saving knowledge A people may be in the bosome of the Church live under the means of grace and partake of the Ordinances of God and yet notwitstanding all this be void of the saving knowledge of God This is a Point that ariseth clearly and evidently from the Text These people of whom the Prophet speaks were in the Church of God lived under the Ordinances and enjoyed all the outward priviledges of the people of God yet he saith of them they are a people of no understanding they knew nothing of God and salvation in a sanctifying and saving manner It is easie to confirm the truth of this Doctrine by other places of Scripture The Scribes and Pharisees sate in Moses chair and were the teachers of others and therefore one would thinke should have understanding themselves yet our Saviour saith Matth. 13.14 That in them was fulfilled the prophesie of Isaiah which saith By hearing yee shall hear and shall not understand and seeing yee shall see and shall not perceive It was not any want of means they could alledge or that they lacked the Ordinances for they were alwaies hearing and hearing they had all the light that could be afforded them to guide their feet into the way of peace and no question but they waited upon those means and yet they were not informed yet they were not inlightned to know the things that concerned the glory of God and their own peace in a saving manner they heard but understood not they saw but perceived not In the like manner Isai 42.19 the Lord complaineth of his own servants those that should have been neer to him indeed Who is blinde but my servant or deaf as my messenger that I sent Who is blind as he that is perfect and blind as the Lords servant Seeing many things but thou observest not opening the eares but he heareth not It is generally conceived that this is spoken of those that drew neer to God even in the Ministery and Priesthood and were brought up especially for this service yet notwithstanding who so blind as they were and who so ignorant as the Messengers he sent It was also the Apostles complaint of the Hebrews that whereas for the time they might have been teachers of others they had need to be taught again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5.12 Having so long a while injoyed the means of grace and salvation and under the light of the Gospel and had so many gracious instructions and reproofs surely they might have been in the highest Form in the School of Christ they might have been guiders and teachers of others yet notwithstanding they had need themselves to be taught the very first Rudiments the very A B C. of Religion they remained ignorant of the first principles of the Oracles of God and were fitter to be fed with milk than with strong meat In the prophecie of Jeremy the Lord sendeth the dull and heavie hearted Jews as it were to school to the creatures The Storke in the heaven knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the judgement of the Lord Jer. 8.7 So Isai 1.3 The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider The people of the Jews Gods own people enjoyed more means then ever any people besides They had line upon line and precept upon precept Isa 28 10.13 From the thirteenth yeer of Josiah saith the Prophet Jeremie even unto this day that is the three and twentieth yeer the word of the Lord hath come unto me and I have spoken unto you rising early and speaking but ye have not hearkned And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the Prophets rising early and sending them but yee have not hearkned nor enclined your ear to hear Jer. 25.3 4. They had the means of grace you see yet they were unprofitable under the means they had helps for knowledge yet grew not in knowledge The point then is clear That The People may enjoy the means and yet remain void of the knowledge of God No more therefore for the proof thereof For the ground of the point a little You will ask Is it it possible that there should be such sencelesse ignorance in the hearts of men that live in the bosome of the Church and that any who partake of the Ordinances and the means of salvation should yet remain a people of no understanding Alas my brethren the truth is it is too too evident We can speak of great matters and as the Apostle saith we thinke we know something but this I am sure of that though wee have lived long under the means and have enjoyed abundance of light yet notwithstanding if a man should go from house to house even in this City where the means of knowledge are more then ordinary he should find a marvellous poor deal of sanctifying and saving knowledge yea I doe assure you of any reasonable common knowledge in matters of Religion If you ask What is the ground of all this I will answer briefly in two or three words The first cause why men get no more knowledge notwithstanding they have the means of knowledge I take to be the blindnesse of their mindes the weaknesse of their judgements the ignorance that is in their understanding Though they have all the outward helpes that any people have under heaven yet having a want in themselves and a weaknesse in their own powers and naturall principles it is impossible that ever they should receive any good by those meanes This is the very cause which the Apostle Paul alledgeth Ephes 4.18 why the Gentiles were estranged from the life of God namely because their understandings were darkned and because of the ignorance that was in their mindes and the blindnesse of their heart It skilleth not how bright and clear the Sunne shineth if in the mean time the visive faculty be wanting if a man have no eyes to see he is never the better for the greatest light in the world So it is here as long as men are full of blindnesse and ignorance in their understandings though the light of the Gospel shine in their very faces it is no mervail they benefit not thereby for alas they have no eyes The fault is not in the Gospel for that is light but the fault is in their own souls their understanding is darkned the scales of ignorance are grown over the eyes of their mind they want an inward principle of spirituall sight and so they are not able to reap any benefit by the most excellent meanes in the world as they should doe That is the first Reason Adde hereunto in the second place that as they have blindnesse in their mind and ignorance in their judgement so they are meer naturall men and no further then God is pleased by a supernaturall work of the spirit
hearken to any perswasions to the contrary though they be backed with never so many shews of Religion or learning But a question here may be demanded shall not a man be willing to heare better counsell happily then his own Must he heare nothing at all against such an opinion or practise as he conceives to be grounded upon divine truth and which he hath been taught by those teachers he hath depended upon Who knoweth not that a man may easily be deceived and mistake the sense of Gods Spirit in the word so as to imbrace errour instead of truth My brethren by the cunning subtilty of the enemy this conceit hath crept into the mind of all Heretiques that look what they once drink in they must ever retain it as a principle and never think of removing or unsetling from it This is an hook whereby the Devill holdeth multitudes of men in falsehood and errour and in wicked courses They will heare nothing against that which formerly they have imbraced and been perswaded unto by those they depend upon This policie the Devill useth in Popery and amongst the Familists and Anabaptists teaching them to resolve to hold whatsoever they have received either from themselves or others And here I say it is sinfull for a man to resolve to heare no counsell at all against his opinion But neverthelesse this I say When a man is perswaded that the opinion or course he takes up is such as God himselfe hath been pleased to make known unto him out of his Word he is to receive nothing against this but meerly out of the Word let nothing unsettle our judgement in a plain and revealed truth but onely hold to that As I have been settled by the truth so if ever I change my opinion the truth is that which shall reform me all the counsell I take up and all the opinions I hold shall be such as the Word of God shall reveal to mee And because my minde may be weak and my understanding frail and not able to see the sense of the spirit therefore I will hear nothing against a good course but onely out of the Word If my opinion and my course be such as I am perswaded is the truth revealed out of the word howsoever I may be deluded yet this I will attribute to the Word of God no opinion no authoritie of any other shall carry the truth from me but the word shall reform me as the word hath perswadad me and as the word hath revealed to me This you shall observe to be the counsell of God in severall places of Scripture Mark what the Apostle saith to the Philippians Phil. 1.27 he desireth this at their hands that they would stand fast in one spirit with one minde in the truth revealed and to the Colossians Col. 1.23 Continue saith he in the faith grounded and setled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel which you have heard and which was preached unto you As if he should say If you have received that satisfaction from the word of God that you are convinced that it is the word of God and that the course you take is grounded upon it be not moved but stand fast in that truth received This is the second thing The third and last thing which concerneth the manner of our hearkning to the voice of Christ is this When thus the soul is perswaded of the will of God revealed and when the heart setleth it self upon it and hears nothing against the good pleasure of the Lord thus manifested then in the last place the soul must yeeld obedience therunto not alone in doing the thing God commandeth but in doing the will of God in so doing Mark not alone I say performing what God requireth of us but to be carried to the performance of the dutie meerly because God requireth it For these you must observe are two distinct things and of great difference A man may doe the thing which God commandeth and yet notwithstanding never doe Gods will but his own Many a man cometh to Church and there hears and understands and remembers and doth the things that God would have him doe and yet in the mean time doth not at all the will of God for he doth not therefore go to Church because God requireth it but partly either because custome or shame or the Law or somewhat else forceth him to it Here therefore is the main pitch of our obedience not alone to perform what is the good pleasure of God but to let the will of God be the first mover of our souls in the discharging of that service he calleth for at our hands to doe what we doe because it is the will of God we should doe it to perform what he requires in obedience to him because he requires it Our Saviour Christ putteth these together in his prayer to his Father Luke 22.42 If thou be willing saith he remove this Cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done He saith not that he will do the thing that God requireth but he will doe the will of God in it the will of God should be the carrier and mover of him to take upon him the great work of redemption So should it be with us in every thing we doe It is not my will that moveth me but the will of God it is not my pleasure that provokes me to this service but the pleasure of God This is the third thing requisite in our manner of hearkning to the voice of Christ And this may be sufficient for the explication of the point Onely let me adde one thing more Hence it followeth clearly That he that doth the will of God because God requireth it will obey all the good pleasure of the Lord Hee will obey him in every thing as well as in one thing in the hardest command as well as in that which is more easie in that which most crosseth his nature as well as in that which is more suteable thereunto This indeed is that which makes a Christian constant in his walking with God notwithstanding all those difficulties and discouragements he meets withall when as others are fain to baulk many things which are required of them to perform For my brethren if a man onely take up the practise of such matters in Religion as sute with his own humour or ease or profit or the like when those fail his performance of the 〈◊〉 faileth also if there be no other motive to carrie him along in the service of God but these outward and carnall considerations when they are gone his service of God is gone also And therefore we find by experience that many men can be content to give us the hearing they will come to Church and attend to the word of God but they will take up no more they will be tyed to the performance of no dutie further then it standeth with their own occasions and suteth with their own sinfull dispositions But
now hee that is carried along in all his services by the will of God if that be the principall mover of him in all his performances then when ever that will is revealed let it bee what it will bee let it crosse him never so much or be never so contrary to his disposition yet he is the same in every thing that he is in one thing This is that which is said Acts 3.22 For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me him shall you hear in all things whatsoever hee shall say unto you Mark him shall you hear in all things that is Whatsoever he shall make known unto you to bee the will of God to that you shall yeeld obedience And this is a necessary consequent of the former For if the will of God be the first mover of the soul to every performance then being at any time revealed it casteth the ballance and commands the soul willingly to yeeld to what God requireth in every thing Thus much shall serve for the clearing of the Point The substance of all that I have said is thus much namely That the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ must be so alone hearkned to and obeyed that first of all we must seek to him and depend onely and wholly upon him for direction Secondly that we must settle our hearts and judgements upon that truth that is by him revealed unto us And lastly that wee must be moved to the performance of every dutie because God requires it and consequently that our obedience bee universall that we hear him in all things Now a Question may be here propounded How shall a man hear the voice of Christ Indeed happily may a carnall man say if the Lord Christ would reveal himself to us immediately and his word were made known to us by himself we would presently yeeld obedience thereunto without any contradiction How shall a man therefore know when the voice of Christ is made known I answer briefly the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ is made known to us two waies First the word of God in the Scripture ever hath the voice of Christ in it Whatsoever the word speaks the Lord himself speaks The Apostle Rom. 3.2 saith that unto the Jewes were committed the Oracles of God What were those Oracles of God Nothing but the Scriptures So that this everlasting truth this word of God rightly understood and truly conceived alwaies carrieth the voice of Jesus Christ with it And therefore Saint Peter speaking of the Scriptures in generall 2 Pet. 1.21 saith that those holy men of God that were the Penmen thereof spake as they were moved or inspired by the Holy Ghost thereby intimating unto us that the Scriptures are the very inspirations of God the very breath as one may say of the the Holy Ghost So that look whatsoever it is that the Scriptures make known to us God from heaven hath spoken it even as truly and as really as though he had spoken it immediately What the word saith God himself saith Secondly Whatsoever any faithfull Minister shall speak out of the Word that is also the voice of Christ The Texts are many that are to this purpose Give me leave to touch but one or two of them 2 Cor. 1â— 3 Ye seek a proof saith the Apostle of Christ speaking in me which to you-wards is not weak but is mightie in you Implying that whatsoever is spoken out of the word of God what truth soever is delivered to us by the mouth of his Ministers agreeable to the word Christ himself speaks in them Therefore our Saviour is plain Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me That which the Ministers of God speak the God of Heaven himselfe speakes and they that despise their ministry the God of Heaven will require it even as if he himselfe should speak from Heaven and men should reject his words The Apostle Peter saith that the Lord Jesus by the power of his Spirit went and preached in the time of Noah to the Spirits that are now in Hell 1 Pet. 3.29 to those people that were disobedient before the floud to whom Noah preached partly by his practise and partly by his directions Christ himselfe spake even by that Spirit whereby he quickneth all things So then the point is evident But what reason is there that a man should stoop to the voyce and command of Christ In a word first He that alone hath command over us and right to require service at our hands him onely we ought to obey Now Christ alone is our Lord and we are his servants Eli joyneth these together in his direction to Samuel 1 Sam. 3 9. Thou shalt say saith he Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth If Christ alone therefore be our Lord whom else should we hear unto whom else should we attend and yeeld obedience Secondly The direction of Christ is the surest and safest look what counsell the Lord Jesus giveth we may build upon it As for others some are ignorant and know not how to teach some negligent and idle and will not teach some corrupt in their judgement and may infect us But Christ being Knowledge it selfe and Truth it selfe neither can nor will deceive us Therefore whatsoever the Lord Christ shall make known we may rest upon it and whatsoever course we take up upon his directions we may undoubtedly perswade our selvts that it shall goe well with us in the issue Our Saviour joyneth the same reason to his exhortation Mat. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart What then And yee shall find rest unto your soules as if he should say The counsels and directions that men give they doe not they will not they cannot give a man any rest but the counsell that I give and those directions that I reveale unto you out of my word what ever soule imbraceth them what ever heart entertaineth them shall find rest and comfort to it selfe for ever Let us perswade our selves that whatsoever the Lord speakes will not saile us there is none that trusts upon him that even shall be ashamed his counsell is seasonable and will be profitable to us if it be blessed of God Thirdly Christ onely is able to teach us Man may teach the care but the Lord onely can frame the soule and bring the heart to obedience That place Luke 24.32.45 is worth the remembring Verse 32. it is said that the Lord opened to the Disciples the Scriptures and Verse 45. that he opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures Men can onely reveale truths to us but never a man in the world is able to perswade our hearts and put understanding into our mindes but the Lord not onely openeth the sense and meaning of the Scriptures but he giveth us mindes to know and hearts to imbrace
he will say whether he will speak comfort to his soul or no and then away with carnall reason and delusions of Satan My brethren yee should in the first place go to God and advise with him and hear what his good pleasure is toward you and never inquire of your own carnall reason Again there is oft another great fault in the people of God that as they go not to Christ in the first place for advice and counsell so in the second place when they have it they rest not upon it Many a one there is who after he hath been convinced evidently and clearly by the power of the word rightly and strongly applyed that his estate is good before God and that his conscience is sincere his heart upright and that the spirit of God hath begun an everlasting work of grace in him yet notwithstanding oftentimes relinquisheth that ground that God hath given him to stand upon and letteth go that hold that hath been reached out from heaven for him to sustain himself by and returning home again to a view of his own weaknesses and infirmities he forsaketh his own mercies and groweth forgetfull of his former comforts the consolations of the Almightie seem small unto him hee will not quiet himself in that truth which God hath made known nor rest upon his word as he requireth Yea but the soul replieth alas should a man content himself with a blind perswasion that his estate is good and not try his title to heaven or search whether his interest in Christ be such as will not deceive him at the last I say Yes a man should look into himself and examine himself whether he be in the faith or no but alwaies let the Lord be Judge let his word onely passe sentence upon thee Never Judge thy self barely by what either Satan seems to suggest or thy own sinfull weakness would perswade thee unto but when the Word of God is revealed and his truth manifested unto thee when the Minister out of the Seripture hath setled thy conscience and declared thy case good by such assured Evidences as thou maist safely build upon then hold there and beleeve nothing to the contrary search your selves but still doe it by the word of God If this course were taken and well observed where there are thousands of complaints among Christians there would be scarce one For my brethren the ground of all our feebleness and distrust and distemper lieth especially in this that we neglect our grounds and doe not fix upon those truths which God hath revealed and made known unto us either publikely or privately Hold this therefore for ever as the best direction I can give thee If my soul shall be condemned the word of God shall condemn it If I must judge my self to have no grace the Word of God shall say it If I must conclude salvation as yet belongeth not unto me it shall be because the Word saith so and not because Satan or my own imagination saith so This carrieth thousands of poor souls into manifold distempers because they settle not themselves upon the truth of God which alwaies standeth as mount Zion unmoveable and would make them rest in abundance of peace in the midst of all those disquiets that are raised by Satan and our own distrustfull hearts Lastly in a word doth the Lord himself call for and require this at our hands the Lord I say who onely hath right and authority to command us Doth he injoyn us when he speaks to hear and obey Oh now therefore though an unworthy Minister cannot perswade you to yeeld up your selves to the practice of this duty yet let the Lord himself prevail with you and woe to that soul that will not bee perswaded by the Lord himself Take notice of that place before alledged Acts 3.23 Every soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Let every one therefore now in the fear of God observe that which Christ himself injoyneth and so often calleth for in the second and and third Chapters of the Revelation He that hath an ear to hear let him hear The Lord saith the same now to every soul in this place Let every soul that hath an ear to hear hear what the Lord saith unto him not onely now but hereafter whensoever God shall be pleased to reveal any of his counsell to him for his direction Labour to bring your hearts to that temper we read to have been in Cornelius and those that he had gathered together to be partakers of Saint Peters Ministerie Acts 10.33 When the Apostle was come mark what Cornelus saith to him We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God My brethren the same frame of spirit ought we to have whatsoever it is that the Lord shall speak unto us wee must hear him in all things as I told you before not onely in some easie kind of dutie such as every man is willing to imbrace but in every thing be it never so crosse to carnall reason and corrupt nature when the Lord teacheth we must bring docile hearts hearts inlarged to hear and entertain his doctrine hearts willing to be moulded into that good word of God that he shall reveal to us neither must we thinke this dutie tedious we should never be weary of it Observe what Christ saith Luke 10.24 Many Prophets and Kings have desired to see those things which yee see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them What things Even those that are preached unto you and made known from day to day the great things of the Gospel which are now published in open view great men of great place and eminencie have desired to see and hear them The holy Patriarchs and Prophets whose spirits are now in heaven looked long for Christs day Abraham saw it afar off his eies dazeled in beholding of it If they rejoyced and delighted in these things should not we much more Nay the blessed Angels come down and delight to pore into these sacred mysteries that are now revealed to the people of God Which things saith the Apostle the Angels desire to prie into 1 Pet. 1.12 Those blessed spirits that are the subjects of joy and happiness are so ravished with those glorious mysteries that they are contented to come to our Congregations not a step or two as we doe who assoon almost as we are out of our doors are in the Church but a great journey even from heaven and with a great deal of liking and complacencie they behold the services of Gods people and are glad to see a poor soul converted and report it again in heaven rejoycing there together that a sinner is turned unto God My brethren thinke of it Shall we now that have most reason to attend these things they being that upon which our everlasting salvation depends be utterly careless of them Alas the
and his truth in prophaning his day blaspheming his name contemning his Word despising his Ministers c. and they presently cry out against us What will you make Pagans of us What do you thinke we are Heathens Have we not received Christian Baptisme c. This is a bottome that beareth up many But oh poor silly creatures this will not doe it be not deceived you will shrink under this shelter you will fall notwithstanding these props when you come to tryall you may have all this and yet perish this will not make you Saints in the sight of God You that are Tradesmen is it a good argument that because have good ware in your shops therefore you have no refuse no drug commodity or you that are husbandmen because some good corn grows upon your ground is it therefore all good corne Who knows not that there is Cockle amongst corn and bad wares even in your best shops So it is true here as there are many hearers in hell and many receivers in hell so there are too many in the bosome of the Church enjoying the outward priviledges of Gods people that shall never receive good by all that they partake of Therefore I beseech you be not deceived trust not to these lying words and vain hopes The Sacrament of the Lord and the Church and the Church I say trust not to these lying vanities A man may as Judas not onely have the Sacrament in his hand but Christ in his mouth and goe to Hell notwithstanding Alas at the day of judgement if thou hast nothing to say but this Lord I was a hearer of thy Word a receiver at thy Table a frequenter of thy house thou canst expect no other answer but Depart from me I know thee not He is not the Son of Abraham that hath Circumcision onely but that walketh in the steps of the faith of Abraham In the second place here is a word of Exhortation and that is this We ought hereby to be instructed and provoked to stir up our soules and not to content our selves with or settle our selves in these outward shaddows but to labour to go further and beyond all that these outward priviledges barely as outward priviledges can make us not onely to enjoy these but to strive to be bettered by them not onely to have the Word and the Sacraments but to improve them to get more then the outward shell to labour for the kernell for the comfort of them Therefoee I would advise a Christian man that liveth in the bosome of the Church where the Lord is pleased to continue helps and means to him as to esteem them great priviledges for so they are so not to content himself with the outward enjoyment of them but to call upon himself and to look inward to see what the heart saith Outward things will not doe the deed look we therefore for somewhat more that will stand us in stead when the Lord cometh with his fan in his hand throughly to purge his floor and to make a division between the wheat and the chaffe Take notice of it therefore and understand for your spirituall good When thou comest to the house of God and bringest thine hands to receive the Sacrament and thine eares to listen to the word thinke with thy self I have heard the Word I have received the Sacrament but O heart what sayest thou Have I embraced these promises Have I closed with those precepts that have been delivered Have I eaten Christ in the Sacrament Hath my faith pitched on him exhibited there under the Elements of Bread and Wine How often have I already lived under the call of God and yet have rejected it my soul is not yet humbled I onely come and hear and return without any benefit therefore now I will go further and dig deeper that my heart may be brought to the obedience of the truth Mark what our Saviour Christ faith Joh. 6 49 provoking the Jews to beleeve in him and so to receive mercy by him he speaks on this manner forcing them to goe further then outward things Your fathers saith he eat Manna in the Wilderness and are dead Who are those Fathers Those stubborn and rebellious Jewes that fell in the Wildernesse These entred not because of unbelief saith the Apostle to the Hebrews Now Christ saith Your Fathers eat Manna and are dead he meaneth are damned for he saith afterward Vers 51. If any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever thereby shewing a difference between the faithfull and unbeleevers though both die a naturall death I say making a difference between the rebellious Jews that did not beleeve and those that did beleeve Your Fathers eat Manna in the wilderness a Type and a Sacrament indeed to them as St. Paul expresseth it but that would not doe the deed though the Manna came from heaven yet it could not bring them up to heaven it could not free them from eternall death But here is the priviledge of beleeving and of right receiving He that doth not onely receive bread but Christ he that eateth this food this bread he shall never die any more he cannot perish Labour therefore for this evermore As when the woman of Samaria heard our Saviour speak of living water that would continue for ever She cryed out presently Oh Sir give me of this water that I thirst no more Joh. 4.15 So labour for this food above all Labour to settle your souls and to rest your hearts still upon these resolutions Oh what have I that a carnall man may not have What doe I that that a carnall man cannot doe I would have a Christian man to go beyond all those that live in the bosome of the Church I say therefore let this be the Question and examine thine heart What doe I more then the damned in hell have done I pray The truth is the foolish Virgins knocked too I preach so did Judas Doe I reform many things So did Herod Was I baptized So was Simon Magnus In a word am I resolved to confesse my sins and to make satisfaction for them Alas Judas did all this and yet this would not serve the turn he sorrowed and repented and when he had done he went and hanged himself It was not godly sorrow that caused repentance to salvation he repented onely for the gall of sin not for the soul of sin Labour we therefore and let us every one provoke another to go further then ever reprobates went in praying and hearing and professing labour for something that will stand us in stead in the day of tryall When the heavens shall bee rolled together as a scrole Isai 34.4 that we may appear before the Lord and receive a reward from him in his appointed time and season So much for the Negative Part. I proceed now to the Affirmative Who those are that may and doe indeed receive benefit as Abraham did The Text saith They that walk in the steps of that faith of
LONDON Printed by G. D. for Francis Eglesfield and are to be sold at the Sign of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1651. Culpable Ignorance OR The danger of Ignorance under Means SERMON VI. ISAI 27.11 For it is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercie on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour IF you cast your eyes my brethren upon the beginning of this Chapter you shall observe that when the Prophet had discovered the fierce dealing of God with the enemies of his people vers 1. he doth from the second verse to the words of the Text and so afterwards make known Gods gracious affection towards his own faithfull servants as also his dealing with those cursed Hypocrites that live in the bosome of the Church In a word that I may not be long before I come to that which I desire to deliver to you in the discoverie of the Lords dealing first with his own people and then with others that live in the bosome of the Church to whom he communicateth his ordinances there are three things observable The first is Gods speciall care of and his tender love and fatherly affection to those that love and fear his Name that labour to approve their hearts and waies to him that are called to the profession of his truth and walk answerably thereunto and that continueth to the seventh verse namely That the Lord will keep them and water them every moment that he will keep them night and day c. Secondly As the Prophet expresseth Gods speciall care of his servants so withall he manifesteth a secret kind of displeasure that was in God even toward those that belong unto him because of the carelesness and fruitlesnesse that was among them therefore he was pleased to lay his correcting hand upon them yet still in measure with abundance of patience and in much compassion towards them and all for their special good not to confound but to humble and better them And this we have from the 7th to the end of the 9th verse where the Prophet sheweth what is the fruit of affliction to those that belong unto God By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin As if he should say Howsoever the Lord loveth his vineyard yet he will prune it not to destroy it but to make it the more fruitfull He onely will take away the superfluous branches those inordinate lusts that appear in the lives of his servants This is the main issue and speciall benefit of afflictions to the godly to subdue their corruptions to purge them to make them walk more circumspectly before God Thirdly the Prophet having thus declared Gods care of his own people and his fatherly chastisement of them in the last place from the 9th verse to the end of the 11th he declareth his proceedings also against the cursed Hypocrites that live in the bosome of the Church against those that have a form of godlinesse onely but deny the power thereof that present themselves before the Lord and appear in his Sanctuary as if they would doe great matters for him yet their hearts are naught and the Lord seeth them and threatneth to deal with them accordingly and in conclusion denounceth an utter overthrow an universall ruine and confusion unto them so as that their estates shall be altogether helplesse for their defenced Cities shall be desolate and their habitations forsaken and left like a Wildernesse Yea so helplesse shall they be that if a poor silly woman come by shee shall spoil them The women come and set them on fire Now if it be asked Why the Lord doth deal thus fiercely with carnall sinful men seeing though they have no strength of grace in their hearts yet they are his creatures The Reason is rendred in the words of the Text For it is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercie on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour As if he should say Doe yee inquire the reason why the Lord is so deeply displeased with Hypocrites that live in thee bosome of the Church and why he threatneth to proceed so severely with them Alas it is no wonder for they are a people of no understanding what shew soever they make though they enjoy the Ordinances yet they are no way fit for Gods spirituall building they are onely fit for the fire of his wrath though they are in the Church yet they are not of the Church therefore he that made them will shew them no mercie and he that formed them wil not vouchsafe to bestow any favour upon them In the words there are two things observable First the judgement of God denounced against this people Secondly the cause of that judgement Or thus First the sin of this people Secondly The judgement of God because of that sin The sin of the people is They have no understanding The judgement of God because of that sin Therefore he that made them will not have mercie on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour First you see the people offending they want sanctifying and saving knowledge they are a people of no understanding You see again the Lord observing this and proceeding severely against them because of this Therefore he that made them will not have mercie on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour First of the former touching the sin of the people I will not stand long in the opening of the words Onely thus much observe briefly It is a people that have no understanding What kind of people was it Even those that lived under the means of grace that enjoyed all the helps and incouragements that a people could desire that had an outward call and were counted the people of God those were a people of no understanding Howsoever the Lord was pleased to inlarge himself toward them to bestow many outward Priviledges upon them to suffer them to enjoy many singular helps howsoever they were those to whom were committed the Oracles of God and means of life and salvation yet they remained unfruitfull and unprofitable they were a people of no understanding they had no depth of reach in spirituall things The point observable from hence is thus much That People may enjoy the means of knowledge of life and salvation and yet not withstanding in the mean time not profit by them but remain void of the knowledge of God What this knowledge is and the nature of it I will open unto you afterward onely thus much take along with you for the present That by knowledge here I mean saving knowledge Knowledge no doubt this people had and happily a great measure of understanding they might know many things that belonged to grace and salvation yet for the main for the substance and truth of it it was not the knowledge of God it was not
Judas may thus farre have his understanding inlightned concerning all the truths of life and salvation that are either discovered or made known out of the Book of God as to perceive the sense of the words that are set down and understandingly to discourse of the meaning of the Scripture and reason of the points therein contained and that more freely and abundantly in outward appearance then many of the deare Saints and Servants of God are able to doe and yet all this is but that which the Apostle Paul cals a form of knowledge Rom. 2.20 Such an one hath onely got religion by rote as we use to say like a child that happily may be taught a sillogisme or some forme of an argument he may say it without book but understands it not so hypocrites may have a form and as it were an outside of knowledge but there is something in the bottome concerning the savingnesse and holinesse of knowledge which they can never attain unto For certain it is there is never a carnall person under heaven howsoever he can talk of God and of Christ and of Faith that either knoweth God in the works of his wayes toward him or hmselfe in the works of his duty toward God That is a strange passage concerning Hazael 2 Kings 8 When the Prophet Elisha setled his countenance upon him and wept Hazael said Why weepeth my Lord And he answered Because I know the evill that thou wilt doe unto the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire and their young men wilt thou stay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with childe And Hazael said But what is thy servant a dog that he should doe this great thing He thought that there was no such matter in himselfe he perceived not the corruption of his nature And truth it is that as it was with Hazael so it is with every wicked man under heaven further then God is pleased to awaken him he neither knowes what he is himselfe nor what God is talk of it he may but cannot apprehend it in truth in the the generall he may speak of it but in his own particular he cannot 2. For the further proof of this point That there is a main difference between a child of God and an hypocrite in their very knowledge though I know it is the judgement of many and those holy and godly too that wicked men in matters of knowledge may go as far as any Saint under heaven yet I take it they are deceived for no sanctifying work of the holy spirit of God is common to those that are wicked and reprobates but the work of saving understanding and illumination is a work of sanctification and to prove that goe no further but to the naked consideration of a mans bare understanding When the Lord is pleased to work effectually upon the soule there is a sanctifying work on the understanding as well as on the will Now that work which is upon the understanding of a servant of God as truly differs from the inlightning of a carnall hypocrite as the heart of a Saint from the heart of a man not sanctified As the Spirit of God I say hath a proper and peculiar work of sanctification upon the will of Gods children so also hath he upon their mind and understanding therefore of necessity wicked men having no work of sanctification the children of God must needs differ from them in this particular of knowledge Again the Apostle is clear enough 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Before a man can discern spirituall objects he must have spirituall light therefore wicked men being as all hypocrites are but bare nature and wanting spirituall light are not able to perceive and discern the things of God So you see there is a plain and broad difference between the Saints of God and carnall hypocrites in the point of knowledge and understanding Now then for the point it selfe That there is such a knowledge as is peculiar to the Saints take it my brethren thus The godly doe not onely apprehend the meaning of the words in the Scripture and are able to discourse of the reasons therein contained but they discern also the spiritualnesse of the work of grace that is discovered in the same Observe it There being first the Word of God set down in his book and then reasons that goe along with it and lastly a spirituall work of grace that God hath made known in those reasons the Saints of God alone see the spiritualnesse of the work that is manifested and communicated in that reason there set down The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Psal 25.14 wicked men may know repentance but there is a secret of repentance which the godly onely have Wicked men may pray but there is an inward spiritualnesse and closing with the Lord a secret humbling of the soule before the Lord which the godly onely have wicked men I say can pray and hear and discourse of repentance and of faith and the like but there is a secret in all these and a spirituall work derived into the soule thorough the knowledge of all these which the Saints onely apprehend and understand Take but an Apple there is never a man under heaven can tell what tast it is of whether sweet or soure untill he have tasted of it he seeth the colour and the quantity of it but knoweth not the tast so there is no man under heaven discerneth more of grace then he findeth in himselfe A carnall man may talk of repentance and faith and obedience yet notwithstanding there is a sappinesse which I call the spiritualnesse in these blessed works that no man can tell and understand but onely those that indeed have found by experience the work in themselves We use to say and we say truly that no woman knoweth the nature of a mother before she hath been a mother So it is here first a man must have the work of grace in himselfe before he can rightly understand the nature of it No man knoweth what it is to be the child of God or what it is to have a child-like affection toward God but so farre forth as he findeth and feeleth this in some measure wrought in himselfe by the operation of the Spirit I will not dispute that text Rev. 2.17 I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it but I take this to be the main thing intended there which makes for my present purpose Name there signifies Adoption and the white stone Absolution the Lord will absolve and acquit him of all those sinnes that he is guilty of and withall he will give him the name of a sonne The Lord sealeth to the soule of a Christian man that he is God
reconciled to him Now when the soul findeth this and the like and withall hath an inward work which though happily he cannot discover the manner and order thereof nor expresse it to others yet he knows more thereof then any man under heaven Ask a child How doe you know such a man is your father Alas he cannot tell you yet he hath a strong affection toward him above all others and feels in himself such a leaning in his affection towards him as another feels not So the mother of the child that was brought before Solomon had no Argument in the world to prove the child to be hers but the yerning of her bowels and relenting of her spirit toward the child proved it sufficiently So there is in a Saint of God an inward tenderness of affection a leaning of his soul towards God which no man knowes but he that hath it If a curious workman after he hath made a clock or a watch shew the frame thereof to a man ignorant of that Art and declare to him the manner of making it happily he will conceive his words and his reasons and perceive that he saith truth but he cannot make such another because he hath not the Art it self of clock-making My brethren so it is here There is a curious frame in the soule of a Christian of grace of faith of repentance of holinesse of love patience and the like a blessed disposition of heart whereby the soul runneth right toward God and every holy dutie and strikes right as I may say in all holy obedience to God this is a frame reared up by the hand of the Spirit of God alone in the heart of a Christian Now the Apostle Paul who had such a work as this wrought in him can tell the nature of hope and of faith and of repentance but I that read what he hath written of these things being a naturall man though happily I understand the sence and apprehend the meaning of the words yet the true knowledge of the nature of repentance or faith or hope I cannot possibly attain to so long as I remain a meer naturall man Even as an ignorant man cannot conceive the Art of Watch-making in that manner as the Artist himself understands it so cannot I discern the nature of this spiritual frame in the heart further then God is pleased to teach me this skill by the work of his Spirit within my self When I finde my own heart wrought upon then I can best discover it to another then doe I know that which before I never understood though happily I could discourse something concerning such things and understand the outside as it were yet that was all I never knew the bottom as I doe now You see then the difference between the knowledge of Hypocrites that live in the bosome of the Church and the knowledge of Gods Elect or saving knowledge Now for the Use of all in a word or two If this be so that men may live in the Church of God and enjoy the means of grace and yet be a people of no understanding have no saving knowledge then my brethren here is a word of reproof to check all those conceits and pull down all those silly imaginations of poor ignorant carnall creatures that live here among us in the bosome of the Church who because the Lord hath been pleased to put them into a place where the truth is plainly taught and preached presently perswade their own souls that they have wise dome and knowledge enough to bring them to life and salvation If happily you come to any of these men and tell them that they ought to be inlarged in those duties God requireth of his children that they should be able to catechise their families to pray with them to instruct them that they should be skilfull in the art of humbling their souls before God in private conversing and spirituall communion with him Alas they will answer you that for the present they are too weak and unable for such things as these Well but prove them again afterwards when they have continued a longer time under the means and demand of them how they have bettered themselves what strength of grace they have attained unto By no means you must meddle with them What they have not lived so long in a good Parish under a panfull Minister and gone so often to Church but surely they have sufficient to bring them to heaven and although they cannot doe so and so though they cannot give you a reason of the hope that is in them yet they make no question but to speed as well as the best Men think it enough to be good Church-men to have and injoy the helpes God vouchsafeth and bestoweth upon his people to be often hearers of the Word read and preached and so rest themselves contented and there set up their staffe though in the mean time they remain as blind and ignorant and as carnall as ever My brethren be not deceived the Lord will not be mocked It is not sufficient to salvation for a man to be an often hearer to have his heart now and then inlarged to give assent to the truths delivered to conceive the grounds of them or to be able happily to discourse of some points of religion Oh look further he that hath saving knowledge indeed goes farre beyond all this You that are tradesmen or you that have children will any man say my child is a good Schollar for he hath gone so long to schoole or my Apprentise hath good skill in his trade because he hath served me so many yeares It is true he ought to be so but it doth not follow that because he hath had such and such helps and lived so long under them that therefore he is so So it is here there is no reason for any man to ground his assurance of salvation on his injoyment of the meanes or to imagine that God hath wrought mercifully for him in the matter of knowledge which accompanieth life and happiness because of his long living under a good ministry no it is not enough to have the preaching of the word among us and to have the meanes and helps of saving knowledge you may have all these and yet remain ignorant and blind and be a people of no understanding Secondly this is a word of instruction to us We are hence given to understand the sinfulnesse of our nature and the blindnesse of our mindes seeing a man may have all the means under heaven and yet all prove unprofitable to him may injoy all the helpes that God hath set up in his Church for the good of peoples soules and yet receive no good by them What a strange heart is ours Yet so it is even amongst many of us in this place and I wish it were not so with most that live in the Church at this day I fear me that if a man should goe from heart to heart and observe every ones particular
carefull fear the Lord doth keep them that they shall never fall And another end is in regard of the wicked world the world lieth in wickedness and it is cursed and hated of God and intended to damnation and there are a generation in the Church which the Lord hateth and abhorreth and hath appointed to wrath and there are some that hate God and Religion and are glad of any occasion whereby they may reproach God and Religion and may harden their hearts from the power and practise of Religion Now in regard of these desperate wretches the Lord hath appointed it that in all ages some professors shall fall scandalously that they that have a minde to have their hearts hardned against God and Religion should have them hardned with a vengeance that even as a man that is running in a way and another having a minde to make him fall casteth some stone or block before him that may make him stumble and fall Even so when the Lord seeth men desperately cavilling against Religion studying how to harden their own hearts and the hearts of others the Lord will make his own children sometimes to fall though that it is not so common but ordinarily hypocrites to fall and lie in their way as stones that they may stumble and fall and perish for ever There is a woe to them that take scandals all profane ones that will stumble at Religion and reproach professors and profession because of scandalls there is a woe to them and what woe Even this that those scandalls are as so many stones tumbled in the way to make them break their necks in the pit of everlasting perdition And therefore thus you shall finde that usually where the ministry of the Gospell hath been any long time and people have not been wrought upon by the preaching of the Gospel are not brought to a powerfull profession of religion you shall usually finde it that the Lord doth suffer some professors or other in these places to fall scandalously Is it not so in many places in this City And therefore I beseech my brethren think of it as you are afraid to be hardened and to have a blacknesse upon you of Gods wrath take heed of making this use of the fals and scandals of any to harden your hearts against religion or to tip your tongues with reproaches against the Gospel and professors and so to grow to a hatred of the truth and power of godlinesse But the use you are to make of it is this Let him that standeth take heed least he fall Is one fallen take heed thou doest not fall also and to the end thou doest not fall have a care to trie and examine thy selfe Looke to thy selfe that thou have a sure standing Therefore I beseech you make use of this Looking-glasse take this text of Scripture and by it try your selves if you be right Christ is in you if Christ be in you there is a death or sinne and a life of righteousnesse Thus much for the first Use The second Use in a word and that is for Comfort and Terror Is it so that those that have Christ in them have a death of sinne and a life of righteousnesse then here is comfort to some of you and terror to others of you Comfort to all such of you as finde in your selves this death of sinne and this life of righteousnesse Doest thou find that there is this death of sinne in thee this life of righteousnesse in thee Oh then be comforted for thou hast Christ in thee and thou art certainly in Christ God is reconciled to thee thy person is justified thy sinnes are forgiven and thy soule must be everlastingly saved therefore be thou comforted It may be there is not so great a death of sinne in thee as there is in others but there is a death of sinne in thee It may be there is not so full a life of righteousnesse in thee as there is in others but there is a life of righteousnesse in thee If there be a death of sinne and a life of righteousnesse Christ is in thee though thou come short of that death and life that is in others I pray is not the soule of man as truly in an Infant in the wombe as in that childe that is borne and grown to some strength Is not the soule of man as truly in a weak and sickly man as in a strong and lusty man Is not the life and sap of a tree in a plant that is truly ingrafted though but newly and standeth in a manner loose and scarse buddeth or blossometh is it not as truly in that graft as in a graft that is grown strong and hath borne much fruit Even so is it in thee and therefore be comforted I desire to joy and glad your hearts that are in Christ and have Christ in you and I could not tell what better subject to pitch upon to bring you to comfort because I know this is the maine ground of all your discomfort a doubt whether Christ be in you or not therefore I thought it fit to shew you your faces in this Looking-glasse If then you finde in you a death of sinne and a life of righteousnesse know that Christ is in you When as the Scriptures and Ministers from the Scriptures doe open to you cleare signes and certaine evidences of the goodnesse and truth of your estates if you put away comfort then you put away comfort when God speakes to you you refuse to be comforted when the Lord will comfort you you give the lie to God and to his Word therefore take heed what you doe if by these signes or any such which are cleare and evident grounded upon the word of God you finde your estates to be good know then and assuredly beleeve them to be good It is true I confesse the heart of man is so deceitfull that a man cannot try his own heart and therefore the heart of man is so deceitfull that Ministers cannot try other mens hearts none but the Lord Jesus Christ is onely able to know the heart none but the King is able to discerne the man that had not on the wedding garment you may passe the judgement of all the Ministers and Servants of the King and be let in to the feast Yet notwithstanding though neither man himselfe nor Minister is able to try the heart yet this I confidently beleeve that a man himselfe and a Minister also may know and try the hearts of people if so be they deale faithfully and plainly with him Though no man can discover the secret windings of the heart yet the word of God doth this word of God doth not onely lay down infallible signes whereby people may know whether they are in the truth of grace but the word of God doth lay down signes whereby we may know whether we have those signes or no therefore if people will in the humility of their soules nakedly so farre as they know their own
hearts openly and plainly and particularly judge them by the Scriptures and observe their hearts in the course of Gods dealing with them and their dealing with God and accordingly apply the touchstone of the Scriptures I am confident by the signes and evidences of grace that are in the Scriptures people may come to discerne their own hearts not by any vertue or skill of their own but by the vertue and skill of God whose power goeth along with his Word It is true a Hypocrite may deceive the quickest-eyed Minister in the world if he will not openly lay his heart before him and therefore good Ministers oftentimes speake peace to them to whom no peace belongeth yet they speak the truth according to those evidences that are expressed to them Were not the wise virgins deceived in the foolish Was not David deceived in Achitophell Were not the Disciples deceived in Judas Yet notwithstanding as I said if people will sincerely deal with their fellow brethren and with their Minister and when God calleth upon them to try themselves if they will turne their inside outward if they will nakedly lay open the state of their own hearts so clearly as they can discerne I doubt not but the Minister of God from the word of God may speak assured peace and give them certaine evidences of the truth of grace Were not these things thus it were not possible we should ever come to assurance it were in vain that the Lord hath given us so many signes and tokens if by observing and trying we might not come to discerne the estate of our hearts Therefore for such of you as in truth find from time to time by these and the like evidences the truth of grace in you know you that there is ground of comfort for your soules And as this is ground of comfort to you that have these things so it is ground of terror to those that want them I know you are almost all frequenters of the Word speakers well of the practise of religion happily you have some reformation in you happily you have some Ministers that speak peace to you happily there is no disturbance in your consciences happily there is some kind of joy and rejoycing in you in hearing the Word c. But my brethren whatever there is that can be in you if this be not in you if there be not a death of sin and a life of righteousnesse be it known unto you that Christ is not in you neither are you in the state of grace You may go on and please your selves with dreams of a happy estate because of such and such appearances of grace yet this I assure you if the death of sin be not in you and the life of righteousnesse Christ is not in you nor never will be for you Again therefore be amazed and tremble and fear and cast away your vain hopes all you that have not found the death of sin and life of righteousnesse Be assured of what the Lord Christ speaks in John 12. The words that I speak shall judge you at the last day Be assured of this that the Lord Jesus Christ will judge your estates by these and such like tryals as these are at the last day and if you cannot be found meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light by the Ministers and Ministry of the Word faithfully dispensed from the Scriptures you shall never be found meet to bee partakers of it in the judgement of God at the last day for so as the Word judgeth God judgeth and as the Minister judgeth while he keepeth to the Scriptures the Lord Christ will judge at the last day So that you see here is Comfort for some and Terror for others Comfort for such as have a death of sin and a life of righteousness though there bee much corruption though there be much weakness of grace in you yet here is comfort for you and terror for all others whatever their morall vertues and common graces or their restraining gifts or outward profession is Well then what now remains but that in the last place we be all exhorted from the Lord to labour to increase the death of sin and life of righteousness in us They are but imperfect in the best of us let us labour to make them both more perfect to perfect the death of sin and the life of righteousness Why so Because that the death of sin and life of righteousness they are the Evidences of Christs being in us the evidences of the goodness of our estates therefore the more these are the more are our Evidences of our part in Christ and the greater will our comfort be and we shall make more sure our calling and election This is that which the Apostle Peter meaneth 2 Pet. 1. 5. Give all diligence saith he to make your valling and election sure But how is that done by making sure those things in your selves that are the tokens and signs and evidences of Gods Election How shall this be done saith the Text there adde one grace to another to your faith vertue to your vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience brotherly kindnes and to brotherly kindness love perfect your grace increase the life of righteousnesse perfect in you the death of sin increase the ruine of the old man the more you increase these things the more you increase your Evidences of your part in Christ What can you desire that is able to administer to you so much comfort to provide so good a help for you against those fears we have so long justly feared what can prepare you for those ensuing calamities that are approaching as your Evidences of a part in Christ But nothing can give you so much evidence of a part in Christ as the death of sin and life of righteousnesse Therefore I beseech you studie above all things what ever else you neglect to increase and perfect in you the death of sin and life of righteousness that so the Evidences of Christ being in you may be certain And so much for this time and Text. FINIS GRACE MAGNIFIED OR THE PRIVILEDGES OF THOSE That are under Grace By that Reverend Divine THOMAS HOOKER Late Preacher in New England TIT. 2. 11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men c. LONDON Printed by G. D. for Francis Eglesfield and are to be sold at the Sign of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1651. GRACE Magnified OR The PRIVILED GES of those that are under Grace SERMON III. Rom. 6. 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace THe blessed Apostle Saint Paul having in the two former Verses exhorted the Romans to whom he wrote this Epistle that they should not let sin reign in their mortall bodie nor yeeld their members as instruments of unrighteousnesse unto sin He cometh in this Verse to prevent a