way weaker Christians can hardly get to Heaven for them not without stumbling wounding their Consciences and making their hearts to ake 2. Persons that do iniquity no good much mischief in the Church and that make it their employ Too many such there are in the visible Church because they whose concern it is take not that care of and inspection over them as they ought When both these shall be bundled up by the Angel and hurl'd into the fiery furnace as fewel for Hell yet not be consumed but Salamander-like live in the devouring fire and dwell with everlasting burnings Consider these four Particulars 1. The Subjects of future Glory the Righteous 2. What their Dignity preferment and eternal happiness will be viz. 1. They shall shine as they do in Grace and Holiness much more in glory 2. Shine forth i. e. be perfectly freed from every thing that eclipses their light or obscureth the splendor and brightness of their Grace and Holiness 3. Shine forth as the Sun i. e. gloriously incomparably not as the Moon that changeth as the Sun in its noon day glory with unchangeable everlasting light shall they be perfectly glorified 3. The Firmament or place where In the Kingdom of their Father God may as soon be pulled out of Heaven his Being and Glory be extinct as they plucked out of their Orbs and their light and glory be put out 4. The time when when Hypocrites the unrighteous shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented with their Father the Devil and abide there for ever there to the torment of sinners their own unspeakable comfort especially to the glory of God shall the righteous in Heaven shine out Hence Note 1. They that shall be glorified are the righteous viz. through Regeneration Reputation by Sanctification and Acceptation 1. They that are righteous through Regeneration called v. 38. the children of the Kingdom by an usual Hebraism as in those terms children of death children of wrath c. 1. Because they are designed for and constituted by God heirs of the Kingdom And 2. are made capable of it being born of the Word of the Spirit of God himself 1. They are born again not of corruptible black rotting seed but of incorruptible the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever 1 â— et 1.23 24. i. e. Not of the Word of man flowers and flourishâ—s of humane wit and eloquence which soon fade corrupt and like rotten seed come to nothing but of the Word of God pure Gospel v. 25 whence they grow and as the corn sown and the corn in the ear are of the same nature by Regeneration turn as it were very word and spirit that incorruptible seed the Word of the Kingdom being turned into Grace in their hearts changes and transforms them inâ—o new Creatures and they grow from it in Grace and Holiness 2. They are born of the Spirit Joh. 3.5 6. and thereby not only Evangelized but spiritualized 2 Cor. 3 18. Changed into the image of Christ presented to them by the Gospel who received the Spirit without measure and transformed from glory to glory from grace to grace or from one degree of the glorious grace and graces of the Lord the blessed spirit to another made very like not only to their Lord Jesus but the Lord the Spirit Yea 3 ly They are born of God 1 Joh. 3.9 so implicitely termed his children in the Text which calls Heaven by the name of the Kingdom of their Father Though 't is true they grow after in their resemblance of him as they grow more holy as he is holy Eph. 4.23 24. in holiness of Truth wrought in them by the Word of Truth and by the Spirit of Truth whereas before Conversion there is none righteous not one Jew one Gentile one in all the World All are of their father the Devil and his works they will do All are corrupt and do iniquity yea abominable iniquity and do not do good Their best actions in holy Austin's Language are but glittering sins some in our days would say the good Father is out his bolt is soon shot what were the eminent vertues of the Heathens sins how differs Grace from Vertue and Morality therefore we 'l say the best actions of the unregenerate being not from a principle of Grace have nothing of holiness truth of grace and goodness in them So are sins of omission which was Austins meaning They do no good at all 2. Such as are righteous by Reputation i. e. to whom God imputeth not sin and guilt but reckoneth and reputeth righteous in his sight not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for the merit righteousness perfect obedience and full satisfaction of their Lord Jesus received by faith alone This is the good seed the word of truth the Gospel of our Salvation which being scattered by Ministers and blown by the Blessed Spirit into the prepared hearts of Intelligent hearers takes root and grows there They which come up thereby to trust i. e. to hope in Christ and to be justified by faith thorough him they are the good seed the righteous that shall be glorified As the Sons of the first Adam were made sinners the Sons of the second are made righteous None after regeneration can make themselves righteous if they could keep the whole Law since by Adam's disobedience theirs in him they were made sinners All and only believers are constituted righteous by the obedience of Christ who was made of God the second Adam a common head and representative of all that were given to him by the Father This righteousness is not their own but Christs yet 't is theirs being made theirs 1. by Gods Donation 2. by their thankful acceptance apprehending laying hold upon and appropriating of it by faith So if I may borrow the Learned Mr. Richard Hooker his saying God accepts them in Jesus Christ as perfectly righteous as if they had fulfilled all that was commanded in the Law shall I say more perfectly righteous than if they had fulfilled the whole Law I must take heed what I say but the Apostle saith God made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 3 ly They who are by Inchoation I mean by the Word and by the spirit of Holiness truly in part though not perfectly sanctified and made righteous and daily more and more when as 't was in an instant of their being turned to God that they were regenerate of their believing in Christ that they were justified Whom he justified them he also glorified Rom 8.30 i. e. say Divines he sanctified There being not a specifical but only a gradual difference betwixt them and such have love and do righteousness 1. They have righteousness inherent in them answering to what was in the first and in some measure to that which is in the second
of grace the precious and sure promise of the Gospel 1. Well Sirs you believe this truth then suffer the word of Exhortation If you have been enlightened by the Word and Spirit Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father in Heaven 'T is spoken of Ministers whose concern chiefly it is to enlighten the places where they live by their Doctrine holy conference and conversations and they that see their good works by the Sermons they preach and live will glorifie God but the Lords advice reacheth all If you truly desire to shine for ever to shine forth in glory in the most high most holy Heaven the Holy of holies If you have good hopes from your Regeneration by God the Father Vnion with Christ God the Son and Sanctification of the Spirit God the Holy Ghost and the love grace and favour of that one God blessed for ever from your being the children of God by faith united to Christ and also consecrated dedicated and set apart for God and holy uses and though but in part sanctified real and upright Saints shine as the righteous do Not only before Saints 'T is true as to your sincerity you can approve your selves only to God as to your grace and holiness only to Saints from the trade you drive they may know your calling Indeed as to particular acts some Saints may be lyable to mistakes as well as others concerning you and those particular acts of yours but by your doing righteousness giving God and man their due 't will appear there 's some excellence in you and your light will shine before men Saints and sinners What though sinners are wilfully blind and take no notice of that light of grace holiness and righteousness which shines in your lives but rather censure you as hypocrites 'T is not unusual for the vilest of sinners to condemn the best of Saints as such when they dare not speak against the principles of godliness they profess and the accurate ways of Religion they walk in Ah! if they did so in sincerity but I have heard so and so of them they are a company of hypocrites While their false and foul mouths censure you let your holy lives condemn them when they talk of your hypocrisie more carefully look to your sincerity Consider the Item which they give you to have an eye to it Alas if not only men but my own heart and God himself should charge me to be an hypocrite Shine before men as to your good works Let your graces faith hope brotherly love contentment in every condition zeal for the glory of God and the good of precious immortal souls shine before Saints they are things for Saints to judg of and your good works works of Justice Righteousness shine before men they are things that men may judg of True men can't judg of your having grace or acting of it Blind men cannot distinguish colours only such as have a spirit of discerning and a spiritual judgment can do that but men partly know by remainders of the light of nature what honesty what plain dealing a Jewel very rare and of great price is what works of charity are and they expect that men who make the greatest profession of Religion should be more just in their ways and honest in their dealings and when they see some professors at some times fall short herein many presently condemn them as to every other action and the whole Community of Professors for their sakes Yet some when they cannot but perceive a greater light shining in the lives of Professors than of other men will be induced thereby to glorifie God who hath bestowed more light and grace upon them But be they amongst whom you live what they will you know do your duty Phil. 2.15 16. So order your lives as 1. you may be blameless no man may justly complain of you If some do without a cause regard it not what though they cause others to do so 't is but at present and tiâ—l they come to a full hearing and right understanding of your actions And 2. Harmless i. e. yea without will or power to hurt which is the mark of the sheep of Christ or sincere without mixture of deceit or guile Whereas the wicked Bulls of Bashan have more power than authority more will than power to harm and being full of guile will smile in your face when about to cut your throat speak friendly when they are doing you the shrewdest diskindness 3. In the midst of an age of men that are crooked full of windings and turnings turn this way or that way according to their company and perverse or rather perverted that once had better thoughts of the ways of Religion but now are of another opinion 't is well if more be not perverted by the Devil's angels of light than are converted by Christs ye shine as stars that retain and keep their light Holding forth the word of life for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts that we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope As a most pious Divine saith There may be Justice where there is only morality there can be no Religion where there is not Justice The Text tells you the light of the salutiferous Gospel more effectually teacheth sobriety justice and piety than the light of Nature or Morality doth without which there can be no looking for that blessed hope the appearing of Christ and of our selves with him in glory with any comfort Will hopes of keeping up their credit in the world of getting a little gain thereby make men deal honestly and seem righteous before men Let hopes of eternal light life and glory make you do so and be truly righteous before God If you have taken out that lesson Live like men yea like men Evangelized of which sort I fear there are more of the poor than of the rich as there were in our Saviours time I could heartily wish the words of the forementioned Divine were imprinted on your memories engraven on your hearts When men talk so much of Godliness and of Church Discipline and others come to deal with them they are so cunning and will fetch over men as well as any as griping as any these are burdensome members to a Church that wrong Religion your injustice herein is a greater evil than the injustice of any man The injustice of a moral man does not make men shie of dealing with all moral men but injustice in you makes men shie of dealing with any that make profession of Religion and to say none are so deceitful as they and though that objection does come usually from malice yet it cannot be denied but those that make profession give too much advantage for it The truly righteous are the right Honourable a Saints Coat of
second sort of hearers by hearkening to the Word get only some notional knowledg and understanding of it and are much affected with it they receive it with joy yet taking no root in the heart brings forth no fruit though it makes impression on their memories stays long there and on their affections yet this is all the fruit which is as good as none They can only talk how well they liked such a Minister such sentences Expositions Expressions of his yet with the same breath they will speak as evil of other Ministers as well of them they receive it into their ears and memories not into their judgments into their affections not their hearrs The affections of many are much wrought upon when their wills are not else they would not run as some do from one to many seeking scratch for the Itch in their ears novelties to please their fancies but would stay most where they might profit The third sort go farther they receive the Word though not in the love of it and let it abide till it spring up in the blade in a fair profession such a liking they have of it yet there 's no corn in the ear no change in the judgment heart or conversation for the cares of the world distracting cares about worldly concerns in prosperity and the deceitfulness of deceitful riches lying vanities choak the Word when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by are they offended and let the Word go rather than any part of their Estate especially if they espy any likelihood of gain that may accrew unto themselves thereby But new-born babes must not be forgotten 3. Are you born of God partakers of the Divine Nature then 1. Do you lay up casting up all prejudice i. e. by friendly communications acquaint your nursing Fathers how corrupt you were wherewith all carnal unregenerate persons are clogged and do abound viz. all malice guile hypocrisies envies evil speakings Do you desire the milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Where spiritual life is there will be spiritual longings for spiritual food for the preservation and nourishment of it for augmentation in each part not only in the head with notions as in children which have the Rickets such are weak in their hands and feet can't act or go one stroke heavenward Do you rellish most such particular subjects concerning Grace Christ God in Christ as your hearts were at first most wrought upon by you 'l think you can never hear enough of these Truths by which you had a taste how gracious the Lord is Sincere milk of the Word that is not adulterated with humane inventions pure Gospel is spiritual may not I say Angelical food they long bow down that with their eyes fixed upon the Propitiatory on Christ they may look into the Gospel which the Holy Ghost sends down from heaven See more of Christ and the grace of God and get a sip whereby they may be fed with light in their love admirations and praises of God blessed for ever The child of God can no more digest some mens quaint Orations others sublime Discourses than Austin could Tullies works where he found not the name of Jesus The end he proposes to himself in hearing is that he may grow in grace the knowledg of Christ conformity to him spiritual and heavenly-mindedness in likeness to God holiness in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.14 15 16. in abstaining from fleshly lusts and having his conversation honest amongst others that God may be glorified Consider 1 Pet. 1.4 5 6 7. 2. Do you grow by the Word But your growth being gradual and discernable rather by others than your selves resolve this question 3. Can you clear your Regeneration to your own souls by your living a new life and conversation a new life in holiness which is called the life of God argues a new a Divine nature he is born of God that is a new man created after God after his Image and likeness in righteousness and holiness of truth compare your selves with Rom. 6.4 Eph. 4 th 5 th Chapters And Col. 3. newness of life and conversation is the best evidence of Regeneration Ye did live like men according to the course of the world in the age you live in according to the Devil in disobedience the lusts of the flesh and carnal mind the fulfilling your manifold wills and pleasures do ye now live and walk like the children of God i. e. in an holy awe of God serving him with filial reverence and out of love in ways well pleasing to him Is your fear more to displease God than man your care to please him rather than your selves or others you lived a careless secure carnal life do you live a strict a spiritual life now Ye were worldly are you heavenly-minded and your thoughts and affections set on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things of everlasting concernments to your precious immortal souls Ye lived in the commission of such sins the omission or careless performance of such and such duties your hearts tell you what Ministers cannot therefore speak to you only in Generals do you find through grace now ye dare not do not at least will not do it Believe it a change in the heart is best discerned by a reformation in the life mens living another life than they did whilst in a state of sin nature and unregeneracy both as to their leaving known sins and living in the practise of known duties 2. Are ye righteous through reputation after ye were wrought off from a course in sin to a constant course in duty were ye brought off from resting on your own righteousness in careful abstaining from sin performance of duty to relye wholly on Christ and his righteousness for Justification All the children of God sooner or later are brought over not only from sin to duty but also from self and self-righteousness to Christ by faith united to and ingrafted into him They see their best services are impure imperfect they need Christ and his righteousness so desire Phil. 3.9 They are brought to this at last though it may be long first faith in Christ the seed of it may be wrought in regeneration long before the perceptible acting and exercise of that grace and if you will call it so the younger Twin Repentance towards God gets the start for when man has been throughly convinced he has by sin deserved hell poor creature 't is natural for him so to do he seeks by a righteousness of his own to climb up to heaven We should do duty as if we were to get to heaven by it but trust no more to it than if we were to go to hell for it for failings I mean in the performance of it Do ye know believe ye were made sinners guilty liable to eternal death upon the special verdict of the Blessed Trinity on that righteous sentence of the Law the Covenant of Works Gen. 2.15
by the disobedience of the first Adam and that ye can never be acquitted therefrom but through the obedience of Christ the second Adam by your believing on him and his righteousness have you had the sense of that sin that guilt lying up on you as much as the guilt of the want of original righteousness corruption of nature of actual sins of omission and commission have you had a sight of your need of Christ of his perfect righteousness so as to apprehend it as that wherewith alone God is and can be well pleased and satisfied and as that which is only sufficient to justifie you in his sight Have you by faith applied and appropriated this righteousness to your selves and so trusted i. e. hoped in Christ after ye heard this word of Truth Ephes 1.7 This Gospel of your Salvation Ephes 1.12 13. Do you lay the weight of all your confidence all your hopes for Salvation on this corner-stone Christ God-man on whom the Church is built The more after Regeneration ye abstain from sin perform duty the more will you see sin in your natures lives and the guilt of commissions and omissions carelesness in the performance if not neglects of duty you 'l have less sin but more light and so not have but see more sin in and by your selves and the more your sin unrighteousness and the impurity and imperfection of your own righteousness the righteousness of Christ the perfection of it are discovered to you the more will ye go on from faith to faith and live by it Rom 16.17 3. Are you righteous inchoatively i. e. in part some measure and degree purified and sanctified by the Word and through the Sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience 1. Have you righteousness inherent gracious dispositions and habitual grace the graces of the Spirit infused into and wrought in you By these is the new nature clearly evidenced The blessed God having created a new man will not leave off his work till he hath made him a real and conspicuous Saint do you find as a corrupt nature remainders of indwelling sin by evil dispositions inclining you to that which is evil so a sanctified nature by gracious dispositions inclining byassing you to that which is holy just and good Do those dispositions the blessed Spirit moving you to frequent exercise become habitual Rom. 4.5 6. 7.14 to the end In the unregenerate and unsanctified ones there are nothing but evil dispositions which the Devil helping on grow up into evil habits and strongly incline them to that which is evil to love it and to do it In the sanctified though there be corruption yet there is grace though there be remainders even of hypocrisie yet there is truth of grace and many gracious dispositions infused by the Spirit which by his mighty co-operation with the Word grow into habits strongly set them against all evil make them hate and abhor it and byass them unto that which is good making them to love it Rom. 7.19 they would do that good which they do not and would not do that evil which they do whereas a sinner a wicked man that good that he doth he would not do that evil which he doth he would do and he doth it in despight of God and man and his own conscience very freely very willingly indeed with all his heart Therefore 2. Doth grace in your heart frequently shew it self 1. By your hatred of sin of every false way that appears to you by the light of the Word and Spirit so to be And 2. by your love to holiness and righteousness and an universal respect to all Gods commands is the firm and full resolution of your souls and your daily endeavour to bring your hearts and lives into as near a conformity to the mind and will of God as possibly ye can Though ye too oft fail in the doing of it is it the desire of your hearts and your endeavour to be as good holy righteous as God would have you to be weaker Christians seeing many failings in their duties much sin in their hearts little good done in their lives conclude they are not regenerate they should discern and bewail that they are sanctified but in part and pray and strive that they may be wholly Had they not been regenerate they could not have seen that sin which they see nor have done duty and had they not been sanctified they could not have so hated sin which they see and so loved righteousness as to be much troubled that they do so much of the one so little of the other 3. That ye may know whether you have not only gracious dispositions but habits the graces of the Spirit in you Chiefly have an eye to your work business and employment in the world True Paul did not some good that he would did do some sin that he would not yet he did abstain from much evil do much good Who so much as he the weakest poorest Saint does some good that is not only his profession but his trade his calling Ye cannot but know what work you have been doing and done since you came into the world What good have ye done in your places and generations Joh. 5.28 29. they that should have minded things of concernment did many frivolous things or actions that should be done but not aright according to Gods appointment and many mischievous acts shall arise to condemnation and they which have done many and many a good act and deed good for their kind and the manner of their doing of them from good principles and for right ends shall arise to the Resurrection of life a life in glory remember as much as ye can of your good actions Try them by the Touchstone do you think they will abide the trial another day at the day of judgment Oh that there were a heart in all of you to do all that has been desired in the sight of God! then I am sure you will 4. Above all try whether you have in all been upright and sincere and righteous before God Do you give God his due and to men theirs and do both as under the eye in the sight of God The Formalist gives God part not his whole due his body not his soul his cap and knee but not his heart he regards not God and God regards not him The meer Moralist will give man his due he either respects or fears him but will not give God his he gives to God very little if any at all he cares but little for God and God as little for him The hypocrite pretends to give both God and man their due carries it so as if he would have others think he doth it but God sees him sees he doth all to be seen of men nothing as in the sight of God he hath his reward Only the truly righteous gives as well as he can both God and man their due and doth both as in the sight of God his
loved us he was pleased to make us vessels of grace and mercy when he might have made us vessels of wrath That ever the Lord should have thoughts of mercy on such sinful creatures such vile wretches worse than worms or Toads They have poyson in them but no enmity against God Oh that God should give his Christ for us to us and faith in Christ both work it and preserve it in us Yea he was one that lived by faith and he is gone to receive the end of it the salvation of his soul 3 ly He was no Solifidian but being sanctified in part truly righteous 1. Having infused habits of grace and righteousness in him light and love faith and hope inclining him to walk in new obedience and worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing 1. Knowledg without which the heart is not good he knew the grace of God in truth and through grace had treasured up a large stock of saving solid practical experimental knowledg which furnished him with great abilities not only to convince gain-sayers which crept in as new lights of their broaching old errors but wherein he did most delight to give knowledg and discretion to weaker Christians and to illuminate and instruct the righteous Many able Ministers loved to sit at his feet for they received by one Sermon of his those instructions which they could not get by many Books or Sermons of others His heat and zeal for the honour of God and the good of souls was proportioned to his light he was as much a burning as a shining light 2 ly As for his sparkling love he had bowels of compassion for sinners to snatch them out of the flames and for Saints to direct them into the love of Christ of holiness and righteousness I need not speak unto you of his Preaching How oft went he to children of light walking in darkness to cheer and revive them with cordials wherewith the Lord had usually refreshed him This great Physician of souls had great practice and was rarely found out of his study where he was commonly immured five days in the week twelve hours each of those days I will not say as some to make one Sermon I know he had other work there unless gone to visit and relieve his Patients 3. For his Hope he might appeal to God and say with David Lord I have hoped for thy salvation the great and glorious the promised rewards eternal life and glory and so have done thy commandment as the righteous have he had hopes in his death 'T was his longing desire and his hopes were that he should shortly be in that sinless estate in Heaven where there is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the perfection of grace and holiness Hypocrites fancying something they know not what of the glory and happiness of that place I believe sometimes have desires to go to Heaven when they die and hopes they shall go thinking themselves too good for hell and better than many others but sure they would reach and pursue more after holiness and perfection were their desires after and hopes for Heaven real and sincere but as to Mr. Charnock these gracious dispositions inclin'd him 1 ly To love righteousness to cherish countenance and encourage holiness and to hate iniquity to reprove sin where he found it thouâ—h in his dearest friends imitating his Father in Heaven who is not only an all seeing God that espies sin where ever it is but so holy pure and perfect that he hates sin where ever he finds it yet his reproofs never brake the head but heal'd the heart went down smoothly like precious oyl being compounded of such ingredients much Christian meekness prudence compassion love as well as zeal Yea 2. Grace in the heart set his hands at work the work of righteousness made him only mind that work and so much abound in it Should you bring me many eminent Saints choice Ministers yet I believe I may say without adulation Mr. Charnock did labour more than them all I am sure though I do not particularize them his works will be had in remembrance and praise him in the gates So I question not but the Lord did accept him 3 ly As Righteous in his own eye though I say it may be you observed some failings in him That which I wishly looked for and am perswaded I found in him for so far as 't is in man to judg it seemed to me the most sparkling Jewel in the Crown of Glory which he wore upon his head was sincerity he would give God his own himself soul and body a living and an acceptable sacrifice his whole heart his life which he spent in the service of God and of the faith of his people I remember if I mistake not something he reply'd to one that told him If he studied so much 't would cost him his life to this effect Why it cost Christ his life to redeem and save me His time which he husbanded best to that end his Talents Parts Gifts and Graces He was careful to watch over his heart that he knew too well to trust and against spiritual pride 'T was apparent he had frequently been with God in the Mount especially at Sacramâ—nt-seasons when Christ is as it were transfigured lively crucified before his people and looks with a most amiable countenance white and ruddy his face then and after his conversation shone in holâ—nâ—ss yet such was his humility he himself took no notice of it though others did observe it with admiration he would adhere to Christ observe his Ordinances according to his prescription And his main care was always to worship God in spirit and in truth 2 ly As to himself he watched and kept his garments as he kept himself unspotted from the world 3 ly He gave others their due one instance whereof he was a Preacher of Righteousness He or rather Christ in him by the blessed Spirit preached in season and out of season sometimes to such as would not be perswaded But 4 ly Especially to his Flock whether many others came flocking like Doves unto the windows that he might better fulfill this righteousness of his Office He did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as Plato affirms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather as the Apostle exhorts he did study to be quiet and to mind and do his own business and all his care was to work out the salvation of himself and of his people Indeed not long after he had received light himself when the Lord by his blessing on his endeavours had qualified him for it such such was his love he gave forth light unto others inviting them and saying Come and see Jesus 1. In Southwark where seven or eight in that little time Providence continued him there owned their conversion under God to his Ministry and were the seal and Letters Testimonial thereof Then in the University of Oxford and adjacent parts After in Dublin where it might be said of