life long no good be done yet you may take that Comfort your Master did Though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the Eyes of the Lord. And in the Verse before I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength in naught in vain Yet surely my Judgment is with the Lord and my work with my God God knoweth with what uprightness I have done his work and therefore I know he will Crown me with Glory though my labour hath been lost as to the most part of the People THE SIXTH SERMON THe next sort of Persons in reference to whom Duty lies upon you are Christian Societies Assemblies that profess the Christian Religion and joyn together in the worship of the true God These are called Churches and of these there are two sorts false and true and your duty is to separate from those and hold fellowship with these Three things are required to the constituting of true Churches 1. That the Word of God and Doctrine of Salvation be truly taught in them ye are of the houshold of God and are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets upon this Rock this truth confessed by thee I will build my Church the Church is God's Register that keeps his Records faithfully the Pillar and ground of Truth where the Doctrine of the Law and Gospel is truly taught God dwells with that People and Salvation may be there had 2. That there be Pastors and Ministers lawfully called How shall they preach except they be sent pray the Lord of the Harvest that he will send sorth Labourers into his Harvest Christ hath given his Ministry to his own Church 3. That the People receive and embrace the Doctrine and Religion of Christ and submit to and joyn together in the Worship of God Then they that gladly received the Word were Baptized and they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship in breaking of Bread and Prayers Hereby may be discerned which are false Churches and which true The Roman Political Church as the Constitution of it is false and of Man's Invention Obj. They have the Apostles Creed the Books of Canonical Scripture and Baptisme Answ They acknowledge the Creed in profession and word but overthrow much of the sense by their superadded Articles and false expositions They retain the words of Scripture though in much not the sense of the Holy Ghost nor can Baptism though for substance according to the first Institution prove them a true Church more than Circumcision could Samaria to be so or a Seal pulled from the Writing and set to the bare paper A Thief may shew a true Man's Purse but that proves him not to be a true Man and they overthrow inward Baptisme the life of that Sacrament imputed righteousness and holiness which in Gods Church must go together with the outward Element 2dly As Papists they have no true Ministers the Romish Priest as such is no Minister of Christ not only because of the Anti-Christian Doctrines which he teacheth overthrowing the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles but also in that he offereth Christ a real Sacrifice for quick and dead wherein chiefly stands his Office and because as a Papist-Priest he receives his very Power from the Pope whose Office is not of Christ Qu. Why then should not one Baptized by a Mass Priest be Rebaptized Answ Because the action of a lawful Calling done by one that is not lawfully called is not a nullity the Ministry is lawful though as corrupted by them is bad 3dly Their People oppose God's true Worship and live in palpable Idolatry and profess themselves the Members of a usurping trayterous head the Pope Obj. Anti-Christ sitteth in the Temple of God therefore the Church of Rome is God's Church Answ In the Popish Church there is the hidden Church of God mingled as a little Wheat with much Chaff as a little Gold with much Dross So that though the Church of God be where Anti-Christ sitteth yet the Church whereof he is Head is no Church of God for there are no means there to beget or preserve spiritual life whether we regard Doctrine or Worship To speak plainly it is a part of the Universal Visible Church of Christians so far as they profess Christianity acknowledge Christ their Head but it is the Visible Society of Trayterous Usurpers so far as they profess the Pope to be their Head just as if a Traytor should make himself Deputy of Ireland against the King's will and all the People believe he is so and so profess themselves Subjects to the King as their Soveraign and to him as his Deputy Here it is a true Kingdome as it is still under the King and yet a Kingdom of Traytors or Rebels Secundum quid or so far as they adhere to the Usurping Deputy against the King's command From this Church therefore which is spiritual Babylon the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the Earth no Spouse of Christ but a Strumpet no House of God but an Habitation of Devils once indeed a famous Church but now dead and buryed and as is the Mother so is the Daughters God's People are bound to separate Come out of her my people and yet not from such therein who mean well in the general and secretly discent from her damnable Corruptions is this Obligation of Separation upon you Rom. 18. 4. Much less ought you to separate from Churches which have made separation from Rome as the reformed Protestant Churches in France Germany and other Countreys and these of Great Britain and Ireland have done in whose Congregations is found truth of Doctrine a lawful Ministry and a People professing the true Religion submitting to and joyning together in the true Worship of God I am not ignorant that many of you whose Habitation I question not but the Lord is who have your Habitations in all the several Countries of this Kingdom have drunkin a deep prejudice against all the Parochical Congregations whereof you are legal Members and where all you were baptized and thereby were made the Members of Christ the Children of God and Heires of his Kingdome I fear some of you will startle at these expressions found in the Common-Prayer-Book But if you consult the Holy Scripture you will finde them warranted in a Sacramental sense and your prejudice hath so far wrought upon you that you have forsaken the assembling of your selves together with your Neighbours in the publick Meeting Places I know with whom I am dealing Persons that have a comfortable assurance that they dwell in God and therefore are willing to hear any thing that may tend to the increase of their comfort and unwilling to retain any errour in their judgments or practice that may defile and dishonour their dwelling place or cause it to be evil spoken of by them that are without whose mouthes you know your absenting your selves from all the Solemn Assemblies open wide to cast a scandal upon your
Sin and misery is that which this Treatise doth instruct thee in even to dwell continually with GOD who is the Original Life and Light and Love and in whom all wise and holy Souls are united and employed in delightful Harmony And are no further divided discordant contentious uncharitable than they depart from GOD And to retire more in mind from this dark perverse confused World which to the best is a Wilderness though the way to Rest and to the Worldlings is a place of snares and sin a Babel and a Bedlam Habitation where the Prince of the Powers of the Aire who ruleth in the Children of disobedience is busily and successfully fitting Souls for a sadder state Watch and pray that thou maist be saved from this present evil World but especially and above all thine Enemies from thy Self Happy is the Man whose Selfishness Pride and Lust do not subvert his Soul and whose own Opinion Will and Way is not his Ruine I Rest An unworthy Servant of Christ for his Church Rich. Baxter Acton June 4. 1669. THE CONTENTS The Contents of the first Sermon THe Doctrine is proved by the properties of this Habitation and the conveniences and priviledges belonging to it and the proof in the Text explained The Contents of the second Sermon Two Questions are Answered 1. What it is to make the Lord our Habitation Viz. To make choice of him to close with him and to cleave unto him as our resting place 2. How we may know that we dwell in God Viz. By 4. Characters of such Inhabitants Entrance upon Application in reference to 3. sorts of Men. 1. Such as are or may be sure they have not yet made the Lord their Habitation 7. sorts of these Advice to them and instruction how to make the Lord their Habitation 7. means in order to this end The Contents of the third Sermon Addition of another means viz. to dwell in God to this end get an honest and good heart what such a heart is What power there is in natural Men with Exhortation to exert it 2. Such whose Habitation the Lord is sure enough but they have no sensible comfortable assurance that he is so what the Reasons are of their doubts and fears and how to repell them The Contents of the fourth Sermon 3. Such as have sensible comfortable assurance that the Lord is their Habitation Exhortation to prize this blessing to hold fast and increase their assurance and how 1. Generally to walk worthy of the Lord. 2. Particular Duties in reference to things and Persons 1. To things Viz. Earthly Habitations 1. What their duty is that have no Habitation of their own 2. What their 's that have Houses of their own but may not live in them 3. What their 's that have convenient Dwellings and competent means to live upon 4. What their 's that have stately Houses and abundance of all Earthly things 5. What their 's that have had their Houses burnt and are rebuilding or finished a Word of Caution to all these The Contents of the fifth Sermon Second sort of spiritual Duties viz. In reference to Persons 1. The principal efficient causes of their happiness The Three Sacred Persons of the Deity and the Instrumental Causes 2. In reference to such Persons as are yet without God in the World and how to draw them in The Contents of the sixth Sermon Duties in reference 1. To visible Chuches God's Habitations false Popish to separate from them but Protestant not to separate 2. To Fellow-members of the same Family Live in unity with them though differing in judgment The Contents of the seventh Sermon Other Duties upon the account of the properties of this House Some of the Lawes and Ordinances of this House The General Lawes partly natural partly supernatural The Law of Faith How to manage Faith so as to maintain Life The Contents of the eighth Sermon How faith maintains life against all Instruments of death Nine acts of faith to free the Heart from all discouragement and disquiet some other Laws of the House concerning watching rejoycing praying thanksgiving readiness to remove out of lower into higher rooms By reason of the Author's absence these Errors have escapt the Press with several false pointings which the courteous Reader is desired to amend PAge 4. Line 8. after hereafter add to make use p. 5. l. 20 r. heights or high places p. 8. l. 24. r. pent p. 11. l. 16. r. theirs p. 13. l. 11. your r. their l. 14. such r. which p. 16. l. 10. r. goods p 25. l. 7. r. effected l. 22. rejoyce r. noise p. 35. l. 18. r. felt l. 23. r. persisted p 42. l. 5. twines r. turns p. 44. l. 19. for will r. glory p. 50. l. 21. r. sensualists p. 52. l. 9. r. this p. 61. l. 12. r. both thâ—se themselves p. 78. l. 9. r. was p 79. l 7. r. against them p 82. l 24. each r. which p 83. 18 leave out that to him p 86. l 15. a place r. a feast p 87. l 12. his r. this p 96. acquisition r this of p 97. l 23. r. whence p 101. l 4. r. any real rest p 102. l 7. r sought p 103. l 12. r. nor in the latter p 105 l 6. first r. true p 106. l 4. her r his p 107. l 21 r. prelation p 108. l 14. natural r. mutual p 110. l 16. this r. that p 116. l 5 leave our once p 117. l 21. is r. as p 118. l 14. belike r. because life p 120 l 11. fixed r. first p 125 l 26. persons r. profess p 129. l 6 after Religion add with piety and reason p 132 l 21. r. Against whom p 141. l 7. r. do you likewise p 142. l 3. your r. their l 7. have r know p 145. l 4 these r. your selves l 8. these r. your selves p 148. l 12 turnes to r. workes for p 165 l 3. r. pace l 4 r. when there is solid and true Grace in it l 16 r. generally p 170 l 26. esteem'd r shewed p 175 l 6 so r. to p 178 l 17 the r your p 180 l 8 alone r. a one p 207 l 19 exquisite r. extinct p 208 l 3 r. handsel p 210 l 18 r. premisses p 218 l 3 r. to praise God p 256 l 4 leave out Only p 265 l 18. Even r. Ezekiel p 287. l 6 after Church r. is of the former sort for as l 8 after Invention add So 2dly in it is wanting truth of Doctrine Fundamental Errors Doctrines of Devils in very great number are obstinately maintained there l 23 after so r it being without true preaching but a Seal p 297 l 18 r. the Church of England p â—80 l 12 truth r. touch p 386 l 8 r. prove p 388 l 15 r. emptying p 391 l 7 a desiring r an adhering p 393 l 8 which r such p 397 l 3 scarce r secure p 412 l 10 r. a dedication THE FIRST SERMON Psal 91.
Jesus Christ apprehending and applying the promises of pardon made in his blood Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved 2. Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit By spirit are meant the gifts or workings of the Holy Ghost which are twofold one inferiour once slightly enlightning Mens mindes this is common to the Elect with many reprobates who are said to be made partakers of the Holy Ghost All that before God are rightfully baptized receive the Holy Ghost according to the promise No Man being able to say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost The other is a supream gift peculiar to the Elect only a new quality of Holiness infused into the Soul transforming the whole Man effecting a real change and alteration of the whole Man from evil to good enabling him to make a good confession and to walk in Love which are the two next Characters 3. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God This confession includes and comprehends in it four things 1. A distinct and cordial knowledge of this and all other fundamental Articles of the Christian Faith which are inseparable in their own Nature For if Jesus Christ be the Son of God all his Doctrine must be a Divine and everlasting truth Especially of that which the Gospel reveals concerning Christ namely that he is an alsufficient Saviour and offered indefinitely to every reasonable Creature that will receive him in a Matrimonial Covenant as a Wife receives her Husband to be governed by him and to cleave unto him in every condition 2. A lively assent of the mind to all this is an undoubted truth with a free and full consent of the will to this blessed offer for the incomparable goodness of it rolling and relying upon his Person and merits for the obtaining of remission of sins and everlasting life after Death According to that of the Apostle This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners 3. A Verbal acknowledgment of these and all other known and believed Gospel Verities with an open profession of them before the face of the World That this is necessary to be found in every one that would approve himself to have Interest in God and possession of him as his Habitation appeares belike in God's grace by Christ is by faith in the heart as in a lively Spring and in confession as a continual respiration both which are promised in the Gospel For what saith Moses The Word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the Word of Faith which we Preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart Man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth confession is made unto Salvation Nor can the one be without the other For when God hath once said unto any Mans heart I have called thee by thy Name thou art mine That Mans heart cannot but answer and say Lord I am thine O Lord truly I am thy Servant I am thy Servant And what he hath heard in the Ear he cannot but declare in the hearing of others One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand and surname himself by the Name of Israel All manner of Persons that shall joyn themselves to me with my Church shall make open profession of my faith and service and therefore he that is ashamed of Christ and his Words in an adulterous and sinful Generation that would hate and reproach and persecute him for a strict profession thereof or is affrighted hereby from making such a profession God will never own nor Christ acknowledge such a one Their hidden faith shall not hide them from the wrath of God who will take Eternal Vengeance on them for their Cowardize They who through carnal fear shall not dare to make profession of my truth saith Christ shall have their part fixed in the Lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone These lead the Van in the rout of Reprobates marching thitherward Among the Chief Rulers many believed on Christ but did not make publick profession of believing in him for fear of excommunication this faith of theirs was properly no faith For a true and lively faith confesseth that with the Mouth which is believed in the Heart This duty of confessing God was figured under the Law by the shaking of things offered waving them to and fro before the Lord which signified the shaking of our Lips as in uttering and speaking forth his praise By him let us offer the Sacrifice to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name So the telling forth frankly and boldly what we hold in matter of Religion 4. A Vital confession joyned to a Verbal There are some whose lives give their Mouths the lye They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable disobedient and unto every good work Reprobate Unto the wicked God saith what hast thou to do to declare my statutes seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee God is love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him This is a sure note and character of our dwelling in God when we finde that we love God for himself and our Neighbour for his sake In obedience to his Command Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self And because of his Image which is more or less visible in every Man by this we may try the truth of the first note for the love of God is the root of all true obedience to his Commandments Nothing we do is good in his sight unless we do it out of love to him When our Saviour gives the sum of the precepts of the first Table he does it in these words Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Giving us thereby to understand what makes all the service there required to be acceptable unto God The same makes the duties of the second Table so Let all your things be done in love Follow the truth in love Above all these things put on Love This makes them all lovely Love is the fulfilling of the Law Qu. How may we know we have this love to God and Men Answ Where there is true love to God the heart is softned The sight and sence of sin will fill it with sorrow for offending God thereby Zech. 12. 10. Psal 51. 3. Luk. 7. 38 47. and there will be a Daily increase of hatred of sin a greater desire after and delight in the
I am dealing with may and ought to take comfort in this that they cannot deny but that they have been truly humbled though in a lower degree It being the truth and not the measure that warrants sinners to come to Christ and qualifie them for faith in him He saith not come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden in such a degree But all that labour and are heavy laden in a true degree Qu. What is the lowest degree of true Humiliation Answ It is that which brings him into the Beggars case Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the c. When is a Man so Answ When out of a sense of his own emptiness and apprehension of Divine Justice to which they are indebted he is wrought upon by God's gracious promises to seek supply from Christ's fulness As when a Man is extream poor and knows himself to be so having never a Penny in all the World and owes a very great Summe and that to such a one as will not abate one farthing of the Debt but exact the whole and for default of payment will cast him into Prison there to lye and rot nor has he a friend in all the World to help him only he hears of a rich Man that is able to pay all he owes who hath discharged the Debts of many in his case but alass he dares not adventure for a good while to go and speak with him because he hath no interest in him In this case he is exceedingly cast down not knowing what to do yet at last necessity forcing he is resolved to go to him and seek supply from him relying wholly upon his goodness having heard how mercifully he hath dealt with all that have so done Is not this thy case poor despondent Christian Hast thou not seen thy Soul totally empty of Grace yet indebted to God Ten Thousand Talents whose Justice thou knowest will exact the utmost Mite do'st not thou see fulness in Christ and all-sufficiency that he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him to discharge their debt were it ten thousand times greater Though thou did'st not dare to go to him for a while yet at last did'st adventure being encouraged by what others in as bad a condition have found and by sundry gracious invitations and promises excluding none that have an heart to come Upon which promises thou do'st in great humility roll thy Soul and resolvest therein to rest Thus the Prodigal saw an emptiness in himself knew there was fulness in his Fathers House was moved to go to him trusting in his gracious disposition So the Syrians Behold now we have heard that the Kings of the House of Israel are merciful Kings Let us put Sack-cloath upon our Loynes and Ropes upon our Heads and go to the King of Israel peradventure he will save thy Life So they put Sack-cloath upon their Loynes and Ropes upon their heads and begged their Masters Life Qu. How shall I know I have this poverty of Spirit Answ By the signes of a poor Beggar He is full of complaints to such as can relieve him full of requests No need to teach him rhetorick Industrious to get maintenance out he will though the Law be against it The Belly hath no Eares If he be blind he will get some to lead him if lame he will get a Crutch to uphold him He is more-over meek patiently bearing checks and reproaches content to stay his leisure of whom he begs and expects an Almes full of observance also towards him ready to obey his commands trembling at his frownes and greatly thankful if he give him but a Crumb And if he hath offended is at no rest till his anger against him be appeased and his favour and good will regained Thou canst not but finde all these signes in thy self in reference unto God and therefore mayest take comfort in thy poverty Add unto this another sure evidence of true humiliation namely thou esteemest sin the greatest evil and Jesus Christ the greatest good put naked Christ in one Scale and all the pomp and glory of the World in the other and whether of these would weigh the most in thy judgment and valuation Obj. But thou knowest not the time when thy heart was broken and humbled Ans Suppose thou sawest a good Crop of Corn upon a piece of Ground wouldst thou not think it had tillage good enough though thou sawest not when it was broken up Nor how deep the Plow went The fruits thou bringest forth of holiness righteousness sobriety and charity argue the fallow ground of thy heart to have had sufficient plowing Though thou know not the time when nor the means whereby this was done Thou walkest not in the counsel of the ungodly much less standest in the way of sinners least of all sittest in the seat of the scornful But thy delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law thou meditatest Day and Night As thy affections are such are thy words seasoned with salt such as discover Grace in the Speaker Minister Grace to the hearers and thy conversation accordingly and actions such as become the Gospel Herein thou exercisest thy self to have a Conscience void of offence towards God and toward Men. Thou dost good to all especially to the houshold of faith Art ready to distribute willing to communicate Ye shall know others by their fruits do Men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figges of Thistles even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit Thou mayest and oughtest to pass judgment upon thy self that certainly the Root of the matter is in thee That thou art a Tree of righteousness the planting of the Lord wherein he is glorified Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much Fruit so shall ye be my Disciples Ye shall shew your selves to be truly such doing acts worthy of such a Title And if you be indeed Christ's Disciples you need not question your dwelling in God Obj. 2. These Godly doubting Christians are so far from acknowledging any such fruits or taking comfort in them that they deny there is any good in them any good fruit brought forth by them They believe themselves would have you believe so too That their Vine is of the Vine of Sodom and of the Fields of Gomorrah Their Grapes are Grapes of Gall. Their Clusters are bitter their Wine of the poyson of Dragons and the cruel Venome of Asps instead of good fruits They will tell you your hearts and tongues and lives are full of evil fruits Vain and vile thoughts and idle and ungracious words unprofitable impious and unrighteous actions Fruits not tending to Life but Death That they are Trees not for fruit but for the Fire Corrupt Trees at best whose fruit withereth which have neither life nor sap to bring forth any fruit unto God Even like Trees after Autome Yea quite pluckt up by the Roots
also as a joyful witness both clearing our evidences and opening our minds to discern them The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the Sons of God Hereby we come to have boldness confidence and a perspicuous manifestation of Divine love shed abroad in our heart and certain knowledge and full assurance of knowledge and hope of Faith Let us draw near with all full assurance of Faith The word imports a carrying on with full Saile like a Ship that hath Wind and Tyde and all the Sailes spread to the Wind. Those three parts of God's Kingdome Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost are consequents and effects of these three Applications The first namely that of adherence hath Wind and Tide against it The second hath Wind carrying it on but without Tide The third hath both Wind and Tide and all the affections like spread Sailes filled with the Gales of the Spirit causing joy unspeakable and full of Glory In the Church of Rome this Doctrine of full assurance is cryed down and an impossibility of attaining it by any ordinary Christians asserted and the main reason they render for the Confirmation of this Doctrine especially as to the subjective certainty of perseverance whereof Paul speaks when he saith I am sure that nothing shall be able to separate us from the Love of God in Jesus Christ Is the mutability of Man's will but the assurance of Christians depends not upon Man's mutable but upon the immutable will of God and upon his infallible truth who hath promised to keep them whom he receives in him by his strongest power if there can be conceived any degree in Omnipotency we are kept by the Guard of God's Power through Faith unto Salvation They askt what ground hath any ordinary Christian for special faith when there is no special promise nor any Divine testimony by audible Voice such as some choice Persons have had as Gen. 15. 1. Mat. 9. 2. Luk. 5. 20. 47. 48. 23. 42. 43. They are answered we will not contend about bare words whether it be better called special faith or assurance gathered from two promises the one in Scripture the other in our hearts so participating of Faith for that is our sence of special Faith but as to the matter 1. There are general promises with a command to apply them 2. Special Faith is gathered by argumentation thus whoever hath God's Spirit confesseth that Jesus is the Son of God that Man dwelleth in God But so have I so do I therefore I dwell in God 3. Sacraments give ground for special Faith wherein is made special application to the receivers 4. The Spirit is given for this end to believers as a seal and earnest and witness to assure them that God is their Habitation and Salvation And that it 's possible for a Christian in ordinary course to attain this grace if he do what in him lyeth We have God's express promise to this purpose Thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and Redeemer and a charge is laid upon every Christian to make his calling sure and not to come without full assurance when they draw nigh to him in Prayer and other duties of his Worship Let us draw neer him in full assurance of Faith And we have the experience of God's People in all ages for it And though they that profess they had it as Job David Paul were rare Persons Yet the Faith of the meanest Christian is of the same Nature with theirs though not in the same degree This is the Doctrine of the reformed Churches who yet deny not the difficulty of attaining the highest degree and that very few there are that attain it and fewer that have it at all times alike nor any in that perfection but that there is some mixture of doubting And this is one sign of the truth and goodness of it when it is attained with difficulty and assaulted with infidelity For there are many whom Satan and their own heart have deluded in this point who are strongly perswaded that God is theirs never doubted of their interest in him make no question but the Lord is their Habitation who entered not in by the Door never received the spirit of bondage to fear have no fear of offending God no care to please him but live in known sin against the light of knowledge and checks of Conscience which evinceth them to be in the gall of bitterness Now these who in their own conceits have taken up their dwelling in God like those buyers and sellers that took up their seats in the Temple without the Warrant against the consent of the Owner of that House must be dealt with by the Ministers of Christ as those Intruders by Christ were driven out with a scourge And as Nehemiah dealt with Tobiah who had got a Chamber in the Court of the House of God who cast both him and his stuff out of it Avoid prophaneness come not here nothing but holy pure and clear or that which groaneth to be so may enter or abide one Moment at his peril To you who can prove your assurance that you are in God to be of God by the qualification of your Persons as having formerly been humbled for your living without God in the World and at present humble your selves to walk with your God and resolve so to do to the end of your life Unto you I am sent with a manifold Word of Exhortation 1. To prize this as the greatest blessing and rejoyce in it more than in all other blessings and accordingly to praise God for it that he hath given you to know that he is your Habitation Lifting up the Light of his Countenance upon you and giving you Eyes to see that Light There be many that say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us Thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time when their Corn and Wine increased because thy loving kindness is better than life my Lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee while I live Because thou hast caused me to feel the effects of thy Grace at full even as the Sun shooteth out his Beames at Mid-Day And because I finde this to be the life of my life without which every Day would be more bitter to me than Death Therefore for this above all Mercies will I bless thee every Day and I will praise thy Name for ever 2. To hold fast what you have and be alway adding to it as worldly Men do by their Earthly substance How oft are Christians exhorted to hold fast every good spiritual thing that they have gotten Hold fast as with Tooth and Nail the faithful Word The pure and sincere Doctrine of the Gospel against those Gain-sayers that would snatch it from you and not only the matter but the forme
wills the reformation whereof is the absolute and adaequate end of all punishments and of the exercise of all Political Power but punishments were never ordained for the information of the understanding To return to satisfie the Objection It is not necessarily nor generally true of all Members of the Visible Church that they be called by the word if this be granted which cannot be denyed that as among the Jewes Men were incorporated into the Church by Circumcision so they are under the Gospel by Baptisme Col. 2. 11 12. and that as in those times many for by-ends and through fear joyned themselves to the Church Est 8. 17. so it may be and hath been under the Gospel Obj. But the greatest part of our people are ignorant and unsanctified yea prophane Persons Answ Ignorant and prophane Persons have alway been in the Church It was so in the Church's Infancy and so in her perpetual growth and so shall be to the end of the World at least till Christ come the second time but these are not of the Church which hath its denomination of the better part Obj. But open and prophane Persons are not cast out Answ The Law takes Order they shall be The fault is in the Governors We are not no Church or a false one because such are suffered 1 Cor. 5. Rev. 2. Obj. But we want the Form of a true Church Viz. a Covenant Answ It appeares not in the Apostles times any thing more was required to make Church-members of the Church-Universal than assenting to Evangelical truths embracing and professing Christian Religion and receiving Baptisme wherein all in our Church enter into a Solemn Covenant and confirm it when they come to years of understanding And moreover to settle them in particular Church-order the Apostle made Bishops or Elders over them in every Church Acts 14. 23. and required the People to obey them hear and honour them 1 Thes 5. 12 13. Heb. 13. 7. 17. 24. 1 Tim. 5. 17. And those that consented to this and did so were Members of that particular Church so that we confess as a Man cannot be a Member of the Universal Church if at age without his own consent so neither can he be of a particular Church however he may be antecedently obliged to consent But that this consent was wont to be signified by any express Covenant between the Pastors and the Flocks no Scripture mentioneth It is consent signified only which God requireth But whether this consent be signified 1. By the Peoples Election of the Pastors 2. Or by a Covenant 3. Or by lifting up the hands or any such sign 4. Or only by constant attendance with the Church on all God's Ordinances there God hath no where determined save only as circumstances may make one of these more fit than another and so oblige us to it in prudence And he which maketh Duties which God hath not made is a maker of superstition and a false Teacher or Speaker of God and his Lawes and addeth to them As to that you say you cannot joyn with our Congregations because they stand under a Devilish Anti-christian Government and the Worship in them by a number of Common-prayers is a devised Worship All that I desire of you is only this that laying aside passion you will but pause and ponder what is alledged to give satisfaction to this Objection which may cool at least the fierceness of your Spirits and abate that desperate prejudice you have conceived against the Government and Worship established in these Churches Touching the exercise of Ecclesiastical Government in general you know it is not of absolute necessity to the Constitution of a Church and as to the Government of the Churches by Bishops speaking of it only as they are Superiour to Presbyters without medling with the extent of their Diocesses c. when you finde so much written with so much confidence that Episcopacy is the true ancient Apostolical Government of the Christian Church That it was received in profession and practice in all Ages and is so far Divine that Bishops were in the very time of the Apostles that they were ordained and appointed by the Apostles themselves That there was an approved succession of them in the Apostolical Churches That in all the following Ages all the Churches in the World were governed by them for more than Fifteen Hundred Yeares without any opposition save by the Arrian Aerius who was therefore cryed down as an Heretick by the ancient Fathers That the first reformed Protestant Churches cast not off Episcopacy with any aversness to the Order as appeares by the History of the Augustane confession to which Calvin himself signed That some of those Churches are governed by Superintendents the same with Bishops That there was long since a challenge made to them that have aversness to the degree or order in these words We require you to finde out but one Church upon the Face of the Earth that hath not been ordered by Episcopal Regiment which to this Day as they say is not answered These allegations may me-thinks so far allay your heat as to restrain your thoughts and Tongues from passing so sore a censure upon the Government that it is Devilish and Antichristian till you can solidly absolve all these Arguments though notwithstanding all that hath been said you are perswaded that another Church Government may be better And that there is no cause why you should refuse communion with these Churches upon this account because Bishops are chief Rulers there Touching the devised Worship objected do but ruminate upon what you have frequently heard and read and you will see little reason to condemn stinted Prayers because invented and devised by Men. For how many inventions of Men are there of the same nature in God's worship which you approve of namely set-formes of Catechising studyed Sermons Interpretations of Scripture division of it into Chapters and Verses Contents of Chapters Marginal references putting Psalms into Meeter with a multitude more True it is invented or devised worship is unlawful yet it is lawful to serve God in a Form of words devised For the Form is not worship but the Prayer tendered in that Form And therefore they do not well that say a stinted Form of Prayer is a means of Divine Worship not ordained of God and that there is no warrant for it in the Word of God For God's Word warrants things not only by special Institution as all substantial means of Worship and by necessary consequence so the Translation of the Scripture is warranted because it must be read to edification and edifie it cannot unless it be understood but also by the Light of Nature and Reason according to the general Rules of Scripture And thus accidental means of Gods Worship which are only circumstances of the Celebration as time places order method phrase and sorme of words in the administration of holy things of God yea Pulpit to preach in and Bells to call
his glory It is the guise and property of too many of you that think you are assured you are the Lords to question whether others be so that dissent from you Yea to pass sentence against some of them as out of God for no other reason but because they are not of your mind and way and to say of them that its love of the World or fear of trouble or some other by-respect and base end that keeps them from embraceing these Gospel-truths which you hold and whereof they have had sufficient conviction or if indeed they see them not to be such that it is because the God of this World hath blinded their Eyes Nor least of all can you bring your hearts to look upon or love as Brethren these who have been of the same mind and way with you and are apostatized from their principles and practices Turn-Coat-Rogues Have patience and ponder with your selves what rashness you discover in censuring any Man to be Godless because he sees not those truths which you think you do and they may clearly see to be revealed and commanded by God Barnabas was a good Man and full of the Holy Ghost and Faith and yet he could not see that that Paul saw Viz. That it was lawfull and fit for them to converse with the Gentiles even in the presence of the Jewes God bestowes his gifts on his Servants in different measures and degrees None that sees the truth in all things but in some points he is ignorant and erreth Setting aside the Prophets and Apostles who were infallibly guided in penning the Scripture Who almost of all the ancient Fathers but held some gross Errour Justin Martyr besides that he was a millinary held that it was the Angels that begat those Gyants Athenagoras that the Souls of those Gyants were Devils Ireneus that man was not created perfect Clemens Alexandrinus that none were saved by Christ before his Incarnation Tertullian that God was corporeal that Montanus was the Paraclete that a Christian falling twice after Baptism was damned Origen understood much of the Scripture allegorically Hierom that Angels were many Ages before the World that there is no sin in Infants or not deserving punishment Ambrose that the Gospel was preached to Devils Chrysostom that the Fathers were in Hell before Christ that we are justified by works Augustine's Book of retractations witnesseth his manifold Errours for a long time Luther the great Reformer held consubstantiation Not only particular persons but whole Counsels and Churches have erred The reasons of this proneness in Men to erre are 1. Truth is but one Errour manifold there is but one right many by-paths 2. The Seeds of all Errours are naturally in all Mens hearts 3. Errour hath usually on it the Vizard of truth 4. The understandings of the strongest Christians are so weak that it is easie for them to mistake 5. Satan and his Instruments are full of subtilty and cunning craftiness 6. God suffers Errours to spring up in his Church to punish the wicked and for tryal of his own and for cleering of truth Contraries opposed mutually argue each other This consideration should teach you not to be insolent in censuring and not to be stiff in your own Opinions or perswasions Others may be in the right and you in the wrong And if you be in the truth Love them not ye less that erre from it in infirmity but pitty them more and pray for them and though you know it to be passion or prejudice that hath blinded their judgments a greater infirmity than simple ignorance yet believe they may be godly Men for all that and if they be so you are bound to love and reverence them how much soever they differ in Judgement from you And if Men that are as practically godly as your selves hold those to be truths which you hold to be errours seek not to draw them over to you but let them quietly enjoy themselves take the blessed Apostles advice I press toward the mark Let us therefore as many as be thus perfect be thus minded and if any thing be otherwise minded God shall reveal this unto you Nevertheless whereto we have already attained Let us walk by the same Rule Let us mind the same thing So far as you freely can joyn with your dissenting brethren in Duties of Divine Worship And let not them that are without have occasion to say you are of several Religions or to call you by several Names any longer But rather to wonder at your mutual love and peaceable and quiet spirits free from any appearance of raising contention either in Church or State They that do so having the Brand of graceless Men set upon them by the Holy Ghost Now I beseech you Brethren mark them that cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own Belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Every Man that dwells in God is of a peaceable disposition quiet in the Land As for them that you call Apostates consider that their Apostacy is not from any fundamental point in Religion or substantial worship of God And that love of their callings and the works thereof and of their Peoples Souls and Conscience of obeying the Magistrate in all things not expresly forbidden in the Scripture might move them to do what they have done and charity binds you to make the best construction Finally In reference to those that are of your own mind and way Let brotherly love continue And abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment rejoycing and weeping together and laying out your selves in a special manner in a faithful employment of God's gifts for the good one of another in things temporal Gal. 6. 10. Heb. 13. 16. 2 Cor. 8. 9. Psal 112. 5. and in spirituals by example Rom. 15. 1 2. 1 Cor. 10. 33. by admonition 1 Thes 5. 14. Heb. 3. 13. Prov. 10. 21. by consolation 2 Cor. 1. 4. Esay 54. Prov. 25. 25. Rom. 1. 12. and by prayer Eph. 6. 16. Jam. 5. 15 16. John 16. 24. By thus doing you shall improve that branch of the Communion of Saints which you have among your selves and be the fitter to improve that which you have together with Christ by the Spirit in respect both of substance and Offices and Virtues THE SEVENTH SERMON THere remaineth yet very much of Duty to be performed by and to be pressed upon you whose habitation the Lord is and who know him to be so And first upon the account of the properties of this House wherein you dwell The first whereof is height And the first duty upon this account is to lift up your hearts and voices as high as may be in praises and prayers 1. In praises acknowledge your selves bound to acknowledge 1. As all other
distress and vexation of mind call to mind such promises as are fitted to your condition For there can be no condition imagined but there are promises suited to it and a Christian wisdome must be to accommodate the remedy to the sore and malady of his heart Enquire what word there is in God's Book to still the tempests and distempers of your spirits and then make application of it Promises faithfully remembered and well digested will arm and fortifie your Souls that they shall be able to put any case of trouble inward or outward and come off victoriously and triumphantly Put case you be as poor as Job Lazarus the Prophets Widdow Call to mind the promises of temporal blessings in abundance Put case you be persecuted by the tongues or hands of wicked Men call to mind the promises that you shall be delivered your enemies confounded Put case your hearts be heavy for some great losses of Goods or Friends Call to mind the promises that you shall be gainers by your losses Put case your spirits be wounded with the sense of Divine wrath Call to mind the promises of pardon peace and rest Put case your Graces be weak and corruptions strong Call to mind the promises of sanctification and quickening Put case some great eminent danger threaten you Call to mind the promises that nothing shall hurt you that every thing that befalls you shall work together for your spiritual and eternal good 2. Provision thus brought in by the Memory the next work of Faith is to prepare and make it fit nourishment This is done by searching for and finding out that Grace or part of obedience upon which the fruition of the promise depends to which sufficient hath been spoken already nor will it be disheartned for weakness if there be truth yea if no more than a true desire Mat. 5. 3 6. Neh. 1. 11. The third and last chief work of Faith is application of the promises to your selves in particular this is feeding upon the provisions brought in and dressed Faith first does its utmost to assure the soul that what God hath promised is already done Mark 11. 24. 15. 28. Job 13. 15. Yea and it makes it good thus 1. It hath Christ and he is all 2. It hath if not the thing promised as good or better 3. When it findes much ado It goes to God and seeks help of him Mark 9. 24. 2 Chr. 20. 12. Psal 73. 23. 24. 27. and concludes with the Psalmist 60. 12. 73. 1. You will be sure to finde while you live here on Earth the Devil ever anon throwing his Fiery darts into your Souls You must take the Apostles advice to stand alwayes Armed with the whole Armour of God Above all taking the Shield of Faith whereby ye shall be able to quench all his Fiery Darts THE EIGHTH SERMON YOu have heard what the Daily Duty is of all who live and dwell in God viz. To live by Faith How faith maintains the Soul in life and the Apostle bidding you to take the Shield of Faith and to use and move and mannage it according to the place Satan casting his Darts at you aimes at and according to the kindes of his temptations I shall give you a truth and tast how faith may be mannaged and what the several acts of Faith are by which the fierceness of these Darts of Satan may be quenched There are six Fiery Darts besides many others which Sathan throwes at the Souls of those that dwell in God whereby he works them much disquiet and trouble The first and worst is concerning the forgiveness of sins He would and often doth perswade them that their sins are unpardoned and that God will damn them for their manifold transgressions and mighty sins The apprehension of this fills their Souls with horror nor can the greatness and grievousness of this affliction be expressed A second is Concerning their spiritual Estate he would make them believe they are yet in a state of Unregeneracy and that the Root of the matter is not in them but that they are but painted Hypocrites A third is Concerning Mortification of Lusts and Sanctification of Life neither of which they have attained and they are afraid they never shall A fourth is Fear of Poverty and temporal Misery what will become of them in sickness and old Age they cannot tell want coming on them like an Armed Man this Dart sets on Fire many Lusts A fifth is Concerning the right use of prosperity and adversity Satan perswades them they neither do nor ever shall use either rightly A sixth is Fear of falling away Faith rightly mannaged will blunt the piercing points of all these Darts and take away all the burning Poyson in them and so repell them that the Soul shall not be hurt at all by them though until Faith have done it suffer much affliction by each of them I shall not now undertake to shew what be the several acts of Faith that have force to overcome these several temptations but will declare very briefly what those acts are whereby Faith supports and settles the Soul and makes it victorious in any trouble or affliction whatsoever inward or outward which may be applyed to any of the cases fore-mentioned Qu. What use will this Doctrine be to those that are not under any trouble that have no manner of affliction upon them Ans There is no Christian that is at any time of his life free from all affections no Day comes so fair over any godly Man's head wherein he meets not with some matter of grief yea so much that he findes enough ado to sustain and master it Luk. 9. 23. 2. Those that are now free from affliction may they know not how soon be hem'd in compassed about and overwhelmed with variety of afflictions as Job was and therefore ought to live in continual expectation of crosses and distresses publick domestical personal and although there are great hopes of peaceable times yet hopes may be frustrate our sins are many and mighty which gives us just cause to fear God's judgments we have also Enemies many and politick and malicious and the Devil and his Instruments are busie but howsoever how calm soever the publick state may be yet afflictions and miseries may and will sure enough befall those that fear God If not outward yet inward Many are the afflictions of the righteous And manifold are their infirmities in their afflictions and therefore they are called by that name Evils will not come the sooner because expected but they will fall the lighter And faith is necessary that they may so do it cannot therefore but be necessary and profitable to acquaint you with the acts of Faith in general at least whereby a Christian Soul may be upheld in evil times against all afflictions and miseries whatsoever This grace well acted will bring