beating upon the will again and again what the understanding hath rightly conceived this at last works upon the will and moves it for we see the wickedest man in the world lays hold on the worst things as good and profitable unto him so when the best thing is presented to the will as the best thing and the necessity thereof urged by dangers ensuing inevitably if I will not then it apprehends that and says of it as Peter at the Transfiguration It is good for us to be here and let us build Tabernacles Hence you see what faith is in this working An act of the understanding forcing in that way of conviction which we mentioned the will and affections And thus when the understanding is captivated and the will brought to be willing then the first act of faith is past From whence we proceed to the second which is the running to the City of Refuge the application and believing of the promises and so to the apprehending of Christ surveying of the promises belonging to justification and sanctification and bringing them home to the soul from whence comes the witness of our spirit Before we come yet to speak of God's spirit witnessing with our spirit because betwixt this work there may be many times and is an interposing trial ere the spirit of God witness with our spirit we will first touch that When our spirit hath thus witnessed in Justification and Sanctification God may now write bitter things against me seem to cast me off and wound me with the wounds of an enemy remove the sense of the light of his countenance from me what then is to be done why yet I will trust in him though he kill me sure I am I have loved and esteemed the words of his mouth more than mine appointed food as Job speaks I have laid hold of Christ Jesus by the promises and believe them I have desired and do desire to fear him and yield obedience to all his Commandments if I must needs die I will yet wait on him and die at his feet Look here is the strength of faith Christ had faith without feeling when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me When sense is marvellous low then faith is at the strongest Here we must walk and live by faith we shall have sense and sight enough in another world The Apostle tells us Now we walk by faith and not by sight and by faith we stand As we may see a pattern of the woman of Canaan Matth. 15.22 First she was repulsed as a stranger yet she goes on then she was called a dog she might now have been discouraged so as to have given over her suit but see this is the nature of Faith to pick comfort out of discouragements to see out of a very small hole those things which raise and bring consolation she catches at this quickly Am I a dog why yet it is well for the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their Master's Table Thus Faith grew stronger in her and when this trial was past Christ says unto her O woman not O dog now great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt And thus have I done with the testimony of our spirit Then from our believing of God in general believing and applying the promises and valourous trustings of God and restings upon God taking him at his word comes the testimony of Gods spirit witnessing with our spirit that we are the children of God I say this being done and God having let us see what his strength in us is he will not let us stand long in this uncomfortable state but will come again and speak peace to us that we may live in his sight as if he should say what hast thou believed me so on my bare word Hast thou honoured me so as to lay the blame and fault of all my trials on thy self for thy sins clearing my Justice in all things hast thou honoured me so as to magnifie mercy to wait and hope on it for all this hast thou trusted me so as to remain faithful in all thy miseries Then the Lord puts unto the witness of our spirit the seal of his spirit as we may read Ephes. 1.13 Says the Apostle In whom also ye trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gopel of your Salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance c. Here is the difference betwixt faith and sense faith takes hold of general promises draws then down to particulars applies them and makes them her own lives and walks by them squaring the whole life by them in all things But sense is another thing even that which is mentioned Psalm 35.3 When there is a full report made to the soul of its assured happiness Say unto my soul I am thy salvation When a man hath thus been gathered home by glorifying him and believing his truth then comes a special evidence to the soul with an unwonted joy and saith I am thy salvation which in effect is that which Christ in another place speaks John 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self unto him And as it is in the Canticles 1.2 Then he will kiss us with the kisses of his mouth so as we shall be able to say My beloved is mine and I am his When God hath heard us cry awhile till we be throughly humbled then he takes us up into his arms and dandles us So that a meditation of the word being past a man having viewed his Charter and the promises surveying Heaven the priviledges of Believers and the glory that is to come then comes in the Spirit and makes up a third with which comes joy unspeakable and glorious in such a measure that for the present we can neither wish nor desire any thing else the soul resting wonderfully ravished and contented This cannot nor shall not always continue but at sometimes we shall have it yet it remains always so as it can never finally be taken away as our Saviours promise is John 16 22. And ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you This is the root of all consolation that God will not forsake for ever But will at last come again and have compassion on us according to the multitude of his mercies But here some may Object What Doth the spirit never seal but upon some such hard tryals after the witness of our Spirit I answer the sealing of Gods Spirit with our Spirit is not always tyed to hard foregoing tryals immediately for a man may be surveying Heaven and the glory to come or praying earnestly with a tender and melting heart applying the promises and wrastling with God and at the same time Gods seal many times may be and
able to see it Every man may say in generalities I am a sinner yet to say and know himself to be such a sinner as indeed he is to stand in such need that he cannot do This one would think to be a matter of sense but unless God's Spirit open our eyes we can never see our selves to be such sinners as we are or else what is the reason that the child of God cries out more against his sin and the weight thereof after his conversion than he did before What are his sins greater or more than they were formerly No but his Light is greater his eyes are opened and now he sees more clearly what sin is When the Sun shines and its rays come in what a number of motes do we discover which before we saw not Not as if the Sun-beams made them or the Sun raised the dust no there are here as many motes and as much dust flying about as if the Sun shined here What is the matter then Why this the Sun discovers them to us So that here is the point Our sins in our souls are as motes in the air and are not more than they were before conversion but we cannot see them till the glorious beams of God's Spirit shine upon us The sight of sin and of the danger that comes by it is the work of God's Spirit The Spirit discovers sin unto us Joh. 16.8 When the Spirit cometh he shall convince the world of sin the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit shall convince them And the same word is used Heb. 11.1 where Faith is said to be the evidence of things not seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heretofore we had a slight imagination of our sins but to have our mouth stopped and to be convinced is not a work of flesh and blood but of God's Spirit Rom. 3.19 Till we are awakened by his Spirit we cannot see nor feel the mountains and heaps of sins that lie upon our souls Thou art dead in sin Rom. 8. Thou art in bondage and to know it is a work of the Spirit not of nature The spirit of bondage what is that Why however we are all bond men until the Son hath made us free in a woful estate slaves to sin and Satan yet till God's Spirit convince us and shew it us and make us know it we shall sleep secure are not afraid but think our selves the freest men in the world and see not this to be a time of need This therefore is the first preparative when God brings his people by Mount Sinai Heb. 12.18 For you are not come unto the Mountain that may be touched and that burned by fire nor unto the blackness and darkness and tempest so Gal. 4.25 Mount Sinai is made a figure of the Law which begets bondage Not that Mount which might be touched and that burn'd with fire where was the sound of the Trumpet and voice of words such a sound as never before was heard nor never will be till one day we shall hear the same The sound of the Trumpet which sounded at the delivery of the Law Exod. 19.19 where it is described for when the voice of the Trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder that Moses heard it was such a noise a great noise at first but it grew higher and higher and at last it came to that heighth that it was almost incomprehensible then Moses spake And what spake he The Holy Ghost sets not down what he spake in that place Look in Heb. 12.21 So terrible was the voice that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Such a kind of lightning and loud voice this was the Lord commands such a voice as this Esay 58.1 Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins When God shall sound with the voice of the Trumpet of his holy word of his Law and shew thee that thou art a trayterous Rebel and there is an Execution gone out against thee body and goods when God sounds thus to a deaf ear of a carnal man then cometh the spirit of bondage of necessity on him which shews that we have a time of need The Law must have this operation before thou comest to the Throne of grace None will flie to the City of Refuge till the revenger of blood be hard at his heels Nor any to Christ till he sees his want Thus the Lord makes us know our need by turning the edge of his Axe towards us Offenders when they are brought to the bar at Westminster for Treason have the edge of the Axe turned from them but whâ—n they have received the sentence of condemnation and are carried back to the Tower the edge of the Axe is turned towards them Thus is it here The Law turns the edge of God's Axe towards us and therefore it 's said of S. Peter's Hearers Acts 2.38 That they were pricked to the heart The Law puts the point of God's sword to our very breasts as it were and brings us to see that we stand in great need of a pardon This is the first preparative when God enlightens our minds to see our dangerous estate and then there must of necessity follow fear and desire to be rid of this condition for the will and affections always follow the temper of the mind And hence when a man hath a false perswasion that he is in a good case that he is safe and well what works it but pride presumption confidence and security So on the contrary when this perswasion appears to be delusion contrary effects must follow If a man be in health and jollity and on a sudden be proclaimed a Traytor that he must lose his life and goods is it possible it should be thus and he not wrought on nor have any alteration So when news comes from the Law that thou art a dead man and everlastingly must perish the Law then works wrath that is it manifests unto us the wrath of God When it is thus there follows a shaking and trembling and it 's impossible but with Moses thou shouldst exceedingly quake and tremble 2. For all this there is a Throne of Grace erected God hath not forgotten to be merciful though thy sins be never so great This is the next preparative for faith namely the discovery and acknowledgment of the Gospel of Christ Jesus We see in in Ezra 10.2 We have trespassed against our God and have taken strange wives of the people of the Land yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing we have trespassed What then must we be the subjects of God's wrath No Yet notwithstanding though we have committed this great offence there is hope in Israel concerning this thing What though we have provoked God to indignation must we be the matter for his wrath to work on No There is balm in Gilead Jer 8. ult Is there no balm in Gilead Is there
shall continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith It is called the joy of faith because it springs from that principle of rejoycing from that mother-grace that your rejoycing may be the more abundant The preaching of the Word whereby faith is wrought brings abundance of joy That place of St. Peter is remarkable 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Yet believing that is yet exercising the acts of faith which we too much neglect If we did exercise these acts every day we should have our Charter of joy renewed every day yet believing ye rejoyce 3. Pray and be thankful praise and thanksgiving are those fruits which fulfil all our joy When thou prayest thou conversest with God thou speakest with him face to face as Moses did He who can pray spiritually and pray hard unto God as Moses face shined when he talked with God so will thy soul thrive praying hard and being thankful There is no greater means than this to get this joy Psal. 33.1 Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praising is comely for the upright Upon this hangs all our comfort praise always brings rejoycing the one begets the other In Isaiah The comfort there that God's children receive is the changing of rayment Christ preaching the acceptable year of the Lord to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give to them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness Isa. 61.3 The ground of praise is joy one follows the other Observe God will give us the oyl of joy Christ was anointed with this oyl above his fellows Christ hath fulness of joy this oyl doth not come on his head alone but it trickles down unto the lower most hemm of his garment even upon all the lively members of his mystical body I will add in the last place when a man considers the great things which are given to him by God and what an estate we get by Christ. I have forgiveness of sins and Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven Psal. 32.1 Christ's blood is wine and my name is written in the book of life Do not rejoyce saith our Saviour because the Devils are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven Luk. 10.20 When I consider that I am not in the black Roll and it is my faith which strengthens me which makes me reckon Christ my chiefest wealth this makes me rejoyce in mine inheritance and in hope of the glory of God When I consider the great reward in the world to come this is a great cause of rejoycing and therefore God's children long for the coming of Christ it is made Tit. 2.13 a mark of those that shall be saved That they long for the appearance of Jesus Christ looking for and hastning unto the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. And in 2 Pet. 3.12 Looking for and hastning unto the coming of the day of God A longing expectation there is in all the creatures after the second coming of Christ They wait saith the Apostle for the manifestation of the Sons of God and presently he adds Not only they but we also that have the first fruits of the Spirit groan and long for the coming of that day Rom. 8.19.23 And therefore the last breath of the Scripture is breathed out in the confirmation of this hope Rev. 22.20 He that testifieth these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen even so be it come Lord Jesus There is a sweet Allegory to express this in Cant. ult 14 Make haste my beloved and be like the Hind and like the Roe Come Lord Jesus come quickly and come as the Hind and as the Roe and as a Hart upon the Mountain of spices Make haste and come quickly be swift and do not tarry and in a better place I cannot end FINIS THE SEAL OF SALVATION OR GOD's SPIRIT Witnessing with our Spirits THAT We are the Children of GOD. IN TWO SERMONS Preached at Great S. BARTHOLOMEWS by the most Reverend JAMES USHER late Arch-Bishop of ARMAGH Difficilia pulchra ROM 8.14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God LONDON Printed for Nathaniel Ranew at the King's Arms in S. Paul's Church Yard 1678. THE SEAL OF Salvation ROMANS 8.15 16. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God THe Apostle sets down in this Epistle a platform of Christian Doctrine whereupon all persons and Churcheâ— might safely build themselves shewing therein a sure way how those might come to the Lord Jesus Chrisâ— who are to obtain salvation by him which he delivers in three heads shewing 1. First how God will convince the world of sin 2. Secondly he discovereth to them what that righteousness is which without themselves is imputed to them 3. Thirdly he setteth forth that righteousness inherent and created in us by sanctification of the spirit with the effects thereof and Motives and Helps thereunto Answering that threefold work of the spirit in John 16. where Christ promiseth that when the comforter should come he should reprove â—he world of Sin of Righteousness of Judgment First he shews the Comforter shall work a conviction of Sin a making of a man as vile empty and naked as may be not a bare confession of sin only which a man may have and yet go to hell but such a conviction as stops a man's mouth that he hath not a word to speak but sees a sink of sin and abomination in himself such as the Apostle had Rom. 7.18 For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing To attain to this sight and measure of humiliation there must be a work of the spirit First therefore in the first Chapter the Apostle begins with the Gentiles who failing grosly in the duties of the first Table God had given over also to err in the breach of all the Duties of the second Table Then the next Chapter and most of the third he spends on the Jews they bragged of many excellent privileges they had above the Gentiles as to have the Law Circumcision to be leaders of others to have God among them and therefore despised the Gentiles The Apostle reproves them shewing that in condemning the Gentiles they condemn'd themselves they having a greater light of knowledge than the Gentiles which should have led them to the true and sincere practice of what they were instructed in Then he goes on and shews all naturally to be out of the way ver 19. and so concludes them to be under sin that every mouth may be stopped and all the world
be married to me if we refuse the Son takes it wonderfully ill Therefore Psal. 2.12 he says Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all those that put their trust in him So in the Hebrews God swore that because of infidelity those unbelieving Jews should never enter into his rest All the rest of the threatnings of the Law were not backed with an oath there was some secret reservation of mercy unto them upon the satisfaction of Divine Justice but here there is no reservation God hath sworn such shall never come into Heaven Look not for a third thing in God now as a mitigation of his oath it cannot be he hath sworn that an unbeliever shall never enter into his Rest. These five things are the grounds of Faith even unto the worst and unworthiest persons that may be and by all or some of them he creates Faith in us which once wrought in the heart by the spirit of God secretly and we discerning the same this is the witness of our spirit Now our spirit having viewed all these things and the promises upon which they are grounded thus it witnesseth as if one should demand of a man Are these things presented to thy view true Yes will he say true as true as the Gospel then the next thing is is all good and profitable O yes says he all is very good and desirable then the upshot is I but is this good for thee If your soul answer now Yes very good to me if then thou accept of this and wrap and fold thy self in the promises thou canst not wind thy self out of comfort and assurance to be Christ Jesus for pray what makes up a match but the consent of two agreeing so the consent of two parties agreeing upon this message makes up the match betwixt us and Christ uniting and knitting us unto him There are also being now incorporated other means to make us grow up him by which time discovers what manner of ingrafting we have had into him for we see four or five scions are ingrafted into a stock yet some of them may not be incorporated with the stock but wither So many are by the Word and Sacraments admitted as retainers and believers of the promises who shrink and hold not out because they never were throughly incorporated into Christ but imperfectly joyned unto him But howsoever all that come to life must pass this way if they look for sound comfort And thus much shall suffice for the witness of our Spirit in Justification But the testimony of our spirit goes further wherein I might shew how in sanctification our spirit saith Lord prove me if there be any evil in me and lead me in the way everlasting he loves the Brethren and desires to fear God as Nehemiah pleads Nehem. 1.11 Be attentive to the prayer of thy servant and of thy servants who desire to fear thy name This is the warrant that I am partaker of that inward true washing and not of that outward only of the Hog which being kept clean and in good company will be clean till there be an occasion offered of wallowing in the mire again But when I find that though there were neither Heaven to reward me nor Hell to punish me if opportunity were offered yet my heart riseth against sin because of him who hath forbidden it this is a sure evidence and testifies that I am a child of God This is for the first thing in bringing of a man in to survey the promises belonging to Justification and Sanctification wherein our spirit seeing it self to have interest doth truly and on sound judgment witness the assurance of our Salvation Secondly when I find Christ drawing me and changing my nature that upon the former reasonings view and laying hold of Christ making me now have supernatural thoughts and delights for this a man may have then certainly my spirit may conclude that I am blessed for saith the Scripture Blessed is the man whom thou chusest and causest to come unto thee But some like Dreamers do dream of this only I know not on what grounds but do I this waking with my whole soul doth my spirit testifie it upon good grounds why then I may rest upon it it is as sure as may be Thus much is the testimony of our spirit Now it is clear how faith is wrought briefly two ways which the Lord useth to bring a man to the survey of those grounds upon which our spirit doth witness First he works upon the understanding Secondly On the will and affections It is a strange thing to consider how this work is begun and finished so that we may say hereof as the Lord poseth Job in Job 38.37 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts Or who hath given understanding to the heart And in another place Where is the way where light dwelleth and as for darkness where is the place thereof First God enlightens the understanding with the thunderings of the Law when he shews a man such a sight as he could not have believed and convinceth hem in general that his estate is not good that without mercy Hell attends him this is a flash of Lightning from Mount Sinai Secondly comes a Thunder-clap laying all down laying flat the will and affections dejecting a man so that this first secret work of faith is a captivating of the understanding will and affections Now the act both of the understanding and the will is set forth in this case Hebr. 11.13 These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off were perswaded of them and embraced them c. In this Scripture is set down the two hands and arms of faith First believing Christ out of sight Secondly laying hold and embracing the promises They in the old Testament did not receive Christ in the flesh and so are said to look afar off as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom ye having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce c. But the Apostle adds they were perswaded of the promises and embraced them This is the work of the spirit upon the understanding convincing the soul of sin shewing there is a remedy tells the soul all is marvellous true that God hath revealed in his word and then draws to this conclusion Christ came to save sinners whereof I am chief therefore he came to save me Yet all this while the will may be stubborn and rebellious and the affections disordered therefore here comes in the second arm of faith not only being perswaded of the word as a word of truth but as a good promise of good things to me so that here is another degree of the working of the spirit to compel the will and affections so sweetly grace having removed that perversness and disorder which governed them before Now this gentle enforcing and often
exact to be imitated amongst the men of this Generation then this good Bishop especially in these three things First in making his whole life an example of his doctrine an example in word in Conversation in Love in Spirit in faith and in purity Many there were who in that respect Reverenced him though of the Romish Synagogue as Herod did John the Baptist knowing that he was a just and an holy man This blessed Preacher did Live all his Sermons and had learned of Jesus who began both to do and to teach Nazianzens Epitaph on the life of Basil was true in him His words were Thunder his Life Lightning Secondly in making Christ and the Apostles the pattern of his preaching this great Master in Israel was the most self-denying man in the pulpit and the most Reverend and Christ-advancing Preacher He preached with great Authority as did our Saviour to the Conscience his speech was not with enticing words of Mans wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and of power that their faith might not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God How oft have I seen my self and heard from others whilst be thus prophesyed some that believed not coming to hear him go away Convinced of all Judged of all and the secrets of their heart made manifest and so falling down on their face they have worshipped God and reported that God was in him of a truth He was an Apollos an Eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures He was another Paul in the preaching that did compare Scripture with Scripture and so make demonstrative Proofs from the spirit speaking in them Some that affected a frothy way of preaching by strong Lines as they call them after they heard him in Oxford decry that Corinthian vanity were much ashamed and took up a more profitable way of preaching Those words of his in a Sermon at the Court before the King are worthy to be printed in Letters of Gold And oh That God would print them in the hearts of all the Ministers in the World Great Scholars said he possibly may think it standeth not with their Credit to stoop so low c. But let the Learnedst of us all try it when ever we please we shall find that to lay this ground-work right that is to apply our selves to the Capacity of the Common Auditory and to make an ignorant man to understand these mysteries in some good measure will put us to the tryal of our skill and trouble us a great deal more then if we were to discuss a Controversy or handle a subtil point of Learning in the Schools Thirdly In condescending publiquely and privately to the Capacity of the meanest that heard or conversed with him herein his wisdom was like unto Solomons stiled the Preacher because he was wise he did still teach the people knowledge yea he gave good heed and sought out and set in order many Proverbs the Preacher sought to find out acceptable words and words of truth and as our Saviour that was greater then Solomon he would let truths substantially proved into the understanding with apt similitudes and would Encourage any to move their doubts unto him in private So that notwithstanding his greatness good Christians might be very familiar with him visit them in their sickness supply their wants beg their prayers and Countenance them in whatsoever Condition all might see his delight was in the Saints and that he was as that King after Gods own heart a Companion of all them that feared God in a word he was a great proficient in that Lesson of our Saviour Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart This I say was the reason he grew so high in favour with God and man He honoured God and therefore God honoured him A great and good draw-net he was that fished for souls and catched many and let two sorts of Ministers gather from hence their respective Instructions First let all those that list not follow him in those paths of holiness painfulness and Humility take notice of Gods Justice in dealing with them as they have done with him His Covenant is with Levi of Life and Peace and he gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared him and was afraid before his name The Law of truth was in his mouth and Iniquitie was not found in his lips he walked with God in peace and equity and did turn many away from iniquity for the priests lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts But saith the Lord ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the Covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people according as you have not kept my ways but have been partial in the Law Had we all the means in the World to make us great if we either do not teach or do not make our selves Examples of what we teach 't is just with God that we should grow contemptible and vile for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Thy teachers have transgressed against me therefore have I prophaned the rulers of my Sanctuary The Lord giveth this for a general Rule as those that honour him he will honour so they that despise him shall be despised Secondly Let all holy painful and humble Ministers who make it their design as this fair Copy did before them to advance God and fulfil the work of their Ministery trust to his faithfulness for vindicating their esteem No sort of men have greater promises for provision protection from and in trouble and for revenge of wrongs done unto them then they have What a dreadful and prophetical prayer is that Moses made for Levi smite through the Loins of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not again What though a generation of men Call even the best of such Antichristian Lyars False Prophets And what not did they not after this manner use Christ and his Apostles before them They speak evil of the things they know not None of Gods blessed truths and holy Ordinances have been otherwise used by them their general outcry is upon all truths Ordinances and ways of Religion among us as Antichristian The Apostacie of the present age makes men fall from all things in Religion and with an impudent face to deny and deride them all But did God leave these Jewels amongst men to be trodden under feet by such Swine Shall they not dearly pay for it Oh! That they would remember what words came out of the mouth of him that is the very promptuary of all sweetness and how highly he is provoked when such words are drawn from his blessed lips that drop honey Let
them take them to whom they appertain viz. Whosoever shall fall upon this stone shall be broken But on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to peices If their own destruction will not take them off from touching the Lords anointed and from plucking the stars out of his hand let yet the Anguish and vexation that shall accompany their destruction either deter them or confound them For he hath said it who will make it good that there shall be a Resurrection both unto Gods truths and to such as bear Testimony thereunto Mean while let this satisfie such as are faithful whilst God and those that truly fear God prize faithful Ministers it matters not what the rest think of them As King David said in not much an unlike Case of those shall they be had in honour I have now done with the most famous Author of these Sermons of whom I may say as one very Learned saâ—d of Mr. Calvin That famous Man and never to be named without some Preface of Honour Or as another of a Learned and Godly Man God hath so provided that they who lived in Heaven whilst on Earth shall live on Earth whilst in Heaven That they shall leave their Names for a blessing when others leave them behind them for a curse or rather with the Apostle of Demetrius he hath a good Report of all men and of the truth it self A word now concerning these Sermons of his by occasion of the publishing whereof I have thus enlarged They are not so exact as his Immanuel or the Incarnation of the Son of God so accurately couched that you cannot find a word defective or redundant because they wanted his own hand for their publication but yet they are such wherein the Reader may discern much of the Gracious and Heavenly Spirit of this unparalleld Bishop They were preached ad populum in the Vniversity of Oxford the general Subject of them is Conversion or turning from Sin unto God and so mightily did the Lord bless them not only to the Edification and Consolation of very many but also to the Conversion of some as we have good cause to Judge I will say no more the Name of Doctor Vsher by which he is more known to some and the Name of the most Reverend and Learned Father of our Church Doctor James Usher late Arch Bishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland by which he is more known to others not only in these our Kingdomes but in foreign parts his great and good Name I say every wrere as oyntment poured forth prefixed before this Book though with some allay is enough to raise high Expectation of whatsoever cemeth after these words And is argument enough to invite the Reader to look within and read them over And then he will find the least siling of this Master Workmans Gold very precious Good Wine they say needs no bush and if this Wine was so sweet at first running I presume whosoever tasts it now though he have it but at the second or third hand will find it hath not altogether lost its strength nor will he repent his labour in reading these Sermons if he be one that desires to profit his soul more then to please his Palat. That out of this Phoenix the Lord would raise such successors as may by Pen Life and Doctrine do as this burning and shining Light hath done before them is the prayer but scarce the belief of him that prayeth for the Peace and Prosperity of Jerusalem and therein hopeth to have his share in the concurrent prayers of every Godly Reader Stanley Gower Dorchester October the third 1659 A TABLE Directing to the TEXTS of SCRIPTURE Handled in the Following SERMONS Sermon I. HEbrews 4.7 Again he limiteth a certain day saying in David to day after so long a time as it is said to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts pag. 1 Sermon II. Heb. 4.7 Again he limiteth a certain day saying in David to day after so little time as it is said to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts p. 8 Sermon III. Gal. 6.3 4. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself but let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another p. 16 Sermon IV. Ephes. 2.1 2 3. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince that ruleth in the Air the spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the Children of wrath even as others p. 24 Sermon V. Gal. 3.22 But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe p. 32 Sermon VI. Lament 5.16 Woe unto us that we have sinned p. 40 Sermon VII Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death p. 48 Sermon VIII Rev. 21.8 But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murtherers and whore-mongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death p. 55 Sermon IX Phil. 2.5 6 7 8. Let this mind be in you which also was in Jesus Christ who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion of a man he humbled himself unto the death even the death of the Cross. p. 65 Sermon X. Phil. 2.8 And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became Obedient unto the Death even the Death of the Cross. p. 92 Sermon XI John 1.12 But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name p. 82 Sermon XII Ephes. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the words of truth the Gospel of your Salvation in whom also after you believed you were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise p. 90 Sermon XIII 1 Cor. 11.29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body p. 99 Sermon XIV Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need p. 108 Sermon XV. Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. p. 117 Sermon XVI Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ p. 127 Sermon XVII Rom.
but consider whether these thoughts which poise down our hearts be not groundless see whether they will hold water at the last and whether in making such excuses to great presumption we add not the height of folly To pretend for our delay the Profits and Pleasures of sin and yet hope for Heaven at the last as well as the generation of the righteous it 's but a meer fallacy and delusion of Satan to fill our hearts with such Vanities Can it be expected that we should have our good in this World and in the World to come too This is well if it might be But let us try the matter and begin with your first branch You are loth to part with your Profits and Pleasures But consider what a grand iniquity this is Can you offer God a greater wrong and indignity Do you thus requite the Lord you foolish and unwise Dost thou think this the way to make thy peace with God whom thou hast offended as long as thou mayst to be a Rebel against him What a high dishonour is it to him that thou shouldst give him thy feeble and doting old age and the Devil thy lively and vigorous youth thy strength and spirits Dost thou think he will drink the Dregs and eat the Orts Will he accept thee in the next World when thou thus scornest him in this If you offer the Blind for sacrifice is it not an evil If you offer â—he Lame and Sick is it not evil Offer it now unto thy governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hosts Mal. 1.8 But mark how he goes on v. 14. Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing Mark God accounts such service a corrupt thing and the Person that offers it a mere Cheat a Deceiver Never look for a blessing from God in Heaven when thou sacrificest to him such corrupt things No thou art Cursed of God as long as thou continuest in this Hypocrisy We are to offer and present our selves a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God Rom. 12.1 Now judge whether they offer God the living who say when my doting days come my lame days thar I cannot go my blind dayes that I cannot see I le offer my self a sacrifice to God Will this be acceptable to him Is not this Evil saith the Lord to offer me such a corrupt thing Nay more he 's accursed that offers such an offering such a polluted sacrifice God will not like with it when we serve our selves first with the best and choise Do you thus requite the Lord Do you think he will accept it at your hands Go offer such a gift to thy Ruler to thy Prince will he accept it or be pleased with it No a Landlord will have the best and the choice and it must needs provoke God when we give him the refuse I am King of Kings saith the Lord my name is dreadful and I will look to be served after another manner Let no man then thus delude himself with vain hopes but let him consider how dishonourable a thing it will be to God 2. And how unprofitable to him whoever thou art Indeed we cannot be profitable unto Him Properly as he that is wise may be profitable to himself Job 22.2 But he is so gracious a master that he esteems our sincere and seasonable service to be his own gain and our sloth and neglect to be his detriment he accompts our destruction to be his own loss Now it s the ready way 1. It s the ready way to thy Destruction Heaven and happiness and eternal life are laid up for those that embrace the acceptable time death horrour and eternal misery for those that refuse it and wilt thou hazard Soul and Body on this Moses on this ground did rather choose to suffer affliction in this World with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Hebr. 11.25 When these things are past what profit will you have of those things whereof then you will be ashamed Nay whereof were thine eyes open thou wouldst now be ashamed and happy wouldst thou be if thou wert as the converted Romans were even now ashamed Rom. 6.21 Shame accompanies Sin so constantly and unavoidably that even repentance it self removes it not The Romans now Christians were ashamed for what they had done before they knew Christ. When a man comes to see truly and throughly into himself he will find no profit of such things as these Death will certainly follow us not only Temporal but Eternal also if we Repent not the more speedily that 's all the profit we shall find 2. But suppose thou prevent everlasting death by repentance yet what profit is there of those things whereof we are now for the present ashamed The best can come is shame 3. Thou art loth to part with the Pleasures of sin for a Season and hereafter thou thinkest thou canst amend all But consider the particulars and then shall you see how you are befool'd in your hearts and souls Believe it for an undoubted truth there 's nothing in the World by which Satan more deludes a man then by this perswading him to neglect his day and that he may repent well enough hereafter That you may expel this suggestion out of your Souls pray unto God that he would go along with his Word and cause you to lay this to heart that by his Spirit your understanding may be enlightned to see the truth Though I make this as clear as the Sun that it is a false supposition and mere folly on which we build in deferring our return to God yet God from Heaven must teach you or you will be never the wiser Know therefore that this very day God reaches out the Golden Scepter to thee and what folly were it no neglect it since thou knowest not whether he will ever proffer it thee again And assure thy self that he is a Lyar that tels thee thou mayst as well repent hereafter as now and this will appear whether we consider the order of outward things in the World or the nature of sin 1. For external things every Age after a man comes into the World if he embrace not the present opportunity for repentance is worse then other and are each of them as so many Clogs which come one after a another to hinder it As for thy Childish Age that 's mere Vanitie and thy riper Age will bring many Impediments and Hinderances that youth never thought of Thou art then troubled about many things and perplexed how to provide for maintenance in the midst whereof know that thou hast not a body of Brass but a Corruptible and Fading body and yet such is the Folly of the heart of man that the less Ground he hath to go the fewer Dayes to spend the more he often provides and is the more covetous Consider that
the Law will execute Justice on him there is no benefit had by repentance the law will seize on him he should have looked to it before If thou committest Murther or Burglary it 's not enough to put one good deed for another to say I have done thus and thus for the King I kept such a Fort or I won such a Town this will not serve thy turn it will not save thy neck the law takes no knowledge of any good thing done or of any repentance This is thy estate Consider then what a case they are in that are shut up under the Law until a man hath saith it admits no exeuse requires things far above thy power to perform it will accept no repentance And therefore we may well make this Conclusion in the Galathians As many as are under the law are under the curse as it is written Cursed is every one that continues not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them Gal. 3.10 But now where are we thus shut up It 's under sin as the Apostle â—ells us For the Law discovers sin to be sin indeed that sin by the commandment may become exceeding sinful Rom. 7.13 The Law makes us see more of it than we did or possibly could come to have seen Rom. 3.20 By the Law cometh the knowledge of sin I had not known sin but by the law Yes peradventure I might have known Murther Adultery c. to have been sins but to have known them to have been exceeding sinful I could not but by the law To know what a kind of plague sin is in it self so as not to make a game of it or a small matter as many usually make it to see the ugliness of it I cannot without the law But that we may know what sin is and that we may see it to be exceeding sinful I here bring you a few Considerations which I would have you ponder on and enlarge them to your selves when you come home 1. Consider the baseness of him that offends and the excellency of him that is offended You shall never know what sin is without this twofold Considerations lay them together and it will make sin out of measure sinful See in David The drunkards made songs and ballads of him He aggravates the indignity offered him in that he was their King yet that those wretched and filthy beasts the drunkards made songs of him See it likewise in Job Cap. 29. when he had declared unto them in what glory he once was that he was a King and Prince in the Country Then see Cap. 20. They that are younger than me have me in derision whose fathers I would have disdain'd to have set with the dogs of my flock He aggravates the offence First from the dignity of the persons wronged a King and a Prince Then from the baseness and vileness of those who derided him They were such as were younger than he such as whose fathers he would have disdain'd to have set with the dogs of his flocks A great indignity and mightily aggravated by these circumstances that a King should be abased by such vile persons Now some proportion there might be between David and the drunkards Job and these men but between thee and God what proportion can thâ—re be Who art thou therefore that darest set thy self in opposition and rebellion against God What a base worm that crawleth on the earth dust and ashes and yet darest thou thy Maker Dost thou saith God lift thy self up against him before whom all the powers of Heaven do tremble whom the Angels do adore Exaltest thou thy self against him who inhabiteth Eâ—ernity What oppose thy self a base creature to Almighty God thy Creator Consider this and let the baseness of the delinquent and the Majesty and Glory of that God against whom he offends be the first aggravation of sin and thou shalt find sin out of measure sinful 2. Consider the smalness of the Motives and the littleness of the inducements that perswade thee so vile a creature to set thy self against so glorious a God If it were great mâ—tters set thee a work as the saving of thy life it were somewhat But see how small and little a thing does usually draw thee to sin A little profit it may be or pleasure It may be neither of these or not so much When thou breathest out oaths and belchest out fearful blasphemies against God when thou rendest and tearest his dreadful and terrible name what makes such a base and vile villain as thou thus to fly in Gods face Is there any profit or delight in breathing forth blasphemies Profit thou canst take none and if thou take pleasure in it then the Devil is in thee yea then thou art worst than the Devil himself This is the second Consideration which may make us to see the vileness of sin and abhor our selves for it to wit the slenderness of the temptations and smalness of the motives to it 3. Add what strong helps and means God hath given thee to keep thee from sin As I say thou shouldst consider the bitterness of the delinquent the glory of the offended the mean motives whch cause so base a creature to do so vile an act so also consider the great means God hath given thee to keep thee from sin He hath given thee his Word and this will greatly aggravate thy sins to sin against his Word Gen. 3.11 When God convinces Adam he proceeds thus far with him Hast thou saith he eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat What hast thou done it as if thou wouldst do it on purpose to cross God God hath given thee an express command to the contrary and yet hast thou done this Hast thou so often heard the Law and pray'd Lord have mercy on me and incline my heart to keep this law and yet wilt thou lye swear commit adultery and deal falsly and that contrary to the command of God obstinately disobey him Now God hath not only given this great means of his Word and Commandment but great grace too Where understand that there is not only final grace but degrees of grace else the Apostle would not have said receive not the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in vain 2 Cor. 6.1 Consider then how much grace thou hast received in vain How many motions to good hast thou rejected Perhaps thy heart is touched at this Sermon though it is not my tongue nor the tongue of the most elegant in the world that can touch the heart but the Spirit that comes along with his Word Now when thou findst with the Word a Spirit to go with it it is a grace If thy conscience be enlightned and thy duty revealed to thee so that it tells thee what thou art what thou oughtest to do and not to do it is a grace Now if for all this thou blindly runnest through and art never the better but obstinately
for me to make particular application do you do that your selves We are all children of wrath by nature in our natural condition we are all alike we are all of one kind and every kind generates its own kind 'T is an hereditary condition and till the Son makes us free we are all subject to this woe By nature we are all children of wrath as well as others Eph. 2.3 Now that I may not speak of these woes in general I have shew'd how two woes are pâ—st and a third woe is coming God proceeds punctually with us And are not our proceedings in Judiciary Courts after this manner The Judge when he pronounceth sentence doth particularize the matter Thou shalt return to the place from whence thou camest thou shalt have thy bolts knockt off thou shalt be drawn to the place of execution thou shalt be hanged thou shalt be cut down and quartered and so he goes on And this is that which is the witness of Justice Thus is it here the Spirit of God thinks it not enough to say barely the state of a sinner is a woful estate but the woes are punctually number'd and this shall be my practice Now 1. The first thing that followeth after sin is this After the committing of sin there cometh such a condition into the soul that it is defiled polluted and becometh abominable And this is the first woe 2. The soul being thus defiled and abominable God loaths it for God cannot endure to dwell in a filthy and stinging carrion-soul he startles as it were and seems afraid to come near it he forsakes it and cannot endure it And that 's the second woe First sin defiles it then God departs from it there must be a divorce 3. When God is departed from the soul then the Devil enters in he presently comes in and takes up the room there will be no emptiness or vacuum And this is a fearful woe indeed for as soon as God is departed from a man he is left to the guidance of the Devil his own flesh and the World There will be no emptiness in the heart no sooner God departs but these step in and take Gods place 4. Then in the fourth place after all this is done comes sin and cries for its wages which is death The terrible death which comprehends in it all that beadroll of curses which are written in the Book of God and not onely those but the curses also which are not written Deut. 28. which are so many that they cannot be written Though the Book of God be a compleat Book and the Law of God a perfect Law yet here they come short and are imperfect For the curses not written shall light upon him which are so many as pen and ink cannot set down nay the very pen of God cannot express them so many are the calamities and sorrows that shall light upon the soul of every sinful man Now let us take these woes in pieces one after another 1. The first woe is the polluting and defiling of the soul by sin A thing it may be that we little think of but if God once open our eyes and shew us what a black soul we have within us and that every sin every lustful thought every covetous act every sin sets a new spot and stain upon the soul and tumbles it into a new puddle of filth then we shall see it and not till then for our eyes are carnal and we cannot see this If once we did but see our hateful and abominable spots that every sin tumbles us afresh into the mire did we see what a black Devil we have within us we would hate and abhor our selves as Job did It would be so foul a sight that it would make us out of our wits as it were to behold it A man that is but natural cannot imagine what a black Devil there is within him But though he seeth it not yet he that hath eyes like as flame of fire Rev. 1.14 seeth our stains and spots Our Saviour shews the filthiness of the heart by that which proceeds out of the mouth Mat. 15.18 Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart And v. 19. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. Observe Of all evils we account evil thoughts the least This we think strange what thoughts defile a man what so light a matter as a thought Can they make any impression Yes and defile a man too leaving soch a spot behind them which nothing but the hot blood of Christ can wash away So many evil thoughts so many blasphemies so many filthy things come from the heart every one being a new defilement and pollution that a man is made so nasty by it and filthy that he cannot believe that it is so bad with him as indeed it is the Apostle having shewn the Corinthians their former life and exhorted them against it 1 Cor. 6. goes on cap. 7. v. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit Mark then there is a double filthiness a filthiness of the flesh and a filthinest of the spirit The filthiness of the flesh that every one acknowledgeth to be filthy carnality Fornication and Adultery c. These bestial lusts every one knows to be unclean But then there is a filth of the Spirit too and such are evil thoughts They are the filth of the Spirit Corruptio optimi est pessima The corruption which cleaves to the best thing is worst The Soul is the Best thing the most noble thing the filthiness which cleaves to it therefore must needs be the greatest Fleshly filthiness as Adultery is filthy but Contemplative Adultery to dwell thereon is worse however such a man may be pure from the filth of the flesh yet if he delight himself in filthy thoughts his spirit is abominable in the sight of God There is a stain by every one of thy impure thoughts left behind However an actual sin be far greater then the sin of a thought yet if that be but once committed and these are frequently in thee if thou alway lie tumbling in the suds of thy filthy thoughts thy continuing therein makes thy sin more abominable then Davids outward act which he but once committed So that we see there is a filthiness of the spirit as well as the flesh In James 1.21 we have a word sets out the filthiness of it which is Superfluity Lay apart saith he all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness First it 's expressed by the name of filthiness shewing there 's nothing so defiles a man as sin Then 't is called superfluity of naughtiness But what is there any naughtiness to be born with And what exceeds that it is superfluity No that 's not the meaning of the place By superfluity is meant the excrements of sin Excrements are the refuse of meat when the good nourishment is taken away from it And 't is as if he had said Lay
his Angels the strongest of creatures for the punishment of principalities and powers And if it can master Angels think not but that God hath a fire to rost thy soul. It is the soul that is in Hell onely till the day of judgment though the body be not there A man would think that the soul did not suffer but Philosophy tells us that the soul suffers mediante corpore in and by the body Therefore 't is a rule in Divinity that whatsoever God doth by means he can do without means Though the body be not there but the soul only yet God is able nay doth make the soul as well feel grief without the body as he doth by means of the body 3. But now besides thy fellow prisonerâ— in that cursed Gaol consider who are thy tormentors thou that dost continue in impenitency Now thy tormentors are these three 1. The Devil 2. Thy self 3. God Almighty 1. The Devil who is thy deadly enemy a bloody-minded adversary a murthering and merciless-minded Spirit a murtherer from the beginning a merciless tormentor who being in plagues and torments and thereby even at his wits end would fain ease himself in tormenting thee When the Devil as we read was dispossessed of a child wherein he was he rends and tears leaves him foaming that there was little hope of life in him Mar. 9.20 But now when a man shall be delivered into the hands of this merciless Spirit when God shall say to the Devil take him do what thou wilt with him do thy worst to him When thou shalt be thus put into the hands of one that hates thee and delights in thy ruine how will he tear thee into pieces How will he torment thee In how desperate and wretched a case will thy soul and body be But the tormentor within thee is far more heavy painful and grievous Mar. 9.44 46 48. That never dying worm within the sting of a guilty and wounded conscience this like a sharp dagger is still stabbing thee at the very heart This by a reflecting act upon it self will cause thee to revenge Gods quarrel on thy self and as a musket over-charged beats back on the shooter so will it most furiously return upon thee This is that that smote David when 't is said Davids heart smote him Sam. 24.10 A man needs no other fire nor other worm to torment him then that within him Which as the worms on the carkass gnaws on a wretched soul. But there is a greater tormentor then both these behind and that is 3. God himself he is highly offended and inraged at thee and therefore comes and takes the matter into his own hand and will himself be executioner of his fury There is a passage in the Thess. To this purpose which methinks is more then can be spoken by men or Angels Epist. 2. cap. 1. v. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Mark that God whom thou hast so highly provoked to wrath hath a strong hand and glorious power He shewed the glory of his power in the making the world and all things in it and all that infinite power which he hath manifested in the creation of heaven and earth shall be engaged in the tormenting of a sinner Were there a man that should lay a target of brass or a target of steel on a block and should then cleave all in sunder at a blow this would sufficiently manifest his strength So doth God make manifest his power in crushing thee to pieces There are still new charges and discharges against sinners to make his power therein manifest What if God willing to make his power known saith the Apostle Rom. 9.22 suffered a while the vessels prepared to destruction God will manifest his power by the strength of his stroke on those that rebel against him Hence proceedeth weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth which is a Metaphor taken from one either that hath a great coldness on him or from the symptoms of a Fever Add to all that hath been said these two things 1. The torment shall be everlasting you shall desire to die Rev. 9.6 that your torments may have end And here you may expect that I should say something of the eternity of the torments of the damned but I am not able nor any one else sufficiently to express it It shall continue ten thousand thousand years after that an hundred thousand times ten thousand and yet be no nearer end then at the first beginning Thou must think of it seriously thy self and pray to God to reveal it to thy soul for none else sufficiently can 2. But besides as it is everlasting so is it unabateable If a man were cast into a fire the fire coming about him would in short time blunt his senses and take away his feeling and besides the materials of the fire would soon spend and wast But it is not so here here is not the least abatement of the horror nor the least inch of torment taken away throughout all eternity It was a poor request of Dives one would think that Lazarus would dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue Luk. 16.14 A cold comfort but one drop of water for the present which would soon be dried and yet that is denied him he must have no abatement of his torment Nor is there any abatement of thy feeling but thou art kept in full strength and as long as God is God shall Tophet burn and thou feel it Obj. But may some say this is preaching indeed this would affright a man and make him go hang himself sooner then be converted Sol. True should God let loose the cord of our conscience it were the way such would be the terrours of it to make a man find another cord did not God restrain him I desire not by this to hurt you but to save you I am a messenger not sent from Abraham Luk. 16.27 as Dives entreated but from the God of Abraham to forewarn you that you come not to that place of torment But now Beloved there is a way to escape this misery and that is by Jesus Christ Mat. 1.21 He was for this end called Jesus because he saves his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 And consequently from wrath Which how it is done I shall shew in a word and that is 1. By Christ Jesus offered for us And 2. By Christ Jesus offered to us By Christ offered for us he must die for us and if there be any death more cursed then other that death must he die if any more painful that must he suffer Thus he undertakes thy cause and suffers what for sin was due to thee And then being offered for us he is offered to us as we may see in the Sacrament where there are two acts of the Minister the one the breaking the bread the other the offering it to the people Thou hast as good
were a Cable put in our hands to draw our selves out of this flesh and blood 5. The last thing is if keeping Open House Special Invitations Entreaties and Commands will not serve the turn then Christ waxeth angry What to be scorned wheh he profered Mercy and as it were invite all sorts and compel them to come in by his Preachers and by a peremptory Command Then he falls a threatning We are not of those which draw back unto perdition if thou wilt not come upon this Command thou shalt be damned Mar. 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned Christ commands them to go into the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature unto every soul this Gospel which I speak If you will not hear and believe if you will not take God at his Word you shall be damned Joh. 3.36 He that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Here is an iron scourge to drive thee thou that art so slow of heart to believe In Psalm 78. where is set down God's mercy unto the Israelites afterwards comes one plague upon another vers 22. it is said They believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation A like passage to this out of the 95th Psalm is applyed in Heb. 3.2 to Unbelievers And the reason of God's wrath mentioned in the 78th Psalm is said to have been the unbelief of the people The Lord heard this and was wrath a fire was kindled against Jacob and against Israel Why was this because they believed not in him because they trusted not in his salvation Nothing will more provoke God to anger than when he is liberal and gracious and we are straitned in our selves harden our hearts and not trust him never forget this Sermon while you live this is the net that Christ hath to draw you out of the world I shall hereafter tell you what faith is which is to receive Christ and to believe in his name but that will require a more particular explication And on that I shall enter the next time EPH. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation In whom also after you believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise THE last time I entred on the declaration of that main point and part of Religion which is the foundation of all our hopes and comfort namely the offering of Christ unto us that as he did offer himself a Sacrifice to his Father for us upon the Cross so that which is the basis ground and foundation of our comfort is that he offereth himself unto us And here comes in thâ—t gracious gift of the Father which closes in with God That as God saith To us a child is born to us a Son is given c. So there is grace given us to receive him And as the greatest gift doth not enrich a man unless he accept it and receive it so this is our case God offers his Son unto us as an earnest of his love if we will not receive him we cannot be the better for him If we refuse him and turn Gods Commodity which he offers us back upon his hand then Gods storms and his wrath abides on us for evermore That it is his good pleasure that we should receive Christ it is no doubt we have his word for it All the point is how we may receive him and that is by Faith And in this Text is declared how Faith is wrought and that is by the Word of truth In whom also you trusted after you had heard the Word of Truth Now after this Faith there cometh a sealing by the Spirit of God In whom also after you believed you were sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise Now lest a man should through ignorance and indiscretion be misled and deceived there is faith and there is feeling Where this is not feeling I mean I say not that there is no faith No For feeling is an after thing and comes after Faith If we have Faith we live by it But after you believed you were sealed You see then Faith is that whereby we receive Jesus Christ and to as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God to as many as believe on his name The blood of Christ is that which cureth our souls but as I told you it is by application A Medicine heals not by being prepared but being applied So the blood of Christ shed for us unless applied to us doth us no good In Heb. 12. It s called the blood of sprinkling and that in the 51. Psalm hath relation to it where he saith Purge me with hysop In the Passover there was blood to be shed not to be spilt but to be shed And then to be gathered up again and put into a Basin and when they had so done they were to take a bunch of Hysop and dip and sprinkle c. Faith is this bunch of Hysop that dips it self as it were into the Basin of Christs blood and our souls are purged by being sprinkled with it In Levit. 14.6 There was a bird to escape alive but see the preparation for it You shall take it and the scarlet and the Cedar wood and the Hysop and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed c. And then you shall sprinkle on him that is to be cleansed from the leprosie seven times and shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird loose into the open field We are thus let loose cleansed and freed but how Not unless we are dipt as the living bird was in the blood of the dead bird there is no escaping unless we are dipt in the blood of Christ Jesus this dead bird and sprinkled with this Hysop we cannot be freed So that now to come to that great matter without which Christ profiteth us nothing which is Faith The Well is deep and this is the Bucket with which we must draw This is the hand by which we must put on Christ As many as are baptized put on Christ Galat. 3.27 Thus must we be made ready We must be thus cloathed upon and by this hand attire our selves with the Sun of Righteousness Malac. 4.2 Wherefore I declared unto you that this Faith must not be a bare conceipt floating in the brain not a device of our own The Devil taking hold on this would soon lead a man into a fools Paradise To say I am Gods Child and sure I shall be saved I am perswaded so this the Devil would say Amen to and would be glad to rock men asleep in such conceipts Such are like the foolish Virgins That went to buy oyl for their Lamps And were perswaded they should come soon enouoh to enter with the Bride-groom but their perswasion was groundless and they were shut out So such groundless perswasions and assurances in a mans soul that
he is the child of God and shall go to Heaven is not Faith thou mayst carry this assurance to Hell with thee This Faith is not Faith For faith comes by hearing and that not of every word or fancy but by hearing the Word of Truth Faith must not go a jot further then the Word of God goeth If thou hast an apprehension but no warrant for it out of the Word of God it is not faith for it s said After you heard the Word of Truth you believed So that we must have some ground for it out of the Word of Truth otherwise it is presumption meer conceipts fancy and not Faith Now I shew'd unto you the last time how this might be for while a man is an Vnbeliever he is wholly defiled with sin he is in a most loathsom condition he is in his blood filthy and no eye pities him And may one fasten comfort on one in such a condition on a dead man And this I shew'd you was our case When Faith comes to us it finds no good thing in us it finds us stark naked and stark nought yet there is a Word for all this to draw us unto Christ from that miserable Ocean in which we are swimming unto perdition if God catch us not in his Net Hearken we therefore to Gods Call There is such a thing as this Calling God calls thee and would change thy condition and therefore offers thee his Son Wilt thou have my Son Wilt thou yield unto me Wilt thou be reconciled unto me Wilt thou come unto me And this may be preacht to the veriest Rebel that is It is the only Word whereby faith is wrought It is not by finding such and such things in us before hand No God finds us as bad as bad may be when he proffers Christ unto us He finds us ugly and filthy and afterwards washes us and makes us good It is not because I found this or that good thing in thee that I give thee interest in my Son take it not on this ground No he loved us first and when we were defiled he washt us from our sins in his own blood Râ—v 1.5 Now there is a double love of God towards his Creatures 1. Of Commiseration 2. Of Complacency That of Commiseration is a fruit of love which tenders and pities the miserable estate of another But now there is another love of Complacency which ariseth from a likeness between the qualities and manners of persons for like will to like and this love God never hath but to his Saints after Conversion when they have his Image enstamped in them and are reformed in their Vnderstandings and Wills resembling him in both then and not till then bears he this love towards them Before he loves them with the love of pity and so God lov'd the World that is with the love of Commiseration that he sent his only Son that whosoever believed in him might not perish but have everlasting life And therefore he said in the Prophet Isaiah In his Love and in his pity he redeemed them chap. 63. ver 9. Now we come to the point of Acceptation The Word is free and it requires nothing but what may consist with the freest gift that may be given Although here be something that a man may startle at Object Is there not required a condition of faith and a condition of obedience Sol. Neither of these according to our common Understanding do hinder the fulness and freedom of the Grace of the Gospel 1. Not Faith because Faith is such a condition as requires only an empty hand to receive a gift freely given Now doth that hinder the freeness of the gift to say you must take it Why this is requisite to the freest gift that can be given If a man would give something to a Begger if he would not reach out his hand and take it let him go without it it s a free gift still so that the condition of Faith is such a condition as requires nothing but an empty hand to receive Christ. 2. Obedience hinders it not I am required may some say to be a new man a new Creature to lead a new life I must alter my course And is not this a great clog and burthen And do you account this free When I must crucifie lusts mortifie Passions c. Is this free when a man must renounce his own Will Yes It is as free as free may be as a I shewed you the last time The very touching and accepting of Christ implies an abnegation of former sinfulness and a going off from other courses that are contrary to him If the King give a pardon to a notorious Rebel for Treason so that now he must live obedient as a Subject the King need not in regard of himself to have given the pardon if he give it it takes not from its freeness that he must live like a Subject afterwards the very acceptance of the pardon implies it But now to declare Faith and to open the Mystery thereof Faith is a great thing It is our life our life stands in the practice of it That as in the offering of Christ for us there is given him a name above every name That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow As I say in the purchasing of Redemption so in the point of acceptation God hath given unto this poor vertue of faith a name above all names Faith indeed as it is a vertue is poor and mean and comes far short of love and therefore by the Apostle love is many degrees preferr'd before faith because love fills the heart and faith is but a bare hand it lets all things fall that it may fill it self with Christ. It s said of the Virgin Mary That God did respect the low estate of his hand-maid So God respects the low estate of Faith that nothing is required but a bare empty hand which hath nothing to bring with it though it be never so weak yet if it have a hand to receive it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a like precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 that of the poorest Believer and the greatest Saint Now that we may come unto the point without any more going backwards In the words read there is the point of faith and a thing God confirms it withal a seal In whom also after that you believed you were sealed Faith is of it a self a thing unsealed The sealing with the holy Spirit of Promise is a point beyond faith it s a point of feeling and not only of believing of Gods Word but a sensible feeling of the Spirit A believing in my soul accompanied with joy unspeakable and full of glory of which sealing we shall speak more hereafter Observe for the first 1. The Object of it In whom you trusted We speak of Faith now as it justifies as it apprehends Christ for its Object for otherwise Faith hath as large an Extent as all Gods Word Faith hath a
easie indeed were there nothing but saying the word to make man and Wife there are terms and conditions to be agreed upon God casts not his Son away he looks there shall be conditions on thy side he must be thy King and Head if thou wilt have him to be thy husband But what shall I get by him then saith the wife Get there is no end of thy getting All is thine Paul Apollos Cephas Life c. Thou art Christ's and Christ is God's 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Every man will take Christ thus for the better but there is somewhat else in the match If thou wilt have him thou must take him for better for worse for richer for poorer Indeed there are precious things provided for you It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luk. 12.32 Rom. 8.17 You shall be Heirs with Christ but for the present while you are in the Church Militant you must take up your Cross you must not look for great things in this world In this world you must have tribulation you must deny your selves and your own Wills What would you have Christ the wife and you the husband No if you think so you mistake the match Christ must be the Husband and the Head and as the wife promises to obey her husband to stick to her husband in sickness and in health and to forsake all others so Christ asketh wilt thou have me if thou wilt thou must take me on these terms thou must take my Cross with me thou must deny thine own Will yea it may be thine own life also Let a Christian consider all these things these are the words and these are the benefits and then compare them together and then if he can say I will have Christ however for I shall be a saver by him I will take him with all faults and I know I shall make a good bargain therefore I will have him on any terms come what will when a man can have his will so perpendicularly bent on Christ that he will have him though he leave his skin behind him there is a true acceptation of him We must not here distinguish with the Schools about Velleities a general wishing and woulding and true desires after Christ Wishers and Woulders never thrive but there must be resolution to follow Christ through thick and thin never to part with him a direct Will is here required And therefore Christ bids us consider before-hand what it will cost us If any man come to me and hate not Father and mother Wife and Children and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple Luk. 24.26 Do not think that our Saviour here would discourage men from love Doth the love teach us hatred The phrase in the Hebrew is loving less as it is said Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Deut. 21.15 that is loved less If a man hath two wives one beloved and the other hated and they have born Children both the beloved and the hated By hated is not meant that the man hated one wife but less loved her than the other So if any man come to me and hate not father and mother that is if he love not all less than me and that it is so we may see it expounded by our Saviour Mat 10.37 He that loveth father and mother more than me is not worthy of me There Christ expounds it He that will follow Christ in calm weather and not in a storm is not worthy of him Luk. 14.28 Which of you intending to build a Tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it What is that to the purpose See vers 33. So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple It is a small matter to begin to be a Christian unless you consider what it will cost you Do you think it a small matter to be a King's Son 1 Sam. 18.23 think not on so great a business without consideration what it will cost you It will be the denying of your own wills You must be content to follow naked Christ nakedly follow him in his persecution and tribulation in his death and suffering if thou wilt be conformable to him in glory When this case comes it makes many draw back as the rich man in the Gospel when he must forsake all he drew back When troubles arise many are offended so when it comes to a point of parting they go back Now we come to speak one word of the sealing of the Text. After that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of Promise This sealing which is a point of feeling is a distinct thing of it self from faith no part of faith If I have faith I am sure of life though I never have the other these are two seals We put to our seals to the counter-part that is drawn betwixt God and us The first seal is our faith I have nothing but God's Word and indeed I have no feeling yet I venture my salvation and trust God upon his bare Word I will pawn all upon it He that hath received his testimony that is in effect he that believeth saith John hath set to his seal that God is true Joh. 3.33 If men doubt and trust God no further than they see him it is not faith But when God gives me a good word though I am in as much distress as ever yet I trust though it be contrary to all sense or outward seeming yet I put to my seal and trust him still Then comes God's counter-part God being thus honoured that I believe his Word though contrary to all sense and feeling even his bare Word then God sets to his seal and now the Word comes to particularizing Before it was in general now it comes and singles out a man Say thou unto my soul that I am thy salvation Psal. 35.3 that is as I did apply the generality of God's Word unto mine own case to bear me up against sense and feeling then comes the Spirit of God and not only delivers generalities but saith unto my soul I am thy salvation This is called in Scripture a manifestation when God manifests himself unto us as in Isa. 60.16 Thou shalt suck the milk of the Gentiles and shalt suck the breast of Kings and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer c. that is when we have made particular application by Faith God will put to his seal that I shall know that God is my strength and my salvation I shall know it Joh. 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will manifest my self unto him Christ comes and draws the Curtains and looks on with the gracious aspect of his blessed countenance When this comes it chears the heart and then there are secret love-tokens pass betwixt Christ and his beloved Rev. 2.17 To him that overcometh will I give to eat
of grace the thing that he doth is he presents unto the Father Christ bleeding gasping dying buried and conquering death and when he presents Christ to him he opens his case and confesses his sin to the full and says Lord this is my case As a beggar when he comes to ask an alms of you he will make a preface and tell you his extremity Sir I am in great want I have nor tasted a bit of bread in so many days and unless you help me by your charity I am utterly undone Now when these two concur that there is true need in the beggar and liberality in him of whom he begs it encourages the beggar to be importunate and he prevails you may know when the beggar hath need by his tone accent or language The needy beggars tone and accent is different from the sturdy beggars that hath no need but yet though the beggar be in great misery if he see a churlish Nabal go by him he hath no heart to beg and follows him not nor begs so hard because he hath but little hope to attain any thing from him But I say let both these meet together first that the beggar is in great need then that he of whom he begs is very liberal it makes him beg hard but now cannot he pray without book Think not that I speak against praying by the book you are deceived if you think so but there must be words taken to us besides which perhaps a book will not yield us A beggars need will make him speak and he will not hide his sores but if he hath any sore more ugly or worse than another he will uncover it good Sir behold my woful and distressed case he lays all open to provoke pity So when thou comest before God in confession canst thou not find out words to open thy self to Almighty God not one word whereby thou mayst unlap thy sores and beseech him to look on thee with an eye of pity I must not mince my sins but amplifie and aggravate them that God may be moved to pardon me till we do thus we cannot expect that God should forgive us A great ado there is about auricular confession but it 's a meer bable It were better to cry out our sins at the high Cross than the confess in a Priests ear Thou whisperest in the Priest's ear what if he never tell it or if he do art thou the better Come and pour out thy heart and soul before Almighty God confess thy self to him as David did for that hath a promise made to it Psal. 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou may be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest Why so Why one main cause why we should confess sin is to justifie God When a sinner confesses I am a child of wrath and of death if thou castest me into hell as justly thou mayst I have received but my due when a man does thus as the King's Attourney may frame a Bill of Inditement against himself he justifies Almighty God He gives God the honour of that justice which at the present he executes in pouring horrour into the conscience of the sinner and hath farther in store in providing the Lake of fire and brimstone for the impenitent Thus did David Against thee against thee c. Now when we have thus aggravated our misery comes the other part of begging to cry for mercy with earnestness and here 's the power of the Spirit It 's one thing for a man to pray and another thing for a man to say a prayer but to pray and cry for mercy as David did in good earnest to wrestle with God to say Lord My life lies in it I will never give thee over I will not go with a denial this is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is the work of God's Spirit I named you a place in Jude ver 20. where the Apostle exhorts but ye beloved build up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost there 's the prayer of the faithful to pray in the Holy Ghost And in the Ephesians we read of an Armour provided for all the parts of a man's body yet will not serve the turn unless prayer come in as the chief Ephes. 6.18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance c. This is the prayer of faith that procures forgiveness of sins we must pray in faith and in the Spirit that is the language which God understands He knoweth the meaning of the Spirit and knoweth none else but that Many men are wondrously deceived in that which they call the Spirit of prayer One thinks it is a faculty to set out ones desires in fair words shewing earnestness and speaking much in an extemporary prayer This we think commendable yet this is not the Spirit of prayer One that shall never come to Heaven may be more ready in this than the child of God for it is a matter of skill and exercise the Spirit of prayer is another thing The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought the Spirit it self makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 What shall we think then that the Holy Ghost groans or speaks in prayer No but it makes us groan and though we speak not a word yet it so enlarges our hearts as that we send up a volley of sighs and groans which reach the Throne of grace And this is the Spirit of prayer when with these sighs and groans I beg as it were for my life This is that ardent affection the Scripture speaks of A cold prayer will never get forgiveness of sins it 's the prayer of faith which prevails The prayer of the people availeth much if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fervent In the Ancient Churches those that were possessed with an evil spirit were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that caught them up and made them do actions not sutable to their nature Prayer is a fire from Heaven which if thou hast it will carry all Heaven before it there is nothing in the world so strong as a Christian thus praying Prayers that are kindled with such a zeal are compared to Jacobs wrestling with the Angel Hos. 12.4 whereby he had power over the Angel The Prophet expounds what this wrestling was he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with him This is the wrestling with God when thou fillest Heaven with thy sighs and sobs and bedewest thy couch with thy tears as David did and hast thy resolution with Jacob I will not let thee go except thou bless me God loves this kind of boldness in a beggar that he will not go away without an answer As the poor Widow in the Parable that would not give over her suit
so that the Judge though he feared not God nor cared for man by reason of her importunity granted her desire Mark the other thing in the Apostle he bids us pray with the Spirit and with perseverance and he that cometh thus hath a promise made to it He that calleth on the Name of the Lord shall be saved Call on me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee it 's set down fully Matth. 6.7 Ask and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be as opened One would think this were idem per idem but it is not so He bids us ask and it shall be given seek and you shall find c. There is a promise annexed to asking seeking and knocking but it is also proved by universal experience for every one that asketh c. It 's very man's case never any man did it yet that hath lost his labour in not attaining what he asked If thou hast it not yet thou shalt have it in the end it is so fair a petition to ask to have thy sins pardoned that God would be friends with thee and that Christ would make thee love him and that God would be thy God that God delights in it This is the point then Suppose God answer not presently yet knock still seek still that is perseverance the thing whereby it is distinguished from temporary asking The hypocrite will pray in a time of need and adversity but his prayer is not constant Job 27.10 Will the hypocrite always call upon God If they come and seek God and he will not answer as Saul did they will try the Devil God would not answer Saul and he presently goes to the Devil It 's not so with God's children they pray and pray and wait still they pray with the Spirit and with perseverance God deals not always alike with his children but differently sometimes he answers presently sometimes he makes them wait his leisure Psal. 32.5 I said I would confess my sins says David and my transgressions and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin so Dan. 9.21 When he set himself to seek God even while he was speaking and praying the man Gabriel appeared unto him and touched him about the time of the evening oblation Before the word was out of his mouth God was at his heart and presently sends him a dispatch The like we see in Esay 65.24 Mark what a promise there is It shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear This is a great encouragement but it may be God will not always do this and what 's the reason Why he hath a wonderful great delight to be wrestled withal and to hear the words of his own Spirit nothing is more delightful to him than this when the Spirit is earnest and will not give over I will not let thee go unless thou bless me Gen. 32.26 It 's said in the Canticles honey is under the lips of the Church Cant. 4.11 Why so it's because there is no honey sweeter to the palate than spiritual prayer to God And therefore God delays to answer thee because he would have more of it If the Musicians come and play at our doors or windows if we delight not in their Musick we throw them out money presently that they may be gone but if the Musick please us we forbear to give them money because we would keep them longer for we like the Musick So the Lord loves and delights in the sweet words of his children and therefore puts them off and answers them not presently Now God's children let him deny them never so long yet they will never leave knocking and begging they will pray and they will wait still till they receive an answer Many will pray to God as prayer is a duty but few use it as a means to attain a blessing Those who come to God in the use of it as a means to attain what they would have they will pray and not give over they will expect an Answer and never give over petitioning till they receive it ROM 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ c. HAving declared unto you the nature of faith and that point which concerns the practice of it in our near approach unto God I am now come to shew unto you the fruits and benefits Christians receive from this Mother-grace and that the Apostle sets down in these words He sets down 1. The Mother-Grace it self together with its principal benefit Justification or reconciliation with God that whereas we were afar off we are made near and of enemies made friends of God Then 2. There are the daughters or hand-maids of this grace For when we are justified by Faith then 1. We have peace with God that peace of conscience which passeth all understanding then 2. We have free access by faith unto the Throne of grace so that we need not look for any other Mediators Christ hath made way for us to God so that we may go boldly to the Throne of grace and find help at any time of need 3. There follows a joyful hope that a Christian hath by it a taste of Heaven before he come to enjoy it We rejoyce in hope saith the Apostle hope being as firm a thing as faith faith makes things absent as present hope hath patience with it and would have us wait We shall be sure of it but yet we must wait patiently 4. Not only rejoycing in hope but even in that which spoils a natural man's joy as in crosses troubles afflictions for even these are made the matter of this man's joy not delectable objects only Not in time to come after afflictions but in afflictions so as that which spoils the joy of a natural man is fuel to kindle this man's joy Now concerning justification by faith though it be an ordinary point yet there is nothing more needs Explication than to know how a man shall be justified by Faith It is easily spoken hardly explicated Therefore in this mother-Grace I shall shew you 1. What faith is that doth justifie And 2. What this justification is For it is not so easie a matter neither 1. Concerning the nature of faith I have spoken sufficiently already wherein it consists but yet notwithstanding there is a certain thing as like this faith as may be and yet comes short of it Many there are who are like the foolish Virgins that thought they were well enough and thought they should come time enough So many think verily that they have faith yea and perchance go with such a perswasion to their very graves and think they have grace and that they labour after Christ and lay hold on him and are free from worldly pollutions so as that they have a
entire soul that hath no blot that one that hath no spot should be purged after final grace hath made him clear and whole this is against reason and common sense They might have learned better of their own Thomas all the fire in the world will never put away sin without the infusion of grace This by the way concerning them I shewed besides that these two being both righteousnesses the Church of Rome confounds them both together Saint James his justification with Saint Pauls They confound inherent righteousness which is begun and shall be perfected in final grace with the other so that the point is not between us and Rome Whether faith justifieth by works or no but Whether it justifieth at all In truth that is the state of it The question is this whether there be such a grace as justification that is distinguished from sanctification or whether there be another grace of sanctification Do not think that we are such block-heads as to deny faith and sanctification yet faith is but a piece or part of that train of vertues There justification is taken for sanctification we acknowledge a man is justified by faith and works but the question is between us and them whether there be any justification besides sanctification i. e. whether there be any justification at all or no we say sanctification is wrought by the Kingly office of Christ he is a King that rules in our hearts subdues our corruptions governs us by the Sceptre of his Word and Spirit but it is the fruit of his Priestly office which the Church of Rome strikes at i. e. whether Christ hath reserved another righteousness for us besides that which as a King he works in our hearts whether he hath wrought forgiveness of sins for us we say he hath and so saith all the Church till the new Spawn of Jesuits arose They distinguish not remission of sins from sanctification Bellarmine saith remission of sins is the extinguishing of sin in the soul as water though it be cold yet the bringing in of heat extinguishes the cold and so remission of sins is the bringing in of inherent righteousness which extinguisheth all sin which was before A strange thing and were it not that the Scripture does speak of a cup in the hand of the Harlot of Rome whereby she makes drunk the Inhabitants of the earth with the wine of her fornication Rev. 17.4 18.3 except the men of her communion were drunk it were impossible that a learned men should thus shake out an Article of our and their Creed which hath ever been believed by all the Churches When the Scripture speaks of forgiveness of sins see how it expresseth it Ephes. 4.32 Be ye kind one to another Brethren tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Observe in the Lord's Prayer we pray that the Lord would forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us Let him that hath common understanding judge Do we forgive our Neighbours by extinguishing sin in the subject I forgive you i. e. I take away the ill office you did me Doth he forgive thus Alas no! forgiveness is without a man I have an action against you perhaps an action at Law I will let fall my suit my charges I will forgive this is forgiveness God justifieth who shall condemn Though God has just cause to proceed against me as a Rebel yet he is content to let fall his action to fasten it upon the Cross of his Son there to fix the Chirographum the hand-writing against us Colos. 2.14 He will let fall that which was the ground of a suit against us all that he could say against us That you may understand the thing the better there are two things two kinds of righteousness the one of justification the other of sanctification The Holy Ghost distinguisheth them by several terms 1 Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made unto us wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption You see here are two distinct graces righteousness and sanctification they make them but one sanctification and remission of sins Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified Rom. 8.30 Here justification and glorification are nothing else but justification and sanctification St Paul speaks of a thing past not of the glory to come them he glorified not shall glorifie he means sanctification which is inchoate glory For what is the glory we shall have in heaven but the enlargement of those inherent graces God begins in this world Here is the seed there is the crop here thou hast a little knowledge but there it shall be enlarged now thou hast a little joy there thou shalt enter into thy Master's joy here some knowledge but there thou shalt have a full knowledge and a full measure Here glory dwelleth in our Land but there we shall with open faoe behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord and be changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 i. e. we are more and more conformed to the image of Almighty God by obedience and holy qualities infused into us that we grow from one degree of sanctification unto another And so you see how these are distinguished by their terms Justification and glorification justification and sanctification There is another place in St. John an hard place but yet as I take it these two righteousnesses that have the same name for justification and sanctification are righteousnesses both of them to be distinct in their terms in that place it is said Joh. 16.8 That when the Spirit shall come he shall reprove or as we should translate it and as you read it in the margin he shall convince the world concerning sin righteousness and judgment Thus I say it should be translated for it is of no sense to say that God should reprove the world of righteousness on what occasion this was spoken we must not stand to speak but righteousness and judgment is justification and sanctification And the drift of the place is this when the Spirit shall come how not upon me or thee but the Spirit here spoken of is that Spirit that should come upon the Apostles it shall begin at the day of Pentecost and these 1. should set forth like twelve Champions to conquer the world and to bring them unto the Sceptre of Christ. He shall convince the world i e. when the Spirit shall come on you and your tongues be tipped with that spiritual fire which shall be active it shall convince the world of three particulars of sin righteousness and judgment Of the point of humiliation for sins the point of justification by righteousness imputative and the glory of sanctification in judgment and righteousness inherent This method St. Paul useth in the Romans to stop every man's
Kingdom Luk. 12.32 We are all the children of God but it doth not appear what we shall be when he appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 He shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body We are here sons but yet but in a strange Country no body knoweth what he is and therefore he meets with many affronts The King when he was in France went for an attendant on the Duke and is he troubled at it No he knew that the world knew it not they knew not what he was and therefore he is not troubled at it So is it with children of God but when they shall appear they shall be advanced and their enemies ashamed By the way let not the people of God be discouraged by the taunts jeers and reproaches of wicked men they know not what you are and therefore make light of you as they did of Christ himself Well besides what we have in reversion the very present hope of it works wonderful joy in the heart of a Christian. David did not live to see the glory of Solomon's Temple but he made provision for it and cast the model of it and he took much delight in the contemplation of what it would be The consideration of these hopes makes my flesh rest in hope and my heart rejoyce Psal. 16.9 The consideration of the resurrection made David's heart rejoyce The consideration of that which is to come should bring abundance of joy unto a Christian these are strange things not like the joy of a natural man for his heart is sad in the midst of laughter Prov. 34.13 but these rejoyce with a joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Here are some sparks some beginnings of the glory of heaven and of that great joy which we shall have hereafter but I cannot speak of these things in an hour But forasmuch as the Devil transforms himself into an Angel of light there is no work of God's Spirit in the hearts of his children but Satan like an Ape labours to imitate in the hearts of wicked men to make them secure we must know that there are joys in some who are not regenerate They that receive the Word on the Rock received it with joy The Word if it be apprehended and hath but the least footing brings joy with it But now to know how I may get this joy how beneficial a thing is it to have such a comfort on earth as to know that I have this true joy and to be able to distinguish this joy from the false joy from the flashes those fleeting joys of the wicked which are but as the crackling of thorns under a pot Eccles. 7.6 for theirs is but as a blaze that suddenly goeth out Now if thou wouldst know thy joy aright and whether it differ from that counterfeit joy which flesh and blood and the Devil suggests Look to the things that go before and produce this joy 1. The first thing that goeth before true joy and produceth it is an opening unto Christ when he knocks at the door of thy heart As in that famous place in Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me There is if thou open a sweet and familiar communication between Christ and thee he communicates himself at dinner and supper A man comes not melancholy to meals Christ will come and make merry with thee he will sup with thee familiarly But how is it with thee Hath Christ knocked and thou hast given him a slieveless answer and hast thou joy it is a false joy But when Christ knocks at the door of thy heart there must be an opening the door on thy part when he knocks by his Word and Spirit And dost thou give such an answer as the Spouse in the Canticles Cant. 5. I am come into my garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my myrrhe with my spice I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey Now Christ coming to Supper knockt at the door and would bring in a great deal of joy I sleep saith the Spouse but my heart waketh it is the voice of my well-beloved that knocketh saying Open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my Vndefiled When God comes and wooes us and desires to communicate himself unto us and desires us to put off our cloaths dost thou look for comfort if thou openest not At last I opened to my Beloved vers 6. But he had withdrawn himself and was gone my soul failed when he spake I sought him but I could not find him I called him but he gave me no answer When thou givest not Christ entertainment when he comes thou mayest seek and not meet with him â—t is observed that the Keepers of the Wall are the greatest strikers Those whom God hath set to be Watchmen instead of comforting they smite vers 7. The Watch-men that went about the City they found me they smote me they wounded me they took my vail from me She gets raps from them who should protect her because she did not entertain Christ if thou findest any comfort after Christ hath knocked and thou hast opened unto him then it is true joy and thou mayest make much of it 2. If it be true joy there goeth faith before it for being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. So that the exercising of the acts of faith is a spiritual means to raise comforts in our souls Joh. 6. I had need to speak of this for there is want of the exercises of faith Is it enough think you â—o have faith once exercised He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him It is not enough to eat once a year A man will not be in good liking that eats but once a year but a man must eat once a day at least A Christian should feed on Christ every day make him his ordinary food renewing every day the acts of faith receive Christ crucified by faith every day If a Christian would consider that God offers Christ unto him every day and thou renewest thy faith and claspest him every day it would be a special way whereby joy should be raised in the soul. It is said in Rom. 15.13 We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost Thus when thou hast exercised the acts of faith in believing and then upon that rejoycest then it is seasonable and true joy and not the counterfeit joy of the wicked when it arises and springs from believing when that procureth it it likewise distinguishes it from all false joys The Apostle tells us Philip. 1.24 Having this confidence I know that I
become guilty before God This is the end of the first part This being done in the latter end of the Chapter he proceeds to speak of the second work of the Comforter To convince the world of righteousness but on what grounds Because I go to my Father and ye see me no more that is he shall assure the conscience that now there is a righteousness of better things purchased for us that Christ was wounded arraigned and condemned for us that he was imprisoned but now he is free who was our surety yea and that he is not free as one escaped who hath broken prison and run away for then he could not have stayed in Heaven no more than Adam could stay in Paradise after his fall but now that Christ remains in Heaven perfectly and for ever reconciled with the Father this is a sure sign to us that the debt is payed and everlasting peace and righteousness brought in for our salvation This the Apostle enlargeth and shews this to be that righteousness which Adam had and which we must trust all unto And this he doth unto the sixth Chapter From whence the Apostle goes on to the third point convincin the world of judgment and of righteousness unto the ninth Chapter which are two words signifying one and the same thing but because he had named righteousness before which was the righteousness of justification without a man in Christ Jesus he calls the third judgment which is that integrity which is inherent bred and created in us to wit sanctification as we may see in Esay 42.3 where it is said of Christ A bruised reed shall be not break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench till he bring forth judgment unto victory Where he shews judgment to be a beginning of righteousness in sanctification even such a one as can never be extinguished So Job 27.2 The word is taken where Job expostulateth the matter As the Lord liveth who hath taken away my judgment c. all the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrils my lips shall not speak wickedness nor my tongue deceit God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I will hold fast and will not let it go c. Here you see by judgment is meant integrity and that righteousness which is created and inherent in us so that the substance of that place in Esay is that God will never give over so to advance and make effectual that weak righteousness and sanctification begun in us until it shall prevail against and master all our sins and corruptions making it in the end a victorious sanctification And the ground hereof is for the Prince of this world is judged he is like one manacled whose strength and power is limited So that now though he be strong yet he is cast out by a stronger than he so that he cannot nor shall he ever rule again as in times past This strain of Doctrine the Apostle follows in this Epistle shewing that as the righteousness of Justification by the blood of Christ is a thing without us so the righteousness of Sanctification is a thing created and inherent in us and the ground of the witness of our spirits as we shall shew in its own place So that the blood of Christ doth two things unto us in Justification it covers our sins and in Sanctification it heals our sins and sores that if there be any proud or dead flesh it eateth it out and then heals the wound Therefore the Apostle says You are not under the Law but under Grace He that sees the Law is satisfied by another and all to be of free grace he will not much stand on any thing in himself for his Justification but as a poor beggar be content all should be of mere grace Therefore he concludes Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace After this the Apostle goes on to other particulars shewing divers things especially the twelfth Verse of this Chapter where he drives unto the point of sanctification as though he should say you are freed from the Law indeed as it is a Judge of Life and Death but yet the Law must be your Counsellors you are debtors of thankfulness seeing whence you are escaped that you may not live after the flesh and then he proceeds to shew them how they should walk that seeing they had received the spirit they should walk after the spirit now that they had received that which should subdue and mortifie the flesh and the lusts thereof they should be no more as dead men but quick and lively in operation by living after the spirit otherwise they could not be the Sons of God vers 16. and he comes to the words that I have now read For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father for the spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Where the Apostle shews the ground of our Union and Communion with Christ because having his spirit we are of necessity his as S. John speaks 1 Joh. 3.24 Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath giveâ— us What ties together and makes one things far asunder but the same spirit and life in both so that spirit which is in Christ a full running over fountain descending down and being also infused into us unites us unto him yea that spirit communicated unto me in some measure which is in him such fulness that spirit doth tie me as fast unto Christ as any joynt ties member to member and so makes Christ to dwell in my heart as the Apostle speaks to this purpose Ephes. 2.21 That thus by one spirit we are built up and made the Temple of God and come to be the Habitation of God through the spirit so that by this means we are unseparably knit and united unto him for what iâ— it makes one member to be a member to another not the nearness of joyning or lying one to or upon another but the same quickening spirit and life which is in both and which causeth a like motion for otherwise if the same life were not in that member it would be dead and of no use to the other so that it is the same spirit and life in the things conjoyned which unites them together yet to explain this more as I have often in the like case said Imagine a man were as high as Heaven the same spirit and life being diffused into all his parts what is it now that can cause his toe to stir there being such a huge distance betwixt the head and it Even that self-same life which is in the head being in it no sooner doth the head will the toe to stir but it moves So is it with us
that very spirit which is in Christ being in us thereby we are united unto him grow in him live in him and he in us rejoyce in him and so are kept and preserved to be glorified with him He is the second Adam from whom we receive the influence of all good things showring down and distilling the graces of his spirit upon the least of all his members That look as it was said of Aaron who was a type of the second Adam and of that holy Oyl representing the graces of his spirit Which did not only run down his head and beard but the skirts of his garment also and all his rich attire about Psal. 133.2 So when I see the Oyl of Christ's graces and spirit not only rest upon the head but also descend and run down upon the lowest of his members making me now as one of them in some sort another man than I was or my natural state could make me by the same spirit I know I am united unto Christ. To this purpose is that which Christ to stands upon in Joh. 6. unto the Jews where speaking of the eating of his flesh and that bread of life which came down from heaven lest they should be mistaken he adds It is the spirit that quickneth the flâ—sh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life So that we see it is the spirit that gives a being to a thing And therefore the Apostle proceeds to shew As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God Rom. 8.13 That look as Christ is the â—â—ue natural Son of God so we as truly by conveyance of the same spirit into us are his Sons by Adoption and so heirs with God yea and joynt heirs with Christ this he begins to shew vers 13. So that being in this excellent estate they were not only servants and friends a most high Prerogative but they were now the Sons of God having the spirit of Adoption whereby they might boldly call God Father In which Verse the Apostle opposeth the spirit of bondage which doth make a man fear again unto the spirit of Adoption which frees a man from fear Now two things may be observed hence 1. The order the spirit of God keeps e'er it comforts it shakes and makes us fear This the Apostle speaks to Heb. 2.14 where he shews that the end of Christ's coming was That because the children were partakers of flesh and blood he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil and deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject unto bondage The first work then of the comforter is to put a man in fear 2. Here is shewed that until the spirit doth work this fear the heart will not stoop The Obstinacy is great yea so great that if hell gates were open ready to swallow up a man he would not yield until the spirit set in to convince the heart Therefore St. John tells us Joh. 16. That when the spirit it come he will reprove the world of sin that is he will convince and shew a man that he is but a bond-man and so from this sight he makes us to fear No man must think this strange that God deals with men at first after this harsh manner to kill them as it were before he make them alive nor be discouraged as if God had now cast them off as none of his For this bondage and spirit of fear is a work of God's spirit and a preparative to the rest yet it is but a common work of the spirit and such a one that unless more follow it can afford us no comfort But why then doth God suffer his children to be first terrified with this fear I answer That in two respects this is the best and wisest course to deal with us or else many would put off the matter and never attain a sense of mercy First in respect of God's glory Secondly in regard of our good First in respect of God's glory and that first because as in the work of Creation so in the work of Redemption God will have the praise of all his attributes for as in the work of Creation there appeared the infinite wisdom goodness power justice mercy of God and the like so will he in the work of our Redemption have all these appear in their strength and brightness and when we see and acknowledge these things to be in Gâ—d in the highest perfection hereby we honour him as on the contrary when we will not see and acknowledge the excellency of God's infinite attributes we dishonour him yea and I may safely add that the work of Redemption was a greater work than the work of Creation for therein appeared all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge in the conveying of it unto the Church Herein appeared first infinite Wisdom in ordering the matter so as to find out such a way for the Redemption of Mankind as no created understanding could possibly imagine or think of And secondly for the Mercy of God there could be none comparable to this in not sparing his own Son the Son of his Love that so he might spare us who had so grievously provoked him And thirdly there could not be so much Justice seen in any thing as in sparing us not to spare his Son in laying his Son's head as it were upon the block and chopping it off indeed the death unto which he gave his Son was not only more vile than the loss of his head but far more painful and terrible to nature the death on the Cross in renting and tearing that blessed body of his even as the Veil of the temple was rent which was a type of him so was he rent and tore and broke for us when he made his soul an offering for sin This was the perfection of Justice And thus was he just as the Apostle speaks and the Justifyer of him him that believeth in Jesus God would have Justice and Mercy meet and kiss each other and that for two reasons for the magnifying of his Justice and for the magnifying of his Mercy First For the magnifying of his Justice The spirit must first become a spirit of bondage and fear for the magnifying of God's Justice Thus the Prophet David having sinned was driven to this practice Psal. 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest Thus he a holy man was brought to confess his sin to give God the glory of his Justice And so to this end that a man might pass through or by as it were the gates of hell unto heaven the Lord will have his Justice extended to the full for which cause lessening or altogether for a time abstracting all sight of mercy he turns the
say what comfort then may I have of the first work of the Spirit in me For as yet I have found none of these things I have not been thus humbled nor terrifyed nor had such experience as you speak of in that state under the spirit of bondage I answer though this be a work of the spirit yet it is not the principal justifying and saving work of the spirit yea the children of the Devil may come to have a greater measure of this then Gods own dear Children whom for the most part he will not affright nor afflict in that terrible manner as he doth some of them but the consequence of this is more to be accounted of then the measure to see whither that measure I have what ever it be leads me For if the measure were never so absolutely necessary to salvation then all Gods Children should have enough of it But I make a difference still between humiliation and humility which is a grace of it self and leads me along with comfort and Life Thus therefore I think of humiliation if I have so much of it as will bring me to see my danger and cause me to run to the medicine and City of refuge for help to hate sin for time to come and to set my self constantly in the ways and practice of holiness it is enough And so I say in the case of Repentance if a man have a sight of sin past and a heart firmly set against all sin for the time to come the greater and firmer this were the lesser measure of sorrow might suffice for sins fore-past As we see a wise Father would never beat his Child for faults that are past but for the prevention of that which is to come for we see in time of Correction the Child cryes out O I will never do so any more So God deals with us because our resolutions and promises are faint and fail and that without much mourning humiliation and Stripes we attain not this hatred of sins past and strength against them for time to come therefore it is that our humiliation and sorrow must be proportionable to that work which is to be done otherwise any measure of it were sufficient which fits us for the time to come But I will add there are indeed divers measures of it according unto which the conscience is wounded or eased when there is a tough melancholy humour that the powers of the soul are distracted good Duties omitted and the heart so much the more hardned When upon this the Lord le ts loose the band of the conscience oppressing the same with exceeding fears and terrours this the Lord uses as a wedge to cleave in sunder a hard piece of wood God then doth shew us because we would not plough our selves we shall be ploughed If we would judge our selves saith the Apostle we should not be judged and therefore the Church confesses and complains Psalm 129.2 That the ploughers ploughed upon her back and made deep furrows Why How came this she did not plough up her own fallow ground wherefore the Lord sent her other strangers and harsh ploughers that ploughed her soundly indeed Wherefore doth God thus deal with his Children because he is the great and most wise Husband-man who will not sow amongst thorns Therefore when he is about to sow the seed of Eternal Life in the soul which must take deep root and grow for ever he will have the ground throughly ploughed The way then to avoid these things that are so harsh and displeasing to flesh and blood is to take the Rod betimes and beat our selves for when we are slow and secure and omit this God doth do the work himself But yet God makes a difference of good education in those who have kept themselves from the common pollutions and gross sins of the times it pleaseth God saith comes into them they know not how nor the time Grace drops in by little and little now a little and then a little by degrees sin is more and more hated and the heart inflamed with a desire of good things in a conscionable Life But in a measure I say such must have had have or shall have fears and terrours so much as may keep them from sin and quicken them to go on constantly in the ways of holiness or when they fly out of the way they shall smart for it and be whipped home again yet for the main they find themselves as it were in Heaven they know not how But if a man have stuck deep and long in sin he must look for a greater measure of humiliation and fear and a more certain time of his calling there must be hawling and pulling such a man out of the fire with violence and he must not look to obtain peace and comfort with ease God will thunder and lighten in such a man's conscience in Mount Sinai before he speak peace unto him in Mount Zion A second time there is also of a great measure of humiliation which is though a man may be free from great gross sins and worldly pollutions when the Lord intends to shew the feeling of his mercy and the sense thereof to any in an extraordinary measure or to fit them for some high services then they shall be much humbled before as we see St. Paul was Act. 8.9 God did thunder upon him and beat him down in the High way to the ground being stricken with blindness for three days after Thus much shall suffice to have been spoken of the 15th verse touching the Spirit of Bondage and the spirit of Adoption The Apostle tells them they may thank God the spirit of fear thus came that hereafter they might partake of the Spirit of Adoption to fear no more he stirs them up as it were to be thankful because now they had obtained a better state Why what estate A very high one vers 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God ROM 8.16 The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God HAving spoken concerning the Spirit of Bondage and the Spirit of Adoption in the former verse the Apostle in these words that I have now read doth as it were stir up those unto thankfulness to whom he writes because they had now attained to a better state The Spirit it self bearing witness with their spirits that they are the children of God The thing then is to know our selves to be the children of God there must be sound evidences here then are two set down whose Testimony we cannot deny I will touch them as briefly as I can and so will make an end First the witness of our spirit Secondly the witness of God's Spirit with our spirits These are two Evidences not single but compounded wherein you see there may be some work of our spirit But some may say our spirit is deceitful how then can our own spirit work in this manner to
testifie I answer In this place our Spirit is as it were an evidence of God from heaven as a loud token given assuring me upon good grounds that I have not mis-applyed the promises but though God do write bitter things against me yet that I love him still and cleave unto him that for all this I know that I still hunger and thirst after Righteousness that I will not be beaten off nor receive an ill report of my Lord and Saviour that I rest wait fear and trust in him still When thus our valour and faith is tryed then comes the same spirit and seals with our spirit that we are the children of God When our seal is first put then God seals with our spirit the same thing by his spirit To this effect is that in 1 Joh. 3.8 we read three Witnesses are set down the Spirit the Water aand the Blood and these three agree in one These three witness that we have everlasting life and that our names are written in heaven How do these three agree with these two Witnesses very well St. John he ranks them according to the order of their clearest evidence first the Spirit then the Water then the Blood the Apostle here he ranks them according to their natural being first our spirit in Justification and Sanctification and then God's spirit For the spirit of all other this is the clearest evidence and when this is bright and manifest there needs no more the thing is sealed So the Testimony of Water is a clear evidence whereby is meant Sanctification this is put next unto the Spirit for when the Spirit is silent yet this may speak for though I have many wants and imperfections in me yet if my spirit can testifie unto me that I have a desire to please God in all things that I resolve upon and set up his service as the pitch of all my utmost endeavours that with allowance I willingly cherish no corruption but set my self against all sin this Water will comfort and hold up a man from sinking as we see in all the sore tryals of Job Job 28.2 Still he stood upon the integrity of his own spirit and would not let that go though he were sore beaten of the Almighty and slandered for a wicked person But the water may be muddy and the strugling of the flesh and spirit so strong that we happily shall not be able to judge which is master What then Then faith lays hold of the blood in Justification which though it be the darkest testimony yet is as sure as any of the other Now in comparing of these witnesses together in St. John and in my text I rank the water and the blood with the testimony of our spirit And the Spirit mentioned in St. John and in my Text to be all one not as though we wrought them but we believe them to be so If a man ask how I know that I am sanctified the answer must be I believe and know it to be so the work producing these things in me comes of God but for the work of discerning this is certain how our affections stand in this case it comes of us but yet to come nearer the matter The testimony of our spirit I conceive to be when a man hath taken a survey of those excellent things belonging unto Justification and Sanctification when according to the substantial truths which I know in the Word I observe and follow as fast as I can what is there commanded when I take the Candle of the Word and with the bright burning lamp search into the Word what is there to be done and so bring it home to my self thereby mortifying my corruptions this is the ground-work of the witness of our Spirit First as in the blood with my spirit I must see what is needful to be done in order unto Justification what free promises of invitation belong thereunto I must see how God justifies a sinner what conditions on our part are required in Justification I must see what footings and grounds for life and what way of hope there is for a graceless man to be saved yea even for the worst person that may be In this case a man must not look for any thing in himself as a cause Christ must not be had by exchange but received as free gift as the Apostle speaks Rom. 4.16 Therefore it is of faith that it may be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed I must there bring unto the receiving of Christ a bare hand It must be of grace God for this cause will make us let fall every thing before we shall take hold of him Though qualified with humiliations I must let all fall not trusting unto it as to make me the worthier to receive Christ as some think When thus at first for my Justification I received Christ I must let any thing I have fall to lay hold of him that then he may find us thus naked as it were in our blood and in this sort God will take us that all may be of mere grace Another thing the Apostle adds and that is that the promise may be sure If any thing in us might be as a cause or help to our Justification a man should never be sure therefore it is all of grace that the promise might be sure As though God should say I care for nothing else bring me my Son and shew me him and then all is well And in this case you see he doth not name hope or love or any other grace but faith for the nature of faith is to let fall all things in laying hold on Christ In Justification faith is a sufferer only but in Sanctification it works and purgeth the whole man and so witnesses the certainty and truth of our Sanctification and so the assurance of Salvation Hence from the nature hereof in this work the Apostle in 2 Pet. 1.1 writes to them who had obtained like precious faith In this case it is alike to all in vertue in this work whatsoever the measure be And I may liken it thus St. Paul you know writes With these hands I get my living Now though strong hands may work more than weak hands and so earn a great deal more yet a beggar who holds out his hand may receive more than he or any other could earn So faith justifies only receiving not working as we may see Joh. 1.12 But to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his Name Received him that is believe in him How Come and take him How as it is in Rev. 22. And let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely Now when I see that God keeps open house come who will without denying entertainment to any and when God's spirit hath wrought the will in me what lets me now to receive
Christ Now when the spirit hath wrought this will in me and I come and take God at his word and believe in Christ laying hold by degrees on the other promises of life winding and wrapping my self in them as I am able it is faith But that perswasion only which many have that they shall go to heaven is not faith but rather a consequent hereof The promise is made unto those that believe in Christ For in him says the Apostle all the promises are yea and Amen If a man weep much and beg hard for the remission of sins he may weep and be without comfort unto the end of his life unless he have received Christ and applyed his vertues home unto his trembling soul. A man must first receive Christ and then he hath a warrant to interest himself in all the promises So that now this being done if such a man were asked hast thou a warrant to receive Christ Yes I have a warrant says the soul for he keeps open house unto all that come wellcoming all and I have a will to come this is a good and sufficient warrant for me to come if I have a will wrought in me and then if I do come this is the first thing to be observed in the witness of our Spirit Now if a man do stagger for all the King keeps open house so as he will not or does not come then in the second place comes Invitation because we are slow to believe therefore God invites us as in Matthew 11.28 Come unto me all ye that Labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Many object O I am not worthy to come but you see here is invitation to encourage me to come yea the sorer and heavier my load is I should come so much the rather So that in this case if the question should be asked of such a one friend how came you hither What warrant had you to be so bold Then he shews forth his ticket as if he should say Lord thou gavest me a word of comfort a warrant of thy invitation in obedience to thy word and faith in thy promise I come hither Now this invitation is directed to them who as yet have no goodness in them when then my Spirits warrants this much unto me that upon this word of promise and invitation I have come in for releif and ease of may miseries unto Christ Jesus the great Physician relying on him for cure and lying as it were at his feet for mercy this is the testimony of my Spirit that I do believe and a ground for me to rest on that now I am in the way of life and justified by his grace Thirdly sometimes Christ meets with a dull and slow heart lazy and careless in a manner what becomes of it not knowing or weighing the dangerous state it is in making excuses here Christ may justly leave us for is it not much that the King should invite us for our good as he did these in the Gospel who for refusing to come to his Supper were excluded from ever tasting thereof strangers being fetched in in their places God might so deal with us but you see in 2 Corinth 5.20 God sends as Embassage to entreat us erects as it were a new office for our sakes saith he Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead to be reconcile unto God This may seem to be needless we being weaker than he Ambassadours for the most part are sent unto those that are stronger The Apostle reasons the matter are we stronger than he do we provoke the Lord to anger But here we see and may admire his infinite rich goodness that he comes and sues to us to be reconciled as we see it is a kind of indignity for a great Monarch to sue for peace to them that are far below him and his inferiours This dishonour God is willing to put up at our hands and sues unto us first when it rather became us upon our knees to beg and sue first unto him The effect of the Embassy is that we would be friends with him and receive that which is so highly for our advancement when therefore I see that this quickens in my heart so that as S. James speaks of the engrafted word that is able to save our souls I can bring it home having some sweet relish and high estimation of it in my heart that it begins to be the square and rule of my life then I am safe If this or any of these fasten upon the soul and thereupon I yield and come in it is enough to shew that I am a justified person And from hence our spirit may witness and that truly this is a third thing in the witness of our spirit Fourthly if none of all this will do then comes a farther degree a command from the highest you shall do it as in 1 Joh. 3.23 And this is his commandment that we should believe on his Son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us commandment In the Parliament of Grace there is a Law of Faith which binds me as strictly to believe as to keep any of the commandments Says the Apostle Rom. 3. Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of works nay but by the Law of Faith So that if I will not believe on the Lord Jesus who eases me of the vigour of the Law and so is my righteousness I must perish for ever What may one object must I needs believe Yes thou art as strictly bound to believe as not to murder or not to be an Idolater not to steal or commit adultery nay I will add more that thy infidelty and contempt of that gracious offer thy disobedience to the Law of Faith is greater than thy breach and disobedience to the Law of Works when thou dost fling God's grace in his face again and as it were trample under foot the blood of the Covenant See for this John 16.9 What is that great sin which Christ came to reprove even this infidelity saith he because they believe not in me which in two respects is a great sin First because it is a sin against God's mercy Secondly because it is a chain which links and binds all sins together Thus our Faith is sure when it relies on the word otherwise all other thoughts are but presumption and will fail a man in the time of need for what is faith but my assent to believe every word of God he hath commanded me to believe and so endeavour the practice of it Fifthly if none of these prevail there comes threatning then God swears that such as refuse shall never enter into his rest If a Prince should sue unto a Beggars Daughter for marriage and she should refuse and contemn him do you think he would be well pleased So it is with us when the King of Heavens Son sends unto us Will you
is put unto the same For as the Wind bloweth where it listeth and no man discerneth the coming thereof So may the Spirit seal at divers times and upon divers occasions yea and why may it not seal in time of some great suffering for the truth as we read of the Apostles in 5 Acts 41. Who went away from the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Lastly for tryal we must now see how to distinguish this Testimony of the true Spirit from the counterfeit Illumination of the Anabaptists and some Fryars who will have strange suddain Joys the Devil no question then transforming himself into an Angel of light unto them This tryall therefore is made by three things going before and three things following after For the things that go before First see that the ground-work be true If a man be in the faith and do believe the word if upon believing and meditation there be an opening unto the knock of Christ at the first and not a delaying him like the lazy spouse in the Canticles if in this case the spirit come and fill the heart with joy then all is sure and well it comes with a promise for then Christ promised to enter but if a man have a dull dead delaying ear and therewith great fantastick Joys he may assure himself the right Spirit hath not wrought them they are but idle speculations but if this joy comes upon the surveying of our Charter and evidences it is sure we may build upon it Secondly A man must consider if he hath as yet overcome strong passions and tentations and passed thorough much hazard and peril for Christ having been buffeted with divers temptations of which he hath obtained mastery for the seal of Gods Spirit with our Spirit comes as reward of service done as you may see Revelat. 3.17 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it Whereby he means he will give a secret love token to the soul whereby it rests assured of the unspeakable love of God and freedom from condemnation Now what was this white stone The Athenians had a custome when Malefactors were accused and arraigned to have black and white stones by them and so according to the sentence given those condemned had a black and the acquitted had a white stone given them unto this the Holy Ghost here alludes that this stone this seal shall assure them of absolute acquittance from condemnation and so free them of the cause of fear Again he tells us Christ will give a man a new Name that is write his Absolution in fair letters in the white stone with a clear evidence As if he should say when Christ hath seen a man overcoming and how he hath conflicted with tentations and yet holds out pressing for the Crown unto the end of the race Christ will come in then and stroak him on the head easing him of all his pains and sores with such a sweet refreshing as is unspeakable When a man hath won it he shews he then shall wear it Thirdly if the Spirit seal after Meditation on the word it is right the Apostle says in whom after that ye believed ye were sealed c. Examine the root of this joy the Spirit gives no comfort but by the word If a man do meditate on the promises and thereupon have a flame of love kindled this is sure a man may say the word did stir it up if it be Gods Comfort God will have his word to make way unto it some there are who find no sweetness in the word what is the cause thereof Because they chew not the word to imprint it on their memories and in their heart If comfort come whilst a man meditating on the promises doth wedge it home upon his heart it is of God otherwise it is counterfeit and false These are the forerunners to this seal In the next place there are three things that follow after this sealing which the Spirit leaves behind it As First humility as in his knowledge so in his sense it makes a man more humble There is naturally in all a certain pride which must be overcome says the Apostle What hast thou that thou hast not Received But by the contrary the nearer a man comes unto the glory of God he finds so much the more rottenness in his bones as we see in Job I have heard of thee say he unto God by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee his inference is therefore I abhor my self and Repent in dust and ashes Secondly another thing the Spirit leaves behind it if it seals rightly is a prevention of security for time to come In this case we must look for a new encounter a false perswasion makes a man to fall into security because Satan is then most malicious and busy a man must stand faster then ever The Devil hates them most that are most endued with Gods Image whom because he cannot reach he persecutes in his members And therefore in this case it must be with us as it was with Elias 1 Kings 10.8 After such an enlightning a man must now think that he hath a great Journey to go and so walk on in the strength of that a long time The Devil we see watcheth a man and when he is at the best then endeavours to overcome him As we may see in Adam and Eve no sooner were they placed in that estate of Innocency but he tempts them how much more a man having a sweeter tast of the Spirit and less strength now may he look to be set upon And therefore in these feasting days he had need to be more on his watch and pray more for we have more given us then Adam had we have a new Name given us a secret Love token further we see Christ says Rev. 3. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will open unto me I will come in and sup with him and he with me Now in this case if we be such persons who let our hearts fly open to let him in we are safe as if he should say if you would be sure of reconciliation to be at peace with me sup with me and I will sup with you For we know if men who were enemies be once brought to keep company together and to eat and drink one with another we use to say all is done and wrapped up in the table cloath all old reckonings are taken away now they are certainly become friends But if like the spouse in the Canticles we let him stand knocking and will not let him in we also may have great and sound knocks and blows our selves before we find him again as we read it befel the Church there whom the Watchmen found beat and took away her veil as she was seeking