triumphs in acts of mercy Well may this incourage our approaches to him who delights to display the banner of free-grace to sinners If we should hear of a person of Honour who were of a lovely disposition obliging all that came to him by actâ—… of kindness and civility it would make us ambitiously desirous to ingratiate our selves with him and get into his acquaintance God is the most soveraign good the wonder of love ready to diffuse the silver streams of his bounty to indigent creatures this if any thing will make us willing to draw near to him and acquiesce in him as the center of felicity If we would draw near to God let us study our own wants Let us consider in what need we stand of God and that we cannot be happy without him The Prodigal never drew near to his Father till he began to be in want Luke 15. A proud sinner who was never convinced of his want minds not to come near God he hath a stock of his own to live upon Jer. 2. 31. We are Lordâ—… we will come no more unto thee A full stomach despiseth the hony-comb 'T is the sense of want brings us near to God Why did so many lame and paralytical resort to Christ but because they wanted a cure Why doth the thirsty man draw near a fountain but because he wants water Why doth a condemned man draw near his Prince but because he wants a pardon When a poor soul reviews its wants I want grace I want the favour of God I am damned without Christ this makes him draw near to God and be an earnest supplicant for mercy If we would draw near to God let it be our care to clear our interest in God Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near in full assurance of Faith When we know him to be our God then we draw near to him The Spouse by virtue of the conjugal union draws near to her Husband Psalm 48. 14. This God is our God Let us beg the holy Spirit The Spirit of God hath a magnetical virtue Corruption draws the heart from God the Spirit draws it to him Caâ—…t 1. 4. Draw me we will run after thee The Spirit by his Oâ—…ipotent grace draws the heart to God suavitèr but fortitèr sweetly but powerfully Let us get our hearts fired with love to God which way the love goes that way the heart is drawn If God be the treasure delighted in our hearts will be drawn to him Servile fear makes the soul fly from God sacred love makes it fly to 〈◊〉 FINIS * Psal. 82. 6. * Gratius 〈◊〉 proâ—… aliis quà m magnas 〈◊〉 habert Ciccro 〈◊〉 * Job 32. 22 * Per arundinem câ—…m sit nutanti caâ—…ine â—…ovis vel lâ—…issimo veâ—…to nunc bâ—… nunc illâ—… agitatur intelligit salvâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…even instabilâ—…m at talis Aâ—…io noâ—…â—…at Johannes sed coâ—…stans 〈◊〉 sâ—…t similiâ—… nâ—… in carâ—… quidqâ—…m sâ—…e sententiae mutant Prugensis In Eâ—…o vâ—…t Johannes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suppetunt vistiâ—…m aâ—…t ciâ—…um dâ—…e sed â—…culta 〈◊〉 austera squalida noâ—…â—…uit homo â—…ollis â—…d locâ—…s id 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illiâ—…â—…o â—…ntur Idem 1. * Johanne Christun poeâ—…itentiam praedicante poâ—…lus magâ—…o impâ—…tu accurrit ad oblatam graâ—… Mâ—…sterus * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Quest. Resp. Noâ—…a Evangelii doctriâ—… ad quam jam ultrò constuebat Turba Erasm. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Metaphora sumpta à Castris vel ab Arceâ—… quapiam quae irrumpâ—…ibus hostibus diripitur Erugens * Impitu quodam in illud pâ—…pitur Junius Observ. 1. * Quâ—… non prohibet cum potest jubet 2. * Solertèr strenuè 〈◊〉 â—…st nec in tanto rerum cardine â—…ssandum cum hâ—…c una râ—…s naturà ho ninis dignasit in qâ—…a vires impâ—…dat oâ—…es suas Clarius 1. Clamitat iâ—… Câ—…lum vox sanguinis c. * Pâ—…ius ruat coeâ—…m quà â—… pâ—…eat â—…mica 〈◊〉 Luther * Pulchrior â—…st verâ—…t as Christianorum quà m Helen Graecoâ—… Aug. Ep. ad Hieâ—… * â—…d verum quod primum Terâ—…ull * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veritas irradiat intellectum animat sidem Beâ—…n 2. * Jansen Beza Gerhard 3. 1. * Qui Regni Dei desidâ—…rio tenentur violentiâ quâdam irrumpuâ—… ut participes illius fiant cum dispendio vitae Munster 2. * Volunt at sequitur dictamen intellectus * Qui vim faâ—…it vehementi studio properat Ambr. in Iuc lib. 8. * Kimchi Abon-ezra 3. 4. 1. * Regno vis inserri non possit nisi nobis ipsis vim inferamus Brugens * Membra Tâ—…rrena vocat Apostolus Affectus pravos hi enim sunt quasi membra veteâ—…is hominis Lap. Faelix mors quae vitam â—…on auâ—…ert sed traâ—…rt in meâ—…ius * Carnis desideria nâ—… uno ictu sed sensim resâ—…anda suâ—…t Corn. Lap. * In quantum non pepâ—…ris tibi in taâ—…tum tibi Deus paâ—… cet Tertul. Metaâ—…hora à pugilibus sumpta Chemâ—…it Quest. Resp. Quest. Answ. * Pasâ—… 〈◊〉 litiis viâ—… 〈◊〉 Ambrose lib. 1. de poenit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…o erius 1. 1. 2. 2. 1. * Et linguam alloâ—…uitur 〈◊〉 cor Muscul. 2. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 26. 3. 1. * Qâ—…arit Scriptura lectorem attentum oscitantem autem respuit Rivet Isagoge ad Script * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Traen 1. * Differt Scriptura specificè à symbolis fidei quia 〈◊〉 veâ—… est illa autem per consenâ—…um adâ—… eam quae est regula mâ—…sura omâ—…is veritatis revelatae Riv. 2 * Adorâ—… plenitudinem Scripturae Tâ—…tul Psa. 19. 7. 3 4. 5. Palsas de Scripturis Diaboli sagittas veâ—…is Scripturarum fraâ—…git clypâ—…is Brugens 6. * Splendoris sui radiis coecitatem depellit Rivet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. * Onnis animi mâ—…rbus in Scriptura habet medicâ—…am 8. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignatius 9. 10. 2. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pendebat ab ore ejus tanquam extra se raptus prae aviditate Brug 1. 2. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Châ—…sost * Mortâ—…m formidate aeâ—…ernam si verba viâ—…ae i. e. alimenta justitiâ—… in â—…moriae arâ—…a noâ—… tenetis Greg. 3. Duty * Sit oratio pura serviâ—… c. Prosper * Elevatio meâ—…tis â—…d Deum * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Thâ—…bulum sine Pruâ—…is Luth. * Psal. 44. 23. * 〈◊〉 oâ—…as 〈◊〉 aliu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de
Masters of musick It is called a Psalm of Asaph either because he composed it or because it was committed to him to sing This holy man here seems to have a dialogue with himself concerning providence He was ready to call God's providences to the bar of reason and enquire the equity of them How doth it seem just that they who are evil should enjoy so much good and they who are good should endure so much evil While Asaph was debating the case with himself at last his faith got above his sense he considered that the wicked were set in locis lubricis in slippery places And like such as go upon Ice their feet would soon slide or like such as walk on Mines of Powder they would soon be blownup Verse 18. This did both resolve his doubt and compose his spirit The proaemium or entrance into the Psalm is not to be forgotten Truly God is good to Israel so the Hebrew renders it certainly Without dispute this is a golden maxim must be held In the Septuagint it is vox admirantis it is set out by way of admiration O how good is God to Israel What Angel in Heaven can exptess The vulgar reads it veruntamen yet God is good as if the Psalmist had said though the Candle of prosperity shines on the wicked they have not only what their heart can wish but more than heart can wish Verse 7. And though the godly are sorely afflicted mingling their drink with weeping yet for all this God is good to Israel Here is the Fountain the Stream the Cistern the Fountain God the Stream Goodness the Cistern into which it runs Israel Indeed God is good to all Psal. 145. 9. The sweet dew falls upon the Thistle as well as the Rose But though God be good to all yet not alike good to all He is good to Israel in a special manner The wicked have sparing mercy but the godly have saving mercy And if God be good to his people then it is good for his people to draw near to him So it is in the Teâ—…t It is good for me to draw near to God 1. We may look upon the words in Hypothesi here is something implied viz. that by nature we are far off from God Drawing near implies a strangeness and distance In our lapsed estate we lost two things the image of God and communion with God Psal 58. 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb Every step a sinner takes is a going further from God The Prodigal's going into a far Country Luke 15. 14. was an emblem of the sinner's going afar off from God How far are they distant from God who have been travelling forty or fifty years from their Father's house and which is worse sinner's are not only far from God but they do not desire to be near him Jer. 4. 10. They have loved to wander Sin doth not care to be near holiness The wicked get as far as they can from God Like Cain who went out from the presence of the Lord Gen. 4. 16. That is the Church of God where were the visible signs of God's presence he estranged himself from God as much as he could he sell to building thereby thinking to drown the noise of his conscience as the Italians of old were wont to drown the noise of Thunder by ringing their Bells Sinner's think God's company may be best spared Isaiah 30. 11. Cause the Holy one of Israel to cease from before us Let us shut God out of our company let him be no more named among us A bad eye loves not to be near the Sun Let us be deeply humbled for our fall in Adam which hath set us at such a distance from the blessed God Heaven and Earth are not so far asunder as God and the sinner The further we are from God the nearer we are to Hell The further a man sails from the East the nearer he is to the West Let us think of returning to God by Repentance Say as the Church Hos. 2. 7. I will go and return to my first Husband for then was it better with me than now 2. Let us consider the text in Thesi It is good for me to draw near to God The text falls into these parts 1. The Person me 2. The Act draw near 3. The Object God 4. The excellency of the Act it is good The Proposition is this That it is a great duty incumbent upon Christians to draw near to God Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near with a true heart For the illustration of the Proposition four things are to be enquired into 1. How we are capable of drawing near to God 2. Where we draw near to God 3. The manner of our drawing near to God 4. Why we must draw near to God 1. How we are capable of drawing near to God By nature we stand in opposition to God Col. 1. 21. alienated and enemies How then can we approach nigh to God Answ. It is through a Mediatour Out of Christ God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. But Jesus Christ is the â—…creen between us and divine Justice Christ as our High Priest assumes our flesh Christ's flesh is called a vail Heb. 10. 20. As Moses when his face shone so exceeding bright put a vail upon it and then Israel might approach near to him and look upon him So Christ having vailed himself with our humane nature we may now draw nigh to God and behold him And as Christ makes way for us into the Holy of Holies by his Incarnation so by his Crucifixion he died to make God and us friends The Divine Law being infringed God's Justice was provoked and satisfaction demanded before we could approach to God in an amicable way Now here Christ as our Priest sâ—…ed his blood for our sins and so made the attonement Col. 1. 20. Having made peace through the blood of his Cross As Joseph being so great at Court made way for all his Brethren to draw near into the King's presence Gen. 47. 2. So Jesus Christ is our Joseph that doth make way for us by his blood that we may now come near iâ—…to Gods presence Through Christ God is pleased with us he holds forth the golden Scepter that we may draw near and touch the top of the Scepter 2. Where we draw near to God Answ. In the use of his Ordinances In the Word we draw near to his Holy Oracle in the Sacrament we draw near to his Table In the one we hear his voice in the other we have his kiss Besides we do in a special manner draw near to God in Prayer Prayer is the soul 's private converse and intercourse with God Prayer whispers in God's ears Psal. 18. 6. My prayer came before him even into his ears In prayer we draw so near to God that we take hold of him Isa. 64. 6. God draws nigh to us by his Spirit and
we draw nigh to him in prayer 3. The modus or â—…anner of our drawing near to God God's special residence is in Heaven and we draw near to God not by the feet of our bodies but our souls The affections are the feet of the soul by these we move towards God David drew nigh to God in his desires Psalm 73. 25. There is none in earth I desire besides thee He did shoot his heart into Heaven by pious ejaculations Spirits may have intercourse at a distance 4. Why we must draw near to God Because he is our Maker in him we live He hath given us our bodies they are his curious needle work Psal. 139. 15. And as he hath wrought the Cabinet so he hath put the Jewel in it the precious soul and surely if we had our being from him we cannot breathe without him there is good reason we should draw near to him in a way of homage and observance God is our Benefactor he crowns us with variety of blessings he gives health and estate every â—…it of bread we eat is reached to us by the hand of Divine Bounty Is there not great reason we should draw near to him that feeds us Give a beast provender and he will follow you all the field over Not to draw near to him who is our Benefactor is worse than brutish God is the summum bonum the chief good There 's enough in God to satisfie the immense desire of the Angels He is omnimode duleis the quintessence of sweetness in him all perfections are concentred wisdom holiness goodness he hath rivers of pleasure where the soul shall bathe its self for ever with infinite delight Psal. 36. So that here is ground sufficient for our drawing near to God he is the chief good Every thing desires to approach to its happiness 1. See the right genius and temper of a gracious soul is is ever drawing near to God it loves to converse with him in private A person truly regenerate is not able to stay away long from God Psal. 63. 8. My soul followeth hard after God A pious soul cannot but draw near to God Out of the intire love which he bears to God 'T is the nature of love to draw the heart to the object loved He that loves his friend will often give him a visit He that loves God will visit him The heart ascends to God in a fiery Chariot of love A gracious soul cannot but draw near to God because of the intimate relation between God and him God is a Father Isa. 64. 8. Doubtless thou art our Father Doth not the child delight to draw near to his Father No Father like to God for love his children shall never want he hath Land enough to give to all his heirs He loves his children so intirely that he will never dis-inherit them How then can Believers keep away from their Father they know not how to be long out of his presence A gracious soul cannot chuse but draw near to God because he hath found so much sweetness and content in it While he hath drawn near to God he hath drawn virtue from him Never did Jonathan taste so much sweetness when he dipp'd his Rod in the hony-comb 1 Sam. 14. 27. as the soul finds in communion with God In drawing near to God a Christian's heart hath been warmed and melted the Lord hath kindled his sacrifice from Heaven In his approaches to God he hath had the illapses of the Spirit the incomes of Gods love the praelibations of glory God hath given him a bunch of Grapes by the way he hath tasted that the Lord is good no wonder then he is so frequent in his approaches to the divine Majesty he hath found the comfort of drawing near to God 2. It reproves them who instead of drawing near to God draw near to the world The world ingrosseth all their time and thoughts Phil. 3. 19. Who'mind earthly things A good Christian useth the world for his necessity but his main work is to draw near to God Whoever he compounds with and paies short he will be sure God shall not be a loser He gives God a daily sacrifice he follows God fully Numb 14. 14. But covetous persons make the world their treasure and what is their treasure that doth most command their hearts Worldlings live by sense and to talk to them of drawing nigh to God is to speak riddles and paradoxes to them They can no more live out of the earth than the fish out of the water They have the Serpent's curse upon them to lick the dust Things of a worldly aspect draw away the heart from God They are retinacula spei as Tertullian saith they hinder our passage to the holy Land Had not the fall beat off mens head-piece of wisdom they would think thus with themselves If there be any beauty in the world what is there in God that made it he gives the flower its colour and odour he gives the diamond its lustre he gives food its delicious taste and if there be such sweetness in creatures what is there in God he is infinitely better than all Shall these poor things draw off our hearts from God shall the drop draw us from the fountain shall the light of the Taper draw us from the Sun shall we admire the gift and forget the giver Solomon speaks of a genâ—…ration of men madness is in their heart Eccl. 9. 3. Sure they who draw near the world and leave God madness is in their hear O how empty and insignificant are all other things without God! they are in their matter earthly in their procuring painful in their fruiâ—…ion surfeiting in their duration dying in their operation damning 2. It reproves them who draw nigh to God but it is hypocritically they draw nigh with their lips but not with their hearts Isa. 29. 13. The Jews saith one use great shews of adoration and in their Synagogues burn Lamps to the honour of God but no inward devotion can be perceived What is pomp without piety Sinners give God the worship of their bodies but keep their hearts for something else they love better The heart is a Virgin God himselelf is Suitor to Pro. 23. 26. My Son give me thy heart To draw near to God with the body but not the heart is to abuse God 'T is as if one should come into an Apothecaries shop and ask for cordial water and he should give him an empty glass To draw nigh to God without an heart is to play a devotion and to go to Hell covered with Religion's mantle 3. It reproves them who in stead of drawing near to God draw back from God these are enegadoes they once seemed to put forth their blossoms and gave good hope of their conversion but their Spring is changed to Autumn Either fear of persecution or hope of preferment