in one livery so God will have you like his eldest Sonne he will have no iniquality Indeede there is inequality for degrees but God will have an equality for fashion hee will have a perfection for parts though not for degrees that hee may bee the first borne among many brethren that is every man that will bee saved must looke what Christ did that must hee doe As Gideon sayd to his Souldiers looke what yee see me doe doe yee likewise for I am your guide and captaine whom you must follow when you see me blow the trumpets and when yee see me break the pitchers doe you so So when Abimelech cut downe bowes all his people did doe the like so saith Christ whatsoever you see mee doe that doe yee for he is our Captaine he is our Prince hee is the Generall of the Army and all that will bee victors must bee obedient unto him as Souldiers are unto their Generall which is the strictest obedience that is they must keepe their watch and stations oppose all dangers fight when hee will have them turne this or that way as hee commands and every relation that replies following is found in him hee is the guide the guide of our feete our Lord our Master our Captaine our Father our Husband Hee saith this to all his Disciples follow mee that is as if hee should say there are two sorts of men in the world some stragling people as sheepe without Shepherds Malantes milites as Souldiers without a Captaine Masterlesse servants as wandring beggars of which not onely our high wayes but also our cities and streets are full that is they are idle persons that make a conscience of nothing that sweare that breake the Lords day They are priviledged persons they may doe what they will I have nothing to doe with them But there are another sort of men that have given up their names to Christ to be his servants such as you are must follow mee you have a rule to goe by that is Christ. But is Christ our rule the Law is our rule have we two rules It is true the Law is our rule but Christ is the rule of that rule Christ and that Law differ as Christ and the example as in our Grammer and Logicke you have the rule and the example So it is here the Law is the rule and Christ is the example But Christ is an high example he is to high for us wee can never attaine to him and take away the hope and take away the the indeavour Tolle spem tolle conatum To this I answer that though it bee so that wee shall never attaine to him yet it is best that there should bee an high example for the best coppy is the best helpe And so those that learne to write wee set the best coppy to them that begin to write and there is reason for it because a man cannot hit the marke therefore shall I set him a wrong marke so because a man could not doe according to the rule therefore shall I set him a false rule And againe it is necessary that wee should have him for an example though hee be so high that wee may bee still on progresse goe on further still in godlinesse and it is not expected that wee should doe all at the present but that we should be still mending and turne to the right rule and last of all it is needfull you should have such an example set you that you may bee kept humble it will shew us our defects when wee compare our selves with our selves or other men we thinke somewhat of our selves But when wee compare our selves with Christ then wee are humbled as Peter when hee once saw him in his purity and his majesty that confounded him Lord I am a sinfull man I am not worthy that thou shouldest come to me But you will object it is â—â—ue indeede if Christ had â—ived among us as among â—he Apostles if hee would â—ead us by his hand but he is taken from us and how should we doe But to answer to this know that though hee bee gone he hath left his Spirit and that Spirit is put into your hearts and that Spirit will guide you that is it will be as a monitour behind your backes to tell you this is the way walke in it when we are stragling out of it it lusteth against the flesh this Spirit all those that are in Christ have because you are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ hee is none of his that is every man that comes to him though hee be taken from him yet he sends his Spirit into his heart and tells him the way the Spirit shall leaâ— you into all truth Though in speciall it led the Apostles yet in fundamentall points it shall lead them all that are the servants of Christ. But this is an uncertaine rule I may bee deceived in it I may take the suggestion of the Divell for the evidence of the Spirit But to try you have the word for a rule the Spirit dictates nothing but agreeing to the word if it agree with the word it is from the Spirit But yet you will say the words of the Spirit are but remote guides they are but intellectuall things Therefore there are more sensible guides the lives of the Saints which are written for our instruction and wee have many living Saints the present Saints that live among these are helpes to you these are companions in your wayes these are good lights to follow God hath not left himselfe destitute but hee hath Saints in every nation where the Gospell is preached But this caution you must take that the Saints may erre from the way and straggle a little from it Therefore you must follow them as that you must fix your eyes upon Christ because he onely is the Author and finisher of your faith that is as hee began the doctrine of faith and taught us the rules of it so hee hath consummated it and left us examples to follow it is not so with men for that rule is most true Non est ejusdem invâ—nire preficere artem Take the most learned man though hee found out an art yet he never finished it yet Christ hath done this Therefore looke to him though there be a cloud of witnesses as a cloud went before the Egyptians yet Christ is the surest guide But further to explaine this I will shew you two things First what it is to follow Secondly whom you are to follow first the act and then whom you are to follow First what it is to follow and thus I may briefly describe it to you To follow Christ is nothing but to resolve to doe and suffer willingly and withall our heart what hee commands c. There are foure difficult things put together in this
offered a masse of Gold to the building of the temple out of my poverty saith he I have offered unto thee Why because hee thought God worthy of all and more then hee had therefore he thought himselfe poore Secondly Faith labour to act that consider the reasons of those great denyers of themselves they did so more then wee because they beleeved more what was the reason of Moses selfe denyall Hee feared not the fiercenesse of the crosse because hee saw him which was invisible that is hee beleeved the anger of God was greater then the anger of Pharaoh And that the love of God was greater then the love of Pharaoh and therefore hee had an eye unto the recompence of reward Goe and sell all that thou hast and thou shalt have treasure in heaven Christ bids the young man in the Gospel if hee had beleeved he would have done it for the Saints they suffered with joy the spoyling of their goods knowing in themselves how they have a better and more enduring substance So Paul they wondered that hee had endured so much but he saith therefore wee labour and are rebuked because wee trust in the living God which is the Saviour of all men especially of such as beleeve Let a man stirre up his love that will make him move him to deny himselfe we know what is sayd of love there Love suffers long it is bountifull it seeks not her selfe it will deny her selfe for Christs sake as Paul did The love of Christ carryed him thorough all bonds and afflictions were nothing to him if a man would labour to encrease his love the more love the more selfe denyall and the more knowledge the readier wee are to deny our selves Lastly when you come to any particular case wherein you come to deny your selves bring arguments give not over till you have brought your selves to some conclusion For this consider these things First put case you deny your selves in any pleasure you gaine more pleasure by it for no man ever loosed by denying himselfe for he doth gaine peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost Secondly consider if you deny your selves you doe wipe away your blot and it is a great matter to keepe your selves blamelesse with God and spotlesse with the world Thirdly if you give way to your inordinate desires you shall bee subject to a hundred indigences and it is a mans happinesse that he meets as little as he can but to stand on his owne bottome Againe consider if you deny your selves in such a case you are freed from the greatest bondage that can be as Paul said you will not be brought under the power of any thing by denying your lusts you gaine the greatest freedome that can be Againe consider if you yeeld to your selves in any thing where your affection is inordinate there your crosse will be as Ammons crosse was in his Tamar Absoloms in his kingdome David in his Absolom strong affections bring strong afflictions Last of all consider if you yeeld to such a desire it will never make an end for you doe but adde fewell to the fire the greater the fire is the more fewell it requires and there is no way to extinguish our desires but to put out the very sparkes of our lust therefore in any particular case of lust never give over till you have brought your selves to this resolution whether it is best to deny my selfe or not to deny my selfe FINIS GRACE TO THE HVMBLE The fifth SERMOâ— LVK. 9.23 And he sayd to them all if any will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his Crosse daily and follow me A Second doctrine is this that the wayes of God are full of crosses and difficulties for Christ would not give them a warning to no purpose hee would not tell men that they that come to him must take up their crosse daily and follow him unlesse his wayes were full of difficulties The third Doctrine is That notwithstanding this difficulty wee must goe thorough the wayes of God though they bee never so full of difficulty and crosses They are full of crosses and that in foure respects It must needes be so from Gods providence hee hath ordeined so it is his will that all those that are members of his sonne and have interest in him should bee made conformable to his sonne And hee through many tribulations entred into the kingdome so should they and if there were no other reason wee should rest in this for in many things wee have no reason but Gods will As thou hast hid these from the wise and men of understanding and hast revealed to fooles even so Father for thy good pleasure was such and partly hee doth it that there may bee a witnesse borne to the truth Now there is a twofold witnesse First a witnesse in words which may bee done without crosses Secondly a witnesse in deedes when with mans blood there is a witnesse borne to the truth and this is called a good witnesse Christs witnesse is a good witnesse before Pontius Pilate for it is better then that which is in word onely And to this end God sendeth crosses that hee might give witnesse to the truth And againe that those that are appointed might be tryed that those that are good might bee knowne As it is sayd of heresies there must be heresies even among you that they which are approved among you might bee knowne So it may be said of crosses there must bee crosses that the true members might be distinguished from the worldlings the Gold from the Copper It must needes bee so if wee looke upon the nature of the thing No duty but hath one crosse joyned with it If wee come to reprove a man which must be done yet this will bring losse of credit friends liberty and life as it did Iohn Baptist It cost him his life wee must preach and professe Christ which will bring trouble ignominy and persecution as it did Paul as it did Christ as it did Daniel wee must keepe the Commandements and walke downe right with God and yet this will breed us much trouble this will cause us to be loosers when others are gainers it will cause us to loose many advantages which we might gaine with wicked consciences It must needes bee so in regard of the world the world hates them the world loves her owne and they are opposite to them if they were not opposite to the world or able to resist their forces it might be otherwise but the Saints are of low estate and where the hedge is low every beast will leape over The godly are Antipodes to the world they are of a contrary condition and disposition to the world and therefore it fareth with them as it did with Christ when Christ is come then the thoughts of many hearts shall be opened that is to oppose for before Christ came they thought no
be countable such as fought not the Lords battailes were accursed as well as such as fought amisse and the fearefull and unbeleeving are shut out from heaven And remember this that barren trees shall bee cut down as well as thornes and bryers for the Text saith they keepe the ground idle Many a man set in a great place doth nothing but another in his place having his opportunitie would have done much why hinders hee the good It was the Prophets complaint no man is bold for the truth Many have good opportunities but no courage As wee say of Hartes they have great hornes but they doe nothing quia deest annimus because they want courage And remember when you have taken such a person as Christ upon you you must doe the things beseeming such a great person Thus a man should bee ready to say as Saint Paul saith It is better for mee to dye then to hinder the Gospel of Christ any way The keeping of a good conscience is our treasure the best flower in our garden wee had better loose all then this let a man so reckon of it let a man consider what is every man that is a Christian he is a pearle among common stones his works and actions must not be the same with theirs As wee say a mud wall might bee made of any thing of any rubbish but if a man will make a pallace hee must take the best and finest stones so to make a temple for the holy Ghost there must be holy affections a new frame and temperature your words must bee changed with your behaviour if you be of Christ you must set upon greater things then others doe But it will bee objected I shall doe no good by doing of this if I should doe any good by it I would willingly doe it But to this I answer that it is nothing howsoever whether you doe good by it or no you must doe it for it is your deare friend and besides witnesse must bee borne to the truth which you may doe though you attaine not to your end and againe consider though you doe mee no good yet you have your reward as the Physiâ—ian looseth not his reward though the patient dye The Lawyer is not deprived of his fee however the case goe So let a man indeavour and though the successe answer not his intent yet hee hath reward But you will say the times are so evill that it is not to no end to goe about such a thing now But this must bee quite otherwise for in coldest weather the fire is hottest now in such a time God hath neede of some to stand for him The more evill the times are the more couragious you should shew your selves in Gods causes I but I am alone So was Luther when he began he was alone and Elias hee was alone and though you bee alone you know not what good you may do you â—e onâ— cole kindles another and that another and you know not how farre it may goe And againe consider the Prophet complaines of these there is not any that could most pitch you can for if you doe otherwise your labour will bee to short for the worke If Religion bee so crosse and opposite to our nature learne hence to humble our selves if Religion be good then the contrary to it must needs be bad which is our nature we must not runne out as a mans heart would doe to say they are streight Lawes Lawes made with blood and God is a hard God a hard Master but learne on the other side to returne to our selves and say what natures have we that we cannot walke in the wayes of God without this difficultie say with Saint Paul the Law is spirituall but I am carnall and sold under sinne we must humble our selves and not exalt our selves as many doe and say wee are but flesh and blood we doe as much as we can our minde and intention is good but we must humble our selves when you finde Religion opposite to you and you opposite to Religion and God thinke that out of this contrariety must needs come Gods hatred looke to his pure nature and your impure affections and sure they must needes breede an Antypathie betweene him and us therefore we cannot but bee loathsome to God and hee must needes hate us now wee should confirme our judgements to God and loathe hate and abhorre our selves for the evill disposition that is in us and every time that you come to an holy duty as to pray and you finde backwardnesse in your selves when you come to speake profitably and you finde a contrarietie in you when you come to heare the word and you finde a lumpishnesse in your hearts this should humble you this should open as it goes a new crevice of light to you which makes us to see our misery and long after Christ and prize him we should humble our selves that God may lift us up for God giveth grace to the humble this advantage wee may get by the sight of our owne vilenesse Hence we may learne to justifie the truth of our Religion if it had beene the device of Polititians they would have had one of these two ends either to please themselves or else to get a multitude of followers so to make something of themselves but you shall finde Religion to have in it that which is contrary to a mans desire it crosses his will it crosses his opinion it crosses his affections and intentions and takes his ends his profit his credit and his pleasure And besides there is nothing in it to draw our nature after it but it is contrary to it Take them that are fishers and fowlers they alwayes use baites that are agreeable to the Fish and the Fowle This is not the way that Christ hath taken In his Word there is nothing to draw our nature but quite opposite to it wee must deny our selves wee must bee ready to part with all and become other men and we shall meeâ—e with crosses every day and hee that followes Christ must looke for them This puritie in the whole booke of God contrary to man and these infinite crosses here foretold may helpe us to make an argument to confirme us in the present truth The last Doctrine that these words afford us is this that all that are Christs Disciples must follow him that is although this be required that you must deny your selves and take up your crosse though difficulty hang upon Religion yet you must goe through all All that are Christians all that will have any benefit by Christ must tread in his steps must bee made like Christ. God hath predestinated them which hee knew to bee conformed to the image of his Sonne that he might be the first borne among many brethren that is God will have all his Sonnes of one fashion as parents will put their children in one fashion masters their servants
description which are to be handled severally I say to follow Christ is nothing but to resolve that is when you come to Christ once you must have a minde to goe which way soever hee will lead you wee must not reason with flesh and blood but be obedient to him not knowing whether we goe as a man that goes into a strange county hee puts himselfe into another mans hands saying I will follow thee bee the wayes what they will hee is resolved to goe through rough and plaine thicke and thinne whether his place bee dangerous or safe hard or easie such a resolution must they have that follow Christ there must be no mincing no excepted place I will follow thee but not in this path but not in this place as the Apostle speaketh you have obeyed from the heart to the whole forme of doctrine whereunto you have beene delivered that is there is a whole forme of doctrine every jot of this must be obeyed Christ hath delivered you to obey it that is to this end Christ hath redeemed you from hell and death that you may obey the whole passage of it not picke and chuse but whatsoever hee doth command wee must resolve to obey whatsoever way hee lead to follow him may be hee will lead through poverty and infamy and disgrace hatred of all men and imprisonment Therefore I say wee must resolve to doe and suffer for indeede suffering is but a higher degree of doing as the Philosopher well sayd bare suffering is not laudable but so farre as a man acts in his suffering that is some actions there are that require but simple obedience but in some actions you must suffer if you will doe them the good ground brings forth fruâ—te with patience that is many duties have crosses joyned with them with patient bearing they bring forth fruite Runne with patience the race that is set before you so we render it continuance the originall is by patience in well doing So God sent Annanias to tell Paul what hee must suffer at Damascus I will shew how many things hee must suffer for my names sake So it is with every one that is called home to Christ. There are certaine things that hee must doe and suffer that he must resolve to doe and suffer Secondly hee must resolve to doe and suffer willingly and with all his heart There is a kinde of following which proceeds from a naturall inclination as the leafe the bow the Iron the loadstone they can doe no otherwise thus must you follow Christ. But you will say have we flesh in us which is backward and untoward and therefore wee cannot follow Christ so willingly But as wee say a Beare followes to the stake obtorto collo against his will and this is found in the Saints as it is sayd of Peter when thou art old another shall stretch forth thine hand and anoâ—her shall gird thee and leade thee whether thou wouldest not Christ tells him there of his death and that hee should leade him whether hee would not now Peter was a Martyr and wee cannot thinke but that he dyed and suffered Martyrdome willingly but yet hee should bee led whether he would not that is whether his flesh would not it is true the flesh cannot thus willingly follow Christ therefore you must if you would follow Christ aright finde something in you that you should follow Christ with propensivenesse and willingly to expresse this I have added these other words with all your heart wee finde expressed in the old Testament by three phrases love the Lord with all your minde with all your heart and with all your might first with all your minde that is your understanding secondly with all your heart that is your affections thirdly with all your might that is with your executive power Wee are to follow him with all our minde and I rather use these three because the word follow is applyed to all these some are sayd to be followers of such whose opinions they follow As those that follow Aristotle and Ramus So some are sayd to follow Paul some Apollos but we must follow Christ thus wee must follow his opinions his tenents keepe close to his word that is wee should consider what Christ sayd what the Scripture saith for otherwise it is no faith for is fides fundatur in ore Dei wee must not take things on trust wee must not receive such a truth because such a writer set it downe but wee must see what warrant it hath in the word of God otherwise we are not rooted in the faith we are to have an estimation of orthodoxall fathers but we are to fix our eyes on Christ. As for example the doctrine of justification this you may learne out of writings but you must see what footing it hath in the Scriptures or else when our strong adversaries set upon us wee shall quickly be convinced And againe you must doe it that when you preach the Word of God you may have more authority when one creature hath to deale with another it hath no authority but when God hath to deale with the creature hee doth much prevaile We use to say some follow such a man whom they desire to imitate for there are some who in their opinions are higher then the rest of whom wee thinke that all that they doe is comely and this is that second way of following Christ to love him when wee affect whatsoever wee see him doe and whatsoever wee see of him in his servants that is we must so imitate them as that our imitation may bee referred to Christ when wee see the image of Christ in them we must take heede that wee adhere not to the creature but say it is a sparke and glympse of Christ I will follow him But above all take heede of the contrary when wee see something of Christ rising in their conversation that wee doe not despise and contemne him It is the world that hates the godly We are to follow him with all our might that is with al our executive powers that is whatsoever wee doe whatsoever we act whatsoever wee take in hand wee must follow him when a man followes another mans counsell he will follow that and nothing but that as courtiers follow the King when any one aske us a thing wee must pause upon it to see whether it be Gods will or not As it is sayd of David I have a man after mine owne heart c. on this manner wee should follow Christ wee must follow him at all times for there are uncertaine times when it is easie to follow Christ but there are some difficult when you are put to an exigent when there is some difficultie in following Christ now you must not picke and chuse but you must take him for better and worse there are some brunts as we may see shunne not them If Daniel might have spared himselfe in such a brunt as this