the bare law of Commandement could not raise mee up to holy walking For flesh which was my owne strength that was weake but God having made up that in his Son Now sayes hee the righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in us who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit And shewes in the 5th verse what it is to walke after the flesh and what after the spirit and in the 6. verse tells us flesh and spirit is the way of life and death but in the 9th verse he shewes who are in the Spirit namely those in whom the spirit of God dwels And sayes plainly that those which have not the Spirit are none of Christs And in the two next verses shewes if Christ lives in a soule by his Spirit then the body of sinne dyes There is a reigning power indeed the whole body of sin killed by the Spirits dwelling and reigning in a Saint and now all the action and motion of such a soule is from God The soule now in all its wants can have accesse to God through Christ in the spirit as in Ephes 2.18 and in Ephes 3.16 17 18. Ephes 2.18 Ephes 3.16 17 18. John 17.38 39. By the spirit in the inward man the soule is an established soule and a knowing soule and so is enabled to act for God in the Spirit John 7.38 39. There is a promise to believing soules of being so filled with the Spirit that there shall be flowings forth Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water And this saith the 39th verse is spoken of the spirit which they that believe in him should receive Now what is the end of this fulnesse of the Spirit but that it should rule and reigne in a Saint and that a Saint should walke and act in it In Rom 6.14 There is a promise sin shall not have dominion over the Saints and the reason is given because saith he you are not under the law but under grace Christ is your sanctification and his spirit of grace shall deliver you from the dominion of sin In 1 Cor. 2.14 15. There a Saints knowledge is spiritual and so dstinguished from the world and this spirituall knowledg living in action in a Saint We shall finde in 1 Cor. 12.11 in the former part of the Chapter the Apostle speaks of spiritual gifts acting diversly in severall Saints but all these workings are from one and the same Spirit so as it is the Spirit that doth all in the Saints In 2 Cor. 3.16 17 18. There is a soule made light by having the vaile taken from its eyes and in that light beholding God saith the Text is changed into his Image Now marke it all this is by the spirits living in a soule A soule living upon God in the spirit hath the vaile taken away and lives in a glorious vision of God by which the soul is changed into the Image of God and this is by the Spirit of the Lord saith the end of the 18. Verse And so in 2 Cor. 5.14 15 16 17. There is a new creature made by the love of Christ which constrained the soul from the powerfull operation of the Spirit wherefore henceforth saith he wee know no man no not Christ himselfe after the flesh No How then Why in the spirit that spirit that sheddes the love of Christ in our hearts and thereby constâ—aines us to live in him that died for us and in whom wee are dead to the flesh but alive in the spirit And thus the Spirit acts the new creature So in Gal. 5.16 17 18 22 25. Verses There is an exhortation to walke in the spirit by which a saint is delivered from obedience to the lusts of the flesh though the flesh lusteth against the spirit yet saith the 18. Verse If yee be led by the spirit yee are not under the Law and in the 22. Verse shewes the fruits of the Spirit and concludes in the 25. Verse If you live in the spirit then walke in the spirit making all a Saints life and action to be in the spirit I will only touch one particular of the life of a Saint out of this generall namely his worship and shew you how all that is in the Spirit for a Saint worshiping God in the Spirit take first John 4.23 24. Which is our Saviours Answer to the woman of Samarias Question in the 20 Verse she as one without the Spirit questions about the places of worship going as far as an eye of nature could carry her to externalls but the Lord Christ in the 21 Verse tells her Woman the houre cometh when neither in this mountaine nor in Jerusalem shall yee worship the father your light is onely in externalls and you worship you know not what and then preaches himselfe to her Salvation is of the Jewes as if he had said God will have his people onely worship him and that in the Spirit for the time comes and now is when the true worshipers shall worship God in the spirit and gives the reason of it for saith he God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth This truth is very fully confirmed in Phil 3.3 false teachers in the foregoing Chapter would have brought the Saints under the law of works a gaine and the yoake of circumcision but the Apostle in this 3. Verse tell us those are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit As if the Apostle had said these false teachers endeavour to bring you under a formall worship and to make you debtors to the law of worâ—s againe But we are above it and we are to live in the Spirit and to worship in the Spirit in the 1 Pet. 2.5 There the Apostle tells you who they be that are sit for communion with God they be living stones alive in the Spirâ—t and acting in the Spirit to offer up spirituall sacrificâ— to God by Jesus Christ I but when is a man a living stone fit to offer up the sacrifice sâ—e that in 1 Joh. 2.27 But the anâ—inting whâ—ch yee have received of him abides in you and the same anointing teacheth you all thinâ—s and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you yee shall abide in him Then is a man a visible Saint a living stone fiâ— to worship God and to have communion with him when he hath received the Vnction of the Spirit by which he is taught of God to woâ—ship in the Spirit and in truth This truth is not taught of man but of God and therefore it abides in him thus you see he that worships God truly worships him in the Spirit What a Spirituall Saint is What a Saint is not First he is more than a Morall-man he that is lesse than a morall-man is a beast and he that is at the heigh of a morall-man is but meerly a man a fine civiliz'd peice of clay loving himselfe and therefore doth â—ot devoute another because
for the same strength because hee well knew there was no other strength sufficient to this glorious worke The same Apostle in Heb. 12.2 sets a high value upon Christ and makes him all in this worke of grace and gives it us in direction to looke unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith did we thus eye Christ and value him as he is we should not so often look below him goe in our own strength to finish faith that it might be the author of Christ for so we doe when we will not close with Christ till wee have qualified our selves nor thinke free-grace enough in it selfe till we have such such qualification in us which we think to be sit for grace if not worthy of grace Truly I know no worthinesse of our own that free-grace cals a sit subject for it to work its owne glory out of I find God mentioning his grace under this confideration loving us when we lay in our blood no eye to pâ—tty uâ— grace lives when all help below is dead Now such thoughts as these are exceedingly below Christ that is our life Is this a true value of Christ who hath done suffered pardon'd purchased so much for us as he hath That when we are in streights to goe to duty for relâ—ef and not to the God of duties who is the life of soul duties Is not this matter of reproof to those foolish Galatians which began in the spirit would end in the flesh I thinke there is not any piece of the olde man in Saints that darkens more of the glory of Gods free-grace and damps more of the comforts of his people then this doth to goe any whether but to Christ in streights must needs put a dishonour upon him and be an undervaluing of him for doth it not imply thus much the thing we seeke after is not to be had in Christ or not so soone in Christ as in duties or at least that it is not only to be had in Christ but it is all one whether we goe to him or not now all these are conceptions of the olde man in us when through the Spirit we looke upon Christ as our life we shall see all fulnesse in him grace enough to pitty to pardon and to die for us Righteousnesse enough to cloath us and to present us spotlesse to the pure eyes of his Fathers glory Power enough to take us out of Sathans hands and to defend us from all enemies and all evill Wisdome enough to make us wise in him to guide and to governe us that our conversations may be like children of light and heires of glory Goodnesse enough to supply all wants in us and to give out fulnesse of his owne grace to us yea and happinesse enough to satisfie our soules to all eternity and the soule sayes Christ is enough yea he is all and whether should I goe but to him he hath the words of eternall life in him yea he is my eternall life this is the frame of such soules as doe truly prize Christ as their life A third observation is this Observ 3 That if Christ be a Saints life then a Saint only enjoyes his life as be lives upon Christ in the Spirit When I thus mention Christ I doe it as he doth it himselfe I and my Father am one saith Christ and as I am in the Father so are you in me We are one with Christ through the love of God and enjoy this life through the Spirit of God In John 6.63 Christ tels us it is the Spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing As if hee had said what ever you enjoy of mee as your life it is through my Spirit 't is not the fruits of your own flesh 't is what comes from me that is spirit and life to you Our Saviour cleares up this truth in his discouse with that woman of Samaria in John 4.23.24 But the houre commeth and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth And in another Text the naturall man discernes not the things of God nor cannot because they are spiritually discerned The Spirit only reveales the hidden things of God so the Apostle in Gal. 5.16.18 For we through the Spirit waite for the hope of righteousnesse by faith This I say then walke in the Spirit and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh but if yee be led of the Spirit yee are not under the law In the beginning of this Chapter the Apostle exhorts them to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free and in these verses he tels them what this liberty is namely to live upon Christ in the Spirit So likewise in Ephes 3.16 17 18 19. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inward man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that yee being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth length and depth and heigth and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that yee may be filled with the fulnesse of God The sum of the Apostles prayer is in short this That they might live upon Christ as their life to know his love in all the demonstrations of it which is above humane knowledg but he begins thus in verse 16. That they might be strengthened with all might by his spirit in the inward man Hee layes downe this as the foundation As if the Apostle had said Who ever lives on Christ by faith knowing and enjoying his love in the breadths lengths depths and heights of it must doe it by his Spirit that only can make true discoveries of Christ and our interest in him This is the proper office of the Spirit as he is the comforter promised we may see this in Ephes 4.30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby yee are sealed unto the day of redemption Our interest in Christ as he is all to us is sealed up to us in the Spirit it is not a fleshly formall historicall knowledge of Christ in which wee can live on him as our life but it is to know him and enjoy him in the Spirit which is a lively knowledge of Christ and an enjoying of Christ as our life A Fourth Observation may be this If Christ be a Saints life Observ 4 then a Saint should take beed of doing any thing that is against Christ You cannot wounde Christ but you wounde your own lives Christ is your life and if hee looke backe on thee as he did on Peter when he denyed him thou wilt soone reele the wound in thy owne bosome if this truth tâ—ke place in any soule let it then consider how deare every soule is to Christ he
Lord Jesus If we make duties our object 't is too low they are not our life but the fruits of life A man doth not live because he acts but he acts because he lives The Apostle desires to know nothing but Christ and him crucified and plainly speaks this not to be found in his owne righteousnesse but in Christs Ephes 2.8 9 10. For by grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of workes least any man should boast for wee are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them Marke it here is workes as the fruits of our life and interest in Christ and the reason is given in the first words namely the great design of God for his own glory that all may spring from grace Now this is our interest in Christ and the life and sweet of all this will fill our soules when in the Spirit we looke on Christ as our life This may invite every soule to cast it selfe on Christ as its life and rest on him Let the soule that is the worst of sinners in its owne eye remember this it is of grace that we are saved and Christ is the great gift of Gods free-grace The Prodigall when hee said there was bread enough in his Fathers house doubtlesse eyed Christ There is in Gods eye price enough blood enough righteousnesse pure enough which makes life full enough for Christ is all this Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that justifies Who is be that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us The Apostle here makes a challenge but he doth it upon a sure gound namely God justifying a soule through its interest with Christ in his death resurrection and intercession This treasure is laid up in God for thee poore soule that sayest thou hast no worthinesse of thy owne It is the will of God that the ends of the earth should looke up to Christ so that those might have milke and honey freely which have no price nor no money of their owne Poore soule I will give thee one Text to live upon for ever Ephes 2.4 5. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ By grace yee are saved Make thy condition worse then this if thou canst to be dead in sins And then know this God is rich in mercie his love is exceeding great it exceeds the greatnesse of thy sins This love is so great that it can take soules dead in sins and quicken them together with Christ and if you will know the reason of all this it is by grace that we are saved What canst thou say now poore doubting soule All life is without thy selfe it is by grace that thou art saved If thou canst not see thy selfe worthy why yet see God is gracious It is not Gods designe to looke out worthy soules but to take unworthy soules and magnifie his grace on them It will be no presumption but faith and obedience to rest on Christ to such an end as to magnifie the free-grace of God when wee rest on Christ as our life wee doe as much as in us lies justifie and magnifie that free-grace which gave Christ to be our life And on the contrary when wee will not rest on Christ wholly as our life till wee have wrought up some qualifications in our selves we deny this gift of God and our like to be from free-grace The Text speaks plainly it is of grace that we are saved Oh let God have the glory of his grace for the life of our soules lies in it there is no other way to enjoy interest in Christ but to lay hands on him as the gift of grace and it appeares that a Christ-lesse soule is a dead soule Is it better to be dead soules then to have life meerely from grace If not oh then honour grace let Christ be our life though we are wholly dead in our selves yet cast thy selfe upon Christ as the gift of Gods free-grace for thy life But in the last place If Christ be only a Saints life and a Saint enjoyes this as he lives upon Christ in the Spirit Then let this teach us always at the throne of grace to be pleading the promise of the Father the Son to powr out the holy Spirit upon us and not rest satisfied without the Spirit in any or in all externals not in a bare literall knowledg no nor a Christ only in the flesh but only to know God and Christ and to live on them in the Spirit To know truths as they are in Jesus is to know them in the Spirit of Jesus and this is our Saviours owne promise John 14.26 That when the Comforter which is the holy Ghost comes he shall teach you all things We are therefore seeking something below Christ and so apt to deifie a form because we know so little of Christ in the Spirit In John 7.38 39. There is a glorious promise of the full powrings forth of the Spirit upon believers He that believes on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water But this spake hee of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive I know nothing but this promise is the interest of all believers it is worth the pleading at the throne of grace The Apostle Rom. 8. tels us what use Saints make of the Spirit They walke by it above the flesh he cals it the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which hath made us free from the law of sinne and death this is the spirit that dwels in a Saint and shall raise him up at the last day In the 11. verse this Spirit is Gospel-administration Saints interest under the Gospel thus Saints worship God in the Spirit John 4.23 But the houre commeth and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth A Saint is wholly carried up to Christ his life by the Spirit and all the acts of his life is the workings of the Spirit in him Gal. 5.5.16 17 18. There the soule waites for the righteousnesse of Christ by faith through the Spirit and when he comes to walke in God and to live up his interest in Christ it is all through the Spirit and it is only through the Spirit of God in them that dead creatures are made living Ordinances The institution is doe this in remembrance of me Now it is the Spirit which gives an ordinance to this life Our Saviour tels us in John 6.63 The flesh profiteth nothing nor the word it is the Spirit that quickens and makes alive The reason is cleare God
the light Bare formall profession is so true an enemie to nothing as to spirituall light and an empty form enraged against nothing more then the power of godlinesse and therefore God makes tryall of all professing and professors by the powrings forth of his Spirit Truly if God did not looke that such as worship him should worship him in spirit truth he might have worshippers all the world over If the spirit and power of godlinesse were not the distinguishing character between professors Christ would have all to follow him and Saints and truth none to oppose them but when the Spirit of truth gathers up Saints into truths as they are in Jesus above this or the other naked forme and into the power of godlinesse bringing forth the fruits of holinesse then not only carnall wretches but also naked formall professors rise up against them and thus by this fire of the Spirit God doth discover all professors that build upon this foundation the Lord Jesus whether they be gold silver and precious stones or whether they be wood hay or stubble by their abiding or consuming Truly formes or no formes can give no good testimony to this new creature I judge of form no form as the Apostle of circumcision and uncircumcision that they avail nothing but the new creature And I believe as the power of godlinesse shall encrease the contendings in the world about formes will decrease that I am troubled at is this when men are rigidly zealous for formes yet then negligent of the power of godlinesse in themselves and opposite to it in others especially if they differ in formes which makes it evidently to appeare that their forme is their God and they have no God but forme And on the other side it is as sad if not more sad to behold such as pretend to higher communion with God then others have which walke in the use of formes and yet in their lives as loose as vaine and as empty of God as those which have nothing but forme That I contend for is the power of godlinesse and I would all the contentions in the world were swallowed up in this namely who should live up most of Christ to exceede each other in the power of godlinesse this contention would kill none but our lusts love to Christ Saints and truths would live indeed and 't would be our life to live in this love But there is another sort of people in the world which this truth informes us of that is such as talke much of the grace of God and yet turne that grace into wantonnesse such wretches did never spiritually understand this Text That who ever is in Christ is a new creature Nor doe they consider how they engage the purity of Christ to discover their impurity The Apostle Paul in Rom. 6. makes it matter of abhorrency to continue in sinne upon this consideration because grace did abound in God and truly God doth more abhorre to own them under a notion of grace be not deceived God is not mocked he will make his word appear truth against all the wretches in the world they shall know that such as are in Christ they are new creatures I have heard it reported that there be some which deny the Scriptures That which is understood by the titles of the old and new Testament to be the word of God I can say no such thing knowingly but sure I am that many thousands which acknowledge it with their lips deny it with their lives and that in this one Text That if any man be in Christ hee is a new creature for they will lay claime to the one and deny the other talke of their interest in saving grace but deny his sanctifying grace Such wretches as these bring an evill report upon the Gospel of Christ and the Christ of the Gospel The Gospel of Christ it is glad tidings being the proclaiming of Christ crucified as the gift of free-grace for poore sinners Now when such as hate to be reformed talke of the free-grace of God they put dishonour upon it and a stumbling-blocke before weake Christians It makes them stagger at grace to see grace-lesse men professe it and grace in truth hath harder thoughts of many and is lesse esteemed of because of this false profession of grace and I feare me it makes poore legall soules to make a God of their duties when they see these vilde creatures to abuse the grace of God I know not what is more vilde then this to live in sinne under a profession of grace These are seared consciences indeed that can sinne and name it grace and then call the God of truth to witnesse to that lye nay to make God himselfe a lyar for he saith who ever is in Christ is a new creature but they say they are in Christ and yet are olde creatures God will unmaske this hypocrisie and prove himselfe the God of truth Christ hath no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse such as are in Christ their fellowship is with the Father with the Son such as have fellowship with Christ are those that live in Christ and Christ in them that live by the faith of the Sonne of God and in the spirit of the holy God so that they are changed into the image of God This is the new creature this is the gracious soule indeed such as have the power of their lives It is not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven but he that knoweth my Fathers will and doth it saith Christ 'T is grace in truth and act that consists with union and communion with Christ if in Christ then a new creature and all profession of grace without the new creature will appeare our owne fancy of grace and not the grace of God in truth for that alwayes produceth the new man If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Lastly This informes Saints indeed of their duty and priviledge for truly it is both and it is this That wee live to no other end but to live up Christ who is our life and if Christ be our life then we are new creatures and the life of the new creature is to live up Christ which is its life Children of the day should walke as such in the light of the Lord in the power and might of his Spirit It is the Apostles exhortation in Gal. 5.25 If we live in the Spirit let us also walke in the Spirit As if hee had said it is not only our businesse as Saints to live in the joyes of God but also to live up the God of our joyes not only to live upon God in the Spirit but to walke with God in the Spirit that is in the fruits of the Spirit for that is the Apostles subject in the verses just before this Christ is a living Christ he appeare where ever he is The Apostle James in his 2d chap. vers 17. tels us that faith
this was not Gods wil Haman hee designes according to his will but it being without God observe the fulnesse of his disappointment and the Justice of God returned into his own bosome In Esther 6. Esther 7. and vers 10. of Chap. 6. The King asketh Haman what should be done to the man the King would honour Doubtlesse Haman thought the King meant himselfe and therefore makes him this answer in verse 8. Let the royall apparrel be brought which the King useth to weare and the horse that the King rideth upon and the Crowne royall which is set upon his head and let his apparell horse be delivered to the hands of one of the Kings most noble Princes that they may array the man withall whom the King delights to honour and bring him on horse-backe through the streets of the City and proclaim before him thus shall be done to the man whom the King will honour It appeares cleare by this counsell that selfe was in his heart but observe in vers 10. the miserable disappointment of this proud selfish man Then the King said unto Haman make hast take the Apparell and the Horse as thou hast said and doe even so to Mordecai the Jew that sitteth at the Kings gate let nothing faile of all that thou hast spoken First Haman is disappointed in that he is not the man Secondly To aggravate his misery Mordecai whom he hated he is the man for whom hee had beene inventing death and dishonour God makes him the instrument to invent honours and to compleat this miserable disappointment Haman himselfe must be the Kings servant to honour Mordecai whom hee hated we see by Hamans answers to the King what proud and selfish men seeke after but their wils being out of God the higher they clime the lower they fall and the greater their expectations be the fuller of misery is their disappointment Yet the justice of God left not this proud cruel man but brought him to be hanged upon the Gallowes of fifty cubits high which he had in his wil appointed for Mordecay This is the fruit of having our wils out of Gods wil So Jonah his wil was the gourd should continue but that was not Gods wil therefore dye it must now how doth this disquiet the man even so much that he seemes to justifie his anger there was no cause of his discontent but that his wil was not in Gods wil. Secondly This doth informe us whence this rest and quiet that is in the bosomes of Gods people doth arise namely in this that their wils are in Gods wil therefore when God declares his wil under any dispensation in the World they are at rest for the appearance of his wil makes their rest all things besides this brings disquietments upon the spirit but when the wil of God appeares it silences all disputes and quiets all thoughts in the heart of him that hath given up his wil to Gods wil this soule doth not quarrel with but kisseth the feete of God when the wil of God lays it there it is in spirit at rest upon a sicke bed because of the wil of God there Disappointments in the outward man do not cease upon this man to disturbance because the wil of God is in them and that is his rest he is best at rest in that wherein he seeth most of Gods wil discovered to him what ever it be in its owne nature this soule can say with David when Gods wil appeares in it It is good for me I have beene afflicted and makes this the discovery of the good and evil of all he meddles with namely the wil of God If Gods wil appeare in it he acknowledgeth it to be good but if he see not that he cannot own it as his good or any thing for him to rest in for he rests only in God and it is nothing but the appearance of Gods wil that makes his Spirit at rest under every dispensation of God and from thence this soule hath a quiet being But againe This truth doth informe us as Saints of our duty to enquire after Gods will in all we doe or require others to doe The will of Christ was that the will of God should be done so is the wil of Saints in conformity to the wil of Christ their head and if to be done then surely to be known Nay Saints ought to doe nothing before they know the wil of God in it If this rule were observed there would not be so much doing and undoing as this uncertaine age affords If God led men into what they doe hee would so owne them that they should not be ashamed of it this is the true reason why men doe and ondoe because in what they doe they seeke their owne wils not Gods wil but hee that hath given up his wil to Gods wil before hee works he will see Gods wil this is the true reason why the men of this World with all their power and policy cannot make Saints worship as they doe the unknowne God or at least wise in such a manner as they know not whether it be the wil of God or no. I say this is the reason because they are bound up in the wil of God so that they cannot worship any unknowne God nor the God they know in any manner but what he makes known to them to be his wil that they should worship him in If men be truly zealous for the worship of God it can goe no farther then this That such as know him and his wil should worship him according to his wil made knowne to them for any thing else cannot be the true worship of the true God Now such as know God and his wil in truth the spirit of truth they are a willing people to worship God according to his wil made known to them by his Spirit in which they worship him If this were seriously considered in the Spirit of God it would appear to be the beauty of Saints not to act before light to know Gods wil and so to doe it therefore Saints should be teaching one another in the Spirit but not to force any where the Spirit hath not taught then there is no neede of forcing for the Spirit of God that teacheth doth also leade his people into obeying of his truths and wil. The Saints in truth speak thus in the spirit of truth to God Not my will nor the will of any man or men but thy will be done Therefore Lord shew me thy wil and it sufficeth he that rules should enquire after the will of God to rule by and he that is ruled for the will of God to be the rule of his obedience Oh that our Rulers did enquire after and finde out this rule to rule by Then would righteousnesse flourish in the Land as a greene Bay-tree and the branches of it would cover the Land with that much desired peace It is the want of this which makes the want of peace did
reason is this To give the World a true discovery of my spirit and light in those things which I count weighty and every truth of them to be of more concernment then a thousand Worlds I cannot tell the thoughts of men concerning my selfe nor will presume to take the place of God to judge the thoughts of any but this I can truly tell that in the following truths I have clearely opened my heart to the view of every Reader and have faithfully given to the World what light God hath given to me in those maine truths and fundamentalls of salvation in which my soule lives and what I can cheerefully dye in the next moment This is all I shall say I blesse the Lord I am single hearted in this worke let men judge of me and it according to to their light I have no other end then this That the eternall loving kindnesse and free grace of God may be lifted up in the World and that all his people may know how good a God hee is I confesse these truths of God were in my soule like new Wine in old Bottles my flesh could imprison them no longer and now they are abroad give me leave Reader with them to give thee a word of caution If thou beest spirituall and understandest these truths of God in the spirit and findest them sweet then blesse the Lord let thy heart praise him and thy eye be singly set on him overlooke the creature wholy unlesse it be to glory in the Lord that hath magnified his free grace to so weake a one as my selfe is I acknowledge the truths to be Gods and revealed by his spirit of truth so that the beauty of them must center no where but in him but all the failings and weaknesses from first to last are mine the fruits of my flesh and darknesse I beseech you let God have his due glory though you blame me for my failings let not my weaknesses prejudice any soule against the precious truths of God I trust there is nothing but what are truths of God though weakly managed and if any one amongst those many thousands more descerning eyes then mine shall finde out any thing that is not so I trust if in a spirit of love and meeknesse it be made knowne to me I shall blesse God for that soule and honour his truth by acknowledging my owne errours And to the scorner I shall onely say this I wish you could singly scorne me in it and not God then would your sinne be the lesse and so would my sorrow too for God hath carried me above your scornes and were not your sinnes increased by it the care of either side would be but very small Let me deale plainely with you you wrong your selves not me for I can both live and dye full of joy and rest in the love of God though you shall please your selves in scorning and deriding me and all the returne I shall make to this will be to pity your darknesse and to pray the Lord to give you the light of his spirit by which you may truly know him and Jesus Christ which he hath sent and then I know you will be new creatures I shall hold you no longer in the porch but open every doore of the house that you may both read and see the truths of God made knowne by his spirit to the weakest and one as unworthy as any of his Servants Rob Tichbourne The Contents of the severall Chapters contained in this Booke LOVE to all SAINTS shews union with Christ By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if yee love one another John 13.35 What Christ hath borne for Saints they shall never beare themselves For as many as are of the workes of the law are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith And the law is not of faith but the man that doth them shall live in them Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree There is neither Jew nor Greeke there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for yee are all one in Christ Jesus And if ye be Christs then are yee Abrahams seed and heirs according to promise Gal. 3.10 11 12 13.28 29. Gods Children have his Spirit to walk and work in For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God For yee have not received the spirit of bondage again to feare but yee have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba-Father The Spirit it selfe bearing witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Rom. 8.14 15 16. Gods love giveth Saints to know they shall appeare like Christ Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sonnes of God Therefore the world knows us not because it knew not him Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but we know that when hee shall appeare we shall be like him for wee shall see him as he is 1 John 3.1 2. Christ is the foode of living soules I am that bread of life John 6.48 Christs reigne by his Spirit is the Saints liberty from bondage To redeeme them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons And because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba-Father Gal. 4.5 6. Saints are compleate before God in their union with Christ For in him dwels all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily and yee are compleat in him Coloss 2.9 Free-grace in God justifieth redeemeth through Christ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3.24 Christ and the new creature are unseparable Therefore if any man be in Christ hee is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Vanity and vexation of spirit compasseth all things under the sunne I have seene all the workes that are done under the Sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit Eccles 1.14 A Saints excellency is to have no will in himselfe but the will of God Saying Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me neverthelesse not my will but thine be done Luke 22.42 No man exceedes another in excellency but by received mercies For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive 1 Cor. 4.7 None but God can be a proper subject for a Saint to glory in He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1. part of the 30. vers Saints have victory through Christ over Death and by faith glory
if Saints now did resolve with Paul to know neither Christ nor Saints after the flesh I beleeve our formes and our apprehensions of the wayes of God which have in the best of them so much mixture of fleshly darknesse would not be made the foundation and the bounds of our love one to another I know in Scripture-language but of two seeds in the world The seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent Saints are all of one seed though they may differ in light some more in the Spirit and others more in the flesh yet all have the seed of eternall life in them 1 Cor. 1.11 12 13. When the Apostle heard of the contentions that were in the house of Cloé saying that some were of Paul some of Apollo and some of Cephas and some of Christ his answer is this Is Christ divided As if he had said it is your fleshly apprehension that divides you to Paul Apollo and Cephas Did you judge in the Spirit you would see your selves to be one in Christ for Christ is not divided Christ and his people are one as Christ is one with God so are his people one with him Joh. 17.10.21.23 All mine are thine says Christ to his Father and our Father and therefore prayes for a Spiritof union to fall upon all Saints as Saints All that are thine and mine Christs bowells earnes to all his members as members one with himselfe and his Father his heart is not satisfied till they be all with him in glory 24 verse he doth not say Father I will that those which thou hast given me that have the highest light be with me where I am to behold my glory and those of lower light to be kept under the beggerly rudiments of the World but his armes of love doe incompasse all that they all may be one and those which thou hast given me says Christ As if Christ bad said thou art free in thy selfe and mightest choose whom thou pleasest but those which thou hast chosen my heart is fired on them all so that Imust have them all with me in glory Thou wert free in choosing of them and art still a free agent so that thou maist give them light as it pleaseth thee but they have my heart as they are thy gift thou hast given them me and I have given my selfe for them and to this end I dyed for them and live in them that they all might be one in me as I am one in thee Christs love flowes from union in himselfe and not from those apprehensions in Saints which are mixtures of flesh and Spirit he is like his Father he will not quench smoaking flax or break the bruised reed he loves the least of his Fathers image where ever he sees it Christs heart is in the midst of his body he tenders a foote or a hand as well as an eye because it is a member of his body 1 Cor. 12.13 14 15 26 27. And gives it us in charge that as his body we should suffer and rejoyce with every member which must relate to Saints in generall for sayes the 27 verse you are the body of Chrivt and members in particular Every particular Saint is a member of Christ all Saints the body of Christ to be a member of the body a Saint this draws forth Christs love and by this will it appeare that we are Disciples followers of Christ if upon interest in Christ wee love one another By this will all men know that you are my Disciples if you love Saints because of my image and not because of your owne Again consider this if that worldlings finding us contending with and hardly using of our brethren fellow Saints that are below or above our light shall cruelly entreat us will they not have a faire plea to God at the last and great day when God shall lay it to their charge that they have persecuted his Disciples may they not answer Lord we did not know them to be thy Disciples for thou hast told us wee shall know thine by loving one another but we found these contending among themselves their unkindenesse to one another did demonstrate them to be the children of the World not heirs of thy Kingdome and walking like children of the flesh and this world we judged that we might safely lay our iron rods upon them If they should answer thus sure I am this would be as good a reason for the worlds cruelty to us as our differing apprehensions of the mind of God will be for our not loving one another Wee have two examples in the Olde Testament why love and brethren should goe together First Abraham and Lot let not us fall out for we are brethren Secondly Joseph to his brethren in their journey Fall not out by the way for you are brethren To be children of one Father is an argument of love Saints are all in their way to Heaven and Christ is their way the way and the end are both arguments of love The whole current of the Gospel runs this way that which invloves all in one is Christs command Love one another as I have loved you Christ loved us to give us light and life so that light could not be the cause of his love no more should it be the cause of our love for we should love as Christ doth from union with God Thine they were and thou gavest them mee that is enough to Christ if an interest in God he loves them God cals himselfe the God of love and Christ is the manifest testimonie of Gods love now the great testimonie that Saints give to the world of their being in God and Christ is the life of love to God and all that beare his Image even the meanest of his Disciples None can love spiritually and truly but those that live spiritually and truly in God for God is love in the fountaine what ever is love in the streames it is the flowings forth of God into such a soule And the true reason of our little love to Saints as Saints is this our living so much in the flesh and so little in the Spirit so much in a forme of godlinesse and so little in the power of godlinesse laying so much weight upon things that perish and so little upon the rocke of ages and surely when God by the fire of his Spirit shall burn up consume our fleshly principles then will the pantings of our soules be pure like the Spouse in the Canticles Tell me saith shee where is hee whom my soule loveth and this hee was Christ So will our soules say when they seeke an object for their loves tell me where Christ is And if we find Christ in such a soule that is not at our pitch of light and in matter of forme beares not our image yet I have found Christ here and it is hee whom my soule loves so that now my love must runne forth to Christ In this soule is an
object so drawing that all fetters are shaken off and all bolts loosed so that the soule of this Saint runs forth to Christ and every soule in whom Christ lives as it is said in another case the love of Christ constrains This soule can imprison his love no longer the glorious image of Christ hath so overcome it that it can now no longer argue upon forms but give it selfe up to the power of God that now lives in it by the Spirit Let this shame us who professe our selves Saints in all our frowardnesse one to another wee can see a moate in the worlds eye and not a beam in our own If the world like it selfe be froward to us we can be soone sensible and complaine of it when at the same time wee altogether unlike Saints are froward and become thornes in the sides of our brethren and can sooner say 't is impossible to be otherwise then complaine of our base hearts And I may justly feare that many a soule ☜ which but few yeares since would creepe into corners with other Saints to complaine to God of the injustice unkindnesse of the world to them yet now their feete have beene out of the stockes are become the first that lift up their bande against their brethren I know no cause of it but this in afflictions they looked for God in one another and then love lived in them but in prosperity men looke for selfe and forme and that not being found love growes cold I shall not much question that object to be a stranger to God which makes my soule a stranger to love And truly this very thing hath put a vaile upon the glory of all the formes that I have seene uner the Sunne persecution is such a forreigner to heaven that I may safely say what ever brings it into a person or a Nation never came from God and it will beget a pale countenance at the day of death when conscience shall witnesse that Saints have done that to Saints which they judged unjust from the world to them If God by his Spirie set this home upon our hearts it will make us willing to take shame to our selves and to give glory to God and stand admiring that God should not suffer the world to devour us when we have been so ready and so thirsty to devoure one another Truly I am affraid that there is a discontented spirit in some that God hath not suffered us to devour one another It is a very bad spirit that can be angry at the kindnesse of God It is well for us that Gods ways are not like ours nor his thoughts like ours that his wayes should be wayes of love to us when our wayes are not love to him nor his and that he should have thoughts of kindnesse towards us when we have hard thoughts of his kindnesss and are ready to call our deliverances our troubles It is no kindnesse but the kindenesse of God that can save a people against their will but this hath beene Gods way to us oh that it might kindely melt our hearts and forme us into his owne image to be love as God is love to love God and all that beare his image that his kindenesse might eate up all our frowardnesse and his sweet overcome all our bitter then shall wee appeare his Disciples by our love to one another Secondly Let this teach us as Saints to eye all those things wherein wee are one and see if they doe not justly chalenge love from us we are all begotten of one love all hewed from one rock the rocke of Ages all under one Covenant of free-grace all baptized with one and the same Spirit and have all one joy and glory in this life and to eternity Now what but flesh and darknesse can make such rending and willing to rend and devour one another we see not our proper interest to be our Fathers love and darknesse in this makes us to fall out by the way home The more light we have in God the more love it begets to God and our brethren In the froward fits of our flesh wee complaine of new lights as if that were the cause when the true cause is our olde darknesse That which is borne of the flesh is flesh but darkenesse cannot discerne what is borne of the Spirit it is only the things of God or more properly God in every thing which can engage the soule to love Now the naturall man saith the Text he discerns not the things of God and gives the reason of it because they are spiritually discerned God is never seene but in his owne light and when we have spirituall eyes to discern him wee shall see our interest in him and love one another better Thirdly Let our petitions at the throne of grace be for more sensible enjoyment of our Fathers presence though our God be alwayes present and knoweth the secrets of our hearts yet many times we have not eyes to see him for surely were we sensible of our Fathers presence we durst not fall out with our brethren as we do whence is it that Saints miscall one another and then throw dirt in the faces one of another and at last scratch till the blood comes Is it not from hence that we discern not the presence of God our Father Were wee more sensible of the presence of God wee should as Saints see so much of our relation in God that our affections would be swallowed up in God and in one another surely if God be lovely to us his Image will be so too and when we see him and one another in him then will our affections goe kindly out in the Spirit of God one to another If we cannot love when we see the least of Gods image in a Saint it is much to be doubted we love our owne image better then Gods 1 John 5.1 And every one that loveth him that begot 1 Joh. 5 1. loveth him also that is begotten of him God and Christ is the true object of a Saints love 't is a cold and frozen love that doth not melt and yeeld when God and Christ appears Fourthly Let us study God and the power of godlinesse more To study Selfe and Formes will make us carnall and froward but to study God and the power of Godlinesse will in the Spirit make us holy and humble The experience of this present age is a sad but true witnesse of the former of these How full hath Presse and Pulpit and all conference been in contending about Formes and in them I very much doubt Selfe-interest hath been contended for Now look back and read the fruits of these labours hath it not been the cooling of spirituall love the quanching of those flames among Saints and the blowing up of those flames of zeale without knowledge which hath almost consumed the moisture and vigor both of Christianity and Humanity If mens apprehensions differ in a Form though there be much of God in
not able to act the new creature without Christ no more is it able to conceale the new creature now Christ is borne in me I am now led by the Spirit and I walke in the Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit is love joy peace c. And such are they that are in Christ for they have crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof That is Christ in them hath crucified the flesh and they are dead to it so that their life is in the spirit and they both live and walk in the spirit because Christ lives in them and they live and act meerly from Christ Saints in Christ are branches in the Vine And if Christ be the root then holinesse will be the fruit for no other fruit can grow from that roote The demonstration of this truth may be found in the particulars following the first demonstration is this That it is Gods designe from eternity that such as are united to Christ should be made new creatures in Christ that Christ should worke holinesse in Saints and that Saints should worke holily as created unto holinesse in Christ For proofe to this take that full place of Scripture in Ephe. 2.10 For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them In the foregoing verses he tells us that we are saved meerly of grace and though God makes faith the hand to lay hold upon this free-grace of his in Christ yet that faith is the free gift of God as well as Christ which faith layes hold on so wrappes up all salvation in free-grace and in verse 9. excludes workes wholely upon that account But now least the wicked naturall heart of man should conclude thus my salvation is onely upon free-grace good workes addes nothing to it therefore as my salvation is left to Christ so my conversation is left to my self If I beleeve in Christ for to be saved I may live as I list I say to answer this in full arguing of our naturall hearts the Holy Ghost tells us that though holinesse and good workes are not under the account of jstuification yet that the conversation of Saints in truth is as purely out of their owne hands as their just fication is for saith the Text Wee are his workmanship that is Gods created in Christ Jesus unto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them The holy Ghost speakes methinkes very fully to this truth in this place that it is ordained and decreed by God from all eternity that such as are saved by Christ should be sanctified in Christ as it was the designe of God from all eternity to save soules meerly of his grace through Christ so is it the same designe of God to sanctifie every soul whom he saves through Christ now this is the decree of God that if any man be in Christ and Christ be his justification that Christ shall be in him and his sanctification so that if any man be in Christ he is a new creature for the one is as fully the design desire of the free grace of God as the other holiness it is the worke of God committed as I may say to the hands of Christ The same Apostle tels us That Christ is made to us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification redemption And God carries on this decree of his when he calls a soule to lye in his bosome and to have communion with himselfe through the Lord Christ The Apostle makes it an argument in 1 Thes 4.7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanenesse but unto holinesse His businesse in the fore-going verses is to exhort them to holinesse and to avoid the lusts and concupiscence of the Gentiles which saith he knew not God and makes this the argument to his exhortation for God hath called us to holinesse God hath united us to Christ and in that union he hath decreed that we shall be sanctified as well as saved so that to me this is a full demonstration that if any man be truly in Christ he is a new creature for this is the decree of God from all eternity and shall abide to all eternity A second demonstration of this truth may be this That the teachings of Christ in those that are truly taught by him is to put off the olde man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts of the flesh and to put on the new man which is to be renewed in the spirit of their minds after the image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse The proofe of this doth appeare in Ephes 4.20 21 22 23 24. But you have not so learned Christ If so be that you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus That yee put off concerning the former conversation the olde man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts of the flesh and be renewed in the spirit of your minds and that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse By this Scripture it appeares that such soules as have learned Christ and truths as they are in Jesus they are thereby renewed in the spirit of their mindes so as that the olde man which is after the flesh is put off and the new man put on which is after God created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Christ teacheth with power and his teachings make a change from flesh to spirit and from the carnall conversation of the old man to the image of God in the Spirit according to righteousnesse and holinesse Christ he renewes the mind and the conversation when hee teacheth his teachings reacheth the internals the roote receives life from him so that the fruit is the image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse not a bare form all professed holinesse but a true holinesse that is holinesse in truth which is in Christ the truth it selfe so that the demonstration is full Christ and the new creature alwayes goe together but as if the Apostle had said there may be many formall carnall wretches that may professe Christ and lay claime to him but this is a standing truth they have not been taught truths as they are in Jesus and for their formality and carnality they have that from the old man what ever they professe of Christ for sure I am they have not so learned Christ his teachings are spirituall and his renewings are in the minde which makes the image of God in righteousnesse and true holinesse in the conversation not only a naked professed holinesse for if Christ then the new creature A third Demonstration may be this That God is light and in him is no darkenesse so that whoever hath fellowship with God and Christ walketh in the light as God is light for proof of this take a Scripture or two 1 John 1.5 6. This is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you
Seeking those things which are above where Christ fitteth on the right hand of GOD. Having its affections on things above and not on things on the earth Col. 3.1 2. As Christ so Saints in the world have no other businesse but to doe the will of their Heavenly Father Now truly the consideration of this may well put all Saints upon that great work of selfe-examination We are apt enough to see a mote in our brothers eye when wee overlooke the beame that is in our owne But it is the onely businesse of every Saint to live up Christ then it is worth the looking into our lives how much of Christ wee can find there what singlenesse of soule is in us to all the wayes will and worke of Christ whether we follow Christ for love or for the loaves For what hee is or for what hee gives Whether it be his love that constraines us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts or whether feare of Hell shame or punishment stops the eyes pursute and stops the prractise of sinne Or whether our profession of godlinesse under what forme soever be to lift up Christ or selfe Whether if Heaven and Sinne might goe together we would not rather have sin live in our souls then Christ Whether that the profession of godlinesse which we seem so much to delight in be not a burthen to us in the power and life of it Whether that day in which Christ is most and selfe least in our souls be best to the souls content Whether it be the souls desire petition at the throne of grace to be unselft in every thing and that Christ may be all in all whether the soul doth indeed count that a lost day hour or moment in which he doth not in some measure lift up Christ and declare the in-dwelling of Christ in his soule by the out-goings of Christ in his life It is worthy a soules examination how the olde man dyeth and the new man is renewed in him day by day how pride and passion is brought under the feete of Christ in our soules how through Christ that loves us we are more then conquerours over sin and selfe by the love of Christ that conquers them in us and enableth us by his love to live like conquerours rejoycing and glorying in the free grace of our God the new creature is Christ in truth and truths as they are in Jesus godlinesse in power and the power of godlinesse holinesse in its beauty and the beauty of holinesse God in the Spirit and the Spirit of God heavenly mindednesse and a mind in heaven it is living and walking in the Spirit it is a soule united to Christ Christ in it and it in Christ Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature CHAP. X. Vanity and vexation of spirit compasseth all things under the sun Eccles Chap. 1. vers 14. I have seene all the workes that are done under the Sunne and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit THIS Scripture is the testimony of the Wise man concerning all things under the Sunne and it is so upon seeing and trying all these things In the verse before this he tels us hee gave his heart to seeke and to search out by wisdome concerning the things that are done under heaven He hath attained the beholding of what he gave hie heart to seeke so that both seeking and seeing in wisdome he findes all to be vanity and vexation of spirit The vanity of the whole creation is the subject matter of all his booke He begins it thus in this first Chap. and 2d vers Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher Vanity of vanities all is vanity His heart is so full of the matter that hee doubles the sentence and as he begins with it in the generall so in his whole booke he followes the same subject in the particulars of it concludes his booke with the same generall in Chap. 13. vers 8. Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher all is vanity The Psalmist in Psalm 144. vers 4. Bears witnesse to this truth in the top-branch of all the creation Man saith he is like to vanity and he proves it for his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away And in Psalm 62.9 takes in men of high and low degree in the proofe of this generall truth Surely men of low degrees are vanity and men of high degrees are a lye to be laid in the ballance they are altogether lighter then vanity the vanity of the creature is a subject well worthy the study of a wise christian and truly none but Christ our wisdome can give us light into this vanity for method sake wee will draw out one generall truth which I thinke is visible in this Scripture That upon true discovery and knowledge of all things under the Sunne we shall finde them vanity and vexation of spirit For the proofe of this truth let us search the Scripture and our owne experience the wise man to prove this truth begins with man in his labour in his first Chap. vers 3 4. What profit hath a man of all his labour under the Sunne for he stayes not to keepe any fruit of his labour but passeth away one generation goeth and another commeth So in Chap. 2. vers 22 23. Man reapeth no content from all his labours under the sunne They fill him full of sorrow travell and griefe and at last he cannot lye downe and rest in them They are a bed of thornes unfit for rest yea when the poore creature comes to lye down indeed and sleep that sleep of death it find â—s no rest in all its labours under the Sun of what kinde soever So in Chap. 1.6 9.17 18 19. verses He tels us mans labour under these vanities is so great that he cannot utter it and that without any satisfaction though what is pursued be enjoyed For though the eye see yet it is not satisfied with seeing and though the eare doe he are yet it is not filled with hearing The creature can never give so long and so much till that which receives from it saith it hath enough though it give objects to the eye yet the eye wants more objects then it can give and though it offers to fill the eare yet the eare is not filled with all that it can give there is no new thing under the Sunne but that which hath been shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done So that though I give my heart to know all things wisdome madnesse and folly yet I find nothing new in them And in stead of content in all this variety of knowledge I found vexation of spirit for I will tell you the best and then judge you the rest In much wisdome is much griefe and he that encreaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow And if this be the best of the best who can tell what is the worst of the worst he comes to particulars in Chap. 2. vers 1. he
Governors and governed seeke Gods wil and not their owne both they and the Land would soone be at peace in the righteous wil of God If men did truly enquire after Gods wil that they might loose their owne wils in his the contending for our owne wils would be at an end true rest and peace would come into our soules and this Nation for this is only true rest to rest in God and his wil. But then how excellent is this in that soule which doth in the Spirit of God truly apply it and close with it that hath indeed its wil only in the wil of God and desires nothing to be done for it but the wil of God nor in it but Gods wil nor to it but Gods wil that desires to thinke speake nor doe nothing but Gods wil that hath but this one single object to looke after the wil of God and finding that hath found its joy hope peace riches glory aimes and ends with all the good can be named to that the soule can joy in the Lord alwayes have this hope alwayes lively his peace continually within him his riches constantly by him his glory certaine because above himselfe in the wil of his God and his aimes and ends certainly accomplished because he hath all these in God his wil being only in the wil of God The workings God in the World which perplexes other men satisfies this man because the wil of God is done in them and by them this is indeed the very top-branch of Christianity this was Christs lesson when he was going out of the World and that soule which learns this lesson is going with Christ out of the World I meane not bodily but spiritually not the flesh dying in the World but his spirit dead to the World as Paul crucified to the World and the World to him both agreed hee had as little spirit for the World as the World had satisfaction for his spirit his spirit was bound up in God and that must needes make an excellent soule which hath its all in God and from God its wil so in God that it can wil nothing to be done but the will of God Not my will but thy will be done CHAP. XII No man exceeds another in excelency but by received mercies 1 Cor. Chap. 4. part of the 7th vers For who maketh to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive THis Scripture is to my understanding one of the most humbling pieces to the flesh and fleshly pride of all men and women that the whole Booke of God affords humility is the generall scope of the Apostle in it and he hath very fitly suited his arguments to his end the Apostle both argues and proves his Argument in this Scripture by way of question This Scripture may fitly be called a paire of questions or a twofold question and it speaks most properly to a paire of grand lusts and sinnes that are in the hearts of all men women by nature Namely pride and peevish repining Now to the finding out and answering of these two in the Apostles language I shall bend my medications And first the proud heart Now if you aske me a definition of a proud heart I shall first answer in generall the tree is knowne by the fruit and the fruits are so many that they cannot be gathered all into so narrow a compasse but so farre as God doth enable mee I shall give light into it by these words following namely A proud heart is a heart lifted up in it selfe despising all that are below it and envying all that are above it Pharoah is a full testimony of this truth Exod. 5.2 when Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh Thus saith the Lord God of Israel let my people goe that they may hold a feast with me in the Wildernesse Mark his answer And Pharoah said who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce to let Israel goe As if hee had said doe you tell mee of the Lord is there any above me that should require this people out of my hands Here is an exact embleme of a man lifted up in himself and despising of all below him and above him too But when God by his judgements had forced him to let his people goe in which God and his people were above Pharaoh see then how full of envy this proud man is to God and his people that hee musters up all his strength to hinder God in his designe and to destroy his people so that Pharaoh is a full proofe to all these particulars of a proud heart That poore wretch Herod was also lifted up in himselfe who when he had made his Oration and the people cryed out the voyce of God and not of man he tooke it to himselfe for that was his end to lift up himself this is the foundation principally of all proud hearts So Nebuchadnezar in Dan. 8.15 when he had threatned Shadrach Meshech and Abednego what hee would doe to them if they should not at his command fall downe and worship the golden Image which he had set up that he would cast them into the fiery fornace And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my bands This is indeed superlative pride the man in his owne thoughts had set up himselfe above God So he that builded Babell tels us his designe that he might say in the conclusion Is not this great Babel that I have built His proud heart was lifted up in himself and that made his worke sutable to his heart to lift up his own name so as he might call Babel which hee had built These also are the proper characters of proud Haman he was so lifted up in himself that if poore Mordecai bow not his knee the man is restlesse despiseth him plots his ruine and with him all the Nation of the Jewes yea even Esther the Queen that was above him The proud man to set up selfe despises and envies all below him and above him a proud heart is boundlesse in seeking to set up it selfe So proud Goliah despised little David thought him fit for nothing but to trample upon These proofes of Scripture with the spirituall discoveries of this sinne in our selves and others hearts and lives wil be testimony enough to prove the definition of a proud heart That a proud heart is a heart lifted up in it selfe despising all below it and envying all above it It wil wel become humble Saints to consider how fully the holy Ghost by the Apostle doth answer and silence this proud flesh and spirit in every part of it and that by way of questions which can receive no answer but in the plucking up of pride by the roots As if the Apostle should say you that are lifted up in your selves and make your boasts of your owne wisdome riches strength power and greatnesse above others come you forth and answer me this question Who maketh thee to differ from