had and what he received by faith they that beleeve as he did may expect the selfe same mercy that he had Now the faithfull of God and sonnes of Abraham are here described two wayes I say every faithfull man that is the sonne of Abraham that imitateth the faith of Abraham is discovered two wayes First Negatively What will not suffice to make a man the sonne of Abraham Secondly Affirmatively What God specially looks for at the hands of those that are to be the children of Abraham First Negatively thus Abraham is the father of circumcision not onely to them who are of the circumcision that is not onely theirs who have the priviledges of the Jewes the Word and the Oracles of God Circumcision and the Passeover T is true Abraham is their father but not onely theirs that have no more but those priviledges but also theirs that walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham So that by Circumcision you must here understand all these prerogatives and priviledges which the Jewes had above any other Nation and consequently that none of all those priviledges then could that none of ours as to be in the Church to be baptized c. now can make a man to be the sonne of Abraham Abraham is the father of the circumcision not to them who are of the circumcision onely but he is the father of the circumcision if they have faith They that have bare circumcision onely may indeed applaud themselves therein but they shall never receive thereby those things God hath promised This is the Negative Secondly The Affirmative part sheweth who they be indeed that shall truly be partakers of the comforts and graces of Abraham namely those that walk in the footsteps of that faith of Abraham If a man beleeve as he did work as he did walk as he did so onely he may come to have title unto and interest in the promises God hath vouchsafed in his Word Thus much for the opening of the words Come we now in the first place to speak of the negative part in which the Spirit of God is pleased to exclude all outward priviledges and prerogatives and to say thus Abraham is the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision onely that is if they injoy onely outward priviledges they are not the children of Abraham The point we learn hence is thus much That all outward priviledges as the hearing of the Word the partaking of the Sacraments and the like are not able to make a man a sound Saint of God The point is clear in the Text That if a man had circumcision that is if he had all those preferments that God vouchsafeth to a people in the face and bosome of his Church this would not doe him any good at all he hath no title to the promises because of these if he rest in them Abraham is not the father of those that are circumcised onely So that I say again all outward priviledges are not able to make a man a true Saint of God Our Saviour Christ speaking of Capernaum saith And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven shalt be brought down to hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodome c. Mat. 11.23 Capernaum was lifted up to Heaven how In all those spirituall helpes and excellent meanes that God vouchsafed them above many others they were highly advanced in the enjoyment of heavenly priviledges they heard the Word of God and they saw the Miracles of Christ and yet Thou Capernaum shalt be deep in punishment thou wert lifted up to Heaven in regard of excellent priviledges but thou shalt be cast down to Hell in regard of thy impenitency and stubbornesse under them The Apostle Paul disputeth the point and makes the case clear Rom. 2.28 29. where he plucks away all these hopes and vain props which men raise to themselves from the having of outward priviledges He is not a Jew saith he that is one outwardly that is he is not therefore a true child of God and a faithfull man he hath not therefore saving faith because he is circumcised because he enjoyeth the liberties and priviledges of the people of God and liveth in the bosome of the Church but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumciston is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God You know that it was an ancient Proverb in Israel Is Saul also amongst the Prophets 1 Sam. 10.12 and 19.24 Yes Saul was amongst the Prophets and he that was once amongst the Prophets is now amongst the Devils in Hell Judas was highly promoted he lived as an Apostle amongst the Disciples heard out Saviour continually sate at table with him and yet for all this is now damned in hell for ever These were high priviledges and if these would have done the deed Judas had never perished Ishamel was circumcised and yet he was excommunicated out of Abrahams family the then Church of God and was a cast-away Instances are many in the Scriptures to this purpose but I list not to dwell longer upon the proofe of the point you see it is evident enough that bare priviledges be they never so high and excellent are not able to make one indeed a faithfull man before the Lord nor the sonne of Abraham I should have shewed the Reasons Alas outward matter 's never work upon the heart That which makes a man a Saint must work upon the soul Now the Word and the Sacraments barely considered cannot work upon the spirit unlesse the Lord work a new frame inwardly by the infusion of Grace Gal. 5.6 Circumcision and uncircumcision profiteth nothing but faith that worketh by love These outward things are too shallow to reach the inward man too weak to work so powerfully upon the soule of a Christian man as to bring the heart to God But I leave the strengthning of the point by Reasons and because I would not be prevented I come to the Uses The first Use I will hence raise is an Use of reproof This Doctrine confoundeth the carnall confidence of those Professors that living in the bosome of the Church place all their hopes and assurance of being saved upon this bottome because they have been baptized and come to Church and hear the Word and receive the Sacrament therefore of necessity they presume they must be accepted of God This was the old plea of the Jewes in Jeremies time When the Prophet came to them to reprove them for their sinnes and presse them to repentance they began to quarrell with him and to take up Bucklers against him and cried out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these These are the Fig-leaves wherewith poor and ignorant Christians think to hide themselves at this day Tell them of their saults bid them walk humbly and holily before God reprove them for their strange practises against God
title to the Lord Jesus and the promises of God revealed in the Church Let us try a few And first this falleth marvellous heavy upon and casteth out all ignorant persons that were never inlightned never quickned never had their mindes informed touching Christ and the promises Alas they know not what faith meaneth and what Christ meaneth and how can these walk in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham when they never saw the way of Abraham But let them goe my heart pittieth them I rather chuse to grapple with those that think themselves in a better estate and condition And the first of this rank are profane persons those that live and lie in sinne in Sabbath-breaking swearing drunkennesse adultery and the like The case of such is clear and evident These are so farre from treading in the steps of Abraham that they hate purity and holinesse and goodnesse And as for these if any such be here let them not be deceived but let me tell them out of Gods Word that as yet they have not faith as yet they are not the sonnes of Abraham What they may be I know not I leave them to the Lord and wish them a sight and apprehension of their own condition and that they may be brought out of that gall of bitternesse wherein they are but as yet I dare say they are not the sonnes of Abraham Whose sonnes are they then My brethren I am loth to speak it and I will not men will not beare these words from us but think that we goe beyond our commission for my own part my soule trembleth to think of them their case is so fearfull The Lord therefore shall speak and I will say nothing Look into John 8. The Scribes and Pharisees came to Christ and began to quarrell with him and to provoke him to say many things that they might catch him in his speech opposing our Saviour in the course of his ministry and labouring to suppresse his Doctrine mark how Christ reasoneth there I doe saith he the works of my Father Yee doe the deeds of your father But say they Abraham is our father and again We be not born of fornication we have one Father even God but mark our Saviours answer verse 44. Yee are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father yee will doe Thus Christ speakes to the Scribes and Pharisees great men of place and of great abilities You of your father Abraham No you are of your father the Devill My brethren I will not say it I beseech you be not offended it is the Lord that speaks and I would fain know that man that date contradict his Word the case is clear and the Lord will make it good upon his soule in another world His lusts saith Christ you doe What are those He is an accuser of the brethren so are these He crieth out against and opposeth the purity of Religion so doe these men exclaime against the nicenesse and precisenesse of Christians and blame those that are holy and sincere The Devill continued not in the truth no more doe these they are not governed by the truth they stoop not to it they yeeld not obedience to it The Divell is a lyer and speaketh not the truth so these men are contented to lie shamefully of their brethren to broach scandalous things of those that they know to be holy and sincere In a word the Devill is malicious and envious so are all these profane ones desperate unreasonable creatures that cast off Gods commands that neglect the Ordinances and wallow in the mire of their sins that hate the sinceritie and power of Relgion that envie and malign the true professors of godliness If the Devill himself were incarnate he could doe no more and surely if there were ever a child like the father these are like him I will say nothing the Lord himself speak to your consciences Yea but you will say It is true Christ knew who were the children of the Devill but can you discern them I say nothing but I can tell you how you may discern them A child of the Devill doth not go invisible but may be known and the Apostle tels you 1 Joh. 3.10 In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill Mark that Whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loveth not his brother I observe three things in this Text 1. That there are children of God and children of the devill 2. That a man may know them The Text saith so plainly they are not my own words Consult I beseech you with the place In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill 3. How a man shall know a child of the Devill He that worketh not righteousness and he that hateth his brother is of the devill Hee that worketh not righteousnesse that is he that is not willing and contented constantly to take up a Christian course to walk according to the rule of Gods word to abstain from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit to live in all holiness of life and conversation to studie and indeavour to keep a good conscience in all things both towards God and towards men and he that loveth not his brother That is he that hateth holiness where he sees it that hates a good man and one that is sincere whose colour riseth at such a one where ever he meets him who can brook a drunkard or a swearer or an adulterer but cannot endure a righteous man a holy man one that makes conscience of his waies If there be any such in this Congregation I desire to speak a word to them in the name of the Lord Let them consider that what I speak is not my own and I profesle that what I say is not out of passion or a desire to slander any but the desire of my soul is that they may come to the knowledge of the truth that they may be saved You therefore that are given to these sins and are walking in this way of death consider and bethinke your selves and say to your selves Oh Lord how neerly doth this I have heard this day concern me Alas I thought not of this before I am one that never was a worker of righteousness in all my life I am one that have hated the servants of God that have scorned and loathed the puritie of Religion and now the Lord hath said it Christ hath spoke it his word hath spoke it that I am the child of the Devill Alas it is too too manifest to my self that such a one I am and God knoweth it much more What shall I doe Now I pray thee go thy waies home break off thy sins by repentance and labour to make thy peace with God forthwith and of the son of the Devill to be the Son of God be mightie with God in prayer to make you his child And this is all I have to speak to these 2. Let me
spirits now in prison What spirits were these which once were disobedient when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah Those spirits and damned souls those damned Ghosts now in hell the spirits of wicked men now in hell what were they they were those that were disobedient in the dayes of Noah Noah a preacher of righteousnesse whose life was a continuall preaching who daily called upon them and was earnest with them to repent and there was much long-suffering and patience afforded them God waited long for their amendment yet those souls were then rebellious under such great meanes and they are now cooped up in Hell A man would thinke it strange when he shall read the storie of Cain that he notwithstanding God himself came from heaven to teach him should yet remain obstinate and stout-hearted and yet you know the storie Gen. 4. you see it was so Cain began to be dismaid and his countenance fell because God regarded not his sacrifice Well God came from heaven and takes Cain to taske Cain what meaneth all this stir Why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest ill sin lieth at the door and unto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule over him A man I say would thinke that one should be instructed when God himself teacheth yet notwithstanding after all this Instruction of God himself whith in reason would be thought as effectuall as could be Cain forsakes God and flyeth off from the commandement of God stoopeth not nor yeeldeth obedience thereunto This is that which the Prophet I saiah hath Chap. 26. 10. Let favour be shewed to the wicked yet he will not learn righteousnesse in the land of uprightnesse will he deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Though there be many helps afforded to him though he be planted in the Church of God where all things call and cry to him for amendment of life though the holinesse and mercy and goodnesse of God compasse him about though he have holy and religious neighbours about him though he have a good Minister in the Parish where he is yet he will not learn righteousnesse but will deal unjustly notwithstanding all the washing he will remain black still notwithstanding all the means that God vouchsafeth for his good yet he will be naught still One example you shall see of this in a passage of a Parable Mark 12. which makes good the Point in hand A certain man saith the Text planted a vineyard and set a hedge about it and digged a place for the wine fat and built a Tower here was much pains and a great deal of cost bestowed Well he let out this vineyard to husbandmen and went into a far countrey and at the season he sent to the husbandmen that he might receive of the fruit of the Vineyard Did he receive any fruit No they beat one and stoned another and killed another and all the messengers they sent away emptie At last he sent his son his welbeloved but they took him and killed him and cast him out of the Vineyard In a word The Vineyard is the Church of God and the Husbandmen were the Scribes and Pharisees they were those to whom God as it were had let out his Church He sendeth his messengers his servants the Prophets rising early and sending them his Apostles and Disciples to call for fruit for the fruits of holiness of faith and obedience but they abused his servants they made him no return of fruit but when he looked for grapes behold they brought forth wild grapes At last the Lord sent his Son the Lord Jesus Christ he came amongst them he that spake as never man did speak so that even all the world wondred at the gracious words which did proceed out of his mouth certainly saith God they will reverence my Son they will hear him they will be governed by his directions they will stoop at his command No they were then most outragious and malicious against him they all banded themselves together Come say they let us slay him they joyned heart and hand and all for his ruine I will not dwell longer upon the proof of it See it in nature The Physitian observeth it of the stomack that is naught that the best meat that a man giveth it the more cordials the better diet the worse are the humors that are bred by it Even so it is with a naughtie heart and it is an argument of a most wretched disposition when the best Physick the best Remedies the best diet as I may say that God can afford a man for his spirituall cure shall make the heart the worse And truly when the heart is naught it groweth stark naught under the best means No men are so bad as they that live where are the best helps for amendment The thing you see is evident in the proof of it we will a little further discover the nature of such men as live under the means and yet harden their necks and how that corruption that is in the heart doth discover it self most where the best means are And you shall see it made good in these two particulars That wicked men corrupt hearts are the worst under the best meanes though they have admonition after admonition though they are often reproved First of all The hearts of those men grow usually most rebellious against the Lord and against that truth that cometh with greatest power upon them either discoveriing sin to them or working effectually upon the soul and conscience The disposition of men usually that are naught is so that they manifest a marvailous fiercenesse of soul whereby they carry themselves violently against the blessed truth and Word of God and the more because it is the more powerfull we have a rule in reason that contraries when they meet the more violent one is the more the other will work against it as we may see it in fire and water So it is here the greater violence and Spirit and power the Word hath in any place the more violent the heart will shew it self in gainsaying the Ministry thereof The more home the Word cometh to the conscience and the more powerfully it is applied either in the convincing of sin or perswasion to holiness of life the greater risings and stirrings of heart there is against it You shall observe this in a passage of the story of the men of Sodom Gen. 19.9 When the cursed Sodomites came about the house and would have taken the Angels that came to Lot Lot he came out to them and spake very lovingly to them but because that which he said tended to crosse them in their wicked and unnaturall courses mark how they answered him Stand back say they This one fellow came in to sojourn and he will needs be a Judge now will we deal worse with thee than with them and they pressed sore
to the lure of a poor Minister to be at his beck and to stand at his command Alas my brethren doe you think we preach our selves Indeed in carnall reason if a Minister should come in his own name and lay upon you his own commands it were fitter for him to say nothing then to goe about such a work in regard of the great distance there is between the men of the world and him in outward respects But we come in the name of the Lord of heaven and it is his word that we preach and the Word of God is powerfull and will make the sturdiest heart to bow or break under it it is mighty in operation like a two-edged sword dividing asunder between the joints and the marrow searching even into the very thoughts of the heart Now because the heart of a naturall man is not able nor indeed willing to stoop to the authority and power of the word loth to be at the beck of Gods command such naturall pride and arrogancy of spirit there is in carnall men that in stead of submitting and yeelding thereunto they take up arms the more against it by how much the more powerfull the word it It is a pretty passage that we read of the Philistines when the Israelites brought the Ark into the field now the Ark was a Type of Jesus Christ mark the Philistines resolution when they heard of it Woe unto us for here hath not been such a thing heretofore Wo unto us who shall delive us out of the hands of these mighty Gods Be strong therefore and quit your selves like men O ye Philistines that you be not servants unto the Hebrews c. 1 Sam. 4. 8 9. So it is here when the word of God commeth with a certain kind of commanding power as it doth when it is delivered in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit if a man indeed preach under the hatches as I may say as he may easily doe and trouble no man he shall meet with no resistance but if a man bring the Ark into the field that is set up the power of Gods Ordinance labour to advance the Throne and Scepter of the Lord Christ in the hearts of men then mark to the end that men may not be brought into subjection to the Ordinances of God that they may not stoop and be brought under the yoke of Gods Commandment they joyn hand in hand and side one with another and fight for their liberties as it were counting it a matter of basnesse and pusillanimitie to be subject to the Word of God You have an example of this spirit that is in wicked men in Jer. 2.21 Wee are lords say they there wee will ceme no more at thee And it is observable in that place I named before Gen. 19.9 This fellow came to sojourn with us and shall he be a judge there lay the pith of the Argument and that which moved their wicked spirits against Lot if Lot had ruled them by his counsell then he should have been master over them therefore say they Shall he bee a judge I could tell you wofull experience that we finde of this Wicked men when they are gainsaid and when the word of God is with that Evidence and power of the Spirit discovered to them that it will either stoop them or work upon their galled hearts and consciences they are not able to bear it they cannot endure to be under the government of it therefore they will rebell against it and resolve what shall the Minister rule us Doth he thinke to bring us under his girdle to make us doe what he will and follow what course he will have us take Shall he be lord over us It is the same also with Magistrates and with private families Any means that God useth any admonition whatsoever findeth such entertainment as this with wicked and carnall hearts Let this suffice for a second Argument and reason why wicked men are so marvailous opposite against the word of God and the means of grace even then when it is most powerfull in gainsaying them and their corruptions because of the pride of heart that is in all naturall men whereby they are not able to stoop and submit to the yoke and rule thereof but though they are often admonished yet they harden their necks Wee will now come to the Use And to let all other Uses that might be made of this truth thus cleared and confirmed alone I will onely intimate two unto you What now can we gain from hence thinke you The case you see is evident and every man must subscribe to this as an everlasting truth That wicked men are the worse under the best means You have seen the manner of it and you have seen the grounds of it What gain can we get from this truth Briefly thus much First it is a Use of Examination And next a Use of Exhortation A man may hence clearly see his own soul as in a glasse and discern very plainly what kind of person he is what kinde of course he leadeth in what state and condition he standeth whether he be a gracious man or a gracelesse man whether a wicked man or one that God hath a part in yea or no. It concerneth us all my brethren very deeply to thinke of it Consider well therefore of what hath been said I would not have you conceive that all this that we have spoken is meerly to spend out the hour No my brethren you must labour to bring your souls to be under the power of the truths delivered And know this that whatsoever the Lord saith unto you out of his word he will require it of you when you come to give up your accounts at that day Every Sermon a man heareth he is thereby nearer either to heaven or hell either he is made better or worse by it All mens estates in this world are either holy or unholy either they are in a state of grace and salvation or in a state of sin and condemnation Hence therefore you may take a scantling of your conditions and plainly and clearly see how it is with you Whether you be of the number of those that have infallible Evidences of the work of Gods Spirit in the Ministerie of the word tending to holiness and sanctification or whether you be yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquitie Whether you be as you came into the world the children of wrath still or whether you be begotten again by the immortall seed of the Word to a lively hope and to an inheritance with the Saints in light Observe what the frame and temper of thy soul is and how it standeth affected to the word of God when it is revealed to thy conscience If the word prevail not over thee and over-power thee if thy heart submit not to the Scepter of the Lord Christ and yeeld to his commands certainly thou art not right in the sight of God Wee
say of good seed if it be very good it prospereth in all good grounds if it thrive not in one the ground we say is naught If the physick be good and it work not kindly upon the body the body we say is naught if it work not at all we reckon that body to be desperately ill and in a dangerous estate So it is here the Word of God is this seed it is this physick if when it is plainly and powerfully discovered in the evidence and declaration of the Spirit of God it work not upon us to the mortification and purging out of the corruption of nature if it take not root in the heart and grow there and spring up to everlasting life that heart is naught and as yet such a one is in a miserable condition and never yet had any true experience of the work of grace upon him never yet found any found and saving operation of the spirit in him so long as the Word of God in the ministry of it proves ineffectuall so long doth a man continue under the power of Satan and a slave to divers lusts If Christ in his Word get not the mastery of the heart certainly that heart is in the possession of the Devill It is a place of observable Rom. 8.7 The wisedome of the flesh by flesh there is meant the corruption of nature is enmity against God and saith the Text it is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can it be It is an undoubted argument of a corrupt and unregenerate heart of an ungracious and fleshly heart that is not nor cannot be subject to the power of the truth of God I doe not say but the power of the word in judgement may oftentimes awaken a man and terrifie the conscience and yet the man remain still in the state of nature and unconverted but I say it is an ill signe when the soule of a man is not able to stoop to that purity and holinesse and goodnesse that is revealed in the Word when a man cannot say with the Apostle The Law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good even then when it gainsayes him in his most dearest sinne and directly crosses him in his wicked courses My brethren God is holy and his Word is holy that heart therefore that opposeth the Word and stands out against it and refuseth to give entertainment to it must needs be an unholy heart where there is a likenesse and similitude there is an agreement it is impossible for the Word of God that is pure in it selfe to find any place in an impure heart he therefore that withstandeth the Word in the powerfull ministry thereof hath just cause not onely to suspect but to conclude of himselfe that he is yet farre from the kingdome of God and that there is as much difference between God and him as is between heaven and hell Mark for this end I beseech you a passage or two in the Scripture and suffer not your selves to be deluded by Satan and your deceitfull hearts Howsoever a man may make a tush of the truth of God now and think to plead a pretended hope of mercy whatsoever the Minister saith yet see what the Spirit of God concludeth of such men as withstand the power of the Word of God in the faithfull ministry thereof Observe therefore that place in 2 Tim. 3 8. It is the description of a naughty and wicked heart As Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses so doe these men What are these men Men of corrupt mindes and reprobate concerning the faith If there be a Jannes and Jambres resisting Moses standing out against the Word of God opposing the Ministers thereof who have hearts rising up against the truth of God when it is evidently and plainly revealed by his Messengers What are these in the judgement of God They are men of corrupt mindes and reprobate concerning the faith That is they have mindes not knowing hearts not approving the good Word of God and this is the just judgement of God upon them their mindes are so besotted and their hearts so hardned that they are fo farre from doing what God requireth that they desperately resist it and take up armes against it You have another passage of the Apostle to this purpose in Phil. 3. Many saith he are the enemies of the crosse of Christ but how shall we know them whose god is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things and what is the end of these men whose end is destruction It is a clear place suffer not Satan to blind your mindes my brethren if this be the truth of God as it is most true that it is so then certainly if any man find his heart guilty of these sinnes he must know himselfe to be in the state of damnation I appeal to any mans heart here present Is not the Word of God holy Is it not a gracious word Is it not a heavenly truth doubtlesse every heart will yeeld to it that it is a good Word of God There are none so senselesse I presume that dare openly professe that they care not for the Word of God and that there is not such holinesse and such goodnesse in it as is said to be in it I dare not think that there harboureth such a thought scarce in the heart of a man that liveth in the bosome of the Church It is true my brethren it is a holy and a good and a heavenly Word What then shall we think of that soule that opposeth this holy and gracious Word must we not conclude him to be an unholy and gracelesse man must not he that opposeth this heavenly Word of God be a hellish man Certainly it must be a marvailous profane and devillish heart that must goe against that heavenly truth whereby the soules of the Saints are converted and brought to heaven and made capable of the sight of the face of God who is holinesse it selfe Let men therefore be perswaded of this truth and take this Word home with you I doubt not but there be some in this Congregation that are yet in their naturall condition that are not subject to the Law of God that if you pursue them with the power of the Word they will turn back and resist it and gainsay it such swine as our Saviour speakes of that when Pearles are thrown before them will turn back and flie in the faces of those that dispence them and all to rend them Consider of it if thy heart therefore when the Word of God commeth directly and powerfully home to thee and laves hold upon thy conscience and telleth thee these and these sinnes thou hast committed such and such hypocrisies were in thy duties and performances such wayes of holinesse and precisenesse thou must walk in and such courses of sinne you must forsake if I say thy heart gainsay this truth and thou art carryed violently against the Word Alas poor soule think of it content
your hearts be a wed with it howsoever it is true you may gainsay the commands of the Word yet you shall never be able to flie the curse of the Word A Minister may speak from God to you and labour with God for you and all may be cast aside but the Word it self remaineth and will have its effect one way or other and that which you now reject shall have dominion over you Alas my brethren the Word we preach it is not our own it is the Word of God of the God of Heaven and know this that that which will not now be obeyed in the precepts of it will hereafter be found in the curse of it I would fain hear the sinner that now takes up arms against God and his truth that makes nothing of the Commands he hears and in effect sayes that he will not obey them I would faine have such a one consider what he will say at the fearfull day of Judgement Now God bids thee repent and beleeve and obey the Gospel and thou wilt not the Lord then shall say to thee depart from me into everlasting fire I would faine hear a sinner say Lord I will not goe down to hell and be in that pit for ever My brethren you are too weak to strive with the Lord his word may now be gainsaid but then the Lord shall say by this Word that thou hast disobeyed thou shalt be condemned and that Word shall send thee down to the pit when there will be found no resistance Therefore I beseech you be perswaded rather chuse the good that your soules may live and know who you have to deal withall it is the voyce of God that speakes to you that voyce that shook heaven and earth once and will doe it again Therefore let every soule be a wed at the mighty word of God that being framed according to the rules of it now you may be blessed for ever by it Fourthly and lastly Work thou when God works and move thou when God moveth There is a time when the Spirit of God moves upon the hearts of men in the hearing of the word when God leaveth some impression behind him at a Sermon that a man may say me thought this day I was almost perswaded the thought it was reason that the Minister spoke On work now when God works take that Word home with thee and go aside and lift up thy hands to heaven and beseech the Lord to blesse that good word now that the heart hath been stirred and in some measure perswaded now intreat the Lord buckle and bow they soul in perfect obedience to his Majestie Thinke well of this counsell my brethren There is never a wicked man in the world that slights the power of the word now but he shall be terrified under it and feel the power of it whether he will or no. If God therefore be pleased to stir up any thought in thee of this kinde doe not put it out of thy heart by going about other businesse or into wicked company no take home that stroke of God make it worke more effectually upon thee converse with that word every night and labour to bring thy heart to be affected with it still more and more This is the next way to be sure to work when God works The Devill stealeth terror out of the hearts of men it should be our course therefore that what ever powerfull work God works in any of us in any measure that thou art almost a Christian as Agrippa make one step further joyn with God go home and intreat the Lord to set it deeper upon thy soul that thou mayest not onely be almost good but altogether good and be ever constant in this course FINIS Courteous Reader These Books following are printed and are to be sold by Francis Eglesfield at his Shop at the Marigold in Pauls Churchyard EXcellent Instructions for the keeping of Merchants Books and Accounts by way of Debitor and Creditor after the Italian manner by John Carpenter Gent. in Folio Aelians Tacticks or the Art of Imbattelling an Armie in folio Animadversions of War by Robert Ward Gentleman and Commander in Folio The Works of John Taylor the Water-poet collected into one Volume in Folio Heywood of Angels in folio Parcus on the Revelation in English in folio Goulston in Rhetoricam Aristotelis gr lat in quarto The Works of that famous Mathematician Edmund Gunter sometime Professor of Astronomie in Gressam Colledge London in Quarto The Works of Sir Richard Baker Viz Meditations and Disquisitions on the Lords Prayer in 4to On the First Psalm in 4to On the seven Penitentiall Psalms in 4to On the seven Consolatorie Psalms in 4to His Cato Variegatus or Cato's Morall Disticks translated into English Verse 4to On the Creed in 12. Motives for prayer upon the seven dayes of the Week in 12. The Soliloquie of the Soul in 12. An Apologie for Lay-mens writing in 12. Decimall Arithmetick or the use of Napiers bones by William Barton in 8to Butlers Historie of Bees in 4to The Seamans Secrets with the Tables new calculated very usefull for young Seamen in 4to Commentaries on the first Psalm by Phinehas Fletcher in 4to The Purple Island being Poeticall Miscelanies in 4to Joy in tribulation or Consolations for afflicted Consciences The Golden Scepter with the Churches marriage and the Churches carriage in three Treatises by that learned Divine Dr. Preston in 4to His five Sermons upon severall occasions preached at Court The needles Excellencie or a Book of Cut-works in 4to Light from Heaven by Dr. Sibbs in 4to Lydias Conversion or the Riches of Mercie by Dr. Sibbs in 12. The whole Works of that Eloquent Divine Thomas Playfer D. D. collected into one Volume 8to The Handmaid to Arithmetick refined by Nicholas Hunt 8to The Art of Dialling by John Foster in 4to An Introduction to the right receiving of the Sacrament by W. Pemble in 12. I he burthen and unburthening of a loaden conscience in 12. Spirituall food and Physick being a large Catechisme by John Mico in 8to Nichols Catechisme in 8to Corpus Christi together with the demonstration of Antichrist in 12. The Historie of Heliodorus in ten Books turned into English by W. Lisle in Quarto Aesops Fables in Prose and Verse grammatically translated illustrated with Pictures together with the Historie of his Life in 12. Divine Emblems and Hieroglyphicks by Francis Quarles in 8to The usefulnesse and excellency of Christ by C. Jelinger in 8to The Office and Dutie of Constables Churchwardens and other Officers excellently set forth by Nicholas Layer Counsellor A Collection of Speeches by Sir Edward Deering in 4o. A Discourse of proper Sacrifice by Sir Edward Deering in 4o. Posselii Syntaxis 8o. Greek Gods's Summons to a generall repentance by Adam Harsuet in 12o. Juelli Apologia in 8o. Greek and Latine Divers Sermons upon severall occasions by John Bond Master of the Savoy in 4º The Doctrine of the Bible in 8o. Gospel
shot in the spirit and soul of Christ To be brief this you must know whatsoever beleevers should have suffered for their sins whether it be in the losse of the sense of Gods love or in the sensible feeling of the wrath and divine displeasure of Almightie God all that Christ suffered so far as can be suffered without sin and without the guilt of a defiled conscience Now to all this did Christ give up himself for beleevers to the end that beleevers who have lost the love of God might have it Christ gave up himself in regard of sense for a while to lose all sense of Gods love to the end that beleevers might not feel the insupportable burthen of the infinite wrath of God Christ took it upon him and endured it and all this Christ did willingly and freely and of his own accord therefore the Phrase in the Text is Emphaticall Who gave himself and Christ saith of himself I lay down my life Beleevers did with full consent sin Christ must with full consent suffer or else Christ could not deliver beleevers from the wrath of God This appeareth because that Christ when hee knew that Judas should betray him he goeth to that place where he was wont and knew that Judas would come there After that Judas and the Souldiers come out of seek Christ Christ cometh and offereth himself Whom is it that you seek saith he We seek Jesus of Nazareth I am he saith he he offereth and declareth himself to them putteth himself into their hands and whereas he makes them to let all his Disciples scape yet he suffereth them to take himself Could Christ make them let the Disciples go and could hee not have made them let himself go Again our Saviour did but speak and they went backward and fell to the ground he that could throw them down backward could be not have killed them with his word if he pleased Again when Peter drew out his sword and went about to defend him Peter saith he put up thy sword I can pray to my Father and hee shall presently give me more then twelve Legions of Angels One Angel in one night slew in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand men and what then could twelve Legions of Angels have done This Christ could have had for a word speaking to his Father but he did freely and willingly give up himself to all these torments for beleevers and he did not onely suffer them as a man but as a God For as I told you in his obedience so I tell you in his passion you must not sever the Divinitie of Christ from his humanitie For howsoever the Godhead could not suffer yet notwithstanding the Godhead did these things it was the nature of Christ that suffered Whatsoever a man doth with any part of himself though it be with his bodie the whole man is said to doe it because all actions are attributed to the person it was that nature that subsisted in the Divine Person that endured all these things therefore it is said that God shed his bloud Again the Godhead did withdraw it self and so had a hand in the passion of Christ the Godhead did withdraw it self from the revelation and manifestation of it self to Christ Again the Godhead did suffer it self to be eclipsed to be vail'd to be obscured and so may have a hand in suffering Again the Godhead of Christ did support the humane nature to bear the other wayes insupportable wrath of God But in all these respects the Lord Christ as God as well as man gave up himself to this for beleevers Hence is that Emphaticall speech Zach. 13.7 Awake O sword against my Shepherd and against the man that is my fellow Observe that speech Awake O sword here God speaks to his wrath to his divine vengeance to fall upon the man that is his fellow Christ as Gods fellow did suffer the wrath of God now Christ is not Gods fellow but as Christ is God Christ as Gods fellow suffered the wrath of God therefore Christ as God gave himself up even to suffer for beleevers And observe the Phrase Awake O sword against the man that is my fellow the very justice of God could not tel how to lay stroaks upon this Son of God til God bid it it stood as it were in amazement for to strike the man that was Gods own fellow What for God to strike his fellow that man that was God how could justice doe this Nay justice could not till God bad it Awake O sword Thus you have seen the Doctrine opened to you what the things are to which the Lord Christ freely disposeth and bequeatheth himself for beleevers To Incarnation he that was God became man To the obedience of the Law he that was the Law-giver became the Law-keeper To suffering both in body and in soul both the wrath of man and the wrath of God This is the meaning of these words Hee gave himself for us Now as briefly as I can to make some Use of the Point and so to passe on to somewhat else First of all this Doctrine serveth to shew us the wonderfull love of Christ to beleevers Can there be greater love then for a man to give himself to one We count it the greatest love that can be between creatures that of the man to the wife and the wife to the man and why so because there is a giving themselves one to another which no creature else doth This Christ hath done he hath given himself to beleevers and he cannot shew greater love because he cannot do a greater thing and yet behold a greater than this he hath not only given himself to them but for them and that is a little more You may conceive it by a similitude If a man give himself to a woman to become her husband there is a great-matter in that but if the man shall give himself for the woman when shee is to die to die for her that is more he that giveth himself to her doth yet injoy himself but he that giveth himself for her doth lose himself he that giveth himself to men hath himself but hee that giveth himself for men hath given away himself Oh this this is the love of Christ to all beleevers He hath given himself for us he that was God made himself of no reputation made himself nothing for so the word is in the Originall he that was above the Law he hath put himself under the Law he that was a Soveraign is become a Subject he that was the God of life is become a man under the power of death he that was the Judge standeth as the person guiltie and suffereth the judgement Here is his love you that are beleevers to the end that you might enjoy Gods favour he hath given himself to lose Gods favour for the sense of it to the end that you might never go to hell he hath suffered himself to endure the uttermost
thee that art a beleever Exod. 14 13. Moses said to the people Fear not stand still see the salvation of the Lord which he will shew you this day What is that For the Egyptians whom you have seen to day you shall see them again no more for ever This was typicall this was a type of Christs redeeming thee that art a beleever from all iniquitie I say therefore to thee stand still and fear not be not afraid of any thing art thou invirond round about with iniquities as they were with the Egyptians fear not stand still be but patient a little soon shall â—he time come wherein thou shalt see the salvation of the Lord for thine Iniquities whom thou now seest thou shalt fee them again no more for ever This is the very end of Christs dying therefore this end shall be made good Oh let us rejoyce together in the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ How would it glad our soul if we were vassalized to the Turk or slaves to the Moors to be redeemed from that vassalage and slaverie If we were to be imprisoned but all our life time for a debt which we could never pay how would it rejoyce our soul if a friend should come and pay our ransome and discharge our debt and set us free Behold here my brethren a greater redemption wrought for thee by Christ thou art redeemed from under all iniquitie not with a temporarie redemption thou mayest be redeemed in thy body from a slave and taken captive again the next yeer thou mayest be redeemed out of prison for debt and brought in again soon after but the redemption thou hast by Christ it is an eternall redemption as it is called Heb. 9.12 an universall redemption it is from all iniquitie and it is for ever Here is the first Use Admirable consolation to all beleevers you that are not sensible of this comfort are not beleevers Christ hath given himself for this end to redeem us from all iniquitie therefore assuredly his end shall be effected all beleevers shall be freed from all iniquitie The Second Use is for Exhortation Is this the end why Christ gave himself to redeem us from all iniquitie then let us that are beleevers be exhorted to these two things First of all let us be afraid of coming under any Iniquitie The Lord Christ did so much desire our redemption from all iniquitie That he gave himself for that end Oh then let us bee afraid of being again brought under the power of any iniquitie Hath Christ so much desired our freedome from Iniquitie as that he gave himself for that end and shall not we have a care that Christ may have his desire in keeping our selves free from iniquitie Suppose a Father had been content to redeem his son out of prison wherein he was perpetually to lie for debt to sell all that he had and to strip himself of all his estate to set his son free should we not cry out of that son that should after that he was redeemed so costly by his father again turn Prodigall It is as grosse a thing my brethren for us that are redeemed by Christ with so costly a Redemption as is even the giving of himself to rush again under the power of that iniquitie from which to redeem us Christ hath given himself Suppose a father should so love a son as that for the curing and freeing of him from a disease he should shed his own hearts bloud should we not judge it abhominable for that son presently to run again into the infection of the same disease when as his father with so much love and cost even his own life had procured his freedome from the disease I beseech you consider it the Lord Jesus Christ hath therefore given himself to be a man to obey the Law to suffer the wrath of God and to die that we might be redeemed from iniquitie Oh therefore let us ever be fearful of coming under iniquitie any more let us not suffer our selves to be defiled with that sin from which to deliver us Christ hath given himself Certainly if any argument in the world would perswade people not to given way to sin but to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously in this present world this will doe it When therefore thou art tempted to commit a sin reason thus with thy self Now that I am tempted to sin here is presented to me pleasure or honour or profit or escape from trouble and if I will commit the sin I shall attain many of these but let me remember that to the end I might bee brought out of sin Christ gave himself Is not Christ more worth than profit more worth than pleasure of more worth then my life why then to save my self from danger or to gain profit or pleasure or honours should I rush into a sinne out of which Christ to pluck me hath given himself Consider of it for this I assure you that there are none whom Christ hath redeemed from Iniquitie but he doth put into them such a spirit that they shall for ever after bee carefull to keep themselves from iniquitie The Lord Christ would not bee at so great cost to give himself for an end that should be frustrate he hath bought our redemption with the price of himself therefore he will make it sure that it shall be effected If therefore you find your hearts bold to run into any sin and ready to put your selves into all iniquitie you are not those that are redeemed by Christ Consider for the proof of this these places James 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world Observe it where there is a true Religion there men keep themselves from the spots of the world And you shall finde this also excellently and plainly laid down in 1 John 3. from the 6. verse to the 11. Whosoever abideth in him that is in Christ sinneth not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him Little children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousnesse is righteous but in v. 8. He that committeth sin is of the devill Observe these Phrases of the Scripture And in v. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and be cannot sin because he is born of God And in v. 10. In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God In few words here is a plain tryall who are Gods and who are the Devils children whoever sinneth whoever doth not righteousnesse is of the Devill is not of God Take notice of it I beseech you they are the very words of the Spirit of God And to this you may adde that in the fifth Chapter of the same Epistle of John v. 18. We know that whosoever is born of
you doe not finde your hearts loving Christ above all things if you cannot say of Christ as the Church in the Canticles Oh thou whom my soul loveth if you cannot say that Christ hath more room in your affection that there is more inlargement of heart toward him then to any thing else in the world then you are not yet in the number of them for whom Christ gave himself to redeem them from all iniquitie Therefore I beseech you quicken up your hearts towards Christ Why doth Iniquitie so abound now and the love of so many waxe cold Surely you have forgotten your selves have not you forgotten what Christ hath done how else could your affections be so little so cold towards him Remember what I have opened now unto you Christ gave himself to be a man to obey the Law to suffer the wrath of God and man and that for this end to redeem you from all iniquitie therefore love you the Lord Jesus according as he doth deserve And thus much shall serve for the first end Why Christ gave himself for beleevers That end which concerns beleevers themselves Viz. That he might redeem them from all iniquitie The Second remaineth and that is that which concernes himself But so much for this Time â‚ THE BLESSED INHABITANT OR The BENEFIT of CHRISTS BEING In BELEEVERS By that Reverend Divine THOMAS HOOKER Late Preacher in New England EPHES. 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith LONDON Printed by G. D. for Francis Eglesfield and are to be sold at the Sign of the Marigold In Pauls Church-yard 1651. The Blessed Inhabitant OR The Benefit of Christs being in Beleevers SERMON II. ROM 8.10 If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse THe Apostle Saint Paul having in the first verse of this present Chapter in the very first words of the Verse set down the blessed Priviledges of all true beleevers such as are regenerated and are in Christ he doth afterwards in many Verses lay down the Signs and Tryals whereby he doth discover who they bee that are in that blessed condition and who they bee that are not And amongst others not to stand upon the Coherence it not being necessary for the understanding of this Verse he doth in the words of the Text lay down certain cleer Signs and Tryals whereby people may know whether they are regenerated by Christ and so justified yea or no And that is the Scope and Sum of this Verse If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse In the Verse then you have these two things considerable First the state and condition of all justified persons Christ is in them in the first words If Christ be in you Secondly the Signs and Evidences whereby it may bee known whether Christ be in people yea or no in the rest of the Verse the bodie is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse I begin with the First The state and condition of all persons that are justified They have Christ in them If Christ be in you saith the Apostle supposing thus much That the Lord Christ is in every justified person in every one that is exempted from condemnation The Point is clear and evident in the words of the Text If Christ be in you The like to this you have John 14.20 I am in my Father saith our Saviour to his Disciples and you in me and I in you They are in him and he in them The like also you have John 17.21 23. There our Saviour prayeth That they may be one in us I in them and thou in mee that they may bee made perfect in one Mark I in them and thou in me Look as God the Father is in Christ so the Lord Christ also is in every beleever To this purpose also is that of the Apostle Col. 1.27 The riches of the glory of this mysterie is Christ in you the hope of glory CHRIST IN YOU You see the Point is clear Christ is in every justified person For the further understanding hereof I will let you know in a word or two for I purpose but to touch it how the Lord Jesus Christ is in all justified persons First he is in them as the Housholder or Master of the Family is in his house Therefore the Apostle saith Eph. 3.17 That he doth dwell in our hearts Look as the Master of the Family dwelleth in his house ruling commanding and ordering all things there even so is Christ in them that are justified persons Again he is in them as the food that we receive is in our stomacks Therefore he is often in the Scripture compared to meat and drink because as meat and drink are in us after we have eaten and drunken so is the Lord Jesus Christ also in all them that are justified for their refreshing nourishing and strengthning and preservation of life in them Last of all He is in them as a mans life is in him I live not saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 but Christ liveth in me Christ is in the soul of a poor sinner that beleeveth as our naturall life is in our bodies as our life doth act and move us being the principle of all those motions that are in us even so is Christ also in all justified persons But you will ask In what respect is it that the Lord Christ is said to be in justified persons I answer Amongst others Christ is said to be in them in these two respects First Because his Spirit is in them By his Spirit I do not mean his humane spirit his soul as he is a man that is proper to himself as every mans soul is but by his Spirit I mean the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost the third Person in Trinitie which is the Spirit of Christ both as he is the second Person in Trinitie so the Holy Ghost proceedeth from him together with the Father and also as he is the Mediatour of his Church so it is his Spirit because he hath merited and as it were purchased it to imploy it and to send it about for the effecting of the salvation of the Elect. Now the Lord Christ is in beleevers by vertue of his spirit because his spirit is in them This the verse before the Text and the verse after plainly prove where the Apostle maketh mention of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in the faithful If the Spirit of God dwell in you v. 9. And If the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you Verse 11. This is the first Reason why Christ is said to be in justified persons his Spirit is in them Another is Because the vertue efficacie life and operation of Christ is in them as the tree or the root may be said to be in the branches because the life and sap of the tree is put forth in the branches So
my brethren is Christ said to be in the soul of every beleever because the vertue and influence of Christ is working in them as truly as it is in himself onely differing in regard of degrees and perfection Now for the fuller illustration of the Point give me leave in the last place to shew you the means whereby Christ is in all them that are justified They are these two First the grace of Faith For this in-being of Christ in all justified persons is the consequent of their union with him Now by faith they are joyned to Christ and Christ being joyned to them and they to him Christ is in them as well as they in him Therefore in that forenamed place Eph. 3.17 Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by faith Another means is The abiding of Christs word in us John 15.7 If ye abide in me and my words abide in you In the fourth Verse our Saviour had said thus Abide in me and I in you now repeating that again he somewhat altereth it and saith If ye abide in me and my words abide in you I conceive the ground of the alteration is onely this because the abiding of Christs word in people is a means whereby Christ doth abide in them By the words of Christ I take it is meant the Gospel of Christ with all the commandments instructions and promises that are contained in it Now when this Word of Christ doth abide in people which it doth when understood remembred practised and observed by this means Christ is said and made to abide in them The words of Christ are as so many plants which he doth ingraft into a poor soul as we doe ingraft Cions into a stock Therefore the Apostle calls it the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls Jam 1.21 Now look as the stock cometh to have the nature and to bear the fruit of the Cion by having the Cion implanted and ingrafted into it even so by ingrafting the word of Christ into us we come to have the sap and life of the Spirit of Christ and consequently Christ himself to abide in us For the further understanding of the Point you must in the last place know That however the Lord Christ is in all justified persons yet he is not wholly and compleatly in them not so as to exclude sin and Satan out of them Christ is in them and sin and Satan are in them also so that Christs dwelling in them is but imperfect yet notwithstanding it is perfecting and in the end shall be consummate and then Christ shall onely be in them and sin and Satan altogether shut out This serveth my brethren to teach us all which is the readiest and surest way to become justified persons and partakers of Christ and all his priviledges to wit to get Christ to be in us In vain dost thou hope for any Christian priviledge in vain dost thou indeavour after any thing that is necessary to salvation if by faith Christ is not brought to be in thee People doe oft trouble themselves many waies but most are ignorant or negligent of this way whereas our hope of happinesse of the forgivenesse of our sins our labours and endeavours after heaven are all in vain if we doe not labour by beleeving to get the Lord Jesus Christ to be in us Many conceit that Christ will be for them but he will be for none but for them in whom he is I mean not now to dispute whether Christ be for us or in us first but this is sure he will be for none but such as he is in also Therefore saith the Apostle Col. 1.27 Christ in you the hope of glory The Connexion is to be observed Christ the hope of glory but Christ in you implying that as we must have no hope but Christ and therefore Christ is called our hope so we can never have Christ to be our hope if we have not Christ to be in us Learn this therefore I say above all things to labour to be joyned to Christ by a lively faith that so you may come to have him in you and then he shall be for you and never till then Thus much for the first thing The condition of all such as are justified They have Christ in them Now for the second which is the main thing the Apostle aimeth at the Evidences or Signs whereby it may be known who have Christ in them Yee have them in the next words The body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse Give me leave first to open the words unto you By Sin you know is meant the transgression of Gods law the going beside the rule of Gods Commandment either in neglecting what is enjoyned or in doing what is prohibited this is sin By Righteousness also must be meant the contrary to this For howsoever righteousness is sometime in the Scripture taken strictly for the observation of those duties that concern men which the second Table injoyneth yet sometime it is taken largely for the observation of the whole Law of God and all duties concerning God and us and thus it is usually taken when as it is not joyned with something else that doth restrain it Here it is opposed to sin and therefore as by sin is meant the going beside the Commandment of God so by righteousnesse is meant the observation or doing of the Commandment of God Thus you see what is meant by sin and what by righteousnesse But it is more difficult to know what is meant by the bodie and what by the Spirit The bodie is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse I take it here by the bodie is meant the bodie of corruption the bodie of sin that same Original corruption that is in all of us by nature It cannot be understood of the natural body because of the opposition to spirit for by the spirit here cannot be understood our soul or our spirit for it cannot be said that any mans spirit or soul is life to righteousnesse it may be said that it is enlivened to righteousness but it cannot be said to be life to righteousnesse therefore seeeing by the spirit the soul of a man cannot be meant I thinke it is clear that by the the body the bodie of man cannot be meant But by the body I conceive as I said is meant the body of sin for so Saint Paul calleth it Rom. 6.6 That the bodie of sin might be destroyed Now this Originall corruption is called a bodie in these respects 1. Because that it commeth to us by propagation from the parents of our bodies 2. To expresse the baseness of it for our bodies are but base and vile as Saint Paul calleth them Phil. 3.21 3. To expresse the fadingness of it for that is our comfort as our naturall bodies are mortall so the body of sin originall corruption is also mortall to all the Saints Therefore it is called flesh
hearken to any perswasions to the contrary though they be backed with never so many shews of Religion or learning But a question here may be demanded shall not a man be willing to heare better counsell happily then his own Must he heare nothing at all against such an opinion or practise as he conceives to be grounded upon divine truth and which he hath been taught by those teachers he hath depended upon Who knoweth not that a man may easily be deceived and mistake the sense of Gods Spirit in the word so as to imbrace errour instead of truth My brethren by the cunning subtilty of the enemy this conceit hath crept into the mind of all Heretiques that look what they once drink in they must ever retain it as a principle and never think of removing or unsetling from it This is an hook whereby the Devill holdeth multitudes of men in falsehood and errour and in wicked courses They will heare nothing against that which formerly they have imbraced and been perswaded unto by those they depend upon This policie the Devill useth in Popery and amongst the Familists and Anabaptists teaching them to resolve to hold whatsoever they have received either from themselves or others And here I say it is sinfull for a man to resolve to heare no counsell at all against his opinion But neverthelesse this I say When a man is perswaded that the opinion or course he takes up is such as God himselfe hath been pleased to make known unto him out of his Word he is to receive nothing against this but meerly out of the Word let nothing unsettle our judgement in a plain and revealed truth but onely hold to that As I have been settled by the truth so if ever I change my opinion the truth is that which shall reform me all the counsell I take up and all the opinions I hold shall be such as the Word of God shall reveal to mee And because my minde may be weak and my understanding frail and not able to see the sense of the spirit therefore I will hear nothing against a good course but onely out of the Word If my opinion and my course be such as I am perswaded is the truth revealed out of the word howsoever I may be deluded yet this I will attribute to the Word of God no opinion no authoritie of any other shall carry the truth from me but the word shall reform me as the word hath perswadad me and as the word hath revealed to me This you shall observe to be the counsell of God in severall places of Scripture Mark what the Apostle saith to the Philippians Phil. 1.27 he desireth this at their hands that they would stand fast in one spirit with one minde in the truth revealed and to the Colossians Col. 1.23 Continue saith he in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you have heard and which was preached unto you As if he should say If you have received that satisfaction from the word of God that you are convinced that it is the word of God and that the course you take is grounded upon it be not moved but stand fast in that truth received This is the second thing The third and last thing which concerneth the manner of our hearkning to the voice of Christ is this When thus the soul is perswaded of the will of God revealed and when the heart setleth it self upon it and hears nothing against the good pleasure of the Lord thus manifested then in the last place the soul must yeeld obedience therunto not alone in doing the thing God commandeth but in doing the will of God in so doing Mark not alone I say performing what God requireth of us but to be carried to the performance of the dutie meerly because God requireth it For these you must observe are two distinct things and of great difference A man may doe the thing which God commandeth and yet notwithstanding never doe Gods will but his own Many a man cometh to Church and there hears and understands and remembers and doth the things that God would have him doe and yet in the mean time doth not at all the will of God for he doth not therefore go to Church because God requireth it but partly either because custome or shame or the Law or somewhat else forceth him to it Here therefore is the main pitch of our obedience not alone to perform what is the good pleasure of God but to let the will of God be the first mover of our souls in the discharging of that service he calleth for at our hands to doe what we doe because it is the will of God we should doe it to perform what he requires in obedience to him because he requires it Our Saviour Christ putteth these together in his prayer to his Father Luke 22.42 If thou be willing saith he remove this Cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done He saith not that he will do the thing that God requireth but he will doe the will of God in it the will of God should be the carrier and mover of him to take upon him the great work of redemption So should it be with us in every thing we doe It is not my will that moveth me but the will of God it is not my pleasure that provokes me to this service but the pleasure of God This is the third thing requisite in our manner of hearkning to the voice of Christ And this may be sufficient for the explication of the point Onely let me adde one thing more Hence it followeth clearly That he that doth the will of God because God requireth it will obey all the good pleasure of the Lord Hee will obey him in every thing as well as in one thing in the hardest command as well as in that which is more easie in that which most crosseth his nature as well as in that which is more suteable thereunto This indeed is that which makes a Christian constant in his walking with God notwithstanding all those difficulties and discouragements he meets withall when as others are fain to baulk many things which are required of them to perform For my brethren if a man onely take up the practise of such matters in Religion as sute with his own humour or ease or profit or the like when those fail his performance of the 〈◊〉 faileth also if there be no other motive to carrie him along in the service of God but these outward and carnall considerations when they are gone his service of God is gone also And therefore we find by experience that many men can be content to give us the hearing they will come to Church and attend to the word of God but they will take up no more they will be tyed to the performance of no dutie further then it standeth with their own occasions and suteth with their own sinfull dispositions But
now hee that is carried along in all his services by the will of God if that be the principall mover of him in all his performances then when ever that will is revealed let it bee what it will bee let it crosse him never so much or be never so contrary to his disposition yet he is the same in every thing that he is in one thing This is that which is said Acts 3.22 For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me him shall you hear in all things whatsoever hee shall say unto you Mark him shall you hear in all things that is Whatsoever he shall make known unto you to bee the will of God to that you shall yeeld obedience And this is a necessary consequent of the former For if the will of God be the first mover of the soul to every performance then being at any time revealed it casteth the ballance and commands the soul willingly to yeeld to what God requireth in every thing Thus much shall serve for the clearing of the Point The substance of all that I have said is thus much namely That the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ must be so alone hearkned to and obeyed that first of all we must seek to him and depend onely and wholly upon him for direction Secondly that we must settle our hearts and judgements upon that truth that is by him revealed unto us And lastly that wee must be moved to the performance of every dutie because God requires it and consequently that our obedience bee universall that we hear him in all things Now a Question may be here propounded How shall a man hear the voice of Christ Indeed happily may a carnall man say if the Lord Christ would reveal himself to us immediately and his word were made known to us by himself we would presently yeeld obedience thereunto without any contradiction How shall a man therefore know when the voice of Christ is made known I answer briefly the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ is made known to us two waies First the word of God in the Scripture ever hath the voice of Christ in it Whatsoever the word speaks the Lord himself speaks The Apostle Rom. 3.2 saith that unto the Jewes were committed the Oracles of God What were those Oracles of God Nothing but the Scriptures So that this everlasting truth this word of God rightly understood and truly conceived alwaies carrieth the voice of Jesus Christ with it And therefore Saint Peter speaking of the Scriptures in generall 2 Pet. 1.21 saith that those holy men of God that were the Penmen thereof spake as they were moved or inspired by the Holy Ghost thereby intimating unto us that the Scriptures are the very inspirations of God the very breath as one may say of the the Holy Ghost So that look whatsoever it is that the Scriptures make known to us God from heaven hath spoken it even as truly and as really as though he had spoken it immediately What the word saith God himself saith Secondly Whatsoever any faithfull Minister shall speak out of the Word that is also the voice of Christ The Texts are many that are to this purpose Give me leave to touch but one or two of them 2 Cor. 1â— 3 Ye seek a proof saith the Apostle of Christ speaking in me which to you-wards is not weak but is mightie in you Implying that whatsoever is spoken out of the word of God what truth soever is delivered to us by the mouth of his Ministers agreeable to the word Christ himself speaks in them Therefore our Saviour is plain Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me That which the Ministers of God speak the God of Heaven himselfe speakes and they that despise their ministry the God of Heaven will require it even as if he himselfe should speak from Heaven and men should reject his words The Apostle Peter saith that the Lord Jesus by the power of his Spirit went and preached in the time of Noah to the Spirits that are now in Hell 1 Pet. 3.29 to those people that were disobedient before the floud to whom Noah preached partly by his practise and partly by his directions Christ himselfe spake even by that Spirit whereby he quickneth all things So then the point is evident But what reason is there that a man should stoop to the voyce and command of Christ In a word first He that alone hath command over us and right to require service at our hands him onely we ought to obey Now Christ alone is our Lord and we are his servants Eli joyneth these together in his direction to Samuel 1 Sam. 3 9. Thou shalt say saith he Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth If Christ alone therefore be our Lord whom else should we hear unto whom else should we attend and yeeld obedience Secondly The direction of Christ is the surest and safest look what counsell the Lord Jesus giveth we may build upon it As for others some are ignorant and know not how to teach some negligent and idle and will not teach some corrupt in their judgement and may infect us But Christ being Knowledge it selfe and Truth it selfe neither can nor will deceive us Therefore whatsoever the Lord Christ shall make known we may rest upon it and whatsoever course we take up upon his directions we may undoubtedly perswade our selvts that it shall goe well with us in the issue Our Saviour joyneth the same reason to his exhortation Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart What then And yee shall find rest unto your soules as if he should say The counsels and directions that men give they doe not they will not they cannot give a man any rest but the counsell that I give and those directions that I reveale unto you out of my word what ever soule imbraceth them what ever heart entertaineth them shall find rest and comfort to it selfe for ever Let us perswade our selves that whatsoever the Lord speakes will not saile us there is none that trusts upon him that even shall be ashamed his counsell is seasonable and will be profitable to us if it be blessed of God Thirdly Christ onely is able to teach us Man may teach the care but the Lord onely can frame the soule and bring the heart to obedience That place Luke 24.32.45 is worth the remembring Verse 32. it is said that the Lord opened to the Disciples the Scriptures and Verse 45. that he opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures Men can onely reveale truths to us but never a man in the world is able to perswade our hearts and put understanding into our mindes but the Lord not onely openeth the sense and meaning of the Scriptures but he giveth us mindes to know and hearts to imbrace
he will say whether he will speak comfort to his soul or no and then away with carnall reason and delusions of Satan My brethren yee should in the first place go to God and advise with him and hear what his good pleasure is toward you and never inquire of your own carnall reason Again there is oft another great fault in the people of God that as they go not to Christ in the first place for advice and counsell so in the second place when they have it they rest not upon it Many a one there is who after he hath been convinced evidently and clearly by the power of the word rightly and strongly applyed that his estate is good before God and that his conscience is sincere his heart upright and that the spirit of God hath begun an everlasting work of grace in him yet notwithstanding oftentimes relinquisheth that ground that God hath given him to stand upon and letteth go that hold that hath been reached out from heaven for him to sustain himself by and returning home again to a view of his own weaknesses and infirmities he forsaketh his own mercies and groweth forgetfull of his former comforts the consolations of the Almightie seem small unto him hee will not quiet himself in that truth which God hath made known nor rest upon his word as he requireth Yea but the soul replieth alas should a man content himself with a blind perswasion that his estate is good and not try his title to heaven or search whether his interest in Christ be such as will not deceive him at the last I say Yes a man should look into himself and examine himself whether he be in the faith or no but alwaies let the Lord be Judge let his word onely passe sentence upon thee Never Judge thy self barely by what either Satan seems to suggest or thy own sinfull weakness would perswade thee unto but when the Word of God is revealed and his truth manifested unto thee when the Minister out of the Seripture hath setled thy conscience and declared thy case good by such assured Evidences as thou maist safely build upon then hold there and beleeve nothing to the contrary search your selves but still doe it by the word of God If this course were taken and well observed where there are thousands of complaints among Christians there would be scarce one For my brethren the ground of all our feebleness and distrust and distemper lieth especially in this that we neglect our grounds and doe not fix upon those truths which God hath revealed and made known unto us either publikely or privately Hold this therefore for ever as the best direction I can give thee If my soul shall be condemned the word of God shall condemn it If I must judge my self to have no grace the Word of God shall say it If I must conclude salvation as yet belongeth not unto me it shall be because the Word saith so and not because Satan or my own imagination saith so This carrieth thousands of poor souls into manifold distempers because they settle not themselves upon the truth of God which alwaies standeth as mount Zion unmoveable and would make them rest in abundance of peace in the midst of all those disquiets that are raised by Satan and our own distrustfull hearts Lastly in a word doth the Lord himself call for and require this at our hands the Lord I say who onely hath right and authority to command us Doth he injoyn us when he speaks to hear and obey Oh now therefore though an unworthy Minister cannot perswade you to yeeld up your selves to the practice of this duty yet let the Lord himself prevail with you and woe to that soul that will not bee perswaded by the Lord himself Take notice of that place before alledged Acts 3.23 Every soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Let every one therefore now in the fear of God observe that which Christ himself injoyneth and so often calleth for in the second and and third Chapters of the Revelation He that hath an ear to hear let him hear The Lord saith the same now to every soul in this place Let every soul that hath an ear to hear hear what the Lord saith unto him not onely now but hereafter whensoever God shall be pleased to reveal any of his counsell to him for his direction Labour to bring your hearts to that temper we read to have been in Cornelius and those that he had gathered together to be partakers of Saint Peters Ministerie Acts 10.33 When the Apostle was come mark what Cornelus saith to him We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God My brethren the same frame of spirit ought we to have whatsoever it is that the Lord shall speak unto us wee must hear him in all things as I told you before not onely in some easie kind of dutie such as every man is willing to imbrace but in every thing be it never so crosse to carnall reason and corrupt nature when the Lord teacheth we must bring docile hearts hearts inlarged to hear and entertain his doctrine hearts willing to be moulded into that good word of God that he shall reveal to us neither must we thinke this dutie tedious we should never be weary of it Observe what Christ saith Luke 10.24 Many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which yee see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them What things Even those that are preached unto you and made known from day to day the great things of the Gospel which are now published in open view great men of great place and eminencie have desired to see and hear them The holy Patriarchs and Prophets whose spirits are now in heaven looked long for Christs day Abraham saw it afar off his eies dazeled in beholding of it If they rejoyced and delighted in these things should not we much more Nay the blessed Angels come down and delight to pore into these sacred mysteries that are now revealed to the people of God Which things saith the Apostle the Angels desire to prie into 1 Pet. 1.12 Those blessed spirits that are the subjects of joy and happiness are so ravished with those glorious mysteries that they are contented to come to our Congregations not a step or two as we doe who assoon almost as we are out of our doors are in the Church but a great journey even from heaven and with a great deal of liking and complacencie they behold the services of Gods people and are glad to see a poor soul converted and report it again in heaven rejoycing there together that a sinner is turned unto God My brethren thinke of it Shall we now that have most reason to attend these things they being that upon which our everlasting salvation depends be utterly careless of them Alas the
truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse Their heart being resolved which way to walk it is just I say with the Lord to give them up to blindnesse of minde to dulnesse of spirit to ignorance and error that they may be hurried on in the waies of destruction for ever It is Gods own word 2 Thes 2.10 Because men received not the truth the whole truth of God in the love thereof Mâ—â—y are loth to have some points to be true as that a man â—hould exactly observe the Sabbath it is just with God to give such up to a profane spirit to deny the Sabbath Others are loth to have this true that they must pray duly every morning and evening in their family it is just with God to give such up to a sottish and stupified course that they can be contended to goe to bed like beasts The like I may say of many other duties The Lord calleth for fasting and prayer and would have his people humble themselves and seek his face now because the duty is tedious and happily the world crosseth it therefore many will fall out with the Ordinance reject it have nothing to doe with it they will have their ease and their quiet their hearts are grown fat and if any thing crosse their corruptions they will not hear with that eare It is fearfull what the Lord speaks against these Rom. 1. 28. and my heart trembleth to think of the hideous curâ—e of God against such courses and his severe indignation against such persons It is said there that because the Heathen delighted not to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a reprobate mind to doe those things which are not convenient Mark As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge as who should say Must my mind be inlightned must I be convinced and perswaded that I must lay aside my self and be content in uprightnesse of heart to imbrace every truth of God though it be with the losse of ease and credit and estate yea and of life it self must I doe this well I doe not like it I will not beleeve it all the world shall never perswade me to it And why Because you have taken a sleepy pillow before-hand you have been resolved to keep those things that these truths crosse It is just with God when men doe not love and like to retain the truth he affordeth them to give them up to a reprobate mind that is to a mind void of judgement not knowing the truth not approving the Word And you shall see these men in all their courses and opinions vanishy Why Because the Lord hath given them up to a reprobate mind a mind not able to observe what he revealeth and a heart not willing to entertain what he discovereth to be good Gather up these things This is the last and most speciall argument why the hearts of most men are estranged from God and his truth because they harbour many lusts in their soules and cleave close to some or other corruptions It is a passage worthy observation that is recorded Jer 43. The people that were left behind in the land when the King of Babylon had carried the rest away captive were resolved to goe down into Aegypt but they would first goe to the Prophet and take his advise and he must goe to the Lord and whatsoever the Lord should declare to them by the Prophet that they would doe be it good or be it evill Here was a very fair pretence But their hearts were fully resolved betore to goe down into Aegypt and therefore when the Prophet brought them the answer of God that they should not goe but that they should remain in the Land Thou speakest fatsly say they unto him the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say Goe not into Aegypt to sojourn there but Baruch the sonne of Neriah setteth thee on against us So they obeyed not the voyce of the Lord to dwell in the sand of Judah As if they should have said we had thought thou wouldest have perswaded us that it was lawfull for us to goe down into Aegypt and if thou hadst done so we would have hearkened to thee but because what thou sayest is not as we would have it because it doth not fit us nor stand with that course we are resolved to take we will not yeeld to it whether it be truth that thou speakest or no. I wish this were not so amongst many of us I doe not say carnall and profane ones the world is full of those and their spirits are too too manifest but I say I wish it were not a fault even amongst many that in some measure love and fear the Lord. We are grown sick of our peace and we must have our quiet and ease and contentment therefore though we should appear to be sincere before God in all things and zealous for the cause of the Lord of Hosts we will shuffle in divers practises rather then be disturbed and troubled in that course that we have set to our selves Now I say gather up these and I think the point is clear If it be so that men are blind in their mindes and cannot know the Word if so be they are carelesse and doe not attend to the Word nay if so be they be setled in their sinnes and corruptions from which they will not part it is no wonder that though they have means yet they are not savingly informed in the truth of God answerably to those meanes which are bestowed upon them Let me adde now but one thing for the full clearing of the Doctrine You will say we see the quite contrary For it is cleare and evident that there are many that live in the bosome of the Church that have a great measure of understanding yet are not such as God hath wrought upon effectually yea the Devill himselfe hath knowledge enough and many a man that is nought and carnall hath an abundant measure of understanding happily much more then some godly and holy men can attain to To answer this in two or three words It is true I confesse there is many a cursed hypocrite that hath a great measure of knowledge and yet in very deed hath no true understanding at all For the knowledge whereby such men are inlightned differs much from that information and understanding which the Saints of God have For look as there is wild thime and garden thime both of the same name and both growing after the same manner yet very different in their nature and qualities so it is with knowledge there is a gracious and a sanctifying knowledge garden knowledge as I may say and there is a wild and a common knowledge I will open it a little in two or three words If you goe no further but consider the understanding of both barely you shall cleerly perceive a main difference between a Saint of God and an Hypocrite 1. An Hypocrite and a carnall man like
upon the man even Lot and came neer to break the door And why was all this because his arguments were good and seasonable by which he advised them against their wicked purpose because he opposed them in that wicked course of theirs therefore they could not now hold themselves but burst out into a strange distemper of spirit We will now say they deal worse with thee than with them And so in Acts 7. It is a very observable place vers 56. When Stephen had made a long relation to the Jews of the rebellion and stubbornness of their Fathers they heard him all along without manifesting any virulencie of spirit but at last when he came out with that Yee stiffenecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears you doe alwaies resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers did so doe you then when they heard these things when Stephen made a powerfull application of what he had said to them in particular and told them that they had been the betrayers and murtherers of that just One of whose coming the Prophets before had shewed they were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth and they cryed out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord These were the workings of their corrupt hearts the more forcible Stephen was in the power of the word the more violent they were in gainsaying that Word I need say no more onely that is observable in Rom. 7. The Text saith there That sin becommeth out of measure sinfull because of the Commandment How is that It is as if he had said Sin is the greater and the more notorious doth it manifest it self by how much the more the Commandment of God is the more openly published sin becommeth out of measure sinfull because that God in the Commandment gainsayeth it and the more the Commandement is pressed the more sin opposeth it and gainsaies it and becometh the more violent and so grows out of measure sinfull Briefly look as it is with a stream and current or Rivolet set but a little dam there and it will run over it easily of it selfe but if the dam be strong and high the River grows deep and cometh to be great and large Why so because it is stopped So it is here the Commandment of God is the dam as I may say every naturall man hath a stream of corruption that is alwaies issuing forth in a continued current if it be so now that the Word of God stoppeth him at every turn in every ungodly practise admitteth of no vent giveth no way to any sinfull course gainsays him in every carnal and sensuall delight barrs him of the sinfull enjoyment of pleasures and worldly lusts then the heart of a sinner beginneth to rise up against God and against his word and Commandment and that onely because the Word of God crosseth him and gainsayes him And therefore observe it if there be but a sleepie-headed Magistrate or a carelesse Minister in a Congregation that will lot a great deal of the water go give leave for the stream and current of corruption to passe let men have a vent for their lusts all will be at great peace and the stream will run as calme as can be that Magistrate shall never have an ill word that Minister that any way permits a vent to corruption he and his Parish shall agree as quietly as may be but if a man be stout and couragious either Magistrate or Minister hee shall finde violent opposition and marvailous strivings and workings of heart against him and that word which he delivers and the means of grace which God vouchsafeth to a people Again as this corruption discovers it self in opposing the good word of God so in the second place observe another passage wherein the wickednesse and rebellion of mens hearts appeareth notwithstanding God affordeth them the most excellent means of salvation They cleave the closer and cling the more eagerly to their corruptions and sins because they seem to be crossed in the eager and violent pursuit of them As you know it is the nature of stubborn spirits the more they are forbidden a thing the more resolved they are to doe it I have my self observed it in some stubborn servants that have answered their masters Why if you had not said any thing I would never have done it but because you keep such adoe I will doe it the more You shall see a proof of it Jer. 18.12 God there had sent his Prophet early and late to that people to shew them the good and ancient waies how they should walk with God and so prevent those Judgements that were threatned and hung over their heads But mark the Spirit of this people the more earnest and violent the Prophet was out of tender compassion to their poor souls to win them to God the more desperately did they resolve upon a course of sin we will walk say they after our own devices and we will every one doe the imagination of his evill heart As if they should have said say what you will we are resolved what to doe we will have our sin we will not forsake our corruptions nay wee will rather cleave the closer to them because you labour to pluck us from them This is the nature of every man in the world I appeal to your own consciences is it not so Is it not in every son of Adam more or lesse in wicked men wholly in the Saints partly observe it in your own experience when that happily the truths of God come and lay siege close to your consciences that you cannot finde a way and vent for your base and sinfull practises but the Word of God crosseth you how doe your hearts swell and repine at the Word How weary are you of your Minister How doe your spirits vex at him And so sometime at the Magistrate if he be more zealous to reform abuses amongst men then ordinary There is I say a secret indignation of soul that every man may finde in himself against the word of God and the reproofs thereof Let us come now to see the reason why men should be so sencelesse and unreasonable to grow the worse because God is the better to them What ground is there for this Great ground my brethren The Reasons are double and both most evident and plain The first is taken from that inward and intimate love the soul of a wicked man hath to his sin This is an everlasting rule there is never a naturall man in the world but he loveth his sin as he loveth his soule Nay he makes his sin his God And my brethren the case is evident we need no proof of it take a tryall of it in your own experience Let the command of God be revealed let the word of God be never so clearly made manifest to the hearts of men let it shine never so bright even in their very faces and let there be a beloved
not your hearts with your conditions but confesse it confesse thou hast a graceless and naughty heart this is the next way to be a Christian It is a speciall ornament of a Christian man to be contented to be checked by the Word of God labour therefore to yeeld to the truth when it is revealed And this is the first Use a word of Examination The second is a word of Exhortation and so I will conclude We are all to be exhorted in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to take notice of this evill that is in our hearts I say all of us for howsoever wicked men doe professedly oppose the truth of God and his Word in the faithfull ministry thereof yet the Saints of God themselves so farre as they are flesh have resistances in them but with this difference a godly man when he perceiveth his heart stubborn and rebellious against God in his Word he yet notwithstanding joyneth and sideth with the Word and laboureth to oppose that corruption of the flesh so it was with Saint Paul in the place before named A child of God that hath a holy disposition wrought in him by the Spirit of God when he seeth his heart unwilling to yeeld to Christ and his Word he cryeth shame upon himselfe that after so much hearing so many mercies received so many gracious promises revealed to him the good Word of God so often laid home to his conscience that his heart should yet remain in any measure rebellious against God and therefore he resteth not in this condition but takes up armes against this rebellion of heart as well as against any corruption else whatsoever This I say is the disposition of a gracious heart But with a wicked man it is clean contrary So then I say though it concerneth all naturall men in a speciall manner to suffer this word of exhortation but seeing every man even the Saints of God themselves so farre as there is corruption in them have in them this rebellion of nature it is therefore an exhortation to all to be perswaded if we tender our own good and comforts not to content our selves to be bare hearers to injoy the means of grace and to live under the powerfull preaching of the Gospel but to labour to bring our hearts to yeeld and submit to the truths revealed and to give way to the Word of God to be contented to be governed by the good Word of God It is better never to have known the Word of God then to have it made known and to gainsay and stand out against it Let us therefore be carefull to subject our selves and to take up the yoke of the Lord to give way to every truth revealed being willing and contented to yeeld to whatsoever the Word of God shall make known whether it declare what is amisse to take that away or whether it revealeth what is to be done to practise that This is a blessed frame and disposition of spirit and by this we shall come to have comfort and benefit by all our hearing this is the onely way to get that good that God intendeth in all those helpes and means that he hath appointed in his Church It is the commendation of Josiah that his heart melted at the hearing of the Law read 2 Kings 22.19 And I know not a greater ornament to a Christian then to have such a heart that look as it is with soft things they will take any impression that is put upon them whatsoever the stamp or seale setteth upon them they will take it print for print be it of what nature or kind soever such ought to be the temper of every soule to have a tender yeelding melting heart to be of a pliable teachable disposition to give way to whatever is made known out of the Word I beseech you therefore take this home to your soules and suffer the words of exhortation let the Word of God take place in your hearts I would have every Christian soule to look up to heaven when he commeth into the Congregation and to say speak Lord thy servant is desirous to hear and contented to hear and obey whatsoever thou shalt in this Sermon make known to me And if the Lord will have any thing give it him if he exact any thing from thee yeeld to him This is a melting heart But you will say to me I will conclude in a word or two How shall a man come to bow his neck and take up the yoke of Christ Here is all the labour my brethren and if we could once obtain this the businesse would be done God is not lesse mercifull then he was the Word is not lesse powerfull then it was but these hearts of ours are stubborn and loth to yeeld to the truth Labour therefore for this and have all But what course shall we take to compasse this In a word the means that I would suggest for the present are these First labour to work upon thy own soul a kind of reasonable contentednesse to part with that beloved corruption that lieth in thy bosome I doe not say thou canst doe it but I say labour to bring thy heart to a reasonable kind of contentednesse this way For my brethren here is all the quarrell between you and the Minister of God it all lyeth here the Lord saith thou must forsake thy sins or else I must damn thy soul For we come for souls when we come to preach we doe not come here onely to spend an hour and so an end of the matter No but we see a poor company of creatures in the Congregation and we know that many among them are yet hardned and blinded and going headlong to perdition it is now our labour and care to prevent your ruine and therefore many a prayer we put up and many a tear we shed on your behalf Oh suffer your Minister therefore because he desireth and studieth your good he sees you walking in a way in which you must needs perish and therefore he draweth the sword of the word of God against you Oh stoop to the word of God revealed Here now I say is all the quarrell the Minister saith you must leave your sins the soul saith I will not I will have those fins and I will practise those courses and therefore thou stomackst the Minister and thy heart works against the Word of God Alas Why doe you contend against him and murmure against him we seek not our selves but you nor doe we aim at our own ends but at the salvation of your precious souls and notwithstanding all your oppositions here is the comfort of a Minister that one converted soul is better then a whole world therefore well may he sweat his heart for it whatsoever you say But I say if the Minister labour thus with God and with thee for thy souls good why is all this controversie Why dost thou not labour with thy heart to part with thy sins It is the desire