1 Whether you make Christ your chiefest Excellencie 2 Whether you make him your chiefest Treasure 3 Whether you make him you chiefest Ioy and Delight 4 Whether hee bee your chiefest Refuge to whom your hearts retire on all occasions 5 Whether you set him up in your hearts for the chiefest Commander My Beloved if you finde all this done by you then out of doubt Christ belongs to you They are all severall but they meet in one center and serve together to make up one rule of triall to know whether you have tooke Christ to you or no and I will handle them all distinctly as I have named them to you 1 Therefore consider whether Christ be thy chiefest Excellency for it is naturall to every man to seeke some excellency or other Indeed beasts so they may have that which is necessary for the life and service of nature it is enough for them and it may be it is enough for all brutish men whose soules are buried in their bodyes that are but sepulchers of men in whom that spectacle of excellency which is rationall belonging to a man is quenched in sensuality These men it may be seeke no excellency at all but so they may live in pleasures so they may have that which belongs to their bodies and to this present life it is enough for them But a man who hath any thing of a man in him as hee is a man considered in these higher parts of his soule his mind and his will hee seekes another excellency sutable to these parts hee serves a higher a more spirituall immateriall substance such as the soule is and according as mens mindes are of divers fashions so they are in a way of seeking severall excellencies for themselves yet according to their different ages Children delight in childish things and so doe men likewise from whom this childishnesse is worne yet according to their severall fashion and understanding so they seeke a severall excellency Some seeke learning knowledge and excellency in their profession this is the excellency they would have Some seeke great places of authority and command and if they had their wish that is the excellency they would have Some seeke the favour of the Prince Some to have a great estate that men may say hee is worth so much he hath such Lordships such faire houses lands belonging to him if he had the excellencie he desires these he would have Every man in his owne kinde according as mens understandings are stronger or weaker according to their different education as it hath beene more noble and ingenious according to the severall companyes they keepe where they finde such and such things magnified according to the severall ages they live in As wee say something is in request is one age in one company something in another I say according to these severall occasions so every man seekes a severall excellency to himselfe Now consider what is the excellency thy heart desires above all thing else whether it bee Iesus Christ to be in him to excell in grace to have a new draught of Gods Image in thy soule or whether some such thing as I have named Consider what is the proper vertue thou wouldest have thy soule to excell in for there are severall vertues every thing hath some vertue or other which is proper to it as the vertue of a knife is to cut well the vertue of a horse to goe well the vertue of a souldier to fight well and the vertue of a Christian to be a holy man to bee holy gracious and unblameable in his conversation Now what is the proper excellency thy heart aymes at what is that thou esteemest thy vertue that if thou wert put to thy choyse that thou mightest have a wish granted thee thou wouldest most desire whether wouldest thou desire this to excell in grace and holinesse to have thy sinfull lusts mortifyed to have thy heart put into a holy frame of grace or whether if thou wouldest deale impartially with thy selfe is it not some other excellency that thy heart runnes upon that thy thoughts and affections are most set upon Consider when thou lookest upon others what seemes most gracious in thy sight by what thou doest most value the excellency of another man for it is likely thou so esteemest thy selfe also Consider therefore I say what thou measurest thy selfe and others by A man that is in Christ sets so much by himselfe and by every man as he is in Gods booke as you see men are rated and their wealth esteemed according as they are in the Kings bookes See what thy heart saith to this whether thou settest so much by thy selfe and by every man else as he is in Gods favour as he hath the eminency of grace and holinesse above others or whether it bee something else by which thou ratest thy selfe and others Consider what is that outward Badge that Livery that Cognizance thou desirest to weare which thou wouldest boast of among men you shall see it in Paul saith he When I come amongst you I doe not regard the excellencie of naturall wisedome I care not to come with that The time was when I prized it as you prize it now but now saith hee it is another excellency which I seeke which I desire to weare as it were When I come amongst you to preach the Gospell saith hee I care for nothing else I care not to bee thought to know any else than Christ crucifyed Consider with thy selfe now what thou wouldst have most eminent in thee in the eyes and eares of men that which thou wouldest weare in the view of all the world whether it be the Livery of Christ to professe the feare of God to excell in grace and holynes though the world disgrace despise and hate thee for it Is this that thy heart desires If so it s a signe thou seekest Christ for thy excellency Consider likewise what it is that thou esteemest thy chiefest wisedome for it is the disposition of men before they bee in Christ before they have experience of the wayes of God before they be regenerate when they look upon those wayes in others they reckon them folly they are foolishnesse to every naturall man but when they are once in Christ then they are wisdome unto them that is they reckon him the wisest man that excels most in these foolish courses as before they deemed them It is the Lords expression Deu. 4. 6. This shall bee your wisdome before all people to keepe my Lawes and Commandements Consider now what is that thou reckonest thy chiefest wisedome before all people whether that which before thou thinkedst folly and weaknesse and hadd'st a disposition in thy heart to contemne and scorne whether now settest thou it at a higher price and dost in truth thinke it thy wisedome and art willing that all the world should know that thou thinkest so By this you shall finde whether you make Christ your excellency by considering
whether your hearts goe this way or no to seeke a vertue in the excellencies of Iesus Christ and so shew them forth to others by examining whether this be thy cheifest wish that thou mayest bee a Christian that thou mayest bee found in Christ that thou mayest be able to say as Paul said I reckon all other things as drosse as base and vile things onely to bee found in Christ to be cloathed in his righteousnesse to excell in the graces of his Spirit this onely I prize as most excellent and most worthy And this is the first 2 Secondly consider what is thy chiefest Treasure for you see Hee that had gotten the field hee gave all that heehad for it and went away rejoycing for hee reckoned it his greatest treasure and worth all the rest It is certaine whosoever hath taken Christ doth so esteeme of him hee reckons him to bee his chiefe treasure You will say How shall I know it Why consider what men do with their treasure for it is certaine as I said before of excellencie so every man hath some treasure or other The poorest man that is hath a treasure something that hee esteemes of which hee makes account of I aske not what thou art possest of but what thou most esteemest for treasures are as they are most esteemed of As wee say of jewels the worth of them is according to mens fancies according as they are esteemed so it is with every mans treasure One makes this thing his treasure another that Now I say consider what thou makest thy treasure and you shall know what your treasure is by these markes 1 A man layes up his treasure in the safest place Then if Christ be thy treasure thou wilt lay him up in the innermost parts of thy heart he shall not dwell in thy tongue he shall bee laid up in the closer of thy heart hee shall not dwell in thy outward man in thy understanding only but hee shall bee laid up in thy inward part that is he shall bee pitched upon the very bottome of thy heart and there hee shall rest there thou wilt entertaine him 2 Againe what a mans treasure is that hee keepes with his greatest care with the greatest warinesse and solicitude So wilt thou the Lord Iesus when once thou layst him up in thy heart thou wilt not be carefull for any thing so much as to keepe him safe that is to keepe the assurance of his favour safe to keepe him neere thee and thy selfe neere unto him thy minde will be more carefull of this more than of all things else Thou wilt then take heede of all things that may cause a distance betweene thee and him thou wilt then take heede of whatsoever may loose him of whatsoever may make a separation betweene the Lord and thee thou wilt be more carefull for this than any man is to keepe his wealth or to keepe whatsoever it is that he makes his Treasure 3 Againe whatsoever is thy treasure that thou wilt most esteeme thou wilt set it at the highest rate above all things else Before a man is in Christ there are many other things which in truth howsoever hee pretend something else hee prizeth at a higher rate than Christ Worldly vanities before hee is in Christ seeme great things to him but when he is in him once he lookes upon them with another eye My beloved you know there was a time when God looked upon the creatures and they were exceeding good even all that are in the world those things that men magnifie so much I say there was a time when they were exceeding good but sinne hath blowed upon them it hath blasted the beauty and vigour of them so that now when the Lord lookes upon them this is the sentence that is pronounced of them you know in Eccl. 2. They are all vanity and vexation of spirit Consider if thou be able to looke on all these things even the best things the world hath as things being but meere vanity things wherein the Lord sowed not mens happinesse and therefore thou canst not thinke to reape it there If you marke but the expression the wise man useth in 1. Eccles. saith he All things under the Sun are but vanity now there is a reason conteined in these words why they are but vanitie for waters you know they ascend not higher than the fountaine and they carry not any thing higher than their owne ascent so all the creatures that bee in the world they be but under the Sunne therefore they cannot ascend to that happinesse which is above the Sunne nor carry you to that condition which is above for happinesse is above the Sunne laid up in Heaven Therefore saith he all things under the Sunne if they bee considered to make a man happy they are but vanity Now consider whether thy judgement be so of them or no whether it bee conformable to the holy Ghost whether thou hast this conceit of all other things but the quite contrary conceit of Iesus Christ whether thou canst thinke of him as of one that is most excellent and thy chiefest treasure as one that is farre beyond all these as one upon whom thy heart is pitched as one in whom thy happinesse is conteined 4 Againe a mans treasure is that which he will bee at any cost to get hee will bee at any paines to attaine it It is that on which his heart is bestowed and his affections are occupied about Is it so with thee when thou commest to Christ Iesus art thou willing to bee at more cost and paines to get him than any thing besides Is thy heart and affections more bestowed upon him For where a mans treasureis there his heart is I doe not aske whether thou bestowest more time upon the matters of grace than the duties of thy calling but whether thou dost them with more intention whether thou bestowest thy time and paynes upon them as upon that which thou reckonest thy treasure farre exceeding all other 5 Fiftly consider whether thou art willing to part with any thing rather than with Christ Iesus for whatsoever is a mans treasure you know a man will part with any thing rather than it Is it so with thee hadst thou rather part with any thing than with Christ than to part with a good conscience with the graces of the Spirit or with any thing that tends to holinesse to build thee up further in the worke of Gods grace I say consider whether thy heart bee willing to part with any thing rather than with Christ for you shall find this that Sathan and the world will cheapen Christ and when they come to bidding they will bid well Consider whether thy heart can give a peremptory answer to the world and say thus I will not sell Christ I will not sell a good conscience for any thing yea when Satan and the world bid highest and tell thee as he did Christ that hee
there is a faith required in the promises of God there is a faith required in the providence of God to thinke that every particular thing is ordered by it There is also a faith in all the threatnings of God Now for the manner of propounding when the Scripture comes to propound any thing it propounds it thus and no more as you see in Moses he writes nothing but In the beginning God made heaven and earth c. And so the Apostles write Such a thing was done Iesus Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary Thus and thus he did Now when the naked object is propounded other writers what they deliver or write is rationall They use Reasons and arguments to convince men of those things which they deliver But when the Scripture sets downe any propositions of faith it doth but barely propound them for there is the Majesty of God and authority of God in them to confirme them But now here you will demand the proposition being but nakedly laid downe in the Scriptures what will enable a man to beleeve it I answer that certainly there is a mighty power that goes out from God from Christ that enables thee to beleeve with this efficacy that where the obiect is set before thee there goes out a power from him to worke faith in thy heart whereby thou truly beleevest it and so it appeares in thy life we thinke we beleeve those things but our lives doe manifest the contrary namely That there is not a powerfull faith wrought in us for all the errours of our lives though we observe them not arise from hence that these Principles are not throughly beleeved if they were it could not bee that there should bee such inconveniences in the lives of men Therefore consider if this faith be wrought in thee whether such a power hath gone out to worke such a faith that hath changed thy whole course as it will doe if it bee once wrought in thee by the power of Christ So also consider whether there hath a vertue gone out from him to worke love in thy heart to the Lord for otherwise it is certaine that there is no man in the world that is able to love God or to come neere him for all love riseth from Similitude there must bee an agreement and similitude betweene those two that love Now every man by nature is as contrary to Gods pure nature as fire is to water and without an almighty power to change his nature and to worke a particular affection of love in him he can never be able to love God therefore it s the baptisme of the holy Ghost I will baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire that is with the holy Ghost which is fire I will multiply thy sorrowes and thy conceptions That is the sorrowes of thy conceptions Now love is as fire in the heart and one fire must beget another And therefore you have it in the common proverbe Love is a thing that cannot be bought with mountaines of gold and silver yet if thou bee in Christ there goes out a vertue from him that stampes upon thy heart this holy affection that breedes in thee this holy fire of love so that thy heart cleaves to him thou lovest him with as true with as genuine as naturall and as sensible love as thou lovest any friend as thou lovest any creature in the world Consider if this bee wrought in thee or no. And so for thy knowledge there is also a power in it consider whether any such vertue hath gone out from Christ to make the knowledge which thou hast powerfull You will say what is that That is to bring on these truths which thy heart assents unto to bring them with that evidence and fulnesse of demonstration that thou shalt yeeld unto them and practise them according to thy knowledge Beloved there is much knowledge among us but who practiseth according to his knowledge We know God but wee glorifie him not as God and the reason is because there hath not gone a power with that knowledge to make it lively and effectuall to passe through all the faculties of the soule and to overrule them for if there were such knowledge it would alwayes draw affection and practise with it So likewise consider whether there hath gone a power from him to mortifie thy lusts Whosoever is in Christ hath crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts not to lay them asleepe onely but to mortifie and subdue them See likewise whether there hath a power gone out from Christ to helpe thee to overcome the world The lusts of thine eyes the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life for whosoever is in Christ overcomes the world and all that is in the world The world hath many things to worke upon us and to resist and oppose us It hath persecutions it hath disgraces it hath slanders and reproches which it casts upon holy men and upon the holy wayes of God And the men that are actours in this are the divels factours though they thinke not so as the Apostle Iames expresseth it Their tongues are set on fire of hell to devise slanders and false reports and to fasten them upon holy men especially upon the Ministers of the Gospell and so upon all the wayes of God I say they are the divels factours though they thinke not so and those that beleeve them are the devils receivers the one hath the devill in his tongue the other in his eare But the Lord hath appointed this This is one thing whereby the world fights against the wayes of God to discourage men and to hinder them that they might be stumbling blockes to them So it was with Christ he was the falling of many in Israel by reason of this so was Paul as a deceiver and yet true c. Consider if thou hast this efficacy put into thy heart that thou art able to overcome this that thou art able to overcome all the offences and persecutions all the slaunders and reproaches that are cast upon the wayes of God and notwithstanding that to think well of them and to walke in them and practise them Likewise as it hath these things on the one hand so it hath pleasures preferments glory riches credit and all things of that nature on the other art thou able to overcome all these So to shut up this point prosecute it no further thus you shall know whether you be in Christ for that is the point We have assurance in him that if wee aske any thing wee shall be heard but first we must be in him now to know whether we be in him as you haue heard there must be an act of ours and secondly an act of his which is this power that goes out from him to change to take and comprehend us So much for the first thing Now for the second if a man will apply or
the prayer of a Saint and the prayer of a wicked man it may be if you looke upon the petitions or whatsoever is in the prayer it selfe you shall finde some times the prayer of a godly man more cold and lesse fervent the petitions are not so well framed as the wicked mans yet because this comes from such a person the Lord regards it not you know the condition is mentioned Iames fift The prayer of the righteous man availeth much if it be fervent Now as this is required in the person so there is somewhat required in the prayer also that is that it be fervent and faithfull that it be fervent you have it in the same place The prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent that is it must be a prayer made from the sence of the misery that is in us and from the mercie of God when a man takes a thing to heart that he prayes for and comes with confidence to be heard for that makes him fervent This the Lord will have and also he will have it faithfull Iames the first when the Apostle exhorts them to prayer if any man want wisdome saith he let him aske it of God but then marke he carefully puts in this condition see that He pray in faith that is beleeue that it shall be done unto him now this faith includes repentance for no man can beleeve that he shall be heard except hee make his heart perfect with God If he allow any sinne in himselfe he cannot beleeve vpon any good ground therefore when I say it must be faithfull that also is included we must regard no wickednes in our hearts for in such a case the Lord heares not hee heares not sinners So that this you must remember First the person must be righteous and the prayer must be fervent and faithfull Secondly the other Condition you shall heare in the Text it must be according to his will you must not thinke whatsoever you aske if you aske it loosely at Gods hands that it shall presently be graunted you No saith hee it must be according to his will if you aske fire from heaven that is not according to his will and therefore you see they that aske it were denyed it with this reason you know not what you aske Likewise to sit at his right hand and at his left in heaven which was another request of the Disciples he puts them by with this You understand not what you aske of the Father and therefore it must be according to his will And that is the second Thirdly we must aske it in time in due season so the promise is true Knock and it shall be opened to you but you know the foolish Virgins knockt it was not opened to them what was the reason of it because they askt when the time was past for there is a certaine acceptable time when the Lord will be found and when that oportunitie is past he is found no more It is true that this life is the time of grace but God in his secret counsell hath appointed a certaine time to every man which is the acceptable time the day of grace therefore he saith unto them This day if you will heare this day if you will come and seeke unto mee if you will pray unto mee I will heare you when it 's past the Lord suffers not the doores to stand open alwayes his eares are not alwayes open therefore that condition must be carefully remembered you must aske in time It is a condition that should be carefully thought on by us For for the most part we fly to prayer as Ioab did to the Altar hee went not to it for devotion for then hee would have done it before but when hee was in distresse when hee was in extremity then he fled to it and therefore you know what successe hee had by it it saved not his life So we goe not to prayer for devotion that is out of love to God to do him that service but for the most part wee doe it out of selfe love when wee are in extremitie or distresse we passe the acceptable times he requires and we goe to him in a time of our owne For there is Gods time and there is our owne time Gods time is to come to him when we may doe him service in our youth in our strength in the flower of our graces Our time is to goe to him when we need him Will not a friend say when we never come to him but when wee have extreame need of him why doe you come now you were not wont to visit me before this is not out of love to mee Even the very same answer the Lord giveth Goe to your Idolls saith hee those that you served in the time of peace and see if they can helpe you The fourth and last condition is That wee referre the time the manner the measure of granting our petitions to the Lord. That is wee must not thinke to be our owne carvers to thinke if it be not granted in such a manner such a measure or such a time presently the Lord hath rejected our petitions No he that beleeves makes no hast That is he waites upon God he stayes himselfe upon God he is content to have it in that time in that manner and measure as best pleaseth the Lord For the truth is we know not our selves what is meete for us we are unto the Lord just as the Patient is to the physitian The patient is importunate with him for such things to refresh and ease him But the physitian knowes what best belongs to him and when to give him such things in what manner and in what measure So the Lord knowes best what to doe Many times he doth the same things that we desire though he doe it not in the same manner Even as the physitian he quencheth often the thirst with Barberries or with such kind of conserves what though it be not with drinke is it not all one so the thirst bee quenched Is it not all one whether a man be hindred from striking me or if I have a helmet to defend the blow Somtimes the Lord keepes not off the enemy but then hee gives us a helmet to keepe off those blowes to beare those injuries and evills that are done to us hee is a wise physitian hee knowes what manner what measure and what time is best therefore that must be referred to him Now these conditions being observed you must know that this great priviledge belongs to every Christian That whatsoever prayers hee makes on earth he is sure to be heard in heaven It is a wondrous priviledge that which wee have all cause to stand amazed at that the Lord should so farre regard the sonnes of men to grant them such a Charter as this no more but aske and have and whatsoever you pray for it shall be done to you But
a man is ready to say secretly in his heart when he heares it This is too good to be true That whatsoever I aske I shall have My Beloved I confesse it is a hard thing to beleeue it as we ought to doe and therefore before we come to apply this we will spend a little time in endevouring to convince you of the truth of it that you may not doubt of it that what prayers you make to the Lord he is ready to heare them First consider that whatsoever prayer you make he takes notice of it he observes every petition there is not one petition that you make to him at any time but he lookes upon it hee sees what the prayer is And this thing although you thinke it common and who is there that know not this yet my beloved to beleeve this to thinke that God is present where I make my prayer to him to thinke he stands and heares it even as I speake to a man that stands and heares me and understands what I say to him This is a great helpe to us That this is true see in 4. Eph. 6. Hee is in all and through all and over all That is the Lord is in every man he passeth through every thing his eyes runne through the earth and he is over all looking what secrets are in mans heart what thoughts yea before he thinkes them he knowes them because hee seeth them in their causes Hee that is in a man that lookes in all the secret corners of the heart hee must needes see what thoughts he hath what petitions he putteth up secretly even then when his mouth speakes not And lest that should not be enough saith hee Hee is over all you know one that stands on high and lookes over all that is below hee easily can see whatsoever is done So the Lord hee is in all he is through all he is over all But this is enough for that only I would have you remember that hee takes notice of all hee knowes thy prayers But you will say I doubt not of that I make no qvestion but he heares me and understands me well enough But how shall I know that he is willing to grant the thing I pray for You shall see these 2 Reasons in the 7. Math. where our Saviour urgeth this very point that we have now in hand from the 7. verse downeward Aske saith he and you shall have seeke and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you here is the promise For he backs it with these 2. Reasons Every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened unto him As if he should say yee have this reason for it why you should beleeve it that it is no more but aske and have for saith he all that ever asked have obtained all that ever have sought have found all that ever have knocked it hath been opened unto them That is looke through the whole booke of God and see what prayers ever have beene made to him and you shall finde that there is not a prayer mentioned in all the Scriptures but it hath beene heard Now when wee have such a cloud of witnesses it is a strong reason when it is said to us that there were never any prayed but were heard Why you will say There were many prayed that were not heard Did not David pray for his Childe and was not heard Did not Paul pray to be delivered from such a temptation and was not heard My Beloved It s true they were not heard for the particular but yet I dare be bold to say that Dauid was heard at that time though I say not in the particular for though his Childe was taken away yet you may see the Lord gaue him a Childe of the same woman with much more advantage he gaue him a Childe that was legitimate which this was not hee gaue him a Childe that exceeded for wisedome Solomon was the Child that he had So that the Lord did heare him and gave him this answer as if he had said to him David I have heard thee I know that thou art exceeding importunate thou shalt not have this but thou shalt have another Childe which shall be better And so hee saith unto Paule 2. Cor 12. Christ reveales this to him Paule saith he though I graunt thee not this particular request in the manner that thou wouldest have me To take away the pricke of the flesh which thou art troubled with thou shalt bee a grater gainer by it thou hadst better have it than want it when Paule understood that it was a medicine and not a poyson as he tooke it to be he was content and resolved in it And a man resolveth not except he be a gainer Hee saw that Gods power was manifest in his weakenesse and he saw himselfe humbled by it and when he saw that God gained glory and himselfe humiliation by it he was content to be denyed in it So I say whosoever asketh findeth you shall never finde any example but that whosoever sought to the Lord as he ought he was certainely heard or else he had somewhat that was better graunted to him instead of it And this is the first reason that is used heare The second reason is this what man among you if his Son aske bread will give him a stone or if be aske a fish will give him a serpent if you then that are evill know how to give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them which aske him saith he you be not able to perswade your selves of this truth because you know not the Father for the dwells in light inaccessable you are not acquainted with him saith our Saviour I will helpe you out with an argument that you better understand even upon earth saith he take but a father here a father that is ill but the Lord is full of goodnes fathers have but a drop but a sparke of mercy in them whereas the Lord is full of mercy as the Lord is full of light he is the God of all comfort Yet saith he this father when his sonne comes to aske him bread he is ready to give it him he is full of compassion and tendernes toward him doe you not thinke that our heavenly Father is as true a father as he that hee loves you as well as he whose compassion and pitty is much greater doe you not thinke hee is ready to heare his Children when they call upon him O this is a strong and unanswerable Reason this you see is backed in 16 Iohn 27. you see there the love of the Father how it is expressed to us I say not unto you that I will aske the father saith he the father himselfe loves you Marke as if he should have said let this be one ground to you to thinke your petitions shall