truth to abide with us for ever John 14.16 17. to teach us all things and to bring all things to our remembrance whatsoever he had said unto us This is that Spirit speaking in his word It only must be heard which we are to hear Revel 2.7 11 17 -29. This is the word which we only are to hear Why No Word else will profit us Why In one word No other word will profit us without this no conversion see Jer. 23.21 22 -32. Therefore they i.e. such as God sent not but prophesie false dreames and stand not in Gods counsell shall not profit this people at all onely saith God if they had stood in my counsell and had caused my people to hear my words then they should have turned them from their evill way c. 1Vse For teachers to preach no other doctrine Vse 1. For us preachers to direct us as we intend any good to the poeples soules to lay aside all conceits and inventions and doctrines of men our own and others much more to abandon all Doctrines of devills such as are named in 1 Tim 4.1 2 3. and so generally all other Popish and Antichristian doctrines and to preach onely Gods pure word unto his people Vse 2. For hearers 1 Not to depend on Revelations without the word 2. For hearers to desire only such teaching And therefore not to depend upon the teaching of the Spirit by Revelations Inspirations c. without the word but onely according to it Much lesse upon apparition of spirits out of hell supposed Purgatory or yet heaven Luke 16.29 30 31. 2 To take heed first what secondly how they hear Gods word must be heard as his word 2 To take heed what they hear Mark 4.24 If any speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.19 20. Yet how can they hear Luk. 8.18 they must hear and received it not as the word of men but which it is in trurh as the word of God which effectually and which only effectually worketh in them that beleeve 1 Thess 2.13 where faith also is required in our hearing without which it profits not Heb. 4.1 2. So long as young Samuel ran to old Eli when God indeed spake unto him 1 Sam. 3.4 5 c. 10.11 he had nothing revealed to him but when he could say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth he had the word effectually made known unto him 3 By so hearing it to approve our selves Christs sheep 3. Let us all by hearing onely Christs voyce in the mouth of his faithfull servants approve our selves to be Christs sheep even by this ear-mark Joh. 10.3 27. My sheep hear my voyce c. Let us not be beat from hearing it by such Popish Wolves as will say unto us as the wicked Jewes to the people He hath a Devil and is mad why hear ye him John 10.20 but let us rather reverently set our selves in Gods presence with Cornelius and say as Acts 10.33 We are here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God It is this word of God only thus heard and obeyed James 1.22 23 24 25. which will save our souls 1 Tim. 4.16 John 5.25 Revel 3.20 And as in the Text. 2 The speciall Object of their hearing 2. But more specially What word was this these here heard and which did wound their spirits I answer That which Peter now spake unto them the summe whereof is in the verse before the Text Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye crucified both Lord and Christ Which is according to that main passage in his Sermon verse 23.24 Him being delivered by the determinate counsell and free knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Whom God hath raised up and who verse 33. being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear What Word and Doctrine then was that which so wounded and pierced them It s reducible to these two heads First concerning Christ his natures office glory exaltation and dominion Secondly concerning themselves their sin and wickednesse which thus was discovered reproved and they convinced and deeply charged to be the crucifiers of this so gratious a Lord yea of the Messias who was sent unto them and of their Saviour Note Their former blockishnesse and how they came to be convinced This blockishnesse was great before not to know or acknowledge him whom they seemed so long to look for but so to carry themselves towards the Messias which teacheth us for our humbling that the very sight and presence of God and of the things we seem most to long for as every way satisfactory to our desires is not enough to satisfie us unlesse God do further strike in by his grace and powerfull Spirit But now being thus charged and convinced August in Psal 43 began to think say Alas what will become of us seeing he is so great and glorious whom we have slaine For now they see and are convinced who this Jesus was that he is the Lord of glory which they saw not before 1. Cor. 2. Now they see and are convinced of their vilenesse guiltinesse of wrath of their bloody practices and cruelty as having persecuted murthered an innocent of their base and vile unthankfulnesse against so gracious a Saviour Benefactour and Physician who came to save heale and cure them This was the nature of the Doctrine which so wounded them Whence Observe What Doctrine is like to doe the greatest good Answ That which most advanceth Christ and debaseth man Why 1. let us observe and wisely consider What Doctrine or Teaching is that which is likliest to do the greatest good and which is most availeable to conversion and to the salvation of mens soules Here we may conclude it that it is that doctrine which most advanceth Christ and sets forth his glory and the glory of the Father and which withall most debaseth vilifieth convinceth sinfull man letting him see his filthinesse guiltinesse unworthinesse and inabilities Why 1. Because such Doctrine onely sets forth Christ as Christ as a Saviour as a Surety as a Physician as the sole Prophet Priest and King of his Church and so most glorifieth God and Christ in his goodnesse bounty mercy and in the freenesse and power of his saving grace none of which can so gloriously and fully appear as when mans sinfulnesse polution of nature his guiltinesse unworthinesse and impotency is according to truth and the evidence of Gods word laid open to the full 2. Because without such doctrine man will never come to know either God Christ or himself aright whithout such knowledge no salvation because no true or through humiliation self-denial conviction faith c. Vse 1
visions and dreams 4. to the constancy of the martyrs sufferings 5. to Miracles 6. to Afflictions yet these all are to be considered onely either as Preparatives to conversion and furtherances of the work of the word and Ministery and not barely or as seals and confirmations of the truth of Gods promises made known and propounded in and by the Word 1 By the Sacraments 1. For the Sacraments they for their efficacy especially come in the order of nature after faith to confirm and strengthen the same the Sacraments seal and assure onely that which the word promiseth and that is Christ upon the condition of faith and repentance and so he is promised and truly offered in the Word and Sacraments both to good and bad Men grown professe faith and repentance before they be admitted to Baptism and so beleeving are baptized Mark 16.16 Infants within the Covenant promise so much by their sureties which if coming to yeers they perform not then they receive Christ onely sacramentally specially not by Baptism and retain onely the external sanctification of Baptism a subsequent faith is required of them when they shal be capable without which they have no internall effects of sanctification by the Spirit The change made in the soul is not by water or by the bare work wrought in Baptism but by Faith and that is the effect of the word Christ is the substance life and vigour of all Sacraments whom therefore no unbeleever doth receive now Christ and his Spirit are not divided he is not received without his Spirit nor but by his Spirit given by the word which is the ministration of the Spirit Vse Not to trust to Baptism or Profession without faith So that Baptism works not of it self without the Word and Spirit which for Vse doth teach us not to ascribe too much to outward Baptism or Profession without true faith and the effects of the word on our souls and in our lives so that we may say of Baptism as was said of Circumcision Rom. 2 25-28 29. It verily profiteth if wee keep the Law else it becomes no Baptism true Baptism is that of the heart in the spirit 2. Some are said to be converted by voices from heaven 2. Not by voyces Aug. Confes l. 8. c. 12. as S. Austin tels us of himself that by a voice from heaven saying to him take up and read he being by Gods providence directed to the place in Rom. 13.13 14. Not in chambering and wantonnesse c. was throughly converted as his friend Alipius by reading the next words Rom. 14.1 as formerly hath been mentioned And wee know for certain that S. Paul Act. 9. was by the voice of Christ from heaven converted But Saint Austin was not ignorant of Gods word which hee had then by him and was not unacquainted with his will Therefore being formerly a wanton and having much strife within himself and shewing a lothnesse to leave his pleasant sin this voice prepared him to yeeld more reverence and obedience to the word known which in effect though read by him yet being thus by divine providence directed to this passage and it by this means specially applyed to him and his present occasion the perfecting of his conversion formerly begun was thus effected by the power of the Word Vse Not to depend on immediate teaching from heaven or Hell Yet as wee now are not to depend on this manner of immediate direction from heaven so if it did not confirm to us the doctrine of the Scriptures neither it nor any doctrine brought us by voyce from Heaven or Hel would prove effectuall to work faith or to convert But though such voyces should teach us the same truths which the Scripture doth wee are not to depend thereon See Luke 16.27 28 29 30 31. The like wee say for Saint Paul's conversion hee knew what doctrine hee persecuted but beleeved it not till now howsoever it was Christs voice and word which changed him and his conversion was further perfected by the preaching of Ananias to him 3. Not by visions and dreams 3 Some mens eares are opened and their instruction sealed in a dream in a vision of the night c. and so are withdrawn from their purpose yet it is the word of the messenger an interpreter one of a thousand which makes all effectuall see Job 33.15 16 17 c. with 23 24 c. 4 Some have been converted by seeing the constancy of innocent Christians in their sufferings 4 Not by seeing the constancy of Martyrs Euseb l. 4. c. 8. and their rejoicing to suffer for Christ as Justin the martyr witnesseth of himself in his Apology to Antoninus But this was onely an occasion sanctified of God to him and others both then and of later times to sift enquire into that truth which they knew not before by vertue of which when by the teachers thereof they were acquainted with it they were converted as Lactantius also sheweth so that we are hence taught not to judge of truth simply by mens sufferings for no true conversion wil alwayes follow thereupon but of their sufferings by the cause and truth for which they suffer 5 Not by miracles 5 So Christ wrought many Miracles upon the sight of which many believed on him but what did they believe the word taught by him which formerly they did not rellish Miracles were not without the word they onely made way for it The word by the Spirit did truly and effectually convert them when once they were convinced by the miracle that it was the very word of God the miracles onely occasioned their convesion 6 Afflictions often are the occasion of mens conversion 6 Not simply by afflictions Anno 496. See Doctour King on Jon. lect 40. as well as miracles so Clodoveus a French King upon a great discomfiture was converted to be a Christian but he was first instructed by his Lady Crotildis and moved to embrace the Christian faith The like we see in King Manasseh 2 Chro. 33.11.12.13 Then he knew that the Lord was God he knew him before for the Lord spake to Manasseh and to his people but they would not hearken as verse 10. onely afflictions brought him to acknowledge God and to be convinced that it was hee whom hee had to deal withall and to hearken to his word and obey it by repentance So David before he was afflicted went astray but now saith hee have I kept thy word Psal 119. Hee knew Gods word before but now hee kept it This wee see in divers others on whom Gods word hath not its powerfull work in humbling them till some grievous crosse losse sicknesse or danger come to second the word and to occasion a more serious consideration and use-making of it all which work in and by the power of the word In all the forenamed instances Conversion is from the power of the Word and from other things onely
by men with the Ground Reasons and Vse of the point The first title Men. Doctr. God teacheth us by Men. Men. MInisters Pastours Teachers Evangelists Prophets and Apostles yea Christ himself the great and onely Prophet the Apostle and high-Priest of our Profession all these were men of the same nature with our selves though withall Men of God by whom it pleased God according to his infinite wisdom and mercy to us to teach and instruct us men and to make known unto us his will and wisdom whom accordingly he indueth with gifts sutable and answerable to the present necessities of the Church either immediately and extraordinarily exciting stirring up enabling and sending them or otherwise calling furnishing and placing them in a more ordinary way and by usuall and externall means He teacheth us first by Christ his Son God-man who 1 By his Son in our nature being made of a woman is also the son of man So that howsoever God at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets yet in these last dayes he hath spoken unto us by his Son Hebr. 1.1 2. not but that he spake then also to them by him who is the onely Prophet and hath been mediately or immediately the sole Prophet of his universall Church on earth from the beginning This is that Prophet whom the Lord opposeth to all that use divination who is the onely Prophet unto whom we are to hearken and not to diviners Deut. 18.10 11 14 with 15 16 17 18 19. to all that observe times to enchanters witches charmers consulters with familiar spirits wizards necromancers and diviners and whom he promiseth saying by Moses unto the people desiring that they might not hear again the voyce of the Lord which when the Law was given was so terrible that even Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him c. Hebr. 12.19 -21. by whom onely in our nature wee come to see Gods glory Now that our chief or onely Prophet should be a man like unto us was very needful for us seeing he as God is a light inaccessible whom no eye can see and live his glory should over-whelm us but that in Christ it is vailed and clouded in his humanitie in which as in a glass he shews us the glory of his Father being the bright nesse of his glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 in whom onely we come to see God who otherwise is invisible 1 Tim. 3.16 Joh. 1.14 We see him 1. In his goodnesse mercy and grace 1 In his Goodness and Mercy in that God for our sakes should become Man See Tit. 2.11 John 1.17 and 3.16 2 Tim. 1.9 10. 2. In his Justice 2 his Justice not forgiving sin simply but upon satisfaction made unto the same by man 1 Cor. 15.21.3 In his Wisdom 3 his Wisdom which appeased the strife between Justice which called for vengeance on all and Mercy which would have all saved for It or the Son who is the Wisdom of the Father satisfieth Justice by allowing and requiring the punishment of man seeing man had sinned and Mercy in that he himself would become man and our surety 4. In his Power inasmuch as this Son of God in our weak nature 4 his Power and as the son of man and by dying would overcome sin and vanquish the divell Vse To bridle our curiosity Which may bridle our curiositie in prying into the secrets of the God-head But now know that Christ leaving us in person hath left onely men his deputies to teach us the same and no other things then such as he taught them 2. By men as substitutes to Christ Why Matth. 28.19 20. Joh. 20 21. As my Father sent me so send I you Eph. 4.8.11 Now this he doth 1. For his own glory that such great works as are done by their Ministery as especially the conversion of souls might not be ascribed to such weak creatures 1. For his own glory 2 Cor. 4.7 but to himself Therefore saith Paul We have this treasure in carthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us 2. For our good 2. For his Churches good that by our familiarity with men of like affections and sympathy we might with more easiness learn and with lesse terrour hear reproofs and threatnings It s a mercy that God doth not teach us 1. By his own immediate voice 1. Gods own immediate voice as in giving the Law would make us exceedingly fear and quake as it did Moses It is a mercy then that he speaks not to us immediatly with his own thundring voice but by the voice of man which as the Israelites desired so are we to be thankfull for 2. By Angels 2. To teach us by Angels he thought it not so fit seeing thence would arise 1. Matter of terror and astonishment 2. Danger of adoration 3. By his Spirit alone 3. To teach us immediatly by his Spirit inwardly and in silence would expose us to Satans illusions and deceits For these and like reasons God is pleased to teach instruct and convert his Elect by the Ministery of man First and principally of his Son in our nature Secondly by such Deputies as he hath left and daily raiseth up in his room This is of speciall use both for Ministers themselves and for others 1. Ministers being by nature men Vse 1. Concerning Ministers who hence are taught though by office men of God must hence learn 1. Not to take upon them to teach or do any thing in their own name or to impose any point or article of faith on the church yea or ought else which directly bindeth conscience and restraineth it of that liberty which Christ in his word affordeth it 1. To speak and doe all in Christs name This only is Gods royalty and prerogative We are men and may err Every man is a liar Rom. 3.4 Our doctrine is to be tried yet not by every private mans fancy but only according to the only rule and touchstone of truth not in their own the written word of God which accordingly is to be searched And if any speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isai 8.20 For us Ministers We must not preach our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake 2 Cor. 4 5. What as many in word pretend and perhaps inwardly so flatter themselves whilest they find their Bishopricks such burdens to them and such of their Clergy as will not indeed cannot yeeld to their injunctions so far as to master them and to overcome by their sufferings No but truly and without all court-complement servants to the
is a new Creation it is either a Being of nature or a Being of grace each respectively of nothing as it is taken negatively But man and before it we the best are nothing both negatively in respect of his Being of grace since the fall through sin in which he is dead and that in all powers and faculties is nothing First negatively I mean not in regard of substance either of soul or of faculties but of the qualities of those faculties according to which he was at first made after the Image of God in knowledge righteousness holiness and in the truth of them all Col. 3.10 Eph. 4.24 so that before his calling he is a meer Non-ens and hath no being for God is said to call those things that are not 1 Cor. 1 28. So the heathen before their calling were no people and 2. privatively not before but after the habit of grace lost both in act and power Rom. 10.19 Deut. 32.21 Hos 1.10 And 2. privatively not in a physicall sense as Philosophers speak of privation who make it a principle of generation and to include in it a disposition to the habit which it precedes but in the logicall and more proper sence as it implieth a deprivation of some former habit as in our case of the image of God and that not such as sleep is but such as death is being a privation not of the act and exercise onely of the faculty as in sleep but of the faculty and power it self we being dead in sin and not made alive with respect to spirituall and supernaturall objects of which the rule holds that from the privation to the habit as from death to life thore is no return that is ordinarily and by naturall causes Otherwise if we speak of an extrordinary regresse and miraculous none who is not an Atheist makes any question Only we may grant a remote possibility and capability especially in man as also in the lapsed angels so farre as Gods most holy and just will puts no bar but we must deny all disposition in the instruments and of the subject it self to the habit but by the effectuall power of Christ and so must exclude all active power in man to his own conversion which is not by Gods grace newly infused into him who works not only the will or power to will but the deed and act of will Phil 2.13 And so Christ becomes the cause and fountain of new life unto his elect who by his mercy and power are ingrafted into him as into a new stock from whom we receive new life being as dead and buried so also risen and quickned with him Col. 2.12 13. and from whom we receive forgivenesse of sin redemption and life whereby our youth is renued like the Eagles Psal 103.3 4 5. And we return to the daies of our youth Job 33.24 25. Which change being by the renuing of our mind Rom. 12.2 is wrought by the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 and is continued and wrought by degrees daily whereby such as wait on the Lord renew their strength and mount up with wings as Eagles c. Isai 40.31 SECT 3. Use 1. Of Instruction and Exhortation to deniall of our selves as in other things so particularly in duties concerning Conversion Vse 1 WEe To deny our selves and to acknowledge who would shew our selves true converts and such as truly hope to be saved must hence learn in all things to deny our selves especially in this great business of our salvation and indeed to see and acknowledge our selves to be nothing in our selves at best but as a rude lumpe and Chaos like the earth at the first creation our selves to be Nothing which being made of nothing was it self then without form void and dark Gen. 1.2 We must ever acknowledge that without Christ and faith in him which in in its own nature implieth and includes selfe-deniall all our gifts of nature or of common grace are nothing so that as Paul said concerning one grace 1. In regard of gifts charity so I may say of Christ and of faith in Christ without Christ and true justifying faith in him though I had the gift of prophesie and understood all mysteries and all knowledge though I spake with the tongues of men and Angels and though I had all miraculous faith 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. and had not Christ and true justifying saith in him I am nothing All knowledge is nothing 1 Cor. 8.1 1 Tim. 6.3 4. And as all our gifts 2. In regard of priviledges without Christ so all priviledges without Christ must be accounted nothing That of a Jew or Circumcision Gal. 6.15 and 1 Cor. 7.19 3. Of our Confidences As riches Idols Isai 44.10 1 Cor. 8.4 strength of kingdomes power of will That of the Gentile which was wisedome as we have heard is nothing All our Confidences or things which men trust in are nothing as Riches Prov. 23.4 5. with Psal 37.16 Idols in which the Gentiles trusted and Idolaters now are nothing All the strength of Kingdoms and nations with God Nothing less then nothing Isai 40.15 17. All power of will or other wise in man nothing Without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 All our own endeavours like those of Peters who fished all night and catched nothing till Christ came Luke 5.5 Joh. Indeavours righteousnesse 21.3 In a word all confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.5 6 7 8. all our legall righteousnesse Phil. 3.9 Yea Christ himself Christ himself if he be not all to us if he be not all to us shall profit us nothing Gal. 5.2 Though in nothing we be behind the best yet we must say as Paul did that in and of our selves we are nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 All without Christ must be accounted but as cyphers and that is nothing So that if any man thinke himself to be something when he is nothing and that is the state of us all he deceiveth himself Gal. 6.3 We must then see and acknowledge our own nothing The knowledge hereof is rightly made the fountain of all other vertues The knowledge of our own nothingness is the beginning of all goodnesse He only that knowes what this nothing or his nothingness is First how inconstant and vain all earthly things are Secondly how weake his own nature is Thirdly how base and vile sin is and how of no reckoning evill and sinfull men are he will 1. Not set his heart on earthly or transitory things but on heavenly and divine things 2. He will be humble and distrust himselfe and set his rest and put his trust only in God his mercy truth and power 3. He will avoid sin and sinfull company as vile and as finding no content therein In a word he will love desire affect and admire nothing but that which shall be judged something and that is nothing in or of himselfe as the new creature 1 Cor. 7.19 2 Cor. 5.16 17 2.
themselves wholly in their names and respect with men in their offices and liberties ashamed to make open profession of him as Nicodemus a Pharisee Joh. 3.2 who in himself approving well of Christ and his doctrine yet loth to be known to favour one who was so much hated and accounted a ring-leader to a faction came stealing to Christ by night least others should perceive it and discover him Joseph of Arimathea John 19.38 39. Such an one was Joseph of Arimathea a while who is said to be a Disciple of Christ but for fear of the Jewes Yea what shall 〈◊〉 say of Peter who so confidently bragged what he would do whilest he trusted to himself and to the strength of his own resolution Matth. 26.44 Though all men shall be offended because of thee I yet will never be offended yet left to himself a while how was he ashamed to confesse and acknowledge Christ in his sufferings Peter and how did he thrice deny him even with an oath saying I know not the man Peter had not yet so fully denied himself as afterwards when he boldly confessed Christ before the High Priests to the manifest hazard of his life It s also said many chief Rulers John 12.42 43. that among the chief rulers many beleeved on Christ but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God And how is it in our daies when many are ashamed of the afflictions of Gods people for the Gospels sake many among our selves who are ashamed of profession in the power of it and to make any other then an outward bare cold and dead profession themselves lest they should go under the common reproachfull titles and termes of the world and be thought to be Puritanicall seditious factious and enemies to Caesar The truth is shame which belongs only unto sin is now cast upon profession of godlinesse Thus the Officers sent to take Christ but justifying his doctrine as also Nicodemus speaking but a word for Christ are reproached for so doing Are ye also deceived and art thou also of Galilee Joh. 7.46 47 c. and 52. Yea the man who was born blind and healed by Christ asking the Pharisees who so strictly examined him saying Jo◠9.27 28. Will ye also be his Disciples was reviled and that not without scorn disdain and contempt of Christ Thou are his Disciple but we are Moses Disciples 2. Faith which excludes all works and confidence in our selves 2. Faith and belief on Christ of necessity presupposeth self-deniall and a renouncing of the condition of works or of whatsoever worth excellency or righteousnesse is in a mans self And therefore till we renounce our own righteousness and all we doe as filthy clouts and as losse we cannot beleeve on Christ Yea such as renounce their own righteousness and confesse their sin with Cain but yet despair of help do it out of stoutness and through want of self-deniall as hath been shewed formerly They have not worth or strength enough of their own and they will not go to God for it so men that a respect their credit with men cannot beleeve Joh. 5.44 3. Repentance 3. Repentance what is it but a disclaiming with sorrow of lll our former courses and waies and a renouncing of all such usts as we have formerly delighted in which is sorrow for former lusts and so a denying of our elves in our vain delights and carnall pleasures in our unlawull waies of gain in our pride ambition c What keeps men in their sins without repentance but unwillingness and lothness to deny themselves in their former lusts and a casting them off which will plead hard I mean the sinful self in man what will ye leave us for ever shall we never be merry agai◠will leud queanes or companions say It will be here as when Ezra reformed strange marriages exhorting the people to separate themselves from the people of the land and from the strange wives Ezra 10.9 10 11. which they also did confessing their sins and amending This could not be done heartily and truly without much self-deniall Self humbling requires much self-deniall Micah 6.6 c. 4. But these Jewes here so seriously asking 4. New-obedience what they should do plainly shew how willing and resolved they were to obey God and his Apostles and how ready to deny themselves that they might obey him in doing and suffering whether by doing or suffering But this could not be done without much deniall of themselves active duties as to beleeve obey the Gospel and the like are contrary to corrupted nature which requires much self-deniall as above nature so far as it remains intire which cannot be performed till a man cross his corruptions and deny himself in them in his ease delights gain c. much more must he deny himself in things to be suffered and passive duties which are not only against corrupt nature but against nature intire which also must stoup and be denied 5. Self deniall it self if it be not in all things and with respect to God 5. These here whilest they ask this question stand upon nothing in themselves and deny themselves fully and in all things without any reservations or respects to themselves Many men seem to deny themselves in some things as in their oathes stealing whores ease and some comforts of this life as some civill formalist superstitious and meriting Papist who spares not his own body Some men seek themselves whilest in some things they seem to deny themselves All self-respects in duties even of mortification to be denied but macerates it with whippings fastings or pilgrimages and yet all this is done in self-respects in the one because to do otherwise will not stand with his honour and credit among men who it may be also will stoup to suffer scorn and nicknames for Christ and his profession which he finds to be more advantageous to him some other way in the other is an opinion of merit and hope to escape the pains of Purgatory howsoever all this is both from and for themselves who required these things at their hands And what God appoints not is not done to him Such deniall of a mans self stands in need of true Self-deniall which is in true converts absolute universall and without reservations to our selves and self-respects SECT 4. Containing a more generall Exhortation to Self-deniall and shewing in what things we are first simply and absolutely to deny our selves Generally we are to denie our selves in all things here 1. For what things we must denie our selves They are four LEt us then be exhorted to deny our selves generally in all things And here let us know what those things are which we should chiefly if not only respect and seek after and what we are to deny our selves in 1. The former
are 1. Gods glory 2. Christ his word and truth with the Gospel in the purity and power of it 3. Our own spirituall and eternall good together with the peace and comfort of our own consciences and assurance of Gods favour 4. The greater good of others especially of the Church and that both temporall spiritual and eternall as we shall perceive more by that which followes 2. In what things we must denie our selves 1. In some things simply 2. In others only comparatively as we may see in Christ 2 Tim. 2.13 2. The things in which we are to deny our selves are such as either are absolutely to be denied or only comparatively with respect and in competition with some of those other things named for which we are to deny our selves in them though otherwise good and which absolutely severed from such respects may be sought This first part of the distinction may be better conceived in and by the example of Christ himself till we hereafter give other instances Of him it is said that he cannot denie himself True that is in such things as belong to his nature as his truth and faithfulness there instanced in in his holiness goodness justice who though he cannot at all deny himself in his nature wisedome and the like no more needed we have denied our selves in any thing absolutely at least if we had continued remained and still been our selves as God made us at first in innocency righteousness knowledge holiness and in an estate of immortality And in such remnants of intire nature as yet abide with us not wholly obliterated and defaced we are not absolutely yet according to his will he doth deny himself for a greater good in some such things as without such respect he both may and doth seek himself Phil. 2.6 7 8. as in vailing the glory of his Godhead a while in our nature but only in some respects to deny our selves But now our Saviour Christ who in things respecting his nature cannot denie himself yet out of will and with respect to his Fathers glory and to the spirituall and eternall good of mens souls was content and willing to deny himself many waies and that even before he came into the world and after in that being in the form of God and thinking it no robbery to be equall with God yet he made himself of of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was found in the likeness of men and humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Thus he is said to empty himself and to make himself of no reputation and to suffer his glory to be obscured in the dark lanthorn of his humanity whilest he lived here on earth being God he appeared in our base nature and became truly man Being immortall he became in our nature subject to death being the Lord of all he became a servant being the glorious God he humbled himself being the Soveraign Lord of heaven and earth he became obedient unto the Law and unto death and in his ease and name as man being most blessed he was pleased to subject himself to the death of the Crosse which was an accursed shamefull and painful death and so in our nature and for the good especially of his elect he denied himself in his ease by undergoing sorrows and grief for us Hebr. 12.2 in his name by enduring the crosse and despising the shame suffering himself to be reviled spit upon and at length crucified yea and to be a while under the sence of his dear fathers displeasure in all which he sought not his own glory and in his life and will which he submitted to Gods wil for us Matth. 26.39 but his that sent him not his own will but his Fathers insomuch that according to his humane nature without sin having by prayer sought himself saying O my Father if it be possible let this cup of death passe from me yet denying his own will he adds neverthelesse not as I will Vse Of his example to us scil to deny our selves much more for him but as thou wilt Now this example of Christs to note it by the the way inforceth the like practise upon us much more for his sake and glory to deny our selves he thus denied himself for us who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate for us servants wretched and sinfull creatures and all this freely and shall not we for our own good for his glory being so many wayes bound to him our Creator our Lord and Soveraigne our Redeemer our Husband Head and Father deny our unworthy selves And that 1 Absolutely in somethings And first In some things we are absolutely to deny our selves as in whatsoever according to our corrupt nature we now are not our selves either not that which we were at our first creation in the first Adam before the fall or not that which we should be in Christ the second Adam and as new creatures in him In all which things we must flee out separate and make a divorce from our selves denying our selves as 1. In our carnall wisdom and reasonings 1 In our own carnall wisdome and corrupt reasonings whereby men are wise in their own eyes conceive of God according to their own dark hearts Rom. 1.21 making to themselves similitudes of God as they please Exod. 20.4 Rom. 1.23 entertaining no truths but such as agree with their corrupt and carnall reason disputing against the truths of God as John 6.52 -60 -65 on which many do stand so much 66. 1 Cor. 1.20 accounting Gods word preached and his wayes foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.23 never consulting with God in his word or by prayer but directing and ordering all their wayes by their own counsels and so they live by their own rules which they devise and frame to themselves consulting onely with flesh and blood and indeed professing themselves to be wise they become fools Rom. 1.22 Whereas the Apostle's rule is If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise 1 Cor. 3.18 that is let him seâ— his folly and deny his own seeming and carnall wisdome We must see our own folly submit our thoughts and reason to Gods wisdom that he may be wise by that wisdom of God which he is now ready to charge with folly And let all imaginations or reasonings and every thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God be cast down and every thought be brought into captivitie to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 Let the wicked also forsake his way which according to his foolish wisdom he hath chosen and the unrighteous man his thoughts Isa 55.7 even such carnall thoughts as hee hath of Gods Mercie and other Attributes Our own devices will come to nought and must therefore be forsaken onely such counsell as God gives us in
power We have the instance of Moses who refused to be called the son yea the heir of King Pharaoh's daughter or to enjoy the pleasures of sin in that Court yea and made light of the treasures of Egypt preferring the reproach of Christ with a good conscience before them all And he lost not by it Hebr. 11.24 25 26. SECT 5. Shewing secondly in what things otherwise lawfull we are to deny our selves And first In things naturall of three sorts 2 We are to deny our selves in things lawfull in case of competition with better things NOw secondly we are to deny our selves not onely in things evill and sinfull which we are to do absolutely but also in such things as are not in and of themselves evill or sinfull but onely comparatively and with respect to a greater good as some one or moe of the aforesaid things which wee should more principally respect And so in case of competition comparison and subordination of the one to the other we are though as is said not absolutely yet in such case resolutely to deny our selves Now these things are both naturall spirituall and eternall Which because they are many I will rather here point at them then handle them And these are of three sorts 1 Naturall First The things naturall are 1. The powers and faculties of the soul and body 2. The comforts and contentments of this life as first In the naturall powers of our soul 3. Life it self 1 In our Reason 1. Naturall Reason so far as there is no carnality in it is not simply to be denyed And it were much to be wished that men lived more according to right reason then they do for so their courses would not be so absurd and unreasonable as they are 2 Thess 3.2 whereby they can give no reason of their doings of their neglect of life and salvation How far natural reason may and should be used impenitency Jer. 8.6 of their persecutions and hating of Gods people without cause c. nay nor of their faith and hope which they are bound to do 1 Pet. 3.15 being able also to examine doctrines to judge of consequences and inferences in Scripture to search the Scriptures whether the things taught us be so or no that so they may not blindly either beleeve or obey any but God alone and in God Yet thus far we are to deny naturall Reason as not to stand upon it in things above the reach of it How and in what denyed as to say I see no reason for this or that or how it can stand with Gods justice or with the liberty of mans will c. therefore I will none of it it s too harsh and hard a saying I cannot admit of it In such case reason must submit it self and give way to faith The mysteries of faith as that of the Trinitie of the subsisting of our nature in the second Person of the Godhead the resurrection of the same individuall bodies of ours and such like are not unreasonable onely our reason cannot reach so high as even in innocencie Adam saw not the reason of divers things as the mystery of the Trinitie c. which yet he believed We must then so far deny our naturall reason It must 1 Stoup to supernaturall Truths 2 It must not judge of points of Faith as 1. To acknowledge it not able of it self to reach unto or dive into the deep things of God 2. In sight of its shallownesse not to take upon us by it to judge of the mysteries of faith not to make it a ground of faith or to go before it but onely an attendant and waiter upon faith to follow it and to acknowledge that to be reasonable which God doth or which he makes known to be his will and a truth 3 Nor must it make new Articles though by reason we understand it not 3. Not to frame points of Doctrine or Articles to be imbraced as truths according to our understanding judgement and reason as do some in the point of Free-will and otherwise who shew themselves more Philosophers then Divines and better read in Aristotles Ethicks then in the holy Scriptures of God We must take things as we finde them though we can see no other reason of the same then this God saith it therefore I have reason to beleeve it 2 In our natural Will Which must not oppose Gods will but deny it self in regard of any pâ—wer it hath in supernaturall things either to will 2 Our naturall Will which inclines naturally to good in the universall we must be content to submit the same so far to God as in the particular wherein true happiness doth consist and in the way to it which is onely faith in Christ to be directed onely by him without opposing his will made known to us and without chusing our own ways So also though it have some power naturally and in naturall and morall things yet to deny it self in regard of any ability it hath of it self either to will super naturall good things especially upon the conditions and as they are promised unto us in the word or to chuse aright by its own power or chuse and when the same objects and motives are propounded to many to difference it self from others either in good or evill either by accepting as of it self that good as suppose the saving grace of God which others refuse or by refusing and resisting that effectuall grace or yet to resist Gods grace and it must submit to corrections by the acceptance whereof others come to be converted and saved So in our Tryals and sufferings when we are crossed in some particulars which we might lawfully desire we must deny our own wil as our blessed Saviour did and say Not my will but thine O heavenly Father be done and so possesse our souls by faith and patience without murmuring or repining 3 In our natural Affection 3. Our naturall Affections especially those whose object is good In these we must be content also with respect to Gods will and glory to deny our selves as 1. as 1 In our Love In our Love suppose to children wife husband friend c. in which we must be content to be crossed and patiently endure the losse of them by death or otherwise the losse of their love for our love to Christ and his truth of which afterwards 2 Desires 2 In our Desires as David refused that water of Bethlehem which he so much formerly desired And we are not to desire any thing of this life in particular but herein so far to deny our selves as to be content to be denyed be it children office preferment c. yea to account such denyall a blessing in hope God hath some greater good in store for us or that God wil sanctifie that crosse and make it a blessing to us seeing we are all apt to abuse good things to our own hurt