have in the Gospell be such divine truthes above nature altogether Then we must not stand to looke for reason too much nor trust the reason or wit of any man but divine authority herâ— especially For if divine authority cease in the Gospel what were it nothing the law is written in mens hearts but we must trust divine authoritie in the Gospel above al other portions of scripture and not to the wit of any man whatsoever The Church of Rome that is possest with a Spirit of pride and Ignorance and tyranny they will force knowledge on them that be under them from their sole authoritie the Church saith so and wee are the Church and it is not for you to know c. and scriptures are so and so but is the Gospell a supernaturall mysterie above the capacitie of any man and shall we build upon the authoritie of the Church for these truthes oh no! there must bee no forcing of Evangelicall truthes from the authority or parts of any man But these are not things that wee stand in so much need of therefore I hasten to that which is more usefull Eye hath not seene nor eare heard c. Here then we have an use of direction how to carrie our selves in reading and studying holy truths especially the sacred mysteries of the Gospel how shall we study them Wee thinke to breake into them with the engine of our wit and to understand them and never come to God for his spirit God will curse such proud attempts Who â—nowes the things of man but the spirit of a man and who knowes the things of God but the spirit of God Therefore in studying the Gospell let us come with a spirit of faith and a spirit of humility and meeknesse there is no breaking into these things with the strength of parts That hath been the ground of so many heresies as have beene in the Church Only Christ 〈◊〉 the key of David that shutteth and no man openeth and openeth and no man shutteth he hath the key of the Scripture and the key to open the understanding And to presse this poynt a little if eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive the things of the Gospell without the revelation of the spirit then we must come with this mind when wee come to heare the things of the Gospell Lord without thy holy spirit they are all as a clasped booke they are hidden mysteries to mee though they be revealed in the Gospell If my heart be shut to them they are all hidden to me Wee see men of excellent parts are enemies to that they teach themselves opposing the power of the Gospell whence is all this because they thinke only the opening of these things makes them divines wheras without the holy Ghost sanctifying and altering the heart in some measure to tast and rellish these things that as they are divine in themselves so to have some what divine in the heart to tast these things it is impossible but that the heart should rise against them and so it doth for when it comes to particulars you must deny your selfe in this honour in this pleasure coÌ„moditie now you must venture the displeasure of man for this and that truth the heart riseth in scorn and loathing of divine truth when it comes to particulars they know nothing as they should For when is truth knowne but when in particulars wee stand for it and will neither betray it nor do any thing that doth not benefit a Christian If we have not the spirit of God to relish truthes in particular they will doe us no good And except the spirit sanctifie the heart of man first by these truthes the truth will never be understood by the proud naturall heart of man Therefore the course that God takes with his children is this those that he meanes to have he first inspires into their hearts some desire to come to heare and attend upon the meanes of salvation to understand the Gospell and then under the means of salvation he shines into the understanding by a heavenly light and inspires into the will and affections some heavenly inclination to this truth of the Gospell to justification sanctification selfe-denyall and the like and workes a new life and new sences and upon them wrought under the meanes comes the soul to relish and to understand these mysteries and then the eares and the eies are open to see these things and never before A holy man that hath his heart subdued by the spirit of God in the use of the meanes oh he relisheth the point of forgivenesse of sins hee relisheth the point of sanctification he studies it daily more and more and nearer communion with God hee relisheth peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost they are sweete things and all the duties of Christianity because hee makes it his maine busines to adorne his proâ—ession and to live here so as hee may live for ever hereafter And this must be of necessitie for marke out of the text If the naturall eye and eare and heart can never see nor heare nor conceive the things of God must there not be a supernaturall eare and eye and heart put into the soule must not the heart and all be new molded againe If the former frame bee not sufficient for these things of necessitie it must be so From hence learne to arme your selves against all scandalls when ye see men of parts and account and such there may be men of deepe apprehensions and understanding in the Scripture for matter of notion and for the language of the Scripture exquisite and yet to be proud malicious haters of sanctity next to divells none greater consider what is the reason either they have proud spirits that despise and neglect the meanes of salvation altogether or if they doe come they come as Iudges they will not submit their proud hearts to the sweet motions of the Spirit stumble not at it if such men bee both enemies to that they teach themselves and those that practise it the reason is because their proud hearts were never subdued by the Spirit to understand the things they speake of For such a teacher understands supernaturall things by a naturall light and by humane reason that is to talk and discourse c. but hee sees not Supernaturall things by a supernaturall light divine things by a divine light Therefore a poore soule that heares the things published by him understands them better by the helpe of the Spirit than he that speakes them better indeed for his use and comfort As we see there are some that can measure land exactly but the man that oweth the land measured he knowes the use of the ground and delights in it as his owne the other can tell here is so much ground c. So some Divines they can tell there are such poynts and so they are raysed and they can bee
is to mee a Kingdome then a man seeks to give contentment to GOD in all things and to bee a foole that hee may be wise and to have no will and no delight in any thing that cannot stand with the pleasure of and obedience to God Thus a man by knowing what his owne naturall corruption is he may know what his affection is to better things First of all there must bee an estimation an esteeme of God and Christ for to avoyd misconceit wee take both these to bee one God our Father in Christ and Christ. Whatsoever Christ did for us in love hee did it from the love of the Father who gave him And when we speake of the love of God wee speake of the love of Christ to us Therfore there must bee a high esteeming and valuing and prizing of God above all things in the world and of his love Now this must needs be so for where grace is it gives a sanctified judgment a sanctified judgement values and esteemes things as they are Now the judgement apprehending God and his love to bee the best thing to make us happy prizeth it above all Whom have I in heaven but thee Psal. 73. and what have I in earth in comparison of thee â— he prizeth God and his love above all things in the world Now if we would know if we have this judgement wee may know it by our choyce this valuing it is known by choyce for what a man esteemes and values highly hee makes choyce of above all things in the world What men make choyce of is seene by their courses we see it in holy Moses Heb. 11. hee had a high esteeme of the estate of Gods people that afflicted people as afflicted as they were yet hee saw they were Gods people in covenant with him and more regarded of him than all the people in the world besides and upon his estimation hee made a choyce hee chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season His choyce followed his esteeme so if we value and esteeme God and religion and love God above all things we wil make choice of the Lord. As Saint Peter sayth Iohn 6. when Christ asked them Will you also forsake me sayth hee Lord whither shall wee goe Wee have made choyce of thee whither shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life Let us doe that in truth that hee for a time failed to doe when hee sayd Though all forsake thee yet will not I. If wee make this choyce of Christ from the truth of our hearts this shewes our esteeme What is thy choyce Is it Religious wayes and religious company is it the feare of God above all things One thing have I desired that I may dwell in the house of GOD for ever and visit his Temple Psalm 27. Hast thou with Mary made choyce of the better part Doest thou value thy selfe as a member of Christ and an heire of Heaven as a Christian above all conditions in this world for what a man esteemes hee values himselfe by then thou art a true lover thou hast this love planted in thy heart because thou hast a true esteeme You see Paul accounted all dung and drosse in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ. Oh! that wee could come to that excellent affection of Saint Paul to undervalue all things to Christ and the good things by Christ and Religion Certainly it is universally true where Christ is loved and God in Christ the price of all things else fall in the soule For when we welcome Christ then farewell all that cannot stand with Christ. Againe our esteeme is knowne by our willing parting with any thing for that that we esteeme as a wise Merchant doth sell all for the Pearle Wee may know therefore that wee esteeme GOD and his truth for they goe together God and his truth and religion wee must take God with all that hee is cloathed with wherein he shewes himselfe unto us If wee sell all for the truth of God and part with all deny all for the love and obedience of it it is a signe wee have an esteeme answerable to his worth and that we love him Those therfore that will part with nothing for God nor for Religion and the Truth when they are called to it doe they talke of love to GOD they have no esteeme they value not GOD if they did esteeme him they would sell all for the pearl Therefore those that halt in religion that care not which way religion and the truth goes so they may have honour and pleasures in this world where is their esteeme of the Gospell and of the truth of Christ and of God they have no love because they have no estimation Againe what we esteem highly of wee speake largely of A man is alwayes eloquent in that hee esteemes it will put him to the extent of his abilities to bee as eloquent as possible hee can bee you never knew a man want words for that hee prized to set it out Therefore when wee want words to prayse God and to set out the value of the best things it is an argument wee have poore esteeme of them All goe together GOD and the things of GOD What doe wee talke of loving GOD and despise Christians and Religion they are never severed If a man esteeme the best things hee will be often speaking of them If a man set his affections upon a thing it will suggest words at will Therefore those that are cleane out of their Theame when they speake of good things are to seeke Alas where is the affection of love where is esteeme esteeme it makes a readinesse to speake Esteeme likewise carries our thoughts Wouldest thou know what thou esteemest highly What doest thou thinke of most and highest thou mayest know it by that Wee see the first branch how wee may know we love GOD if wee have a high esteeme and valuing of GOD by these signes Secondly where there is true love and affection there is a desire of union of knitting and coupling with the thing loved of necessiâ—tie it must be so for love is such a kinde of affection it drawes the soule all it can to the thing loved it hath a magneticall force the force of a Load-stone Every one knowes what this meanes This affection of love makes us one with that wee love If a man love the world hee is a worldling a man of the world because affection breeds union though a man bee never so base in choosing whatsoever a man loves he desires union with it and being so hee hath his name from that hee loves hee that loves the world is a worldling an earth-worm Now if there be the love of God as in covenant as a father in Christ for so we must conceive of GOD there will bee a desire of fellowship and communion with him by all meanes
I will onely name them to open our understandings a little First It is enough that God will have it so a modest Christian will be satisfied with that that God will have a difference betweene heaven and earth Gods dispensation may satisfie them 2. God wil have a difference betweene the warring Church and the triumphing Church This life is a life of Faith and not of sight We walke and live by faith Why partly to try the truth of our faith and partly for the glory of God that he hath such servants inn the world here that will depend upon him upon termes of faith upon his bare word that can say there are such things reserved in heaven for me I have enough what a glory is it to God that he hath those that will trust him upon his bare word It were no commendation for a Christian to live here in a beautifull glorious manner if hee should see all and live by sight If he should see hell open the terrours there for him then to abstraine from sinne what glory were it the sight would force abstinence If he should see heaven open and the joyes of it present it were no thanks to be a good man for sight would force it The second Reason is this that God will have a known difference between hypocrites and the true Children of God If heaven were upon earth and nothing reserved in faith and in promise every one would be a Christian but now the greatest things being laid up in promises wee must excercise our faith to waite for them now there are none that will honour God in his word but the true Christian that there are such excellent things reserved in another world in comparison of which all these are base there is none but a true Christian that will honour God upon his word that will venter the losse of these things here for them in heaven that wil not lose those things that they have in reversion and promise for the present delights of sinne for a season Wheras the common sort they heare say of a heaven and happinesse and a day of judgement c. But in the meane time they will not deny their base pleasures and their Rebellious dispositions they wil crosse themselves in nothing doe wee thinke that God hath prepared heaven for such wretches as these oh let us never thinke of it God therefore hath reserved the best excellencies for the time to come in promises and in his word if we have grace to depend upon his word and in the meane time goe on and crosse our corruptions it is an excellent condition to be so it shewes the difference that God will have between us and other men Againe thirdly our vessells could not containe it Wee are uncapable our braine is not strong enough for these things as weake braines cannot digest hote liquors so we cannot digest a large revelation of these things As wee see St. Peter was not himselfe in the transfiguration hee forgot himselfe and was spiritually drunke with joy with that hee saw in the mount hee wote not what hee said as the Scripture saith when hee said Master let us make three Tabernacles c. Nay Saint Paul himself the great Apostle when hee saw things in heaven above expression that could not nor might not be uttered could not digest them They were so great that if he had not had somewhat to weigh him downe to ballance him hee had been overturned with pride therefore there was a pricke in the flesh sent to Paul himselfe to humble him Are wee greater than Paul and Peter the great Apostles of the Jewes and Gentiles when these grand Apostles could not containe themselves when they see these heavenly things and but a glimpse of them the one did not know what he said and the other was humbled by way of prevention with a pricke in the flesh and shal we think to conceive of these things No we cannot for that is to be in heaven before our time These and the like reasons wee may have to satisfie us in this why wee cannot conceive of the things to come as they are in their proper nature God sayth to Moses when Moses would have a fairer manifestation of God No man can see me and live If we would see God as he is we must die If we would see heaven and the joyes of it as it is wee must die first No man can see the things that the Apostle here speakes of in their proper light and excellencie but he must die first They are not proportionable to our condition here for God hath resolved that this life shall bee a life of imperfection and that that shall be a perfect estate of perfect glory Alas our capacities now are not capable our affections wil not containe those excellent things therefore God traines us up by little and little to the full fruition and enjoying of it Thus we see how wee come to have some knowledge of them and why we have not a full knowledge of them here Well to leave this and goe on If this be so then let us oft thinke of these things The life of a Christian is wondrously ruled in this world by the consideratiō and meditation of the life of another world nothing more steeres the life of a Christian here then the consideration of the life hereafter not only by way of comfort that the consideration of immortal life glory is the comfort of this mortall base life but likewise by way of disposition and framing a man to all courses that are good There is no grace of the spirit in a manner but it is set on worke by the consideration of the estate that is to come no not one What is the worke of faith It is the evidence of things not seene It sets the things of another world present before the eye of the soule and in that respect it is victorious it conquers the world because it sets a better world in the eye Where were the exercise of faith if it were not for hope of such an estate which feeds faith the excellencie of faith is that it is about things not seene it makes things that are not seene to be seene it hath a kind of omnipotent power it gives a being to things that have none but in the promise of the speaker And for hope the very nature of hope is to expect those things that faith believes Were it not for the joyes of heaven where were hope It is the helmet of the soule to keepe it from blowes and temptations It is the Anchor of the soule that being cast within the vaile into heaven stayes the soule in all the waves and troubles in this world the consideration of the things to come exerciseth this grace of hope we looke within the vaile and cast anchor there upward and not downeward and there wee stay our selves in all combustions and confusions by the exercise of
and strength of our affections with all my strength bee a man what hee will be if hee bee a Magistrate with the strength of his magistracy if he be a minister with the strength of his ministeriall calling in any â—â—ndition I must love him with al that that condition inableth me to For it is a commanding affection and being so it commands all within and without to give content to the person loved it commands the wit to devise and the memorie to retaine good things it commands joy and delight it commands anger to remove hindrances and so all outward actions love commands the doing of all things it sets all on worke It is a most active affection it is like to fire it is compared to it it sets all on worke and commands all that man is able to doe Therefore those that studie not in all their indeavours according to their callings and places according to every thing that God hath intrusted them with to please God and to honour him in their conditions they love not God What a shame is it that when God hath given us such a sweet affection as love that hee should not have our love againe when wee make our selves happy in loving him He is happy in his owne love the father Sonne and holy Ghost but when hee intends to make us happy it is a shame that wee should not bestow our affections upon him Much might bee sayd to this purpose for the triall of our selves whether we love God or no. Let us not then forget these things for it is the command both of the old and new Testament they run both upon love I give you a new Command sayth Christ and yet it is no new command but old and ordinarie But it is commanded now in the Gospell that is it is renewed by new experiments of Gods love in Christ that we should love him as hee hath loved us which is wonderfully that wee should love him and love one another And all this is in this affection as we see when the holy Ghost would set out the disposition and qualification of such as those great things are prepared for that neither eye hath seen nor care heard nor hath entred into the heart of man hee sets it downe by this They are for those that love him FINIS SERMON the fourth 1 COR. 2. 9. As it is written eye hath not seene nore care heard nor hath entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him THat which hath already been sayd should force us to begge the Spirit of God to teach the heart to teach us the things themselves the inside of them for a spirituall holy man hath a spirituall knowledge of outward things of the creatures hee fees another manner of thing in the creature then other men doe As another man hath a naturall knowledge of spirituall things so a holy man hath a spirituall knowledge even of the ordinary Workes of God and rayseth and extracts a quintessence out of them that a worldly man cannot see to glorifie God and to buyld up his faith in the sense of Gods favour c. This I adde by the way to that But the highest performance of this that there are things provided for Gods people that neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard c. It is reserved for another World for the promises of the Gospell have then their fulfilling indeed These words are true of the state of the Gospell here now but they have their accomplishment in Heaven for whatsoever is begun here is ended there peace begun here is ended there joy that is begunne here it shal bee ended there Communion of Saints that is begun here it shall be ended there Sanctification that is begun here it shall be ended there so all graces shall be perfect and all promises performed then That is the time indeed when God shall discover things that neither eye hath seene nor eare heard c. In the meane time let us learne to beleive them and to live by faith in them that theâ—e are such things And GOD resetves not all â—or another World but gives his Children a tast of those things before hand to comfort thâ—m in their distresses in this world as indeed there is nothing in this world of greater use and comfort to rayse them then the beginnings of Heaven upon earth a little peace joy in the holy ghost will make a man swallow all the discontents in the world Now God is so far good to us as that he lets us have somâ— drops of these things before hand to rayse up our spirits that by a tast we may know what great things hee hath reserved for us but of these things and the use of them I spake before We came then to speake of the qualificatioÌ„ of the persons For them that love him Not that we love God first and then God prepares these things for us but God prepares them and acquaints us what he meanes to doe with us and then we love him A christian knowes before what title he hath in Christ to Heaven and then he works he knowes Christ hath wrought salvation for him and then he workes out his salvation in a course tending to salvation in a course tending to salvation for there must be working in a course tending to the possession of salvation that CHRIST hath purchased wee must not worke and thinke by it to merit Heaven wee know wee have Heaven and those great things in the Title of Christ and then wee fall on loving and working There is a cleane contrary order betweene us and those mercinaries they invert the order of God for for whom God hath prepared these things hee discovers them to the eye of faith and then faith works by love this I adde by the way Now he sets downe this description of those persons for whom these excellent things are prepared by this affection of love by this grace of love as being the fittest for that purpose to describe a Christian. Faith is not so fit because it is not so discernable we may know our love when wee cannot know our Faith Oft times those that are excellent Christians they doubt whether they beleive or no but aske them whether they love God and his truth and children or no oh yes they doe Now God intending to comfort us sets out such an affection as a Christian may best discerne for of all affections we can discerne best of our love But to come to the affection it selfe there are 3. things in love There is the Affection Passion Grace of love wee speake of the grace here The affection is naturall The passion is the excesse of the naturall affection when it over flowes its bound Grace is the rectifying of the naturall affection and the elevating and raysing it up to a higher object then nature can pitch on The Spirit of God turnes nature into grace and workes corruption and