order the baser part doth not rule the higher but the higher part of the soule a sanctified judgement rules all because the whole is in right judgement therefore sanctification is called judgement and other courses though they be never so fashionable are but madnesse and folly and disorder in the censure of the Scripture nothing is judgement and true wisedome but sanctification and obedience flowing from sanctification Therefore saith Moses in Deuteronomie Then shall you be knowne to bee a wise people when you obey the Lawes that I have given you onely that shewes a wise judicious man to be obedient to Gods truth by the Spirit sanctifying him Without the truth of God and the Spirit in us framing our soules answerable to the truth we are out of all good order For then the affections that should bee ruled rule us then the body and the lusts of the body rule the soule and the Divell rules by both what a shamefull disorder is this when a man shall be ruled by the Divell and his owne lusts that he should treade under feete and trample upon and this is the state of all that have not this judgement in them that have not the word of God written in their hearts bowing and bending them by the Spirit of God to spirituall obedience to proove this J will name but one place among many Titus 3. â— hee shewes the state of all men that are not brought into subjection by this judgement by the Word and Spirit of truth We our selves saith he were sometimes foolish and disobedient till this judgement is set up in us wee are foolish in our understandings and disobedient in our wills and affections deceived and misled by the Divell and our owne lusts for that followes upon folly those that are foolish and disobedient are deceived and led away to eternall destruction There is a way that seemes good in a mans owne eyes but the issues of it are death saith Salomon this is the state of all men that are not led with the judgement of Gods truth and Spirit sanctifying and framing their soules to obedience they are foolish and disobedient and deceived and so it will proove with them in the end Serving diverse lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hating one another Now when God by his blessed Truth and Spirit sets up his rule in the heart it brings all into captivity as Saint Paul saith it brings all the inner man into subjection The Word of God is the weapon of God these judgements are mighty in operation together with the Spirit to beate downe all strong holds and to set up another judgement there it brings all into captivity to the truth and command of God and to the motions of the Spirit the Word and Spirit beate downe all the strong holds that are raised up in the heart by Satan and our corruptions so wee see here what is meant by this phrase Hee shall declare judgement to the Gentiles It is a militant word therefore J have stood somewhat the longer in unfolding of it Now this is wrought by the preaching of the Gospell Hee shall declare judgement to the Gentiles all grace comes by declaring The Gospell is the power of God to salvation Let but the Gospell which is Gods judgement how men shall be saved and how they shall walke in obedience by way of thankefullnesse to God be declared and all that belong to God shall come in and yeeld homage to it and bee brought in subjection The Divell in the Antichristian state knowes this well enough therefore he labours to hinder the declaration of judgement by all meanes he will not have Gods judgements but mens traditions declared he knowes the declaring of Gods judgements will breed an alteration quickly in mens dispositions For when hee saith Hee shall declare judgement to the Gentiles he meanes the consequent as well as the thing he shall so declare judgement that they shall yeeld spirituall obedience and come in and be saved Let the Divell doe his worst let all seducers of soules doe their worst if they would but give way to the preaching of the Gospell let but judgement be declared let Gods arme be stretched forth in delivering the truth hee would soone gaine soules out of the captivity and bondage of Satan they know it well enough therfore by all the wayes they can they stop the preaching of the Gospell and disgrace and hinder it and set up mens traditions instead of the Gospell but I will not inlarge my selfe farther upon these wordes but goe on to the next Hee shall not strive nor cry neither shall any man heare his voice in the streetes These wordes set downe the mild and sweete and amiable manner of Christs carriage upon earth here in his first comming to worke the great worke of our redemption he did not carry the matter in an outward glorious manner in pompe but he would have his miracles concealed oft times and himselfe hidden his God-head was hid under the vaile of his Manhood he could not have wrought our salvation else if the divell and the world had knowne Christ to be as he was they would never have made those attempts against him therefore considering he had such a dispensation to work our salvation as a King Priest and Prophet he would not cry and contend and strive hee would not come with any great noise Now here is an opposition to the giving of the law and likewise to the comming and carriage of civill Princes You know when the Law was given all the mount was on fire and the earth thereabout quaked and trembled and the people fled they could not indure to heare the voice of God speaking in the mount there was such a terrible smoake and fire they were all affraid thus came Moses now did Christ come as Moses was the Gospell delivered by Christ as the law was in terrors and feares Oh no Christ came not in such a terrible manner in thunder and lightning but the Gospell it came sweetly A Dove a mild creature lit upon the head of Christ when he was Baptised to shew his mild manner of carriage and he came with blessing in his mouth in his first Sermon of all Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are they that mourne blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse The Law came with curses Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the law to doe them Christ came in another manner the Gospell was delivered in a mild sweete manner Christ as an Ambassador came sweetly to intreat and beseech there is a crying indeed but it is a crying out of love and intreaty not a shouting in a terrible manner as was at the giving of the law no nor as at the comming of other civill Princes into a citie with shouting and noise of trumpets with pompe and state and great attendants Christ came not into the world to execute his kingdome and
God gets the victory of whatsoever opposeth him If there be snares offered from the world he withstands them if Satan come with his temptations he resists him he hath a promise for it resist the Divell and hee will flee Let us hold out and we shall get the victory and overcome even God himselfe how much more all other things Therefore when either opposition without or indisposition within sets upon us in the course of Religion and Piety let us thinke here now is time and place for violence I know if I set my selfe about it J shall have the victory and the Crowne A Christian is alway in a hopefull state and condition he hath somewhat to encourage him he hath arguments to prevaile over the state of opposition he knowes he shall winne all at last if he goe on and that makes him couragious in what estate soever he is Let us not be discouraged to heare of opposition And let us be incouraged when we heare of good things when we heare that the Kingdome of Heaven and grace is offered in the preaching of the Gospell Let us attend upon the posts of wisdomes doores and not give over till we come to peaâ—â— of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost If wee heare of comfort in the Word of God against distresse of conscience let us never give over till we finde it If we heare that God is a God hearing Prayer let us never leave knocking at Heaven Gate never leave wrastling till our prayers be heard when we heare what ill is to be avoided and what good is offered let us not cease till we avoid the one and obtaine the other The violent take it by force The last point is the date of time from whence this Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence From the daies of Iohn Baptist untill now Was there not a Kingdome of Heaven that suffered violence before Iohn Baptists time did the Kingdome of God begin then was Christ a King and was Heaven opened onely then I answer no but now the things of God were more gloriously discovered therefore Iohn 1.51 Henceforth you shall see Heaven opened The Kingdome of Heaven was opened now by the preaching of the Gospell more gloriously then before Therefore the state of the Gospell is called the Kingdome of Heaven partly in regard of the times before and partly in regard of the times after The Law was full of servile bondage to Ceremonies it was a heavie darke state they were laden with a multitude of Ceremonies which were but cold things to the spirit of a man that desires peace though they were Ceremonies of Gods appointing yet they were but outward empty things in comparison weake and beggarly elements as the Apostle saith Gal. 4.9 They were costly and painefull and cold things that had not the efficacie of spirit in them And secondly then it was entayled to the Jewes onely Now since Christs time it is enlarged and being more large and free this blessed estate is called a Kingdome Iohn Baptist now opening Christ clearely and a better state then the Church had yet enjoyed when people saw an end of the Ceremonies and the beginning of the glorious liberty in Christ this made them violently set on them Againe Iohn Baptist made way for Christ levelling the soules of men by his powerfull preaching and his holy life he taught them in what need they stood of Christ hee was the messenger sent before Christ for that end he was as the morning Starre to the Sun hee was powerfull in his preaching and holy in his life he told every man his owne he told the Pharisees that they were a generation of vipers he shewed men their state by nature and told them of a better state that the Kingdome of Heaven was at hand and although he wrought no miracles yet himselfe was a miracle to teach such holy doctrine and to live an austere holy life in those evill daies it was no lesse then a miracle therefore this violence to the Kingdome of Heaven it hath the date from Iohn Baptists time from his preaching not from his birth he being so excellent a preacher no wonder there should be violence This shewes the reason why the Gospell in later times was imbraced so greedily when Luther began to preach alas people had beene in a worse condition then Jewish in respect of Ceremonies and otherwise foolish idle men they will set God to schole they will have some fooleries alway that they will make as much of as of the worship of God and so it had beene in the times before Luther In Saint Austins time he was pestered with many vaine ceremonies and good man he yeelded to the streame and custome in many things though he could hardly indure the slavery of those things Now when the times grew better it was no wonder that the world imbraced the Gospell with violence as in Luthers time when there was a freedome proclaimed from those beggarly rudiments and traditions Antichrist had hampered the consciences of men with an intollerable masse of foolish groundlesse ceremonies making them equall with the Word of God as wee see in the Counsell of Trent and this vexed the consciences of people like scorpions as it is Rev. 9.5 they oppressed the people with a multitude of weights and burthens which when people could not assent unto it stung their consciences No wonder then if people thronged after Luther when he opened the doctrine of free justification by faith that the consciences of men were not to be hampered with these things He taught that Gods people were only to have a few ceremonies for present order but for the rest to trouble mens consciences and to make them of equall valew with the Word of God he shewed it was an abhominable doctrine and wrote against it learnedly and sweetly and therefore it is no marvell though the truths he taught were soone and chearefully by multitudes embraced And the reason why now the Gospell begins to be so little imbraced and esteemed is because by reason of the long continuance of it we are weary of this heavenly Manna As the people in Saint Iohn Baptists time as eager as they were after Iohns preaching yet it was but for a time that they rejoyced in his light they grew weary of him we never felt the burthen of those Romish Ceremonies and therefore now grow weary of our liberty whereas in the beginning of Luthers time because they were eased from many beggarly and which is worse tyrannicall ceremonies of Rome therefore with much joy and eagernesse they embraced the truth when it came to be preached amongst them Therefore we are to praise God for the liberty of the Church at this time that we have the Word of God to rule our consciences and that other matters are not pressed on us but as matters of decencie and order Alas if wee were in bondage to those proud Popish
themselves and others God must be served according to his Counsell or Will as hee hath discovered himselfe in his word for service is nothing but an action done with an eye to the will of another for if a man doth an action that one would have him do if hee do it not with respect to his command it is no obedience nor service he that hath not some care in the act it is no obedience As the Civill Law saith infringit obedientiam c. it breaks from the nature of obedience that hath no cause for it he must know his reason at the least there is the command of the superiour must bee a reason and ground for what hee doth in all his obedience and service Therefore there is a like necessity of the word of God as of his service for what Master will bee served according to the will of his servant why doth the Scripture mislike will-worship worship that is according to our owne will because there in wee make our selves God we serve ourselves and not God Wee must not serve God as wee would bee loath to be served our selves wee would be loath to haâ—e a servant complement with cap and knee and then do as he list himselfe and so for us to come and complement with God to heare his word as if wee would be directed by him to kneele and pray to him for fashion and then all our life after to do as we list It is a delusion to say we serve God unlesse we serve him according to his Will Therefore there must be a rule of our service and that rule is the written word of God There was a time when the word of God was not written and then God discovered his Will by dreames and visions and many other wayes but when the world was enlarged and man-kind spread further traditions from hand to hand was not a fit means and way to deliver truths because it was subject to corruption God therefore would deliver his Will how he would be â—erved in writing and God sanctified this course and gave credit to it by his owne example writing his owne Law with his own finger The ten Commandements were written by God himselfe God was the first Preacher and the first writer he was the first Preacher he preached the Gospell to Adam in Paradice and the first writer the tenne Commandements being written by God himselfe Now wee have the written word of God to be our rule how God must be served an exact and perfect rule I will not speak by way of controversie I hope we are grounded well enough but by way of direction for a godly life Gods Will is a sufficient rule What is requisite in a Rule First a rule must be cleere and open that it may bee made use of by those that are to bee regulated by it therefore we say The secret will of God can be no rule because it is secret That which is a rule must bee manifest and open therefore the revealed will of God that every one may see that is our rule Wee may crosse Gods secret will and do well and wee may serve it and yet do ill A Father may pray for his childs life and may crosse the secret will of God and yet doth well God allowes bowels in Fathers A wicked man may do according to Gods secret will and yet sin therefore that was not the rule of Davids service nor cannot be of ours Secret things belong to God but revealed things to us and our children saith blessed Moses The will of God as it is discovered must be the rule of our actions A rule must be open or else it is no rule Againe the rule by which we must lead our lives it must bee infallible not subject to error for then it cannot be the rule of our service The Word of God is an infallible rule it cannot deceive because it is the Word of God men wrote it indeed but it was God that dictated it the finger writes but the head dictates holy men wrote it according as they were guided be the holy Ghost The will of any man cannot be the rule of any mans service further than it is agreeable to the first rule why because it is subject to errour and mistake That which must be the constant rule of a mans life it must not be as popish traditions and the like it must be infallible now the word of God is so it is infallible a man may erre and be a man and a good man too but God cannot erre and be God the word of God cannot bee false and bee the word of God therefore it is an infallible rule When this is applied to any creature it is a Grand lie and the foundation of misery in that Church this is the first lie in the Church of Rome That the Church consisting of a company of men cannot erre what a horrible absurdity is this to make the will of man the rule that the Church cannot erre that Popery cannot erre though they erre egregiously they account rebellion service and make traitors merit c. But are our Tenents subject to such grosse things No we make the rule of obedience the infallible word of God that cannot erre To attribute that of that which cannot erre to that which can erre it is a horrible absurditie but I will not enter into controversies Againe that which is a rule must be perfect in commensuration in measure it must be of equall extent to all things that are to bee ruled Now the things that are to be ruled is our whole carriage and conversation therefore that that is the rule for a man it must rule his thoughts his speeches and actions so the word of God it rules the whole carriage of a man There is a proportion between the rule and all things that are to bee ruled by it all things fall under the word of God to bee directed and ruled by it It gives direction to our thoughts to our speeches to our actions in our callings it gives direction to Magistrates to Ministers to Masters to Servants to all estates and conditions in life in death It is exceeding large as David saith All things come to an end but thy Commandements are exceeding large It is a rule that extends to all things that are to bee ruled whatsoever no other rule but Gods will doth so for mens lawes they have nothing to do with thoughts thought is free for them Againe a rule must bee authenticall what is that It must be credited for it selfe it must have authority of and for it selfe and not depend upon another if it bee the first rule Indeed there be subordinate rules there is a rule ruled and a rule ruling mens lawes the Magistrates will it is a rule ruled by a higher rule and as long as it so it is a good rule but there must bee a rule ruling above all
but they either resist them or quench them and wrong and grieve the Spirit as Saint Paul saith Greive not the Spirit of God whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption Ephes. 5. Men speake or doe somewhat that grieves the Spirit of God in them their conscience being enlightned by the Spirit tels them that they have done that which is naught yet notwithstanding for this or that advantage to please this or that company they will speake or doe that which is ill and then the Spirit that was given in some measure before is grieved at this carnall and sinnefull liberty Therefore if yee would be guided by the Spirit of Christ take heed of all these and of such like courses Another meanes whereby we may come to obtaine the Spirit is Prayer to bee guided by the Spirit of Christ next to Christ himselfe our Saviour is the most excellent thing in the world therefore it is worth the begging and getting Luke 11.13 How much more shall your heavenly Father give his holy Spirit to them that aske him Insinuating that wee can aske nothing greater then the Spirit A man that hath a sanctified judgement next the forgivenesse of his sins through Christ hee begs nothing more then the Spirit to witnesse the favour of God in Christ and to fit him for other favours especially to fit us for the world to come God can give nothing greater nor we can beg nothing greater if wee have sanctified judgements then the Spirit of God therefore let us have a high esteeme of the holy Spirit of the motions of it and out of an high esteeme in our hearts beg of God the guidance of the Spirit that he would leade us by his Spirit and subdue our corruptions that wee may not bee lead by our owne lusts and so consequently by Satan that leads us by our owne lusts in the way that leads to perdition So much for that I will put my Spirit c. And he shall shew judgement to the Gentiles After Christ was fully furnished as he was furnished with the Spirit of God and with a commission from Heaven from Father Sonne and Holy Ghost having this high commission and gifts for it by the Spirit he fals upon his office presently we are never fit for any thing till wee have the Spirit and when we have the Spirit it is active and vigorous and working He shall shew judgement to the Gentiles What is meant by judgement here By judgement is meant lawes hee shall declare his lawes his truth and together with declaring the truth of the Gospell which is his Evangelicall law hee shall declare it in the soule and bow the neck of the inward man to the obedience of this his judgement Christ then by himselfe and his Apostles and Ministers shall declare his truth which is the scepter of his governement to the Gentiles and not onely declare it as Princes doe their lawes by Proclamations and Statutes c. but hee shall declare it to the heart by his Spirit Now in the hebrew language ordinarily wise governement is called judgement hee shall declare judgement that is his manner of governement he shall declare it by his Spirit and cause our Spirits to submit to it And indeed grace is called judgement in the phrase of Scripture the grace of sanctification because it is agreeable to judgement to Gods law it is agreeable to it and wrought by it in the soule and it is the best judgement for grace whereby the soule is subject to the judgement and law and rule of God it must needs be the best judgement because it is agreeable to Gods judgement grace judgeth aright of things and subdues all things the affections and inward man to it selfe But why is the word of God called judgement It is called so frequently in the Psalmes and in other places of Scripture because the truth of God shewes what God doth judge Judgement is originally in God who is the first truth and the first good the first truth judgeth best of truthes what is light and what is darkenesse what is truth and what is error what is good and what is ill what is safe and what is dangerous all will grant that God is the first light and the firâ—t truth therefore hee doth originally judge of the difference of things for even as in the creation he put an eternall difference betweene light and darkenesse and severed things that were in the confuseâ— Chaos and established an orderly world that Heaven should be above and earth below that one thing should be above another and all in judgement So in the governing of man-kinde he shewes his judgement by his word and that word shewes how God judgeth of things Lawes shew judgement what is to be done and what is not to be done The Gospell shewes Gods judgement what he will have us beleeve and hope for and how wee must carry our selves in way of thankefullnesses if we doe this then the Gospell the word of God judgeth what shall become of us wee shall be saved if we doe the contrary the word againe judgeth what our state shall be wee shall be damned so it is called judgement because it judgeth what is good and what is ill and because it determineth what shall become of us if we obey or disobey Hereupon it is that the word of God is a glasse wherein we may see our owne condition infallibly what will become of us the Word of God judgeth thus he that lives in such and such sinnes shall come to this end God will inflict these and these judgements upon him Iudgement in the first place is you shall doe this and this because it is good Iudgement in the second place is because you have not done this this shall befall you so the Evangelicall judgement of the Gospell is this He that repents and beleeves shall not perish but have everlasting life but he that armes and furnisheth his heart to rebellion he shall perish in his sinnes He that believeth not is condemned allready the wrath of God hangs over his head So from this that Gods truth is called judgement we may know how to judge of our selves even as God judgeth in his Word wee may see our owne faces and conditions there hee that is a man of death may see it in the Word and he that is appointed for happinesse may there see his condition Againe not onely the Word of God the Gospell which is out of us in the booke of God is called judgement but the worke of God in the soule Sanctification is called judgement hence we may observe what is the most judicious course in the world the most judicious frame of soule when it is framed to the judgement and truth of God being the first truth When a man is sanctified and set in a holy frame it is from a sanctified judgement the flesh is subject to the Spirit heere is all in a gratious
Heathens were hardened and given up to destruction The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against them because they lived in a course of rebellion against the light of nature shall you that have the light of nature and the word of God and the motions of his Spirit too thinke to live in rebellion and not be accomptable for it It shall be easier for them that never heard of the word of God where God hath magnified his mercy he will exalt judgement those that are lâ—ft up to Heaven in priviledges shall be cast downe to hell Woe unto thee Capernaum c. The more in priviledges the more in judgement if they be abused Againe another particular sin whereby wee may discerne a judgement comming is unfruitfulnesse under the meanes as the fig-tree when it was digged and dunged and yet was unfruitfull then it was â—eare a curse Jn Heb. 6. the groud that is tilled and manured and hath the raine falling on it it is then neare unto cursing if it bring not forth Perhaps a Heathen a Pagan if hee were under the meanes would bee fruitfull therefore there might be hope of him but those that are under the meanes under the Sun-shine of the Gospell under the influence of it the Spirit working on their hearts and yet they live in the sin of unfruitfullnesse it makes way for judgement The axe is laid to the roote when men are taught then the instrument of vengeance is laid to the roote and downe they goe if they bring not forth good fruit Sinnes of omission when that all hath beene taught are sufficient to bring a man to judgement At the last judgement you have not visited me in prison you have not releeved the poore c. will be evidence enough to cast a man into hell And the like may be said of the omission of other duties when a man is called to place when he hath opportunity to doe good hee hath a price in his hand and yet hath no heart to lay it out to his power God hath made him a steward and yet he is unfruitfull and labours to undermine and ruine the state of others What can such a man looke for but the judgement of God to light on him first or last if not present judgement on his body yet to be given up to hardnesse of heart and so to hell which is worst of all Nay more decay in our first love is a forerunner of judgement when we love not God as we were wont In Rev. 3. I will take away thy Candlesticke because thou hast left thy first love Is there not such a plenty and depth in good things especially of the Gospell whereby our sinnes are pardoned and grace is given is there not that sweetnesse in them whereby to gaine our love more and more Is there not a necessity to renew our peace Why should we decay in our love The things of the Gospell are so excellent and so necessary that when God sees them undervalued it is a forerunner of judgement let us take heed of decay in our affections When there is no zeale for the truth it is an ill signe Jt is a good signe for the present that God hath some blessing for us that now in our publique meetings there is regard to Religion and that in the first place there is some zeale for the cause of God against those that would wrong the cause of Religion wee have some cause to hope in respect of that And let every one laboâ—r to stirre up the Spirit of God and study how he may doe and receive good and be fruitfull and warme in his affections considering what excellent blessings we enjoy in the â—ospell What is the glory of the kingdome we live in above Popâ—ry our religion that wee have the sun-shine of the Gospell now the riches of Christ are unfolded wee have the key of Heaven Heaven opened what glorious times are those The glory of the times is the manifestation of the Gospell and shall we grow in the decay of our love â—s there â—ot cause to grow in love to the Gospell when God hath taken it from others and hath given â—â— to us Now Jdolatâ—y is where true Religion was and the Masse is said where God was religiously worshipped in other places and countries Shall God deale so with us and shall we not be in love with that truth Since we have had the truth what peace and plenty have we had And if ever we loose it it will goe with other things if God take away the truth away goes our peace and prosperity he will not take it away alone it came not alone and he will not take it away alone Doubtlesse it must needes make way for judgement when our love to so precious a jewell as the Gospell shall beginne to die and decay when we shall begin to slight and disregard it And so for any particular man that hath had good things in him if they now begin to decay it is an ill signe that God is fiting him for judgement Well but what shall we doe when judgements are comming Wee see judgements are like to come nay are in part come the Plague of pestilence hath ceazed on us already and then warre is threatned and that by enemies that have beene foyled before Foyled enemies are dangerous enemies if they bee proud Now wee have proud enemies that have beene foyled and Idolatrous withall and what mercy can wee looke for from them God fought against them for us from Heaven in some measure and they being cruell provoked enemies are the lesse likely to shew any mercy God is indeed so mercifull to us yet that he hath taken us into his owne hands rather then to give us up to the malice and fury of Idolatrous enemies But yet those that can lay things together and consider the times they shall see there is more cause of feare then is taken to heart Well and in this case what shall we doe First in the interim betweene the threatning and the execution there are some judgements in the cloud and the storme seemes to hang oâ—ver us and the sword of the pestilence is drawn over our heads by the destroying Angell though he hath not yet striken us in our particular now in the time betweene the threatning and the execution Oh improove it make use of this little time get into Covenant with God hide your selves in the providence and promises of God make your peace deferre it no longer And secondly mourne for the sinnes of the time that when any judgement shall come you may be marked with those that mourne Take heed of the errours and sins of the times least when a judgement comes you bee swept away in the generall judgement but let us rather have our part with those that mourne that God may give us our lives for a prey And thirdly be watchfull practise that duty we have the plague to put us in
minde of it besides the threatning of dangers by enemies abroad if we will not watch now and stand upon our guard when will we Let us be watchfull to doe all the good we can to bee fruitfull to be good stewards to have large hearts The time may come that we may be stripped of all and we know not how soone having but a little time let us doe good in it study all opportunities in these times roufe up our sluggish soules Feare it is awaking affection Iaakob when his brother Esau was ready to ceaze on him he could not sleepe that night We know not how soone the hand and arrow of God may strike us besides other judgements let us shake off Security and doe every thing we doe sincerely to God We may come to God to make our account we know not how soone let us doe every thing as in his presence and to him in our particular callings let us bee conscionable and carefull and fruitfull let us doe all in our places to God and not to the world or to our owne particular gaine but doe it as those that must give account ere long to God Now God threatneth us to come and give our account who can be secure he shall have life for a weeke or for one day Wee cannot our times are in Gods hands we came into the world in his time and we must goe out in his time but now we have lesse cause to hope for long life This is to make a right use of the judgement of God to be watchfull in this kind And withall let us be good husbands now in the interim betweene the threatning and the execution of the judgement let us store up comforts from the promises of God and store up the comforts of a good life we shall have more comfort of the meanes we have bestowed wisely then of that we shall leave behinde us Thus if we doe come what will we are prepared Many holy and heavenly men have beene visited with pestilentiall sickenesse Hezekias was a King and his was a pestilentiall sickenesse and many holy Divines of late and other Christians have beene swept away by the sickenesse Iunius and other rare men of excellent use in the Church Therefore let us labour to get into the favour of God make use of our renewing our covenant for the time to come that is one end of fasting now to renew our covenants to remake them for the time to come and then come what will and welcome life or death for there is a blessing hid in the most loathsome sickenesse and death If wee come to Heaven it is no matter by what way Though the body be sowen in dishonour we may die of a noysome disease that we cannot have our friends neare us yet the body shall rise againe in honour What matter saith Saint Paul If by any meanes I may come to the resurrection of the dead by faire death or foule death it is no matter And if so bee that God make not good his promise of particular protection of our bodies from contagion c. it is no matter wee have a generall promise that he will be our God he is the God of Abraham the God of the dead as well as of the living He is a God that is everlasting in the Covenant of grace in life and death and for ever if wee bee entered into the covenant of grace it holds for ever And when all other promises faile and all things in the world faile sticke to the maine promise of forgivenesse of sinnes and life everlasting When all things in the world will faile wee must leave them shoâ—tly wealth and whatsoever what a comfort is in that grand promise that God will forgive us our sinnes and give us life everlasting for Christ Therefore when all things else are gone let us wrap our selves in the gracious promises of Christ and then wee shall live and dye with comfort FINIS THE DEAD-MAN OR THE STATE OF EVERY Man by nature In one Sermon By the late Reverend and Learned Divine RICHARD SIBS Doctor in Divinity Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAYES INNE JOHN 5.25 Verily verily I say unto you the houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare shall live LONDON Printed by G.M. for Nicholas Bourne and Rapha Harford MDCXXXIX THE DEAD-MAN EPHES. 2.1 And you hath â—ee quickned who were dead in trespasses and sinnes THE matter of this excellent Epistle is partly doctrinall and partly exhortatory as it was S. Paules course in all his Epistles to lay the foundation of practise in doctrine The heart must be mooved but the braine must be instructed first there is a simpathy betweene those two parts as in nature so in grace The doctrinall part of the Epistle sets out the riches of Christ chiefly in the first Chapter in regard of the spring of them Gods eternall election Then in this Chapter by way of comparison by comparing the state of grace to the state of nature You hath hee quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins The dependance of this Verse I take it to be from the 19. Verse of the first Chapter The Apostle there prayes that the Ephesians might have the eye of their understandings opened and enlightned that they might know among other things what the exceeding great power of God is towards us that beleeve According to the working of his mighty power that he wrought in Christ when hee raised him from the dead that they might have experience of that mighty power that raised Christ from the dead Now here in this Chapter he saith They were raised together with Christ and set together with him in heavenly places His reason is in this manner Those that are raised up and quickned with Christ to sit in heavenly places with him have experience of a mighty power But you are raised up and quickned with Christ to sit in heavenly places with him therefore you have experience of a mighty power that raised Christ for those that are raised and quickned with Christ have experience of that power that Christ had when he was raised up The second thing that he intends especially in this Chapter is to shew that being raised with Christ they are brought nearer to God both Iewes and Gentiles that of themselves were farre off Now he shewes that they were raised and quickned with Christ and brought neare to God in Christ that they might magnifie the free grace of God in Christ all is by grace and thereupon to be stirred up to a suteable comfortable and gracious life To come to the words And you hath he quickned c. They are an application of the former comfortable truths to them you hath he quickned c. These words hath he quickned are not in the originall in this place they are after in verse 5. When we were dead in
that is infolded Labour not for the meate that perisheth because it is meate that perisheth In the second there are Arguments prerswasive or inforcing to the duty and they are three The necessity The excellencie The possibility of attaining The necessity it is meate and what so necessary as meate The excellency and that is set forth first by the continuance it is meate that endures Secondly by the fruit or effect of it it is meate that endures to everlasting life it is meate to life and it is meate that tends to an everlasting to a glorious life The possibility of attaining it The Sonne of man shall give it you for him hath the Father Sealed There are three things that must concurre to make a thing attaineable and to be had A willingnesse in the giver Power and strength to give it And then Authority with power Heere are all these heere is will to bestow it he will give it what freer then a gift the Sonne of God became the Sonne of man upon purpose to give it hee will give it and he will give it freely Heere is power and strength to give it for he is the Sonne of God as well as the Sonne of man And then heere is Authority joyned with that power for the Father hath Sealed him The Father that created Heaven and Earth that hath all power in his hands that is King of Kings and Lord of Lords He hath Sealed him Hee hath given him full Commission to bee the Saviour of all that trust in him Christ came not without Authority from God the Father hee came out with Gods broad Seale as his Commission So you see the Arguments both disswasive Labour not for the meate that perisheth and perswasive But for the meate that endureth to everlasting life I shall but touch the former and principally insist upon the latter Branch To speake a little for the explication of the words What is heere meant by the meate that perisheth We must enlarge the sense according to our Saviours meaning By the meate that perisheth hee doth not intend onely outward food but all outward things whatsoever they are the meate that perisheth all earthly and outward things are the foode that the soule of a naturall man feedes upon The soule of a Covetous man feeds upon his money applauding himselfe that he is worth so much and so much The Ambitious man Camelion like feeds upon the ayre upon the ayrie applause of the people The Sensuall man feeds upon base and sensuall pleasures in a word all carnall men naturall men are condemned to that sentence of the Serpent to eate dust to feede upon outward earthly perishing things So that every thing that is not grace and glory or the meanes that leade to it is a perishing thing Nay to raise it a little higher Learning and Knowledge if it be onely of perishing things is food that perisheth for as the frame of nature and the civill frame of the world must have an end and perish so the knowledge of naturall and civill things must needs be perishing also And to say no more the very knowledge the speculative and contemplative knowledge of religious things if we have onely the knowledge of the things in us and are not turned into the things we know is a perishing thing The truthes of God indeed are the food of the soule but unlesse the goodnesse of those truths be the food of the will and affections unlesse we are molded and fashioned into the very forme of those truthes unlesse we are framed to a love and liking of that which we know that those truths be rooted and planted in us it is food that perisheth In a religious discourse in preaching all your ornaments besides that which quickneth and strengtheneth the soule to holy duties is food that perisheth And your hearing if it be only to heare wittie sentences and turnings of speech without regard to the truth it selfe is food that perisheth Thus you see what a great latitude this food that perisheth hath in Christs meaning Now our blessed Saviour takes them off from labouring for this by a strong Argument Would you have a greater argument It is food that perisheth we doe not regard the lustre of things but their continuance Why do we esteeme of Chrystall more then glasse Because it continues Flowers have a goodly glosse but wee regard them little because they are fresh in the morning and cast away at evening And so it is with all excellencies unlesse it be grace or glory All flesh is grasse and the excellentest things of nature wit and honour and learning and all though they be not as grasse so common yet they are as the flower of the grasse they are all fading and withering but the Word of God endureth for ever that is the grace and comfort that we get by the blessed truthes of God that endures for ever and it makes us endure for ever but all other things are food that perisheth and we perish in the use of them The world passeth away and the concupisence of it the world the things lusted after perish and in lusting after the world the lust perisheth and we perish to in the pursute of them nay which is worse the immoderate seeking after these things destroy us wee eternally perish for by placing our affections on earthly things we turne earthly Therefore in Divinity wee have our denomination from our affections we are called good or ill not from our knowledge but from our affections The Divell knowes good but he is not good it is loving and joying and delighting in good or ill that makes us good or ill we have our forme and being in religion from our affections Now by seeking after and placing our affections that are ordained to close with better things which shall make us happy in another world by planting them on earthly things we become like the things earthly by placing them on the world we become the world we become earthly therefore they are not onely perishing in themselves but we perish in the pursute of them It is a strong argument that is here used all earthly things are food that perisheth for alas he that is rich to day may bee poore to morrow he may be as rich as Iob in the morning and as poore as Iob at night hee may be in credit now with Haman and bee in discredit ere soone he may be in health now and sicke ere long we need not Scripture for this experience reads us this lecture enough but we are so desperately set on earthly things that neither Faith nor experience nor the strength of discourse nor reason is sufficient to take us off till God by his Spirit convince us throughly of this therefore Moses prayes that God would teach them to number their daies so though there is a sufficient argument in the discovery of these earthly things to be perishing things to inforce a disswasion yet we cannot loosen our affections to them
the immediate fore-runner of Christ was greater then all that were before him yet he saith the least in the Kingdome of Heaven is greater then be not in grace but in prerogative in regard of the revelation and manifestation of more things For Iohn Baptist died before he saw the death and resurrection and ascention of Christ accomplished before he was glorified Therefore in regard of these prerogatives the least in the Kingdome of Heaven that is in the Church of the New Testament is greater then he It is a rule that the least of the greater is greater then the greatest of the lesse Iohn was greater then the greatest of them that were before him but lesser then the least of those that were after him Then Christ commends Iohn from the efficacie of his Ministery From the daies of Iohn Baptist untill now the Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force so you see how the words depend upon the former For the points wee are to consider in them First here you have the state of the Church in the New Testament It is a Kingdome and the Kingdome of Heaven together with the quality of the meanes whereby it comes to be a Kingdome the meanes of grace the Gospell The Gospell and the people that are wrought on by the Gospell in the New Testament they are both called the Kingdome of Heaven Then secondly here is set downe the affection of those people that seeke this Kingdome at that time and so forward to the end of the world the disposition of the persons is they are violent The third is the issue or successe of this eagernesse and violence though the manner be violent yet the successe is good the violent take it by force The fourth is the date or time when it begins and how long it continues it beares date from the preaching of Saint Iohn Baptist to the end of the world untill now that is to the end of the world as it was said till now in the Evangelists time so posterity may say untill now from the first comming of Christ till his second comming while there is a Gospell preached which is the Ministerie of the Spirit the Spirit will bee working and there are such glorious things in the Gospell that there will bee violence offered so while there is a people to bee gathered and a Gospell to be preached to gather them and a Spirit that workes by that Gospell there will be violence in the Church offered to the meanes of salvation First The state of the Church together with the meanes the Gospell preached it is called The Kingdome of Heaven Besides others there are three maine significations of these words The Kingdome of Heaven First the famous leading proper signification is the state and place where God himselfe and his people are most glorious The Kingdome of Heaven all the other significations end in that But secondly because all that shall come into that glorious Kingdome they must bee Kings here first in the state of the kingdome of grace which consists in righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost in the graces and comforts of the Spirit therefore the state of grace comes to have the name too of The Kingdome of Heaven And thirdly because grace in this world cannot be attained without an order and meanes and dispensation from God hereupon the dispensation of the meanes whereby we come to have grace is also called The Kingdome The unfolding the mysteries of salvation in the Gospell is called the Kingdome of God As Christ saith The Kingdome of God shall bee taken from you that is the preaching of the Gospell therefore the Gospell is called the Gospell of the Kingdome and the Word of the Kingdome because by this Word wee come to have grace and by grace glory there is no glory without grace and no grace without the Word one makes way for another The preaching of the Gospell doth cause a Church which is the Kingdome of Christ wherein hee rules by the Scepter of his Word by which Word Christ and all his riches and glory and prerogatives are unfolded and thereby grace is wrought and grace leades to glory This connexion and subordination is to bee observed First for the conviction of those who doe not indeed belong to the Kingdome of Heaven every man is ready to talke of the Kingdome of Heaven and the glory there I but there is a subordination of grace and of the meanes of grace how standest thou affected to the meanes of salvation to the Word of the Kingdome the Word of life The Word of reconciliation for it hath the name from all the excellencies to which it brings us to shew that as we valew life a Kingdome reconciliation and all that is good so we must valew this Gospell or else it is a presumptuous confidence if the priviledges of grace and glory belong to us wee must come to them by these steps those that regard not the Gospell and meanes of salvation they have nothing to do with grace nor glory they are hereby convinced of arrogant folly Againe it is a ground to comfort weake Christians that regard the meanes of salvation and yet feare their falling away be of good comfort whosoever thou art God hath knit and linked these together all the power of earth and hell cannot breake one linke of this chaine conscionable attending upon the meanes and grace and glory will go together Therefore hold on attend upon the meanes of salvation and waite with comfort The Gospell of the Kingdome will bring thee to grace and grace though it be but an earnest but a little measure will bring thee to glory Where God hath begun a good worke he will finish it he will second one benefit with another diligent attending on the meanes with grace and grace with glory In Scripture works have their denomination from that they aime at as the Apostle saith Yee have crucified the old man and yee are crucified with Christ because yee are in doing it and ye shall do it perfectly so we are Saints because wee shall be so we are Kings now because we are in part so and we shall be so fully hereafter so grace is called the Kingdome of Heaven because it is the undoubted way to the Kingdome of Heaven and glory God would helpe our faith by the very title for wee are not elected to the beginnings onely of glory but to the perfection as it is excellently set downe Ephes. 1. We are elected to glory by meanes and beginnings therefore undoubtedly we may hope for the accomplishment when we see the beginnings Why is the state of grace and the meanes of grace and glory it selfe called the Kingdome of Heaven Answ. Because they are all of and from Heaven the one is in Heaven the Kingdome of glory and the other the Kingdome of the Word here and truth and grace which
will upbraid us for them we are loath to heare of them above all either by the ministery or by our friends we wish above al that the preacher would not speak of them fret it he doe and our hearts run upon them above all So let us search our false hearts which way they runne and now in the day of our abasement let us thinke what would lie heaviest on our conscience if God should take us now with sicknesse or sudden death let us thinke with our selves what is the sinne that would afflict me most that would stagger me most that would shake my Faith most whether it be filthinesse or profanenesse or swearing or injustice and whether have I made satisfaction or no Let me examine if God should strike me with his Arrow now what sinne would rob me of my comfort and make me affraid to yeeld my soule to God Now thinke of it his is the way to be humbled you may now bring your selves to consider of that that at other times you will not give your selves leasure to doe What are daies of fasting for but to give our selves leisure that we may not thinke of meate and drinke and businesse These daies should be daies of rest that we may thinke of that that concernes our soules take the advantage when thou rests from thinking of other businesse thinke with thine owne soule what will lie heaviest upon thy soule This is required to Humiliation this reall Humiliation that is outward it is a protestation of the inward and verbal Humiliation is but an expression of what we do inwardly There are two things wondrous necessary before the soule can be in the right frame it should be in First the soule must apprehend deepely what distance it hath from God what alienates it from God before it can be wise and it must be estranged from that before ever it can come to couple and joyne with God when the soule apprehends what seperates it from God and conceives as it should doe of that then it will be the readier to apprehend God and then all duties will come off easily Therfore let us first of all worke upon our owne soules to be humbled and by all the helps that can be And to helpe it consider now at this time how uncertaine our life is we know not who may be stricken next and consider what the dangerous issue is if we humble not our selves here before God humble us in our graves Let us helpe Humiliation by all that may be For where this is all will follow easily a man will goe out of himselfe to God when he is abased in himselfe and sees no comfort in Heaven or Earth but in God that there is nothing to be stucke to in the world but all is vanity and he may be stripped of life and of all these comforts ere long when a man is abased Faith and Obedience will come off easily What is the reason that Christ is not relished more and that many fall off They were never deepely humbled according to the depth of Humiliation is the growth of holinesse of life and the height of Faith All graces rise higher as the soule is more deeply humbled The more we descend deeply in digging and rending up our hearts the more the Word of God sinks into the good ground that suffers the plow to rend it up and to cut off the weeds The more deeply we are humbled the more the fruits of Gods Word appeare in our hearts and lives the more fruitfull is our conversation all comes indeed upon the truth of our Humiliation and when that is not deep and true all the rest is shallow and counterfit there we should worke it upon our owne hearts And labour to be humble and low in all the powers of our soules to have humble judgements to thinke of our selves as God thinks of us God thinks of us as sinners God and Christ thinke of us that we are such as must deny all in us before we be fit for Heaven Let us judge of our selves as he that must be our judge doth and will judge of us ere long labour to have low judgements of our selves what we are in our selves empty of all good defiled with all ill And this will breed poverty of spirit in our judgements Then let us labour for Humility in our affections to bring our selves more to God to stoope to him in feare and reverence And Humility in our obedience and conversations to God and to men every way let Humility spread it selfe over all the parts and powers of the soule and body and over our whole lives I cannot stand further upon that Now here is verball humillation that is by confession expressing our humiliation by our words as the people of God doe here by confession laying open our sinnes that God may cover them what we hide God will never cure therefore we should take heed that now we are to deale with God we lay open the bottome of our soules to him let not the Iron be in the wound You know a Chyrurgeon can heale nothing if the Iron or poisoned arrow sticke there If there be corruption in the stomacke it must up if it be ill gotten goods it will not digest up it must all to God For men except there be scruples that a man cannot free his conscience there is no necessity though great conveniency but betweene God and thy soule open all by confession and give not over till thou hast brought pardon to thy heart of that sinne thou hast confessed Every sleight confession is not enough but it must be a resolved downe right confession without guile of spirit as it is in Psal. 32. this is the course that David takes there untill he dealt roundly with his soule without guile His moisture was as the drought of Summer he was in some dangerous disease that could not be cured And doe we looke to be preserved from falling into sicknesse or if we be sicke to be cured We must beginne the cure in our soules lay open the wound to God I said I will confesse my sinne and thou forgavest me he begins with confession So all persons that either feare or are under any judgement let them beginne with laying open their soules to God when the soule is healed he will heale the body presently after for he laies sicknesse upon the body for the soule and when the wound is healed the plaister will fall off of it selfe therefore let us lay open our sinnes by confession and shame our soules all that wee can This is the way to give glory to God let us joyne both together our owne ease and glory to God When we have laid open our soules to God and laid as much against our selves as the Divell could doe that way for let us think what the Divell would lay to our charge at the houre of death and the day of judgement he would lay hard to our
it is confidence and trust that drawes us neare to God Faith it is wrought in the whole inward man in the understanding in the mind in chusing and cleaving but especially it is in the will for faith is described to bee a going to God a comming to him which is a promotion or going forth which is an act of the will so by faith and trust specially we draw neare and cleave to God Even as at the first we fell from God by distrusting of his word saith the Divell yee shall not die at all we beleeved a lier more than God himselfe Now we are recovered by a way contrary to that we fell wee must recover and draw neare to God againe by trusting and relying upon God You see what is meant by the words It is good for me to draw neare to God To come to observe some things from them first this that Spirituall conviction of the judgement it is the ground of practise It is good and good for me For we know in nature that the will followes the last designe of the understanding that which the understanding saith is to be done here and now all circumstances considered it is best that the Will chuseth and that a man doth for the Will rules and leads the outward man Now where there is a heavenly conviction of the understanding of any particular thing this at this time is good all things considered and weighed in the ballance on the one side and on the other where this is there comes in practise and drawing near to God alway Conviction is when a man is set down so that he cannot gainsay nor will not but fals to practice presently then a man is convinced of a thing That which is immediatly before practise and leads to practise it is conviction Now there are these foure things in conviction There is first truth a man must know that such a thing is true Then it must not only be a truth but a good truth as the Gospell is said to be the good word of God and it is a true and a faithfull saying It is a true saying that Christ came to save sinners and it is a faithfull a good saying If it bee not good as well as true truth doth not draw to practice as it is truth but as it is good As it must be truth and a good truth so it must be good for me as the holy man saith here It is good for me c. A thing may bee good for another man the Divell knowes what is good and that makes him envy poore Christians so wicked men know that which is good when they sinne against the holy Hhost but for them it is better to keep in the contrary so that we must know it is a truth and a good truth and good for us in particular that it is best for us to do so The fourth is this though it be true and good and good for us yet before we can come to practise it must be a good that is comparative better than other things that are presented or else no action will follow A man must be able to say this is better than that A weak man that is led with passions and lusts he oft-times sees the truth of things and sees they are good and good for me and wishes that he could take such a course but such is the strength of his passions at this time that it is better to do thus it is better to yeeld to his lusts and he trusts that God will be mercifull and he shall recover it afterwards These foure things therefore must bee in conviction before wee can take the best course and these are all here in this holy man for he saw it was a truth a duty and likewise that it was a good truth for to bee neare to God the fountaine of good it must needs be good And then it was good for him to be so nay it was good all things considered for it is a Conclusion as it were brought out of the fire out of a conflict Nay say the flesh and say all the world what it can to the contrary It is good for me to draw neare to God he brings it in as a triumphant Conclusion Put drawing neare to God in one ballance and lay in that ballance all the inconveniences that may fallow drawing neare to God the displeasure of great ones the losse of any earthly advantage and lay in the other ballance all the advantages that keep men from drawing neare to God as if a man do not keep a good conscience he may please this or that man hee may get riches and advance himselfe and better his estate consider all that can bee yet notwithstanding it is better to draw neare to God with all the disadvantages that follow that course than to take the contrary Thus you see the truth cleare that conviction is the way and foundation of practice Therefore we should labour by all meanes to be convinced of the best things It is not sufficient to have a generall notion and slightly to heare of good things no wee must beg the spirit of God that hee would seale and set them upon our soules and so strongly set and seale them there that when other things are presented to the contrary with all the advantages and colours and glosses that flesh and blood can set upon them yet out of the strength of spirtuall judgement wee may bee able to judge of the best things out of a spirituall conviction and to say it is best to cleave to God So said the blessed man of God Moses there was in the one end of the ballance the pleasures of sinne the honours of a Court there was all that earth could afford for if it bee not to bee had in a Princes Court where is it to bee had his place was more than ordinary hee was accounted the sonne of Pharoh's daughter yet lay all that in the ballance and in the other part of the ballance to draw neare to Gods people though the people of God were a base fore-lorne despised afflicted people at that time yet notwithstanding to draw neare to the cause of Religion the disgraced cause of Religion to draw neare to God when hee is disgraced in the world it is easie to draw neare to God when there is no opposition but to draw neare to Gods part and side when it is disgraced in the world Moses saw it the best end of the ballance put in the afflictions and disgrace of Gods people or what you will So it was with Abraham when hee followed God as it were blind-fold and left all his fathers house and the contentments he had there So it was with our Saviours Disciples they left all to follow Christ they were convinced of this surely we shall get more good by the company of Christ than by those things that we leave for him Let us labour therefore to be convinced