in our Souls which formerly they had and hereby the Soul is more easily to be reduced under the Command of Christ and under The law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ 4ly We keep close under the influences of the Quickening Spirit All life is from God and the nearer we are to God the nearer we are to life Now the distance we are in at any time from God is not of place but of state We cannot possibly be any where where God is not present for God Fills Heaven and Earth Jer. 23. 24. But he is not present to us we have no sensible Experience of his presence in us because our minds are averse from him The way then to find and feel the warmth of the Sun of Righteousness is to turn to it not by Changing our place but by Changing the posture of our Soul our backs are towards God while we follow our lusts then we turn to God when we put our selves in the way of duty 3ly As a condition upon which God has suspended the giving of life Eternal life being the gift of God he may give it out unto whom he pleases upon what termes he pleases Rom. 6. 23. And that he has made Obedience the termes of Eternal life is euident Christ tells the young man Mat. 19. 17. If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Paul Saith God will render to every one according to their works to them who by patienâ— Continuance in weldoing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal life Rom. 2. 7. John saith Men come to have right to the Tree of life by doing Gods Commands Rev. 22. 14. The difference betwixt the Old and New Covenant do's not lie here that the one requires works and the other do's not But they both require works onely with this difference the Old Covenant requires good works from us to be done by our selves the other requires good works in us to be done by the Spirit of Christ And therefore by our Works we shall be tried at the great day whether we be fit for life or we be not As is evident Mat. 25. Vse 1st Is there a way to life then none are excluded by God from Eternal life seeing God has not set this where it cannot be come at but has left a way to it which who ever take cannot miss of Eternal life There is a way to Eternal life this way is declared what it is and how it lies we are loudly called by God into this way Continually called by all providences and Ordinances Now Therefore if we will not take this way and for want of taking it ruine our selves can we say that it is Gods fault that we come short of life Can we clear our selves either by pretending ignorance as if we knew not the way when the Lord has shewed thee O man what is good And what do's the Lord by God require of thee c. Mic. 6. 8. Or by pleading Impotence we could not walk in it this cannot be for if it be a way it must be passable And though we cannot walk in this way of our selves by our own strength yet by the help of God we may and God is Never backward Seasonably to give in Convenient help to those who heartily desire it of him 2ly Is there a way to life let every one take heed how they come short of life had mans case been desperate and now that he has once fallen from life there were no more possibility of his return to it again then there is for the Devils there being no way left to life for them it would have been a troubling our selves to no purpose should we have striven to get to life What vse could there be of any cares or Endeavours in such a case All would have been superfluous But now that there is a way to life a way opened to us by the Blood of Christ and we may attain to life if we do but for our selves what we might and ought we are greatly concerned to look to it that we come not short of life for all this through our own unbelief carelesness and sloth It is sad to lose life and to be vtterly and everlastingly undone for want of it But it will be far sadder to lose it when it has been prepared and offered a way has been made to it and the way declared and we called into it Be the good never so Valuable that we come short of the Evil never so Intolerable that we are plunged into yet if the one could not be by us attained the other could not be by us avoided we Comfort our selves with this that how greivous soever our Sufferings be yet it could not be helped But as the case is here if we lose life and plung our selves into an endless Death we shall be vtterly deprived even of this Comfort we can never be able to say that it could not be helped there was no Remedy it could never be otherwise then it is No then we shall be made to Remember and to Acknowledge that it might have been far otherwise we might have been as full of Happiness as we are now of Misery had we but taken the right way and that we Missed the way was not so much Ignorance as Willfulness or at the best Carelessness This is that which will make Hell-fire burne hotter and its pains Torment more intolerably when we are made to Remember what Fair warnings we had against it how we were told that the way we took was the ready Road to it how we were seriously invited and that frequently into another way which we were assured would lead us into a state of as great Blessedness as we were capable of Doct. 2. The Enterance into the way of life is through a Gate a strait Gate If ye ask what Gate is this it is the Gate of Regeneration for this is the passage through which we turne out of the way of destruction into the way of Salvation while we are in our old nature our motions are Earth-ward and Hell-ward for that way do our Inclinations lead us But when we have attained a new nature a divine nature our bent is altered and by this we are carried Heaven-ward and God-ward our outward man is kept within bounds by the Law and our inward man is Enlarged and Raised carried towards those things which are Spiritual and Eternal by the Spirit Qu. But what is Regeneration which is the Gate into the way of life It is such an alteration wrought in the Soul by the powerfull operation of Gods Spirit whereby the Soul which was Dead in Trespasses and sins Passes from Death to Life 1 Joh. 3. 14. It comes to have new Senses new motions It comes to have different apprehensions from what it had before Wealth Honour Pleasures it counted things of Worth and use now it looks upon them but as vanity and vexation the ways of Sin it looked upon as wayes of
to know the ready and certain way of the Place where he may get all his Necessities supplied 〈◊〉 whâ—n he knows the Way he never offers to take it but rests where he is till he Perish through Hunger Thirst and â—â—â—â—â—ness 2ly In that they please themselves in that which will certainly prâ—jâ—dâ—ce them For men had much better not know Gods will than when they do know it not to do it Their sin becomes more hâ—inous S. John 9. 41. Jesus said unto 〈…〉 ye were Blind ye should have no Sin but now ye say we see therefore your Sin Remaineth Christ here aggravates the Sin of the Pharisees in that they sinned with their Eyes open If ye were Blind ye should have no Sin i. e. None in Comparison of what now ye have The more Will there is in any Sin the more Wickedness also and the more Knowledge there is the more Will. And their Judgment becomes of more Grievous like that of the Servant which know his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will and therefore was adjudged to be Beaten with many Stripes S. Luke 12. 47. God is more highly provoked by those who presume to do what they know is contrary to his Will and therefore he will more severely Punish them And it adds to the Wright of their Judgement when our Conscience has greater Reason than Ordinary to upbraid us for bringing our selves Voluntarly under it in that we were told the way to Escape it and intreated yea Commanded to take this way and yet we would not If any shall say that if Ignorance somewhat Extenuate the Sin and alleviate the Judgement it will be the wisest course to live in Ignorance and to shun Knowledge Let such know that although Unavoidable Ignorance extenuates Sin yet affected Ignorance aggravates it When men are desirous to know what they should do and omit and are Willing to do their Duty according to their Knowledge and Neglect no means which God Vouchsafes them whereby their Knowledge may be increased In this case if they do what ought not to be done or Neglect what ought not to be Neglected God imputes it to their Ignorance and not to themselves and he accounts this Ignorance their Unhappiness rather than their Sin He deals with them as he did with S. Paul in the like case they obtain Mercy because they do it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. 13. But if men being desirous to Sin without any Check of Conscience do therefore shun to know their Duty when they have means of Knowledge that they may go on in their Sinfull Omissions and Commissions without regret or Reluctancy their Ignorance of their Duty doth but make their Sin the more heinous The Reason why they do what they ought not and do not what they ought is not because they know not what ought or ought not to be done For if they did know this Never so well they would do as they do still therefore their Ignorance cannot Excuse that Sin which it has no Influence upon Besides if their being Ignorant of their Duty were the Cause of their Transgressing it yet they being the Cause of their own Ignorance in that they do purposely decline those means which might remove it lest they should by them come to know their Duty they can in no wise be Excused by their Ignorance Their Ignorance in this case is not a bare Circumstance of another Sin but a distinct Sin in it self in that it is a Voluntary thing in them and their own Choice Yea 't is an heinous Sin too in that the End it is designed for is that we may commit All Wickedness with more Greediness He that is naturally Blind if through his Blindness he run into some Mischief he is pitied and excused but he that can see well enough and yet shuts his Eyes on purpose that he may pretend this as an Excuse for his doing a Mischief he is the more Severely censured and the more Grievously Punished for it Use 2. This shews the great Untowardness which is in Mens hearts that they are so bad as to bring forth no Fruit when they have such advantage by Hearing to make them Fruitfull Hereby they are instructed what to do they learn what God does Counsell and command them to do Hereby they are convinced how much it is their Concernment to do what they are Counselled and Commanded It is as much as their Souls are worth to Neglect this It is the certain Loss of Heaven the certain Incurring all the Torments of Hell Hereby they are directed how to discharge their duty so as will make must for Gods Glory and their own Advantages they are directed how to get those Helps which may incline and Enable them for their Duty the Quickning and strengthening Vertue of the Spirit Hereby they are 〈◊〉 to set about their Duty notwithstanding the Difficulties of it and the Disadvantagâ—â— by it Now when men have such Instructions such Convictions such Directions such Encouragements to set about Doing it is a sign of great Naughtiness in their Hearts when nothing will make them do their Duty neither Respect to God nor to Themselves and their own good Use 3. This shows the great Necessâ—â—y of getting the Heart throughly 〈◊〉 getting the Law writ in the Heart getting the Spirit of Life which is in Christ and Improving those Promises whereby God 〈◊〉 Encourage us to expect these great things from him For then shall we both Know Gods will and be Willing and ready to do it but not till then We may without this Hear with our outward Ears what ever 〈◊〉 can tell us of our Duty and Gods will and yet never Understand it we may Understand and never Believe it We may Believe for so do the Devils in some sense all Gods Word and never Obey it But when the Lord has put his Spirit within 〈◊〉 to cause us to walk in his statutes Ezek. 36. 27. We shall walk in them When God has Created us in Christ Jesus unto good works we shall Walk in them Ephes. 2. 10. If God Sanctifie us throughout in Spirit Soul and Body we shall be preserved 〈◊〉 unto the Sâ—cond coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1. Thes 5. 23. Use 4. This shows how Unreasonable it is to blame Ministers always 〈◊〉 the Unfruitfulness of their Auditors and to Reproch them with the Sins of their Heavens It is Possible be their Preaching never so Powerfull their Lives never so 〈◊〉 they may little prevail with their Authors to bring them unto good If men may hear Christs sayings from his own mouâ—â— and yet 〈…〉 them when they have 〈…〉 there was so much Tuâ—â—h in his 〈…〉 so much 〈◊〉 and Prudence in 〈…〉 of Handling it as never can be Expected from any meer man how much more may they hear what is delivered by others without Profiting by it Take the most Eminent Preacher that ever Taught and let him be the most Unblameable Liver that ever
nature And observe God and you shall find that it is not so much modes and fashions of Religion as love and goodness which God most stands upon These are the essentiall parts of Religion and the immutable parts others as they are accidentall so they are various Love is the summ of the Law Mat. 22. 39 40. Rom. 13. 9 10. owe no Man any thing c. Ye have the vast body of the Law epitomized here Thus Chymists can reduce the vertues of Herbs and Mineralls into a very little roome drawing of the Essences and Spirits and leaving the gross matter behind Love is the end of the law The end of the law is Charity 1. Tim. 1. 5. This is that which the Law aimes to bring Men too and when it has once brought Men to this it has done its work Love is the great designe of ordinances what Christ most prayes for That they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Joh. 17. 21. What the Ministers of Christ should most preach up Phil. 2. 1. 2. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love c. And indeed the main edification is in love Ephe. 4. 16. Unto the edifying it self in love It s also the great designe of providences Does God carry lovingly to his people it is to teach them to love one another Love one another as I have loved you Joh. 15. 12. Does he carry angrily towards them he does but whip them round to make them kiss one another falls out with them all that he may make them agree better among themselves If ye ask what peculiar excellency there is in love which gives it the preheminence to all other attributes Answer 1st It perfects that in God which is the Cheif faculty in him In every rationall being there are three Facultys the Appetitive Faculty the will which carries out to desire what is agreeable to its nature The Directive Faculty the vnderstanding which both discouer the object which is desirable and propounds to the Choice the various methods and means whereby the good desired may be attained And the executive faculty which wants a peculiar name whereby the methods and means pitcht upon by Choice are applied for the attaining the good desired Now of these three facultyes the appetitive is the Chief it being the Spring unto the other two to set them upon motion and keeping a hand over them so as to restrain them when it pleases the Will fits as Queen having the understanding besides it for its Councellour the executive faculty below it for its Minister to act Accordingly whereas there are three habits to perfect these three facultys that which perfecteth the Cheif must be the Cheif of them and consequently love which perfects the Will must have the preheminence of wisdom which perfects the understanding and of Power which perfects the Motive faculty Now though in God by reason of the purity and simplicity of the Divine nature we cannot so properly distinguish these faculties yet being found in the Choicest Creatures and being acknowledged excellencyes in them they cannot be wanting in God himself but must be in him though in a more eminent manner 2dly It most Clearly distinguishes God from all other beings every thing is distinguished from all other things by that which is its Choicest perfection Thus it being the Cheif excellency of man that he is able to take a view of Severall things at once and to compare one thing with another and from principles evident in themselves to deduce conclusions which are more obscure hence he is distinguished from all bruits by this one thing that he is a rationall creature Thus Love being the Cheif perfection of God he is distinguished from all other things by this that he is Love the best that can be said of any other being is that it has love And as God is the most excellent being in the world so the Devil is the basest and the main thing wherein God dos most evidently differ from the Devill is not either wisdom or power for the Devil has a great deal of both these though its true they are but finite in him whereas they are infinite in God but its love and goodness for there is not the least of these in the Divell and the very want of these makes him a Divell were he not so full of malice and naughtiness as he is so imutably Settled in these as he is he would not be what he is a Devill Nay should it be granted what some of Old have strongly fancyed though against all reason that there were two infinite beings the one good the other bad the bad would have all other perfections besides goodness equal unto the good and for want of this one perfection it being the main it would not be God for God and the Cheife good are all one 3dly It has the Soveraigne command of all other excellencies in God There is nothing but what is excellent in God and no excellency in him but what is either a part of his goodness or a Servant to it Gods pitty is but goodness to those in misery his mercy is but his goodness to those that are Sinfull as well as miserable Nay Gods Justice which Seemes most opposite to his goodness is but goodness exerting it selfe with vehemency and indignation against that in men and Devils which most hinders goodness from Communicating it selfe As for Gods Wisdome and power these attend on goodness to execute its commands Wisdome has no other work then to contrive the readiest way to do the most good and power is wholy imployed in removing those obstacles which hinder the doing of good That therefore which do's most sway with God in all his actings and has so great an influence upon all his attributes to point them what way to steer must needs be a very eminent perfection in God 4thly The displaying of love and goodness do's most tend to the glorifing of God I know not whether this do more prove love and goodness to be the prime perfectoon of God or demonstrate why it so Absolute Supermacy how highly soever it may be prized by foolish and proud men yet God do's not look upon it as becoming himself and therefore though he may pretend to it as Justly as any else yet he Counts it not worth his Claim When he is Challenged for unrighteousness by vnreasonable persons he alleadges not that he being the greatest in the world may do what ever he list without Controul or without giving account but he pleads his own cause and submits his providences to the severest censure of those who have reason and will Judge indifferently Exek 18. 25. He accounts it a far greater honour to be reputed a gracous King then a great tyrant Wisdom though it pass among men for a very choice excellency as indeed it is The excellency of a Man as a Man that
Hosts Isa 9. 13. And so in a manner baffle him by their perverseness in a most gracious design 5. This is the design of Christs undertakings wherein he should not be Frustrated Christ became EMMANUEL God with us that God might be in us He assumed the Humane nature that we might be Partakers of the Divine which cannot be without our finding God He suffered for sins that he might bring us unto God 1. Pet 3. 18. The Bloud of Christ was for making those that were a far off nigh unto God Ephe. 2. 13. Which cannot be without seeking him It is their Concern also for 1st If men find God in him they will find two great Advantages which they will but in vain seek for any where else These are 1st Salvation from evil things as lust sin with all the Mischevous Consequences of it Gods wrath the Laws Curse the Miseries of this life the Terrours of Death and the Torments of Hell From evil Persons Enemies without as wicked men and cruel Devils the great enemy within our Carnall selves In all these cases it is palpably evident that Salvation belongeth unto the Lord Psal 3. 8. 2ly Satisfaction in God The Soul was made for God at the first and only God can fit it and fill it answering its vast Capacities and fulfilling its numerous desires Whatever is besides and below God all worldly Enjoyments are unsuitable to a Soul which is Spirituall unproportionable to a Soul which is immense Eternall Without God himself there cannot be that peace of God which passeth all understanding Phil. 4. 7. There will not be that Joy unspeakable and full of Glory that Fullness of Joy which only is in Gods presence Psal 16 11. 2ly If men finally miss of finding God 1st They sustain great loss their Souls will be lost the most noble and durable part of man the immediate workmanship of Gods hands the purchase of Christs Bloud which is of more value then many worlds will be utterly and Irrecoverably lost Not that it will cease to be but it will be so miserable that it had better never have been It will be an extream Burden to its self being without God for it can never possibly enjoy it self if it find not God 2ly Heaven will be lost and all the joyes and Glories of it There is no being in Heaven without God who makes the main of Heaven into which men enter not so much by changing their place as by changing their state 3ly Their Lives will be unprofitable they will live like Brutes or Devils and want the honour and pleasure of doing service to God and good to themselves and their brethren being Blessings to the places where they are cast Without finding God no good will be got or done for without him we can do nothing S John 15. 5. It is he who works all our good works in us and for us 4ly Their Death will be terrible When men are about breathing out their last their Friends weeping and mourning over them but not able to Comfort or help them unless they be stupid and senseless what horrour and anguish must they needs be in then if they have God to seek when they are quite leaving the world and all its delights wherein they have so much pleased themselves and when they are entring into an Eternity of Woes and Miseries Alass They cannot say with David Psal 23. 4. Though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no Evill For thou art with me 5ly Hell will be altogether unavoidable the Horrours torments whereof are unspeakable unconceivable and unsupportable being to continue unto all Eternity without Remission or Intermission The Soul once out of the Body if without God needs no other Hell than what it Carries about with it For then it will be continually upbraiding it self with â—â—s sin and folly and its own desires will Torture it by their Eager and Impetuous Cravings which are never like to meet with the least satisfaction Vse 1. Expostulation 1st Why do we not what we may and ought yea and must do unless we resolve to be extremely endlessly miserable What! have we found God already It is well if we have But let me tell you there are not many that have found him neither is he soon and easily found and Men have no reason to presume that they have found God unless they have uncontroulable Evidences that they have found him Thou who sayest thou hast found God what Extraordinary Wisdome and Grace and Comfort hast thou to Demonstrate that God is in thee of a Truth 2ly Is he not worth seeking If he be not he invites us to our loss when he calls on us to seek him And good men have all along been very Fools who have imployed their time so unprofitably if men may do well enough when they come to die though their Souls have nothing to live on for they are like to Enjoy the world no longer If happiness everlasting happiness be worth seeking God is for only by finding God we are like to find that 3ly Do we expect to find him without seeking We may expect and see what will come of it But if we miss God it will be in vain to wish we had sought him when the time of seeking him is over And it will be little Comfort to us when we feel our selves miserable beyond all Expression for want of God to say we thought we might have found him without seeking And what grounds have we for such Expectations Did we ever know any that found God without seeking Or do the Scriptures mention any way of finding God without seeking Or have we heard from any that are come to God that they know any other way Vse 2. Exhortation Let us all set about this work which we are so much obliged to and concerned in which is the main 〈◊〉 business of our Lives and which 〈…〉 come to die we shall all wish we 〈…〉 applyed our selves unto all 〈…〉 set about it forthwith or 〈…〉 severall Hazards which few in their 〈◊〉 â—â—uld venture upon in matters of far less 〈◊〉 We say we will in good earnest set about seeking God after such a time when we have dispatched such a Business or Enjoyed such a pleasure But how if that time never come Thou in the mean time being snatched away by suddain Death as many are unexpectedly in the midst of their health and strength Suppose the time come and thou hast no leisure being pressed by the importunity of Friends to settle thy Worldly affaires and to make provision for thy Wife and Children How if though thou shouldest have never so much Leisure yet thou hast no such Composure as a 〈◊〉 of such weight which will take up a mans whole thoughts doth require Is a man in due Temper of mind for seeking God when he is fit for nothing else his mind being inwardly Distracted with câ—res about his Temporall concernes and feares of Death and outwardly disturbed with the Lamentations and discourses of these about him How if thou shouldest want neither leisure nor Bodily Health and strength and yet want 〈…〉 Are not many in their life 〈…〉 very Sâ—â—s Are not some Distressed with 〈◊〉 or Melancholy Some 〈…〉 with stupid lethargies 〈…〉 Now are such as 〈…〉 my Tolerable Capacity for seeking God What it thou shouldest wâ—nt a will to seek God at that time which thou proposest to thy self to do this in If nothing else be a wanting this will be enough to hinder thee from doing any thing to purpose herein Now when thy will is already so averse from this necessary work is it likely it should be more inclinable to seek God when longer Custome in sin has further perverted it worldly Affaires have more Entangled it fleshly pleasures have more inveagled it Satans Cunning and power has more inslaved it How if thou neither wantest will nor any of the forementioned Requisites for seeking God and yet want power to do it to purpose If God has given over seeking thee thou canst not seek him Once thou hadst Providences and Ordinances and mightest have had the Influences of Gods Spirit to excite thee to and to direct and assist thee in seeking God but thou wouldest not make use of them and now God is resolved thou shalt have no more offers of any such help You see then such a Resolution of putting off the seeking of God for a while is very unsafe It is also very unmeet and inconvenient If thou wert never so sure that thou couldest afterwards seek God so as to find him yet by delaying to do so now thou art like to be a loser for the longer thou puttest off seeking God the later thou wilt find him and so in the mean time thou wilt be deprived of all those gifts graces and Comforts wherewith God once found would have enriched adorned and refreshed thee Moreover it is to be feared that such a Resolution is unsound how plausible so ever it seems Men often pretend they will seek God when they intend nothing less but only use this pretence as a specious Excuse for their not seeking God for the present thereby to stop the Clamour of their own Conscience which so long as it is awake will be very frequently and sharply reproving them for their gross Negligence in a business of so great importance Thou who sayest thou wilt seek God hereafter if thou dost not say this meerly out of Form but hast a real design to perform it and dost verily believe that God is worth finding why dost thou not forthwith set about this Work of seeking him For thou hast now the same Motives and Inducements to excite thee to seek him and the same or rather greater Opportunities Helps and Assistances of Gods Spirit than thou canst ever expect to have at any Future Time which thou canst propose to thy self For the longer thou continuest in a Sinfull Course the more thou wilt grieve the Holy Spirit and the more thou wilt be hardened in Sin and so make thy Finding of God the more difficult FINIS