then he was strong Great Knowledge devote Holinesse and high Thoughts chooke Faith only humilitie preserveth it The one lives by opinion as light as wind but the other by Faith and mercie he feels nothing but weaknesse and guilt 3. Well-worth weak and repenting hearts that weep with Peter We deny him often but repent seldom What ever knowledge or other thing they have yet if this be kept lively Faith shall not fail though it be seemingly lost and he turned his back and he sees no way to peace Yet wait a while and light will spring out of darknesse and well-worth Crosse that preserves Repentance in man when he sees his own beastly guilt how he hath forsaken God and run from him and sees how all fails then he returns So it is hard to preserve Faith lively in prosperitie It is a great point of simplicitie to enjoy all gifts and yet look at none We see then whereby man is preserved in all straits viz a praying and believing heart all else vanish 4. But praying dayes are gone We have wept but now rejoyce We were weak but now strong in our selves Strengthen thy Brethren Pitie not me nor weep for me but weep for thy self and pitie thy Brâ—thren So that As the life of Faith is in Christ only see the practice of Faith is in love to the Brethren David Psal 16. My goodness is nothing unto thee but to the Saints that are in the Earth Thus all rules of practice after Faith that are stablished by Paul are such like as help the weak admonish the un-ruly c. and Christ left this his last Law Love one another and Faith works by love This was Christs practice all his dayes in doing good this is a free disposition of a Redeemed Spirit the flesh seeks its own but love doth not 1. Thus is the Fathers Love spread abroad and the Truth of the Gospel and the Church increased and herein is the Communion of Saints 1. But we all walk in the thearick knowledge of Faith and Christ and nourish our thoughts therein but we foresake the practice of Faith for self-Love and Pride hath drowned all hearty Religion Do we help the poor and relieve them nay we spoil them do we bear with the Weak nay we judge them do we cover the sins of others nay we spread them Do we love our Enemies nay We hate them 2. I wish we had lesse Knowledge so we had more Faith and Love Is it not a shame to see how Drunkards are linkt together and every Sect as one man yet we that professe to believe in Christ lead everie man to his own gain So we thrive we care not who losse who grieves and bears the burden of others I will go with thee though all forsake thee Pride of heart and over-weaning conceit of our own power because of some singular gift above others is the readie way to fall before all so it s in the Jews Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar Lucifer So that There is a presumptuous and proud carlesse confidence from the arm of flesh which goes under the name of Faith and lifts man up in securitie a while but will fail in the end Thus David Psal 30. And his numbering the people SERMON XV. Dan. 3.16.19 Then Shedrach Meshach and Abednegâ— answered and said to the King O Nebuchadnezzar we are not careful to answer thee in this matter IN the former Chapter Daniel had interpreted the Kings Dream concerning the Image of Gold Silver Brasse Iron and Clay and the destruction of several Monarchies by the Stone hewed out of the Mountain without hands that is to say The power of Christ whose Kingdom should overcome all the rest and be everlasting never to be destroyed by which the King was convinced to acknowledge the great Power and Wisdom of the God of Daniel and sell into admiration but understood not the Mysterie of Christ therein nor the downfal of his Kingdom therefore presently returns to his old Idolatrie So that The Word of God from God and the great work of his power doth for the present put man to silence and convinceth him yet where the heart remains hardened and that the mysterie of Christ is hid from man he soon returns to his old vanitie and Idolatrie of his own heart Thus they are often convinced by the great Works of God Psal 16. Yet forgot how they were brought out of Egypt and walked not in the Covenant but returned tâ— their Lusts And the Pharisees in Christs time often put to silence but soon grew wise again to maintain there own Kingdom Yea how manie of his followers who saw his greaâ— Workes and confessed never man spake like him or did the like spake with such power and assurance and yet forsooke him see the stony ground and those of Judea 1. For ease and peace and prosperitie being offered and a man lothe to live without them they choak the VVord 2. The Knowledge of the Gospel without the power of Christ and his death hardens above all none such enemies to the simplicitie thereof 3. For if the Truth and Power of God be revealed yet if God keep not the Promise of Repentance by the Crosse so bring man under the power of that Word he soon starts up and becomes Wise and Righteous in himself not in Christ in the flesh not in Faith 4. Though for the present it dash man and convince him that he confesseth and sweareth that it is the truth yet when it both crosseth his present ease and libertie brings no life but death for the present he grows wearie unlesse the great power and love of God pursue his Soul by his Word and Crosse Hence comes so much back-sliding in the church that men admire the great Power of God yet not living in Repentance under the Crosse Every thing starts up and so they turn to the old way or a new device of their own but do not believe the down-fal of their Kingdom for the present For most men when they have talked and shewed abroad their Wisdom Righteousnesse and increased their Glorie they are the old men again The World is welcome and sweet Sin as light themselves at ease secure as they had never known such a thing 1. And yet they know their ease and securitie ariseth not out of simple confidence of Faith but hardnesse of heart and clothed under a vail of Religion 2. So it is a fearful thing to grow hardened after truth revealed that man joyn hands with the World that sin become lesse sinful in conceit This is a meer securitie and not Faith for if a man flie off and that the Word cease to judge man arraigned at Gods judgement seat For Christ hath two judgements in mans heart viz Judgement and Mercie so it is said Man must give an account of what he hath done Yea of every â—dle Word which is true in mans heart for they are judged and man tormented untill he apply to
nor profit but only the maintenance of the Truth of the Gospel viz. Faith in Christ only and Love to all men So that this being their example Note that Faith in Christ and simple Love to Man is the very Summe of the Gospel and the Life of all Religion in the heart of Man Gal. 5. Faith works by love 1. Tim. 1. The end of the Commandment is love out of a pure heart a good Conscience and faith unfeigned all else ver 7. is dross and dung This is the summe of all Pauls Epistles This Paul to Tim calls the spirit of faith love and a sound mind Thus Paul thanks God for to the Col. the Faith and love to all Saints c. 1. For these destroy Self Righteousness and Self Confidence and Self Love which are the poyson of all Religion viz. Self Witt and Self Will these Adam got and therein opposed God 2. For by Faith he is made a Lord over all things that will suffer nothing to start up in the Church and in his Heart but Christ and by Love he is servant to all and plyable and servant to every one By the one he is freed with God and by the other amongst men 3. By Faith he that had thought to live in and by himself through the Law comes to dye in himself and to live in and by another 4. Nay all Religion without these is nothing but meer opinion and conceit whereby the heart is puffed up and so not fit for mercy and also tyed to himself and his own good Minde the Religion of Christ was it any thing but a denying of himself and cleaving to the Father and giving himself to the Church in love yea to his very Enemies Which Faith and Love is nothing else but a partaker so of himself and his own weaknesse Sin and Death thereby that he can believe and trust nothing in himself or the world but only the Word of God and in that weakness waits on Christ and meere Mercy and cut of that dislike of himself and love to that he sees in Christ loves all judgeth none but himself 1. How far are we then from Christs Religion when all our Religion is 1. Either in Fire of questions and disputations about this and that Opinion maintaining of our singular conceits wherein we seem to excel others in knowledge whereby true love is drowned quite 2. Or in some singular conceit of quality and disposition which we conceive in our selves and thereby grow proud and despise Christ and trample mercy under our feet 3. Or in high roveing conceits of the eternal Deity Majesty and Power and Secret Will and Purpose of God without Christ whereby the heart is hardened 4. Or in the Notion of the Gospel and Christ and faith without the power thereof gloriously vaunting of deep Mysteries But in all these the thing is wanting viz. an humble low believing and loving heart like unto Christ 1. Thus in all these man leaves his own heart and followes his heady opinion he forsakes Christ and pleaseth himself with his own qualities turnes from the word and followes vain speculations denyes the Faith and lives by the flesh 2. Know then that whatever would draw thee from Christ and his Truth is not the Doctrine of God whatever sets up man and makes him any thing but a Sinner is not the doctrine of Christ but of the Devil and Antichrist for it destroyes faith Pray we then that the Doctrine of the Gospel even of Faith and Love may be continued pure in the Church For Maus Wit and Reason will gather a thousand Errors out of Gods Truth viz. when it will not be content to become a fool but will needs comprehend a spiritual Truth and determine thereof according to its own Principles and Judgement Then it brings a world of absurdities for all errors have risen out of the Wit of fleshly minded men for the Spirit leads unto all Truth And I fear there will arise men of perverse minds to pervert the truth of the Gospel some to their carnal liberty some to the establishing of a righteousnesse and power in man without Christ bear we the Infirmities of men But take heed of false Doctrine in the Church for this is the worst of all And I pray God that many alive do not see that the Truth of the Gospel be turned into the Mysterie of Iniquitie and a greater Mysterie of spiritual wickednesse than yet we have seen Sed magna Veritas praevaletâ— Great is the Truth and prevaileth 4. But the kindly effect of the Gospel is to establish these two in the heart of man viz. to bring all things down in man by the Crosse of Christ and so lay him low under thee feet of all For the Gospel is a low thing Faith is a low thing though mighty in Christ and Love is a low thing Therefore all high flowen Chimical Divinity is the Doctrine of Satan and not of Christ And therefore if man be brought under the power hereof then will Christ be precious to him and his Word will be the Life and Treasure of his Soul because man hath nothing to stay him in his deep humility but only he And then will man love a man because he is a man and not because he is of my opinion or good to me or of my way or linage but loves as Christ did yea h s very Enemies As you have us for an example viz. Us in whom you see the Truth of the Gospel to rule and to walk according to the same who seek Christs Kingdom not ours So that He walks safely who truly feeling his own weaknesse and believes man for the Truths sake and not the Trâ—uâ—h for mans sake Follow me as I follow Christ But many were drawn away by the Error of the wicked For man having a good conceit of another is apt to believe what he saith for he believes that God is with him and so falls into odd opinionâ— 1. Better we should never preach than that the Gospel should be believed for our sakes Can we that are nothing buâ— error add to the Truth of God nay if God be not with us and guide us we shall tell a thousand lies for Truth 2. But woe be to that man who becomes by his example a perverter of the Brethren either for matter of Faith or Life or Liberty It had been better he had â—ever been born Take heed then how we depend on â—an there is one man for all even the man Christ Who is the way the truth and the life follow him in the way oâ— faith and love of whom I have told you often because of the danger thereof mans weaknesse So that Man is apt and weak of himself to be drawn into an â—vil way of error and hardly to believe the truth and â—tick thereto 1. For he is blind of understanding apt to believe any thing that may further his fleshly Kingdom â—oath to believe any thing that
iâ— sent into the World to reveal it to man We know not the mind of God but we have the mind of Christ 2. All other handles the Word deceitfully and is nothing but the teaching of the Serpent to draw man from God 3. He hath gone the way himself others have but seen it in a map 1. But there are manie false Teachers and Preachers in the World As Satan preacheth liberty unto sin the World riches and careing and fleshlie pleasures But these are not the Doctrine of the Christ 2. Others will be wise in heavenlie doctrine by fleshlie wisdom and so think by art and learning to compasse it and so transcend above Christ and lyes not low with him 3. Others teach Christ to be a Law-giver and so frame a righteousnesse in seeming obedience but knows not the power of his death and life 1. As the drunkard to wallow in pleasure and live like a beast at the stale didst thou learn this at Christ 2. The wordling carking caring gathering didst thou learn that at Christ who had not his kingdom here 3. The proud vain glorious that looks for respect did Christ teach thee that Who pulls down every high thought 4. The malicious striving contentious man did Christ so Nay the Doctrine of Christ was 1. To pull down man and lay him low and exalt God and the power of his truth 2. To Crosse the World and stablish Faith 3. To kill the Flesh and stablish patience to destroy Lust and stablish Love But we like noâ— this doctrine it gives no liberty to the Flesh hereby all false doctrine is detected For I am meek and lowly in heart so should you be So that Lowelie meek-minded men who are humbled in themselves and daily judge their own unworthinesse shall enjoy most rest unto their Souls Christ reviled not again Mat. 5. Blessed are the meekâ— And a meek and quiet Spirit is much set by He that humbles himself shall be exalted the whole Gospel runâ— on this string 1. For they are fitted to bear all estates 2. Nothing vexeth man but Pride and unquietnesse of his own mind when he looks for this and that and strives cares and frets and no rest 3. He lives by meer mercie having no good thought of himself 1. This is not a softnesse of nature fretting within 2. Nor a Pharisaical hanging down the head like a bul-rush as Isa 6.8 3. Nor a lurking like a dog under a cudgile But a true understanding of himself and his own vilenesse which brings down pride judgeth himself justifie others applyant mind readie to suffer all and passe by them SERMON IV. Luke 2.8 9 10. And there were in the same countrey shepherds abiding in the field and watching their flocks by night And the Angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone about them and they were sore afraid c. IN the former verses hath been laid down the birth of Christ and the manner thereof According to the prophesies gone of him before Here is laid down the manifestation hereof to the world It was the greatest message that ever was brought into the World and the most unliklie to be believed by the World That a poor infant born of poor Parents so disrespected in the World that they could not be admitted to come into the Inne but born in a stable and laid in a manger wrapped in a few cloaths And this now revealed to the poor shepherds in the fields and by them reported to the men of Bethlem When the Church being then in trouble and bondage looked for some great and glorious Messiah to come with great pompe and power to work deliverance for them and this must be the man raised up by the power of God to be the light of the Gentiles and the glorie of Israel We celebrate this Feast in remembrance of this great Savior and worker of deliverance Like that of Purim in Esther But we consecrate it to Bacchus not to Christ in Rioting and Drunkennesse in Chambring Wantonnesse c. And not in povertie of Spirit and humility with Christ but in pride and fullnesse of the World Our joy is not in communion with Christ in his birth and death but in liberty to the Flesh forgetting of all O if Christ should come as he will come and find us thus One swilling and drinking another carding and dicing another whoring And all under pretence of love to him Would he take it well O no! Christ was born in a time and manner little looked for by the World and yet in a time of great need For the Church was now grown to a low ebb From Ezraâ—s Nehemiahs time after the second Temple and one during the time of the Maccabees They suffered great persecution darknesse as Heb. 11. For now they had no more Prophesies but a very vaiting on the word of Promises Yea now according to Jacobs Prophesie the Scepter was departed from Judah and they Tributaries to the Romans And now was the time though not known to the World not expected yet now the fullnesse of time being come Christ is sent Thus God dealeth in the Kingdom of Christ So that God hath a time reserved in his own purpose for deliverance and redemption of man which he sends not when and how he lastingly expects but only to be waited one by lowly Faith in tâ—e word of Truth which shall come when man in Flesh and sense sees least reason and least expects it When thou brought again the captivity of Jacob or Sion we were as them that dream Hab. 2. The vision is for an appointed time and the prodigal little looked for intertainment 1. For so God deals in all that he may be magnified For to the wicked he comes in judgment when they are eating and drinking and cry peace peace and to believers in mercy when they cry woe and misery bondage and death 2. He hath given a sure Word of the Prophets to be attended on For the time he hath in his own power and that time is worth waiting on in Faith and Patience 3. It is not mans device and work that can haften his time Not going up to Heaven nor down to Hell but abiding in the word of truth being near even in our hearts Thus we would all fain hasten the time As in the Church there was great expectation yea Abraham desired to see this day So we all would know where when and how But the Kingdom of Christ comes not with observâ—tion 1. If we be in miserie we think too long and murmure Thy desire God sees but thy Impatience he likes not He will answer thy desires and longing but he will make thee First willing to bear his Indignation Yea and we no sooner begin to feel the smart of our guilt a little but we think Christ should presentlie come nay but we must pay tribute and be taxed and feel Repentance and the bitternesse thereof and wait in
Religion almost is but the fruit of maâ— witt and brain and not of a troubled heart but for aâ— end of mans self Gods mercy is simple and his work simple also but all Religion that hath an end in man heart towards man is not of God simple So man is busie in seeking and working to make himself rich searching knowing to become wise glorious Nay man labours to mortifie the flesh to get life thereby but mortification to dayly dying is life but to get life thereby is death for where man kills the flesh to quicken Life he loseth both for all mortification so much urged by Christ Paul is only that care diligence according to that Wisdom given to us that thereby the flesh and daily lust may be kept under that the heart harden not by fleshlie ease fulnesse and so grow wanton but not to give Life to the Soul and so are all wayes of mortification It is good to restrain appetite to keep out the World to walk temperatlie and soberlie and diligentlie in our calling These are good and honest wayes to be chosen to keep under the rebellious Flesh But to do these with an opinion of Life thereby is most base and double dealing for while we pretend to be humble 〈◊〉 inwardlie proud while we seem to mourn we laugh in our selves he that deals with Christ must deal with a single mind and shut all out at doors but Christ and thou and Christ argue the case What thou can plead for thy self and thou shalt see all reason dumb and nothing in thee but a poor prisoner praying daily for pardon and in nothing the freenesse of his grace more appear then in calling the Gentiles This is it which Christ saith They shall come from the east west c. And the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out So they are not happie whom man accounts but whom God accounts so What he did to those that knew nothing but gropping after goodnesse even sought it in man and so thought that the Souls of those excellent men ascended some into the Sun Moon and Stars became Gods persecuted Christ evermore even to those blind men he sent his speciallest messenger that even was to open their eyes and turn them from darknesse to light So that Whom God intends to make happie he sooner or latter calls and brings his heart by the Word of truth out of the World and himself and all to rest simply on him and believe as Matth 22. Psal 45. Hearken O daughter Sion thou must leave thy Fathers house and Abraham Gen. 12. c. For man is gone out into the World and himself else should we never have stood in need of this Word but it should have lived in us for ever but being gone from God he sends out his message saying Go carrie my will and promise to lost man and bid him behold me For this is the execution of his purpose this calling is outward inward Outward in the outward dispensation of the Gospel he layes before man his Will and Promise and so man understanding and fixing thereon sees a kind of good in it and approves of it Inward when through the inward power of the Truth he finds out mans heart and brings it to it self separating it from the World and its own devices in sorrow and misery and to attend on his Promise though man see nothing but death and misery S◠〈◊〉 this calling is not as most think a mending of this or that Action but a destruction of all and calling man from it not to make him wise to fulfill his own will but to lose it The Word is Evocare viz. Call out as out of Egypt have I called thee Woe then to them that are dayly sought and called and have not an ear to hear Like these Guests Matth. 22. Their minds are shut up they see not their own wants nor the beauty of the Brid-groom set before them God calls man to partake of his love but man saith I have another and so the righteous Wrath oâ— God lights on him For though some expound that 〈◊〉 Matth. 12. Calling those that were bidden That this bidding is the universal grace given to all and that callinâ— is a further grace added to the free-will Yet I take thaâ— addingâ— to be the Covenant made with the Jews tâ— whom he offers the light of the Gospel as Acts the 18 This calling abides still in the use of the Gospel as Firsâ— To dâ—lly Repentance 2. To believing 3. To do his Will in obedience of Love 4. To suffer in Patience To a Rebellious People Though they pretended Holinesse and the service of God yet they were grown Rebellious against his Will and Word So that There is in all men a Rebellious Will and Lust yea even in believers which it ever leads man from God into misery and bondage as in Adam and David And Paul complains of it Rom. 7. Gal. 5. This fights against the Spirit though the will and desire of man be natural qualities yet when they are set upon vain objects and come to rule and draw they ever bring into bondage For hereby is God more denied than by any for though they know him to be true they trust him not and as for a stranger to denie and distrust a man is nothing but for a Child it is Rebellion and Rebellion is as the sin of Witch-craft it denyes God and makes a Covenant with the Devil and workes through envie ever to destruction Thus unblief ever Rebells against God yea raiseth up arms against him When he would be a King no say they This man shal not rule over us but would reign as King themselves But believers most of all who dwell in the Kings House and professe alledgeance and service and yet underneath practise and labour that they may be King and wear the Crown and so are still drawn from God by Lust and fleshlie Wisdom And this may he say to our Land he hath stretched out his hand long over us but we still Rebel witnesse 1. That common trade of iniquitie as common as breathing 2. That hardnesse of heart under the Vail of the Gospel 3. That heartlesse dealing betwixt Religion and the World 4. That casting off the Word we professe believe not that to be true which we know c. This makes man an enemie to God this is it which makes thee cast the Son out of doors we walk in a way that is not good after our own thoughts So the Lord may say They have forsaken my Covenant They follow their own which leads into an ill way of Life So that When man forsakes the simple Word of God and cleaves to the devices and inventions of his own thoughts and follows them he forsakes the way of Life chuseth the way of Death which never prosper It was the Curse that lay on the Gentiles That he suffered everie one to walk in his