unrighteousnesse 1 126.179 Truth what 1 127.180 Truth the subject of it 1 128 Truth the Author of it 1 130 Truth the extent of it ibid. Truth how it is with-held 1 131 Truth why men imprison it 1 133 Truth imprisoned a great sinne 1 136 Truth how with-held 1 165 Truth should rule 1 169 Truth the danger of restraining it 1 170 Truth the benefit of giving it libertie 1 171 Truth manifested foure wayes 1 181 Truth the hainousnesse of sinnes against it 1 184 Truth to be thankfull for it 1 192 Truth to doe nothing against it 1 193 Seven cases of detaining the Truth 1 195 Truth should bee communicated to other 1 209 Happinesse and misery attend neglect or observing the Truth 1 215 Want of courage for the Truth shewes want of zeale 1 291 V Vaine GOds Name taken in Vaine how 1 186 Vanity Vanity of mans understanding 1 43 Violence Humbled men take Heaven by Violence 1 16 To take heaven by Violence what 1 17 Vnevennesse Vnevennesse in the best men 2 131 Vnevennesse in Saints and others different 2 132 Vnbeleefe Vnbeleefe keepes from Christ 1 11 Vngodlinesse See Nature Vniversality Vniversality of the new Creature 2 51 Vnion Vnion with Christ the nearenesse of it 2 172 Vnion with Christ of what moment 2 173 Vnion with Christ to be encreased 2 176 Vnion with Christ how encreased 2 177 Vnion with Christ to be sought after 2 185 Vnion with Christ the end of the Sacrament 3 5 Vnwearied That which is naturall is Vnwearied 2 111 Vnderstanding Vnderstanding in man corrupted 1 43 Vnderstanding the vanity of it ibid. Vnderstanding blinde 1 44 Vnderstanding unteachable 1 45 Vnderstanding the incredulitie of it ibid. Vnderstanding the enmitie of it 1 46 Vnderstanding wrought on by the Spirit 2 11 Vâ—teachable Vnderstanding of man Vnteachable 1 45 Vnrighteousnesse Wrath revealed against mens Vnrighteousnesse 1 111 See Truth Vowes Vowes broken aggravate sin 1 98 W Want RIches supply what we Want 2 210 Wearinesse Wearinesse in sinne what 3 69 Whoredome Whoredome to be punished 1 295 Will. Will the depravednesse of it 1 48 Will the contrarietie of it to God 1 49 Will the pride of it 1 50 Will the inconstancie of it ibid. Will the disobedience of it 1 51 Will of God our sanctification 2 19 Will free in men regenerate 2 154 Will of regenerate men how free 2 167 Willing Willingnesse to bee humbled for sinne 1 26 Christ willing to sanctifie us 2 31 Wisdome Wisdome of words not to be expected from Ministers 2 162 Transubstantiation against Gods Wisdome 3 10 Wonder The world Wonders at the Saints 2 124 Word Words corrupted 1 70 Importance of Words 1 71 Word of God a helpe against excuses of sinne 1 108 Workes Gods truth manifests his Workes 1 182 New workes discover a new Creature 2 57 Motives to good Workes 2 170 A Christian rich in good Workes 3 79 World World is a Christians how 3 83 See Disgrace Wrath. Wrath of God how revealed 1 5 Wrath revealed against unrighteousnesse 1 111 Two things in Gods Wrath 1 112 Wrath of God what 1 114 Wrath of God the certaintie of it 1 112 Wrath of God the power of it 1 115 Wrath the suddennesse of it 1 116 Wrath wee should be sensible of it 1 119 Wrath provoked by imprisoning the Truth 1 137 Wrath caused by sinne 1 271 Wrath encreased by our sinnes 1 273 Wrath why it is not felt 1 277 Wrath remedies against it 1 278.283.300 Z Zeale ZEale turnes away wrath 1 283 Zeale what 1 285 Zealous men not to be discouraged 1 286 Convictions of want of Zeale 1 288. FINIS Errata Part 1. PAge 12. line 14. Reade one p. 34. l. 18. r. aside from that p. 66. l. 17. r. not p. 74. l. 18. r. and a thing p. 98. in the margine r. what p. 110. l. 20. r. me be curst p. 113. l. 29. r. contemne p. 120. l. 17. r. Saul p. 131. l. 31. r. Iohn 1.5 p. 231. l. 15. r. condemned p. 296. l. 23. r. Iude. Part 2. PAge 5. l. 24. r. sent p. 19. l. 23. r but it is p. 21. l. 13. blot out to p. 24. l. 10. r. another p. 26. l. 8. r. forget p. 37. l. 24. r. as a grace p. 68. l. 30. r. hard p. 75. l. 5. r. which p. 91. l. 18. r. it as p. 95. l. 3. r. creature p. 121. l. 25. r. this new nature p. 124. l. 20. r. wait p. 136. l. 20. r. third ground p. 139. l. ult r. moats p. 143. l. 17. r. Sun p. 155. in the margine r not p. 163. l. 14. r. to set the word p 174. l. 22. r. 1 Cor. 3. ult p. 195. l. 21. r. such an house p. 197. l. 27. r. and Lord. p. 205. l. 24. r. slayes p. 211. l. 10. r. God Part 3. PAge 41. l. 20. r. may say p. 44. l. 12. r. your case p. 72. l. 25. r. goodly p. 87. l. 15. r. which Treatise 2 Treatise Iohn 3. ult Doct. 1. Mans nature is full of ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse Doct. Doct. 2. Two things keepe men from comming to Christ. 1 Vnbeleefe 2 Negligence which is two-fold 1 Totall 2 Partiall Two Reasons of it Reason 1. In reference to Iustification Reason 2. In reference to Sanctification Vse 1. Titus 2.14 Object Answ. Object Answ. Helps to humble and afflict the soule for sinne Object 2. Answ. Object Answ. Vse 2. Doctr. Object Answ. The corruption of the Faculties 1 The Vnderstanding 1 The Vanitie of it 2 The blindnesse of it 3 The Vâ—teâ—chablenesse of it 4 The Incredulity of it 5 The Enmitie of it 2 The Depravednesse of the Will 1 Of the Contrariety of the will to God 2 The Pride of the will 3 The Inconstancie of it 4 The Disobedience of it 3 The corruption of the Memory 1 In the things we are commanded to Remember 2 In things we are commanded to Forget 4 The corruption of the Conscience In three Acts. 1 As it is a Râ—membrancer 2 As it is an Instigatour to good or a Restrainer from evill Wherein three Vertues are required 1 Clearenesse 2 Sensiblenesse 3 Activenesse 3 As it is an Accuser or Excuser Object Answ. 5 The corruption of the sensitive Appetite Object Answ. 6 The corruption of the Affections 2 Actuall Sinnes 1 In Thoughts The importance of thoughts 2 In our Words The importance of our words 3 In our Actions 2 Siâ—â—es of Omission 1. Of 〈◊〉 2 Of Graces 3 Of time 4 Of Occasions 2 Rule the Gospell Sinnes against the Gospell Vnwillingnesse to take Christ. The greatnesse of this Sinne. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Object Answ. To quicken our desires after Christ. Consider 1 The Circumstances that doe aggravate sinne 1 The Majesty offended 2 The affection wherewith it is committed 1 Hatred of God 2 Deniall of God Object Answ. 3 Despising of God 3 That it is against Knowledge 4
condition he is in so when the Law comes it humbles a man making him to draw in his Thoughts and to see his misery and when he is wounded with the sense of his sins and with the wrath of God then and not till then the feet of them that bring glad Tidings of salvation are beautifull Likewise Humiliation is necessary for this cause because except men be throughly humbled they will never take the Kingdome of heaven by violence and they must take it so else they shall never have it now by the Kingdom of heaven is meant the Gospell you know it is called the Gospell of the Kingdome that is righteousnesse and grace therein revealed and offered In Matth. 11. and Luke 16.16 you shall find that from the time of Iohn the Baptist The kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violence take it by force The meaning is this saith Christ to them we preach the Gospell so did Iohn with him it began to be preached but deceive not your selves many thinke they take the kingdome of heaven but you must know there be two kinds of taking some are content to be saved and to doe many things as Herod did and as the second and third ground did but this is a false taking and deceive not your selves thereby There is another kinde of taking when a man takes this kingdome violently and indeed none shall have it but after this manner Now what is it to take it violently When a man takes a thing violently he doth it with all his might he puts all his strength to it he doth it not coldly and slightly and overly but with all his might So the meaning is this The kingdom of heaven is as if one were to come within a narrow doore which cannot be without difficulty when hee puts to all his violence and strength to doe it According to the phrase in Luke Since the time of Iohn the Baptist they presse into the kingdome of heaven that is with violence as if God seemes to hold the kingdome of heaven in his hand that unlesse you pull it and extort it from him as it were you shall never have it Now will any man doe thus till he be humbled It is impossible he should When a man is brought into feare of his life and is like to die the feare of losse of naturall life wil make him worke any thing with violence much more then when a man sees eternall death that he shal die for ever will he take the kingdome of heaven with violence that is he will not performe duties in a slight manner as if God were beholden to him not with that laxity in his judgement of the truth as he conceives nor with that coldnesse in the duty Those that will be saved must take Salvation by force which a man will never doe till he be humbled There is much profession and many kinds of taking Christ in the world but the right taking is when a man wil be at this cost to part with all to deny himselfe perfectly and every way and take up his crosse and every crosse when his lusts are throughly mortified and this cannot be till hee be humbled For marke nothing mortifies but joy and love that doth properly and immediately mortifie for no man will part with his lusts till he finde Christ sweeter than they till then he will never part with them in good earnest now Christ will never be sweet till we have found the bitternesse of sin till God hath so prest it on their consciences that they feele the weight and burden of it And so much for the reasons of it Now the vse of this is double First is this so necessary Then labour to see your selfe humbled if ever you looke to be saved and justified for though God offers Salvation to all as it is true none is excepted yet he lookes to none with a gracious eye to save him indeed but him that is poore and contrite in heart and trembles at his Word And good reason for none else will looke after him the poore receive the Gospell and none else When we preach the Gospell it is like Cyrus his Proclamation it was a generall proclamation that all that would might go out of captivity and build the Temple but saith the Text onely they went whose heart the Lord stirred up to goe other would noâ— goe So when we preach we offer Salvation to all men that is our Commission Marke 16. Goe and preach to all Nations that is offer Grace and Salvation to all men but when it comes to the point that men must goe out of their captivitie and build a Temple to God they will not doe it they will rather live in captivity still because they be not humble To goe out of their sins wherein they have been captivated a great while and to build a Temple to Christ that is to make their hearts fit Temples for Christ to purge themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit to labour to walke in his feare to leave all even the beloved sinnes and to delight in the Lord in the Inner man they will not what is the reason they are not yet humbled and therefore they cannot be saved The Iubile among the Iewes may be a very fit resemblance hereof and for ought I know may be so intended to resemble the glorious Liberty in the times of the Gospell Now the Iubile was this All servants should then goe free but if any would not as of them there were many then he was to be bored in the eare and to be a perpetuall servant So when we preach the Gospell this is the great Iubile every man may be free the Son comes to that end and it is the end of the Truth to make men free The Son comes to deliver every man out of the Gaole if he will but men will not be at liberty they will be servants still because they were never humbled they never felt the heavinesse of Satans yoke they were never wearied with sinne for if they were so this would be acceptable newes but it is not so Now marke this by the way if a servant would not go free he should not afterwards be at libertie to goe and stay when hee list but his eare shall be bored and he should be a perpetual servant So if you deferre this when you heare the Gospell preached and thinke I will not alway live in this condition I will repent and come out of it know that is not enough God will not wait thy leasure if thou wilt not come out take heed lest God bore thee in the eare that is never give thee an heart to come out Doe not say If it be so necessary I will doe it hereafter take heed that thy opportunities be not wholly taken from thee and know that Christ came into the world not only to take away sinne for that was but a part of it But what was his businesse he came like
true they might doe more if they would they might keepe the Law of Nature better than they doe and for that they are condemned Againe as we are condemned for Adams sin though we did not commit it so we are saved by the righteousnesse of Christ though we did not performe it and therefore there is an equity in that regard Wee can see an equity for our Salvation and is there not as much equity in the other that we should stand guilty of it though we never acted it For as we are condemned by Adams sin though not done by us so are we saved by Christs righteousnesse though only imputed to us So that in equity the severe righteousnesse of the Law should be required of us though we have not power to fulfill it Now that we may not stay in Generals only telling you that the Law of God is holy and pure and you carnall and contrary to it we will come to particulars And that we may helpe your memories observe the breaches of this Law in the severall faculties of the minde And we will begin first with the Generall the generall sore over-spreading all our nature and that is it which the Divines call Originall sinne first consider that and see how your nature is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse First I say consider your originall sin and the generall corruption of your nature thereby Iohn 3.6 Whatsoever is borne of Flesh is flesh And Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Marke that he sayes no good thing Wee thinke wee have something that is good for all our generall corruption but there is nothing good at all As Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all under sinne Not onely all men but for the word is in the neuter Gender all things Therefore in Gen. 6.5 he doth not only say The frame of a mans heart is evill but it is only evill and alway evill In all actions at all Times This is a common Truth but men consider not of it they thinke there is some goodnesse in them they will not be perswaded of this Truth in good earnest And therefore when a man comes into the state of Grace it is not mending two or three things that are amisse it is not repairing of an old house but all must be taken downe and be built anew you must be New Creatures And therefore God promises I will give you a new heart and a new spirit For all is out of order and nothing good And there is an equity in this for as in Psal. 49.12 Man being in honour abideth not but is like the beasts that perish That is as God raised man above himselfe giving him supernaturall glory in which he was created for he was created in holinesse and perfect righteousnesse so man not keeping this condition he was cast beneath himselfe And in this there is equity that being raised above himselfe having an holinesse given him transcending common nature he should now be made worse than himselfe even as the beast that perisheth Consider this corruption and know it is a thing that makes you loathsome in Gods sight For this Tit. 1. ult Men are called Abominable that is men that God abhors as you abhorre the snuffe of a candle or name any filthy thing your nature abhors such is the nature of men to God You know how we hate Toads and Serpents for their loathsome poisonfull nature though they doe us no hurt Now God lookes on the corruption of our nature as we looke on Toads that are contrary to us against which we have an Antipathie It is disputed by the Schoole-men whether this be unum peccatum one sin or moe we may easily answer it It is one in act one in essence but many in vertue and power and efficacie As a seed is one individuall but it is many as many branches may arise from it As Drunkennesse which will better expresse it is but one fault but it disorders the whole man neither the head nor the feet nor the reason is excluded So originall sin though it be but one sin yet it distempers the whole man it sets the wholâ— soule out of order And when the Instrument the heart is out of tune every sound every action is unsavoury and sinfull and thus should you looke upon your selves It is further disputed whether this be privative or positive likewise I answer It is only privative it is nothing but a meere want of righteousnesse But seeing it fals upon an active subject as the soule of man is which is never idle but ever stirring thence it comes that the habites and fruits thereof are active and positive It is true the want of sight to guide is enough to cause errour but the vigour of nature is enough to make it positive Therefore Divines say well It is not only compared to Darknesse which is a meere privation of light but to sicknesse where is not only want of health but corrupt humours which are contrary to health That is the first thing to be considered even the corruption of Nature which is in you which will exceedingly aggravate sin as I have shewed heretofore and shall more largely hereafter have occasion to speake of it Therefore I will say no more of it now but so much shall serve for the generall Originall corruption that is in us And now we will come to the particular faculties and will shew how they are corrupted that we may know our selves and the truth of this point which I am to prove that the nature of man is full of all impiety and wickednesse And first we will begin with the Vnderstanding or minde of a man In this marke first the Vanity of it How ready it is to attend to trifles which was the disposition that the Apostle found fault with in his Epistle to Timothy and others That they gave themselves to Fables and Genealogies and this is in every man by nature How full of questions were the Schoole-men and so every man is ready to turne Religion into questions of curiosities which shewes a sicknesse in the understanding it sets a man on worke to finde out what is propounded to it that hee may not lose his labour And thence come so many errors this is the vanity of the mind The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men sayth the Psalmist that they are vanitie And this should humble us that our minds are no more ready to attend the meanes of salvation As the Schoole-men spent themselves in idle speculations so are we ready to attend to idle questions but that which is wholesome and sound we neglect Secondly consider the blindnesse of the minde we are unwilling to learne and so long must needs be in an Errour and not come to the knowledge of the Lord. To other things we are forward enough but to doe well we have no understanding Therefore it is that men continue ignorant notwithstanding
finde in us abundance of idle Thoughts and wicked thoughts which like a shower of raine you cannot number for multitude If a man should write down all the Thoughts that passe thorow his minde in one day and observe their little dependence one up another so vaine are they and so foolish when he comes to reade them at night he will thinke he was half out of his wits and be amazed at himselfe And thinke not this a small matter for Thoughts are the first contrivers the first plotters of good and evill and therefore are of more moment than that which immediately acts it Againe are not they things which we should entertaine God with Hee comes and dwels with us he sups with us we are Temples where God inhabits Now if we are to entertaine a great Prince if we never speak to him but spend our time with idle Companions will not hee thinke himselfe much injuried And will not God thinke so when we bestow the Thoughts in vaine things which should be occupied about him Againe consider Thoughts are other things than men reckon them for it may be said of every Christian he is a Garden wherein God walks wherein he eats his honey with his milk God would have fruit of the Trees which he hath planted in us now our Thoughts are the fruit of the best Tree even of the Vnderstanding You know Christ was angry with the Tree that bare no fruit And when he comes to the understanding of a man that should be full of good thoughts and finding nothing bâ— loose nothing but empty and frothie thoughts what will he thinke of it Wee doe not give a due esteeme to Thoughts and that 's the reason we give such liberty to them that we are not more humbled for them for Thoughts are the water wherwith is driven the wheele of businesses and why doe we let so much water run beside the Mill that is they are the things we should occupy in every thing we doe they are precious And as Esay saith of a cluster of Grapes Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it So your Thoughts which you so little account of have a blessing in them then why doe you make such waste of them as if they were of little worth Consider it is no small thing to anger God with your Thoughts they being the same to God that words and actions the interpreters of Thoughts are to men God sees them without any Interpreter as men heare and see words and actions Therefore it was said to Simon Magus Pray to God if perhaps the Thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee If thou seest a Christian in poverty and despisest him for it God sees it and it is a sinne in Thought The second actuall sinne is our words And here likewise you shall finde the Truth of this that our natures are full of impiety and wickednesse and exceeding proane to evill The tongue of man is very slippery nothing being so cheape as breath it is ready at hand to doe any evill If a thing be to be acted there is time required to prepare for it but a word is quickly out So the frequencie of offending with our tongue should humble us And againe as our offences herein are frequent so it is a matter of much moment which we haue cause to marke because we do esteeme not so of them Iam. chap. 2 3. vers 4. you shall finde three Similitudes by which the Tongue is expressed and there you shall finde what it is to offend in words It is compared to a Bit which will keep in the wildest horse and to a Rudder which though it be exceeding great will turne the Ship And thirdly to a fire what a great matter will a little fire kindle Men thinke it a small thing to offend in speeches but God will have them know it is another kinde of matter Therefore consider this you that suffer your tongues to walke up and downe at randome from morning till night and thinke it a small thing I will aske you these questions out of these Similitudes Is it a small matter to neglect the Rudder of the Ship will it not quickely runne to the Sands Suppose a man ride on an unruly horse Is it a small thing not to keepe the hand on the bridle to neglect it To have a tongue without a bridle is as an unruly horse in a dangerous place or on a narrow bridge the neglect is not small Therefore consider it and if you have not yet learned the meaning of that place learne now to understand it Secondly you shall give account for every idle word It will be thought that to speake a few words is not so much but a few sparks will set a great City on fire you see what the tongue did in Arrius for evill and in Luther for good There is no Element so active as fire and nothing so efficacious as your tongue which you so lightly esteeme of Againe fire flies about so doth the tongue it hath wings Fire likewise assimulates turning things quickly into its own nature so the tongue assimulates the hearts of men to whom we speake it changes them and now consider if it be a light thing to neglect it You are wont to say Take heed to the fire for you know not what a sparke may doe and is it a small matter to neglect your tongues specially where there be thatched-houses and combustible matter neare And are not the hearts of men to whom we speake as Tinder ready to take fire at the least sparke if you heed it not And is it then so small a matter to neglect words Gather this out of all these Similitudes to humble you If the tongue be as a Bridle as the Rudder and as Fire then it is of much efficacie that cannot be denied for to prove that it is the only end of these Similitudes And if it be so then learne hence to know what the illnesse of your speech is for the more efficacious any thing is if it lye idle the greater is the sin looke what good you have done with your tongues the more that is the more is on your reckoning Againe if you have imployed them amisse a little rudder turnes the whole ship the meaning is it is very effectuall and therefore I say if there be such efficacie in them consider of how great moment they are when you use your tongues amisse to corrupt speaking to lying dissembling slandering back-biting thinke it not a matter of small moment it is a fire and if the State provides death for them that set barnes and houses on fire what punishment shall they be worthy of that set the soules of men on fire the Temples where God dwels And this the tongues of men doe Ignem in ore gestamus we carry fire in our mouthes Take heed lest we kindle such a fire in the brests of others as we shall never live to quench
to me in holinesse and righteousnesse and so thou plaist the harlot as a wife and that makes the sin out of measure sinfull And it is true of particular vowes that you may judge aright of sin and know the greatnesse of it Lastly sin is aggravated from the meanes you have to resist sin consider how many means we enjoy and yet profit not by them The mercies of God should draw us to him God expects a returne of that fruit at our hands and yet as the Prophet complaines Ier. 5.22 You have not said in your hearts Let us feare that God who gives us the first and later raine and keepes for us the appointed times of harvest As if he had said God expects this at your hands hee gives the first and later raine for this end that you may remember him and thinke of him and when we say not in our hearts Let us feare that God that doth this and that for us God takes it amisse for his bountifulnesse should lead us to repentance and therefore the despising of it must aggravate sin So after Corrections as no man can say he hath had no correction a sin is much aggravated Therefore Ierem. 5.3 it is complained of I have strucken you and you have not sorrowed I have wounded you but you have refused to receive correction As if he had said This is it God takes exceeding ill at your hands and it showes that your rebellion is come to a great height he hath smitten you and you have not sorrowed that is you have not taken the sin to heart that hath caused this smiting Therefore he is angry as Hos. 4.14 I will visit your daughters no more c. because they have not profited by what I have done already that is the meaning of the place But chiefly and of all the rest of his mercies he will not beare the contempt of his Word I will name but one place 2 Chron. 36.15 saith the Prophet there I rose early and sent my messengers but how did you carry your selfe towards them You mocked my messengers and despised my Word till my wrath rose against you and there was no remedy As if he had said When a man once comes to this that when God shall once speake in his Word shall declare his truth shall make knowne sin and call him home by the Gospell but he shall neglect it take no good by it not suffer it to worke on him Now there is no remedy What then the wrath of God rises against him and then comes destruction so that it rises not the second time so that as God hath shewed you more mercy so are your sins more Doe but think what an unreasonable unequall thing it is that you should take so many mercies health and wealth from his immediate hand and yet never so much as thinke of him never worship him nor feare him nor take his mercies to heart How many taste of his goodnesse and yet continue to despise him and not to bring forth fruit by his Word which is no small thing And so much shall serve for the aggravations of sin Now wee will come to take away the Excuses And first Every man is ready to say Though I faile in many things yet I hope my meaning is good I have as good an heart as another man though I make not such a show But I will aske thee this briefe question Whence come thy evill words c. are they not fruits and buds that proceed from a sappe within When sparkes fly out of the Chimney top shall we not say there is fire in the house If we see evill words and actions shall not we say the corruption is greater in the root than in the branches Thou wilt excuse it It is my nature and I hope I shall be excused and that God will not deale so hardly with me he knowes I am flesh and bloud and the strength of my nature Well I will adde something to that I have formerly said it being a point hard for us to beleeve and to make use of I say the badnesse of thy nature is so farre from excusing thy sin that it exceedingly aggravates it I have shewed many reasons and will now adde these foure and then it will be evident to you First whereas you thinke your sin is excusable because of your natures you must know it is most strong and violent and stirring there for I will aske you whence come your sins It is answered Matth. 15.19 Out of the heart comes Adulteries Fornications c. And if out of the heart is it not thence as from the cause the Principle Are they not minted there And is not every thing strongest in the Cause If the Dough be sowre how sowre was the Leaven If so much ill be in the fruit there is much more in the Parents of that fruit Secondly as it is strong in the heart so it is much more abundant there that phrase expresses it sufficiently Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh As if our Saviour had said There is some evill in the tongue but it is abundant in the heart so that take any sinfull action it is a dish of water taken out of the Sea or like a drop taken out of the fountaine for there is an abundance a sea of corruption within Thirdly consider that sin in the heart is a spring and therefore an actuall sin that is exceeding hainous is not so much in Gods sight as a sinfull lust that is in the heart because it is a Spring and therefore is vertually more than a great Pond I say vertually more for it doth more Take a great vast sin it is a broad Pond that vanishes away as every action doth but a lust within is fruitfull it is a spring of sin and therefore is in efficacie more Fourthly the last consideration is neare this and that is sin in the heart is permanent the poison of Corruption remaines the action passes but the sinfull disposition continues in a man that when God lookes on him he sees him as an hatefull person he lookes on him as we doe on Toads and Serpents for his very nature is bad and that continues and in this regard exceeds sin in action This I say that you may make this use of it When you meet with any particular sin which appeares hainous let it be as a River to lead you to the Sea When you see a sin of covetousnesse of vanity of wrath of uncleannesse let that lead you to the heart and conclude that you have an uncleane heart a contentious heart a covetous heart a rebellious heart This use David made of his murder and upon that occasion he was brought to conceive aright of originall sin which perhaps he never so considered before Psal. 51.4 In sinne hath my mother conceived mee the greatnesse of his sin made him breake forth in that manner Against thee have I
and no way to scape it then goe to Christ for these two things we must doe First Wee must have our mouthes stopped that so all men may bee culpable before him Secondly Wee must bee shut up in prison hee shuts up all under sinne that the promise might bee to them that beleeve when a man is shut up under the wrath of GOD so that there is no evasion this will bring him in Indeed if the minde of a man can finde any way to get out hee will never come in to CHRIST But when hee shall not tell how to scape the wrath of GOD if hee sinne against man man shall judge him but who shall when hee sinnes against GOD If hee consider the Terrour of GODS wrath if hee shut up and his mouth stopped and hee left inexcusable and shall see himselfe a miserable man I say this will make him goe home to CHRIST And that is the use you should make of it and bee sure hee will receive you if you goe to him Sinne is like the firy Serpent and the Wrath of GOD like the Sting when you are wounded therewith then know there is no way to bee healed but to looke up unto IESUS CHRIST the Brazen Serpent and if a man bee not wounded hee will not looke up GODS promises are generall he hath bound himselfe in his Word Goe and preach the Gospell to every Creature none excepted and let him that is a thirst come and take the waters of life freely Let these drive thee to the LORD CHRIST and thou shalt certainly be accepted And so much shall serve for that point The end of the Fourth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Fifth SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse AND now wee have almost gone thorow these words the last part of them remains that is which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Wherein after the Apostle had declared the corruption of mans Nature in generall he now pitches on one particular especially that is such as with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse against whom the wrath of God is revealed In these words marke these three things First that there is a truth which God hath written in the hearts of naturall men Secondly that this truth is with-holden by them The word in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies keeping it in Prison it is kept downe not suffered to rise up and shew it selfe in practice and action Thirdly the cause of it is out of love to unrighteousnesse or delight therein that is of unrighteous lusts But we will put all these into this one Proposition It is the condition of the best men before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse That is the point Paul speakes not of the condition of some few but of the condition of men in generall And these be the men against whom the wrath of God is chiefely revealed these be the men that of all other thinke themselves the free civill men that carry themselves soberly deale justly with men that doe well in many things that indeed know much but practise not according to knowledge these I say be the men against whom the wrath c. It may bee you will object here That is strange that the more truth is revealed to men the more knowledge they have the more morall vertues they practise the worser it shall be with them For answer to this you must know that the having of this Truth the bestowing of any of these common graces puts no man into a better condition It is Gods worke and put upon his reckoning only Indeed the using or abusing of them is his owne worke and put upon his owne reckoning And therefore in regard hee may abuse them they may doe him hurt And those that have much of these Truthes but use them not or that if they doe use some of them yet doe it for their owne Ends and not simply for Gods glory are as abominable to God as those that run into the greatest outrages Men that are more civill are like Wolves tyed up others are like Wolves at liberty It is true other men do more mischiefe that is they commit more sinfull actions and consequently run into more guilt and their Condemnation shall be greater but those that are tyed up that by civility have their lusts restrained are no lesse abominable in Gods sight than others a wolfe tied up is as hatefull to a sheepe as one that is at large and so it is with these men for it is the condition of the best men before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Now in this point wee will handle three things First what this truth is Secondly how it is with-holden Thirdly the greatnesse of the sinne of with-holding the Truth c. For the first what this Truth is you must know there is a three-fold kinde of Truth First a naturall Truth written in the hearts of men to whom the Scripture was never revealed Secondly a common Truth or common knowledge such as they have that live in the Church but are not sanctified Thirdly a spirituall knowledge which sanctifies the heart of them in whom it is the two first whereof natural knowledge and common knowledge naturall men may have Now the thing we have to doe is to shew you what this knowledge here meant is because the difference is not very apparant Now as to understand what an accident is you consider the subject the author and efficient and the extent thereof so consider you these three things and then you shall know what this Truth is First where this Truth is now there is a Truth placed in the speculative part of the mind or understanding which is that by which we know and judge aright concerning God and morall vertues what is good and what is bad what is just and what is unjust whereby many men can discourse learnedly and clearely as Seneca and Tully and others of the Heathen in whom we finde many glimmerings and sparkles of true light As wee may finde Flowers in the waste though the proper place be the Garden The Church is the Garden of God as in Canticles My Sister my Spouse is as a Garden inclosed and it is true these Flowers properly grow there and if you will have them you must seeke them in the Scriptures in the Church of God but we may likewise finde them abroad Secondly this Truth is placed in the practicall part of the understanding and that is when we judge of good things to be done and of ill things not to be done and that as having reference to God that judges or rewards And this is it Divines call Conscience and it differs from the other in this that that judgeth simply whether it be good or bad but this gives lawes and rules and edicts of life it
therefore since the wrath of God shall in such a manner be revealed against such as with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse You need no other Argument to shew that the sin is great Againe One Evidence more is in this very Chapter that is from the kinde of punishment for punishments you know where the Iudge is just are according to the measure of the sinne Now marke God punishes this with giving them up to a reprobate sense For this cause saith the Apostle Rom. 1.26 God gave them up unto vile affections And afterwards in the eight and twentieth verse As they regarded not to know God even so or therefore God delivered them up to a reprobate minde that is a minde without knowledge an injudicious minde that cannot judge of things And looke in all the booke of God among all the Armies of sorrow there is not any like this to be given up to vile affections to lusts to an injudicious mind in matters of God and things belonging to their Salvation This punishment shewes the greatnesse of the sin but men slight this as it is the greatest judgement so it is the least felt men lye at rest they are cast into a dead sleepe but it is like the sleepe of them that have crazie braines they wake in a frenzie so these shall wake in an horrible astonishment their sleepe is such a calme as will end in a tempest and such a tempest as shall never be blowne over Therefore let no man blesse himselfe in this I feele none of these things for thou hast the greatest judgement on thee when thou feelest it least And so much for the three things I propounded to you what this Truth is how it is with-holden and the greatnesse of the sin now wee will come to make use of it And the first use we are to make of it is that which is the maine scope of the Apostle here and that for which we pitched on these words and that is to humble us to learne to know our selves to know in what Condition we are for the Truth is revealed to us but we with-hold it in unrighteousnesse This Truth that should rule in the hearts of men that should be as the supreme governour in the soule of which it may be said as it is said of the Peace of God let it rule in your soules that where by men should be acted is by men imprisoned Therefore Rom. 2.9 the Apostle denounceth Tribulation and anguish upon every one that disobeyes the Truth Intimating that Truth is our King that should governe and rule in our hearts now when men disobey it nay goe further imprison this Truth it is as when men imprison their lawfull King or servants their Master and they run riot and at liberty in the meane time And this is our case we doe with it as children doe with their Masters we desire to be rid of it because it watches over us and so we grow enemies to it And this is no small sinne for if we consider whence this comes who puts it into our hearts it will appeare hainous by the Law of man it is death to kill children that are begot by man but this Truth is begot by the Holy Ghost it is put in by the Spirit of God and to extinguish this Truth not to suffer it to live not to nourish it not to bring it forth is the great sin of all Even the Heathen shall rise in judgement against Christians for this who maintained the Vestall fire because they conceived it to come from heaven they for that cause never suffered it to go out But this Truth is a fire which came from heaven a sparke put into the brests of men to guide their feet into the way of Peace when men shall extinguish this Truth let it goe out and not maintaine it the Heathen shall rise against them in judgement as the men of Niniveh should rise up against the men of that Generation among whom Christ lived We were wont to take care of precious things consider the preciousnesse of this Truth what is precious we wil not be willing to destroy as the Prophet said of the bunch of Grapes Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it And what doe you thinke of this Truth is it not a precious thing Yea it is the chiefe thing in a man In a ship a wise man will have an eye to the rudder for that turnes all the rest of the body of the ship Of all things in our selves wee looke to our eye the guide of the body so we should learne to watch and be tender over this Truth as over our eye for the one is the light but of this life the other is the light of the soule to eternall life In Micah 3.5 It is threatned as a great Iudgement when God shal turne their Visions into night and their Divinations into darknesse when the Sunne shall goe downe on their Prophets and the day shall be darke on them and will you bring this Iudgement on your selves They that are guilty of this that have not used this Truth but imprisoned it and laboured as much as they can to cause the Sun to goe downe and rise no more to turne the day into night let them consider what the sin is when you reade the story of the Kings and heare them saying to the Prophets prophesie not imprisoning them as Ahab did Micaiah and slaying them as Ioash did Zecharial you will little thinke you are guilty of the same sinne but when this Truth comes as a Prophet from God and tels you such and such things ought to be done and such and such evils ought to be abstained from and you shall desire it to be silent and shall say Prophesie not when you shall not suffer it to speake freely I say your sins shall be as great as theirs therefore learne to consider of it and be humbled for it men are wont to thinke their Condition better because they know more than others but it is quite contrary for nothing aggravates sin more than that It is an extreme folly in men when they cannot deny the fact they slight the fault and will not acknowledge it It was Adams fault when God came towards him he fled and hides his sinne and it is the fault of all Adams posterity But let men know that the quite contrary way is the way to Salvation It is not with God as it is with men among whom confession makes way for condemnation for with God confession is the way to salvation Therefore be not unwilling to examine your selves consider how much you have knowne what truths have been revealed to you Do this with one eye with another eye looke on your lives and see how short your practise hath beene of your knowledge come willingly and if you confesse you shal be forgiven This wil drive you out of your selves it will be your Schoole-master to bring you to Christ. They that carry this
that It is as if he had said They that were righteous more than others that were in all their Conversation unblameable that did more good and abstained from more ill than others these men did not come to Christ for they thought themselves in a reasonable good condition already But the Publicans and sinners resorted to him So these men that have many good things in them we have most adoe to drive them out of themselves and to bring them to Christ so that they that resist Christs righteousnesse which is Gods chiefe end must needs do themselves most hurt Againe they in whom Gods Iustice doth most appeare their condition must needs be most miserable but so it is with these men they that are acquainted with his will and doe it not in them at the day of Iudgement his Iustice shall most appeare Otherwise to what end did God send the Prophets Why sent he Isaiah and Ezekiel c. it was not onely to convert men to win their soules to bring them to Salvation What then To cleare his Iustice and to increase their condemnation How was that done by making knowne these Truths that knowing them and not practising them their Condemnation might be greater So we Ministers come not only to convert the soules of men not only to build but also to plucke downe not only to open the hearts of men to beleeve the Truth but to harden mens hearts to hate the Truth not but that we long for the salvation of men and that the proper end of the Word is to save men but the use they make of it serves to encrease their condemnation So that the more Truth is revealed if it be not practised accordingly the greater is the sinne Againe these men are of all others farthest both from Iustification and Sanctification this Truth puts them farther off both I say the more knowledge is revealed the more they are acquainted with the mysteries of Salvation if they precisely answer it not in their life they are further than other men from Iustification because as I said before they thinke not themselves to be as other men as the Pharisee said I am not as other men or as this Publican Therefore sayes Christ The Publican went to his house justified rather than the other Againe they be further from Sanctification than others for they be wise in their owne eyes and will carve out their owne wayes they are not willing to resigne themselves to God they chose wayes of their owne thinking the Word to be foolish and common for the more the knowledge the stronger is the resistance and therefore they are said to contend with the Truth Rom. 2.8 To them that are contentious and obey not the Truth The meaning is Men that know much that are much enlightned but not truly sanctified they quarrell with the Truth they except against it they have many things to alleage against the wayes of God the resistance is stronger in them than in others they are contentious men that is not men that contend with men nor simply with God but they contend with the Truth not onely in will and affections but in their understandings also men reason against it and therefore are apt to disobey the Truth and so of all others furthest off from Sanctification they will goe their owne course and will not be taught So you see the second thing That the good things that are in these men doe them much hurt The end of the Fifth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Sixth SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse NOw to come to that which remaines which is the third thing that is to set downe how far these men may goe and yet how farre they fall short of that which is proper to the Saints that shall be saved And thus farre they may goe First they may be enlightned to understand all the truths of God there is no Truth we deliver to you but an unregenerate man may understand it wholly and distinctly and may come to some measure of approbation he may be wel acquainted with the mysteries of Faâ—th and Repentance so as he may discourse thereof better than many that have the things indeed Secondly not only so but hee may have a Conscience that shall doe its duty in many things hee may make a Conscience of many duties as you shall finde of divers in Scripture who notwithstanding were not sanctified When God sent Rohoboam that message not to goe to warre against Ieroboam knowing it was Gods command he made Conscience of obey-it and likewise for some yeares he served the Lord. So when the Lord would have Amaziah send backe the Israelites hee durst not disobey the voice of the Lord although if he had looked on all probabilities it might have ruined him So Abimelech durst not meddle with Abrahams wife when God had given a charge to the contrary So Balaam in many things restrained himselfe and would not doe but as the Lord commanded him So that an unregenerate man may keepe a good Conscience in secret when no man sees it or knowes it Thirdly he may not only have his judgement enlightned and his Conscience enabled to do its duty in many things but likewise he may have many common gifts planted in his will and affections many excellent morall vertues of Iustice and Temperance and Patience and in these he may many times exceed the godly as many times Blazing-starres goe beyond true Starres for light so may these exceed the godly in outward appearance Fourthly there is not only all this wrought within them but they doe many times expresse it in their actions Come to their lives they are able to doe many things as it is said of Herod he heard Iohn gladly and did many things So the second and third ground as they knew something so they practised according to their knowledge In their performances they may not come short of any of the godly and may for a long time have as faire specious and probable showes of goodnesse as any Fifthly and lastly they may goe thus farre they may have two men in them aswell as regenerate men one that contendes for the Truth the other that resists it And what stronger signe is there in regenerate men to evidence their regeneration than this Contention betweene the flesh and the spirit yet this may be found in them there may be strong Inclinations to that which is good and a resistance of it This Truth may lye in their brest as a fire that would rise and breake out but much quench-cole and wet stuffe within may keepe it downe so that there may be and are two men in the Civill man as well as in the Regenerate Now to shew how farre they fall short of them that be truely sanctified First in matter of light and understanding
step to Salvation And so much shall serve for this third use Fourthly if this be the case and miserable Condition wherein every man is before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Then take heed of putting thy selfe into that Condition consider the danger of disobeying this Truth of offending it of doing any thing contrary to it of restraining and curbing it for it is of that nature that if thou offendest it it will offend thee It is a Truth that God hath set in thy heart and appointed it to rule there if thou oppose it and set up usurpers he will doe as Iehojada did that set up the right King he will even set up this Truth at the day of death to accuse thee and to raigne over thee as a Tyrant It sits in thy Conscience it markes what is done amisse and will be assuredly revenged for every rebellion and offence committed against it as it is said of Truth in generall Magna est veritas praevalet if thou be for the Truth it will be for thee and if thou be against it it will be against thee and it hath God on its side it is attended with the wrath of the Almighty who will be ready to execute upon thee whatsoever this Truth shall alleage against thee though he doth it not presently yet all the while thou art in the way to Damnation as it was with Iudas and Achitophel Therefore be sure to keepe this Truth well that thou offend it not as thou art tender over thy weake stomacke to give what contents it to avoid what may offend it and then it shall be as a continuall feast to thee otherwise it shall be as a sicke stomacke to thee that doe what thou wilt yet whether walking or sitting still it will trouble thee So this Truth thou wilt not be able to deceive it will see what is amisse whether thou wilt or no 2 Cor. 4.2 saith the Apostle Wee commend our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God by manifestation of the Truth That is the Conscience within will see thee thorow doe what thou canst there will be an agreement betweene it and the Truth that is presented to it it cannot but observe all the obliquities of thy life all thy errours thou canst not deceive it nor long shake it off But it may be objected May not a man observe this Truth too much may he not be too scrupulous too carefull in regarding it I answer the Conscience may mistake and give that charge that it ought not but as wee say of Thistles they are a bad weed but it is a signe of a good ground where they grow so though scrupulousnesse be not good yet it is a signe of a good heart where it is If a man be to goe thorow a narrow passage or over a narrow bridge it is good to goe in the midst so it is good not to be scrupulous and yet not to give it offence for if thou dost with-hold it imprison it or restraine it thou shalt finde it will be revenged on thee for it is attended with the wrath of God Fifthly if this be the miserable Condition of all unregenerate men thus to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse As there have beene words of Humiliation and reproofe so let mee shut up with a word of exhortation Be exhorted therefore from hence to give this Truth leave to rule and governe in thy heart and life doe not make a bancke against it or an hedge about it restraine it not fetter it not but suffer it to walke freely in every part of thy conversation to rectifie and reforme every facultie speech and action for so it ought to doe and as I said before thou shalt finde it a dangerous thing to restraine it Among men he that imprisons one whom he should not runs into a Praemunire and forfeits all he hath Commonly we faile both these wayes we give Lusts liberty which should be restrained and imprison Truth which should be at liberty therefore our judgement shall be accordingly For letting thy lusts goe at liberty take heed lest God say to thee as he did to Ahab for letting King Benhadad goe Thy life shall be for his life lest on the other side by imprisoning the Truth you forfeit all things and God take advantage of your forfeiture Since the fall of Adam man doth turne all things upside downe according to that which is complained of those Prophets They did slay the soules of them that should live and gave life to the soules that should die So doe men the Truth that should live they slay and the lust that should die they give life unto But you know what Gods judgement was on them Ezek. 13. He would destroy both the dawber and the wall of untempered morter God requires at thy hands that thou give account of the Authority committed to thee and take heed of abusing it If the King send a Privie Councellour or a great man about him to reveale his will to expresse his commandement in this or that particular that so men may know it and be free from the danger of the Law if a man in stead of obeying it imprison him how will the King take it at his hands What then will God doe in this case He hath put his Truth into the hearts of men he hath sent his messengers to shew his will that this he will have done If thou imprison this Truth be assured God will not hold thee guiltlesse therefore let it have liberty let it rule and raigne in thy heart let it doe what it will This benefit thou shalt have Thou sets it at liberty and it shall set thee at liberty Ioh. 8.32 If you continue in my words c. the Truth shall make you free From what or what great benefit hath a man by this freedome a benefit unspeakable thou shalt be free from the feare of Death from the hands of all thine Enemies to serve God in holinesse and righteousnesse from the feare of Iudgement from the feare of hell from the guilt and punishment of sin from the rule and tyranny of sin and is not this to be desired Againe if thou set this at liberty if thou wilt practice and use it thou shalt finde more benefit and sweetnesse from it than from the meere contemplation of it we are deceived in thinking that the knowledge of it is pleasant but the practice hard Indeed that that keeps the world from practice is because it is accompanied with persecution whereas bare knowledge crosses not at all and therefore most men are willing to heare and know but in practice they fall short But in this they are deceived for this Truth brings more pleasure in the practice and use of it than in the knowledge and contemplation of it Instance in Faith suppose thou know all the doctrine of Faith the knowledge is pleasant much more the practise if thou wilt
let it goe at liberty if it may pacifie and purifie thy heart if thou be much in contemplating thy priviledges in Christ thou shalt finde the sweet of it And so I may say of love and patience and every grace Knowledge of things is like Wâ—ne or Cordials standing on the table thou canst view them and looke on them then and have them presented to thee but if thou feed on them by practise how doe they warme thy spirits and quicken thee and put life into thee if they be digested and distributed into all the parts into all the faculties for that is digesture till they turne to flesh and bloud and spirits as it were then thou shalt finde their sweetnesse even more than any man can expresse who himselfe hath not felt it But now all the question is how shall a man be able to doe this It may be many will be ready to say I could be content to doe it but I am not able I have many good purposes and desires and am willing to practice what I know but I am weake in performance I will onely point to the heads by these meanes thou shalt doe it First thou must seeke to God beseech him to set this Truth at liberty be convinced of thine owne disability in thy selfe that if thou goe about it by thine owne strength thou shalt lose thy labour In his owne strength no man shall be strong it is Gods power must doe it Psal. 119.22 I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart David had this Truth but it was not in his power to set it at liberty therefore he goes to God acknowledgâ—s his owne insufficiencie desires God to enlarge his heart and when he hath set it at liberty the harshnesse will be taken off and thou wilt run freely the way of Gods Commandements The like is in 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are mighty but how Through God to bring downe the strong holds in our hearts these be strong holds in men certaine reasons in the understanding certaine lusts in the will and affections and these cannot be beaten downe by all the wit in the world and all understanding that thou canst learne out of any Morall Writer or the Scriptures themselves but there is a power through God to doe it to bring downe these strong holds to bring all into subjection therefore goe to God beg it earnestly and let him give thee no deniall Secondly as thou must goe to him so thou must do something thy selfe thou must practise thy selfe and the more thou dost so the more thou shalt be set at liberty the more thou settest thy selfe to worke the more ground thou shalt get the more Truth will be enlarged as it is in marble the more you rub it the more it will shine so the more this Truth is used the brighter it will be in our actions the more thou puttest it in practice the more power shalt thou have in thy life as Christ sayes If ye beleeve my sayings yee shall understand my words Therefore if you will have this power be doing have a good Conscience for that is the seale of this Truth How did Paul doe to give this Truth liberty to rule in his life Why saith he I exercise my selfe to keepe a good Conscience that is If I knew any thing that was to be done I set my selfe about it and as the Musitian by often practising his lesson or as one that writes by practising his hand doth increase his skill So in these Truths the more thou dost the more thou mayest doe letting them lye still extinguishes them and for that God often gives men up to a reprobate sense On the other side if thou dost use them doubt not but God will delight to enlarge them As in other Talents labouring to improve them is the way to encrease them Againe adde this to it The Communion of Saints you shall finde a great meanes to enlarge this Truth and to set it at liberty by walking with the wise you will be more wise and what is said of Wisdome may be said of Truth for they are the same Saul when he was among the Prophets had a sparke of the Spirit of Prophecie which though it was but a common action in a wicked man yet this sparke of a naturall and common gift of the Spirit Saul had when he came among the Prophets It is the Apostles direction Provoke one another to love and good workes As one souldier encourageth another and a fast goer stirres up one that is slow so good Company whets Graces On the other side ill Company imprisons the Truth If thou wilt keepe company with them that are not good thou must correspond with them and this will cause thee to choake this Truth for many times thou canst not doe duties without shame because thou canst not hold in with them and with dutie too It is not for nothing that David uses that phrase Psal. 119.115 Away from me yee evill doers for I will keepe the Commandements of my God As if he had said When I goe about to keepe the Commandements of God if I have Company about mee that is not good they will be a barre unto me and as fetters to my soule so that it is true both wayes the company of Saints enlarges Truth the other straitens it Saint Paul and others were good men yet when they were mistaken in that you shall see what a fetter it was When Saint Paul was to goe to Ierusalem to preach the Gospell of CHRIST they at Cesarea wept and wailed desiring to stay him But sayes he What doe you breaking mine heart You may see by that speech they were a great Impediment to him And as CHRIST said to Saint Peter Get thee behind me Satan And as David said to the sonnes of Zerviah 2 Sam. 16.10 What have I to doe with you yee sonnes of Zerviah when they advised him to take off Shemei his head So if you would have the Truth to have liberty take heed of ill company As Iames saith of refraining the Tongue I am 1.26 He that refraineth not his tongue his Religion is in vaine So we may say of Company Hee that lookes not to his Company his Religion is in vaine hee shall finde it so for this Truth will never be at libertie except it be among them among whom it will have its libertie The end of the Sixth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Seventh SERMON ROMANS 1.19 20. Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse WE have purposed still to goe on in this point of Humiliation and then God willing we will proceed
to that of Iustification which we promised to handle These words doe second the former which we have gone thorow The wrath of God is revealed from heaven c. The Apostle having set this downe hath two things to prove First that there is such a Truth revealed Secondly That they with-hold it in unrighteousnesse Both which he proves in the sequele of this Chapter First there is such a Truth revealed to men for saith he That that may be knowne of God is manifest in them that is there is a certaine portion of Truth a certaine measure of knowledge which God hath made-knowne to every man indeed there be different measures but to every one some measure is given set forth by the Author thereof God saith he hath shewed it to them Secondly it is set forth more particularly by the thing that is revealed And thirdly by the meanes whereby it is revealed Fourthly by the end Secondly the thing that is reavealed as if he had said if you will know more particularly what this knowledge is it is the knowledge of Gods eternall Power and God-head Thirdly will you know the meanes how it is revealed It is revealed by his workes and chiefly by the creation of the world But you will object his eternall power and God-head are invisible shut up from the view of men how shall men doe to see and understand these things seeing they are so remote Saith he They are knowne by the things that are seene You may see the world you may see the workes of his providence these things run into the senses and by these they are knowne As the soule of a man is a thing in it selfe invisible but yet you may see it by the motions of the body the effects of the soule in the bodie this the senses are capable of so the invisible things of God are knowne by the things that are seene Last of all this is set out by the end wherefore GOD hath done this the end is that they may be without excuse And so far he proves the first part that there is a Truth revealed to men In the next words he comes to prove That they with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse For they knew God but they glorified him not as God and not negatively only but affirmatively also Their foolish hearts are full of darknesse they became vaine in their imaginations But they were wise men Grecians Athenians men excelling in wisdome all other how did they detaine it one would thinke they did enlarge it It is true they were wise in their owne conceit but thinking themselves wise they became fooles how doth that appeare They turned the glory of the incorruptible God into the image of corruptible man c. So much for the scope of the words Wee will not runne to every particular because this is a place of Scripture on which wee meane not to dwell but these three points we intend to handle out of these two verses In the handling of which you shall see all these particulars will be brought in The first is That that Law or Truth or Knowledge by which every man shall be judged is made manifest by God himselfe Secondly The workes of God or the Creation are the meanes by which he hath made it knowne Thirdly They are so much made knowne to every man as will make him inexcusable To begin with the first I say That truth or that Law or that knowledge by which every man shall be judged at the last day is made evident to him by God himselfe In this proportion you must marke three things First what it is that is made knowne It is that Law or Truth by which every man shall be judged the word in the original◠is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That which may be knowne of God that is there is a certaine measure and portion of Truth which God disposes and reveales to men to some one measure to some another measure and according to the measure of Truth he must conforme himselfe and for breaking that rule onely hee shall be condemned at the last day The Gentiles have one measure of Truth the Iewes have a greater measure but Christians to whom the Gospell is revealed have the greatest measure of Truth given them Againe some Christians that live under better Ministeries they whose education is better they have more Truth than others Now seeing he saith it is made manifest the meaning is every man hath a measure and that is to be made manifest as light when it comes into a roome it showes all the glory all the beauty and deformity round about it showes the right way and the wrong way if you come to the light all things are made manifest now which were covered when you were in darknesse thus God enlightens men he kindles a certaine light in their minde for so the word signifies he puts a light into their hearts by which they are able to judge of that which is good and evill of that which is agreeable to his will and contrary to his will of that which is the way to happinesse and that which is not and this is made knowne The second thing to be marked in this proposition is to shew how it is made knowne you see that the thing is made knowne to us Not it is made knowne to us these foure wayes First it is made knowne to us by the light of Nature God hath written the Law in their hearts Rom. 2.15 They show the effects of the Law which Law is written in their hearts that is God hath implanted it there God hath written it there he hath fastned it there he hath revealed to men some Truths but the question will be how it shall be knowne that God hath done so why saith he you shall know it by the effects every man even Heathens though they have not come to the knowledge of the Scripture ye◠they have the Law written in their hearts fo◠they doe the things contained in the Law their actions show it they could not doe these things if they had not the Law written in their hearts Againe their consciences accuse and excuse Againe it is seene by their judging of others for in judging of others they judge themselves and make it evident that they doe know though they doe not practice and so it is revealed by the Law of Nature Secondly God makes it knowne by his works specially by the creation of the world by his workes of Providence which be ordinary and extraordinary as miracles that is when a man lookes on the great volume of the world there those things which God will have known are written in capitall letters and such letters as every one may understand and reade so as that which the Papists say of Images they are Lay-mens bookes and ignorant mens bookes so and in a much better sense this Booke of the world is the Heathen mans booke wherein
he may see there is a God and his eternall power and wherein all men may see what they ought to doe to this God Thirdly it is manifest by the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 saith Christ Search the Scriptures for therein you thinke to have eternall life and they testifie of me This is out of question that the Scriptures testifie of GOD they make GOD knowne to men Lastly it is made knowne by the Saints as in the same Chapter Ioh. 5. Iohn bare witnesse of me and what is said of Iohn may be said of others the Saints beare witnesse of God Therefore in the second to the Philippians they are said to shine as lights in the world that is they make God knowne to men So by these foure wayes God makes it knowne namely by the Law of Nature Secondly by his workes Thirdly by the Scriptures Fourthly by the faithfull that live in the world The two first make it knowne to the Heathen the two last to them within the Church that is the faithfull and these be the meanes by which it is evident Now the third thing to be observed is That it is God that maketh this Truth evident This is enough to prove that it is God because it is universally done goe to all Nations to savage men that seeme to be most remote from the light that come not neare any meanes of the knowledge of the Truth yet these men beleeve there â—s a God every man without exception doth so now where there is an universall effect it must needs come from an universall cause therefore from God himselfe Now this is not added in vaine but this you may observe in that it comes from God First if it come from God it is not a deceiveable rule it is not a fancie but a firme Truth which you may build on Againe if God make it knowne it is not done sleightly whatsoever God doth if he make it knowne it is done to purpose and effectually if he have blessed any he shall be blest so farre as it is his will to reveale so farre it is to purpose and this makes men more without excuse Againe if God have made it knowne then it is a thing you must take heed to you must not neglect it because it is God that is the Author of it if it had beene made knowne to us by accident or any creaturâ— you might have given the lesse heed to it buâ— God having made it knowne it is of speciall moment you must in a speciall manner attend to it Lastly in that God hath made it knowne then you may know it is the rule of perfection that is given to every man in observing of which he shall finde happinesse in breaking of which consists his destruction and ruine when God gives a rule in the keeping of it man shall be made happie as in the breaking of it he shall be made miserable so you see these three things First what is made knowne A certaine measure of Truth divided according to Gods will Secondly how it is made knowne by nature by his works by Scripture by the faithfull Thirdly it is God that makes it knowne therefore not a deceiveable truth not a fancie or dreame but to purpose therefore you must not neglect it in observing of it is happinesse and in breaking of it you shall finde there will come ruine and destruction and misery upon you Now we will come to make use of it First if there be such a Truth made knowne to men by God himselfe then learne hence to aggravate your sinnes to know the greatnesse of the guilt of your sinnes Hence we may learne to know that the loosenesse and licentiousnesse men take to themselves against this Truth is more desperate and hainous and inexcusable for God himselfe hath made it known to them For every precept of men is of more or lesse moment according to the quality of the Author the Law is to be valued according to the person that gives the Law therefore mens Lawes are of some moment but Gods Lawes are of more moment This Truth is most pressed in Scripture when CHRIST preacheth the Word he saith every sin is encreased that is committed against this Word When Ionas came to Niniveh it had beene a great sin if they had not repented God would have visited them for neglecting the word of Ionas but a greater than Ionas is here saith Christ So the Queen of the South came to heare the wisdome of Salomon but a greater than Salomon is here That is every sin committed against this Truth is out of measurable sinfull Therefore if they that breake Moses Law shall die under two or three witnesses how shall they escape that neglect so great Salvation which began to be preached by the Lord himselfe He hath made it knowne therefore it is a fearefull thing to neglect it Therefore you may see what an Emphasis God puts on that Hast thou eaten of the tree of which I bade thou shouldest not eat As if he had said the thing is a small matter in it selfe yet it being the Commandement of the great GOD I have commanded it and thou didst neglect it therefore thou shalt die the death And there is good reason for it if we consider it if God giveth the Law it is his now Gods name is taken in vaine when his Law is now observed fro though the disobedience be immediately against the Law yet it is terminately against God himselfe for whatsoever is done against the Scripture is done against God himselfe Therefore saith God to Saul In that thou hast cast me away I will cast thee away And so siath Christ to his Disciples Whatsoever is done against you is done against me it is terminated in me Therefore thinke when you shall come to die or to any case of extremity and God shall speake to your consciences and tell you Thou hast broken the Law I gave thee thou hast rebelled against me thou hast given thy members as weapons of unrighteousnesse against me now I will be avenged of thee thou shalt know I am Iust thou shalt know who it is that thou hast offended this is no small matter If we Ministers come and tell you you must not sweare but your yea must be yea and your nay nay and whatsoever more is evill you must sweare no kinde of oathes if we tell you you must not dissemble not lye not keepe vaine company not mispend your Talents not restrain prayer from the Almighty if we tell you this it is no small matter to neglect it it being the Commandement of God doe not say of sinne as you were wont Indeed it is a fault and I would I could doe otherwise but seeing they be sinnes against God know what it is to sinne against the Iudge of all the world this wil make thee thinke of sinne in another manner Therefore in your sinnes labour to fix your eyes on God and it will aggravate
ought to pray fervently and frequently I ought to sanctifie the Lords Sabbath but out of an unlistinesse to it out of love to ease and pleasure that carries him another way he neglects it and so the dutie lyes undone This is the Commission of a knowne sinne So againe I know I ought not to remember an injury I ought to forgive mine Enemy yet thou invitest him to doe thee a new injury when this is knowne and not practised in this case men commit a knowne sinne so againe dost thou not know that thou oughtest not to use any dalliance any touch of uncleannesse any chambering or wantonnesse if a man know this and yet will commit it because his lusts intend his minde to such a sinne and it is a thing to which he is strongly inclined this is a knowne sinne so in many other things in cases of election or in doing of businesses this man ought to be chosen and businesses ought to be carried thus but yet out of some by-respects a man will have it carried otherwise this is committing of a knowne sinne so in case of Envie this mans preferment may be profitable but because his eminencie may be hurtfull to me I cannot affect him this is a knowne sinne so in Case of the Sacrament doe you not know you ought to receive often and not to neglect it in the Congregation where you are Are you not bound to that You thinke it a sinne not to heare the Word and is it not so not to receive the Sacrament If he shall be cut off that came not to the Passeover shall not he be cut off that comes not to the Sacrament So you know you must renew your repentance are not these Truthes knowne and yet will you commit these sins Goe thorow any knowne sin and in this Case you doe with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse But what is it to commit a knowne sin because it may be I am not convinced sufficiently of that By this thou mayest know it if thou finde thy Conscience to give a secret intimation that it is naught it is a signe it is a knowne sin though thou hast got many Arguments for it and canst dispute for it for thy Conscience shall witnesse against thee as in case of Vsury and inordinate gaine and matters of the Sabbath many of which things be in question see what thy Conscience saith and take heed of disobeying the secret intimations of thy Conscience whatsoever thou hast to say for thy sin before men Men think a sin not to be a knowne sin because they are not willing to search it out Now if thou finde this to be thy Case that thou art not willing to search it out to see all that can be said for it or against it thou shalt finde it a knowne sin And this is a notable difference betweene the faithfull and others A godly man whose heart is set to serve God with a perfect heart in all things there is nothing that comes under the name of a sin nothing that hath the shadow of a sin but he is willing to search it out to examine it to the full he is willing to let all say what they can against it and when all is done he desires God to try him Another is not willing to search because he is willing to lye in some sin or because he will not have his Conscience troubled with it This is a signe of a false heart though they doe not know that this is a sin yet it having the shadow of a sin and they being unwilling to examine it to the full it shewes it is no lesse Secondly the second Case wherein a man with-holds this knowledge and detaines this Truth which God hath made manifest is when he is not willing to enlarge it a man that hath already some knowledge as every man hath some and is not willing to adde to this knowledge to encrease it that man properly with-holds the Truth in unrighteousnesse For he that with-holds fewell puts out the fire as wel as he that casts water on it and he that takes away food from a living Creature kils it as well as he that takes away its life with violence so if thou dost not feed this with fewell with that which may make it grow and encrease if thou dost not labour to inlarge it thou dost extinguish it And of these men there be two sorts First such as doe not care for any knowledge at all or if they doe come to heare yet they recall it not meditate not upon it and so as good never a whit as never the better some things they must doe for fashion sake but if they doe heare they doe it in a negligent manner they be ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth These be the first sort of men But there is a second sort and that is those which have knowne much have heard much have gone very farre in the knowledge of this Truth yet will not goe to the uttermost I may resemble them by Felix he went not farre but I use it as a resemblance when Paul preached and began to know some measure of this Truth when some of these sparks began to be revived and stirred up in him he bade him goe away and said he would call for him another time but he was not so good as his word so when a man is loth to be brought to that strictnesse and exactnesse that is required as our duty when he is not willing to be strait laced that lives at liberty and thinkes he will doe it before he dies but puts it off this man imprisons the Truth when the Truth is brought to their doores to such an high degreee that it is almost loose yet they let it lye there still when they shall come to Agrippa's Case to be almost a Christian this is to with-hold it the uttermost end and finishing of the worke is all and that is the reason men are so shie of it So when we care not for admonition to live exactly and perfectly in all things when there shall be little reservation when we wil have a little liberty in this or that I say the not admitting of this the not going through with the work is an imprisoning of the Truth When men shall come to be unwilling to be called on it is as if a man shut the doore and draw the curtens about him it showes that he delights to sleepe that he meanes to sleepe and to continue so when a man puts off the Truth and will not be brought to the uttermost this is the second way of imprisoning the Truth when he is not willing to adde fewell to give that which may strengthen and encrease it Thirdly I will name but the third and that is when a man is past this degree and is come to be willing to know all Truths doth not desire to have any concealed from him doth not say to
knew of before it may be it is Covetousnesse or it may be Envy one thing or other is discovered and when it is discovered there is a winnowing of themselves they see there is drosse and when they see it they labour to purge it by repentance It is quite contrary with the other the more they fall into sin the more they suffocate the Truth their falling into sin gives sin more ground it makes them more in love with sin it is the more prevalent against them the more they delight in it so that every sin is like the Sea getting ground of the Land which they know not how to recover So this is the fourth way by frequent quenching of good motions by ill company and falling into sin they doe harden their hearts and so suffocate and quench this Truth The fifth way is when we doe not remove the impediments which if they were taken away the Truth would rise and shew it selfe for that is it that keepes downe the Truth God hath written it plaine enough on mens hearts but when we let dust and soile lye on it we cannot reade it This Idlenesse and Lazinesse suffering these impediments to lye on you to cover the Truth in you is to with-hold the Truth Therefore Seneca hath a notion in this Case though he was an Heathen the soule of man were it free from passions and distractions and were quiet Truth should be seene clearely as you see a penny or a stone in a cleare river so Truth would appeare Doe but remove the impediments that commonly rise from us and which Satan injects and this Truth will shew it selfe for these words they with-hold the Truth shew that the Truth is ready enough of it selfe to come forth Now there be certaine impediments which we remove not and they are these two either businesse and from thence proceeds feare and care and griefe or else recreations and the pleasures and joyes that come from them one of these two are alway the impediments First for businesse when a man takes too much on him even more than hee is able to weald or doth give himselfe to too much feare and care and griefe which are contrary to this Truth as Luke 1. it is the promise that wee should serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all our dayes without feare But let a man be filled with carnall feare it suppresseth the Truth and keepes it downe So for Care Philip. 4. Cast your care on God for he careth for you and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keepe your hearts and mindes in Christ Iesus The meaning is if you will care for your owne matters pester your selves with Cares and perplexities it will interrupt your Communion with Christ Iesus it will interrupt your peace and if your peace then your Communion with Christ therefore he exhorts them to cast their care on Christ. So for Griefe it is a great hinderance the Israelites could not hearken to Moses for the anguish of their hearts and he that minds things too much pierceth himselfe thorow with sorrowes this was the thing that suffocated the third ground they were kept downe partly with care and partly with divers lusts Martha was troubled with many things Therefore take heed of too much businesse or intending it too much or inordinately Secondly Sports Pleasures and Recreations things wherein men delight too much these are impediments to the Truth if any of these get predominancie in your mindes they hinder this Truth if you will set it at liberty remove this impediment divers lusts keepe it downe as cares as we may see in the third ground And Esay 1. Woe be to you that laugh If there were not something in this inordinate mirth and jollity that keepes downe the Truth why should that be added and the removall of these Impediments is of great consequence For there may be many hundreds of men which perhaps have not so ill meanings with them yet are carried away with the tract of vanity that are not so opposite to the Truth as forgetfull of it that doe not so much resist it as neglect it that yet keepe downe the truth These men partly busied with cares partly intent on pleasures death shall come upon them as a theefe in the night and shall lead them captive to hell because they held this Truth captive which had they set at liberty it would have set them at liberty free from death and condemnation That is the fifth Case The sixth Case wherein they with-hold this Truth in unrighteousnesse is when they have it and doe not use it and communicate it to the good of others and herein many faile As first Ministers that have their charge yet doe either Non residere or segniter residere but that concernes not this Auditory Therefore I will not meddle with it but it concernes not only them but common Christians likewise When men are converted a charge lyes on them to endevour to convert their brethren they should labour to use this Truth to kindle it in others the neglect thereof is a suppressing of it for there is a charge laid upon them that according to their measure in their sphere according to their callings they should endevour as much as they can to enlarge this Truth So likewise masters of families are bound to doe it shall hee bee worse than an Infidell that provides not food for his family and shall it not be a greater sin in him that provides not spirituall food doth it not concerne him in private as well as the Minister in publike Was it not that which God tooke speciall notice of in Abraham I will not hide it from Abraham for hee will instruct his family and his sonnes and they shall know the wayes of the LORD Therefore when they neglect this Charge they with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse So Patrons of livings if they doe not their part to bring faithfull labourers into the Vineyard and uphold them when they are there they with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse for they hinder it though it bee not their calling properly to bring forth fruit for that is the Ministers yet it is their part to uphold them It is the Vine that brings forth the Grapes but the Proppe is to hold it up So it is the office of Patrons to sustaine Ministers in the Lords Vineyard Likewise Lawyers and Advocates have a charge to minister the Truth not to cloake it It is the office of Iustice to rectifie the Truth and not to adulterate it but to informe rightly and properly when they doe not discover the Truth they doe with-hold the Truth if they should not labour to doe that it were a hurtfull calling but there is no calling that is not for the benefit of men but if it be thus used to conceale the Truth it were hurtfull and not usefull so likewise they that be Governours Iustices of Peace in the Countrey they with-hold this Truth if they
creature a Law and so long as he keeps to that he is in a good condition and state Now the Law given to us is this Truth in observing it thou shalt keepe thy life thy happinesse take heed therefore of departing from it whensoever a man departs from it he is deceived and no man will willingly be deceived But you will say a man is not deceived in sin for I know it is a sin Yes in this thou art deceived no man commits a sinne but at that time he thinkes it better that he commit it and worse that he abstaine from it and in this thou art deceived Goe thorow all the Scripture and finde any one sinne there recorded and see if the party bee not a loser Goe to Ieroboam did hee not lose his Kingdome by that by which he thought to save it Goe to Iudas to Gehezi was it not his ruine I say every man is deceived as it was said of Eve Eve was deceived so it may bâ— said of all the sons of Adam when they commiâ— a sin they are deceived But if you object Adam was not deceived 1 Tim. 2. The woman was deceived but the man was not I answer the meaning is there is an immediate deceiving when a man is meerely coozened because there is a fault in his reason and for that mistakes a thing and so was Eve onely deceived shee being the weaker But there is a second kinde when a man is not immediately deceived but transported by a lust and that was Adams Case and that lust arises from deceit Suppose it be a lust of envie that transports a man to a sinne although that doth not immediately deceive yet this as all sinnes arises from Errour Therefore when any temptation comes see if it be a sinne if it be a sinne be sure thou art deceived and though thou canst not find out the deceit yet remember it is there Ephes. 4. you shall finde these put together The old man is corrupt through lusts proceeding from deceit and be renewed in the spirit of your mindes after the Image of God in holinesse and righteousnesse which comes from the Spirit of Truth you shall finde there is not a lust but it comes from deceit and not any holinesse but it comes from a rectifying of the Apprehension and from Truth for in these two things marke it the Image of God and Satan consist The Image of God consists not onely in holinesse but in truth therefore the Image of God is renewed in holinesse proceeding from Truth As on the contrary side the old man doth not only stand in lusts but in deceit from whence the lust comes Therefore take heed of that deceit and know this when any sinne is committed it is contrary to Truth to the Law to this knowledge and let that be an Argument against it I cannot stand to presse it more So much shall serve for this point The end of the Eighth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Ninth SERMON ROMANS 1.19 20. Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse THe third point then which now remains to be handled is this There is so much revealed to every man as will make him inexcusable we see the words are cleare GOD hath made it knowne to them by the Creation by his workes to the intent they should be without excuse or if you will translate it so that they are without excuse the words will beare either There is so much revealed then as will make every man inexcusable For the manifestation of this Truth goe no further than this Chapter First consider God hath made himselfe knowne to every man by his workes of Creation this is the booke every man may reade this is exposed to every mans eye it is a language which every man understands Secondly you shall see what they doe they did not glorifie him as GOD neither were thankfull but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were full of darknesse that is their carriage towards God Thirdly when God doth behold this carriage in them he gives them up to a reprobate sense to vile affections to their hearts lusts till they be full of all unrighteousnesse as it is expressed in the latter end of the Chapter because they regarded not to know God he delivered them up to a reprobate minde to doe things uncomely being full of all unrighteousnesse And if you marke this prophecie you shall see how God is excused and how all the world is inexcusable First God did that which was sufficient on his part he made himselfe knowne Secondly they did wilfully and stubbornely despise this knowledge they regarded not to know God nor practised according to knowledge but provoked him with their sinnes and became vaine making no conscience of offending him Then comes in this in the third place they are delivered up to a reprobate sense so as they cannot heale themselves they are brought to an irrecoverable state as a man in quicke sands that goes deeper and deeper and knowes not how to get out they are given up to vile affections so as they cannot loose themselves out of the bands of the Devill but marke the progresse First God reveales himselfe then they provoke him by precedent sinnes then he gave them up to these affections But to open the point at large and to shew the excuses men have and their weaknesse and how they are taken away and then it will be evident that all men are inexcusable The first pretence men have is that they know not God they are not acquainted with him they are ignorant of his wayes That is easily answered that they that know him least yet have so much knowledge as will make them inexcusable They that have onely beene acquainted with the Creation of the world salvage men that never heard the Word that were never acquainted with the Scripture yet these know God for God hath manifested himselfe to them This I proved at large in the former point so that no man can deny but he knowes God that is that there is a God and this very thing if no more is enough to make them inexcusable for they knew God but glorified him not as God when such a man knowes there is an almighty power by his naturall wit hee is able to deduce if there be a God I must behave my selfe well towards him I must feare him as God I must be affected to him as God I must worship him with all reverence as God but the most ignorant man confesses there is a God no Nation denyes it but how farre are they from glorifying him as God from carrying themselves towards him as it becomes
turnes away the wrath of the Lord. Therefore remember these in particular and consider what it is to spare in this case Saul was lost by sparing Agag and remember what Elijah gained and Iehu gained by being zealous The manner we will wholly leave to you onely be zealous for the Lord. The second thing you must doe for the Church to turne away the Lords wrath is to contend for that which maintaines the Church I meane Faith maintaine that which maintaines you preserve that which preservs you the whole Church and Kingdome Wee will therefore commend to you that of Iudges I exhort you saith he that you contend for the faith which was once given to the Saints Marke it you are to contend earnestly for so much the word implies herein we are to be contentious men The very example of our adversaries may teach us to contend for thâ— Truth if we consider how they contend fâ—r the contrary if we observe what unity there is among them what joynt consent in opposing the truth Againe remember what you are to contend for it is for Faith for the whole doctrine of Faith every jot whereof is precious and it is the faith that was once given to the Saints As if hee had said looke to it if you lose it it shall be recovered no more Christ will not come againe from heaven to deliver this point of doctrine And againe it was once delivered to the Saints for what Certainly to be kept as we keepe Pearles and Iewels that it may not suffer the least detriment And let no man say he hath nothing to do with this for it is the common faith which every man hath to doe with you know in common things wherein every man hath interest every man is ready to maintaine his right Consider this and stand for the whole Faith for all the doctrine of Faith and know that these are matters of exceeding great moment all that we have said before of the punishment of Injustice Whoredome Idolatry and Superstition c. is not so much as this for a man may turne aside to these sins and yet have a right judgement but so long as the judgement is perverted the soule is irrecoverable Againe these are of exceeding great consequence for what Elisha did with the Syrians who when they thought they were led to the man whom they sought to take were brought into Samaria to be taken the same falls out where there is an errour of faith that which men think builds them up unto the Kingdome of GOD leads them to that which will bee their destruction Therefore contend for the Faith for the whole doctrine of Faith for every point of Faith and remember to contend for it earnestly The third and last action that wee will commend unto you is this Labour to doe that most which will most glorifie God that is endevour to set up a learned Ministery in the Land and Church you know it is a great complaint My people perish for want of knowledge and who are they that perish Acts 20.28 Even the flocke that God hath purchased with his owne bloud And at whose hands must it be required It is true we are the Vines that beare the Grapes but you are the Elmes that must hold up the Vines It is true wee are the Shepheards to defend the flock but it must bee your care to see that every flocke have a Shepheard Is it not a lamentable thing to see how many perish for want of knowledge in Wales in the Northerne Countries and in many places besides Is it not your part to take care and labour as farre as you may that every Candlestick may have a Candle set in it to give light That every Pâ—rish have an able Preaching Minister It is true every Parish cannot be provided for alike Starres are of different magnitudes some Stars are greater some are lesser some Starres shine not at all some againe shine in another Hemisphere and not in our owne some shine like Meteors for a little time and then disappeare againe let it be your care that all Sâ—rres that are in the firmament of the Church I meane those that are to dispence the mysteries of salvation may though weakely yet like true Starres shine These things wee must commend to your care onely remember this you know the wrong that is done to the flock if dogges be suffered among them therefore let them be removed I meane those that endeavour to put out the light that so they may the better prevaile and teach their doctrines of darkenesse As when the day is done the beast wanders abroad and doe not we finde it so amongst us For where doth Popery abound so much as in the darke places of the Kingdome I beseech you consider this and be zealous I should have added more but so much shall serve for the third point The other I will but name and indeed I will the rather name them though I doe no more because they follow so one upon another You have heard that GODS anger brings all evill that sinne is the cause of that anger that it is zeale that turnes away that anger Now Fourthly it followes that if you be not zealous his jealousie shall grow hotter it shall encrease more and more The very word Iealousie hath something in it when the Lord looks on a Church or Nation the losse of their affection breeds a jealousie which is intended more and more if there be not care to prevent it Therefore when the Lord is jealous he sends some tokens of his jealousie as when a man strikes we know he is angry so when the Lord sends a plague among us we may conclude he is angry When a messenger comes the sooner he hatâ— his answer the sooner hee is gone but hee will stay till hee hath his answer and will the Lord send this messenger in vaine Doth hee not send it for an answer And what is the answer the Lord lookes for That you fast and pray and humble your selves and turne from your evill wayes and bee zealous for his sake What else is the end of all his judgements Are they not as medicines or plaisters to heale a Church or a Nation or a particular person They will stick on till the sore be healed but when it is healed they will fall off so you shall finde these judgements of the Lord as long as wee remaine unreformed they will stick by us till we bee healed the playster wil continue Therefore are those phrases in Scripture his hand is stretched out still and still as in Deut. 28. Till wee be healed hee will not make an end of correcting he is now as it were engaged and you know when a man is engaged to proceed in a thing hee must goe on till hee hath brought it to an issue else it will be counted rashnesse and doe you thinke the LORD will turne from his wrath now it is begun
be no disjunction from Christ thou mayest comfort thy selfe thou shalt have grace for ever Therefore comfort your selves my Brethren with these words Doe you regard an Inheritance above a Lease because an Inheritance is a constant thing Doe you regard Pearles above Flowers because they will not wither Why then doe you not get Grace which is so constant a thing Be not discouraged give not over your fight for seeing Grace shall never have an end in you you shall be sure to overcome you may have many an hard bickering but you are sure to hold out Discouragement is a great meanes to make a man sit still I shall never get victory over my sinnes and then I shall be cut off No it is impossible when it is once planted it shall grow thou shalt have the victory Sixthly if comming to Christ we shall have another nature then be not discouraged to set upon so holy a worke Indeed if this necessity were laid on thee to serve God in newnesse of life with an old heart it were an hard taske and very intollerable thou hadst reason to sit down and never attempt it But this is for comfort Thou shalt have another nature All difficultie ariseth from disproportion betweene the facultie and the object or the thing to be done As for a man of a shallow understanding to be put to study an hard thing the difficulty is there is no proportion betweene his understanding and the burthen of the thing lay a great burthen on a childe and he cannot beare it but were he as strong as the burthen it were nothing If God should impose on thee newnesse of life and suffer thee to keepe thy old nature it were an hard taske and thou wilt never performe it thou wilt find that difficulty in it by reason of the disproportion betweene thy nature and the duty but seeing thou shalt have another nature be not discouraged goe on with comfort and remember that the best nature in the world if God change it not will not serve the turne And the worse nature if thou thinkest thou hast a worse nature than others if hee will change it hee is able to do it with readinesse and facility therefore be not discouraged Againe if thy nature be changed thou must be comforted Comfort your selves in this that you have another nature and so wee will end this point for it is a very great comfort a comfort beyond that which perhaps you imagine for the Saints are too slow too backward to consider their consolations their priviledges the glorious condition they are in therefore glory in that comfort thy selfe in that that thou hast another nature given thee But you will say what benefit have I by that I will not stand on it but name one place Iames 1.18 He hath begot us againe with the Word of truth that we should be a kinde of first fruits of his Creatures that is he hath given us another Nature And what doe wee get by that By this meanes you are made Primitiae the first fruits of his Creatures There are two things in that when wee are said to be first fruits we are the creame and the prime of all his Creatures as the first fruits were the creame of all the field the top of all the Creatures of God and is not that a glorious condition that Nature puts us into that be changed that it will make you the highest in that kinde this is a great priviledge there is a wonderfull difference between Angels and Devils one is the top and the other is the bottom all the difference is only this New Nature therefore when thou hast a New Nature thou art put into an high and glorious condition and this is the first sense that wee are New Creatures Then there is another by being the first fruits you sanctifie the whole field all the world fares the better for you for the first fruits are not only the best but they sanctifie all the rest that is all mankind receives good from you When Lot was out of Sodome it was set on fire when the Israelites were once out of the Red-sea the waters returned and drowned Pharaoh So Gods children sanctifie the whole lumpe therefore you have a great priviledge by being New Creatures So much for this that you must have another Nature Now the next point is there must be a Newnesse Whosoever is in Christ let him bee a New Creature From thence many things are to bee gathered As first if wee must be New Creatures then are we redeemed from old customes there is a lingring in our nature after that wee have beene long accustomed to doe old haunts are very prevalent Custome is as an Iron chain to tye us to the things that are evill Now thou must be a New Creature Old Customes are such as Christ died to redeeme thee from Even from the vaine conversation you have received from your Fathers Therefore you that are held in any by-wayes remember that you are bound to be New Creatures and take heed that custome prevaile not with you for it is exceeding prevalent because it is pleasant as what a man is long accustomed to is very pleasant for custome breeds another nature and what is so sutable to us as things connaturall with us and what are so are very pleasant A man will be loath to come out of a thing which he hath much been accustomed to First it wins off our Iudgements off our opinions and that is the reason why young men are not able to judge and other men that are accustomed to evill courses have judged already and will not judge againe and by this meanes custome prevailes exceedingly for it is not onely pleasant but it wins off our Iudgement Againe it is exceeding troublesome to change when a man is accustomed in a thing it is easie to continue in that course but to goe out is troublesome And againe wee thinke it a disparagement what have wee lived thus long thus many yeares together in this tract and shall I now change it And which is worse than all the rest Custome breeds a senselesnesse Take heed that you be not hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne that Custome takes not away all sense Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati It is not an easie thing to leave an old custome but remember that if you be in Christ you must be New Creatures He shed his bloud to redeeme you from sinne that is hee hath paid a deare price to redeeme you from the bondage of customes from your old Conversation therefore doe not say you have long done it and will doe it still Antâ—qua consuetudo is nothing else but vetustas erroris Men doe excuse their evill actions from their custome in them but know it is no good excuse to excuse second errours with a former Doest thou thinke it a good excuse to say I have done
this one lust he might have said of any other lust whose heart is set on gaming on any other sinne it is as impossible as for a Cable-rope to goe thorow the eye of a needle But then saith Peter No man shall be saved and indeed no man shall be saved if there be no more than his owne strength but God will put to his Almighty Power to change his nature to mortifie these lusts Therefore this we finde by experience it is not a notion that men are not able to come in But you will say this is a discouraging doctrine if God must doe all what shall we doe it teacheth every man to sit still I answer No it will not teach men to sit still because there is no man ever went about it that ever found any impediment Therefore he must know what is an Impediment Impediments when a man cannot doe a thing are of two sorts One is when I see such a thing as I desire but there is a doore lockt on me and I cannot come at it or I am fettered and cannot goe to it or it is in another mans hand and I cannot get it out of his hand here a man may complaine The second Impediment is when the thing lyes before thee thou mayest have it if thou wilt every thing lyes ready and simply it is because thou wilt not Here now no man can complaine saying Why is there such an Impediment Why may not I come in Was there ever any man resolved with himselfe I will live a godly life if I can No it is not that all the extrinsecal impediments are taken away and all the matter is in thy will thou refusest to come in and wilt not walke in that way Here lyeth the Impediment Againe it is not a doctrine of discouragement for you must know though God doth it by his Almighty Power yet he workes in us In modo intelligentium He uses us in the worke and he useth us after the manner of men for every man doth Actus agere he workes in us by propounding reasons and arguments to move with all thou understandest them and knowest them therefore it is as much as thou canst doe in the beginning to thinke what reasons there are to move thee to goe in to betake thy selfe to a godly course and to change the old haunts thou hast lived in before Againe thou must keepe from the Impediments thou must keepe out of ill company that destroyes this Thou hast many good sparkes in thee thou must blow them up thou must lay thy selfe by the people till the Angell comes and moves the waters there be many things thou must doe and though the candle cannot light it selfe yet when it is lighted it is but putting oyle to it and wee may maintaine the flame though thou canst not begin thy life though thou canst not make thy selfe a living man when thou art dead yet when there is life thou mayest stirre and move thy selfe thou mayst eat and drink in strength of that life when the fire is kindled we may maintaine it I say we preach Free-will to the Regenerate for certainly so much grace as they have so much Free-will they have for Free-will followes Grace as the Shadow doth the Body so farre as we are restored to Adams condition so farre we have Adams Free-will Therefore we maintaine Free-will in the Regenerate and as farre as thou art Regenerate thou hast Free-will thou mayest doe more than thou doest Therefore doe not sit downe and say I cannot doe it for thou mayest doe it and if thou hast but a little strength thou mayest improve and husband it as well as any other talent and it shall increase and grow in thee Last of all you will say But what use is there of this doctrine to tell us that we are New Creatures and God must make us New Creatures and he must beget us by the Word of Truth What use is there of it Very great use One great use of it is this if we doe not thus hold with God that we are dependant upon him and know that it is he that wrought that worke we should be but in the state of Adam Now this is the great advantage we have by the Gospell we have not a stocke in our owne hands but are kept by the power of God to salvation Otherwise if it were true that we take Grace and refuse it according to libertie of will you must know this will consequently follow on it if thou canst take it out of liberty of will thou mayest let it goe againe never any man holds one but he holds the other also I say thou may'st fall from it againe Now if thou mayest take it and fall from it againe thou art as Adam was how miserable then is thy condition But by this doctrine that we are in Christ that Christ hath made us New Creatures that the worke hath beene begun by him and we are now committed to his keeping we are in another condition than we had in Adam Againe there is this end of this doctrine if this doctrine were not preached thou wouldest goe about a worke which thou wouldest never be able to performe for if thou hast this opinion I may doe it out of liberty of wil thou wilt goe about a worke without strength thou wilt goe about to leape over a great ditch with a short staffe Now when a man will not seeke to God the worke lyes undone he that will not be strong by Gods strength shal not be strong when thou art taught it is God that doth it it will teach thee to goe to God and Christ and pray them to doe it and so the worke will be done to thine hand which before could never have beene done Againe if thou couldest take Christ and come in thou wouldest be lesse beholding to Christ and so love thy selfe and be lesse humble On the other side when thou seest thou hast nothing thou wilt doe as wives who seeing they have nothing no beauty they love their husbands better all the dayes of their life Why doth Christ presse it so I have loved you and you have not loved me I have taken you and you have not taken me It is a great matter when the wife saith I have tooke you I have chosen you I loved you we cannot argue thus with CHRIST for CHRISTS Memento is ever and anon I have loved you and not you me Last of all this use you may make of it learne to depend on Christ with much feare to take heed of putting off the worke when hee calls take heed of denying him if the other doctrine were true you might be bold to put off your Repentance but take heed of that when it is God that workes in you when God must doe it and he doth when he lists when it is the Spirit that doth it and it breathes when and where it lists
this doe without wind Is not the Spirit the wind What are Organs without breath there is no musike made And what is all our preaching when the Spirit is absent That is all in all indeed it is the sword of the Spirit but what is it without the Almighty hand of God It is said of one who hearing that Scanderbegs sword had done such and such strange workes would needs see it and sent for the sword when he saw the sword he said he saw no such matter in it Is this the sword that hath done all this Scanderbeg sent him word again I have sent the sword but not the Arme that handled it So the Word we preach to you is but the Sword of God God lends you the Sword many times when he keepes the Arme to himselfe It may be you have not seene so great things done by it as we tell you of That it is the Power of God to salvation that it is that Word of Truth that begets men againe the reason is because God reserves the Arme to himselfe Therefore when you come to heare as you have the Sword pray earnestly that the Arme may goe together with the Sword that God will make it lively and mighty in operation to cut downe your lusts to pierce as a two-edged sword dividing betweene the bones and the marrow the joynts and the spirit that is that you may know your selves better than you did before And all this use you may make of this that you are Creatures and no man can make you New Creatures It is God must doe it The end of the Sixth Sermon THE SEVENTH SERMON VPON THE NEW CREATVRE 2 Cor. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature BVt you will object GOD workes in us the deed even every deed so that a man hath not Free-will after he is Regenerate To this we answer that so farre as his grace and the strength he hath goes so far he is able to keepe the Commandements of God by vertue of a generall concourse It is not denied that a man cannot move his hand nor doe any action without the generall concourse of God but that God never denyes but as he gives the Creature ability so he vouchsafes a generall concourse to it As it is true in that so in all actions of grace a man cannot doe any thing without a concourse But when a man hath grace there be two things wherein a man hath need of speciall supervenient helpe from God First when he is called to doe a worke which is above the strength he hath received here must be more strength there must be a new addition for the worke goes beyond the strength As a childe may goe on plaine ground but if you will have him goe up a paire of staires you must lend him your helpe So a Christian may doe actions proportionable to the grace he hath received yet being called to somewhat above that pitch he must have a new helpe from God Secondly when a man is assaulted by a temptation beyond the strength he hath received here needs strength beyond his owne to hold him up A childe may stand alone but if one thrusts him you must hold him up else he fals so the Lord must put under his hand and we must have helpe above that we have received but otherwise the position is true so farre as we are regenerate so farre we have Free-will which followes grace So much life as we have so farre we may move and stirre our selves And in these cases it is true that we need more helpe from God beyond the grace wee have received The fifth thing to be observed is the order first in Christ and then a New Creature out of which we are briefly to observe this Let no man looke for Sanctification before he is justified that is Let no man be discouraged from comming to Christ because he finds not in himselfe that godly sorrow for sinne that ability to repent that disposition of heart which he desires to have for a New Creature followes it we must first be in Christ before we can be New Creatures And this is a common fault among us we will faine have something before we come we thinke Gods pardons are not free but we must bring something in our hand You know the Proclamation runs thus Buy without money that is come without any excellencie at all because we are commanded to come and take the water of life freely Therefore doe not say I have a sinfull disposition and an hard heart and cannot mourne for sinne as I should therefore I will stay till that be done it is all one as if thou should'st say I must go to the Physitian but I will have my wounds well and my disease healed first and when that is done I will goe to the Physitian What is thy end of going to him but to have thy disâ—â—se healed Doest thou thinke to have thy disease healed before I say it is the same folly The end of going to Christ is that this very hardnesse of thy heart may be taken away that this very deadnesse of spirit may be removed that thou mayest be enlivened and quickned and healed that thou mayest hate sinne for he is thy Physitian looke not for it before-hand thou must first be in Christ before thou canst be a New Creature Againe if we must first be in Christ before we can be New Creatures if that be the order if that be the motive and the thing that carries us on then let us be content to use the motive that God useth The Papists propound other motives to good workes they tell them they shall have heaven and escape damnation for them Is this a good reason to move men to good workes But the course of Scripture is otherwise Thou art in Christ he is thine therefore be a New Creature consider what he hath done for thee therefore labour to turne to him againe Consider what thou hadst beene without him what thou hast by him and by that stirre up thy selfe to doe for him what he requires Therefore the Apostle comming to answer that question If grace abound why doth not sinne abound why doth not a man sinne more He doth not say you shall have these and these motives to draw you from sin but he tels them whosoever is in Christ is dead to sinne and if you be dead to it how shall you live therein If you be in Christ you will be New Creatures there needs no other motive to make you so And so much for this because we will hasten to the point we intend to handle at this time If any man be in Christ let him be a New Creature The last point wee are to observe in this Text is That to be in Christ is the ground of all Salvaâ—tion That is of all the priviledges we have and of all the graces we have for
man what 2 73 Old man must be mortified 2 83 Old nature to be abhorred 2 114 Old custome wee are redeemed from 2 122 All that is Old must bee pulled downe 2 127 Grace takes not away Nature but the Oldnesse of it 2 129 Omission Sinnes of Omission 1 73 Omission of acts ibid. Omission of graces 1 75 Omission of occasions ibid. Opinion Opinion advanceth the Creature in our thoughts 1 266 Originall sinne Originall sinne 1 40 Originall sinne how it is one sinne and many 1 42. How it is privative and positive ibid. Actuall sinne leads us to Originall 1 103 Others Sinne excused from the badnesse of Others 1 106 Successe of Others with God should encourage us 2 29.3 21 Outward Men fare not the worse in Outward things for holinesse 2 43 Overcome To Overcome what 3 76 P Parents NAture received from Parents 2 96 Passeover Passeover why eaten with sowre herbes 1 25 Peace Peace one benefit by Christ 3 75 Pearle Zealous men Pearles 1 287 Personall Men condemned for their Personall sinnes 1 39 Perswade Hard to Perswade men in Divinitie 1 45 Perfect Of Perfect walking with God 1 260 Pleasant That which is natural is pleasant 2 110 Plentie Plentie one priviledge by Christ 3 74 Portion God is a Christians Portion 3 85 Poore Out of Christ we are Poore 2 209 To be Poore What 2 210 Power Power of Gods wrath 1 115 Practise Practise sets the Truth at liberty 1 173 Want of Practise of known truths a great sinne 1 200 Prayer prayer sets the Truth at libertie 1 172 Prayer stops Gods wrath 1 301 Prayer unites us more to Christ 2 180 Preaching The Ministers businesse in preaching 2 156 To see how the Word workes in the Preaching of it 2 164 Pride Pride of the will of man 1 50 Prize New Creature how to be Prized 2 79 See Christ. Priviledges Priviledges of a Christian reall 2 219 Prophane Difference betweene civill men and Prophane 1 127 Professe Truth not Professed is unrighteously detained 1 211 Pronenesse Pronenesse to sinne no excuse of it 1 29 Promise Promise of God should incourage us to pray 2 22 Punishment Punishment of with-holding the Truth in unrighteousnesse 1 138 Purpose Good Purposes in extremitie seldome true 2 99 Good Purposes nothing without change of nature 2 102 Q Qualitie NEw Qualitie infused in sanctification 2 71 New Qualitie what ibid. R Reason TRansubstantiation against Reason 3 11 Record Sins committed remaine on Record 1 277 Recreation Recreation too much used is an impediment 1 208 Reformation Reformation must be joyned with fasting 1 250 Reformation a remedie against Gods wrath 1 280 Relapse Relapse into sinne 1 28 Relish See Knowledge Religion Religion impaired by the neglect of the Sabbath 1 256 Reluctancie Reluctancie in the Saints when they sinne 2 134 Remaine Sinnes Remaine in Gods people 2 90 Remember Remembrance Memory corrupt in that wee ought to Remember 1 53 Conscience corrupt as it is a Remembrancer 1 55 End of the Sacrament to bring Christ to Remembrance 3 4 Renewed How to get our natures Renewed 2 116 Reprobation Election and Reprobation how frustrate 2 150 Rest. Men prone to Rest in duties 1 249 Rest a motive to take Christ 2.186.3 68 Restraine Conscience corrupted in its Restraining power 1 56 Riches Riches for what end they serve 2 210 Riches of a Christian is Christ 3 77 Riches by Christ what 3 78 Riches the property of them 3 80 Righteousnesse Righteousnesse of Christ imputed 1 39 See Iustifie S Sabbath SAbbath ought to be sanctified 1 255 Antiquitie of keeping the Sabbath 1 256 Vsefulnesse of keeping the Sabbath ibid. Sacrament Sacrament a seale of the Covenant 2 22.3 15 Sacrament the end of it 2 25.3 4 Sacrifice Two things in Sacrifice 2 86 Salvation Being in Christ the ground of all Salvation 2 171 He that beleeveth hath Salvation 2 197 Damnation and Salvation of great moment 2 199 God desires mans Salvation 3 20 Sanctification Iustification and Sanctification inseparable 2 4.17 Sanctification how it riseth from Iustification 2 5 Sanctification what 2 13 Incouragements to pray for Sanctification 2 22 Sanctification the necessity of it 2 33 Sanctification how to prise it 2 36 Not to challenge Iustification without Sanctification 2 44 Cloathing of the soule in Sanctification 3 95 Satisfie Spirituall food Satisfieth 3 89 Seales Two Seales 3 19.54 Schoole-master The Law a Schoole-master how 1 11 Scripture Gods truth manifested in the Scripture 1 182 Transubstantiation against Scripture 3 13 Secrets Secrets of God not knowne by carnall men 1 154 Selfe-love Selâ—e-love sanctified 2 13 Sense The new life hath new Senses 2 40 Present Sense a signe of the New Creature 2 49 Transubstantiation against Sense 3 10 Sensible Sensiblenesse of conscience lost 1 56 Spirituall things Sensible 2 220 Sensitive appetite Sensitive appetite corrupted 1 58 Selves Men must be humbled to know them Selves 1 14 Serve One part of the covenant to Serve Christ 3 25 Wearinesse in Serving sin 3 69 Short See Naturall Sinne. Sinnes thought to bee lesse than they be 1 27 Sinne aggravated by circumstances 1 89 Difference in Sinnes 1 96 Sinne wee should labour to see what it is 1 118 Frequencie of Sinne argues want of faith 1 255 Difference of men in regard of Sinnes 1 281 Zeale against Sinne 1 290 Striving against Sinne 2 53 Turning from Sinne a part of the Covenant 3 25 See Personall and Wrath. Sincerity Sincerity wanting in carnall mens actions 1 159 Sincerity little at the first 2 113 Sicknesse Sin the Sicknesse of the soule 3 71 Sleepe Sinne seemes dead when it is a Sleepe 2 85 Small Men excuse sinnes by thinking Them Small 1 230 No sinne Small and why 1 282 Species Hatred sets against the whole Species 1 290 Spirit Good things in evill men wrought by the Spirit 1 144 Morall vertues the gifts of the Spirit 1 158 Worke of the Spirit in sanctification 2 5 Spirit workes holinesse 2 21 Sorrow Sorrow corrupted 1 67 Sinne excused by pretended Sorrow 1 233 Soule Matters of the Soule of great moment 2 199 Soule to bee regarded especially 2 200 T Taking TAking of Christ what 2 185.3 24 No losse by Taking of Christ 2 222 Two things should invite us to Take Christ 3 45 Taught Nature cannot be Taught 2 97 Temptation The lesse Temptation the greater the sinne 1 95 Sinne excused from Temptation 1 227 Evill men doe good for want of Temptation 2 135 Thanke See Truth Thoughts Thoughts corrupted 1 68 Thoughts the importance of them 1 69 Thoughts of two sorts 1 91 Thirst. Thirst satisfied in Christ 2 202 What Thirst heal'd in the Saints 2 204 Transubstantiation Arguments against Transubstantiation 3 3 Fathers not distinct against Transubstantiation 3 66 Transubstantiation set abroach by Damascene 3 67 Transubstantiation brought into England 3 68 Treasure Gods wrath a Treasure 1 273 Trust. Trust in God the nature of it 1 258 Truth Truth with-held in