unthankfulnesse and disobedience with corrupt ends and practices As it 's said Because men did not receive the truth in love God gave them up to believe a lie 2 Thess 2.10 So that it 's hard to say whether is more sad to consider the nature of the errours that dishonour God or the cause of them which is Gods anger against a people for barrennesse and unthankfulnesse God then hath his times when for the sinnes of a people he lets Satan loose and suffers this red Dragon to vent his dreadfull poison Thirdly As the corrupt errours of men came from Gods anger so in mercy he hath appointed times wherein he will purge and take away their drosse For these Church-burthens and Church-corruptions have been farre more heavy upon Gods people than State-oppressions Therefore the first thing that Gideon did who was raised up by God to be a Judge to deliver Israel from their cruel oppressions was to remove their Altars and all their Idolatry he began with God first Judges 6.28 And so when Moses had gathered the people of Israel into a body and they were capable of a Civil Government yet the first thing he doth is to prescribe them Lawes concerning the worship of God and in the Decalogue the first Table is for the Duties relating to God By this you see That corruptions in Gods worship and truth as they are greater sinnes than others they are talents when others are pounds so they lie more heavily upon the people of God they bewail them more Rome as it was Aegypt did not so much trouble the godly as it was Sâ—dome the Idolatry more than the cruelty offended the people of God This being so God among temporal promises of deliverance of righteousnesse and peace doth also comfort the godly with times of Reformation in his Church that this hay end stubble shall no longer stand to dishonour his building Thus God by the Prophet Isaiah promiseth To purge away their drosse and to take away their tinne from them Isai 1.25 which doth relate to their Church-sinnes their Idolatries as well as State-sinnes And by Ezekiel you have a glorious promise concerning Church-Reformation Ezekiel 36.25 as well as temporal He will give them to see their Idolatries so that they shall be confounded and never open their mouths Especially God hath those times when people shall be ashamed of their errours of their superstitions and shall never open their mouths again to plead for them or justifie them When they shall see the patterne of the Mount Ezekiel 43.10 You have a notable promise Malachi 3 3 where upon Christs coming there is promised a glorious restauration He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sonnes of Levi. Christ when he came into the world found all Gods worship grossely polluted all the Priests had defiled themselves Now this was one end of Christs preaching to purifie them to cleanse them from these defilements It 's true prophane and worldly men or meer Atheistical Politicians they make no matter about Gods truth they make advantage of any Religion that serveth a designe but this was the great worke of Christs Ministery to make a Reformation in Doctrine and Worship Though this was very unpleasing to corrupt men therefore it is said Who can abide the day of his coming It is even like a day of judgement to them It is observable what our Saviour saith as much to our purpose and parallel with the Text John 4.23 The hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth You see how God hath his houre his time and season for such a thing and then when that is come they shall worship God will so over-rule enlighten and perswade mens hearts that they cannot but yeeld Such an hour or time God had when we recovered out of Popery Then darknesse covered the face of the earth The Sunne and the Moone and the Starres were turned into blood The Officers of the Church who should have had light to instruct did cruelly and bloodily persecute such as did hold the truth Now though all the world was thus in darknesse yet when God raised up those instruments of his truth Luther Melancthon Calvin and others They were no more able to stop the spreading of the Gospel then they could hinder the Sunne from running its race Gods hour was come and then the eyes of men would be opened There were many persons before Luther's time learned and godly men that did withstand Popish errours that died in contradiction of them but yet the world was not awakened they did not thinke of coming out of Aegypt till Gods time was come Fourthly This Day of Gods revealing may be a long while as to our expectation God may suffer corruptions to cover all the body of the Church You may see onely chaffe and no wheat and this may be a long while so that the godly doe even languish under their expectations Thus in Elijah's time 1 Kings 19 14. to his knowledge and according to visible appearance he onely was left to vindicate the pure Glory and Worship of God And in what a temptation was he about it It 's true God told him He had reserved seven thousand that had not bowed their knees to Baal that did not communicate in Idolatry But what was seven thousand to all the people of Israel No more than the gleanings of the Harvest And thus also we might shew how in the Christian Church when errours had once got possession in it they were like the Jebusites and the wilde beasts in the Land of Canaan which could hardly be destroyed Donatisme lasted above two hundred yeares Pelagianisme and Arianisme though but sparkes yet kindled such a fire that it was not extinguished in many generations So that we may say of this time as Christ to the Disciples It is not for us to know the times and seasons when God will restore his Church to her purity That is enough which our Saviour saith Every plant that is not of my Fathers planting shall be rooted out Matth. 15.13 That is an excellent place compared with this Text God hath his time when he will root out all the plants that he did not plant in his owne Vineyard But how long it will be ere this day breake forth God hath not discovered to us These things thus explained Let us consider the Reasons Why God will have a Day to declare mens workes in matter of false Doctrines And First Because the truth of God is deare and precious to him Christ himselfe makes it one main reason why he came into the world viz. To beare witnesse to Gods truth So that Divines say Though Christs death in respect of God the Father appointing him to be a Sacrifice for sinne was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an attonement or expiation yet if you doe respect men before whom he made a good Confession as Paul saith 1 Timothy 6.13 So it
's no Judge no foundation because our natural Reason is corrupt and therefore the understanding must be captivated Many things are above our understanding though not contrary to Reason to which we must yeeld the obedience of faith Vse of Admonition In matters of faith lay this foundation in times of disputes of varieties of opinions such as these are be as a people that have had a good and sure foundation laid among you Runne not on one side into a Popish bruitish and blind obedience of faith Nor on the other side be not carried away as empty straws with every wind of Doctrine Oh it 's a blessed thing to have the full assurance and perswasion of truths necessary to salvation not to have Reubens curse to be unstable like water Especially you that are ignorant and earthy who never make any matter about the principles of Religion do you rouse up your selves Why hath God given you reason and understanding Why are those many Texts To search the Scripture To prove all things if you sit down and regard not these things As a wise master builder I have laid the foundation It hath been observed That it 's a great part of the wisdom and heavenly skill of the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a right and good foundation in the hearts of the Hearers What principles are in any Art or Science the same is a foundation in matters of Religion Now if the principles be false all the Conclusions likewise are false so it is in matters of Religion If we lay rotten and unsound foundations all the building will prove no better You have heard of a fourfold foundation upon which this spiritual building is fixed A foundation of Faith or Doctrine to be Believed and that is The written Word of God only This hath been dispatched The next in order is no lesse necessary and that is The foundation of Gods Worship For as their are heresies and false doctrines which over throw the sound Faith so there is idolatry and superstition which destroyes the true worship of God We shall at this time therefore shew you how necessary it is for the Ministers of the Gospel to lay a sure and right foundation about the worship of God And 1. We shall shew the necessity 2. What is the foundation and the Reasons of it It 's necessary to lay good Principles here First Because there is no sinne doth ordinarily more provoke God then the corrupting of his worship The glorious eyes of God have not sparkled more with vengeance against any persons then those that have defiled themselves in sinfull worship Now three waies God may be provoked about his worship 1. When we adore and worship a false god instead of him Thus all the Heathens that worshipped the Sun or the Starres and other creatures they were guilty of gross idolatry So the Jews when they worshipped Baal-Berith Baal-Phegor and Dagon and Ashtaroth they did point blanck thwart the first Commandement Thou shalt have no other gods before me 2. Gods worship is corrupted when we do indeed worship the true God but not by such means and wayes of worship as he hath appointed but in such a manner as we in our immaginations think best This God often doth caution against that they should not go after the the imaginations of their own heart Thus they set up groves and high places Thus Jeroboam made a golden calf They intended the solemn worship of the true God but only they forsook the true manner of worship he had commanded 3. Then is Gods worship corrupted when though we worship the true God after the true manner yet we adde something to what is commanded We rest not in his simple institution but as Eve added to the Commandement of God so do these Thus the Pharisees they retained the substantial worship of God but then they added a thousand of superstitious observations more to it Now the corrupting of Gods worship any of these waies is a grievous sinne for though the first be a greater sinne then the second and the second then the third yet all of them are such as are immediately committed against God and for which the Prophets do chiefly pronounce those Judgments threatned by them For this sinne Jerusalem was brought low and the Temple had no more a stone left upon a stone The Jews to this day are so sensible of it that of all sins they take heed of this idolatry Secondly It 's necessary to lay a good foundation in this Because this sin doth either immediately break the spiritual Vnion between the Church and God or else much dispose thereunto The Prophet Ezekiel and the â—est do frequently delight to express the sinne of idolatry by adultery and going a whoring after our imaginations And when the Apostle was carefull to lay a good foundation here among the Corinthians in this matter of worship see what he saith His care was to present them a pure Virgin to Christ 2 Cor. 11.1 2. He was afraid they should be corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel So then Idolatry and Superstition they are Adulteries and Fornications Now as Adultery doth dissolve the marriage bond and may justly provoke the Husband to be no more an Husband so it is in matter of worship It 's true all superstitious worship doth not presently rise to such an height Many sound Churches have retained some superstitious worship yet as wanton Dalliances and meretricious behaviour in a Wise though they do not break the conjugall knot yet dispose thereunto and raise much jealousie and anger in the Husband so it doth in matters of Gods worship Oh then how carefull should people be to see they go upon right grounds in the worship of God Thirdly We had need be carefull because God is so farre from accepting of that worship which he hath not commanded that he accounts it as done to Devils and not to him Though those that worship so thought they honoured God and had a good intention yet God judgeth it as done to Devils not to him So was Jeroboams worship he did not forsake the true God he set up that worship only out of politique designes and certainly the people that went in the ignorance of their spirit little thought to give worship to the Devils thereby yet saith the Text Jeroboam set up this worship to the Devils 2 Chron. 11.6 So these very Corinthians 1 Cor. 10.21 Who would go to the heathen Corinthians Feasts and communicate with them in that worship though they thought they might lawfully do it and it was an act of charity and good society yet the Apostle saith They did drink of the cup of Devils Oh then how shouldst thou be like Ezekiels living creature full of eyes behind and before of heavenly wisdom lest thou worship Devils instead of God Fourthly There is a necessity of laying a good foundation Because our hearts do in nothing more presumptuously work then in the
can be expected from a Church consisting of such Men speak of Houses where the Devils walk where spirits haunt men dare not dwell there I tell thee That a Family where ignorance and prophaneness is nourished is an house not only haunted but even possessed by Devils And how canst thou eat sleep and live in such a place Fourthly In the primitive times there were a rank of people that were called Catecumini as we said before Candidati or Competentes such who being converted from Paganism were not yet fully instructed in the matters of Religiâ—n and therefore they had time to get knowledg before ever they were admitted to Church-Communion And answerable to this there was a Catechist one whose work and office it was to instruct such before they were Baptized Thus you see how carefull in Antiquity they were that they might have no ignorant persons among them And certainly as in all Arts there are Principles which must be learned before they can come to Conclusions so it 's here in Religion And oh that we could see this Knowledge brought in amongst people To be a Christian is to be anointed and this Vnction teacheth us all things Joh. 2.20 viz. necessary to salvation Fifthly Principles of Religion largely so called are of two sorts either Corrupt Idolatrical and Heretical or true Sound and Consonant to the Scripture Now there are many in the world are too forward to infuse poysonous and dangerous Principles so great a matter is it to consider what men are seasoned with at first either privately or publiquely Thus many are infected with Popish and superstitious Principles many with erroneous and false Doctrines and these foundations being laid it 's very difficult ever to remove them As the vessel is first seasoned or the tree at first planted so it is likely to continue The Apostle cals those Jewish Ceremonies the beggerly elements Gal. 4.9 or Principles of the world Why so because the superstitious Teachers made them the first Elements the Principles the foundation of all and therefore they thought all Religion was taken away if they were removed And thus you have divers persons they have indeed some Principles of Religion but they are Popish and Superstitious such as put out the Knowledge of Christ and the Scriptures And It 's a two-fold labour as Socrates said to a perverted Disciple of his to teach them for they must first be untaught their erroneous Principles and then must be instructed in the truth Oh then look to this that thy Principles about Religion be not false ignorant and superstitious ones Sixthly The true Principles of Religion are reduced to severall heads and are both short and easie but necessary to be known The Doctrine about God and Christ and our selves which is the Credendum The Doctrine about Faith and Repentance which is the Agendum And about things to come which is the Sperandum About God we are to believe That he is and a rewarder of those that seek him About Christ This is eternal life to know Jesus Christ Joh. 17.2 and the holy Ghost for we are Baptized in his Name About our selves the desperate pollution of our natures the hainousness of sinne the aggravation of the curses of the Law The things to be done are Repentance which driveth out of our sins and Faith which driveth out of our own righteousness But because these are Divine Works therefore a man must be regenerated and born again And this Principle Christ insisted on to Nicodemus Joh 3. The things to come are The Resurrection of the Body The immortality of the Soul The Day of Judgment The Heâ—ven and Hell provided for the godly and the wicked These Principles are plain and easie not to flesh and blood but in respect of the manifestation of them They are laid down clearly in Scripture None without horrible impudency can deny them Indeed there are many sublime Disputes about the Trinity and about Christs Incarnation but these are not necessary to be believed by every one Oh then how great is thy ingratitude God hath made the necessary things easie and plain and yet thou art not acquainted with them If God had commanded some greater matter of thee If he had required all thy time all thy study thou wast obliged to have done it How much rather in things of so easie apprehension But now when we say These divine Principles are easie you must take heed of two mistakes 1. We do not mean that the divine Faith and Belief of them is easie to flesh and blood no but they are easie supposing the grace of God in respect of other particulars in Religion For otherwise To believe with a Divine Faith viz. by the Spirit of God inabling upon divine Authority which is only true Faith is the immediate work of Gods Spirit Therefore Faith though it be but Historicall and not saving is the gift of God When we desire a Knowledge and Faith of these Principles we mean not such a Faith as most men have a Faith of custom and humane education a Faith because they are brought up in such a Religion but upon Judgment and Knowledge grounded upon the Scripture That which is usually called the Colliars Faith To believe as the Church believes Is the Husbandmans and the Tradesmans and the rich mans and the poor mans Faith too much in the world So that as Christ saith His yoke is easie and yet also it is very hard Easie to the heart sanctified but grieveous to the unregenerate So it is here The Principles of Religion are easie and plain to the mind inlightned but they are either foolishness or absurdities to the greatest Scholar that is if hâ—s heart be not opened And thus Paul found himself derided and called a Babler amongst the Athenians 2. We do not mean that the bare saying of the Principles of Religian by heart and rote is the true believing and knowing of them As the Child is not said to be fed with milk unless it swallow it down and be nourished by it So neither can they be said to believe the Principles of Religion unless they do with understanding apply them and receive them into their hearts But this is all that most attain unto they can tell you God made them That Christ is their Saviour That they must repent of sinne But these things are by meer rote They learn them as formerly in Popery they learned their Prayers in Lattin they knew not what they prayed for so neither these what they do believe Now the Grounâ—s for Instruction in these Principles are First Because God accounts of no zeal nor devout affections if they be not the fruit of Knowledge Thus Christ told the woman that was so zealous for her Fathers worship Ye worship ye know not what Joh. 4 22. Though God once accepted bruit beasts as a Sâ—rifice to him Yet now saith the Apostle let 's offer up our selves a reasonable Sacrifice Rom. 12.1 The Jew had a zeal but
stoutest trees to tremble The sayings of any men in the world though never so eminent are not brought in religious matters for confirmation but illustration And it 's a great proficiency in hearers when they affect and delight in such preaching Austin while a Marcionite and a great Humanist had much ado to delight in the Scripture because he did not find such humane eloquence but when he came to find the words thereof like fiery darts and arrows in his soul then he was ravished with the excelleâ—cy of it Sâ—condly It 's to preach them with Scripture gravity and solidity As the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4.11 he doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the words but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the oracles implying the power and efficacy of Gods Spirit upon us aâ— having more of divine inspirations than humane acquisitions The more of mens wits fancies and conceits the lesse of God and so carrieth the lesse reverence and awe And this the Apostle doth greatly aim at Those false teachers came with cunning and enticing words and so deceived whereas the Apostle speaketh to the contrary That the Gospel came unto them not in humane eloquence but in demonstration of the Spirit and of the power of God Indeed humane parts and humane arts they are to be used but as servants not as mistresses It 's Austins allusion concerning Cyprian The Israelites took gold and jewels and earings from the Egyptians and turned them to their own use and so we may take humane abilities and excellencies and make them contribute to the Gospel only they must not be affected nor made the principal As the flowers that may be in a Corn field all the plowing and sowing was not for them but for corn Christs truths you see are precious stones and they need no painting Thirdly They are to be preached with Scripture simplicity in respect of aims and ends For though a man should build gold and silver yet if it be for humane glory and earthly greatnesse he builds hay and stubble though this be known to God only But this fire will discover the secrets of mens hearts And therefore we are not only to look to what we build but why we build Is it the glory of God the salvation of mens souls This will be comfortable at the day of revelation of all things Vse of Instruction With what delight and holy covetousnesse you should receive the truths of Christ they are no lesse worth than gold than precious stones The Tabernacle was covered all oveâ— with gold and they brought precious stones to it and thus is the Church of God still to be built Revel 21.19 And as in Solomons dayes God made gold as common as the stones in streets So in these later dayes those golden truths which before were rare and precious now are common but the common familiarity of them hath brought contempt and neglect of them else thou wouldst take up every truth of Christ as a precious pearl These are the best Jewels in the ear Oh but who can bewail the swinish lusts of men who had rather have their drosse than those pearls No wonder God hath brought so many terrible judgements upon us for we have been wanton under the choisest and most precious mercies even the holy truths of God Every Sermon hath been throwing pearl to some swine to bruitish wicked men that in stead of loving of them have turned again and rent them as much as lieth in their power If any man build hay wood and stubble The Apostle in this Text describes two Buildert the wise one and he builds gold and precious stones viz. the excellenâ— truthâ— of God And the foolish one he builds wood hay and stubble You heard by these later are meant all errours and false doctrines although they be not destructive of the foundation For the Apostle alludes to some kind of building which a man may imagine in his mind whose foundation and chief parts is of gold and silver but all the superstructure wood hay and stubble This would be a most deformed and incongruous sight as the Poets Mulier formosa supernè but aesinit in piscem Now do but observe what contemptible unprofitable and vain matter all false doctrines though never so gloriously dressed are by these similitudes even like Nazianzens Ape in mans cloaths It 's but Michals Image of straw that she put in Davids room for David Observe That all errors and falshoods in Religion though not fundamental are no better than hay and stubble Thus the Apostle Be not carried away with every wind of Doctrine Ephes 4.14 Errours are a sudden gust of winde Philosophers say It 's a dry exhalation from the earth and violently beaten back again from Heaven So is any false Doctrine it comes from earthly and carnal lusts and desires and it is beaten back by God from Heaven he doth not own it Quid vento levius and so these winds of Doctrine are uncertain sometimes they blow in the North sometimes in the South even as necessity and carnal advantages drive them and which is more not only the Doctrine is thus light and empty but the builders are such as their Doctrine the Doctrine is stubble and they are stubble therefore he saith Be not carried away with them as if the persons were nothing but straw Even as the Psalmist saith They that made Idols were wholly like them Thus it is here Let men therefore that broach falshoods and people that receive them never so much dote and be inamoured with their own false opinions as if they were gold and precious stones yet the Scripture cals them no lesse than hay and stubble such as God will raise a fire to consume and devour Thus the Prophet Jeremiah What is the chaff to the wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23.28 The Doctrine of the false Prophets that is the chaff and of the true that is the wheat To amplifie this truth Consider First Though all errours in opinion and religion have no better a name and no better a nature yet those that build them do not think so They judge what they build gold and silver they think their monsters beautifull and comely The false Prophets in the Old Testament they would presumptuously call their dreams and imaginations the word of the Lord and Zedekiah the false prophet struck Micaiah the true saying Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to thee 2 Chron. 18.23 Now the Apostle Peter tels us That as there were false Prophets in the Old Testament so there shall be in the New who shall bring in damnable heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 Not that they judge them so for happily they might speak as Paul saith he thought he was bound to do what he did against Christ and his way And our Saviour speaking of the bitterest enemies the Christians should meet with he saith They think they shall do God good service by their persecuting of them John 16.2 Every
represâ—nt this though many learned men ancient and later have used similitudes because there is no such thing as a God besides the true God And therefore Basil said well to the Heâ—etique desiring a similitude to represent the Trinity Da mihi alium Deum aliam trinitatem tibi ostendam Thus we have laboured to establish your faith in this necessary point Now I shall shew Why the holy Ghost is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirit The word at first did signifie wind Why then doth the Spirit of God assume this comparative expression of wind Or rather Why is he called a Spirit Even for these Reasons First Essentially For the simplicity and purity of his Essence and this is common to every other Person for God is a Spirit Secondly Hypostatically For his personal propriety because he proceeds from the Father and the Sonne by way of spiration the manner whereof we cannot comprehend no more than the generation of the Sonne Thirdly Effectively Many wayes 1. For the Incomprehensibility of the actions of the Spirit John 3. The wind bloweth where it lists and no man knoweth from whence it comes so is the Spirit 2. The Diversity of his operations As the breathings of the winde is from several corners the Spirits dispensations have not been alwayes alike 3. For the Efficacity moving the hearts of men to love good to hate evil 4. For the Impossibility of resisting this 5. For the Necessity of it to every good worke as the winde is to the ship Vse Is the holy Spirit God Then take heed of that blasphemous scoffing which many carnal and wicked people are guilty of which is to mock at the very name of the Spirit If a sinne against the holy Ghost be unpardonable and doing despite unto the Spirit of grace leaveth a man in an impossibility of recovering How darest thou let thy heart and tongue be thus set on hell fire Thy body and soul is to be the temple of the Spirit Thy duties are to come from this Spirit and doest thou deride it Vse of Admonition Take heed of entituling thy own fancies and delusions to the Spirit of God For seeing the holy Ghost is God it must be a capital crime to make such sinfull fancies and thoughts that come from thy corrupt heart to flow from the holy Spirit of God If to counterfeit the publick Seal or Coin of a Land be a capital crime How great a sinne is it to â—ake thy sinfull and carnal affections as if they were the workings of Gods Spirit And that the Spirit of God dwels in you Two Propositions you heard were contained in these words First That the Spirit of God is God which hath been demonstrated Secondly That the Spirit of God dwels in his Church We therefore proceed to this second Doctrine And now to open this let us consider First What the phrase to dwell in the Church implieth Secondly How he dwels there As the Spirit of God is said to dwell in us so in other places God promiseth to dwell in his people 2 Cor. 6 16. And Christ is said To dwell in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 All which are not to be understood of any visible or local habitation much lesse comprehensive that we cold comprehend God for he is as he said one whose circumference is every where and center no where The Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him but it is meant in a mystical and spiritual manner Now this phrase To have the Spirit dwell in us denoteth First The propriety that it hath to us that we are his possession as an house is a mans own where he is Lord and Master And this is worthy of consideration That we who once were the Devils he dwelt in us He ruleth in the hearts of the disobedient Ephes 2. have now him expelled from us and the Spirit of God taking us for his possession We pity persons bodily possessed that they foame and rore and are throwne sometimes into the fire and sometimes in the water but he who is a wicked man the Devil possesseth his soul more dreadfully he puts him upon anger malice upon unclean lusts and noisome filthy wayes and though many be of the Church visibly yet in regard of their own particular they are thus possessed by the Devil who hath their heart their eyes their tongues their whole body so that they seem to be a walking Hell So that herein is a wonderfull change when the Spirit of God comes and takes possession of a people who before were captives to Satan and led aside according to his will 2 Tim. 2.26 Secondly When it 's said The Spirit of God dwels in a people it supposeth That he doth fashion and prepare them for himself For every lodging is not fit for so noble a guest but as great men carry their rich furniture with them to have convenient lodgings so also doth the Spirit of God raise up a people by illumination and sanctification to be a fit habitation for him As they say Anima fabricat sibi domicilium The soulâ— makes the body so curiously organized and diversified for it's self to be in So much more doth the Spirit of God put spiritual life and quicken up our dead hearts that we may be prepared for the enjoyment of him It 's said The Spirit of God moved upon those waters Genes 1. that covered the deep when the earth was without forme or void Thus the Spirit of God doth take us out of our natural confusion and horrible darknesse and makes us comely with those ornaments he puts upon us So that as it is impossible to have the Sunne but withall we must enjoy glorious light So we cannot have the Spirit of God but withall many precious and heavenly gifts will be bestowed upon us Oh then how few persons how few Congregations can endure the lustre of this Doctrine What heavenly or precious jewels have they of Gods Spirit Thirdly When it 's said The Spirit of God dwels in us it denoteth The familiarity and condescending Communion that God vouchsafeth unto his children To dwell with one is an act of communion Hence 1 Peter 3.17 Husbands are commanded to dwell with their wives Our Savior expresseth this familiarity by John I will come in and sup with him and he with me Revel 3.20 So that what was spoken of Moses as so rare a priviledge He spake to God face to face as one friend speaketh to another in some kinde of sense though not after the same manner is true of every godly person Hence the Spirit of God is said to enable us to cry Abba Father Galat. 4 6. which though it suppose a filial reverential frame in us yet also godly boldnesse and confidence Hence he is also said To witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Rom. 8. So that children being admitted to sit at their Fathers Table have that bread which dogs may not eat of They have
that Pearle which must not be cast to swine But who are the people that God doth thus honour How few are such favourites How many are amongst us that are not admitted with Moses to come to the top of this Mount They know not what Communion with God meaneth what those filial cryes of Abba Father are Certainly a rational man doth not more differ from a beast than a spiritual man doth from the best rational man that is That as a worme knoweth not what reason and arguments are the best so learned and able men without grace do not know what this enjoying of Gods Spirit and communion with God is we speak though not in an unknown tongue yet unknown matter to such men Fourthly In that the Spirit of God is said to dwell it denoteth A permanent and constant abode in his people For this you must know The Spirit of God is many times working where yet he doth not dwell There is a great difference between transient motions and constant mansions of Gods Spirit Hypocrites and reprobates have the former but not the latter They that wrought miracles had the Spirit of God moving in them but not dwelling in them Even Balaam in that prophetical passage about Israel had a transient motion or a blast of this Spirit but the Spirit of God did not abide in him Yea hereby Caiaphas being high Priest that year was moved to say what he did It 's expedient for one to die for many but yet he knew not what he said So that there is a great difference between the transient motion of Gods Spirit and his constant inhabitation Thus many not truly sanctified have the common gifts of Gods Spirit they have abilities in prayer enlargements some joyes all which are of Gods Spirit moving in them not dwelling in them And truly this is a dangerous Rock upon which many split themselves taking transient gifts of Gods Spirit for permanent graces sometimes they are hardly discerned as the Rockes that are under water But of this neccessary point more Fifthly The Spirit dwelling in us doth denote The intimatenesse and inward efficacy it hath It doth not onely dwell with us but in us which denoteth great intimatenesse Thus the Apostle often complaineth of the Law of sinne that dwelt in him Romans 7. because of the inward natural power of it that whensoever he would doe good evil was present with him It was alwayes at hand to infect and pollute So that by this is declared how powerfull and inwardly efficacious the Spirit of God is in his people Hence he is said To make intercession with groanes unutterable Romans 8.26 which could not be without a wonderfull secret and hidden deep working of the Spirit even in the depths and bottome of our souls Thus you have heard what the phrase doth imply Now let us proceed to shew How the Spirit of God dwels in his Church and afterwards Wherein his dwelling doth manifest it self For as original corruption is alwayes breaking out it 's not a dull idle sinne it 's Peccatum actuosum though not actuale So the Spirit of God is compared to fire because of the powerfull and active nature it hath in the people of God Fire doth assimulate every thing to it self Thus men filled with the holy Ghost are made exceeding spiritual endeavouring to make all like themselves Now several wayes we may consider of the Spirits dwelling in the people of God First There is an essential dwelling or a gracious dwelling by a special manifestation of more peculiar favours we doe not speak here of an essential dwelling for so the Spirit of God is every where Whither can I flie from thy presence Psal 139.7 Thus he hath the same divine Attribute as God the Father and the Sonne have Thus he filleth the whole world But we speak of his gracious presence Now how to make a difference between his essential presence and his gracious presence is impossible for men to expresse because our knowledge of God is onely apprehensive not comprehensive We see all the Schoolmen labouring to this very day to shew how an Angel is present and yet they have not waded out of those deeps Onely thus much we may in sobriety say That though the Spirit of God be every where yet he is said to be in his Church because of those peculiar and gracious operations which he produceth in them and no where else Even as God is said to be in Heaven though he be in Earth and no where else because there is a peculiar manifestation of more glory and power from him Thus then we are first to conceive of his presence But. Secondly When the Spirit of God is said to dwell in his Church it may not onely be understood of the gracious effects thereof but also of his Person likewise And this indeed I finde a very sublime and mysterious Dispute both among Papists and Protestants Whether believers are made partakers of the Person of the holy Spirit or onely of his graces According to many all those places where we are said to receive the Spirit or to be full of the holy Ghost they are extended no further than the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost But certainly many places as this in my Text are to be understood of the Person of the holy Ghost For it 's the Spirit as we shewed that is the same with God Now the gifts and graces of the Spirit are not the same with God So we are said to be a Temple of this Spirit and a Temple doth relate to a God and to a Person not to graces meerly So that we conclude that opinion to be farre more true and consonant to Scripture which makes us partakers even of the Spirit it self as we also are of Christ himselfe and not of the benefits onely that come by him But the Scripture layeth downe this in a transcendent and mystical manner and it 's by faith onely So that those who have fancied a transubstantiation into the God-head To be Christed with Christ and Godded with God or to be made the Spirit with the Spirit have thought of a physical and natural union as if a drop of water were poured into the sea where as it is onely a moral union even as the wife is made partaker not only of the husbands wealth but the husband himself yet not turned into his nature and this comparison the Scripture doth often use Lastly The Spirit of God dwels two wayes in his Church 1. In respect of wonderfull and miraculous operations 2. In respect of saving and sanctifying graces The former way the Church of Corinth was admirable you may reade 1 Cor 14. alibi of the plenty of gifts and divers operations amongst them so that they seemed herein to excell all other Churches yet in respect of the sanctifying graces they seemed to be very defective for the Apostle cals them babes and complaineth he could not speak unto them as unto spiritual so that
in our hearts that our gifts may be successefull that our graces may flourish And that the Spirit of God dwels in you The first sort of the Spirits inhabitation in us viz. by Gifts hath been dispatched We now come to the more noble and excellent way which doth inseparably accompany salvation and that is the sanctifying graces of Gods Spirit By which indeed we may gather That God dwels in us For as when Daniel could so wonderfully open and interpret the Kings dreames they said The Spirit of the most high God was in him So if you see a people heavenly mortifying sinne walking in close communion with God you must needs conclude the Spirit of the most high God is in that man It 's not nature or moral virtues could raise him up to such an high Pinacle as this is And before we come to the particular effects of Gods in-dwelling after this manner it 's good to observe the Emphatical expressions that the Scripture useth equivalent to this of dwelling in us As Rom. 8. there it 's called Being in the Spirit as here The Spirit is in us So there we are in the Spirit Now that phrase is very emphatical and doth denote that all our lusts and sinnes yea our very selves are as it were swallowed up and nothing but the Spirit of God works and moveth in us To be in the Spirit denoteth the great efficacy and powerfull dominion in us as men are said to be in sinne because they no longer live but sinne nothing but sinne doth appear so it should be with the godly The Spirit of God not flesh not corruption not carnal or worldly principles should appear in them As the Prophets in the time of their Prophesie were said to be in the Spirit in an extasie minding no earthly or worldly thing Thus ought we to be emptied of our selves and filled with the Spirit of God Therefore John 3. it 's said Whatsoever is born of the Spirit is Spirit in the very abstract We have also Gal. 4 pregnant expressions To live in the Spirit to walk in the Spirit to be led by the Spirit Oh let such expressions as these make you ashamed to see so much of a man or carnal affections stirring in you What believer hath these things in the full power thereof But to the Particulars First The Spirit of God dwels in us after a saving manner in the general By way of sanctification of the Spirit soul and body even the whole man 1 Thess 5. This is the general Every man is all over unclean filthy polluted full of enmity to what is holy Now the Spirit of God that makes an universal sanctification of all these Hence by way of Office it 's called The Spirit of sanctification and the holy Spirit as Creation is appropriated to the Father and Redemption to the Sonne so Sanctification to the Holy Ghost So then as Christ in respect of his body is said to be conceived by the Holy Ghost there was a preparing and sanctifying of it for the Personal Union and the work of Redemption So the Spirit of God sanctifieth the soul of every godly man it makes every part and faculty prepared for holy Duties in an holy man for as the soul is the life of the body that can doe no vital action without it So the Spirit is the life of the soul and that can doe no spiritual action without it Oh then consider this all ye that heare and ponder it in your hearts Have you thus been conceived and borne of the Spirit of God Thy other birth will availe nothing though borne rich or noble Yea Couldst thou be borne a thousand times in a naturall way thou wouldst still be a miserable wretched man What is a good or ingenuous nature What are excellent and choice abilities if thou art not sanctified by the Spirit of God Doe not thinke these things are fancies and notions The Spirit of God may as well be called a fancy as his operations fancies But more particularly The Spirit of God dwels in a saving manner First By Illumination and opening of the darke minde of every man Every man is darknesse it selfe he cannot discerne of spiritual things revealed in the Word till the Spirit of God enlighten him Therefore the worke of Gods Spirit is great upon the minde and understanding of a man it convinceth the soul of a man of those things it never believed before John 16.9 of sinne it makes a man see the woefull and damnable estate he is in It 's so plaine that he cannot deny it he believed and judged no such thing once in him but now such light shineth in his breast that he is a very dung-hill a very hell to himself and then he convinceth of righteousnesse viz. a Gospel-righteousnesse by Christ Now all his workes all his good duties are dung and drosse all that Religion he put confidence in is abandoned by him the Spirit of God convinceth him of a glorious righteousnesse without him which onely is able to cover his nakednesse Againe Another special worke on the understanding is To teach to guide and leade into all truth We cannot say Jesus is the Christ without the Spirit as you heard 1 Corinth 12.3 Spiritual things must have a spirituall ability to discerne them It 's true he leadeth in and by the use of meanes appointed but yet he onely doth efficiently dispell the darknesse and worke faith to holy Truths So then we see it 's the speciall worke of Gods Spirit not humane ability to be directed into truth And we must not onely study Books but pray to God and take heed of such sinnes which may drive Gods Spirit from us for then we are as a wilde horse without a rider like a ship in the midst of the sea without a Pilot. Secondly The Spirit of God quickens and reviveth those graces that by Regeneration were infused to us compared therefore to the winde as the blowing of that makes the flowers of the Gardens to send forth their sweet smels So it 's here It 's not enough to have the habit and principles of grace within us but we need a fervent and vigorous actuating of them And therefore is the Holy Ghost compared to fire and hence that phrase To be filled with the Holy Ghost which is applied to the godly sometimes doth as learned men observe denote some actual and vigorous impression upon their hearts Their graces were now put forth in a lively vigorous way Oh this is a blessed life when a Christian is constantly filled with the Holy Ghost that doth actually make his heart fervent and burning in all its duties towards God! If this were the life of the godly man there would not be such complaints such feares such doubts Oh they cannot tell what to say to themselves They are dull heavy earthly Alas all this is because the Spirit of God filleth not thy heart if this were working thou wouldst be like Ezekiels wheeles that
to babes and hid them from the wise men of the world said our Saviour with much hearty affection Matth. 11.25 The valleys they receive the drops of heaven and are more fruitfull than the mountains though high but barren So that humane wisdome is as great an hinderance as humility is a furtherance Lay down then all high and conceited thoughts when thou comest into Christs school yea unteach thy self all thy former opinions and arguments and be like an rasa tabula as Aristotle said the soul was for the Spirit of God to write divine truths upon thy heart Doth not the Wiseman tell us That he who is wise in his own eyes there is more hopes of a fool than him Prov. 26.12 Therefore saith he Leane not unto thy own understanding Prov. 3.5 Oh this humility would preserve against all heresies all dangerous opinions An humble man is like the Tree planted by the waters side God hath two places as it were to dwell in Heaven is one and the humble heart is another Isa 57.15 God by the Prophet in that place accounts of such an heart like as unto his glorious Throne in Heaven Thirdly Humane conceited wisdome must needs hinder the entertainment of Christs truth Because it sets it self on the Throne to be Judge and to determine truth or falshood according to her own principles It makes weights and a standard of its own and will weigh even what God and the Scripture saith by its own self yea humane wisdome doth not only thus intrude into the throne but hath her instruments the Socinians who plead to have her the Judge and the Determiner of all religious controversies What from Scripture hath by the Orthodox been asserted to be that these will put upon reason making it the rule of faith Hence there is no Trinity with them not three Persons and one God because it 's against their reason Christ is not truly and essentially God because against reason say they Christ was not a Mediatour by his bloud as a Sacrifice to expiate our sinnes because against their reason Thus you see what a direct adversary the reason of man as of it self is against divine truths whereas what the Apostle speaks of the woman He did not permit her to usurp Authority over her husband or to speake in the Church 1 Tim. 2.12 The same ought to be applied to humane wisdome not to usurp over faith or to speak authoritatively in the Church It 's true a mans reason or wisdome may be considered two wayes 1. As corrupt and darkened through original sinne And in this respect onely we speake of it as such an adversary to the mysteries of Religion 2. As enlightned and sanctified by the Word and the Spirit of God Now in this later respect though it be not a Judge but is to be judged yet it 's an excellent instrument to faith When faith hath first laid its foundation then reason and learning succeeding and building upon it is wonderfull serviceable for the explication and confirmation of divine truths I speake as unto wise men saith Paul Judge ye what I say 1 Cor. 10.15 Thus civil prudence and all humane literature while it 's a servant not a Mistresse is of wonderfull use but when with Hagar it will pride over Sarah then cast it out of doores That which some adversaries to learning object That learning is never sanctified is contrary to the instance of Moses who was skilfull in the Aegyptians learning which was the fountain and seminary of all learning to the world And thus the Apostle Paul as he sanctified some verses out of Heathen Poets as Tertullian expresseth it So God had also sanctified all his humane abilities But herein earthly wisdome is so repugnant because it 's apt to make it self judge And although nothing in Religion be against sound reason yet many things are above it such as it cannot reach unto Fourthly Humane wisdome is such an opposite to heavenly truths Because of its subtilty to finde out cavils and excogitate Arguments against the Truth Insomuch that the more learned and knowing men are the greater difficulty it is to believe men who have lesse parts and learning know not all those subtil and specious Arguments which Heretiques especially if learned and subtil do bring forth They know not what the Socinians have to say against the Trinity against the Deity of Christ What Arminians for Free-will What the Papists for many of their superstitious wayes and it 's well they doe not not but that the truth is evident against them onely it might shake and stagger their faith who are weak whereas men of knowledge exercising themselves in their Bookes that they may be able to confute them meet sometimes with specious colours yea even some seeming Anakims in the way Mans wisdome is farre more able Destruere falsa then probare vera we can better object against truth then by faith assent to it and then no wonder it be so apt to miscarry Lastly The more wisdome and knowledge men have the more busie the Devil is to make them on his side Because the Serpent was more subtil than other beasts of the field therefore the Devil used him Ornari à te Diabolus quaerit said Austin to a great Scholar whom he would gladly have converted Most Heretiques have been men of great parts of admirable eloquence to perswade and winne men Good Elocution and Rhetorique is so apt to beare all downe before it that Hercules was made the God of Eloquence by some Heathens as if it had as much strength as he Vse Then how much are men of parts and understanding to bewaile themselves God chooseth babes and simple ones rather than such Study humility renounce thy understanding become a little childe Oh it may be that which thou art so proud of so confident of will be the means to damn thee as Absolom's hair was his death If any man thinke himselfe wise let him become a foole that he may be wise The Doctrine observed is That humane and earthly wisdome is a great enemy to the things of God In the matter of Doctrine to be believed we have demonstrated it already The next thing in order is The manner of Declaration and Publication of it in the Scripture And here we shall find worldly wisdome to be a great adversary But I shall instance in one thing only about that and that is The simplicity and plainnesse of the style That whereas there are two things that are exceeding apt to take with the world The one with Rational men The other with Affectionate men The Scripture seemeth to be furnished with neither For with rational men strong demonstrations and scientifical probations prevail exceedingly they lay they are slaves to reason bring a rational argument and this is such a cord that the strongest Samson cannot break Now many times men of strong reason are no wayes Rhetorical As the earth where mines of gold are is barren of grasse and
farre surpasseth all their morality First then let us shew Wherein the faith of a Christian commanded by the Scripture doth farre surpasse all humane knowledge and science which men by nature do glory in And First Faith doth surpasse all humane sciences in the dignity of the subject The matter about which a Christians faith is exercised doth farre transcend all that about which humane knowledge doth exercise it self For the highest that they could reach unto is only to the knowledge of natural effects produced by natural causes And if any could prove these by the former this they called a demonstration Though some men say No man ever yet gave a demonstration à priori quoad se but quoad nos So then all the excellent wisdom of the world hath been only to consider the nature of sublunary things or to discourse about the nature of the heavenly bodies and their motions and if they did arise to consider of a God the Maker of these it was in a very uncertain doubtfull way Hence the Apostle speaks of them Acts 17.27 that they were as men in the dark feeling after a thing to find it as the Sodomites smote with blindnesse felt for the door This is all our humane wisdome can help us to but now by faith we have the supernatural mysteries of salvation revealed unto us The Scripture tels us Of a God in Christ reconciling man to himself of mans original misery of Christ the Mediator Alas how poor and contemptible are the highest notions even of Plato though called Divine when you come and read Paul There are such admirable and heavenly truths revealed in Gods word that all humane wisdome was no more able to find or apprehend such things then a dwarf could reach to the Heavens If we then consider the dignity and worth of that subject which the Scripture revealeth and faith is exercised about dirt is not more inferiour to precious pearls than humane knowledge to faith Secondly Faith differs from all their humane science in respect of the excellency of the end For the end of all Scripture wisdom is to bring us to eternal life The Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 The things of Christ are said to be written That believing we might have eternal life John 20 31. There was never any humane knowledge could teach a man to be eternally happy Platoes Divinity and Aristotles Morality though they have the words of happinesse and have large discourses about it yet wanted the thing it self Oh then let us blesse God for Scripture-wisdome for the treasures of knowledge revealed there Learn of David How wonderfully was he affected with Gods word What light and wisdome did he attain unto thereby The Scriptures will teach thee such a blessednesse and such a way to blessednesse that could not enter into thy heart to conceive before the light thereof came into thee Thirdly Faith doth surpasse all humane knowledge in its certainty and infallibility A man that believeth the truths of God revealed in the Scripture hath more certain knowledge then all the more wise and learned men of the world For the object of faith being Gods testimony and his Divine Authority it 's as impossible for faith to be deceived as it is for God to lie Hence it 's called The full assurance of hope Heb. 10.22 And we believe therefore we speake 2 Cor. 4.13 How could the holy Martyrs witnesse those divine truths even to death had they not been possessed with full and sure knowledge of those things they died for whereas if we look into all humane knowledge there is very little certainty insomuch that some have expresly affirmed Nihil scitur yea that that also was not known and what little certainty they have appeareth by the contrary and different opinions in all their main points Fourthly Faith doth more establish settle and quiet the heart of men then all humane wisdome Solomon observeth a vanity and vexation of spirit even in all humane knowledge but now faith doth establish settle and satisfie the soul Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Those that want faith are said to be double-minded men Jam. 1. inconstant as the waves of the Sea Oh the anxiety and perplexities that meer humane knowledge hath cast men into And so those who have no other bottome than the Authority of Church or the power of men to believe These are reeds shaken up and down with every wind Their faith is upon ambulatory and moveable considerations wheras faith makes a man like Christ The same yesterday and to day and for ever Lastly The Christian faith is above all philosophical knowledge Because of the strong and mighty effects it hath to convert the heart and reform the life Acts 15 9. Purifying their hearts by faith How can ye believe when ye seek glory one of another said our Saviour John 5.44 Yet these humane Gnosticks did only aim at glory though Philosophers call them the Liberal Arts yet they could not set them free from their lusts whereas Christ John 8.32 said If my Word abide in you you shall be free indeed Never did humane knowledge make such wonderfull converts and work so great a reformation as the Christian saith hath done And although we have now too many who say they do believe and yet do such things as many of the Gentiles would be ashamed of yet these men have not faith indeed but the name and title of it for as much as faith though but like a grain of mustard-seed would bid such mountains of lusts be removed into the Sea In the next place The moral or practical wisdome of the world cometh farre short of Scripture-wisdome For First The most knowing men were ignorant of original sinne which yet is the fountain of our calamity The Heathens indeed bewailed the mortality and misery of man but they know not our natural pollution the ground of all Yea we see Paul himself though a Pharisee was not acquainted with that Law of sinne within him till inlightned by the Word Rom. 7. Now if men know not their disease or the cause of it they can never be cured So that whatsoever precepts about living well they delivered yet they built on a sandy foundation they did not dig deep enough Secondly All humane wisdome and prudence knoweth not how to mortifie and forsake sinne upon true grounds because they were ignorant of Gods Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie sinne They did not crucifie the body of sinne nor bewail it because it was sinne but for humane respects as it did hinder the publique or as it was prejudicial to their glory and fame but they overcame one lust by another Thirdly All earthly prudence cometh short of this wisdome because it 's circumscribed within the bounds of this world and this life It looketh out no further whereas the Scripture giveth directions for
which have brought them thither Do they not curse and blaspheme the day they were born and that ever they hearkened to Satans temptations Verse 23. And ye are Christs VVE shall now come down from this Text this Mount of Transfiguration concerning which every believer might say It is good to be here and pursue the other matter that is behind Where we may observe the Apostle in a Climax rising higher All things are yours you are Christs and Christ is Gods So that the highest round in this ladder reacheth to Heaven as Jacobs did and the lowest one is in the earth So that you may observe the Apostle now changing his speech before all things are yours all in the Church and in the world is yours Now he doth not also say Christ is yours but you are Christs whereby we see that as the former things spoken of were not for themselves but the godly so neither are the godly for themselves but Christ Thus we have the Apostle mixing water with wine lest it should be too much drunk off and so make giddy All things are yours there is your Priviledge but you are Christs there is your Duty even to see that what ever you are or can doe it be in reference to him Even as at the first God created all the world with the creatures therein for man but man for himself so all things are for the godly and the godly is for Christ We may then observe the difference in this expression and sense between the former and the later First When he said All these things were the godly mans he meant it of spiritual use only not of dominion and power but when he saith We are Christs the meaning is We are wholly his creatures he hath absolute dominion and sovereignty over us And then Secondly All the things are a godly mans he is the end of them but he is finis indigentiae he needs them and wants them he could not tell what to do without them but Christ is Finis assimilationis they are for him not that he needs them but that he might make them more perfect in communicating his grace and holinesse unto them Observe then That a godly man in all that he is or can doe is wholly Christs Ye are Christs The Apostle driveth it to this that therefore they should glory onely in him They are not Pauls or Apolloes but Christs and therefore in him onely must they glory and judge themselves compleat To understand this Let us consider in what respects the godly man is Christs And First He is bought and purchased by his bloud so that he oweth all his being comforts and priviledges onely to Christ 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price So then well may the godly man be said to be Christs for he cometh to be his at a dear rate Never did King yet subject or master a servant at so dear a prize as Christ obtained thee He did undergoe all that agony and shamefull death to free thee from the bondage thou wert in and to make thee his For you must know the clean contrary was true of the godly before made Christs they were the Devils they were wholly his Of him and through him and to him they lived from him all their thoughts affections and actions were from him who ruled in their hearts and they were to him because they wholly did his work and advanced his kingdome But now Oh wonderfull and happy change they are brought out of the dark prison they were in all the chains and fetters upon them are taken off and now they have the robes of Christ put upon them and are made free indeed Consider then how the godly become Christs it is by shedding his bloud we were Satans captives before and now made Christs Oh then why should the godly live to sinne or Satan or the world any more Were they crucified for thee Have they obtained thee at so dear a price as Christ hath Secondly The godly they are Christs Because by his Spirit they are made new Creatures They have a new being For it cannot be that any should be Christs who live in the flesh and are carnally minded Therefore the Spirit of Christ communicateth unto them a new being gives them an heavenly nature enables them to mortifie sinne in all the lusts thereof For this is a true Rule Christs merit and Christs Spirit goe together Where his death is effectual his Spirit is efficacious None can say they are Christs by his death for them that may not say they are Christs by his Spirit forming and fashioning of them Hence they are said To have his Spirit to be in the Spirit to walke in the Spirit to be led by the Spirit Oh then let carnal and earthly men stand aloof off This matter as it doth not belong to them so they understand it not If thou art Christs his Spirit dwels in thee leades thee guides thee enables thee quickens thee So that there are very few who can challenge an interest in Christ after this manner Are not most men destitute of Christs Spirit For the Apostle Romans 18. saith That if the Spirit of Christ be in us then as that raised up Christ from the grave so it would raise us from sinne Thirdly They are Christs Because he is the Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and the end He is the Alpha he is the AVTHOVR and FOVNTAIN of all the spiritual good we have compared theerefore to the Head that gives of its fulnesse to every Member and to the Vine from which every Branch deriveth its nourishment And the Apostle cals him The Authour and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 It 's he that giveth life and motion and all spiritual strength to us Now every effect is more the causes then it is its owne Seeing therefore thou hast no good but what thou hast received from Christ thou art wholly to depend on him as the streame is on the fountain as the light is on the Sunne for take them away and these immediately perish Thus he is the Alpha and he is also the Omega and end We are not to live to our selves but to him Paul saith Gal. 3.20 He doth not live but Christ in him All our graces are to carry us out of our selves to Christ our faith in Christ our love and affections to be pitched on Christ If we preach it is to set up Christ if we eat or drinke it is thereby to strengthen us that we may the better serve him if what ever we doe or what ever we suffer it is to promote the glory and honour of Christ Fourthly We are Christs in that all our Christian compleatnesse is in him Colos 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell And again Ye are compleat in him Colos 2.10 So Christ is said To be made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and