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A55752 Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity and duty of Gods children by the late Reverend and Faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston ... Preston, John, 1587-1628. 1658 (1658) Wing P3306; ESTC R13568 328,523 450

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men that at such a time would have been hot and zealous where are the generation of these men surely they are all gone for there is no heat nor zeal left It is true we abound in knowledge that is we have the same knowledge that they had but we want their zeal and Spirit and we have the same gifts but we want their spirit Therefore let us now shew our selves to be in the Spirit that is to have the Spirit in us by our zeal against evil But you will say that many holy men that have the Spirit yet they are not so hot and zealous against evil but are marvellous mild and patient First to this I answer that holy men may have pits wherin they may be faln I say they may have dross as well as gold and hence they may be driven through a strong passion and lust not justly to scale sins aright whence ariseth remissness and neglect both in doing good and resisting evil But this in a regenerate man I call but a passion because it continues not for prayer and the Preaching of the pure word will recover this again that is it will recover his strength and make him zealous against sins But if you see a man what profession soever he makes of Christ that can wink at sin and not be moved at it and the word nor prayer do not kindle this holy fire in him Then plainly that man is a dead man there is no spark of holiness in him Therefore I may say to every such holy man as they were wont to say to Hannibal that he hath fire in him but he wants blowing so I say unto you if you have the spirit you have heat in you but if this heat do not appear at all times or at sometime it is because it wants blowing for when they have just occasion to exercise the strength of the inward man for Gods glory they will shew that they have zeal in them and are hot and lively to good and not dead in sin As for example this is the difference between a man that is dead and a man that is in a swoon the man that is in a swoon if strong waters and rubbing of his joints do not recover him it is a sign that he is dead so if the word will not work in you but you remain senseless and dead without spiritual heat in you it is a sign that you are more then in a swoon that is you are already dead in the Inward man It is said of the Adamant that it will not be heated with fire so I say of you if the word will not heat you when you are rubbed with it it is a sign that you are like the Adamant dead unto grace Secondly to this I answer that howsoever some men that are faithful are not so zealous it is true yet I say it is no good argument to say that because counterfeit drugs and wares have the same sent and smell that good wares have therefore they are as good or that the good wares have not the like It were better to say that they have the fame but the difference is in this that they have a false die and glosse upon them 〈◊〉 so●l say there is false and counterfeit zeal and there is a true zeal That is there may be a zeal without heat as a Painter may Paint the similitude and proportion of fire but he cannot give heat unto it or as there may be pieces of coin counterfeit as well as pieces of true Metal so there may be a counterseit fire as well as true fire So I say men may be sanctified and yet be mild and not of a hot and fierie disposition That is they do not so burn in the Spirit as others do It is not therefore good to conclude that it matters not whether you be zealous or no for howsoever it be true in him it may be false in thee And know also that this weakness is joyned with much holy zeal though it be not outwardly expressed for certainly as where true fire is there is heat so where there is the Spirit there is zeal Therefore examine whether you have heat in you if you have not you have not the Spirit The second sign whereby you shall know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit or no is this if you find that you are not onely able to do more then you would naturally do But you have also holiness joyned with it this sign I make of two parts because a man may do many things that carry a shew above nature and yet want holiness but if they be above nature and then have holiness joyned with them it is a sign that you have the sanctifying Spirit First I say it will make you to do more then you could do by nature that is it puts another manner of strength in you by which you are able to do those things which before you were not able to do As for example it will work in you a Patience above a natural Patience This we see in Christ himself when he was crucified he opened not his mouth he was like a Lamb That is he had more then natural patience also this is true in Paul Peter and the rest of the Saints also it works in us love above a natural love therefore it was said that Christ was full of love and had compassion on the multitude Again it works joy in a man beyond natural joy this we see in Paul and Silas when they were in prison they sang for joy And the Disciples in Acts 4. Rejoyced that they were thought worthy to suffer for Christ. Again it works in a man boldness above a natural boldness and therefore it is said in Acts 4. That they preached the word with great boldness That is with a boldness above a natural boldness And so Luther he was endued with a Spirit of boldness else he would never have been so bold in the defence of the Truth if he had not had another spirit in him Again it works in a man wisdom above a natural wisdom and therefore 1 Sam. 18. it is said of David that the Spirit of the Lord was with him therefore Saul was afraid of him And so Abimelech feared Abraham because he saw a great measure of wisdom and discretion in him Again it works in a man strength above a natural strength because to the strength of nature they have another added Again it will make you see above a natural sight Therefore it is said they shall not need to teach one another but they shall be all taught of God That is they shall see into the excellencie that is in God Therefore examine your selves whether you have the Spirit or no by this for if you have the sanctifying Spirit then you shall be able to keep down lusts to have power and abilitie to sanctisie the Sabbath power to pray power to hear power to confer power to
as of fire And again it is said That the Apostles were stirred up with boldness to speak That is when they saw God dishonoured this spirit kindled a high zeal in them that is set their hearts on fire it set their tongues on fire when the spirit enters into the heart of a Christian it will fill it full of zeal the heart the tongue the hands the feet and all the rest of the parts will be full of the heat of the spirit for it is imposssible that any man should have true zeal except he have the spirit Therefore it is said that they spake with New tongues us the spirit gave them utterance that is they spake with a great deal of zeal of another nature and qualitie then they did before Well then examine what heat and zeal you have in your actions so much heat so much spirit He shall Baptize you with the spirit and with fire That is if you have the sanctifying spirit you shall know it by the zeal that is in you in the performance of holy duties Therefore I say it is an excellent sign whereby a man may know whether he hath the spirit or no Now that a man may know by this I will make it clear by this example Take a bottle that is full of water and another that is full of Aqua vitae look upon them outwardly and they are all of one colour but if you tast them the one is hot and lively the other is cold and raw So look unto the formal outward actions of wicked men they have the same colour which the actions of holy men but if you tast them that is examine their lives and search into their hearts you shall find a great difference It may be they may seem to have light and heat in them but they want this Spirit for they have neither a loathing of sin nor power to resist sin They may put a false colour upon their actions but it will not hold And by this they may restrain lusts for some end they cannot Master and subdue them and it may heat a part of his heart but it cannot heat all his heart But where the sanctifying Spirit comes it heats all the soul That is it kindles a holy fire in all the faculties to burn up sin that is there Therefore this was the difference between Iohn the Baptists Baptisme and Christs Iohn could baptize them with water but Christ with the Spirit and with fire Therefore examine what heat there is in you against evil and what zeal there is in you to good Are you cold in prayer in conference in the Communion of Saints it is a sign that you have not the Spirit It may be you read hear pray and confer● but see with what heat you do them is it with you in these things as the Apostle would have you to be in earthly things in the 2 Cor. 7. 30. 31. To sorrow as if you sorrowed not to use the world as if you used it not That is do you perform holy duties with that coldness as if you cared not whether you did them or did them not Do you hear as if you heard not and do you receive the Sacrament as if you received it not do you pray as if you prayed not do you love as if you loved not then surely you have not the Spirit And on the contrary if you find spiritual heat and zeal in you a nimbleness and quickness to good● it is a sign that you have the Spirit ●or it is the propertie of the Spirit to heat the so●l therefore the Prophet saith The zeal of thy house hath even eaten me up That is I have such a measure of zeal wrought in me by thy Spirit that I cannot see thee in the least measure dishonoured but I must burn with zeal Therefore examine your selves what zeal you have for God and godliness Are you hot for the things of this world and cold for grace and holiness Then whatsoever you think of your selves yet you have not the sanctifying Spirit There is not a holy man or woman that belongs unto Christ but they have this holy fire in them And yet I would not have you to mistake me as if every Christian did attain unto the like heat and zeal as others do for you must know that some have more and some have lesse according to the measure of the sanctifying Spirit that they have but this you must know that you must be full of heat full in some measure answerable to the measure of the sanctifying Spirit but if you find no heat at all in you then you have not a grain of the Spirit in you Not to be hot is to be luke warm and luke warmness is that which God hates it is a temper mixt of both heat and cold loathsome to nature and odious to God and therefore in Revel 3. Because the Laodiceans were neither hot nor cold but luke warm that is they had neither heat to God nor were so cold as to forsake the Truth That is sin and holiness stood in arbitration together and they had as good a minde unto the one as unto the other Now because it was thus with them therefore saith God I will spew them out and in the next verse he exhorts them To be zealous and amend That is except they labour to be hot in the Spirit they cannot be saved Again in Titus 2. it is said by the Apostle That Christ died that he might purchase to himself a people zealous of good works that is this zeal must not be a constrained zeal but a willing zeal And if there were no other motive to move men to be zealous but this because Christ came to redeem them for this end that they might be zealous of good works for his glory if there be any spark of the fire of grace in us it will burn at Christs dishonour And if Christ came to this end to make men zealous then surely Christ will not lose his end but they that Christ will save shall be zealous Therefore I beseech you labour to be strong in the inward man and labour to get the Spirit that you may be zealous But alas men think that they have drunk too much of this cup of giddiness That is they think they need not be so zealous as they are but I say if you be not it is a sign that you have not the Spirit especially it stands men now upon if they have an holy zeal in them to shew it I say it is time you should when you see such halting between two opinions shew your zeal by hating and abhorring Poperie and labouring to draw men from it especially now when we see men so desirous to go into Egypt again which is to be lamented in these dayes for which the Lord hath stretched out his hand against us But where is our zeal That is what spiritual heat is there in us where are those
meditate power to love power to obey all above nature and a power to forsake life and libertie riches and honour pleasure and all things which no man will do except he have the Spirit Secondly as it gives a strength and an excellent qualitie above nature so it adds unto it holiness that is it puts a tincture of goodness upon all your actions it warmeth the gifts of the minde and puts the heart in a frame of grace many men have a kind of strength but they want holiness and sanctification with it Now a man is said to be a holy man when the soul is separated and divided from things that are contrarie to its salvation and happiness and joyned And then joyned and united unto Christ wholly and totally Then and not until then is a man a true holy man it is with a holy man in this case as it is with a spouse she is separated from others and united to her husband are joyned to the Spirit have holiness with it and separated from sin The vessels in the time of the Law they were holy vessels because they were appointed to Gods worship in like maner when the Spirit comes into the heart it sanctifies it and makes him a holy man by making him in all his aims and ends to pitch upon Gods glory And this can no man do till the spirit of Christ be his In Cant. 6. 3. The Church saith I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine That is because he is my husband and I am his spouse therefore I will labour to be like him in holiness And our Saviour prayeth for this holiness for his Disciples In Ioh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is Truth That is the word is the means to work holiness in them when they want holiness they want all things for when profit and pleasure comes then the Spirit of holiness is as it were plucked from them but when they have the Spirit then they see the vanitie of these earthly things therefore it is that men are deceived with false and counterfeit wares because they want the Spirit of discerning but when the Spirit of God comes into the heart of a Christian then it shewes him the vanitie of these things and this he doth by enlightning the mind and therefore it is that they are kept from playing the Adulteresses with these things because they have the Spirit of discerning Now examine what strength above nature what conjunction of holiness have you with it what Spirit of discerning have you are not these things in you then you have not the Spirit The third sign whereby you shall know whether you have the Spirit or no is this examine when and by what means it came into thy heart This is the sign that the Apostle makes in Galat. 3. Did you saith he receive the Spirit by the work of the Law or else by Faith preached That is if you have the Spirit then tell me how you came by it how and by what means came he first into the heart But here all the Question is how a man may know whether the Spirit be come into the heart in the right manner or no. To this I answer That this you must know that the onely means to receive the Spirit into the heart that is the right conveyance of the Spirit into the heart is by the word purely preached That is when it comes in the evidence of the Spirit purely without the mixture of any thing of mans with it and further you shall know whether you have received the Spirit by the Preaching of the word by these two things 1. By the Antecedent 2 By the Consequent First I say you shall know it by that which went before I say if the spirit hath been brought into the heart by the word then there will be a deep humiliation wrought in the soul for sins And then Christ and the Spirit comes into the heart begins to cheer up the dejected sou and hereupon there will be a through change wrought in the whole man and it must needs be so because the nature of the spirit is first to pull down what mans corruptions have built And then to lay the foundation of the spiritual building Humilitie And then afterwards to rear the buildings of grace in the soul. As for example if you would know whether the plants receive vertue from the Olive or no Then you must know that first they must be cut off from their own stock and then they must be ingrasted into that and then see whether they have the fatness of the Olive and then whether they bear the Olive leaves So a Man that hath not received the the spirit by the word he shall see it by the ripeness of sin the corrupt branches the bitter fruit that comes and is brought forth by him But on the contrarie if the word by the spirit hath cut you down and humbled you throughly by the light of your sin and then ingrafted you into Christ by working in you a saving a justifying faith and if it hath made you fat and well liking in grace that you have brought forth better fruit then you could do before then surely the spirit came into the heart the right way and works in the right manner but as I said it will first humble you by the word as in Iohn 1. 8. The Spirit shall reprove the world of sin of Righteousness and of judgement First he will reprove them of sin to humble them Secondly of righteousness because they have not believed the all-sufficiencie of Christ. Thirdly of judgements that they might change their opinions that they might do those things and bring forth that as fruit is agreeable to Gods will Secondly consider the consequence that is look to the thing that followeth the spirit where it comes in Where the spirit comes it works a through change in the soul I call it not a bare change but a through change for as there may be a glistering shew of something like gold that is not gold so there may be a cessation and a change from sin but not throughly or heartily and so not at all for what will it avail Herod to forsake some and like of Iohn Baptist in some things well if he will not forsake all and like of Iohn Baptist in reproof of all In like manner what if you change your opinions of some sins That is what if ye esteem some sins to be sins indeed if you have no the like opinion of all whatsover you think of your selves as yet you never had the spirit Therefore if you would know whether you have the sanctifying spirit or no in you then examine whether there be a through change wrought in you That is whether you do not esteem every sin to be sin but also what spiritual life you finde in you I say you shall know whether the holy spirit be in you by this
once in the year and do some other outward performances they think they make God some amends But alas it is not so the Lord abhorreth all those sacrifices because they come not from his Temple They are not sacrifices offered upon that altar they should be they are not yet of that holy Priesthood spoken of before and yet there is that hypocrisie in the spirits of men that they are neither willing to omit holy duties altogether nor willing to perform them in that holy and zealous manner as they ought Labour therefore to have Chirst dwelling in your hearts otherwise nothing will be accepted I thought to have added something to have made known to you when Christ dwelleth in your hearts As one way to know it where Christ dwelleth there none dwelleth but him as the glory of God filled the Temple so Christ filleth the heart Again where he dwelleth he dwelleth powerfully he is strong able to make men go through with their good purposes and resolutions Again 3. He continueth and abideth there for over he makes them constant in performing holy duties And lastly He is active as the Sun when that dwelleth in the world we see how it enlight●eth the world so Christ enlightneth the soul where he dw●lleth makes us able to judge all things Again where the Sun cometh it thaweth the frozen earth and causeth a Spring it causeth every thing to flourish so Christ dwelleth in the heart as the Sun in the world or as the soul in the body see what a beauty the soul putteth upon the ●ody what motion what sence such an al eration there is when Christ commeth into a mans heart If you find therefore a power in you to do good duties not weak offers and breeding of good conceptions and yet have no strength to bring them forth Christ is not yet in you But if Christ be in you where he dwelleth he dwelleth powerfully shall the Devil think you powerfully rule those in whom he dwelleth And shall not Christ strengthen and enable those in whom he dwelleth Again if you finde your Religion to be but for a fit if upon sicknesse or upon the apprehension of death or upon the touch of some sermon or upon some fearful accident befalling others or your selves you can pray and hear and perform the outward parts of Gods Worship and yet fall off again afterwards Know for certain that you have not Christ in your hearts for if once he were there he would remove no more ●ut ●n●●le you to constart course of holiness There may be some cl●uding now and then but the Sun will n●ver set upon your hearts Lastly If you find not an alteration in your soul a spring in the inward man as when the Sun cometh into the world life and beauty as when the soul commeth into the body be assured that Christ is not yet come into your heart on the contrary if you do find all these then know that Christ dwelleth in your hearts And this you are to rejoyce in as the greatest priviledge vouch safed to you under the Covenant of Grace THE BUCKLER Of a BELIEVER ROM 8. Verse 34. Who shall Condemn It is Christ that is dead yea rather which is risen again who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for us IN this most sweet and comfortable Scripture I mean the eighth Chapter our blessed Apostle Saint Paul shews at large the happy and safe estate of every true believer that hath his part in Christ where he proves at large that there is nothing can hinder and dis-anul that estate but that he must enjoy it according to his faith shewing withal that if any thing could hinder it it must come either from sinne or from the crosse the punishment of sinne Now he shews this and proves it strongly against all the enemies of Salvation that neither sinne nor the crosse can do it and therefore not any thing Sinne cannot do it verse 1. Because there is no condemnation that is for sinne to them The crosse cannot do it because as vers 28. All afflictions they shall work to good for them Therefore once in Christ nothing can hinder them from eternal Salvation And one would think this were sufficient proof yet as if all this were nothing Therefore that he may raise the true believer to the highest pitch of sound and lasting comfort he goes further and would have him to insult and victorio ●sly triumph verse 33 34. and rise to the highest pitch of holy confidence speaking here in a kind of defiance and saying If any man dare be so bold as to accuse one that believes yet where is he that can condemn him as if he had said There is none at all that can So that briefly in these words contained in the Text is laid down every holy believers challenge which he may take up against the face of all enemies whatsoever Wherein observe two parts First A true beleevers challenge in these words Who shall condemn Secondly the person in whose name the challenge is made which is Christs It is Christ that is dead c. For though the beleever is weak in himself yet in the rock Christ strong and invincible For the first vi● The true beleevers challenge it is the more to be noted because it is laid down by way of interogation For that hath with it a strong confidence and a kind of victorious triumph as if he said there is none at all that can condemn though they may go about it It is not intorrogatio rogantis or dubitantis but instantis ●t triumph●…is It is not a question of one asking by way of doubt but of one earnest in affirming and Triumphing So that the point then is this There is not any one in heaven earth nor any where else that can bring in any thing to condemn a true believer in the sight of God Or There is not any thing in this world nor in the world to come to hinder the salvation of a true believer Where we are to consider First What it is to condemn Secondly That all and every one of us before we believe are in the estate of condemnation and therefore easily to be condemned because under the curse of the law and the guilt of sin Thirdly That when we come truly to believe in Christ even then we are not to think to be free from all that will assay and seek to condemn us and bring us to perdition and destruction Fourthly That though there be many as the Devil and all his instruments that aim and endeavour by many means to spoil us of our faith and hinder our salvation and so bring us to destruction yet shall none ever be able to do it Lastly We will make application of all to our selves For the first namely what it is to condemn It is taken diversly either in foro publico as in our courts when one is guilty of some offence against the Law and
Christ said to his Disciples Let these sayings c. that is these works mark what I have done what you see you have an experiment of my power and then he gives the reason For the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men c. but they understood not these sayings You will say how could this be understood it seemeth hard Let those sayings sink down into your ears for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men As if he should have said remember now you have an experiment of my power and Godhead let it be a means to strengthen you for the dayes will come when your faith will be put to the tryal when I shall be delivered into the hands of men when you shall see me crucified and then you will be ready to stagger and waver in your hearts Therefore now when you see an experiment of my power and ability lay it up in your hearts that you may be stablished in that day So in divers places in the Psalms David took that course when he was in trouble and fear and perplexity he brings out of his Treasury ancient things pledges of Gods love and so he recovered himself So if a man can but get hold of a promise of God he may work himself and wind himself into the Armes of God for this is like a rope or a line taken out from him if a man take hold of it by Faith and depend upon it That is the power of the Word of Truth Isay 50. 9. I said not to Iacob seek my face in vain but I the Lord declare faithful things I declare faithful words So when God I say hath given a man a promise that he will not leave him nor forsake him First there is in every promise of that nature there is a spiritual truth in it and in the heart of a man that is a believer there is a spirit of Faith likewise and these two know one another Now the spirit of Faith in the man meets there with the spirit of truth and power in the Word in regard it comes from God these joyn together and draw a man close to God So though a man see not God yet he rests his soul and stayes upon him because he leans on that promise As as a Mariner at Sea that casts an Anchor that holds the Ship he sees not the Anchor that falls to the bottom yet he knows the Cable will hold it safe the Ship may tosse the length of it but no further So the Anchor that the soul hath in the promises of God it is fixed now though a man see him not stand by and strengthen him in the tryal yet he hath the Word of truth for it And these promises though it be a long time ere they speak yet at such times as these then they speak Before then they are sealed up and it is not known perfectly what treasure is in them whether they be empty or any thing worth but when there comes a day of tryal now is the the time the Lord hath made such promises for such a day And here I must give you a caveat concerning this means If you will be strong in the Lord make not haste that is the phrase that is used he that believeth maketh not haste That is he gives the Lord liberty he lets him move round in his sphere he is not ready to snatch deliverence out of his hand but let the Lord take his own leisure for then he will do things best And this is an item that must be understood The Lord notwithstanding those promises that are plentifully made for the safety and preservation of his yet many times he deferres the fulfilling of them to the last cast Many times he will use all that liberty that he hath left himself for indeed therefore it is left he may use it when it seems good in his eyes I mean a liberty in regard of the means how he will help and of the time when he will help us but further we know he hath left himself no liberty but hath bound himself and it is impossible he should deceive us if we rest and rely on him for this and cast our selves in the armes of God Nay we make no question as long as we have the promise of God and keep our hearts and our faith close cleaving to that we are sure the Lord in his own time will remember us and come to us to deliver us Remember that which is said Psal. 9. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Therefore if it belong to him let us take heed that we ascribe it to him not to be strong in any other Even as the making of any thing in Art belongs to such and such a Trade shoos to a shoo-maker there are none makes them but those of that trade and so for other things so Salvation belongs to the Lord there is nothing in heaven or earth that can work salvation but he all the help that is done in the earth he doth it himself Now the onely way for a man to make him his friend that is able to work it is to ascribe it to him to acknowledge it belongs to him that he hath been the do●r of it from the foundation of the World and so will continue this blessed trade and gracious manner of working and doing for his So much now for the fift means be strong in the Lord. A sixth means is this Wee must likewise compell and work our hearts to take this cordial you have it Rom. 8. 28. We know saith Saint Paul that all things work together for the best to those that love God I say let us have this perswasion in our hearts ready that all things shall work together for the best therefore they shall not hurt thee Now he saith they work together that is to be marked the Apostle saith not that this or that thing alone worketh for good to the servants of God As now there are divers ingredients in a receipt if a man take one or two or three they may poyson and kill and be deadly but altogether being tempered by the Physician are a preservative and save life So if a man stay Gods leisure as before I said to adde one thing to another to do that he hath to do as well as that he hath done when you put all together and make the up shot of all you shall see and acknowledge it for the best David saith It was good for him to have been in adversity Now certainly whatsoever hath been true in regard of the time past hath been true for the present then as now It was as true for David when he was in adversity to say it is good for me to be afflicted as well as after when he was come out of it to say it was good that he had been for if it were not good then it was never good Therefore in regard of this the assurance
and through temptation it will vanquish and subdue corruption and bring him on his knees and so he falls flat before the Lord In such a case I say a man that hath his corruption subdued though it were a tryal tentimes greater and more sore yet he may live upon better terms with the Lord and more comfortably then another man with a lighter cross As it falls out many times in the time of War and hostility between two Cities or Nations the weaker part in the time of War indures and sustains more inconvenience and blood-shed and loss of men then after the full conquest is made especially if the government of the Conqueror be moderate and just as it is sometimes So as long as a man stands out with God in pride of spirit and will not yield he lives far more uncomfortably then when he is truly humbled and subjected to God Thirdly and lastly these general and greater afflictions may be born more comfortably and a less may more disquiet and trouble the heart because when a man hath been afflicted but in some one thing or a few things and hath many outward contentments and comforts yet remaining to him this is the usual course of men in such a case they think when their spirits are bruised and wounded with grief of heart they have lost such a friend they have lost part of such an Estate or credit then presently they fall to other things that are left them and they think to make themselves whole there when they have lost their contentment in one particular they enjoy they think to make them whole and to supply it with the outward things that remain This succeeds not because the wound that is made in the spirit by the loss of that whatsoever it be thou art crossed with it may be the anger of the Lord is mixed with it it may be the arrow of the Lord sticks in thy soul. Now if that be thy case all the outward application of comforts of the world will not do the turn Onely that hand that strook the arrow in our side is able to pluck it out of us And we see nothing more frequent and usual in the world men as long as they have other things to solace themselves with to set their delight on they never go to God If a man go to God for comfort it is as it were because he shuts every door else against him he hath no passage else that he must needs go that way or no way Therefore as long as God affords men the things of the world to solace and comfort them they do their utmost to seek it there but when God takes away all things and strikes away every prop that he hath nothing to rest on as the Dove that Noah sent that had no rest for the sole of her foot till she returned to the Ark this forceth a man of necessity to the Lord. Now though the wound were ten times more grievous and heavy coming to the right Physitian the Lord that made the wound he can cure it and comfort a man again If a man have but a scratch with a pin if he have an unskilful Chyrurgion the wound goes on to ranckle more and more and at last it costs a man his life On the other side if a man have a wound that is dangerous if he go to one that is skilfull this man recovers and lives in the world So many times many men live with disquiet minds they go to the world and seek to be whole there they seek their Physitian there and make the wound that is made worse and the latter end is worse then the beginning But now though a man be never so empty of comfort and be struck down and the hand of God be never so heavy upon him if he go to God and seek to him the Lord is able to make him a comfortable man again and to revive his spirit and bring him again from the grave So we see that objection fully answered that though we be not able to stand under lighter afflictions we may be able and strong enough to bear greater So much for this time THE LAVV OF SIN and GRACE COMBATING Rom. 7. 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to the law of sin which is in my members THat which is to be done for the solemnity of this day which hath been most profitable and necessarily set a part by the Church for the rememberance of our deliverance from the Gun-powder Treason I leave it to be performed by another We have now pitched upon a text which will serve for our particular use This day indeed puts us in mind of a great Treason which was intended against the whole State both of Church and Common-wealth and this will put us in mind of a Treason within us Now it is true that these outward Treasons and when we hear of Wars and rumours of Wars such things as are terrible to us every man is ready to be affected affrighted with things of this nature change of state loss of goods abreption of life these things are naturally terrible to us the very hearing of them But this now is a War within which is much more dangerous and concerns every one of us to be affected with a thousand times more for it is a deadly War a War that devours the soul the other destroys onely the body this is a War which kills us with an everlasting death when as the other is onely the loss of a temporal life And this is a War which is for the most part forgotten and not minded for it is a fight that makes no noise it comes not with the sound of drums and trumpets it carrieth along with it no terrible appearance hence it is that we think of it but little Now what do we serve for that are the watch-men of your souls but to stir you up to a mindfulness of this War to sound an allarm to you and if you will be stirred up to work your deliverance well if not we have delivered our own souls and he that perisheth his blood shall be upon his own head In this Chapter in the verse before my Text the Apostle Paul triumpheth in that liberty which he had through the grace of God I delight saith he in the Law of God concerning the inner man though I find many temptations to the contrary But when he had exprest that triumph he comes now with another caution which he expresseth in these words that I have read But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and leading me captive to the Law of sin that is in my members That is I find in my self a strong inclination a strong habit of sin carrying me violently to that which is evil Now this he sets forth by these properties First he calls it a Law Secondly he saith it is