there is a God and God is unchangeably true there would be nothing true in the world for all truth is therefore true because it is answerable to that exemplar truth that is true in God answerable to Gods conceit and decree of things This I observe the rather because it is a fundamental thing it doth wondrously stablish our faith in Divine truths when we know it comes from God that is true If we would seek for evidences of our faith then we must go within us and see what love and what hope what combat between the flesh and spirit there is but if we look for any thing to stablish our faith go out of us consider the unchangeable truth of God whose truth it is God as God creating a reasonable creature he must give him some revealed truth he could not be worshipped else How must we know this revealed truth whereby he will be worshipped by the reasonable creature for no man will be served by his servant as he pleaseth how shll we know these certain truths because they come from his nature God is true and as God is true so our word to you was not you and way that is it was true There is the same ground of the certainty of Evangelicall truth as there is of God himself to be true To add a little further in the Point consider the truth of God every way the faithfulnesse of God as it signifies in the originall as God is faithful Consider what relations God hath put upon him in his divine truth how he will be thought on And then bring those relations to his nature for there we must pitch at last What is he to us and how hath he revealed himself to us Thus and thus What is he in his nature So and so and there we must rest For instance The Lord hath made many promises who is it that hath made them he that is true and unchangably true there the soul rests in the nature of God But what relations hath he put upon him he is a God and a Lord and a Judge and a Father c. Now as he is God he is true therefore he will do all things that a true God should doe he will uphold his creature while he will have his creature continue he will give it life and being and motion And as a Lord he will do with his own what he list and it is not for us to contend with him why he will do this or that why he makes one rich and another poore He is Lord of all and a true Lord therefore we must give authority to this true Lord. And then as he is a Judge he corrects men for sin and rewards them for the good they do As a Judge sometime he punisheth them inwardly in conscience sometimes outwardly All the good we have is from this that he is a faithful and true God therefore there we must rest He is a true Judge he rewards every man according to his works whether they be good or evill And so in the relation of a Father he is a true Father he corrects when time serves he rewards and encourageth when time serves he gives an inheritance to his Children and hath pity and compassion on his Children when time serves He is a true Father Other fathers do this and that out of passion not out of truth and goodnesse but he doth So when we consider God in his relations consider of the attribute of his truth All truth in his Word comes from this God is true This truth is sealed by this that our truth to you our word to you was not yea and nay uncertain Gods truth is not uncertain and variable There is no shadow of change in him and his Word is like himself We say usually in the word of an honest man and that is something In verbum Sâ—…rdotis in the word of a Priest it was accounted in former times a great matter it should be so indeed In the word of a King is a great matter But when God saith in the Word of a God The Word of the Lord hath spoken so It is not yea and nay it was not flexible and doubtful because it is the Word of him that hath the command of all that he saith it is his VVord that is Lord of Heaven and Earth Now when he that saith a thing is the Lord of Heaven and Earth he is Lord of his own Word therefore what he saith is not yea and nay uncertain for he can make good what he saith There is the same ground of Evangelicall truth as there is of God himself to be true I will speak no more in the unfolding of the Point it is plain that God is true Is this true that God is true that he is truth it self then many things issue from hence It is a ground of many other truths It was the ground of all the Uses that S. Paul makes of the Word of God it is profitable every way I will name some principall to avoid multiplicity in a plain Point God is true and his Word is true hereupon the threatenings of God must needs be true even as true as God himself If this be so then unlesse we will make another Scripture another Word this Word is yea That Word that threatens sin that Idolaters and covetous and wantons shall never enter into the Kingdome of heaven Be not deceived saith the Apostle that Word is yea it is true God is true this must follow therefore that whatsoever he saith is true therefore his threatenings are true It is a truth that hath influence into all other truths whatsoever that which is prefixed here by S. Paul not onely as an oath As Gad is true so his Word is not yea and nay but certain but I say it hath influence into all other truths whatsoever threatnings promises directions all are therefore true because God is true Therefore those that shuffle off the threatnings and think they shall do well and blesse themselves Gods wrath shall smoak against them for God must alter his nature and his Word must be altered or else his judgments must stick on them to death and damnation without repentance If God should not be avenged on ordinary swearers and blasphemers if adulterers should live in such sins and ever come to heaven they must have another God and another Word of God this hath said they shall not enter into heaven that live in these sins If it be true as God is true what horrible Atheisme is in the hearts of men to think that God will change his nature though they do not change their course and that the Word of God shall alter though they will not alter what hope can prophane blasphemous persons have that make but a trifle of swearing when God hath said they shall not go unpunished and those that live in a filthy course when God hath said Whor emongers and adulterers God will judge without horrible
good behaviour Now when a man shall consider I have a witnesse within me my conscience and a witnesse without which is God who is my Judge who can strike me dead in the committing of a sin if he please this would make men if they were not atheists to fear to sin Let us labour therefore to approve our hearts to God as well as our conversations to men set our selves in the presence of God who is a discerner of our thoughts as well as of our actions and that which we should be ashamed to do before men let us be afraid to think before God that is another means to come to sincerity Another Direction to help us to walk sincerely is especially to look to the heart look to the beginning to the spring of all our desires thoughts affections and actions that is the heart the qualification of that is the qualification of the man If the heart be naught the man is naught if that be sincere the man is sincere Therefore look to the heart see what springs out thence if there spring out naughty thoughts and desires suppresse them in the beginning Let us examine every thought if we find that we do but think an evil thought execute it presently crush it for all that is naught comes from a thought and desire at the first therefore let us look to our thoughts and desires see if we have not false desires and intents and thoughts answerable God is a Spirit and he looks to our very spirits and what we are in our spirits in our hearts and affections that we are to him Therefore as a branch of this what ill we shun let us do it from the heart by hating it first A man may avoid an evil action from fear or out of other respects but that is not sincerity Therefore look to thy heart see that thou hate evil and let it come from sincere looking to God Ye that love the Lord hate the thing that is evil saith David not only avoid it but hate it and not onely hate it but hate it out of love to God And that which is good not only to do it but to labour to delight and joy in it For the outward action is not the thing that is regarded but when there is a resolution a desire and delight in it then God accounts it as done And so it is in evil if we delight in evil it is as if it were done already Therefore in doing good look to the heart joy in the good you do and then do it and in evil look to the heart judge it to be evil and then abstain from it This is the reason of all the errours in our lives because we have bad hearts we look not to God in sincerity Judas had a naughty heart he loved not the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore he had a naughty conclusion What the heart doth not is not done in Religion Thus we see how we may come to have our conversation in sincerity that we may rejoyce in the testimony of our conscience Therefore now to make an Use of Exhortation we should labour for sincerity and esteem highly of it because God so esteems of it Truth is all that we can alledge to God we cannot alledge perfection St. Paul himself saith not I have walked exactly or perfectly no but he saith This is our rejoycing that we have walked in sincerity So if a mans conscience can excuse him of hypocrisie and doubling though it cannot free him from imperfections God in the Covenant of Grace looks not so much at perfection as at truth Here I might answer an Objection of some Christians Oh but I cannot pray without distraction I cannot delight so in good things c. Though a Christians heart cannot free him from this yet his heart desires to approve it self to God in all things and his heart is ready to say to the Lord as David said Lord try me if there be any way of wickednesse in me And therefore he will attend upon all means to get this sincerity He will be diligent in the Word of God for therein the mind of God is manifestly seen The Word of God it is a begetting Word it makes us immortal it makes us new creatures it is truth and the instrument of truth Truth will make truth The true sincere Word of God not mingled with devices it will make what it is The Word of God being his Word who is Almighty it hath an Almighty transforming power from him It is accompanied and cloathed with his Almighty Spirit Truth will cause truth such as it is in it self it will work in our hearts In that mungrel false Religion Popery they have traditions and false devices of men and so they make false Christians such as they are they make strain them to the quintessence and they cannot make a true Christian Truth makes true Christians therefore attend upon Gods Ordinance with all reverence and it will make thee a sound heart it is a transforming Word Those that desire to hear the Word of God and to have their consciences to be informed by the hearing of it they are sincere Christians and those that labour to shut up the Word of God that it may not work upon the conscience they are false-hearted A heart that is sincere it prizeth the Word of God that makes us sincere the Word of God hath this effect especially being unfolded in the Ministery of it that a man may say as Jacob did Doubtlesse God is in this place It is all that is ours nothing runs upon our reckoning but sincerity For what I have not done truly Conscience saith I have not done to God and therefore I can expect no comfort for it but what I have done to God I look to have with comfort for I know that God regards not perfection but sincerity he requires not so much a great faith as a true faith not so much perfect love as true love and that I have in truth as S. Peter said Lord thou knowest that I love thee This will make us look God who is the Judge in the face It gives us not title to heaven for that is onely by Christ but it is a qualification required of us in the Gospel nothing is ours but what we do in truth And again consider That it will comfort us against Satan at the hour of death when Satan shall tempt us to despair for our sins as that he will do we may comfort our selves with this that we have been sincere We may send him to Christ for that must be the way who hath fulfilled Gods will and satisfied his Fathers wrath Satan will say This is true it is the Gospel and therefore it cannot be denied but it is for them that have walked according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh for those that have obeyed God in all things Now when our Conscience shall joyn with Satan and
the Church of Rome a thousand years after and even now the affirmatives that we hold Do not they believe the Scriptures to be the VVord of God Yes but they adde patcheries of their own the Apocrypha and their own traditions to be the VVord of God too Do not they believe that Christ is Mediatour Yes but he is the onely Mediatour for Redemption and not for Intercession they joyn others with him Saints and Angels We are saved by faith that is the affirmative and so say they but they adde of their own That we are saved by faith and works Then again we say there are two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper and so say they but they adde five of their own So I might run over all their opinions whatsoever we hold they hold Therefore in their own confessions our affirmatives have been ever since the Apostles times if they had any Church we had a Church because our foundations are included in their Religion All that we say they say but then again they say many things that we do not Therefore they account us hereticks because we make not that that they hold to be our yea too Again the negatives that they believe and we do not believe they are but novelties in experience they are not of the ancient Apostolical faith That the Apocrypha should be had in equal authority with the Word of God in Scripture alas such a conceit was not thought of for 600 yeares after the Apostles That the people should not read the Scriptures it was but since the other day Transubstantiation since the Councel of Laterane a thousand years since Christ. That the Pope should be Supream and depose Princes such a thing was not heard of a thousand years after Christ. That he should have authority to Canonize Saints it was but since the other day Equivocation but of late time and so their idle babling of Divine service in Latine and twenty other trumperies So the things that we deny that are grosse and abominable in the judgment of every man that knowes any thing they were but since the other day they were not yea in the Apostles times Then the Apostolicall Church being not built on them they must be devised after As indeed a thousand years after Christ the most of these were never heard of The most of the points of Popery wherein they differ from us nay not any of them were never established by a Councel till the Councel of Trent except Transubstantiation by the Councel of Laterane which was a thousand years after Christ. The affirmatives that we hold and they hold too we say they are constant from the Apostles time they have been in all ages maintained and affirmed Our positive Points that we ground out of S. Paul and out of the Scriptures We seek the old way and the best way as Jeremy adviseth us There was none of the Popish trash in Abraham's time in the Patriarch's time in Christs and his Apostles times or in many hundred years after they came in by little and little for their own advantage a meer policy to get money and to abuse people I say they hold all our positive truths but their errour is in addition Now this question may be made whether their additions may be dangerous or no because it may be supposed that some among them will say that heresie is not in addition but in contrariety to the faith and detracting but when one holds more then they should that is no heresie because there is somewhat superabounds now we hold the truth and more too I say it is grosse and false foe if additions did not overthrow the foundation there should never be any idolatry nor never any heresie in these times What was Idolatry especially in the Church of God Among the Jewes was there not the worshipping of the true God Yes but before an Image their additions their false manner overthrew the true There is none of them fundamental Points as we call them though they make them fundamental they make their Traditions of as much authority as the Word of God and their fooleries as the Articles of faith they overthrow the main foundation they are such additions as are destructive to joyn with the Word of God Traditions To worship God under another species and kind is to be an Idolater though they worship the true God if it be after a false manner it is prohibited St. Paul saith and with a commination Gal. 1. If I or an Angell from Heaven teach otherwise beside put case it be not plainly and directly contrary if he teach other things that are not necessary to be believed Let him be accursed VVe ought not to go from the Scriptures in any fundamentall point of faith under pain of a curse Therefore Poperie is a cursed Religion in respect of their very additions Doth not St. Paul tell the Galatians they were fallen from Christ if they added circumcision to Christ He doth not say if they did that which was directly contrary to faith no but in adding circumcision and works to Christ they were fallen from Christ whole Christ or no Christ. In some cases additions are heresies and overthrow the foundation If this be so we may answer another question easily The Apostolical doctrine you see is onely yea Whether then it be safer to be a Papist or a Protestant considering that whatsoever we hold they do hold I answer to be a Protestant it is safer in any mans judgement because all that we say themselves say it hath been Apostolical we can prove in all ages of the Church our affirmatives we have a Catalogue of witnesses in all ages of them that held what we say it was founded in the Apostles and then came down to all ages But what they say distinct and differing from us they have not the like testimony for for indeed they are so beaten that Bellarmine hath this The authority of all Councels and Fathers and all depends upon the authority of the present Church bring to them Councels and Fathers Tush tush all authority depends upon the present Church VVhat authority gives the present Church when 20. yeares after the Church varies What certainty is there when all authority of former times shall depend upon the present Church In those things wherein they differ from us and that we deny any understanding reasonable man may see that they are novelties and corruptions As for the Pope to depose Princes if a man have but his naturals he may see it abominable To pray in a strange tongue to debar the people of the wine when Christ saith Drink ye all of it who that hath ordinary discretion but will think it absurd There is nothing that we differ from them in but a man that hath but his naturals will condemne Therefore ours is safer a great deal by their own confession the learnedest of them that it is enough to believe as we do Do we
things Magistrates and Officers go with their broad Seal and deliver things that they would have carried with authority sealed and the Seal of the Prince is the authority of the Prince so that a Seal is to make things authentical to give validity to things answerable to the value and esteem of him that seales These four principal uses there is of sealing Now God by his Spirit doth all these for God by his Spirit sets the stamp and likenesse of Christ upon us he distinguisheth us from others from the great refuse of the world he appropriates us to himself and like wise he authorizeth us and puts an excellency upon us to secure us against all when we have Gods Seal upon us we stand against all accusations Who shall separate us from the love of God we dare defâ—… all objections and all accusations of conscience whatsoever a man that hath Gods Seal he stands impregnable it so authorizeth him in his conscience for it is given us for our assurance and not for Gods God seales not because he is ignorant He knowes who are his But what is the Spirit it self this seal or the graces of the Spirit or the comforts of the Spirit what is this seal for that is the question now whether the Spirit it self or the work of the Spirit or the comfort and joy of the Spirit I answer indeed the Spirit of God where it is is a sufficient seal to us that God hath set us out for his for whosoever hath the Spirit of Christ is his and whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his but the Spirit is the Authour of this sealing and the sealing that is in us is wrought by the Spirit so that except you take the Spirit for that which is wrought by the Spirit you have not the right comprehension of sealing and so the Spirit with that which the Spirit works is the seal for the Spirit is alway with his own seal with his own stamp Other seales are removed from the stamp and the stamp remains though the seal be gone but the Spirit of God dwells and keeps a perpetual residence in the heart of a Christian guiding him moving him enlightning of him governing him comforting him doing all offices of a seal in his heart till he have brought him to heaven for the Holy Ghost never leaves us it is the sweetest inhabitant that ever lodging was given to he doth all that is done in the soul and he is perpetually with his own work in joy and comfort though he seems sometimes to be in a corner of the heart and is not discernable yet he alway dwells in us the Spirit is alwayes with the stamp it sets upon the soul. What is that stamp then to come to the matter more particularly what is that that the Spirit seales us with especially what is that work I answer the Spirit works in this order for the most part and in some of these universally First the Spirit doth together with the Word which is the instrument of the Spirit the Chariot in which it is carried convince us of the evil that is in us and of the ill estate we are in by reason thereof it convinceth us that we are sinners and of the fearful estate that we are in by sin this is the first work of the Spirit on a man in the state of nature it convinceth us of the ill that is in us and of the ill due unto us and thereupon it abaseth us therefore it is called the Spirit of bondage because it makes a man tremble and quake till he see his peace in Christ. When the Spirit hath done that then it convinceth a man by a better by a sweeter light discovering a remedy in Christ who is sealed of God to reconcile God and us And as he enlightneth the soul convinceth it of the all-sufficiency that is in Christ and the authority that he hath being sent and sealed of God for that purpose so he works on the affections he inclines the heart to go to God in Christ and to cast himself on him by faith Now when the soul is thus convinced of the evil that is in us and of the good that is in Christ and with this convincing is enclined and moved by the holy Spirit as indeed the holy Spirit doth all then upon this the Spirit vouchsafeth a superadded work as the Spirit doth still adde to his own work he addes a confirming work which is here called Sealing that seal is not faith for the Apostle saith After you believed ye were sealed so that this sealing is not the work of faith but it is a work of the Spirit upon faith assuring the soul of its estate in grace But what need confirmation when we believe Is not faith confirmation enough when a man may by a reflect act of the soul know that he is in the state of grace by believing It is true as the natural conscience knows what is in a man as the natural judgment can reflect so the spiritual understanding can reflect and when he believes he knowes that he believes without the Spirit by the reflect act of the understanding except he be in case of temptaton what needs sealing then This act of ours in believing and the knowledge of our believing it is oft terribly shaken and God is wondrous desirous as we see by the whole passage of the Scripture that we should be secure of his love he knowes that he can have no glory and we can have no comfort else and rherefore when we by faith have sealed to his truth he knowes that we need still further sealing that our faith be current and good and to strengthen our faith for all is little enough in the time of temptation and therefore the single witnesse of our soul by the reflect act knowing that we do believe when we do believe it is not strong enough in great temptations for in some tryals the soul is so carried and hurried that it cannot reflect upon it self nor know what is in it self without much ado therefore first the Spirit works faith whereby we seal Gods truth Joh. 3. He that believes hath put to his seal that God is true when God by his Spirit moves me to honour him by sealing his truth that Whosoever believes in Christ shall be saved then God seales this my belief with an addition of his holy Spirit so that this sealing is a work upon believing and as faith honours God so God honours faith with a superadded seal and confirmation But yet we not come particularly enough to know what this Seal is When we honour God by sealing his truth then the Spirit seales us certainly then the Spirit doth it by presence by being with us in our soules What then doth the Spirit work when we believe How shall we know that there is such a spiritual sealing I answer the Spirit in this seaâ—…g works these four things First a secret voyce or
A Learned COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION UPON The first CHAPTER of the Second Epistle of S. Paul to the CORINTHIANS BEING The Substance of many SERMONS formerly Preached at Grayes-Inne London By that Reverend and Judicious Divine RICHARD SIBBS D. D. Sometimes Master of Catherine-Hall in Cambridge and Preacher to that Honourable Society Published for the Publick Good and Benefit of the Church of CHRIST By Tho. Manton B. D. and Preacher of the Gospel at Stoake-Newington near London Vivit post funera virtus Psalm 112. 6. The Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance 2 Pet. 1. 15. Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things alwayes in remembrance LONDON Printed by J. L. for N. B. and are to be sold by Tho. Parkhurst at his Shop over against the Great Conduit at the Lower end of Cheapside 1655. RIC SIBBS S THEOL D AVL KATHARINAE CANTAB MAG NEC NON HOSPITIO GRAI AS CONCIONIBVS Aetat Suae 58. The Portracture of the Late Reverend and Iudicious divine Richard Sibbs D D Mr. of Katharine Hall in Camb and sometimes Preacher to that honble Society of Grayes-Inn London Printed for Nich Bourne at the South entrance of the Royall Exchange 1655 To the Reader Good READER THere is no end of Books and yet we seem to need more every day there was such a darknesse brought in by the Fall as will not thoroughly be dispelled till we come to Heaven where the Sun shineth without either cloud or night for the present all should contribute their help according to the rate and measure of their abilities Some can onely hold up a Candle others a Torch but all are usefull The Presse is an excellent meanes to scatter Knowledge were it not so often abused all complain there is enough written and think that now there should be a stop indeed it were well if in this scribling age there were some restraint Uselesse Pamphlets are grown almost as great a mischief as the erroneous and prophane Yet 't is not good to shut the door upon industry and diligence there is yet room left to discover more above all that hath been said of the Wisdome of God and the riches of his grace in the Gospel yea more of the stratagems of Satan and the deceitfulnesse of mans heart meanes need to be encreased every day to weaken sin and strengthen trust and quicken us to holinesse Fundamentals are the same in all ages but the constant necessities of the Church and private Christians will continually enforce a further explication as the Arts and sleights of besieging and battering encrease so doth skill in fortification if we have no other benefit by the multitude of Books that are written we shall have this benefit an opportunity to Observe the various workings of the same Spirit about the same truths and indeed the speculation is neither Idle nor unfruitfull There is a diversity of gifts as there is of tempers and of tempers as there is of faces that in all this variety God may be the more glorified The Pen-men of Scripture that all wrote by the same Spirit and by an infallible Conduct do not write in the same stile In the Old Testament there is a plain difference between the lofty Courtly stile of Isaiah and the Priestly grave stile of Jeremiah In Amos there are some marks of his Calling in his Prophecie In the New Testament you will find John sublime and Seraphicall and Paul rational and argumentative 't is easie to track both by their peculiar phrases native elegancies and distinct manner of expression this variety and manifold grace still continueth the stones that lye in the building of Gods house are not all of a sort there are Saphires Carbuncles and Agates all which have their peculiar use and lustre some are doctrinall and good for information to clear up the truth and vindicate it from the Sophismes of wretched men othets have a great force and skill in application Some are more Evangelical their soules are melted out in sweetnesse others are sons of Thunder more rouzing and stirring gifted for a rougher strain which also hath its use in the art of winning soules to God 't was observed of the three Ministers of Geneva that none thundred more loudly than Farell none piped more sweetly than Virett none taught more learnedly and solidly than Calvin so variously doth the Lord dispense his gifts to shew the liberty of the Spirit and for the greater beauty and order of the Church for difference with proportion causeth beauty and to prevent Schisme every member having his distinct excellencie so that what is wanting in one may be supplyed by another and all have something to commend them to the Church that they may not be despised as in several Countreys they have several Commodities to maintain traffique between them all we are apt to abuse the diversity of gifts to divisions and partialities whereas God hath given them to maintain a communion in the Churches Vestment there is variety but no rent varietas sit scissur a non sit All this is the rather mentioned because of that excellent and peculiar gift which the Worthy and Reverend Authour had in unfolding and applying the great Mysteries of the Gospel in a sweet and mellifluous way and therefore was by his hearers usually termed The sweet dropper sweet and heavenly distillations usually dropping from him with such a native elegancie as is not easily to be imitated I would not set the gifts of God on quarrelling but of all Ministeries that which is most Evangelical seemeth most usefull the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecie Rev. 19. 10. 't is spoken by the Angel to disswade the Apostle from worshipping him you that preach Jesus Christ and him crucified and risen from the dead have a like Dignity with us Angels that foretell things to come your message is the Spirit of Prophecie As if he had said This is the great and fundamental truth wherein runneth the life and the heart-blood of Religion The same Spirit is breathing in these discourses that are now put into thy hand wherein thou wilt find much of the Comforts of the Gospel of the sealing of the Spirit and the constant courses of Gods love to his people fruitfully and faithfully improved for thy edification Let it not stumble thee that the work is posthume and commeth out so long after the Authours death it were to be wished that those who excell in publick gifts would during life publish their own labours to prevent spurious obtrusions upon the world and to give them their last hand and pollishment as the Apostle Peter was carefull to write before his decease 2 Pet. 1. 12 13 14. But usually the Churches treasure is most encreased by Legacies as Elijah let fall his Mantle when he was taken up into heaven so Gods eminent servants when their persons could no longer remain in the World have left behind them some
a hair cannot fall from my head without his providence much lesse can the disposing of my calling which is a greater matter therefore I will seek his glory and frame my self and courses answerable to the will of him by whose will I am in this place Men have not their callings onely to get riches and to get preferment those are base ends of their own to serve themselves God placeth us in our particular callings not to serve our selves but to serve him and he will cast in those riches honour preferment dignity and esteem so much as is fit for us in the serving of him in our places The other party in the inscription from whom the Epistle is is Timothy our Brother HE sends his Epistle from Timothy as well as from himself This he doth to win the more acceptance among the Corinthians by the consent of so blessed a man as Timothy was who was an Evangelist Unitie by consent is stronger And there is a natural weaknesse in men to regard the consent and authority of others more then the things themselves And indeed if God himself in heavenly love and mercy condescend to help our weaknesse much more should all that are led by the Spirit of God We are subject to call in question the truths of God therefore he helps us with Sacraments and with other means and allurements and although that be truth that he saith yet because he would undermine our distrustful dispositions by all means he useth those courses So S. Paul that they might respect what he wrote the more as from a joynt spirit he writes Paul and Timothy our Brother It was an argument of much modestie and humility in this blessed Apostle that he would not of himself seem as it were to monopolize their respect as if all should look to him but he joyns Timothy with him so great an Apostle joynes an inferiour There is a spirit of singularity in many they will seem to do all themselves and carry all themselves before them and they will not speak the truths that others have spoken before them without some disdain As a proud Critick said I would they had never been men that spake our things before we were that we might have had all the credit of it Oh no those that are led with the Spirit of God they are content in modestie and humility to have others joyned with them and they know it is available for others likewise they will respect the truth the more And thus far we yield to the Papists when we speak of this whether the Church can give authority to the Word of God or no. In regard of us the Church hath some power in regard of our weaknesse but what is that power It is an inducing power an alluring power a propounding power to propound the mysteries of salvation but the inward work the convincing power is from the Evidence of the Spirit of God and from the Scripture it self All that the Church doth is to move to induce and to propound this quoad nos it hath some power in the hearts of men The Church thus far gives authority to the Scriptures in the hearts of men though it be an improper phrase to say it gives authority for as the men said to the woman of Samaria Now we believe it our selves not because thou toldest us c. The Church allures us to respect the Scriptures but then there is an inward Power an inward Majestie in the Scriptures and that bears down all before it Again here is a ground why St. Paul alledged humane authority sometimes in his Epistles and in his dealing with men because he was to deal with men that would be shamed the more with them Any thing that may strengthen the truth in regard of the weaknesse of those with whom we have to deal may be used in a heavenly policy One of your own Prophets saith St. Paul Tit. 1. towards the end And so in the Acts of the Apostles he quotes a saying out of an Atheist Timothy our Brother Brother he means not only by Grace but by calling As we know in the Law and other professions those of the same profession are called before Brethren So Timothy was St. Pauls Brother not only by Grace but by calling and two bonds binde stronger Here is a treble bond Nature Grace Calling They were men they were fellow Christians and they were teachers of the Gospel therefore he saith Timothy our Brother Timothy was an Evangelist yet notwithstanding it was a greater honour to him to be a Brother to St. Paul then to be an Evangelist an Hypocrite may be an Evangelist but a true Brother of St. Paul none but a true Christian can be All Christians are Brethren It is a word that levels all for it takes down the Mountains and fills up the Vallies the greatest men in the World the mountains if they be Christians they are Brethren to the lowest and it fills up the Vallies the lowest if they be Christians are Brethren to the Highest howsoever in worldly respects they cease in death as personal differences and differences in calling they all cease in death All are Brethren therefore he useth it for great respect St Paul was a great Apostle Timothy an inferiour man yet both Brethren Timothy our Brother To the Church of God at Corinth VVE have seen the persons from whom Paul and Timothy Now here are the persons to whom To the Church of God at Corinth Corinth was a very wicked City as where there is a great confluence of many people there is a contagion of many sins of the people and yet notwithstanding in this Corinth there was a Church For as Christ saith No man can come to me except my Father draw him so where the Father will draw who can draw back Even in Corinth God hath his Church he raiseth up a generation of men a Church which is a company of creatures differing as much from the common as men do from Beasts And yet such is the Power and Efficacy of the blessed Gospel of Salvation having the Spirit of God accompanying it that even in Corinth a wretched City this Word and this Spirit raised up a company of men called here by the name of a Church and Saints And such power indeed hath the Word of God with the Spirit not only in wicked places but in our wicked hearts too Let a man have a world of wickednesse in him and let him come and present himself meekly and constantly to the means of Salvation and God in time by his Spirit will raise a new frame of grace in his heart he will make a new Creation As at the first he created all out of nothing order out of confusion so out of the heart which is nothing but a Chaos of confusion of blindnesse and darknesse and terror there is a world of confusion in the heart of man God by his creating Word for his Word of the Gospel is creating as well
Christian he is now afflicted and now comforted not for his own sake onely but for the good of others and when he shall be afflicted and how long and what comfort he shall have how much he leaves it to the wisdom of God It is a blessed estate if we could think of it to be a Christian that we need to care for nothing but to serve God we need to care for nothing but study to keep a good conscience Let God alone with all our estate for God will inable us to want and to abound in our owne persons and likewise he will sanctifie our estate for the good of others And a Christian will be willling to be tossed and to be changed from vessel to vessell from state to state for the good of others If his afflictions may do good to the Church he is content that God should withdraw his blessings from him and humble him with crosses If his example may be good to others he is likewise joyfull when God gives him rest and causeth an inward comfort he knows that this is good for others he hath learned in his first entrance into Christianity self-denyall not to live to himself but for the glory of God and the good of others as much as he may We should labour therefore to content our selves in all conditions knowing that all is for the best not only to our selves and Gods glory but for the good of others God when he takes things from us and afflicts us and when he comforts us he intends the comfort of others So we should reason when we indure any thing and when we are comforted certainly God intends the good of others by this therefore I will have a speciall care in suffering to carrie it decently and exemplarily knowing that the eyes of many are upon me I wil carry my self so that God may have glory and others may have edification and comfort knowing that I am but Gods Steward to convey this to others that are of the same body with my self Therefore in our communion we have with others upon any good occasion we ought to express the blessed experience of the comfort of God upon us This is the practise of holy men in their meeting with others to shew them the comforts of God to their soules Come I will shew you what God hath done for my soule saith the Psalmist All are the better for a good man he doth good to all and therefore Solomon saith When a righteous man is advanced the Citie rejoyceth They have cause for he hath a publique mind nothing doth more characterise and is a better stamp of a true Christian then a publique mind A carnall man out of self love may grieve at his own sins and may labour to comfort himself but a Christian thinks others shall take good by me It is the mind of Christ and it is the mind of all the Members of Christ when a man thinks he hath nothing except he have it to improve for the good of others A dead sullen reserved spirit is not a Christians spirit if by nature we have such we must labour to help it with grace for grace is a diffusive communicating thing not onely in the Ministers of God but in every Christian grace will teach them to make savourie their conversation to others this way that whatsoever they are or whatsoever they can do or whatsoever they suffer they study to improve all to the good of others And marke the extent of the loving wisedom and providence of God how many things he doth at once for in the same affliction oft times he corrects some in his Children in the same affliction he tries some grace in the same affliction he witnesseth to his truth in them in the same affliction he doth good to others besides the good he doth to them In the same affliction that others inflict he hastneth the ruine of them that offer it at one time and in one action he hastneth the destruction of the one by hastning the good of the other he ripens grace in his Children making them exemplary to others and all in the same Action so large is the wise providence of God It should teach us likewise to follow that providence and to see how many wayes any thing we suffer any kind of way may extend that if one way will not comfort another may When we suffer and are grieved let us consider withall that he that doth the wrong he hastens his ruine and judgment As Pharaoh when he hastned the overthrow of the children of Israel he hastned his overthrow in the red Sea so a pit is digged for the wicked when they digg a pit for the godly And consider to comfort thy self thou hast some sinne in thee and God intends not onely to witnesse his truth but to correct some sinne in thee and thou must look to that thou hast some grace in thee and he intends the tryall of that Look to these things this shews strong heavenly mindedness when there is self-denyall Let us consider what God cals us to for God looks to many things in the same act wherefore doth God give us reason and discourse but to be able to follow him in his dealing as farre as we can reach to But I go on to the next verse VERS VII And our hope of you is stedfast knowing that as you are partakers of the suffering so you shall be also of the consolation THis verse is nothing but a strengthning of what he said before he had told them that whatsoever he suffered it was for their comfort too and now he repeats it again and sets a seal upon it Our hope of you is stedfast knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings so you shall also be of the consolation In these words he shews that they shall share in the good with him as well as in the ill that the Spirit of God in them should help them to take all the good they could both by his sufferings and by his comfort For as he by the help of the spirit of God intended the publique good intended their good and comfort in all whether he were afflicted or comforted so he saith here he was assured that as they were partakers of his sufferings so they should be of his comforts likewise Here is the truth And the seal of the truth The truth That they were partakers of his sufferings and should be partakers of his consolations And the Seal is in the manner of affirming these truths Our hope of you is stedfast And in this order I will speak of them First Gods Children are partakers of the sufferings of others The Corinthians were partakers of the sufferings of S. Paul Gods Children are partakers of the sufferings of others many wayes First by way of sympathy taking to heart the estate of the Church and Children of God abroad It grieved the Corinthians to hear that S. Paul was afflicted for
will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old I will meditate of all thy works and talk of thy doings c. See his infirmity when he was in trouble of mind his sins began to upbraid him that God had left him I said in my infirmity God hath forgotten me c. and hath God forgotten to be gracioue hath he shut up his tender mercies in displeasure then saith he this was my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high c. And the same he hath in many other places as Psal. 143. 4 5. It argues the great weaknesse of our nature which is ready to distrust God upon every temptation of Satan as if God had never dealt graciously with us as if God were changeable like our selves Let us labour to support our selves in the time of temptation with the former experience of Gods gracious goodnesse and his blessed work upon our souls he that delivered us from the power of Satan keeps us from him stil that we sink not into despair he will keep us for the time to come so that Neither things present nor things to come as the Apostle saith shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ. And let us as it were make diaries of Gods dealing to us this is to be acquainted with God as Job speakes this is to walk with God to observe his steps to us and ours to him it is a thing that will wondrously strengthen our faith especially in old years in gray hairs What a comfortable thing is it when an aged man can look back to the former part of his life and can reckon how God hath given him his life again and again how God hath comforted him in distresse how God hath raised him up in the middest of perplexity when he knew not which way to turn him how God comforted him when he was disconsolate all these meeting together in our last conflict when all comfort will be little enough what a comfort will it be And those that disfurnish themselves by their negligence and carelesnesse of such blessed helps what enemies are they to their own comfort Therefore consider Gods dealing remember it observe it think of it and desire Gods Spirit to help your minds and memories herein that nothing may be lost for I say all will be little enough the comfort of others our own experience the promises of Scripture Our Hearts are so readie to sink and to call in question Gods truth and Satan will ply us so in the time of temptation Especially those that are old and grow into years they should be rich in these experiments and able even to have a story of them we should be able to make a book of experiments from our Child-hood Gods care to every man in particular it is as if there were none but he and there is no man that is a Christian but he observes Gods wayes to him that he can say God cares for me as if he cared for none but me let us therefore treasure up experiments We see one notable example in David how he pleads with God Psalme 71. 3. from his former experience Be thou my habitation wherein I may continually rest thou hast given command to save me for thou art my rock and my fortresse Whatsoever is comfortable in the creature God hath taken the name of it to himself that in all troubles we might flie to him as the grand deliverer for it is he that delivers whatsoever the meanes be whether it be Angells or men it is he that sets all on work therefore he is called a rock and a fortresse c. Thou hast given command to save me that is God hath the command of all creatures he can command the fish to give up Jonas he can command the Divels to go out Christ did it when he was on earth in the daies of his flesh Therefore much more now he is in heaven he can command winds and storms and divells and all troubles He hath the command of all as he saith to Elias Behold I have commanded a widow to feed thee The hearts of Kings are in his hand as the rivers of waters he that commands the creatures can command deliverance Thou hast commanded to save me for the time past What doth he say for the time to come Deliver me oh God from the wicked thou art my hope and trust from my youth c. Cast me not off in mine old age when my strength faileth me for sake me not It is a good argument Thou hast been my God from my Mothers womb therefore cast me not off in my old age Well we see here the practice of Gods Children in all times Let it be a pattern for our imitation that we do not forsake our own mercy as Jonas saith When God hath provided mercy and provided promises to help us with experience let us not betray all through unbelief through base despair in the time of trouble If we had but onely Gods promise that he will be our God that he will forgive our sins were not that enough Is it not the promise of God of Jehovah that is truth it self but when he hath sweetned his promise by experience and every experience is a pledge and an earnest of a benefit to come what a good God have we that is content not onely to reserve the joyes of heaven for us but to give us a taste to give us the assurance and earnest of the time to come and besides his promise to give us comfortable experience and all to support our weak faith But remember withal that this belongs onely to Gods Children and in a good cause for wicked men to reason thus He hath and therefore he will it is a dangerous argument they must not trust former experience We must hope that God will continue as he hath been upon this ground that we are his Or else the ground of the ruine of wicked men is presumption that God will bear with them as he hath done The King of Sodom and his People were rescued out of trouble by Abraham and the army that he raised yet they were pittifully consumed not long after by fire from Heaven Pharaoh was delivered by Moses prayer God delivered him from ten plagues they made not a good use of it and they perished after miserably in the Red-sea Rabshakeh comes and tells of the former prosperitie of Sennacherib Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad c. Hath not my Lord overcome all I but it was immediately before his reign Herod he prospered and had good successe in the beheading of James and therefore he would set upon Peter he thought to trust to his former successe he was flushed in the execution of James he thought God hath given me successe and blessed me in this He thought God was of his mind as it is Psalm 50. Thou thinkest me to
a one as must relinquish in his purpose all wicked blasphemous scandalous unthrifty courses whatsoever he that purposeth to please God and to have his prayer accepted of God he must leave all For as the Psalmist saith If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer For a man to come with a petition to God with a purpose to offend him is to come to practise treason in the presence Chamber To come into the presence of God and to have a purpose to stab him with his sins Doest thou purpose to live in thy filthy courses in thy scandalous evill course of life to be a blasphemer a swearer and yet dost thou think that God will hear and regard thy prayer If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer That is another thing that thou mayest know it by whether thou be in such an estate as that thou mayest pray successefully for thy self and for others In Prov. 28. there is a third discovery He that turnes his eare from hearing the law even his prayer shall be abominable Thou mayest know it by this if thou be in such an estate as that God will regard thy prayers for thy self or for others that they may be prevailing prayers how standest thou affected to Gods Truth and Word how art thou acquainted with the reading of the Scriptures and with hearing the blessed Word of God unfolded and broken open by the blessed Ordinance of God How doest thou attend upon God Wouldest thou have him who is the great God of heaven and earth to hear thee and to regard thee when thou wilt not hear and regard him thou wouldest have him to regard thy prayers and thou regardest not him speaking by the Ministery of his Word thou despisest his ordinance which he hath left with thee he hath left thee the mysteries of his Word and thou regardest them not but spendest thy time altogether either about thy calling or about some trifling studies and neglectest the main the soul-saving truth will he hear thy prayer No saith the Wise man He that turnes his eare from hearing the Law that mans prayer shall be abominable Since prayer is so prevailing a thing so pleasing to God so helpfull to the Church and so helpfull to our selves who would be in such a case that he cannot pray or if he doth pray that his prayer should be abominable that God should turn his prayer into sin It is a miserable case that a man lives in that is in league with sin that allowes himself in any wicked course in rebellion to Gods Ordinance such men are in such a state that God doth not regard their prayers for themselves or for others Some do so exalt and lift up their pride against God that they do not regard the very Ordinance of God no not while they are hearing it but set themselves to be otherwise disposed at that very time How can such expect that God will regard them This shall be sufficient to presse that point saith Saint Paul I shall be delivered by your prayers God will deliver the Ministers by the peoples prayers God will be good to the Ministers for the prayers of the people This concerns us that are Ministers Prayer is prevailing even for us And as it is our duty to give our selves to Preaching and Prayer so it is the peoples duty to pray for us likewise and for these particulars as I named To pray for ability To pray for a willing mind to discharge that ability To pray for successe of that discharge for we must be able to Preach to the people of God and we must be willing and there must be successe It doth much discourage Gods people and those that are Ministers when they find no successe of their labours Isai. 49. saith the Prophet I have laboured in vain Elias was much discouraged in his time and Isaiah and Elias were good men yet they were much discouraged they saw little fruit of their labour Therefore let us help the Ministers with our prayers in this respect that God would enable them that God would enlarge their hearts with willingness For there are many that are of ability but they are so proud and so idle that they think themselves too good to Preach to them whom God and the Church hath called them to bestow their labours on they have ability but they want a large heart And those that have both ability and a large heart they want successe they see little fruit because the people pray not for them and they perhaps are negligent in the duty themselves their labours are not steeped in prayers Again a fourth thing that we ought to pray for for them is strength and ability of the outward man and all that fear God and have felt the benefit of the Ministery they do this and God doth answer it Likewise to pray for protection and deliverance from unreasonable men to pray for strength of spirit and likewise for protection For as St. Paul saith 2 Thess. 3. All men have not faith Pray for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable absurd men All have not Faith Men that believe not Gods truth that believe not Gods Word that are full of Atheisme full of contempt and scorn they are absurd men though they think themselves the witty men of the world yet they are unreasonable and absurd men pray for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable men Likewise from him that is the head of wicked men the Devil He sees that the Ministers they are the Standard-bearers they are the Captains of Gods Army they stand not alone and they fall not alone many others fall with them There is no calling under heaven by which God conveyes so much good as by the dispensation of his Ordinance in the Ministery therefore we should help them by our prayers There are no men better if they be good nor none more hurtfull if they be bad none worse As Christ saith They are the salt of the earth to season the unsavory world and if the salt have lost the savour it is good for nothing but to be cast on the dunghill Therefore pray that God would deliver them from the Devil who malignes them they are the Butt of his malice by his instruments There are many that come to hear the Word to carpe and to cavil and to sit as Judges to examine but how few are there that pray for the Ministers and surely because they pray not they profit not If we could pray more we should profit more I beseech you in the bowels of Christ put up your petitions to God that God would teach us that are inferiour to you in other respects setting aside our calling that we may teach you that we may instruct his people As John Baptist saith The friends of the Bride learn of the Bridegroom what to speake to the Spouse so we learn from prayer and from reading
good demand It is not baptisme but the demand of a good conscience When the conscience hath fed on Christ it demands boldly as it is Rom. 8. of Satan and all enemies Who shall lay any thing to our charge it is God that justifieth it is Christ that died or rather that is risen again It boldly demands of God who hath given his Son the bold demand of conscience prevails with God and this comes by faith in Christ. Now this is strengthened by the Sacrament here are the visible representations and seales that we are incorporate more and more into Christ and so feeding upon Christ once our conscience is pacified and purged from all dead works and we come to have a continuall feast Christ is first the Prince of righteousnesse the righteous King and then Prince of peace first he gives righteonsnesse and then he speaks peace to the conscience The Kingdom of God is righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost So that all our feast and joy and comfort that we have in our consciences it must be from righteousnesse A double righteousnesse the righteousnesse of Christ which hath satisfied and appeased the wrath of God fully and then we must have the righteousnesse of a good conscience sanctified by the Spirit of Christ we must put them together alway we can never have communion with Christ and have forgivenesse of sins but we must have a Spirit of sanctification There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared Where there is mercy in the forgivenesse of sin there is a disposition to fear it ever after Therefore if for the present you would have a good conscience desire God to strengthen your faith in the blood of Christ poured out for you desire God to strengthen your faith in the crucified bodie of Christ broken for you that so feeding on Christ who is your surety who himself is yours and all is yours you may ever have the feast of a good conscience that will comfort you in false imputations that will comfort you in life and in death and at the day of judgement This is our rejoycing in all things the testimony of our conscience first purged by the blood of Christ and then purged and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ that we have had our Conversation in simplicity and sincerity c. Our rejoycing is this that in simplicity and sincerity This is the matter of this testimonie of Conscience that is simplicity and sincerity Saint Paul glories in his simplieity and sincerity And mark that by the way it is no vain glorying but lawful upon such cautions as I named before but to add a little A man in some cases may glory in the Graces of God that are in him but with these cautions First if so be that he look on them as the gifts of God Secondly if he look on them as stained with his own defects and so in that respect be humbled Thirdly if he look upon them as fruits of his justification and as fruites of his assurance of his salvation and not as causes And then if it be before men that he glories not when he is to deale with God When men lay this and that imputation upon a man he may rejoyce as Saint Paul doth here in the testimony of his conscience in simplicity and sincerity The matter of the testimony of Conscience wherein he glories is simplicity and godly sincerity or as the words may well be read in the simplicity and sincerity of God such as proceeds from God and such as aimes at and looks to God and resembles God For both simplicity and sincerity come from God they are wrought by God and therein we resemble God and both of them have an eye to God a respect to God so it is in the originall in the simplicity and sincerity of God There is not much difference between simplicity and sincerity the one expresseth the other if you will have the difference simplicity especially respects men our conversation amongst men Simplicity hath an eye to God in all things in Religion opposite to hypocrisy in Religion Simplicity that is opposed to doublenesse where doublenesse is there is alway hypocrisy opposed to sincerity and where simplicity is there is alway sincerity truth to God But it is not good to be very exact and punctuall in the distinction of these things they may one expresse the other very well Simplicity Saint Paul's rejoycing was that his conscience witnessed to him his simplicity in his whole conversation in the world his whole course of life which the Scripture calls in other places a walking Saint Paul meanes this first of himself and then he propoundes himself an example to us How was St. Paul's conversation in simplicity Not onely if we consider Saint Paul as a Christian but consider him as an Apostle his conversarion was in simplicity It was without guile without seeking himself without seeking his owne for rather then he would be grievous to the Corinthians the man of God he wrought himself because he would not give any the least scandall to them being a rich people he had rather live by his own labour then to open his mouth he did not seek himself In a word he did not serve himself of the Gospell he served Christ he did not serve himself of Christ. There are many that serve themselves of the Gospell that serve themselves of religion they care no more for religion then will serve their owne turne Saint Paul's conversation was in simplicity he had no such aime he did not preach of envy orof malice or for gain as he taxeth some of the Philippian teachers Some preach Christ not of simplicity and sincerity but of envy c. Then again as an Apostle and a teacher his conversation was in simplicity because he mingled nothing with the Word of God in teaching his doctrine is pure What should the chaffe do with the wheat Jer. 20. What should the drosse do with the Gold he did not mingle his own conceits and devices with the Word for he taught the pure Word of God the simple Word of God simple without any mixture of any by-aimes So the blessed Apostle was simple both in his Doctrine and in his intentions Propounding himself herein exemplary to all us that as we look to hold up our heads with comfort and to glory in all estat es whatsoever so our consciences must bear us witnesse that we carry our selves in the simplicity and sincerity of God Now simplicity is when there is a conformity of pretention and intention when there is nothing double when there is not a contradiction in the spirit of a man and in his words and carriage outwardly That is simplicty when there is an exact conformity and correspondence in a mans judgement and speech in his affections and actions When a man judgeth simply as the truth of the thing is and when he affects as he judgeth when he loves
fool The fool as the Wise man saith knowes not the way to the City so a wicked man he knowes not the way to heaven he discerns not the difference he provides not he knowes not the way thither he cannot do one thing that is gracious not one action that may further his account I might be very large in the point it is profitable because we do infinitely deceive our selves in that point which is of more consequence then the whole world for the man is as the rule that he is led by is carnall men are led by carnal rules gracious and holy men guide their lives by heavenly wisdome by a gracious rule Now if you find your selves defective for a good Christian may be defective in this but if he have hearkned to carnal wisdome if he have forgotten himself if he have troubled himself too much about the world he will come to his Centre again he will come to his old way again he will not be long out of it his way and course is by grace Sometimes he may have a policy that is not good as David had yet his way is gracious I say if you find your selves defective I will shew some helps how we may guide our selves not by fleshly wisdome but by the Grace of God that is by gracious wisdome by the Spirit Now the Spirit leads us not immediately but works Graces in us and stirres up those Graces in us The Spirit guides a godly man by working grace in him by making him better by using those graces in him Sometimes the Spirit of God moves a wicked man but it makes him not better he puts conceits into his head and makes him do that which otherwise he would not but he is not bettered The Spirit guides a good man by making him better he works a gracious disposition a gracious bent in him that his judgment concurres with Gods his affections concur with the holy Spirit and make him holy and pure There is a disposition wrought in a good man like to the Spirit that sanctifies him and like to the disposition of Christ to whose Image he is renewed Now that we may guide our lives by the Spirit working in us spirituall and gracious wisdome First of all consider what I said before of fleshly wisdome there are none but they have one of these two guides either the flesh and by consequent the divell for the divell dwells in our carnall reason that is his Fort that is his Tower his Castle Carnall fleshly Imagination is the Divells forge there he workes all his tooles all his Instruments For the Divell workes not so much immediately as by carnall men that are led with him Our wit and policie and carnall wisdome it is the shop the forge of the divell wherein he works all his mischief to overthow us It is the Divells Worke-house where he engins with all his tooles and Instruments Then considering that there are but two guides the flesh the world and Satan which alway go together in one or Gods Spirit and Grace let us be willing to submit our thoughts and desires to submit our projects and our aimes and all to the Spirit of Grace submit to the Word of grace and to the motions of the Word the Word of God having the Spirit of God accompanying of it the Word of grace accompanied by the Spirit of Grace is forcible as the Apostle saith 1. Cor 10. It beates down strong holds strong Imaginations Satan fortifies himself in strong holds as the Scripture calls them in high thoughts working discoursive thoughts Now when we come to hear the Word which teacheth the simple sincere truth of God that teacheth us how we should be saved and how we should guide our lives if we will be guided by grace if we will yield to Gods simple truth let him erect a throne in us let us lay down all When we come to hear the Word let us think I come to hear the wisdome of heaven it self I come to hear that Word that shall make me wise to salvation I will not entertain projects I will not entertain a wisdom that is contrary to it when they rise in my soule contrary to the direction of the Spirit and of the Word down they shall I will not owne them this is the wisdome of a man that intends to make grace his rule Now a carnal hearer a carnall reader a common Christian he brings his naughty proud heart he brings his high conceits to the hearing and reading of the Word he comes as a Censurer as a Judge he comes to talk of what was said in this passage and in that passage he comes not as to hear God speak in his Ordinance he comes not as a humble man he comes not to hear it as the Ordinance of God with reverence and that makes him come and go out again as a beast As the beasts that went our of Noah's Ark they went out as they came in so many come into the Church and go out again as beasts they go our worse then they came in because they bring not hearts to submit themselves to God and to his Word O a spirit of subjection it is a blessed thing Self-denyall is some help to this be content in the guiding of your common life and in the guiding your way to salvation to be no wiser then Gods Spirit and Gods Word will make you to have no will nor no wisdome contrary to his will and wisdome but you will live as men that have nothing of their own nothing different from God no distinct will no contrary will and wit to God but you will let God take the guidance of you himself and whom he guides must needs come to a happie end as the Psalmist saith excellent well Thâ—… wilt guide me by thy counsell and after bring me to glorie Those that submit themselves to be guided by Gods counsell he will bring them to glory Serviceable to this is that which is pressed every where in the Scripture Humility God gives Grace to the humble that is he gives them not onely forgivenesse of sins and acceptation to life but he gives them grace for the regiment of their lives he gives Grace to the humble Those that humble their wits to God for there is a humiliation of the wit as well as of the affections that they care not for the depths of Satan they care not for School-tricks they care to know nothing but Christ and him crucified as S. Paul saith Gods Word is of Power and Majestie enough to save me I need not bring my wit for my acceptance to God it is truth that is accepted not a strong brain to cavil God gives Grace to the humble Those that bring their understandings to be led and taught by God he gives grace to them Again in the third place If we would have our thoughts guided by counsel let us have a high esteem of wisdome above all precious
stones and pearles Solomon presseth it have a high estimation of wisdome of the government of Gods Spirit as the best government And be out of love with carnal reason with carnal affections and their guidance account them as base things not worthy to come into the esteem of a Christian heart Those that highly prize wisdome God will lead them by it those that sell all for the pearl shall have it There must be a high price set on the guidance of Gods Spirit and on grace as indeed it is worthy of it and then we shall have it Again if we would lead our lives according to spiritual and heavenly wisdome according to grace and gracious wisdome let us learn as it is Job 22. to be more and more acquainted with God by prayer for grace comes not from within us Grace is in Christ as in the root as in the spring as in the Sun we have it but as the beam as the stream therefore let us learn to be acquainted with God and with Christ by prayer and meditation and search into his Word by reading and by hearing him speak to us and let us often speak to him Let us acquaint our selves with him by prayer and by hearing his Word and then we shall have his grace to guide us For grace is a fruit of his peculiar love he gives grace to his own peculiar people How do you think shall he have a peculiar delight in us if we labour not to be more and more acquainted with him by often speaking to him by often hearing of him by coming into his presence and attending as much as we can upon his holy Ordinances by conversing as much as we can in the holy things of God Those that will be warm they come under the beams of the Sun those that would have the Spirit work effectually they must come where the Spirit is effectual where the Spirit works Now the Spirit is effectual in the Word preached the Spirit fell upon Cornelius and the rest when they were hearing of S. Peter And the Spirit is where there is conversing in good company Where two or three are met together I will be in the middest of them saith Christ. If we walk with the wise we shall be wiser It must be the heavenly wisdome of a Christian if he would lead his life by grace to attend upon all the meanes of grace because the Spirit of God is effectual by his own means he works by his own means therefore use the meanes that the Spirit hath sanctified for the working of grace I do wonder at a company of vain sottish creatures that carry themselves according to their vain conceits according to the whirling of their own brain in toyes and baubles that come into their heads they care not for the hearing of Gods blessed truth either they abstain altogether or else they hear it carelesly as if it were a thing that concerned them not Oh but those that will lead their lives by grace they come to it by the Spirit and the Spirit is onely effectual in holy Ordinances It must be our wisdome therefore to bring our selves under some meanes or other that the Spirit may be effectual The wisest and the best men in the world are no longer gracious then they are wise this way if they neglect good company good acquaintance if they neglect the hearing of the Word if they neglect prayer they will grow dead and dull and carnal-minded they will be possessed with base thoughts How do men differ one from another not so much by any habitual grace that is in them as by avoiding all that might prejudice them in a Christian course and by using all means whereby the Spirit of God may be effectual Again the way ro be under the grace of Gods Spirit is often to meditate of the grace of God the free love of God in Jesus Christ for so it comes first The first grace of all is Gods free love in the forgiving of our sins and accepting us to life everlasting and then he doth alter and change our natures more and more he transforms us more and more when we find therefore any defect of grace in our hearts when we find coldnesse and deadnesse and dulnesse go to the first fire to the first Sun to the free grace of God in Christ pardoning all our sins and accepting us to life everlasting and promising us grace to lead our lives in the mean time If you have fallen into any sin by the temptation of Satan or your own weaknesse beg not first grace to alter your course to sanctifie your life but renew every day your interest in the first grace in the forgivenesse of sins and your acceptation to everlasting life For till God have pardoned your sinnes and have witnessed to your soules that you stand reconciled he will not give the best fruit of reconciliation which is grace Therefore every day examine your lives if you have offended God in what termes you stand with God and if you stand in ill termes that there is any sin against conscience the best way is not presently to amend that for that will not be except the heart be warmed with Gods love and favour in the pardon of your sins first and in the acceptation of you in Christ notwithstanding your sins as he justifieth us every day not onely in the first act of conversion but daily he acquits our consciences daily from our sins and therefore in the Lords Prayer Christ teacheth us every day to say Forgive us our sins And then after forgivenesse of sins to beg the particular graces for our lives that we want I would this were better thought on Challenge likewise the Covenant of grace we have a promise of all grace and the spring of all grace We have a Promise of Love God will teach us to Love one another We have a promise of Fear he hath promised that He will put his fear into our hearts that we shall never depart from him We have a promise of the holy Spirit Let us challenge these Promises every day So much for the Directions how to lead our lives by Grace But by the Grace of God Saint Paul here makes it the ground of his rejoycing that he led not his life by fleshly wisdome but in simplicity and sincerity and by the Grace of God and all that are led by S. Paul's spirit live thus There is a Religion in the world that bears it self very big on high terms of Universality Succession Antiquity c. and they will have it thought to be a spiritual and holy Religion Well if a man be a carnal man that is led with fleshly wisdome and not by the grace of God that Religion must needs be a naughty Religion that hath onely the support and the foundation of it in fleshly wisdome which is an enemy and opposite to the grace of God and to simplicity and sincerity But Popery is this
an oath which is the sign of all truth between man and man Their abuse of the Sacrament too they have abused all Gods signs and all to ill purposes to swear with private reservations whereas the old principle of Isidore is constantly and everlastingly true Conceive the oath as you will it must be understood as he to whom it is sworn understands it and not as he that swears Therefore undoubtedly Popery must fall every day and judicious men though they be not gracious they see it must fall It should make us hate them deeply because the courses they take are the overthrow of society this abuse of expressions of that excellent gift that God hath given namely the tongue whereby what is in my heart another man may understand and also writing whereby a man may convey his mind many hundred miles Now these excellent gifts that God hath given for society for men to turn them against God and against Society it must needs provoke the Majesty of God And as it is a sin against Society so it is a sin that is punished by society All men must needs hate them that do so those that have no other argument against Popery they have argument enough from their equivocation Those that are not subtile-headed to see other things when they look to the Gun-powder Treason and to their equivocation there is argument enough for any plain simple man to hate Popery Therefore let us be like our selves in all that we do to God or to men I had occasion to presse the Point when I spake of simplicity therefore I will not dwell further on it I write no other thing then what you read or acknowledge He means they acknowledged it in their heart and conscience What I write of my conversation that which you have heard it is no other then that you read and you acknowledge it too for they had felt the power of his Ministery Whence first of all observe That Where the Minister converseth by the Grace of God and not by carnal wisdome God is not onely wise in him but for him He is gracious and good for him he gives him successe in the hearts of others When a man is led by the Spirit of God the same Spirit that guides him in speaking guides his auditors in hearing and gives a sweet and a strong report in their hearts of what he saith What I write of my self you acknowledge that my Conversation hath been in sincerity and not onely my conversation but my Doctrine every way you have acknowledged me the same Spirit that guided me to do so wrought in you an acknowledgment of it in your conscience Therefore if you would have the speeches of the Ministers to take effect you should desire God not only to guide them in what they are to say but likewise with the same Spirit to work in the hearers and when the same Spirit works in both what a glorious successe is there As we see here S. Paul carried himself in his own person and in his Ministery graciously in simplicity and sincerity for it is meant of both he taught simple doctrine without any glozing without any far-fetched beauty from wit or eloquence or the like and he looked to God in his life and conversation and as God guided him so he stirred them up to pray for him as the Word and Prayer they are alway joyned together the Word had a report in their hearts as it had in his own What I speak you acknowledge c. It is not for us to deliver our minds and there an end but when we are to speak we ought before-hand to look up to God and desire his Spirit to be effectuall in us that we may speak in the wisdome and grace of the Spirit and likewise that it may be effectual to them that they may acknowledge it that they may feel in their soules and consciences the power of what we speak and feel in our selves So you see the truth of what I said before That God was not onely wise in S. Paul but he was gracious and good for him in those that he was to deal with And there is the glory of a good Minister that is a humble man and denies carnal wisdome That God will delight to honour himself by using him as an instrument to do good to others God usually will give report of what he saith to the hearts of others Proud men that speak what they speak by carnall projects and carnall wisdome and seek themselves usually the hearts and consciences of other men give no report to them For man naturally is proud and when he sees that the most excellent man in the world hath by-aimes he will not be gone beyond by him say what he will If a man set up sailes for himself he doth not win upon others But he that discovers himself that he seeks the glory of God and the good of the soules that he deales with and denies himself in that which otherwise he could do that useth not the strength of parts which he hath because he would discover the simple Word which is most Majestical in simplicity God seeing this simple and sincere desire he honours and crownes the Ministery of such a man with successe in the hearts of the people Therefore saith S. Paul here I write no other thing concerning my self but God hath honoured me with the issue of it in your hearts likewise that you acknowledge what I say You acknowledge Acknowledge is a deep word it is more then to know it is more then a conviction of the judgment it is when the heart and affections yield when the inward Spirit upon experience yields I feel and acknowledge this is true it is more I say then knowledge The next point then that I observe is this That God doth give his Children that love him in simplicity and sincerity a place in the conscience of men He gives them place in the consciences of those that have conscience for there are some that have no science and therefore they have no conscience as Popish superstitious persons c. But those that deal faithfully that live in the Church and see the glory of God God gives them a place in the conscience of those that they live amongst and deal with And they seek more to have place in their conscience then in their fancy then in their opinion and Imagination and humour A carnal man so he may have the humour the fancy and Imagination of his hearers delighted he regards not what inwardly they may feel from him he regards not how he warms their hearts and conscience and how they acknowledge him within and therefore perhaps if he have a good word for the present Oh a glorious man c. it is all he cares for but he hath no place in their conscience because they feel him not working there and he hath no aime to be there A good man seeks to edifie and build up
gracious means by those gracious speeches God distill into me a spirit to improve them to gracious purposes As indeed God turns all to a gracious end to his children he gives them a principle of grace to work good out of every thing they see grace in every thing in affliction they see the love of God In the worst things Grace will pick out somewhat and make use of it As God by his providence intends all to good so his Spirit by a provident eye to the Word works good out of every thing but those that have not grace they are not grace to them but tend to their further hardening To end this point when you come to the Communion come to it as a grace It is the Grace of God that he hath ordained us to salvation it is the grace of God that he hath sent his Word it is the grace of God that he hath sent his Sacrament to seal that Word and all little enough he knowes us better then we know our selves he knowes we have need of all to confirm and help us the Word and the Sacraments even to the end of our dayes As the Apostle saith Ephes. 4. To build us up The means of grace are not onely necessary for the planting but for the building up of the Church And therefore come with this purpose to have Grace confirmed and receive it as a grace of God with thankfulness that God will condescend to our infirmity to give us helps to support our weak faith It is a true proverb Grace begets grace it begets thankfulnesse where it is apprehended as a grace therefore come with a thankful disposition to the Sacrament imbrace every Ordâ—…ce of God with thankfulnesse Alas do not thousands sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death they do and therefore those that find the benefit of Gods Ordinances they are disposed by the same Spirit that works any good in them to return thankfulnesse to God again That you might have a second Grace Saint Paul's purpose was to come to them to bestow a grace not to take from them to bestow good and gracious speeches on them which he knew the Spirit of God would make effectual to work some good in them A gracious man is a vessel of grace and he should take all occasions to vent that which is good When S. Paul saith he intended to bestow a second grace his meaning is that he would utter things that were gracious that the Spirit of God should seal to the soules of them that heard him and make them effectuall Therefore every Christian should have this disposition Saint Paul did it as a holy man as well as a Minister Do we think our selves vessels of grace as the Scripture calls the Elect Children of God or no Yes God forbid else Now Gods Children God hath appointed some to be vessels of Gold some of Silver as the Apostle saith to Timothy some for this use and some for that all for good use A vessel is to be filled with something and to be used for something therefore set abroach some good thing when you have the advantage of it when you are called to it not unnecessarily to thrust forward your selves Let the desire of your hearts be to do good upon all occasions A vessel of Grace must not be an empty vessel A Christian he is a member of Christ and he hath a part in the communion of Saints and he hath gifts for that end there is no Christian but he can comfort or instruct or disswade from ill when it is moved There is no Christian but he is furnished as a member ought to be in some competent measure There is no man that hath benefit by the communion of Saints but he hath grace to fit him for that blessed communion He is fitted to comfort upon occasion and he hath some grace some knowledge to correct he that hath not is a dead member not fit for that communion Therefore we should bestow Grace where we come and not leave an ill sent behind us to infect others with filthy speeches and blasphemous oaths to open the rottennesse of our own hearts in their presence and so be conscious of that which is ill in them because we strengthen it by our example and by our words S. Paul was a good man I come to bestow a second grace that is to speak that which is gracious that Gods gracious providence shall direct to do you special good For Gods Word is inspired by the Spirit and the same Spirit that breathed the Word of God into the Pen-men of it the same Spirit is with the Word in the uttering of it when it is done by a gracious heart to a gracious man it works graciously it hath a blessed operation with it Therefore we should upon all good occasions speak gracious things Divine truths they will have a wondrous efficacy If men would set on it and be more fruitful in this kind they should have occasion to blesse God But alas the life of a Christian is little known in the world we have but naked shallow conceits of the glory of heaven and of the state of a Christian and how he lives in this world and that makes men live such stained such base lives that will not stand with comfort in his world or glory in the world to come But a Christian should be such a one as frames his disposition to do good wheresoever he comes and he hath ability if he be a sound Christian. How graciously did God blesse Abigails word to David yet she was a mean woman How dost thou know but that by uttering gracious words in company in season as discretion must guide all our actions all our words how doest thou know but that thou mayest divert another man from sin by a word in season I beseech you carry this disposition about you as you desire to be thought vessels of Grace here and of glory hereafter to be thought vessels of gold and silver for the use of God labour to be imployed by the Spirit of God to good purposes that you may leave a good savour where you come that others that are acquainted with you in the time of their visitation they may blesse God that ever they were acquainted with such a friend Blessed be God that I knew him As it will be our joy at that day so it will be one anothers joy here for God blesseth the exhortations and comforts of friends one to another as well as the Ministerial oft-times So I come to the 16. Verse how he meant to come to them to Corinth saith he I was minded to come to you VERSE XVI And to passe by you into Macedonia and to come again out of Macedonia unto you and of you to be brought on my way to Judea SEe what a Circuit the blessed Apostle fetched indeed he was industrious after his conversion he made amends for his harsh conversion by his speedy labours For
assistance this is the disposition of a modest Christian. You see in Psal. 2. how the Psalmist there insults over those that threaten to do this and that Why do the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing c. against the Lord and against his anointed As if they would swallow up the Church and Christ the anointed why do they do this and that God that sits in heaven he laughes them to scorn You see the grounds of lightnesse so far forth as is needful I will name no more The way to prevent it may be in observing these grounds of constancy Especially this Stablish your thoughts with counsel for the time to come consult go not rashly and headlong about matters It is not with our common life as with those that run in a race for their swiftnesse gets all but in matters of government in Common-Wealth there the most staid get all those that weigh things and then execute upon mature deliberation that ripen things first and go not rawly and indeliberately about it this every man takes for granted but it is not thought on Then again labour to suppresse passion in any thing that comes from us speak nothing in passion for one of these things will follow If we execute it we are in danger for the things in passion and inconsiderately spoken if not we shall have the shame of being frustrate we undergo the shame of lightness that we speak that in our passion and heat that we retract after One of these inconveniencies will follow either you will do it and then it will be dangerous or you will not do it and then you will be ashamed a fit reward of rashnesse God gives us passions to be guided and ruled and not to rule us they are good servants and onely servants that should be raised up and stirred up onely when reason and judgment raiseth them and not otherwise But to go on Another cure of this rashnesse is holy dependance on God by prayer and by faith to commit our wayes to him our thoughts to him for the time to come leave all to him entertain nothing wherein we cannot expect his gracious assistance the best Christian is the most dependant Christian. That is the first thing the Apostle declines What is the second thing Or the things that I purpose do I purpose according to the flesh They thought he was a Politician as this is the lot of Gods Children sometimes if so be that God hath given them parts either of nature or breeding carnal devillish men that are led altogether by plots themselves esteem them by themselves The things that I purpose do I purpose according to the flesh He propounds this interrogatory to their conscience not idly but he knew that they had a prejudice in them by his corrivals false Apostles therefore he labours to wipe away that imputation likewise that he did not purpose and consult of things according to the flesh What is flesh here Flesh is the unregenerate part of man whereof fleshly wisdome is the chief for that guides the old man that is the eye of old Adam Carnall wisdome it is the fleshes counsellour in all things therefore especially he means that But why is it called flesh For many reasons among many this is one that the soul so far as it is sinful it is led with things that are fleshly that are outward and thereupon a man is called flesh and the soul it self is called flesh because it cleaves in its affections and desires to earthly things And because the poor understanding now which ruled all and should rule all is become an underling to the carnal will and carnal lusts Therefore it self is called flesh likewise The wisdome of the flesh is enmity with God For now it is swayed even which way carnal fancy and opinion and the flesh lead it The reason is it is betwixt God and heavenly things and betwixt earthly things And if it were in its right original as it came out of Gods hands being a Spirit it should be led by God and by Gods Spirit and Gods Truth by better things then it self as every infirm thing is guided by that which is better then it self as brute creatures are guided by men and weaker persons by Magistrates that are or should be better but now since the fall without Grace renew a man the understanding part of mans soul instead of lighting its candle from heaven it often lights it from hell and is ruled by Satan himself and takes advice even from things meaner then it self and plots and projects altogether for things worse then it self It was not given for that end God knows that give it this soul of ours to proul for earthly things for the ease and honour and profits and pleasures of the world That excellent Jewel that all the world is not worth it was not given for that end no it was given to attain a higher end then this world to attain communion with God but now since the fall it is thus with it that it is a slave Carnal wit is a slave to carnal will and that carnal will is drawn by carnal affections affections draw the will and the will drawes the wit and makes it plot and devise for that which it stands for for carnall lusts and affections which whet the wit that way therefore the whole soul is called flesh even reason it self And hereupon wicked men are called the world why the world because they are led with the things of the world with the guise and fashion of the world A man in the language of the Scripture is termed by that which he cleaves to therefore if the heart and soul cleave to the flesh and the things of the flesh it is flesh if it be led with the world and the things of the world it is called the world Wicked men are the world because the best thing in them is the love of worldly things and their wit is for worldly things all the inward parts of their soul are spent upon worldly things therefore they are called flesh and the world And sometimes Satan himself a man as far as he is carnal is called Satan yea good men Go after me Satan saith Christ to Peter A man as far as he yields to any thing he is named from that which he yields to when fleshly things rule a man he is called flesh when worldly things rule him profits and pleasures a man is the world when a man yields to Satan he is Satan This should make us take heed by whom we are led under whose government we come Saith S. Paul Do I purpose according to the flesh that is according to the profits and pleasures and honours which the flesh looks after are those my advisers my intelligencers my counsellours in the things I take in hand what may make for my honour my pleasure my estate my worldly ease here No saith he I
salve it up in my own thoughts and deceive others it is a breach of charity and a lie because it is a speech of untruth which another thinks to be a truth it is an untruth and to deceive him But these men will have yea and nay at a breath they will say yea and yet have a reservation of nay at once S. Paul would much more decline and abhor this if he were alive now when he so declined the imputation of inconstancy of yea yea and nay nay at divers times Indeed S. Paul reserved this he promised to come to them if God did permit with a Divine reservation we may say in all the businesse we are to do This I will do if God permit and if God will and indeed God hindred his journey but I say for equivocation the matter is so odious and palpable that if it were not that Non dum satis odimus c. we hate not these men enough I would not have spoken of it Their Religion is so abominable and odious we do not yet hate it enough and therefore it is good on all occasions to uncase them and all little enough But I go on VERSE XVIII As God is true our Word to you was not yea and nay THe Apostle in the former Verse having laboured to clear himself from the imputation of lightnesse and inconstancy that he did not come to them as he had promised and from an imputation likewise of policy for himself that he did purpose things according to the flesh which is the cause of inconstancy of yea yea and nay nay he comes now to that which he more intended then those particulars for he was content to be thought to have disappointed them in the matter of his journey but that which he aimes at was to stablish them in this That his doctrine was found As God is true our Word to you was not yea and nay Perhaps I promised to come and did not it is true but my preaching was not yea and nay all that I taught was found and certain you may build your soules on it it was yea He labours to draw them to be perswaded of the certainty of his Ministery as being very unwilling that a defect in his promise about a businesse of the world should weaken their faith in the truth that he delivered as a Minister As God is true our Word to you was not yea and nay He seems to make a difference between yea and nay in Civill things and in Divine there is a difference when a holy man speaks of the things of this life and when he speaks of Divine truths S. Paul promised to come to them he meant it honestly and did intend it but it was subject to alteration because God stops our purposes in this life yea our good purposes many times Good things may have variety one good thing may be more convenient then another And the cause why he came not to them was not his inconstancy but their unfitnesse it was from their corruption in manners and in doctrine they were not ready as he saith after he came not to spare them they were unfit till they were humbled with his former Epistle and then when they were humbled he purposed to come But now in Divine truths what things he spake to them concerning grace and glory that was certain Our word to you was not yea and nay A question may be moved briefly how S. Paul could be deceived in his journey and not in his doctrine being so good a man led by the Spirit of God how could he promise to come and yet did not I answer the difference is much between these two S. Paul had three persons on him He was a Man Christian man an Apostle As a man he was subject to all things that men are subject unto that is he desired in truth of heart to come and visit his friends he purposed a journey with a reservation that God might hinder him and so as a man he might have a yea that is a purpose to do a thing and afterward a nay upon the uncertain event of the things of this life so as a man he purposed to come Nay as a holy man he purposed a journey to a good purpose to stablish them but with a reservation if God permit God might stop his journey But as an Apostle he taught other things then speaking of journeys that he spake of onely as a man and as a holy man alway supposing the condition of humane things and under permission if God permit But as an Apostle he was not yea and nay there he was certain As an Apostle he spake Divine truths and was guided infallibly by the Spirit of God he delivered truths without all conditions and exceptions as an Apostle he did not admit of any such uncertainty There is an eminency and excellency in Divine truth it is stable and firm and not subject to variety and inconstancy so his doctrine as an Apostle was alwayes yea For his journey and coming to them he promised his journey in veritate propositi in the truth of a good purpose of a friend but as he spake of Divine truths he spake of them in the certainty of the Divine Spirit in the one he spake in the certainty of truth in the other in the truth of affection As a man he spake in the truth of a good affection he bare to them but as an Apostle he spake in the certainty of Divine truth And you must know this that God as he used the Apostles and excellent men to write his book to write the VVord of God to be his Pen-men yet he hindred them not to be men As he hinders not godly men to be men but at once they may be Saints and men so Saint Paul as a good man desired to see them with a reservation but as an Apostle he was guided by a certain infallible assistance of Divine truth Nathan as he was a man gave David liberty to build the Temple he was over-shot in it something but then he goes to God and consults with him whether he should or no and then Nathan gives David another advice So the Prophets and Apostles as men they might be alterable without sin For God will allow men to be men and subject to mistakes For Nescience not knowing the possibility of things to come is no sin in man because it is an unavoidable infirmity So that S. Paul as his usuall manner is in promising things to come things of that nature he promiseth them under reservation and permission if God permit if God will and he doth not sin though he be frustrate of his intention It is not the onely part of a wise man to divine what will be Saint Paul had not providence to see whether his journey should be crossed or no but out of a Christian intention he resolved to come if God did not crosse him that was as a man and a
in the truth is not properly concord but conspiracy consent in a lie in falshood The builders of Babel they had a consent among themselves when they came for a wicked purpose as we see oft-times in Scripture Consent must be in the truth in that which is good or else it is not consent but conspiracy By reason of our weaknesse consent is usefull and that is the reason why in doubtful cases we may alledge Antiquity not that the Word is not sufficient in it self but to help our weaknesse to shew that we do not divert from the truth but that it is a truth warranted by others before In doubtfull cases this is warrantable He brings it likewise to enforce obedience the more when it was a truth brought to them by so many But that is not a thing I mean to stand on a touch is enough That which I will spend a little more time in is the next thing that is That Evangelical doctrine now is most certain Something I spake of it before in the former verse but I have reserved something to speak of it now The Son of God preached by S. Paul with the consent of these blessed men it was not yea and nay it was not unconstant Evangelical truth is not yea and nay and the Preachers of it the Apostles were not yea and nay in the delivering of it As it is true in it self so it was true in the delivery of it they were constant in it they sealed it with their blood some of them How shall we know the doctrine of the Gospel concerning Christ to be yea undoubtedly true I answer how do we know the Sun shines I know it by its own light and by a light that I have in my eye there is an inward light joyned with the outward light So it is in this businesse how do we know Divine truth out of the Book of God to be Divine By the light in it self by the majesty of the Scriptures by the consent of the Old and New Testament by the opposition of the enemies and the confusion of them at the last that have been opposers of it by the miraculous preservation of it and the like But especially by the powerfull work of it on the heart by the experience of this blessed truth I know this to be an undoubted truth I find it quelling my corruptions changing my nature pacifying my conscience raising my heart casting down high imaginations turning the stream of nature another way to make me do that which I thought I should never have done onely because I have a strong light of Divine truth and comfort There is this experience of Christ that a man finds in his soul it sets him down that he can say nothing but that it is Divine truth because he finds it so Besides this the testimony of the Spirit of God and the work of the Spirit in him For as to see there is an outward light required and an inward light in the eye so to see Divine truth there must be a light in it self a Divine sparkle in Gods Book in every passage but yet I must have an eye to see too I cannot see it except God witnesse to my soul that these things are divine that they are yea that they are certainly and infallibly true There is a great difference between us and our adversaries I can but touch it and I need but touch it They say we must believe and we must believe because of the Church I say no The Church we believe hath a kind of working here but that is in the last place For God himself in his Word he is the chief The inward arguments from the Word it self and from the Spirit they are the next the Church is the remotest witnesse the remotest help of all For the Church is but to propound Gods truth to lay it open to be as it were the candlestick now the candlestick shines not but upholds the candle while that shines So the Church is but to propose to set up Divine truth that of it self being set up will enlighten well enough The Church is to set out the Word and to publish it by the Ministery which Word of it self will shine That work which the Church hath therefore is the last and the inferiour for the Spirit of God and the inward majesty of the Word is of more force If a messenger come and bring a relation or bring a letter from one and he tells me many things of the man I but I doubt him because he may be false for ought I know but when I see his hand and seal and his characters and stile that shewes such a spirit to be in him I know by his own characters certainly this comes from the hand of that man Now the messenger brings it and gives it but I believe it because I see the characters and hand and seal of such a one that it is a truth So the Church propounds it is the messenger that brings the truth of God to us but when a Christian soul hears the truth and sees Gods seal upon it there is a majesty and power that works on the soul now we believe not for the messenger but for the thing it self Here is the difference we believe the Scripture for the seal of Divinity that is in it self they believe it for the messenger As if a doubtfull messenger should come that is not certain and a man should believe the things he brought for him for his sake we believe and entertain the messenger for the message sake not the message for the messengers sake our faith is better built then theirs But they say this All comes to this at the last God speaks by the Church as well as by the Scriptures therefore the Church is to be believed more then the Scripture it self I answer God speaks indeed in his Church by his Spirit and by his Word but his speaking by his Word is the cause of his speaking in the Church For what is the Church but begotten by the seed of the Word How is the Church a Church but by the Word Therefore he speaks first by the Scriptures there is a majestie and a Spirit in the Scriptures and then he speaks by the Church as cleaving to the Scriptures in a secondary manner He speaks by the Church mediately because that goes to the Word which speaks immediately The Word was written by men led immediately by the Spirit of God and the Church relying on that he speaks by them in the Church but primarily by his Word Having just occasion I thought to touch this Undoubtedly there are none that are not led with partiality but incomparably they see our faith is built on a better foundation then theirs they have a rotten foundation They talk of a Church and when all comes to all the Church their mother is nothing but the Pope their father What is their Church but the Pope
not believe the Articles of the Creed do we not believe the first four generall Councels we do who then will not say that these are sufficient being understood and believed to make a man that he be no heretick I may answer hence another question whether a Papist may be saved or no It is a curious question you will say but it is so ordinary that somewhat I must say I answer no doubt but many of them are saved How comes that to passe They reverse their false grounds and stick to those positive truthes that they and we hold together they reject their owne workes and help of Saints and go to Christ onely for as I said Poperie is full of contradictions Now a Papist when he comes to have his conscience awakened heleaves the Pope Indulgencies their 5. Sacraments Justification by works and then imbracheth only Christ and then he comâ—… our part They live by their Religion and die by ours So the question is whether living or dying Luther saith If they live and die peremptorily in all the points professed in the Tridentine Counsell they cannot But no doubt many of them the Lord hath mercy on to open their eyes to see the vanity of their works and of all their fooleries which those that are wise and have their consciences enlightened turn off then and so may be saved but it must be with reversing the grounds of their religion and sticking to ours which is agreeable to the Word Nay to speak a little more of it I say we do more safely believe we are more safe and on better grounds led into some lesse errours then they do believe maine truths It may seeme strange but it is most true For if so be a sound Protestant maintain an errour it is because he thinks it is in the Scripture that it is in the Word if it be discovered out of the Word of God to be an errour he leaves it as St. Cyprian and other Fathers blessed Saints in heaven they held some errours but if they saw the Scripture held otherwise they had prepared minds to believe otherwise therefore holding the maine fundamentall truths though they held particular errours they were saved The Papists maintaine fundamentall truths with us they believe the Word of God they believe in Christ and to be saved by mercy but upon what grounds They believe the truth upon heretical divellish grounds As upon what grounds do they believe the Articles of the faith to be so and the Scriptures to be so because the Church saith so Who is the Church but the Pope And what man is the Pope oft-times A man if we believe their own Writers led with a divellish spirit some of them have been Magicians If they believe the truth they do it not as divine truth they believe the truth for matter but the grounds of believing those truths are humane nay worse many times divellish for you know in the Revelation the beast is inspired with the spirit of the Dragon with the spirit of the Divell and teacheth the doctrine of Divels Now to teach that which is materially true upon reasons that are diabolicall or humane at the best it is but humane as the testimony of the Church is what an unsafe thing is this Nay I say it is the most horrible witchery the most horrible abomination one of them that ever was since the beginning of the World this principle that their Church cannot erre that is the reason of the believing of all divine truths Hereupon they come to practise most abominable treacheries hereupon they defend lies hereupon they kill Princes and dissolve the bonds of allegiance that Subjects owe to Princes And all humane and Divine things all the light of nature and Scripture all becomes a nullitie Why because the Church cannot erre And this they have from their holy Father the Pope he is above all Councells and all and cannot erre We know if principles be false all other things are false an errour in principles is a dangerous errour An errour in the ground is the worst thing in the VVorld As to maintaine treason to be lawfull it is worse then to be a Traitor for his judgement is convinced alreadie but he that maintaines a false principle he is a dangerous man indeed So to have this abominable principle that the Church that the Pope cannot erre Hence come all those dangerous practices in this Common-VVealth ever since the beginning of Queen Elisabeths time Who would have thought but that God gave up bitter proud poisonfull spirits vain spirits that rejected the Word of God that men of parts and understanding should ever be so sotted to believe such a thing that a wretched ignorant man should get into the Chaire and he should judge infallibly of the truths that he never knew in his life being of another profession as some are Canonists and not Divines But I leave that point To touch one thing more that borders a little upon this that Divine truth is of an inflexible nature whatsoever men think of it and that crosseth another rule of theirs that they will give what sense they will of Scriptures and the Current of the present Church must judge of all former Councels Now doth truth vary according to mens judgements according to the pcesent Church Must we bring the rule to the crooked timber or the timber and the things to be measured to the rule Shall the judgment of any man be the rule of truth shall it be the rule in one time and not in another shall present men interpret it thus and say it is so now and others that succeed say whatsoever it was now thus it must be believed Hereupon likewise if it be the constant nature of truth alway to be believed hereupon it comes to crosse another thing their dispensation no man can dispense with Gods Law truth is truth indispensible Laws divine and naturall are indispensible because they are alike in all things Reason is reason in Turkie as well as here the light of nature is the light of nature in any countrey as well as here Principles of nature varie not as languages do they are inbred things If the Principles of nature be invariable and indispensible much more divine principles saith the Heathen filthinesse is filthinesse whether thou think it to be so or no. Opinion is not the rule of things but the nature of the thing it self Therefore whatsoever is against nature none can dispense with God cannot deny himself What was naught in one age is naught in another and is for ever naught Whatsoever is divine or natural is indispensible No Monarch in the world can dispense with the law of nature or the Divine Law the Word of God for the opinion of any man in the world is not the rule of his course but the undoubted light of God whether the light of nature or the light of Divine truth I speak this the rather to crosse base
with reasons discovering an absolute necessity of geting into Christ and of having him to be our Husband except we will lye under the wrath of God and be damned and withal discovering the fulnesse and excellency that is in Christ. Again it is God onely that must stablish the soul all the parts of it both judgment and conscience For I beseech you what can any humane creature what can any thing under God work upon the soul I mean so firmly as to stablish it and therefore our controversie with the Papists is just and good We say The reason and ground of our believing the Word of God to be the Word of God must not be the testimony of the Church and the authority thereof for alas what can the judgment of man what can the judgment of the Church do It may incline and move the will by inducing arguments and so cause a humane consent but to establish the soul and conscience and to assure me that the Word of God which is the ground of my faith is the Word of God it must be God by his Spirit that must do it the testimony of the Church will never do it The same Spirit that inspired holy men to write the Word of God works in us a belief that the Word of God is the Word of God The stablishing argument must be by the power of Gods Spirit God joyning with the soul and spirit of a man whom he intends to convert besides that inbred light that is in the soul causeth him to see a Divine Majestie shining forth in the Scriptures so that there must be an infused establishing by the Spirit to settle the heart in this first principle and indeed in all other Divine principles that the Scriptures are the Word of God And to go on a little further this is a fundamental errour in our practice For what is the reason we have so many Apostates what is the reason so many are so fruitlesse in their lives what is the reason that men despair in death but even this because men are not built and stablished aright Gods Spirit never stablished their soules in Divine truths For first concerning Apostasie ask them what is the reason they are of this or that Religion They will say they have been taught so they have been brought up to it the company with whom they have conversed have been devout men and have been alwayes led with this opinion and they see no reason to thwart it Is that all Hath not the Spirit wrought these things in thy heart hath he not given thee a taste of them hath he not convinced thee in thy judgment that it is so hast thou not found the power of the Spirit working upon thy soul changing of thee raising of thee drawing of thee out of the world nearer to God hast thou not I say felt the power of the Spirit this way No but thus I was catechized and thus I have been bred and thus I have heard in the Ministery And no otherwise Alas it will never hold out there will be a falling away for when a man believes not that which he believes from the Spirit of God he will be ready when dangerous times come when there is an onset made by the adversaries to fall and to fall clean away as we see it was in the time of Popery for whatsoever is not spiritual whatsoever knowledge is not Divine and from the Spirit of God never holds out Therefore I beseech you what 's the reason that you have many illiterate men that set upon the truth and hold out to the end and on the contrary many great seeming Scholars that are skilful in school-learning and in other Authours do not The reason is the one hath the truth from the Spirit discovering all the objections that the heart of man can make against it and the strength that is in the truth to answer and silence all those objections The other man hath onely a discoursing knowledge an ability to gather one thing from another and to prove one thing by another by strength of parts But the Spirit of God never discover'd the sleights and the corruptions of his heart never fastned and settled his heart upon the truth he never had experience of the truth For indeed nothing doth stablish so much as the experience of the truth on which we are stablished Again what is the reason of that unfruitfulnesse that is amongst men but because truths were never settled in the soul by the Spirit of God That which men know out of the Word of God concerning Christ and the priviledges by him they were never perswaded of it in their hearts therefore they come not to a fruitful conversation It is impossible but that men should be abundantly fruitful that have spiritual apprehensions of Divine things of Evangelical truths Hence comes all our unthankfulnesse and undervaluing of the Gospel The Gospel of it self is an unprized thing however we esteem of it God values it highly we value it not because our apprehensions of it are customary and formal gotten by breeding and education and discourse and not by the Spirit we feel not the spiritual and heavenly comforts of those truths we think we know How comes likewise Despair in time of temptation and in death but onely because men want this stablishing by the Spirit of God Men go on in evil courses trusting to a formal dead humane knowledge gotten by humane meanes and not settled in them by the Spirit of God that hath not sealed the truth in their hearts and hereupon when sharp tryals come they despair because they have no feeling of the truths of the Gospel and so when conscience is awakened and smarts it clamours and cryes out upon all their formall and humane knowledge For they having not a spiritual sense of the mercies of God in Christ and the perswasions of comfort are not so near to support the soul as the tentations and vexations and torments are how can they but despair Now who can still the conscience but the Spirit of God Why now if the knowledge that men had were spiritual and heavenly in all accusations of conscience it would set conscience down and still it I am a sinner indeed I am this and this but I have felt the sweet mercies of God in Christ God hath said to my soul I am thy salvation he hath intimated to my spirit by a sweet voyce Son thy sinnes are forgiven thee Where there is I say a knowledge and an apprehension of these Evangelical truths wrought by the Spirit it sets down Conscience and stills it though the heart rage at the same time There are thousands in the very bosome of the Church that miscarry because of this resting in a literall outward formall knowledge gotten onely by discourse and by reading and commerce with others and never labour to have their hearts stablished in Christ by Gods Spirit You see here then a
necessity of Gods writing his truth in our bowels he saith in the Covenant of grace I will write my Law in their inward parts thaat is I will teach their very hearts that knowledge that they have shall be spiritual For beloved the knowledge that must save us must not onely be of Divine things but it must be Divine it must not onely be of spirituall things but it must be spiritual the light that we have of spirituall things must be answerable to the things we must see them by their own light we cannot know spiritual and heavenly things by a humane light but as the things themselves are spiritual so we must have the Spirit of God that by it we may come to know spiritual things spiritually Desire God therefore to vouchsafe us his Spirit that it may teach us and convince us of the truth of those things which we read and hear God must do it he must perswade and bow the heart and will and affections and so he will do it and doth it to those that rely upon him And this is the second Branch As God must do it so God will do it What is the Reason of that It is this he will do it because he is constant where he begins a good work he will finish it to the day of the Lord. He will do it because in the Covenant of Grace he hath undertaken both parts both his own and ours He undertakes his own part which is to give us eternal life and to give us Christ and he undertakes our part too which is to believe and to cleave unto Christ c. he makes this good himself he works this in the heart by the Spirit for therefore it is called the Covenant of Grace because God himself is graciously pleased to do both parts Which must be comfortably remembred against an Objection that flesh and blood will make I might indeed come to God and Christ but I am an unworthy empty creature I have no faith Come and atrend upon the means the gift of application and confirming and stablishing is part of the Covenant The Covenant that God makes with thee is not onely to give thee life everlasting and glory but to give thee grace likewise Faith is the gift of God He that stablisheth us and confirms us upon that which is certain in it self is God Lay it up against a time of temptation for a pillar and ground of your faith that here God doth both he gives us Promises and gives us Christ whereon the Promises are founded and likewise establisheth us and seals us c. he doth all So that as none can stablish the soul but God by his Spirit so he will do it It is an excellent reason of the Apostle in Rom. 5. If when we were enemies God gave us his Son to reconcile us how much more now shall we be saved If we were saved by the Death of Christ when we were enemies much more shall we be preserved by his life he now living in heaven So I say If God when there was nothing in us but we were in a clean opposite estate did begin spiritual life in us much more will he stablish that which he hath begun in us And this stablishing as well as the beginning of grace comes likewise from God for take Grace in the whole latitude and extent of it take all that can be in grace all comes graciously from God the offer of it the beginning of it this manner of it that it should be strong the strengthning of grace it comes from God he strengtheneth us in grace as well as begins it so that Grace it self and this Modus this manner that it is strong and firm that it should hold out all comes from God A Christian needs not onely converting grace but stablishing grace God that converted him must stablish him and build him up and confirm him Peter was in the state of grace and yet when God did not stablish him you see how he fell so David was an excellent man but when God did not stablish him you see how he fell The weakest with the stablishing grace of God will stand and the strongest without the stablishing grace of God will sink and fall The Apostle doth not say he hath done but he doth stablish us This must be considered that the life of a Christian is a perpetual dependant life not onely in his conversion he lives by faith he hath his first life but ever after he lives by faith that is dependance on God for assistance and protection and strength in the whole course of his life The ignorance of this makes us subject to fail for when we trust to grace received and do not seek for a new supply we fall into Peters case Though all men for sake thee yet will not I hereupon Peter fell fouly he had too much confidence in grace received Therefore God is fain to humble his children to teach them dependance and usually therefore in Scripture where some special grace is given he hath somewhat joyned with it to put them in mind that they do not stand by their own strength In the same Chapter where Peter makes a glorious confession Thou art the Son of the living God and he was honoured of Christ by that confession yet Christ calls him Satan in the same Chapter and he forsakes his Master A strange thing To teach us that we stand not of our selves When we are strong it is by God when we are weak it is by our selves Jacob wrastled and was a prevailer with God but he was fain to halt for it he was struck with halting all the dayes of his life though he had the victory and overcame God taking upon him as I said before the person of an enemy to strive with him yet God to put him in mind that he had the strength whereby he prevailed from him and not of himself he made him limp all his dayes We need perpetual dependance upon God Therefore let us set upon nothing in our own strength as Hannah saith comfortably 1 Sam. 2. No man is strong by his own strength God is all our sufficiency Mans nature doth affect a kind of Divinity he would be a God to himself but God will teach him that he is not a God but a dependant creature He affects a Divinity thus he will set upon things in confidence of his own wisdome without prayer and thinks to work things with the strength of his own parts to compasse things with his own wit to bring things to a good issue O no it will not be so In Prov. 3. Acknowledge God in all thy wayes That is acknowledge him in thy enterprizes in any thing acknowledge him in the progresse that thou needest stabilishing grace acknowledge him in the issue that thou needest his blessing upon all thy endeavours acknowledge God in all our wayes Therefore whas do we but make our selves Gods when we set upon businesse
or whether I speak of my selfe Be true to known truths be not false in disobeying them To him that hath shall be given We have a little stablishing by an uniform obedience to the truth we shall have more God will increase it I say let us be faithful to the truths we have ' and not crosse them in any sinful course let us not keep the truth prisoner to any base affection as those in Rom. 1. that had but the light of nature yet because they imprisoned it and held it in unrighteousness and lived in sins contrary to that light rhat God had kindled in them though I say it were but the light of nature God gave them up to sins not to be named much more will he do to us if we withhold the light of the Gospel take heed therefore that we inthral not the truth to any base lust whatsoever and that is a means to be stablished in the truth And be oft in holy conference with others Conference if it be rightly used is a special means to stablish that is most certain which is certain after doubting and debate because that which is doubted of at the first we come to be resolved of at the last comparing reason with reason Remembring alwayes that of S. Ambrose That there must not be striving for victory but for truth And then when we have tryed all we must keep that which is good and not be alwayes as the Iron between two Loadstones haled this way and that way alwayes doubting and never resolved there must be a time of resolution This the Apostle observes to be an excellent way of stablishing oft to confer of things doubtful And labour to get experience of the truth in our selves nothing stablisheth more then experience Our Saviour Christ in Joh. 6. 68. when many left him out of dulnesse not understanding the spiritual things that he taught as many whose wits will serve for matters of the world and to make them great amongst men but when they come to heavenly things they have no understanding they cannot apprehend them he asks his Disciples Will you go away also Peter who had his heart opened by the Spirit of God saith he Lord whither shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life insinuating that the experience that he had of the power of that truth that Christ taught did so establish him in the present truth that with a holy kind of indignation at the question he replyes Whither shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life I have found thy words to have a spirituall life in them So when we come once to have an experimental knowledge of the truths we learn then our hearts are stablished indeed then it is an ingraffed Word as S. James saith then the Word is true leaven when it altereth and changeth the soul in such a case there is no separating from fundamentall truth when it is one with our selves and digested into us And pray to God oft as David did Psal. 86. to knit our hearts to fear his Name Lord my heart is loose and ready to fall off of it self Oh knit my heart it is unsettled Oh settle my unsettled heart settle my judgment and affections this should be our meditation And because it is God that stablisheth alway maintain spiritual poverty in the soul that is a perpetual dependance upon God see the insufficiency that is in our selves that we cannot stand out What is the reason that God suffers great men to fall from the defence of the truth and from the profession of it in their lives as we see it in the case of Peter to shew that we stand not by our own strength therefore we should be alwayes in this temper of spiritual poverty to know that as Samsons strength was in his Hair so our strength is in God God is my strength of my self I have no strength And therefore upon every new defence of the truth when we are called to it we should lift up ejaculations and dart up strong desires to God that God would strengthen and stablish our souls that we may not be traytors to the truth but that we may stand to it for in his owne strength shall no man be established And grow every day more and more in detestation of a luke-warme temper Your Ancipites as Cyprian calls them your doubtful flatterers of the times that have their Religion depending upon the State and the times that are neither fish nor flesh Bats as we say that are neither Mice nor Birds but of a doubtful Religion that out of carnal policy are fit to entertain any thing Oh this is a devilish temper Howsoever we in our luke-warm disposition value the truth God values it highly it was purchased by Christs blood and sealed by the blood of Martyrs and shall not we transmit it to our posterity as safe and as firm and retain it come what will Let us grow into dislike of this temper atemper that we should as much hate as God hates it such a temper as is in Popery they are in an adiaphorisme temper in Religion a luke-warm cold temper a temper of Religion according to reasons of flesh and reasons of policy this will make us be spued out of Gods mouth at the last Do we think to lose Religion alone Oh no never think to part with Religion alone it came with peace and prosperity and if we keep not this Depositum this truth delivered to us God will take it away and that which we betray it for Peace and Plenty Let us labour therefore to be radicated in our Judgment in our Affections in our Love in our Faith in our whole inward man in the truth revealed To be stablished in the truth it is our best inheritance it is that will stand by us when all leaves us What consistence hath a man out of the truth are you rich or honourable death will drive you out of all your riches and honours in the world and strip you of all What stablishing hath any man but in Christ in the truth Take a man that is not bottomed that is not fastened on Christ he is the changeablest creature in the world he is vanity he is nothing Oh love this state that we may say Though I be variable here though I be not so rich as I was or have not that favour of great ones that I have had or it is not with me as it hath been but in all changes I have somewhat that is unchangeable my soul is settled upon Christ and upon the truth in him which is certain As it is a glorious being to be found in Christ so it is an eternal and an everlasting being once Christs and for ever his he will never lose a member Labour we therefore to be stablished in Christ in all the changes and alterations in the world and then we shall have something that is unchangeable to fix and stay our selves upon
have it in Psal. 1. As the chaffe that the wind driveth to and fro because it hath no consistence it is a light body or as the drosse Psal. 119. God shall destroy the wicked as drosse see how the Scripture compares men not onely for their wickednesse but for their misery that have no certain being but on earthly things though they be never so great and as they think deeply rooted when troubles come they are as drosse they are as chaffe that hath no firmnesse before the wind when the wind of Judgment comes they are as stubble presently wasted and brought to nothing I beseech you therefore without deceiving of our own hearts let us enter into our own soules and examine for our knowledge first and then for our boldnesse What doest thou know in Religion that thou wouldest die for or die in we are stablished in no more to purpose then we would dye for Are those truths thou knowest so firmly wrought in thee by the Spirit of God hast thou such experience of them such spiritual sense and taste of the goodnesse of them that thou wouldest be content to part with thy life rather then to part with them thou art stablished then by the Spirit of God in Christ. I do not speak of every little truth it needs not that a man should die for that but I speak for fundamental truths canst thou prove them so out of the Scripture and doest thou find the testimony of Jesus Christ witnessing to thy heart that they are true then thou art confirmed and stablished in these truths I beseech you let us often examine upon what grounds and how firmly we know what we know For have we not many that if the Adversaries should come would conform to Popery and joyn themselves to Rome because they cannot back their principles with Scriptures and because they have not a spiritual understanding and apprehension of Divine truths Now he that is stablished stands firm against temptations and against arguments he will not be won away from his faith but remains unmoveable Therefore I say let us often examine our selves in this particular I believe this and this against the Papists and others I but how shall I stand out for this If tryals should come am I able to prove this from the Scriptures so clear as if it were written as he saith with a Sun-beam The temptation and assaults of the Devil by mens subtile wits and arguments will shake our judgments will hurt more and if time should come try us better then fire and fagot Those Spies that brought an evil report upon the Land of Canaan we see that though the Land when it was won was fruitful enough and the conquest of it honourable c. and therein those Spies discovered their own weaknesse yet when they had made that shrewd Oration and brought subtile arguments to the eye of flesh and blood we see I say how the people were discouraged and how they staggeted So a man that is not stablished he may sometimes have shrewd men to deal withal perhaps Atheists Papists Jesuites and the Devil joyning with them to unsettle men and they will prevail if men be not well settled and stablished before And so for the course of our life and conversation amongst men we should examine how we are stablished in that for we are not onely to stand firm in cases of Religion but for causes of honesty John Baptist was as good as a Martyr though the cause he dyed for was not Religion but a bold telling of Herod when he thought he took an unlawful course in keeping his brothers Wife An honest man may dye and suffer much for civil matters Therefore examine your selves in this I have undertaken this cause upon what ground in what confidence how far would I willingly go in it could I be content to lose the favour of great ones to dye in the quarrel if need be So far as a man is stablished by Gods Spirit so far is he settled also in this You have had Heathen men that would stand out firmly even to the death against all disfavours against all losses and crosses for evidence of Civil truths as you have it storied of Papinian an excellent Lawyer that in the defence of right stood forth to the losse of his life and many other the like examples have been But much more doth the Spirit of God stablish men this I understand this cause is good this I will stand in come what will when I am called to it Let us oft call our selves to an account what we believe and upon what ground what we do and upon what ground we undertake it whether on grounds of conscience or out of spleen and passion When a man undertakes things on natural grounds in great temptations if God do not assist him he will sink Take the strongest courages that are if they have no more but nature though they may stand out sometimes to the shame of Christians yet in some cases they will shew themselves to be but meer natural men And therefore labour for the Spirit to stablish us It is not necessary that we should enjoy our wealth nor the favour of men nor our life it self but it is necessary that we should keep a good conscience it is necessary that we should be saved it is necessary that we should look upon our Judge with confidence at the day of Judgment It becomes Christians who besides the light of nature have the Spirit to stablish them to be settled in their courses to look that the conscience be good the cause good the aym good If such a one give over when the cause is clear and good it is a sign that his heart is not stablished by the Spirit of God in Christ he hath either corrupt aymes or else he is weak and understands not the grounds of Religion and the vanity of this life as he should do There are none that flinch and give over in a good quarrel but either it is from hypocrisie that he pretends to believe in Christ and life everlasting and yet he doth not or else it is from extream and wonderful weaknesse which if he belong to God he shall recover as Peter did and shall stand more strongly another time It is but a forced a false encouragement and stablishing when a man that hath not the Spirit of God shall set light by death though perhaps he die in a good quarrel and with some comfort For when a man shall know that after death there is a Judgment and that God hath many things to lay to his charge when his conscience shall tell him that he is guilty of a thousand deaths if he be not in Christ and his pardon sealed by the Spirit of God in the blood of Christ is it not madnesse to be couragious in that which he cannot conquer It is good for a man to be couragious in time of conquest It is a dastardly thing for
he is a Conquerour he hath a Kingdom in himself others have Kingdoms out of themselves and in themselves they are slaves he is such a King as hath a Kingdom in himselfe he hath peace and joy and rest from base affections and terrour of conscience Is not he a King that is a Lord and Master of all things A Christian is Master of prosperity he conquers it he can make it serve his turn to be thankfull to God to be ready to distribute he is Master of adversity I can want and I can be abased I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me saith blessed Paul He is an omnipotent King in some sense he can do all through him that strengthens him He hath conquered the King of fears death that that makes the greatest Monarch in the world to shake and tremble a Christian can think of with comfort He can think of Gods wrath with comfort appeased in Christ stenched with his blood he can think of the day of Judgment with comfort that then his Saviour shall be his Judge and that he shall stand at the right hand of God He can think of afflictions with comfort he is sanctified to all things and all things are sanctified to him and all things shall work for his good nothing shall be able to separate him from Gods love to him in Christ neither things present nor things to come That which amazeth the Belshazzars of the world and makes their knees smite one against another as that hand-writing did him that which makes others quake to think of a revenging God before whom they must appear and answer for all their miscarriages and their neglect of precious time and abuse of their places they can think of with joy and comfort He hath conquered himself and his own heart he can subdue the carnal part of him and bring it under the Spirit all others though Kings if they be not Christians are slaves to some reigning lust or other He is a King likewise in regard of possession which is a second thing which makes a Christian an excellent person as he is a great Conquerour so he is a great possessour for All is yours saith the Apostle things present and things to come life and death afflictions and crosses and all is yours How to help him to heaven things present are his comforts are his if they be present afflictions are his to purge him and to fit him for heaven things to come are his heaven is his and terrours to come all serve him Even evil things are his in advantage and successe though in disposition they be not his but have an hostile disposition in them they are all over-power'd by the love of God And Christ the King of heaven and earth over-rules all to the good of his And so all good things are his though not in civil possession but as far as the great Governour of all things sees fit what a King is this and therefore the word is not too great to say a Christian is a King he is indeed the most excellent person in the world And he hath likewise a Kingly spirit that is he doth things with love and freedome of spirit that others do upon compulsion for he hath the royal Law of love as the Apostle saith written in his heart what is that the royal Law of love is this when a man doth that which he doth from love and from a Princely spirit when he is not compelled that which others do not at all or by force is wrung from them he doth out of a Princely spirit that is in him because his spirit is enlarged and anointed by the Spirit of God to every good work These things might be enlarged but a taste of them is sufficient and they are very useful to raise our hearts to consider that there is another manner of State then the world thinks of there are spiritual and excellent Kings and Priests and this will stand by us when all other excellencies will fail All flesh is grasse and as the flower of the grasse but this dignity this anointing which we have by the Spirit and by the Word of God it endures for ever and abides to all eternity Now not to go on in more particulars but to make some Use of this Surely this is true in some degree of every Christian that he is a Prophet to discern of things that differ and he hath a supernatural heavenly light answerable to the things a spiritual light to judge of spiritual things And he is a Priest to stand before God continually And he is a King by conquest by possession by qualification I say this undoubtedly is true of all spiritual persons that are anointed As it is said of Saul that when he was anointed he had another Spirit so God never makes a Christian but he gives him the Spirit of a Christian Gods calling is with qualification it is not a meer titular anointing but there is another Spirit goes along with this anointing then there was before calling though men be trained up from their infancy in the truth yet when they are anointed by the Spirit of God there will another manner of Spirit appear in them then ever was in them before or then that which is in the world I beseech you therefore for dignity prepares and stirres up to duty a man never so carries himself in his place and condition as when he thinks of his condition oft think of the excellent estate we are advanced to in Christ it will put us in mind of a qualification and disposition answerable that as the Apostle oft presseth it we may walk worthy our calling that we may walk worthy of this dignity When we are tempted therefore to sin and to base courses let us say as good Nehemiah when he was moved to flie What shall such a man as I flie so should we say to any temptation to base courses of life what shall such a man as I do this Why if I be a Christian if I be not onely a titular Christian which is onely sufficient to damne me and not to do me good but if I be a real Christian I must be a Priest I must keep my self unspotted of the world and undefiled and not touch any unclean thing I must be in a state and condition to pray to God Shall I regard iniquity that God should not hear my prayer If I be a Christian I am a King shall I debase my self shall I cast my crown in the dirt God hath raised me and made me an heir of heaven shall I abase my self to sins and to base lusts so that I cannot rule my own members and yet professe my self to be a King For a Christian that is a King that hath a guard of Angels about him that is the most excellent creature in the world for him to abase himself to the world he that is bred from heaven for him to have no higher thoughts then the things
onely so but he sealed him by many miracles by the resurrection from the dead by which he was declared to be the Son of God by the calling of the Gentiles and by many other things Christ being sealed he sealed all that he did for our redemption with his blood and for the strengthening of our faith he hath added outward seales the two Sacraments to seal our faith in this blood and in him who is sealed of the Father But here in this place is meant another manner of sealing for here is not meant the sealing of Christ but the sealing of us that have communion with Christ. The same Spirit that sealed the Redeemer seales the redeemed What is our Sealing Sealing we know hath this use First of all it doth imprint a likenesse of him that doth seal upon the wax that is sealed as when the Kings Picture or Image is stamped or sealed upon the wax every thing in the wax answers to that in the seal face to face eye to eye hand to hand foot to foot body to body So we are said to be sealed when we carry in our soules the Image of Jesus Christ for the Spirit sets the stamp of Jesus Christ upon every Christian so that there is the likenesse of Christ in all things understanding answers understanding in proportion as a child you know answers the father it hath limb for limb foot for foot finger for finger but it is not in quantity but in proportion and likenesse so it is in the soul that is sealed by the Spirit there is a likenesse to Christ something of every grace of Christ there is understanding of the same heavenly supernatural truths there is a judging of things as Christ judgeth and the affections go as Christs do he loves that which Christ loves and he hates that which he hates he joyes in that which Christ delights in Every affection of the soul is carried that way that the affections of our blessed Saviour are carried in proportion Every thing in the soul is answerable to Jesus Christ and there is no grace in Christ but there is the like in every Christian in some small measure the Obedience of Christ to his Father even to the death it is in every Christian the Humility whereby Christ abased himself it is in every Christian. Christ works in the soul that receiveth him a likenesse to himself And this is an undoubted Character of a Christian The soul that believes in Christ doth not onely believe in him for his own sake to be forgiven of his sins but together with believing feeling the forgivenesse of his sins and that Christ hath so loved him and done such things for him he is ambitious to expresse Christ in all things and it stirres him up with desire to be like him for thinks he is there such love in Christ to me and is there such grace and mercy in God to me and was Christ so good as to do and to suffer such things for me Oh how shall I improve things for him Oh that I might be like him lovely in his eyes This I say must needs be so these desires are undoubtedly universally in the soules of all those that partake of Christ it is the nature of the thing to be so we shall desire to be transformed more and more to Christ Every way to bear the Image of the second Adam who is as the Apostle saith from heaven heavenly and so shall we be heavenly-minded as he was heavenly-minded on earth talking and discoursing of the Kingdome of Heaven and sitting people for the Kingdome of heaven and drawing others from this world to meditate of a better estate there is a likenesse to these in the soul of every believer and that 's the reason that Christs Offices are put together in all those that he saves that look whosoever he is a Priest to to dye for their sins to them he is a Prophet to teach them and a King to subdue their corruptions and to change them and alter them and to rule them by his Spirit You have carnal men in presumption which leads them to destruction they sever things in Christ they will take benefit by Christ but they care not for his likenesse they will have him as a Priest but they respect him not as a King Now all that are Christs have the stamp of the Spirit upon them there are desires wrought in them by the Spirit of God to that purpose and a Spirit of Sanctification that makes them every way like Christ in their proportion And that is an evidence of the sealing of such a soul because the soul of it self hath no such impression for the soul of it self is a barren Wildernesse a stone that is cold and uncapable of impression when therefore the soul can command nature being stiffe and hard and dead we see an impression of a higher nature a man may know that undoubtedly the Spirit of God hath been in this soul for we see a loving spirit an humble spirit a gracious a believing a broken spirit an obedient spirit to every commandment of God the soul can yield it self wholly to the will of God in all things certainly I say the Spirit of God hath been here for these things grow not in a natural soul. A stone you know is cold by nature and if a man feel a stone to be hot a man may undeniably gather Certainly the Sun hath shined upon this stone Our hearts are very cold by nature undoubtedly when they are warmed with the love of God that they are made plyable to duties the Sun of righteousnesse Christ hath shined on this cold heart Gods Spirit can work on Marble can work on Brasse as Jeremy saith It was the commendations of one of the Fathers that he could work on Brasse God can work on our soules which are as brasse and make an impression of grace there and therefore when a man sees an impression upon such hard mettal certainly he may know that the finger of Gods Spirit hath been there So that the work of Sanctification is an undoubted feal of the Spirit of God A second use of a Seal is Distinction Seales are given for distinguishing for you know sealing is a stamp set upon some few out of many so this sealing of the Spirit it distinguisheth Christians from others as we shall see more at large afterwards Then again a Seal it serves for Appropriation for men seal those things that are their own Merchants seal those Wares that they either have or mean to have a right unto Men seal their own sheep and not others and stamp their own Wares and not others God here stoops so low as to make use of terms that are used in humane matters and contracts and by sealing he shewes that he hath appropriated his own to himself chosen and singled them out for himself to delight in Again sealing further serves to make things authentical to give authority and excellency to
because they grieve the Spirit and quench the Spirit by doing that which is contrary to the Spirit Let us therefore that we may have the more comfort preserve the stamp of the Spirit fresh by the exercise of all grace and communion with God and by obedience and by faith honour God by believing and he will honour thee by stamping his Spirit on thee more and more And let this be our work every day to have the stamp of the Spirit clear Oh what a comfort it is to have this in us at all times if a man have nothing in him better then nature if he have nothing in him in regard of grace if he have not Christs Image upon his soul though he be a King or an Emperour yet he shall be stript of all ere long and be set on the left hand of Christ and be adjudged to eternal torments It is the folly of the times come up of late there is much labouring for Statues and for curious workmanship of that kind and some pride themselves much in it and account it great riches to have an old Statue Alas alas what a poor delight is this in comparison of the joy that a Christian hath by the seal of the Spirit and what is this to the ambition of a Christian to see the Image and representation of Christ stamped in his soul that he may be like the second Adam that he may be transformed more and more by looking on him and seeing himself in him to love him considering that he hath loved us so much for we cannot see the love of Christ to us but we must love him the more and be transformed into him Now this transforming our selves into the Image of Christ is the best picture in the world therefore labour for that every day more and more There is besides the common broad seal of God his Privy Seal as I may call it It is not sufficient that we have the one that we have admittance into the Church by Baptisme but we must have this privy seal which Christ sets and stamps upon the soul of the true Christian Alas for a man to build onely on the outward seals and outward prerogatives which in themselves are excellent yet the standing upon them betrayes many soules to the Devil in times of distresse It is another manner of seal then the outward seal in the Sacrament that will satisfie and comfort the conscience in the apprehensions of wrath at the hour of death or otherwayes It must be this privy seal and then comes the use of those publick open known seales the broad seales then a man with comfort may think upon his Baptisme and upon his receiving the Communion when he hath the beginnings of faith wrought in him by the Spirit of God when a man finds the beginnings of faith in him then he may make use of the broad seal to be a help to his faith We must not be so prophane as to think slightly and irreverently of Gods Ordinances they are of great and high consequence for when Satan comes to the soul and shakes the confidence of it and saith Thou art not a Christian and God doth not love thee Why saith the soul God hath loved me and pardoned my sins he hath given me promises and particularly sealed them in the Sacrament here is the excellency of the Sacrament it comes more home then the Word it seales the general promise of God particularly to my self I am sealed in the Sacrament and withall I find the stamp of the Spirit in my heart and therefore having the inward work of the Spirit and God having fortified the inward work and strengthened my faith by the outward seal I can therefore stand against any temptation whatsoever They are excellent both together but the speciall thing that must comfort must be the hidden seal of the Spirit Let us labour therefore to be sealed inwardly and observe Gods sealing-dayes as we use to speak which though it may be every day if we be in spiritual exercises yet especially on the Lords Day for then his Ordinance and his Spirit go together Now as there is a sealing of our estates that we are the children of God so there is of truths and both are in the children of God as for instance this is a truth Whosoever believes in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life now the same Spirit that stirred up the soul to believe this seales it in the soul even to death and in all times of temptation and likewise there is no promise but upon the believing of it it is sealed by the Spirit upon the soul for those truths onely abide firm in the soul which the Spirit of God sets on What is the reason that many forget the comforts and consolations that they hear because the Spirit sets them not on the Spirit seales them not What is the reason that illiterate men stand out in their profession to blood whereas those that have a discoursive kind of learning they yield the reason is this the knowledge of the one is sealed by the Spirit it is set fast upon the soul the Spirit brings the knowledge and the soul close together whereas the knowledge of the other is onely a notional swimming knowledge it is not spiritual Those therefore that will hold out in the end and not apostatize those that will stand out in the hour of death against temptation and those that will hold out in the time of life against solicitations to sin they must have a knowledge suitable to the things they know that is they must see and know heavenly things by a heavenly light spiritual things by the Spirit of God And therefore when we come to hear the Ministers of God we should not come with strong conceits in the strength of our wit but with reverend dispositions with dependance upon God for his Spirit that he would teach us together with the Ministers and close with our soules and set those truths we hear upon our soules we shall never hold out else And it must be the Holy Ghost that must do this for that which must settle and seal comfort to the soul must be greater then the soul especially in the time of temptation when the terrours of the Almighty are upon us and when the hell within a man is open when God layes open our consciences and writes bitter things against us and our consciences tell us our sins wondrous near they are written as it were with a pen of Iron and the point of a Diamond upon our soules now I say those truths that must satisfie conscience that is thus turmoiled must be set on by that which is above conscience the Spirit of God who is above our spirits can onely set down our spirits and keep them from quarrelling and contending against the truth and quiet the conscience and this the Spirit doth when it sets the truth upon the soul. And therefore when our soules are disquieted
and troubled and we hear many comfortable truths let us lift up our prayers to God let there be ejaculations of spirit to God Now Lord by thy holy Spirit set and seal this truth to my soul that as it is true in it self so it may be true to me likewise This is a necessary Observation for us all Oh we desire all of us in the hour of death to find such comforts as may be standing comforts that may uphold us against the gates of Hell and against the temptations of Satan and terrours of Conscience why nothing will do this but spiritual truths spiritually known nothing but holy truths set on by the hoy Spirit of God But what course shall we take when we want comfort when we want joy and peace In the third of John there are three witnesses in heaven and three in earth to secure us of our state in grace and the certainty of our salvation The three witnesses upon earth are the Spirit the water and the blood and these three agree in one and the three that bear witnesse in heaven are the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and the three on earth and these three in heaven agree in one Now the Spirit is the feelings and the sweet motions of the Spirit The water may well be that washing of the Spirit sanctification The blood is the shedding of the blood of Christ and justification by it When therefore we find that part of the seal that extraordinary seal that I spake of before the joy of the Spirit of God that it is not in us what shall we do shall we despair No go to the water when we find not spiritual joy and comfort when the witnesse of the Spirit is silent go to the work of the Spirit in sanctification I but what shall we do if the waters be troubled in the soul as sometimes there is such a confusion in the soul that we cannot see the Image of God upon it in sanctification we cannot see the stamp of Gods Spirit there there is such a Chaos in the soul God can see somewhat of his own Spirit in that confusion but the Spirit it self cannot Then go to the blood of Christ there is alwayes comfort the fountain that is opened for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in is never dry go therefore to the blood of Christ that is if we find sin upon our consciences if we find not peace in our consciences nor sanctification in our hearts go to the blood of Christ which is shed for all those that confesse their sinnes and rely on him for pardon though we find no grace For howsoever as an evidence that we are in Christ we must find the work of the Spirit yet before we go to Christ it is sufficient that we see nothing in our selves no qualification for the graces of the Spirit they are not the condition of coming to Christ but the promise of those that receive Christ after Therefore go to Christ when thou feelest neither joy of the Spirit nor sanctification of the Spirit go to the blood of Christ and that will purge thee and wash thee from all thy sins This I onely touch for a direction what to do when our soules want comfort when perhaps we cannot see the seal of the Spirit in sanctification so clearly To go on now to the next And given us the Earnest of the Spirit Here is the third word borrowed from humane affaires to set out the work of the Spirit in our soules Anointing we had before and Sealing now here is Earnest The variety of the words shewes that there is a great remainder of unbelief in the soul of man that the Spirit of God is fain to use so many words to expresse Gods dealing to the soul to bring it to believe to be assured of salvation And indeed so it is howsoever we in the time of prosperity when all things go well with us we are prone wondrously to presume yet in the hour of death when conscience is awakened we are prone to nothing so much as to call all in question and to believe the doubts and fears of our own hearts more then the undoubted truth and promise of God therefore God takes all courses to stablish us he gives us rich and precious promises he gives us the holy Spirit to stablish us on the Promises he seales us with his Spirit and gives us the earnest of the Spirit and all to settle this wretched and unbelieving heart of ours So desirous is God that we should be well conceited of him he loves us better then we love our selves He so much prizeth our love that he labours by all means to secure us of his love to us because except we know his love to us we cannot love him again and we cannot joy in him c. But that onely in the general Here is earnest and the Earnest of the Spirit that is in plain termes he gives us the Spirit with the graces and comforts of it which doth in our hearts that which an earnest doth amongst men But what is this Spirit an earnest of It is an Earnest of our inheritance in heaven of our blessed estate there We are sons now but we are not heires invested into the blessed estate we have title to God leaves us not off in the mean time while we are in our Pilgrimage he keeps not all for heaven but he gives us somewhat to comfort us in our absence from our Husband from our Lord and King Christ he gives us the Earnest of the Spirit that is he gives the holy Ghost into our hearts which is the Earnest of that blessed everlasting glorious condition which we shall have in heaven hereafter that is the meaning of the words In what regard is the Spirit called an Earnest First of all an Earnest is for security of bargains and contracts so the Holy Ghost assures the soul of salvation being present with his graces and comforts the Holy Ghost is given for security Secondly an Earnest is part of the whole bargain though it be a very little part yet it is a part and so the Spirit of God here and the work of the Spirit and the graces and joy of the Spirit it is a part of that full joy and happinesse that shall be revealed The Spirit dwells not fully in any one he dwelleth no further then he sanctifieth and reviveth but that is an Earnest for the time to come that the Spirit shall be all in all wherein we shall have no reluctancy nor nothing to exalt it self against the sure regiment of the Spirit Thirdly an Earnest is little in comparison of the whole bargain so the work of the Spirit the comforts the joy the peace of the Spirit it is little in comparison of that which shall be in heaven in regard of the fulnesse of the Spirit which we shall have there An Earnest though it be little in quantity yet it
case it be in a dungeon if he have a little light shining into him from a little crevice that little light discovers that the Day is broke that the Sun is risen Put the case there be but one grape on a vine it shewes that it is a vine and that the vine is not dead So put the case there be but the appearance of but a little grace in a Christian perhaps the Spirit of God appeares but in one grace in him at that time yet that one grace sheweth that we are vines and not thistles or thorns or other base plants and it shewes that there is life in the root The Spirit of God appears not in all graces at once it appears some time or other in some one grace We see in plants the vertue of them appears diversly In Winter the vertue of them lyes in the root In the spring-time in the bud and the leaf In the Summer in the fruit it is not in all parts alike so it is with the Spirit as it is an Earnest it appears not in all graces in a flourishing manner at the first sometimes it appears in the root in humility sometimes in faith sometimes in love sometimes in one grace sometimes in another though the Spirit be in every grace yet in appearance to a mans self and others it appeares but in one An Earnest is little especially at the first Weak Christians therefore should not be discouraged Despise not the day of little things there is cause of mourning we that have received the first fruits of the Spirit we mourn because we have but the first-fruits and we would have the full harvest but as there is cause of mourning because we have but the first-fruits so there is cause of comfort because it is the first-fruits it is an Earnest onely and not the whole bargain therefore we have cause of mourning that it is so imperfect that it is so weak as it is yet there is cause of comfort because though it is not the whole yet is a part and secures us of the whole And therefore Christians should labour to mingle duties and let one grace qualifie another For indeed a Christian is a mixed Creature his comforts are mixed and his mourning is mixed With a carnal man it is all otherwise if he mourn he is all a mort because he hath no goodnesse if he joy he is mad his mirth is madnesse A Christian joyes indeed some times he hath joy unspeakable and glorious because he looks to his hope and the accomplishment of it and yet he mourns because he hath but the Earnest because he hath but the beginnings because he hath but the first-fruits here And therefore again as it should comfort us if we have any thing so it should exhort us to examine rather the truth then the measure of any grace we have examined the truth it is the truth of this Earnest the truth of grace and comfort it is an excellent speech of our Saviour Christ in Rev. 3. to the Church of Philadelphia in verse 8. Because thou hast a little strength and hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name there is a great promise made to the Church of Philadelphia and why Because thou hast a little strength how is that discovered Thou hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name So then if that little be true God respects not that little as it is little in quantity but as he means to make it ere long he looks upon the Earnest as he means to make up the bargain he looks upon the foundation as he means to rear up a goodly building he looks upon the first-fruits as he means to adde the harvest and therefore Ephes. 1. and other places We are elected to be holy and blamelesse in his sight So Ephes. 5. latter end He purgeth the Church that she may be presented to him without spot So Christ looks upon his Church as he is purging and washing till he have made it holy in his sight We are elected not to Earnest not to first-fruits but to be unblameable we are elected to perfection it is the comfort of Christians that God looks upon his not as they are imperfect here but as they are in beginning and as they are growing and as he intends to bring them to perfection afterwards For all things are present we know to him the time to come what we shall be he considers us as if we were in heaven already we are in our degree and in our faith So now we sit in heavenly places therefore as he looks on us as we shall be so faith answers his looking when we are framed by the Spirit to comfort faith looks not upon the weak Earnest the poor beginnings but as we shall be after in heaven without spot and wrinckle I but how shall we know the truth of his Earnest that it is true though it be little To speak a word or two of that for tryal Where the Spirit of God is with the relation of an Earnest he is as an Earnest by way of grace and comfort for those two wayes the Spirit discovers himself in us to sanctifie our nature or by comfort and peace and joy and such like Then it doth stir up the soul to mourn that is but an Earnest as I said before and to wait for the accomplishment as the Apostle saith in Rom. 8. We that have received the first-fruits of the Spirit mourn in our selves that it is no better with us then it is and withal We wait for the redemption of the sons of God the adoption of the sons of God we wait for the accomplishment hereafter it is the nature therefore of the Spirit of God as it is an Earnest to stirre up the spirits of Gods children to mourn something and likewise to wait patiently to wait for the full accomplishment hereafter and as a fruit of their waiting to endure quietly patiently and comfortably that which is between the Earnest and the accomplishment of it and therefore God gives them the grace of hope and constancy and of perseverance till all be accomplished for there is the tediousnesse of time between which is irk some hope deferred and a tediousnesse of deferring and besides many afflictions withal Now Gods children that have the Earnest of the Spirit they have a spirit likewise to wait and that they may be strengthened to wait they have the Spirit of Constancy a Spirit of patience to endure trouble and to persevere and to hold out in regard of the tediousnesse of the time So that they may not give over religious courses though they have it not fully here but go on still and wait And likewise those that have the Earnest of the Spirit that have the Spirit as it hath this qualification upon it of an Earnest it stirres them up to frame themselves answerable to the full ccaomplishment for He that hath
this hope saith the Apostle purgeth himself he that finds some little beginnings of grace and comfort the beginings of heaven upon Earth he frames himself to the perfect state in heaven for it is the nature of faith and hope wheresoever they are to frame the disposition of the person in whom those graces are planted by the Spirit to the condition of that that soul believes and hopes for it is in the nature of the thing it should be so For doth not hope in any man that hopes to appear before some great person make him alter his attire and fashion his carriage and deportment as may be plausible before the person whom he goes to and doth not faith and hope of better things where they are in truth fashion and dispose every man to be such as may be fit for heaven The title to heaven we have indeed by Christ but the soul knowes there must be a qualification No unclean thing shall enter into heaven and therefore where the Earnest is there is a continual desire to be better a continual relinquishing of corruptions more and more a perfecting of the work of mortification and the work of grace more and more for the same Spirit that is an Earnest and gives us any beginning of a better life it likewise stirres us up it fits and prepares us for that state that is kept for us it is impossible it should be otherwise In what strength the Earnest is in that strength sanctification and mortification are and therefore persons that live in sins against Conscience that defile their tongues and defile their bodies let them talk what they will it is but a presumptuous conceit it is not the voyce of Gods Spirit but of carnal presumption for wheresoever the Spirit is an Earnest of heaven it is alwayes preparing and fitting the soul for that glorious happy estate And wheresoever likewise this Earnest of the Spirit is wheresoever this grace is begun in truth there is a desire of accomplishment an earnest desire of the coming of Christ to finish all to finish the bargain Rev. 22. The Spirit and the Spouse say Come that is the Spouse by direction of the Spirit where the Spouse is guided by the Spirit and so far as the Spouse is guided by the Spirit she saith Come Come Lord Jesus come quickly Except in two Cases Except the Christian hath grieved and wounded his conscience grieved the Spirit and then it is loath to go hence Unlesse likewise the spirit of a Christian be careless and would settle things in better order before he go to Christ for this is the fruit of presumption and carelesnesse that it grieves the Spirit of God and the Spirit being grieved grieves them he makes that which should be their comfort their going to Christ by death he makes it terrible for as we see a weak eye cannot endure the light so a gauled guilty conscience trembles to think of Christs coming though the Earnest be there yet if the soul tremble that the soul be wounded stay a while Oh stay saith the Psalmist before I go hence and be no more seen When the wife hath been negligent she would have her husband stay but when she hath been diligent then the wife is willing her husband should come but perhaps things are not settled as they should and therefore she doth not desire his coming as at other times But take a Christian in his right temper he is willing to dye nay he is willing and glad and joyful to go to Christ then he knowes the Earnest shall be accomplished with the bargain then he knowes what God hath begun he will perfect then he knowes all the Promises shall be performed when all imperfection shall be removed and all enemies shall be conquered c. A carnal man doth not say as the Spirit in the Spouse speaks Come Lord come but stay Lord stay and as the Devil that possessed that person What have we to do with thee Art thou come to torment us before our time they think of it with quaking For otherwise they that have the Earnest of the Spirit have joyful thoughts of it and wishes answerable to those thoughts Again wheresoever this Earnest is in truth the Earnest of the Spirit there is growth for it is the nature of things imperfect to come to their perfection that they may encounter with whatsoever is contrary to them and that they may do their functions that they are fitted by for God Now God having fitted the new creature to serve him and to go through all the impediments in this world and all the crosses where he hath begun this work it will labour to come to perfection As in the natural body we are not content to live but when we have life we desire health and when we have health we are not content with that but we desire strength not onely health but strength to perform that we should do So where the spiritual life is begun the living soul is not content to live to find an Earnest a little beginnings but if he have that he would have health he would not have any spiritual disease to lye on the soul that might hinder it in the functions of it and together with health it desires fuller and fully strength because it hath many temptations to encounter with many corruptions to resist many actions to do many afflictions perhaps to bear all which require a great deal of strength wheresoever grace is in truth it is alwayes with a desire of growth and answerable to that desire will be the use of all the means of growth Again to name one or two more and so end Wheresoever the Spirit is as an Earnest it doth as the seal doth spoken of before that as it hath a quieting power an assuring power it quiets the soul wheresoever it si it is given to stay the soul to comfort it that the whole shall be performed in time and therefore the soul that hath the Earnest of the Spirit so far forth as he hath this Earnest it quiets and stayes the soul. A man may know true faith from false and true Earnest from presumption by this as we know other things I say it stills and quiets the soul and it will endure the tryal We say of Alcumy gold it is counterfeit it will not strengthen the heart true gold hath a corroborating power to strengthen the heart whether it be so or no let the Alcumists look to it but it is true that true Eanest the beginnings of faith though it be but in a little measure it hath a quieting a stilling a strengthening power to strengthen and corroborate the soul for it is given for that purpose And a man that hath the least grace will endure the search as true gold will endure the touchstone the false will not and it is a sign that a man hath true grace in him although it be with much
imperfection that desires to be searched in preaching hearing searching Sermons and desiring to be searched in Conference and that doubts not his conscience but would be searched throughly When men fret at the searching of their sins they will not be searched and are content to go on in presumptuous courses and think all is well it is a sign there is not so much as an Earnest But not to go farther that in the Revelation shews the truth of a little grace what saith he Thou hast a little strength what doth that little strength move the Church of Philadelphia to do Thou hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name Where there is a little strength there will be a keeping of the Word in obedience a keeping of it in conversation where is not a regard to Gods Word a moulding of the soul into it in obedience of it there is not so much as a little strength of grace and therefore those that live in rebellious courses have not so much as an Earnest to them yet Thou hast kept my Word and withal thou hast not denyed my Name Where a little strength is there they will not deny Christs Name they will hold out in the profession of the truth and confesse it if occasion serve and therefore where any are slight in their profession that give in if they be ready to dash upon any displeasure of any one if they be to venture their estates or so then they are ashamed of Christ and that profession which they took upon them they deny his Name at least they do not own it they have not so much as a little strength if they do not recover Peter was in such a temptation but he recovered his strength and got more strength and a firm standing upon it the shaking of Peter was for the rooting of him So God to shame his children suffers them sometimes to have dastardly spirits but they recover themselves they are ashamed of it but those that are common Politicians in this kind that will not stand out in a good cause to maintain their truth and profession when God thrusts his cause into their hands specially at such times when God saith to them Who is on my side who now is the time to appear then if they have not a word for God they will not own the quarrel and cause of God and Religion they have not a little strength for they that have a little strength here keep the Word and have not denyed the Name Those therefore that can fashion themselves to all Religions to all companies they will have a Religion mutable and flexible to their occasions where is the Earnest of the Spirit the Spirit as much as he is is strong and vigorous and powerful these men have not so much as a little strength that are as water which is fashioned to the vessel it is in like to the Samaritans as Joseph the Historian of the Jews writes of them When the Jewes prospered oh then they would be Jewes when the Jewes had ill successe then they were great enemies to the Jewes so you have many that are no friends to the afflicted to the disgraced truth but as long as the Cause of Religion is carried out with the Countenance of the State with the favour of great ones so far they will own it but if Christ once comes to be abased they will not know Christ nor his Cause I beseech you let us take notice of it it is a sign there is no grace at all where there is such an habitual disposition without shame or grief or repentance for Gods children sometimes may be overtaken with a spirit of dastardlinesse which afflicts them sore afterwards that they gather more strength A man may know if he be Gods child in such a state for it is universally true Gods children are never overtaken with a spirit of cowardlinesse and fear but they regain it and grow more strong upon it as we see in Cranmer and others God purposeth sometimes to let them see what they are in themselves without his support and strength but afterwards they gather new resolutions new purposes to stick firmer to the truth then ere before I might adde many other things but I go on to that which followes You see here now how we may try if we have any true Earnest in us at all or no. Now I beseech you let us labour to have this Earnest if we have it not to have this assurance especially let me desire those of the younger sort to labour to have the seal of this Spirit and the Earnest before they be further and further engaged into the world and before they be so hardened that they will not receive a contrary stamp to their corruptions It is a wondrous advantage that Gentlemen and others that are young before the world hath soiled them and before their understandings be darkened and their affections are crooked and carried away much with the stream and errours of the time they have much advantage above others for they have spirits fitter for grace fitter to receive the impression of this seal of the Spirit fitter for the Earnest Let us labour for this Earnest betimes what a comfortable thing will it be to carry along with the Earnest an assurance of a better estate from our youth to our age and from our age to our old age and so to heaven with us what a deal of comfort do young ones deprive and rob themselves of that will not be gracious betimes Let us labour to have the stamp of the Spirit set on us in our prime time in the strength of our years But I will presse the Point if the time will give leave afterwards Now we must know that God gives this Earnest not for himself but for us to secure us and that is one reason why it is called an Earnest There is besides bargaining another state and condition that Earnest is applyed unto which perhaps the Apostle aimes at as marriage whatsoever was before the Consummation of the marriage was a kind of Arrah a kind of Earnest to assure the affection of the contracted person and persons that loved one another till the Consummation of the marriage So Christ now contracts us on the earth and having love to us and taking our Nature on him that he might woo us in our own flesh and in our own nature taking upon him the Earnest of our flesh he gives us the Earnest of his Spirit and to assure us thaâ—… he loves us and that he means to make up the bargain afterwards he sends us love-tokens graces and comfort and joy Even as Isaac when he was to marry Rebecca he sent by his servants Bracelets and Jewels and such things to secure her of his love So Christ in heaven intending the consummation of the Match he sends us here graces and comforts of the Spirit and all to secure us all is for us I say
have the Spirit And likewise the Spirit makes us mourn and wait for the adoption of the sons of God those that mourn and wait have the Evidence of the Spirit for a worldling doth not mourn for his imperfections for his corruptions he doth not mourn that he is absent from his Saviour neither doth he wait for the accomplishment of that that shall be bestowed on Saints because he hath his portion here therefore those that can mourn for their corruptions for those things which the world is not able to tax them for because they cannot serve God with enlargement of the Spirit as they would and they wait also without despair or without discouragement till God have finished their course they are led with a better Spirit then the world Though I should name no more what a many sweet evidences are here to manifest a soul truly acted and guided and led by the Spirit but these shall be sufficient for this time Well then if the Spirit doth all if the Spirit anoint and seal and give Earnest of grace and comfort and all till he bring us to heaven being Christs Vicar for Christ hath no other Vicar on earth but his Spirit if the Spirit doth all as indeed he doth all for God to us and from us to God whatsoever God doth to us it is by the Spirit he anoints and seals and sanctifieth by the Spirit and whatsoever we do to God it is by the Spirit or else it is not acceptable we sigh and groan in the Spirit we pray in the holy Ghost saith Jude and that God doth to us immediately from the Spirit and all that we do to God is in the Spirit Is this so then as it an undoubted truth oh then we should labour by all meanes for this Spirit of God To give some directions in a word and so to end Labour I say to have the Spirit and to groan in the Spirit and to this end because the Word is the Chariot of the Spirit in which the Spirit is carried attend upon the Ordinances of God and use all kind of spiritual meanes wherein the Spirit is usually effectual for the Spirit will onely work with his own means all those bastard inventions and devices fetched from the Church of Rome humane devices in Gods service they are naught Gods Spirit will not be effectual with Popish devices and therefore Rome is the habitation of Devils Gods Spirit hath nothing to do there because they have set up a worship contrary to Gods worship they have set up a Covenant contrary to Christs Covenant they have set up the Covenant of Works and deny in a manner a Covenant of Grace Christ is not taught as he should be there Now wheresoever the Spirit is it is with the clear teaching of the Gospel Received you the Spirit by hearing of the Law or of faith preached Therefore let us attend upon the unfolding of Christ Jesus in the Gospel for the Spirit is given with a clear and true unfolding of Christ and omit no spiritual means wherein the Spirit is effectual as meditation reading c. For as a man working in a garden though he think not of it perhaps he drawes a sweet sent of the flowers there is a tincture from the ayr that is round about him So the Word of God being indited by the Spirit of God we being in holy company being led by the same Spirit a man shall either by reading of the Word or in holy company or conversing in good books he shall draw a spiritual sweetnesse from the Word or from those that he hath to deal with The spirit of a man is like water that runs from Minerals as we see bathes have their warmth from Minerals that they run through they have a tincture from them to be hot in this or that degree in this or that quality So it is with the soul when it runs through holy things when it hath to deal with good books and good company c. it draweth a spirituall tincture and therefore if we would have the Spirit of God to guide us let us be much in those things that the Holy Ghost hath sanctified us for that end at all times when we have liberty from our callings And withall take heed that we greive not the Holy Ghost any way if we will have the Spirit to seal us to increase our Earnest How do we grieve the Holy Ghost By cherishing contrary affections and lusts and desires And resist not the holy Ghost as now when you hear the Word of God if you shut your resolutions if you shut your hearts and resolve not to give way to any instruction that shall be delivered This is a resisting of the Holy Ghost God now knocks at the hearts of those that are here by his Word and Spirit and therefore we should open the everlasting doors and let the King of glory come in We should lay open all to the Spirit Oh when the Spirit when Christ is so willing to give the Spirit it cannot be any but our fault if we be no more spiritual then we are for indeed there is nothing in a manner required to be spiritual but not to resist the Spirit The Holy Ghost presseth upon us in the Word such reasons of heavenly-mindednesse of despising of earthly things of purging our selves from the corruptions in the world such reasons to be good that indeed none are damned in the bosome of the Church but such as set a bar against the Spirit of God in their hearts with a cursed resolution that they will not be better that they will not part with their cursed lusts therefore they are damned because they will be damned that say the Preachers by the Word and Spirit what they will they think it better to be as they are then to entertain such a guest as will marre and alter all that was there before take heed therefore of resisting of the Spirit and of grieving of the Spirit by any thing in our selves or by conversing with company that will grieve him He that hath the Spirit of God in him cannot endure carnal company for what shall he hear what shall he draw in at his senses but that which will be vexation of spirit to him therefore it is said of Lot His righteous soul was vexed with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites it is an undoubted sign of a man that hath no grace not to care for his company that hath grace Likewise yield all obedience and subjection to the Spirit and to all the motions of the Word and Spirit bring our hearts into subjection lay our selves as it were before the Spirit suffer our selves to be moved and fashioned and framed by it for God gives his holy Spirit to them that obey him And beg the Spirit also as the principal thing God gives the Spirit saith Christ to them that ask him and by Christs manner of speaking there he
Church is for they come at length in the grand Point of all to meer traditions What is the present Church The Pope is the Church virtually How do they know that he cannot erre he is Peters Successour How do they know he is so the Scripture saith not so it is Tradition so that the foundation of their Religion is meer tradition a thing from hand to hand that is questionable and uncertain that is the foundation of all their Religion what a resolution of faith is this We stand upon this against the gates of hell and against all temptations and tryals whatsoever we believe and fasten our soules upon this truth why It is the Word of God How do we know it is the Word of God Indeed the Church first of all hath an inducing leading power perswading to read to hear the Word of God and to unfold the Word by the Ministery and that is all that the Church doth but when we hear this there is a Divine intrinsecal majestie in the Word it self by which I know the Word to be the Word How do I know light to be light from it self it gives evidence from it self so Divine light in the Scriptures gives light of it self to all those for whom the Scripture was penned For whom was the Scripture penned For Gods people To all that have gracious hearts the Word carries its own evidence with it as light carries its own evidence it discovers it self and all things else so doth the Scriptures You have a sure Word of the Prophets Our Saviour Christ himself founds what he teacheth upon the Word Shall not we therefore ground our faith upon the Word when he that was the Head of the Church brings all to the Word in his teaching Therefore we have a better resolution for our faith then they have For indeed to say the truth as we may say of their kind of prayers when they may to Saints c. They worship they know not what So we may say of their faith they believe they know not what they believe in a 〈◊〉 man for the present Pope is all their Church which is an ignorant man many times in the Scriptures perhaps he never read them and he must determine controversies and get into the Chair and judge that that shall judge him ere long he must judge the Scripture that must be his Judge and the Judge of all mankind I list not to be large in this point a 〈◊〉 discovery is enough I hasten to something more practical We see then that faith hath an establishing power to stand by faith Then hence we may see these truths which I will but touch First that faith is certain it is a certain thing and makes the soul certain it is not a weak apprehension Again in that it is said here By faith ye stand we see here the perseverance of faith But you will say That faith whereby we stand is changeable and therefore we may fall No S. Peter makes a Comment upon this place We are kept by faith to salvation and receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your soules We are kept through faith to salvation So God by his power keeps that faith that keeps us There is a divine power that keeps faith that faith may keep us so we stand by faith and that faith stands to salvation because it hath a firme bottom to stand on and because it is kept by God himself We are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation Mark how it runs along to salvation Salvation is not onely certain in it self but that faith that layes hold on salvation is sure By faith we stand not onely for the present but we continue by faith and stand even to the death Again in the third place which followes from the other faith is a certain thing in it self and we are assured of our continuance we are assured that we shall be saved he that believeth may be assured that he shall be saved First faith is a certain thing in it self laying hold upon a strong foundation the Word of God And it is sure to continue it builds upon the rock Therefore a man may believe and he may know that he shall be saved he may know that he shall continue in a sure faith There is a latitude a breadth in faith and sometimes there is doubting and sometimes faith but yet there is alwayes faith more or lesse There is a little and a great faith but there is alwayes faith By faith we stand These things need not further inlargement I onely shew how they spring from this Text. In a word hence we learn That it is by faith that we stand and withstand all opposition whatsoever for faith is our victory This is your victory even your faith 1 Joh. 5. 4. By faith we overcome the world by it we stand and stand against all opposition whatsoever To make it a little clear The reason is partly because faith doth present to the soul greater good then the world can therefore nothing on the right hand can shake the soul of a believing Christian. Shall pleasures and profits and the honours of the world draw a Christian from his faith when faith presents better honours better pleasures at the right hand of God plesures for evermore No they cannot for there is nothing in the world but there is better in Religion incomparably better There is no comparison of the pleasures of Religion and of the world between the honour of being a child of God and the honours that the world can give Therefore there is nothing on the right hand in the world that can overcome the faith of a Christian but he can stand against all though it be a Kingdome Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter why Faith presented him greater honours in the Church of God he accounted the very reproach the worst thing in the Church better then the best thing in the world the reproach of Christ better then the treasures of Egypt Let discouragements be offered to Faith by Satan and the world let them come with all the terrours and threatenings they can faith is victorious and triumphant against them all it stands against them all because it sets before the soul greater good then the ill that the world can inflict and sets before the soul greater ills if it apostatize then the world can inflict Saith the world If you do not thus and thus you shall be cast into prison or perhaps you shall lose your life O but saith the soul If I yield to the temptations of Satan and my own vile corruptions I shall be cast into hell is not that worse There can nothing be presented to the soul that is terrible but faith will present to it things more terrible therefore if there be faith in the soul it will stand against all those terrours whatsoever Fear not them that can kill the body when they have done
fall into sin from this very ground for why do men fall into sin because at that time they stand not upon the Word of God revealed by conscience to be the Word of God Ask them why they sweat if they did believe the truth the Word saith I will not hold them guilâ—…lesse that take my Name in vain But I am not convinced by the Spirit assuring my soul that it is the Word of God if men did believe it would men bring a curse upon themselves And so whoremongers the Word of God saith Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge would men if they did believe this truth live in these sins But they have only an opinion of these things I hear that these things are divine perhaps they are not so and the knowledge that we have is not divine faith is not mingled with the Spirit Then again from sin we fall into despair for sin at last why because our knowledge of divine truthes is not spiritual nor from inward grounds of Scripture felt by experience the Spirit sealing the Scripture to my heart by some spirituall experience and thereupon men fall into despair for sin at length For Satan plies them with temptations from their own guilty conscience the grounds of their fears are present and the grounds of their terrours are present to their soules for they are there as it were sealed and branded in their very soules but their comforts are overly the promises are overly the Word is not rooted in their hearts by faith it is not sealed there by the Spirit of God the sanctifying Spirit never brought the Word and their soules together Hereupon they fall into desperation when their terrours are present and their comforts are overly If a man have never so sound a foundation if he stand not but float upon it he may fall and sink if a man be never so weak if he lie on a rock the strength of the rock is his so in our temptations if we have a strong foundation if we do not rest on it the foundation will not uphold us Now how can those rest on it that stagger in it that were never convinced by the Spirit that these things are so and that have had no spiritual experience Satan drawes thousands of soules to perdition because their terrours are present and their comforts are overly they are not built upon divine truth by the Spirit of God Again for Apostasie in the times of the alteration of Religion why do men alter as the State alters they are ready to have every Moneth a new faith if the times and Goverment alter why because they were never convinced by the Spirit of God of divine truths They had it from forreign arguments The former State of things countenanced this way now another State countenanceth another opinion therefore I will be of the safest This is because the soul was never convinced of the truth Therefore I beseech you labour to have arguments from the experience of the power of the Word in your soules and arguments from the Spirit of God to your spirits that it is the Word of God I will stand to divine truth I find such a majesty such a humbling pacifying satisfying power in it to all my perplexities and doubts that it cannot but be the Word of God it stayes my soul in all oppositions in all temptations and corruptions it gives a stay and foundation to my soul that no truth in the world else can do When the soul is brought to such a frame such a soul will not fall into grosse sins while it is in such a frame much lesse will it despair for sin and if there be altering of Religion a thousand times it stands as a rock unmovable because it knowes from inward grounds from the Word of God it self sealed by the Spirit to my spirit that it is the Word of God such a soul will hold out and only such a soul. We should labour therefore by all means to have our faith strengthened and amongst other meanes by the use of the Sacrament whereby God sweetly conveys himself to us by way of a banquet strengthening our faith in Christ he presents Christ to us as the food of our soules to refresh us even as the bread and wine doth Our blessed Saviour is wiser then we he knowes what we stand in need of that we have need to strengthen our faith For we have need to strengthen that that must be our strength which is faith And what is the Ordinance of God to strengthen faith is it not the Sacrament The proper use of the Sacrament is to strengthen faith which the Sacrament doth being a visible Sermon to us for here we see in the outward things Christs body broken and his blood shed it is a lively representation a visible crucifying of Christ a breaking of his body and pouring out of his bloud And withall here is an offer of Christ to us in the elements sealing of what it represents to our soules if we come prepared God feeds us not with empty signes but together with the outward things themselves he gives the spiritual to the soul that is a worthy Receiver Therefore come with a humble stooping to Gods wisdom in appointing these Ordinances to this end to strengthen faith And come with a desire to have faith strengthened that will uphold us against all temptations to sin or to despair for sin Oh beloved if we knew what good our faith must do us ere long we would labour to have it strengthened by all means What will become of us in the hour of death and in great temptations we shall be as chaffe driven with the wind if we have no consistence and stability in divine truth if our soules be not built on that if we have not faith whereby our soules may be rooted in Christ we shall be but a prey for Satan Therefore considering that faith is of such wondrous consequence it is the root of all other graces whatsoever as the Apostle saith here By faith ye stand He doth not say By patience or by hope or the like they are drawn from faith Strengthen that and strengthen all other that are infused from it As a tree we cast not water on the branches but on the root all the branches are cherished by the root so strengthen faith we strengthen love and hope and all if we strengthen faith and assurance of Gods love in Christ. Thus I have at length gone over this fruitfull portion of Scripture FINIS AN Alphabetical Table DIRECTING The Reader to the Ready finding out the Principal Points and Matters handled in this Book A. Achaia AChaia the Countrey wherein Corinth was Page 5 Acknowledge Acknowledge or Acknowledgment what p. 316 331 To acknowledge Christ what pag. 331 Christ acknowledged in the Minister p. 331 333 How to know whether we acknowledge the Minister p. 331 332 333 Action Three sorts of Actions good ill indifferent p. 254
abuse Promises of this life 2. Gods Promises wondrously performed 3. God deferreth his performance To wait Gods time Believe contraries in contraries To have Amen for Gods Amen Complaint of Unbelief Faith in the Promises honours God Why God honors faith so much To make the Promises familiar How to make use of former examples What use to make of the story of our own lives Comfort in the false dealing of men To deceive trust odious Comfort in all changes in the world How the Word of the Lord endures for ever To rely constantly on the constant Promises To observe how God daily fulfills his Promises 1. For temporals 2. For spirituals Turn Promises into Prayers Labour to know the Promises Work the Promises on our hearts Evidences of believing the Promises 1. They breed joy 2. They quicken to obedience 3. They purge 4. They quiet the soul. 5. A staying of tâ—…e soul when all iâ—… contrary 6. Faithfulnesse in our Promises to God Quest. Answ. God gives grace to perform the Covenant God promiseth the things be requires Promises Legacies Covenant a Testament Threatnings of God Amen as well as Promises 7. Opposition of flesh and fleshly men Carnal men despise those that trust in Gods Promises To go to God in Christ to perform the promises How to think of Christ. All in the world nothing without Christ. Observ. Gods glory manifested in the Gospel More then in the Creation Our estate in Christ better then Adam's Glory of Gods Justice His Mercy Wisdome Power Truth To see Gods Attributes in Christ. To honour God by believing the Gospel Glory of God by the Ministery Observ. A double Amen 1. In Gods Promises 2. In our Faith Necessity of application Difference between faith and presumption Observ. Stablishing grace necessary Reason 1. In regard of our indisposition 2. In regard of oppositions Difference between true Christians and others Degrees of faith Observ. Christ the foundation of our stability 1. Our Judgment stablished in Christ. 2. Our Will 3. Our affections A Christians stability more then Adam's or Angels None are firm but Christians Observ. God onely can stablish the soul. 1. By shewing our misery and Christs excellency The ground of believing Gods Word Reason of Apostasie The reason of unfruitfulnesse The reason of Despair Spiritual knowledge necessary Observ. God will stablish us 1. Because he is constant All of Grace from God Ground of a Christians not falling away God stablisheth bâ—… working stablishing graces Fear Wisdome Faith Peace To value all good Christians The Spirit works as we are in the body Bond of communion of Saints Use. To give God the glory of our stablishing Strengthen radical graces 1. Humility 2. Faith 3. Knowledge Knowledge must be spirituall 1. Be acquainted with Gods Word 2. Take no scandal at those that shrink 3. Retain the truth in love 4. Practise truths â—…nown 5. Be frequent in holy conference 7. Pray to God to stablish us 8. Be spiritually poor 9. Hate lukewarmnesse Use 2. Examination of our stablishing 1. When it is grounded on the Word 2. When weak men overcome strong temptations 2. By freedome from base fears cares c. Examine our knowledge Examine our course of life None but a Christ an truly couragious in death 2. Desire of Christs coming Why God useth so many several words to secâ—… us What the Spirit is an Earnest of The Spirit an Earnest 1. For security 2. It is part of the whole 3. An Earnest is little to the whole 4. It serves the party receiving it 5. It is never taken away Observ. A Christian man be assured of his estate in grace All in the work of Redemption is for that end Christians not alike assured at all times Double act of saith 1. Direct 2. Reflect The reflect act may be hindred Naughty hearte content with a state of doubling Observ. Gods Children may be assured they shall held out to the end Grace and glory differ but in degrees Observ. Those that look to be happy must first be holy Observ. We may be assured from a little measure of grace The Spirit appears not in all graces at once A Christian is a mixed creature Use 2. To examine the truth of grace We may know grace is true though little 1. The soul mournes that it is little 2. Wait 3. To wait with Patience 4. Constancy 5. To purge our selves 6. Desire of accomplishment Cautions 1. When conscience is wounded 2. Have been carelesse 7. Growth in grace 8. Quieting of the soul. 9. True gold will endure the tryal 10. It will persevere Christians get strength by their falls To labour for assurance Earnest given for our sakes To labour against unbelief Earnest the work of the Spirit 1. He proceeds from Father and Son 2. He only can quiet the soul. How to know we have the Spirit 1. By life and motion 2. By transforming us 3. By Conflict 4. By supernatural obedience 5. It dwells in us 6. It mortifies sin 7. It leads us 8 It is a Spirit of adoption 9. It teacheth to pray 10. And to wait Directions to have the Spirit 1. Attend Gods means 2. Not to grieve the Spirit 1. By cherishing Lusts. 2. Obey the Spirit 3. Pray for the Spirit The Spirit makes impregnable No thankfulnesse without the Spirit No joy without the Spirit No willâ—…ngnesse to dye without it Parts of the Verse Observ. Mans nature prone to suspition Grounds of suspition 1. The infirmity of men 2. Guiltinesse 3. From Probabilities Suspition more then fear lesse then judgment Suspition what Suspition makes the worst construction Why the Devil cherisheth suspition Mischief from suspition Observ. To labour to avoid suspition Suspition a Canker That that is suspected is made unprofitable God labours â—…o free himself from suspition Christ labours to be freed from suspition Sin must be censured and judged Doctr. Gentle courses first to be used Reason 1. It is suitable to â—…ns nature Reason 2. To Gods disposition Reason 3. To the carriage of our salvation Reason 4. Gods course Reason 5. It is most successeful Reason 6. It is tasting Use. To deal gently with others Doctr. When gentle means prevail not severe must be used Reason Men must not spare that God may Against selfrâ—…spects in reproos of sin Use. People to be willing to bear of their sins How to prevent severity in others Vexation in hell to those that were cherished in sin Three-fold correction 1. Private admonition 2. Before others Definition of an Oath None but good men should take an Oath To swear by none but God Invocation in an Oath Imprecation Oath to be taken onely in serious matters An Oath must be 1. In Truth 2. In Judgment 3. In Justice Against equivocation An oath only in matters in determinable Oath lawful Ordinary Swearing forbidden Object Answ. Swearing without good life nothing Object Answ. Custome no plea for swearing Object Answ. Company no excuse for swearing Swearing ordinarily argues a vile heart Original of common swearing 1. Atheisme 2. Cherishing passion 3. Affectation 4. Shame Men should abstain swearing in love to the Kingdome For love to theâ—…r own sam lies Conscience of lessâ—…r oathes Ordinary Swearers curse themselves A Christians life a kind of oath Doctr. No man hath dominion over anothers faith 1. What it is not to have dominion over the faith of others What â—…ranny over the faith of others is Quest. Answ. The Church of Rome domineers over the faith of others 1. By Traditions 2. Will-worship 3. That the Pope cannot erre A grand lie that hinders their Reformation 4. Church Judge of Controversies 5. In the intentioâ—… of the Minister in the Sacrament Confession Satans malice to sit in Gods throne Popery would subdue all Use. To be thankful for freedome from this tyranny How to think of Popery Grounds of spiritual Tyranny Salvation termed joy why Doctr. 1. The state of a Christian is joy Nature teacheth it God gives matter of joy 1. Freedom from ill 2. The good they are brought to Reason 1. That God may have glory Reason 2. It makes active in doing good Reason 3. And able to suffer ill Reason 4. To encourage others Doctr. 2. The Word unfolded helps this joy To comfort what The Ministers helpers of joy 1. By shewing people their ill 2. By shewing the remedy 3. By advice Light Liberty Victory 4. By forcing it as a duty 5. In death Object Answ. Ministers trouble the joy of carnal men Object Answ. Private means will not comfort when publick are neglected Object Answ. The sorrow caused by the Ministery tends to joy Simile Object Answ. Simile Comfort what Use. To esteem the Ministery To open the case of our soules to spiritual Physitians Doctr. 3 Ministers but helpers not the authours of joy Simile Gods Spirit only specks comfort 1. He only knowes our hearts 2. He only can set down the soul. Use To look for comfort from the Spirit by the means Not to idolize the Ordinances why S. Paul varies the phrase Observ. Faith breeds joy 1 Faith takes away all that may discourage 2. It shewes Gods love in Christ. Pedigree of joy Use. To try if our joy be good 1. If it spring from the Word 2. It springs from faith 3. It is above discouragements or allurements 4. It is with humility Standing what meant by it Quest. Answ. Why our stand ing is by faith Four degrees of assent 1. Opinion 2. Knowledge 3. Believing 4. Experience How we stand by faith Quest. Answ. What faith it self stands on God our Father The nature of God Observ. The foundation of faith out of us Faith withstands opposition Quest. Answ. How we stand by faith when conscience is awakened for sin The firmnesse of a Christians standing If our knowledg of Scripture be not spiritual 1. We fall into sin 2. To despair 3. To Apostasie The Sacrament strengthens faith Faith the radical grace
their worst if you will needs fear I will tell you whom you shall fâ—…ar Fear him that can cast both body and soul into hell So if we be forced to suffer the losse of any thing that is good in the world or be cast into any ill condition what saith S. Paul The troubles and afflictions of the world are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed Let us set that glory before us and that will prevail against that all the world can threaten or take from us what is all to it nothing Therefore by faith we stand we keep our own standing and withstand all oppositions whatsoever Oh but what if there come more subtile temptations end the Lord himself seemes to be our enemy that we have sinne and God is angry and we see he followes us with afflictions that are evidences of his anger how shall we stand now and keep our selves from despair This is a fiery dart of Satan when a man hath sinned and conscience is awakened to make him sink in despair O but faith will make the soul to stand in these great temptations against those fiery darts faith puts a shield into the hand of the soul to beat back all those fiery darts For faith will present Christ to God Indeed I have been a sinner but thou hast ordained a Saviour and he is of thine own appointing of thine own aâ—…ting a Saviour of thine own giving and thou hast made a promise that Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life I cast my self upon thy mercy in him hereupon faith comes to withstand all such fiery temptations whatsoever nay against God himself Lord thou canst not deny thine own Saviour thou â—…mest to be an enemy and though I be a sinner and have deserved to be cast into hell yet I come to thee in the Name of thy Son that is at thy right hand and pleads for me by vertue of his blood shed for me I came in his Name thou canst not refuse thy owne Son For all temptations when a man hath faith in him it will send Satan to Christ to answer for him Go to Christ he is my husband he hath paid my debts he hath satisfied for my sins So that whatsoever the temptation be make it as subtle as you will there is a skill in faith to stand against it and to beat back all the fiery darts of Satan Therefore to end all we see here what an excellent estate a Christian is in above all others that he hath a better standing then others have not onely a better standing in Religion then the Papists have but in the profession of Religion he hath a better standing then common professors why he stands by faith by sound faith He stands not upon opinion or because he hath been bred so he stands not upon his wit because he sees reason for it he stands upon faith and faith stands upon divine authority he stands partly upon his own experience that seconds faith Those then that care not for Religion what standing have they those that stand only in pleasures and profits and in the favour of great men what standing have they They stand as the Psalmist saith in slippery places There is no man but if he nave not faith he stands slippery though he be never so great if he be a Monarch alas what is it to stand a while all these things are but uncertain though they yield present content they are but uncertain contentments the Wise-man saith they are but vanity they are like the reed of Egypt that will not uphold they will not sustein the soul in the time of trouble there is nothing that a man can stand upon and fasten his soul upon if he be not Religious that will hold scarce the fit of an ague that will hold in the pangs of death even in the entrance of it that will hold in terrours of conscience How little a trouble will blow away all those that stand on so weak a foundation as an earthly thing is For they have but an Imaginary good to speak of and that Imagination is driven out by the sense of the contrary Let contrary troubles come and all their fooles Paradise and their happinesse they had before is at an end it goes no deeper then Imagination All the things in this world stablish not the heart Those that do not stand by faith in the favour of God in Christ let their standing be what it will it will soon be over turned by any temptation they can stand out against nothing Therefore let us labour above all things in the world to have that faith strengthened by which we stand and let us often be encouraged to strengthen our faith by all means that we may stand the better upon it and try our faith before we trust it it is that that we must trust to and stand to in life and death Therefore let us often think Is my faith good is it well built Let us oft put this query to our soules I believe the Religion I professe but upon what grounds I believe the truths in the Word of God but upon what grounds have I a clear understanding of them because they are divine doth the Spirit of God open them and shew a light in the Scripture that is divine doth the Spirit of God give me a relish of the Scriptures above all the pleasures in the world Do I find God speaking to my heart in the Word do I find the Spirit of God with his Ordinance then my knowledge and my faith will hold out I can stand by that faith in the Word that is wrought by the Spirit and fastened upon the Word with the Spirit But if I believe the Religion I professe only because the State doth so and if the King and State should do otherwise I would change my Religion or if it be because my parents were so or my friends and Patron is of that religion whom I depend upon or because I see greater seeming reason for this then for the other I can hold argument for this and not for the other Alas this will not hold But labour to know the truth of the Word of God by experience as much as we can and by the Spirit of God giving evidence to our soules from the inward grounds of Scripture that it is the Word I know whom I have trusted I know the promises are good I have felt them in my soul the Spirit hath reported them to my soul they are sweeter then all the things in the world It is a sure Word I bottome upon it I have found the comfort of it before therefore I will build upon it We can never stand unlesse we can make our knowledge spiritnal it is but acquisite knowledge else We fall in three things vilely we labour that our knowledge of Religion be spiritual and fetched divinely out of the Word of God together with the Spirit We