recovering my self again from my sins and receiving grace and favour from God restoring me to my former enjoyments I should teach transgressors his way This then is one reason to prove clearly that it lyeth upon every man and woman of us to be great and signal Benefactors to the World First Because we stand bound to believe in Jesus Christ Secondly To make the world know that we do really and indeed thus believe Secondly Sect. 3 There is yet another thing which is of some affinity with the former yet not the same which plainly evinceth the point in hand viz. That every person of mankind man and woman and more especially the Generation of Believers stand bound according to their several capacities means and opportunities to cast liberally into the treasury of the World that which is likely and proper to enrich and bless it This is the keeping the Commandments of Jesus the translating of all his Words of all his Sayings and Precepts into Actions and Practice before the World He that stands bound to do this without all Controversie standeth bound to be a most worthy Benefactor to the World by doing that which is of a most blessed accommodation to it Now that we all stand bound to keep the Commandments of Jesus and not to cast the least of them behind our backs or tread them under our feet is I presume voted long since by all our consciences with a Nemine Contradicente and therefore we shall not stand to prove this Now that the performance of this great and worthy engagement and the quitting our selves in it like men is of a most soveraign import and tendency to bless the World I shall nor need to go far nor make any long work to prove The World may be said to be blessed in two Considerations or in two different degrees First In the things of its present peace Secondly In the things of its future and eternal peace Now That he that diligently and faithfully keepeth the Commandments of Jesus is a worthy Benefactor unto it in both is a truth near at hand and prepared in a manner with its own evidence for every mans understanding and consent First That worthy thing we speak of the obeying Jesus Christ in what he hath commanded is matter of a rich and precious import to bless the World in the things of their present comfort and peace And this in two respects in the general may be made clearly to appear First By shewing that the very Acts themselves of Conformity and Obedience unto the Laws and Commands of Christ are simply and in themselves of a sweet and beneficent nature full of a spirit of goodness and comporting with the present peace and comfort of the World Secondly By shewing that the exemplariness of such Conformity though exhibited and given by one single person or a very few at first may in a short time turn to a very good account for the further accommodation and benefit of the World First The whole Systeme and Body of the Laws of Christ is composed with a most exquisite and clear proportion Sect. 4 to the present benefit and comfort of the World these have a beneficent nature in them they are full of a spirit of goodness insomuch that were they all observed and kept on all hands it would presently turn the Waters of the World into Wine it would change the Earth which is now as a roaring Wilderness into an Eden or Garden of God to the Inhabiters of it Whereas now the prospect of the World as it appeareth in the eyes of God and Angels and Men is as of men taking one another by the throat every man tearing out of anothers bowels or belly to put into their own Upon the supposition mentioned the prospect or face of it would be quite contrary For then the World would seem yea and really be quite another thing Every man would be found what Moses was unto Aaron Exod. 4.16 instead of God unto another There would be no Emulation or Contest between men but only who in giving honour and doing good should go before other Our Saviour Mat. 22 37 38. reduceth the Law of God to these two heads Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul with all thy strength c. And thy Neighbour as thy self Now if these two general Laws were in their due compass and extent observed in the World you would soon have a new Heaven and a new Earth If we could perswade those who have Silver and Gold in abundance to minister with these unto the necessities of the poor and needy and those that have other things though they want these wherewith they may bless the World otherwise to serve the occasions of it accordingly as Peter and John had neither Silver nor Gold Acts 3.6 yet they had wherewith they blessed men at a far better rate than those who had most of these I say if mens hearts were really and truly set within them to promote the welfare and prosperity of mankind with what they have available and conducing in any kind hereunto which is nothing but what the Royal Law of Christ requireth at their hand would not all tears be soon wiped away from the eyes of the world and men on all hands be as those that dream or as if the Kingdom of God had prevented them and come upon them unawares Charge them that be rich in this world that they be not high minded c. 1 Tim. 6.17 If this one Precept of Jesus Christ were but duly and conscienciously practiced and observed from time to time what a mighty change would there be made in the World by the means of it How would the faces shine which now through hunger and cold have gathered blackness How would the voice of joy and health and thanksgiving be heard in those Habitations which are now filled with sighings groanings and lamentations And so there is another Law of Christ which the Apostle calleth his namely Christ's in an especial manner This is to bear one anothers burthens Bear ye one anothers burthens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 This also would make a great and happy change and alteration in the World if persons would but bear the burthens one of another But what is it to bear the burthens one of another I answer When we do not make our selves strangers unto men nor draw back our helping hand from them nor refuse to do them any office or service of love because of such and such infirmities as because they are not so discreet or well-advised in some of their waies or doings as they might have been or because either in a Passion or through want of Consideration they have spake unkindly to us or unworthily of us or have acted somewhat to our prejudice in one kind or other or the like But men generally are so far from bearing the burthens of others that they throw them upon their necks and make them bear them
be found and had or no or at the best knows for a certain that they are but sparingly and with a kind of malignity and scantness to be found and to go forth upon this account where he certainly knows that what he desireth and what his soul longeth for is lodged and is to be had in the greatest plenty and abundance He spake as a man that thoroughly understood the natural frame and propension of the heart of a man in that particular we now speak of who said Dulce est de magno tollere Acervo It is a thing marvellously satisfactory and pleasing to the heart of a man to be still taking from a great heap and upon this ground are those Proverbial Sayings There is no fishing like to a fishing in the sea no service like the Service of a King because in one there is the greatest plenty and abundance of that kind of pleasure that Fishers look after And for them that serve and must live by their service there is none like that of Princes because they have abundance of reward and of opportunity whereby to recompense the Services of those that do wait and attend upon them and that is the reason why our Saviour in the tenth of John to render and make men so much the more free and willing to come unto him for the life that they stand in need of doth inform them that he hath not a competency or a sufficiency only of this life but that he hath plenty and abundance of it Speaking of his Sheep saith he I am come that they might have life and not simply that they might have life but that they might have it in abundance or more abundantly as who should say If there were only life in Jesus Christ or if it were there in measure only and in a scanty proportion this would be some kind of regret and men would make a stand in their coming but since he is come upon such terms that all that come to him might have it in abundance this is a motive that doth accommodate and fall in with the Natures and with the Principles of the heart and soul of men And upon the same ground it is that the Scriptures in several places do not only assert and testifie that God is merciful and gracious but abundant in mercy and full of Grace and not simply that there is Redemption in him but plentiousness of Redemption Psal 86.5.15 103.8 130.7 Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way c. let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy and unto our God for he will abundantly pardon The Commodity which we stand in need of is mercy and the pardon of our sins in case we have been unholy and ungodly Creatures this commodity is abundantly in God There it is treasured up as waters are in the Store-house of the Sea There is no end of the Treasures of his Grace Mercy Pardon and Compassion There is no man being in want but had ten times rather go to a rich mans door to be relieved than to the door of a poor man if he knoweth the rich man to be as liberal and as bountifully disposed as the poor man can be These Proverbial Sayings amongst us Better leave than lack Where more is more is to be had are of a consonant import unto the former and they all joyntly and severally declare this that men generally love to seek their desires where they are in the greatest abundance likely to be found Now then they who go about to send men for a filling to such a Spirit that can but fill them in measure and with a straitned and malign quantity in comparison of what an increated Spirit is able to do certainly they do as much as such an error can do to obstruct and prejudice the way of men in such a course as this What do they else but cool if not wholly quench the desires and together with these the endeavours of such who are obedient unto the Doctrine who are in a way of being filled with the Spirit We formerly mentioned a Touchstone to try whether any Doctrine which is presented to us be an Evangelical truth or no Sect. 3 and that was this If it be for the advancement of Godliness for the Gospel being a Doctrine according unto Godliness as the Holy Ghost presenteth it that is so framed and constituted of such and such Principles Promises Counsels and Exhortations as if they were made on purpose to advance Godliness and promote the Interest of it And if this be the nature and frame of it in the general then every limbe and vain of it must have a tendency the same way therefore whatsoever Opinion Notion or Conceit it be if it cutteth the Sinews of Godliness or riseth up against the Interest thereof and causeth men to look off and aside from it this is a most certain sign and proof against it that it is no part or branch of the Gospel but an imagination and lying conceit which hath been engendered and begotten in the dark thoughts of the hearts of men or perhaps rather by a worse hand I mean Sathan who doth nothing else but study and invent Opinions and Conceits and Imaginations which may have some colour of truth that so they may fall in with the Judgments of men He doth invent and mint and set such Opinions abroad in the World and then his next work is as far as possibly he can to find out Agents and Instruments the best he can prevail withal and which are fitted and prepared to promote his design in the World And the better men are the more learned and the more innocent in their lives and conversations can they be prevailed withal these are the chosen vessels for him and fitted for his turn Herein the Devil imitateth the Great God for as God when he hath a design to make manifest his most spiritual truths and most holy things maketh choise of the worthiest and holiest men men that are of the best acceptance with the people round about them because they are likeliest to take so much the better So doth the greatest Enemy of the Peace and Salvation of the World he follows God as near at the heels as he can come if he finds any man better than others he shall do his work and if he cannot find any many of such qualifications as we speak of then he must be content with others for he hath a desire that his Opinion should be promoted though never so unreasonable There is great reason by the way why Sathan should set abroad all the waies he can such Opinions in the World which are derogatory from the honour of the Son of God and from the Spirit of God partly because by this means that he hath the more advantage to derogate from either of these in their esteem and honour amongst men And partly because the works of Creation being appropriate unto God the Father principally and not
arguing of this great Controversie might have been better spent in arguing other things they suppose that these kind of notions are not so affecting unto the hearts of men neither do they tend unto the establishing of them nor are so proper for the building of men up in their most holy Faith nor so powerful to excite unto Action But the truth is my Brethren though such discourses as these and the laying out of such things for substance as these are though they do not so much stir the heart as some other subjects may and might have done yet nevertheless these have somewhat which will make you unmovable in the waies of Christ And if this be but duly cast up by you you will find it every way as profitable unto you it will amount to every whit as great a sum of comfort and of peace as those Sermons whose property is to quicken and work upon men at present For what will it avail you if you should be carried up into the Heavens one day by a Sermon full of affection and another day a deceiver cometh and layeth a stumbling block in the way and should make you call in question and drive you quite off from these great Truths of the Godhead of Christ and of the Holy Ghost I am very confident that few of you that have heard me in this question but know that there are many young men that are able to puzle you and to put you to such a stand in these great Principles of Religion that you would not otherwise be able to vindicate your selves nor your credit nor deliver your Judgments from their snares and entanglements And whereas it is objected and supposed by some Sect. 20 that such Sermons as these are sublime mysteries and that the secrets of the Trinity discoursed do not furnish Christian men and women Masters of Families with matter for repetition in the Evening of the day to their Families To this I answer briefly in a word That it is to be presumed that you that have been Professors so long as generally you have been are able of your selves out of your own Treasure to speak things that are most commodious and fitting to be spoken unto your Servants and especially unto your Children and not alwaies to expect from the publick Minister matters for your private Families Strong men desire strong meat and milk is not nourishment for them to make them grow to any considerable degree But for Babes and Sucklings that are not grown in their spiritual stature things indeed of a lower nature and of a more easie apprehension are meet and very fit So that there is no reason to desire or expect this that you should never hear from a publick Minister nothing but that which is meet and convenient for you to preach over at home No you must be provided from your selves and out of your own for such occasions otherwise you must resolve never to thrive and grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ but alwaies to stand at the same stay And of how dangerous a consequence it is that in this case you should have your desires viz. That from time to time the first rudiments only of Religion should still be discussed in your hearing do but consider this one place Heb. 6.1 2 3. Therefore leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ the Doctrine of Baptisms c. And this will we do if God permit What is that Go on to perfection That is carry on your Judgments to the most mysterious things of God But mark now upon what ground it is that he resolveth upon this that this he would do and desires them to go along with him For saith he it is impossible for those who were once enlightned c. How doth this Motive hang upon this Exhortation or Admonition Doubtless thus that when Christians shall come to this pass that this shall be the temper and state and present frame of their hearts that they care to go no further nor to understand no more in the Mystery of their Profession this is a certain or at least a dangerous sign that they are in a condition near to that of falling away and relapsing from those very principles and foundations themselves which they had embraced And if you will but consider how it is in the course of nature you shall observe that it is the nature of every Creature to advance and go on still to move and to wax But whensoever this Creature cometh to a stand and goeth no further evermore the next motion is to relapse The Sun in the Firmament of Heaven when he comes to his Meridian and can rise no higher begins immediately to decline towards his setting The Waters wax and flow and encrease but ever when it is standing water then is the reflux in a short time it altereth its course backwards from whence it came Just thus is it in this great and important business of your Souls and of your Eternal Peace it is well with you so long as you are growing and gathering so long you are in a safe condition and out of danger of falling away But when you come once to such a pass that you desire to rise no higher it is a thousand to one but that the next news that will be heard will be that you will begin to decline and lose ground and to fall back again into your former ignorance and unto the love of the World and something which is of an utter inconsistency with your Salvation CHAP. IX The Second Question propounded namely How or by what means a Believer or any other Person may be filled with the Spirit of God Some difficulties removed with one direction propounded and largely discoursed whereby men and women may understand the intent of the Exhortation and what it is that is required of them when they are commanded to be filled with the Spirit VVherein also the Grace of God and the free working of his Spirit is clearly vindicated and asserted HAving formerly finished the Demonstration and proof of the truth of the Doctrine for the clearer understanding it Sect. 1 and making better way to the Use and Application we propounded three Questions to be taken into consideration and resolved the Questions were these First Who or what kind or manner of Spirit it is of whom both the Text and Doctrine speaks and particularly whether a finite and created Spirit or an infinite and uncreated Spirit God himself We have stood somewhat the longer upon the debate and arguing of this Question partly because of the great weight and importance of the truth lying either on the one hand of it or on the other partly also because there is a Spirit lately after a long banishmen and silence come forth again into the World and is now at work amongst us which opposeth with might and main that part of this Question where the truth heth as I trust we have made manifests and denieth the
with men in the Scripture and Gospel by such Principles and Rules which are written in the Tables of their hearts by the Finger of Nature and which they are wont to observe and walk by in their common and Civil Affairs Thus because amongst men an Oath is the end of all strife Heb. 6.16 Therefore God will swear too and treate with men by the mediation of an Oath and so in abundance of other particulars God still applieth himself unto men and treateth with them by the same Rules and Principles which men walk by in transactions amongst themselves Now because one man is ignorant of what is in the heart of another and knoweth not how they will prove whether diligent or negligent faithful or unfaithful in matters of trust committed unto them therefore those whom they have occasion to trust they will first try them with a little that in case they should miscarry and prove unfaithful the loss may be the less and easier to be born if they approve themselves with wisdom and faithfulness in managing that little then they are encouraged to trust them yet deeper And as men are wont sometimes to try Casks or Vessels that are new made and never had Liquor put into them whether they be tight or leaky not by putting Wine or Liquor of value but water into them if they will hold water men have so much the better ground to trust them with Wine also In like manner though God as is said of Christ Joh. 2.25 needed not that any man should testifie of man Because he knew what was in man and consequently what would come out from him and what he would do So I say though God knoweth before hand how men will prove whether faithful or unfaithful in any thing committed unto them and in this respect needeth make no experiment and trial of them in reference to any trust yet because it is the manner and according to the Principles of wisdom in men to take such a course he also will do it though he hath other ends and reasons likewise for the doing of it which it is not necessary now to speak of Thus also it is in matters of reward more properly and commonly so called though he knoweth from the beginning the uprightness integrity of mens hearts and what such men in time will do all the good work all that righteousness and suffer all those things for righteousness sake which afterwards they do and suffer yet until they have given an account both unto himself Angels and men of that their integrity by waies of righteousness and well-doing he will do no great things for them he will reward men only according to their works according to what they shall do or suffer nor according to what they purposed to do or suffer unless happily they be prevented of an opportunity for that by the way least there should be mistake not as if God should have no consideration or regard of any mans faithful intentions that is not the meaning of it as many times you may find persons whose hearts are full of fruitfulness that notwithstanding are taken away by death Now it is not imaginable that God should deprive them of the reward of such services when as God himself denieth men the opportunity to do them it is not reasonable nor like unto the waies of God or his proceedings that he should deprive them of their reward in such a case or under such circumstances But the meaning is that the good things which men have done whether they be few or more these shall be rewarded accordingly So that men and women who have given testimony unto the World of their own integrity uprightness and faithfulness unto God God will give them rewards answerable hereunto We speak this for this end to shew that God's manner is not to reward nor to take knowledge of the righteousness of men until the World have taken knowledge of it until that they have given an account unto men that they are persons fearing God I say God will not take any knowledge of them until they having given some Testimony unto the World of the integrity and uprightness of their hearts a Testimony of the truth of their Faith and of the soundness of their Love that the World cannot deny but that certainly these are very worthy men then as in Scripture Phrase God is not ashamed of them but they are in an immediate capacity for him to own and to reward and do great things for As it is said of Enoch he was translated Heb. 11.6 of whom it was reported that he walked with God Gen. 6.22 Now God could suffer no disparagement in point of honour by owning of him And so 1 Pet. 1.7 That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of Gold c. might be found unto Praise and Honour and Glory It is not said that your Faith being more precious than Gold but that the trial of your Faith this is that which will turn to an account of Praise and Honour and Glory unto men in the great day c. That the trial of your Faith might be a Testimony in abundance given unto men yea unto God himself namely when their Faith shall have been tried whether it be by their constant sufferings for righteousness take or whether it hath been by a holy and blameless Conversation it is not much material if this trial of it be the making of it known and bringing it to light in the World that so it may be known and observed by men In such a case it is a thing but equal and just and well becoming God to be found rewarding of them with great and wonderful things Thirdly Sect. 8 Another means whereby we may come to be filled with the Spirit of God is to sow unto the Spirit Gal. 6.8 He that soweth to the Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption But he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Everlasting Life If the Question be What is it to sow to the Spirit I answer according to the usual import of that Metaphorical Expression of sowing to sow to the Spirit is to do such things which will redound to the praise of the Spirit of God to manage Actions so that the benefit of them may accrue to another This the Apostle calleth a sowing to others If we have sown unto you in spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things 1 Cor. 9.11 To sow unto the Spirit is to imploy a mans self about such things such waies and works whereby the Spirit may receive honour and praise which is all the harvest which the Spirit of God and so God himself is capable of receiving from men Only we may add this That when men do such things which are for the honour and praise of the Spirit they must do them with an intent that they may turn to his praise we must not do such things only which may accidentally
though they may in a metaphorical and improper sense be said to dwell in men as Timothies Faith is said first to have dwelt in his Grand-mother Lois and in his Mother Eunice ver 5. yet in a direct or proper sense it cannot so be said of them Now where there is no necessity enforcing a Metaphorical sense a proper sense is still to be preferred besides an unproper sense here viz. by the Holy Ghost to understand the gifts or operations of the Holy Ghost would be very incongruous and hard as thus The good thing committed unto thee keep by the gifts of the Holy Ghost which dwell in us or by the Holy Ghost which in or by his gifts dwelleth in us So again Grieve not the Spirit of God whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption Eph. 4.30 So Isa 63.10 So it is said of the Jews of old that they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit Luk. 12.12 Acts 2.3 4. 10.44 19.6 It would be very incongruous and harsh to understand these Scriptures and many others of the like Character and import only of the gifts of the Holy Ghost Nor will it at all relieve that most dangerous Notion and Conceit which we now oppose to pretend and say Sect. 5 that though there be but one Holy Ghost or one Holy Spirit to whom the Attribute of Holiness is appropriately ascribed and he termed the Holy Spirit yet there are many other Spirits multitude of angels which are assistant unto him who may possibly be as many in number as there are Saints in the World at one time yea and possibly more so that these Spirits amongst them may attend the Saints in all places and parts of the World at one and the same time and inasmuch as there is one Supreme amongst them by whom all the rest are directed and employed in their way all that is done by them all may be ascribed unto him as because there is one head or one Principal amongst the Devils who is said to be the Prince of the Devils who is termed sometimes Sathan sometimes Beelzebub and Prince of the Devils therefore all that is done all the temptations that are managed in the World by all that are amongst them are in Scripture ascribed unto Sathan or unto the Devil indefinitely and in the Singular number and if the Devil who is confessed on all hands to be a created and finite Spirit be said in Scripture to tempt men though in never so remote places one from another at the same time why may not the Holy Ghost be said to fill men with himself upon the like terms viz. in all the places of the Earth at the same time though he be supposed to be a finite Spirit also If we had time we should plainly shew unto you that this is nothing but a piece of Sackcloath spun on purpose and devized to spread over the face of the Sun It is nothing but a vain flourish to hide this great and worthy truth of God from the eyes of the World to take off the minds and hearts of men from looking after such a worthy and blessed enjoyment as a being filled with the Spirit of God For first We shall shew you that there is not any ground in Scripture or Reason to suppose that any one Angel should have the superintendency or disposing of all the rest of the Angels to order them to their several Employments Works or Actions I say there is no word nor the least breathing or whisper of any such thing as this but the Scriptures rather look another way namely to shew that all the good and holy Angels who are employed on the behalf of the Saints receive their Commission immediately from God himself or from the Lord Christ who is represented in the Scripture as their great Lord and Master They stand charged there with Loyalty and Homage to him Heb. 1.6 When he bringeth in the first begotten in the World he saith and Tet all the Angels of God worship him And ver 14. Are they not all Ministring Spirits sent forth c They are sent forth by him whose Angels they are about their several Ministries And that is the reason too I suppose of that Expression of our Saviour Mat. 18.10 who speaking of the little ones who did believe in him saith I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels do alwaies behold the face of my Father which is in heaven Meaning that they do stand continually in the presence of God and there behold his face looking and waiting to receive some Commission or other longing for service and employment from him it is their life it is their glory and felicity to attend the services that shall be commanded them by God and therefore they do stand as Servants of a King who saith to one do this and to another do that to one go this way and to another go that way So do all the Angels in heaven stand round about the Throne of the Great God every one of them being greedy of Service to have some Message and Intimation from God what to do This therefore argueth that they do not receive their Commissien from any created Angel as they themselves are but that they have it directly and immediately from God himself or from Jesus Christ as Joh. 1.51 And he saith unto him verily verily I say unto you hereafter ye shall see the heavens open and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man they do not ascend and descend upon one of themselves the Inferiour upon the Superiour Angels no but on the Son of man meaning himself as they did and were to be seen soon after for they did attend upon him at his Resurrection they removed the Stone off from the Grave and they went to give notice of his rising again unto those who came to seek after him and so in his Ascension he went up with a mighty noise and is to descend again with the sound of a Trumpet Now this he calls the opening of Heaven viz. the full discovery of those heavenly things which as yet had not been made known or manifested unto the World as namely that he is the great orderer or great Lord and Master of the Angels and that they were all his Servants so that this very Notion of one Angel having the superiour command and dominion over all the rest of the Angels is contrary to Scriptures and cannot be proved from them There is no ground to conceive that whatever the Angels do throughout their whole body and in all places of the earth should be ascribed to such an Angel Sathan indeed hath a Kingdom ascribed in the Scriptures unto him Mat. 12.26 and he is said to be the Prince of the Devils as we heard but the Angels are no where said to be a Kingdom neither have they any head or chief Angel amongst them nor can it be proved that any one Angel hath a superiority over another the
16 It is the first-born of improbabilities or things that are unlikely that the Church of Christ which as the Apostle styleth it is The House of the living God 1 Tim. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pillar and ground or stay of truth in the midst whereof Jesus Christ himself delights to be continually walking and making himself known should ever since the Apostles times now for 1600 years and upwards lie wallowing in the horrid pollutions of so foul and gross an Error as to judge him who is a Creature to be God Can any man lightly be so simple as to think or imagine a snuff of a Candle to be the Sun And is there not a far greater difference between the ever blessed and incomprehensible God and any Creature of the greatest perfection that is imaginable than there is between the snuff of a Candle and the Sun Or is it worthy the belief or thoughts of any sober Christian that Jesus Christ for so many hundred of years together should not have awakened his Beloved out of such a Lethargy or sleep of death as was fallen upon her whilest she said in effect to a Stock thou art my Maker and to a Stone thou art my Redeemer Or what is it less or less unworthy than this to say unto a Creature thou art my God They who have but any tolerable thoughts of Jesus Christ his love and care over his Church cannot have such hard thoughts of him Fourthly Nor can it reasonably be imagined that the Holy Ghost would have received with so much patience and with so much silence nay with so much acceptation from the hand of the Christian World the acknowledgements of a Deity had he not been conscious to himself that they were his due and that he neither did either God the Father or the Son the least injury or wrong in receiving them at the hands of men But were he not or had he not been God he had trespassed after a very provoking and high manner against him who is God indeed in accepting his appropriate Royalties and suffering himself to be admired and adored amongst the Churches as God Doubtless the sin of receiving any acclamation from men or any thing else which is appropriate unto God alone is a sin of a very exasperating nature As it was with Herod who was struck with an Angel Acts 12.22 And we read Rev. 19.10 22.9 when John made a tender of Divine Worship to the Angel though he did not call him by the name of God yet when he did but exhibite that which was appropriate unto God the Angel would not suffer him nor admit it The Angel seemed to be exceeding tender and jealous of receiving so much as the hint or the first fruits of divine honour John thought that he that had revealed unto him such heavenly Mysteries was worthy of all honour therefore rather than not to shew himself thankful and respectful unto him for that unspeakable kindness of the Revelation he would needs give him something and having nothing at hand to repuite this high courtesie from the Angel that revealed such hidden mysteries to him but Divine Worship and honour he would bestow that upon him but the Angel would by no means suffer him to do it The truth is our Adversaries themselves at this turn do not make much scruple of this namely that Divine Honour should be given both to the Son and to the Holy Ghost and that they may and ought of duty to accept it though in the mean time they do deny the Godhead both of the One and of the Other But into the secrets of such a Notion my soul knoweth not the way how to enter nor can I comprehend or understand how they can either make Reason or truth of such a conceit to deny the Persons to be God by Nature and yet notwithstanding to judge it lawful and meet that Divine Honour should be exhibited and tendered unto them Upon what ground they can satisfie themselves in bringing together this East and West their strange opinion on the one hand and their practice which seemeth to affront it on the other hand How they can make peace between two that are at so great an enmity and distance between themselves I am not able to comprehend unless they mean by Divine Worship only something that is more Sacred or more August than the Reverence that is due unto man Bat this will not however salve the Opinion though it be formed and put into never so artificial and handsome terms Yea though it might be salved with such a sense and interpretation put upon it yet it is not worthy a Christian and especially a Teacher of others to put the mind of God or any Notion of Truth into ambiguous terms which need more unfolding than needs must for it is good to cloath the Truth in such a manner that it may be most familiar and nearest at hand to be received by the Judgments and Understandings of men But to the business in hand May the greatest Subject in a Kingdom lawfully go up into his Sovereigns Bed or require of his fellow Subjects that they swear Loyalty and Homage unto him as unto their Sovereign Or doth not the Scriptures from place to place make it Fornication Whoredom Adultery when that Worship which is appropriately due unto God is given unto any other Fifthly Sect. 17 We know that the sin of Idolatry is from place to place in the Scripture expresly numbred amongst those high provocations and misdemeanours which absolutely and peremptorily exclude from the Kingdom of God and from Salvation 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Rev. 21 8. So that they who deny the Holy Ghost to be God do hereby First Make the whole Christian World in a manner or comparatively as hath been said Fathers Martyrs Confessors and whole Christian Churches to be Idolaters Secondly By a Scripture consequence pregnant and undeniable they do adjudge them all to the vengeance of hell fire But it is a small thing with persons of a proud and peremptory spirit to sacrifice not only the names honour and reputations of the worthiest men under heaven but even their souls and salvation also upon the service of their own opinions and conceits The Lord Christ himself must be a Samaritan and have a Devil that the Scribes and Pharisees may be presumed to be in the truth And so holy and worthy men who above all the World besides have had most acquaintance with God Ignatius Justin Martyr Ireneus Epiphanius Basil Nazianzen Chrysostome Jerome Austin and who not of all those great and famous lights of the Christian World in their daies must be all Idolaters and sent down into Hell that a Crown of glory may be set upon the head of a fond Opinion little less or rather not at all less than Blasphemy and to make way that they who deny the Godhead of the Spirit may be saved For though it be hard peremptorily to deny a possibility of salvation
many places Actions are ascribed unto him that doth assist and direct and help men in the performance of them and not unto him that is the formal and immediate Agent Page 232 235 XVII That in Scripture Phrase is said properly and precisely to be of God not simply which he acteth or worketh but that which he acteth or worketh freely without any meritorious or demeritorious engagement laid upon by the Creature Page 242 XVIII Such Causes which work and contribute towards their Effects Sacramentally only are in respect of that which is literal or natural in them the poorest and lowest of all Causes 244. Yet notwithstanding they produce their effects most vigorously most powerfully and with an high hand Page ibid. XIX A man may do that which is commanded by God and yet have little thank for his labour for doing it viz. when he knoweth not that it is commanded by him Page 248 XX. God is well pleased with all such Counsels Actions and Waies of Men which are in their nature and according to a true estimate and judgment of them profitable and advantageous and he is the more and better pleased with the Counsels Actions and waies of men the richer and faller Connexion they have with their peace and happiness Pag. 248 XXI Though the Spirit be Omnipotent yet he is a voluntary Agent and so can exert and put forth his Omnipotency in what degree or manner of efficacy himself pleaseth Page 281 XXII The way to do things by the Spirit is not to forbear the doing of things or duties our selves until we find the Spirit of Grace and feel it to work upon us but to go about that which is our Duty to do in the season of it with a serious and humble acknowledgement and deep sense of our inability Page 283 XXIII It is a usual Dialect in Scripture when the Act is expressed for the means or course that is usually taken to effect it Page 284 XXIV Though there be a presence of the Spirit of God with men in the state of Nature or unregeneracy yet the Scriptures do not speak of the Spirits dwelling in men nor of their receiving him until they receive him in a greater measure or after the manner in which Believers receive him Page 285 XXV Whatsoever Action a man doth voluntarily consent unto may properly enough be said to be his especially when the Act of his Will and Consent contributes any thing towards the Action Page 286 XXVI Whosoever makes the Creature either meerly Passive in its Works or Services or willing as they say by or from a necessitation they despoil it of all capacity of being rewarded by God and so while they pretend to be the great Magnifiers of the Grace of God indeed and in truth make nothing of it Page 287 XXVII It is a Principle in Reason and Equity that they who make a regular and worthy use of a less proportion of any good thing intrusted with them should no other circumstance hindring be intrusted with a greater Page 288 XXVIII God usually walketh with Men by such Principles and Rules which are written on their hearts by the finger of Nature and which they are wont to observe and walk by in their Civil and Common Affairs Page 31 32 288 297 XXIX God's manner is not to reward nor to take knowledge of the righteousness of men until the World have taken knowledge of it Page 289 XXX The Hebrew Dialect many times uses and repeats the Antecedent for the Consequent Page 299 XXXI That is sometimes said to be dâ—ne which is done frequently or isal waies probable or likely to be done Page 301 XXXII The Connexive Particle and sometimes implieth a Motive enforcing a preceding Exhortation Page 304 XXXIII God hath built and framed the body of his Laws and Precepts given unto men upon like terms by such Principles and Rules of Wisdom and 〈◊〉 according to which prudent Law makers amongst men me went to compile and 〈◊〉 the body of those Civil or Politick Laws which they make for the benefit or use of their States or Communities respectively Pag. 348 349 XXXIV The Gospel being a Doctrine according to Godliness every limbe and vein of it must have a tendency the same way Page 363 XXXV When an Impostor perswadeth or useth means to seduce he is said to seduce though the persons thus perswaded be not actually seduced Page 399 XXXVI Comparative senses or meanings are frequently expressed in absolute and positive terms Page 407 XXXVII When Men are greatly averse from believing or repenting they are not like to bestow any serious or intense consideration upon the means by which they should be brought to do either especially if they can find out any colour or pretense to disparage them and so to arm their Consciences and Judgments against them Page 407 XXXVIII Whether Words or Works they must be kept for some time upon the mind and intellectual faculties of the soul before they can accomplish any transmutation or change there Page 408 XXXIX When a man is unwilling to do a thing he may according to Scripture Dialect or manner of speaking be said to be unable to do it Page 20 21 413 XL. There is no ground to judge and determine a Ministry to be legal because the face of it is set and bent as it were to press men to the keeping of the Commands of God contained in the Moral Law Page 441 XLI A person may be said to be moved or enclined when that is done unto him which is apt and proper and sufficient to cause him to be moved and enclined whether he be actually moved or enclined or no Page 446 XLII Such a person is said to sow unto the Spirit who frequently is engaged in such waies and actions which he knows must of necessity turn unto the honour and praise of the Spirit of God Page 450 XLIII That which is delivered unto the World in the New Testament by the mouth of Jesus Christ himself or upon the account of his coming from Heaven as all that which the Holy Ghost hath further revealed by the Apostles is is more obliging and binding upon the Consciences of men and more severely punishable by God when neglected or despised than the things delivered in the Old Testament or before Christ's coming into the World were or are Page 459 XLIV It is not unusual in Emphatical Discourses to speak of one and the same person in different considerations as of two Page 459 It is usual in the Scriptures when things are more fully done or after a more rich and bountiful manner discovered to represent them as newly done Page 462 XLV It is frequent in Scripture when the Holy Ghost would reprove Men in things that be irrational to interrogate them as to the reason or ground of what they do Page 476 XLVI The Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in is oft used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Page 501 XLVII The words Perfect and Perfection are most frequently used when applied to Men or any other Creature not in a strict or absolute but in a limited and diminutive sense but when applied to God in the strictest sense Page 501 XLVIII Verbs properly signifying action many times declare the Natures and Properties of things and what they are able apt and likely to do Page 502 XLIX Many things in Scripture are said to be done by men when it is meet they should do them or have a good ground or reason for the doing of them Page 512 L. The Verb Substantive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used which properly signifies the simple and absolute Being on Existence of a thing is oft used in the Scriptures for the Being of a thing in Act Exercise or manifestation Page 228 The End
foreseen such a case or cases wherein a suspension of a just and good Law could be necessary it would not have been their wisdom nor for the interest of the people to make mention of it in their Law but to leave the regulation of such cases to that supreme Law we speak of In like manner when the Holy Ghost cometh in unto or falls upon any person man or woman on the sudden when they have been formerly and untill then vain loose and prophane it is upon some special and weighty occasion and of high importance for the benefit of the generallity of men not so much for the benefit of any single or particular person no but for matter of greater consequence and more comprehensive than the good or benefit of any one I say when ever God varies from a general Rule it is alwaies in order to the benefit and relief of the communities of men as for example for the preserving and keeping alive in the judgments and consciences of men some great principle of truth one or other which was ready to dye and so be lost in those parts of the world where his providence so acted Now to preserve and keep such a principle alive in the souls and consciences of men if God shall appear in an extraordinary manner or the Holy Ghost work out of course it is a sign that it was not likely to be preserved by any other means or however not by any means so proper or so well consistent with the wisdom of God as this For that is to be minded when there is any ordinary way or means to accomplish any end as to instance in our present case to preserve and keep alive any great truth then and in such cases God never betaketh himself to that which is extraordinary But as to the business in hand an instance may be in the Apostle Paul his Case he giveth this account of Gods going out of his ordinary way of Grace in bringing him unto himself viz. That it was for the benefit of men yea of such men who were not like to be wrought upon otherwise For this cause saith he I obtained mercy not so much for mine own sake principally but that in me Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should afterward believe on him to eternal life 1 Tim. 1.16 As if he should have said God in vouchsafing that extraordinary grace to me in my conversion in bringing me to the knowledge of Christ did not look so much on my salvation nor upon the great benefit that I should receive from it but was pleased to pitch upon me that he might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should afterwards believe he speaks here of his own Countrymen the Jews that were called or to be called to believe on Christ And because God would give an advantage unto them for their believing being a stubborn and stiff-necked Generation a people that had desperately rebelled against the Gospel he was pleased to set this Apostle as a Pattern for them that when they had such a Pattern before them they might conceive thus with themselves There was a man every whit as wicked as we as unworthy as great an enemy to Christ and the Gospel as we yet he was called and with a high hand of acceptation received therefore doubtless we may trust in him and expect that if we will subject to him and come in and accept of mercy we shall be received into grace and favour also So now if there can be any such instance produced in our daies or in the places where we have conversed viz. That any extraordinary thing hath been done for men in a way of a real and through repentance and conversion for a seeming repentance and conversion may be in many where true repentance is seldom wrought but if I say there can be the truth and reality of any such unusual work of the Holy Ghost demonstrated doubtless there was or is some great principle one or other some important truth in a declining condition in those parts and places where any such extraordinary power of God and of his Spirit doth appear and it is to keep alive and in power and authority such a Doctrine As for instance it may be the free grace and mercy of God and that readiness in him to entertain and receive Sinners when-ever they shall return unto him this great truth I say may be so weakened in the judgments and minds of men that it may need more than an ordinary confirmation And so that men have no cause to be jealous of their former courses as if these having been so wretched and vile they might repent and yet be cast out from God Again That wicked men have as much right unto as much to do if not more with the Promises of the Gospel as Believers themselves and so that persons that have not been so or so humbled or terrified by the Law may as lawfully yea and as truly believe as those that have been in the greatest terrours of Conscience by means of it Now for the relieving and reviving of such Evangelical Principles and Conclusions as these and the like in the hearts and Consciences of men there may possibly be some extraordinary working of the Holy Ghost in and about the conversion of some man or some few Fourthly Sect. 15 When God beginneth or first entreth upon a new kind of Dispensation or series of Providence or Administrations in the world the first instance or example of such a kind of dispensation is not to be indeed in some particular Cases cannot be regulated by such Laws unto which the subsequent practice of the same Administrations are to be governed afterwards I say the first Dispensation in any kind cannot be a reasonable or perfect measure by which all other after Administrations are to be measured Men of reason and learning have delivered this for a Maxime Primum in unoquoque genere est excipiendum That the first of every kind of things is to be excepted meaning from the Common Law of the rest So that in this case God doth go along with men in their own manner of proceedings To make the observation clear When God gave being to the first man Adam intending by him the propagation of great numbers of men he did not observe the decrees or Laws of nature or natural production which he doth in giving life and being to other men So when he began that Church the members of which were afterwards numerous even the whole Nation of the Jews he appeared unto and called Abraham in somewhat an extraordinary manner This was the first beginning the head of that kind of dispensation in the world For God had not a peculiar Church raised out of any stock or generation in the world before it was to him the beginning of Churches No marvel then that he should begin this Church after another manner and in a method somewhat
to propose unto himself and unto his Spirit for his dealing with the world And for exceptions it is a common saying and true that an exception from a general Rule strengthens and confirms the Rule in all particulars not excepted for there is no general Rule as the saying is that hath not some exceptions Now these exceptions that are to be found from the general Rule we speak of are so far from taking it away or making any breach upon it that indeed they give great confirmation and authority unto it By that standing Rule we speak of God doth explain himself to this effect that men should not expect any extraordinary coming of the Holy Ghost upon them but wait for him in his ordinary way And the truth is those standing Laws and Rules of which we have spoken may be the result of the choisest and most excellent wisdom of the Holy Ghost and of God in ordaining them and yet it may be a point of the same wisdom likewise in some cases to act contrary to them There is a time saith the wise man to build and a time to pull down though these be contrary actions yet according to the exigency of differing times and seasons and occasions both may be done with a like wisdom So that the Holy Ghost may ordinarily walk by one rule and yet in extraordinary cases may walk by another Rule and both with uniformity unto his grace and goodness towards the world But it will be still objected That the Holy Ghost doth not move or act by any determinate Law prescribed unto himself no Sect. 17 not in his ordinary proceedings with men For doth he not many times ever and anon shew himself in his might and in the glory of his strength and power in working effectually upon the hearts and consciences of men that have been loose and vain and a long time wicked and prophane In answer hereunto we might commend unto you those particulars which we have formerly delivered upon this account to consider of But in the sixth place we shall add this to the five preceding which we will not stand now to name that persons that have been loose prophane despisers of God and the Gospel c. may on the sudden and at once seem to be truly converted and brought home unto God when that which is wrought in or upon them in this kind is but either that which some call a Sermon-sickness when the Conscience of a man is only troubled or wounded with the dreadful concernment of the things he hears but soon after recovers himself out of this fit and is the same man he was or worse than before As when Paul before Felix was reasoning of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come it is said that Felix trembled Acts 24.25 But this was but like an earthquake under which the earth is much troubled and shaken as if it would be removed out of its place but soon after recovers and returns to its wonted stability Or else the work we speak of suddenly wrought in loose sensual and prophane persons may possibly not vanish and come to nothing and yet not be a real work of Conversion yet doth it not follow that the Holy Ghost should be found therein to recede from his own Law mentioned To him that hath shall be given because possibly a man may have more in him by way of improvement within the space of one hour and perhaps in a far shorter time than another in the space of several hours yea or years and yet be an Haver too in the sense formerly declared my meaning is this That a man or woman may possibly with a less assistance of the Spirit more effectually provoke and stir up themselves and advance their minds and attentions to the hearing and considering of the Gospel the words of eternal life when they are speaking unto them than another man with a greater measure of assistance of the same Spirit may do within the space of a far longer time and yet be doing somewhat all the while As in matters of a Civil concernment one man with a lesser stock only with more diligence and wisdom may advance his estate more within the space of one year than another with a greater stock being less industrious and provident may do in three and this man may not go backward neither That hath been heretofore signified unto you that the Holy Ghost seldom or never withdraws from any man so low unless it be in the case of the unpardonable sin but that a person may by means of his gracious presence with him if he will provoke and stir up himself accordingly he may consider the things of his eternal peace and act and behave himself accordingly That God is said to open the heart of Lydia Acts 16.14 So that she attended to the things that were spoken by Paul doth not prove that Lydia had a greater presence or assistance of the Spirit of God than any other that were present at the preaching of the Gospel whereby she was converted But only notes the happy event and success which that assistance she had had in and upon her heart like unto which there was none wrought or produced in any other there present by any presence or assistance of the Spirit which they had This is a Principle or Rule according to which many things are spoken and are to be taken and understood in the Scriptures viz. that when one and the same action is raised and produced by a joynt concurrence of two different causes one principal and independent in its efficacy or working the other subordinate and dependent in the acting thereof the effect or work produced between them is sometimes as in good propriety of speech it may be ascribed to the one and sometimes to the other but more commonly to the former that which is the principal So that act of opening Lydia's heart because God was the principal agent in it and cause independent in working it though this was not could not be without Lydia's act in consenting God opened and she opened too for she repented and believed see Rev. 3.20 yet the work is ascribed only unto God But this by the way Seventhly Sect. 18 and lastly When there is any such example in reality and truth as the objection mentioneth viz. a person on the sudden converted and brought home unto God which hath formerly been loose vain and prophane there may be somewhat more than an ordinary presence of the Holy Ghost in and about the work without any declining of that Law or Rule before mentioned from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath For it is to be supposed and not at all to be doubted that even he that hath not in our Saviours sense of the word have that hath not any thing upon improvement of his original stock yet may have somewhat commodious and advantageous unto him at this turn upon the account of some other one or
mutter their lives and doings speak their Faith but brokenly and indistinctly they do but whisper so that the generality of men can understand but little of what they say in this kind They speak in their way as men that were jealous and half afraid least in time they should or might be discovered to speak untruth when they say they believe in Jesus Christ Such a broken intricate and uncertain account as this given by men unto the World that they believe in Jesus Christ doth no great service unto the World For all such a restimony or assertion of these mens believing in Christ the World will be at liberty and find it self loose enough from being perswaded or convinced that such men do in deed and in truth believe in him And whilst they remain at liberty in this kind they are but where they were the Faith of a person made known but by halves hath but a weak influence but a faint operation upon men being like unto a Trumpet that gives an uncertain sound upon which no man prepares unto the battel as the Apostle speaketh But now he that shall speak out shall speak plainly and without a Parable that shall with authority give or rather make the World to know that he doth really and in truth believe on Christ he will do some worthy execution upon them he will make work to some purpose in the hearts and consciences of men Such a testimony will cause men to awake out of their sleep and stand up from the dead and so prepare and put them in an immediate capacity of receiving the light of life from Christ Eph. 5.14 We know there is an attracting an encouraging Sect. 2 and provoking force in Example to the similitude and likeness of actions yea and sometimes to the similitude of passions or of sufferings also at least to the adventure making of like suffering as Paul said Many waxed confident by his bonds and suffering Phil. 1.14 and were hereby much more bold to speak the Word without fear For seeing Paul make no more of his bonds than he did they began to think that suffering persecution for the Gospel was no very great matter Therefore now they also would preach the Word confidently and with all boldness as he had done In like manner when men shall see the World neglected trodden and trampled upon by a person believing in Jesus Christ by means of this his believing and shall behold this person raised in his spirit enlarged in his comforts and enjoyments with the World under his feet the sight of such an example as this will provoke them also to trample the World under their feet likewise Your Zeal saith the Apostle speaking of their great forwardness and alacrity in contributing towards the necessities of the poor Saints 2 Cor. 9.2 hath provoked very many viz. in the same kind to the like bounty and liberality And yet we know men are as hard as unlikely to be provoked by examples in this kind I mean to part with their money as by any other kind of example whatsoever In like manner the zeal of any man in believing in Jesus Christ being made visible unto men by such deportments and actions which can in reason or in the judgment of conscience have no other root to bear them but this the zeal I say of such a Believer may set the whole World on fire round about him and provoke many to do likewise Abraham may very probably be thought to have the spirit of this glory cast upon him to be stiled the Father of Believers because his notable Example was in the nature and proper tendency of it so generative so apt and likely to replenish and fill the World with a generation of Believers And the Apostle Heb. 12.1 brings a cloud of Witnesses to this very end unto those to whom he writes viz. to encourage strengthen and provoke them to believing yet more and more and to continue believing unto the end So then this is one Reason which plainly demonstrates an Obligation lying upon every man to be a signal Benefactor unto the world viz. That he stands obliged by command from God to believe in Jesus Christ and not only this but to compel the World to know that he deth indeed thus believe He that shall do this shall lift up his hand on high to bless the Generation of the Sons and Daughters of men amongst whom he converseth and shall take a course to open a door unto them to become the Sons and Daughters of God by believing likewise and consequently to become happy and blessed for ever And because of this notable efficacy and potent tendency which a man's Faith in Christ demonstratively asserted by life and waies appropriate to it hath to bless the World by drawing men into Communion in the same course of engagement with him the Lord Christ hath I conceive imposed it in the nature of a spiritual Assessment on every man and woman in the World that believeth namely that they make Profession of this their Belief in the Face of the World that so the World may be made to know that they believe yea and hath included it in the same act by which Salvation it self is granted unto believers Thus Rom. 10.9 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thy heart c. Now because Confession is one way by which the Faith of men may be made known to the World therefore doth he impose by way of Tax the Confession of the mouth his meaning is as Expositors generally understand it the whole life and conversation He that believes and is baptized shall be saved Here he joyns faith or believing and profession together and insures Salvation upon both Baptism or to be baptized in those daies especially was as it were the first born of their profession of Faith in Jesus Christ And therefore I take it to be an assertion that is to be understood figuratively or syneedochically viz. for a solemn or serious Profession of their Faith He that believeth and is baptized that is he that believeth and shall let the World know that he believeth such a man shall be saved So Mat. 10.32 He that confesseth me before men him will I confess c. So that we still find that upon mens Believing or upon their Conversion they have had some such spiritual imposition as this laid upon them viz. to be helpful to others When thou art converted strengthen thy Brethreu So behave thy self that this Conversion of thine may efficaciously tend unto the Conversion or Confirmation of others And so David knew what his duty was what was imposed upon him when as God should restore unto him the joy of his salvation Psal 51 13. Then saith he shall I teach transgressers the way and sinners shall be converted unto thee As if he had said I know the task that is laid by the hand of the Righteousness of Heaven upon me namely that
the hard hearts and consciences of sinful and unbelieving men The words of God in the mouths of such men are as Arrows in the hand of a Giant as David speaketh Psal 127.4 they pierce deep and do execution afar off Other men that for matters appertaining unto God are but like the rest of the World and have nothing singular in their lives and conversations though using and uttering the same words with the former are yet but as sounding Brass or tinkling Cymbals in comparison of them Yea when men shall be found or known to be as it were rent and torn or broken in their obedience unto the Gospel alas they know or may know that when they shall preach the Doctrine of Faith Repentance Mortification or the like men will have wherewith to answer all that shall be spoken unto them by such men from their own mouths For who regards words and sayings where actions and works are of a contrary import As he that speaks Contradictions one while affirming one thing and at another time the quite contrary this man edifies no man by such a kind of discourse no man can tell whether he speaketh truth in the former Proposition or whether in the latter and so they go away as if nothing had been spoken they who speak at no better a rare destroying one saying with the other In like manner they whose lives and actions rise up against their teachings or speakings are of kin to those dumb Dogs of which the Scripture speaks Isa 56.10 For what they teach or affirm in words they deny in works and so in effect teach nothing at all The reason why Christ is said to have taught with authority and not as the Scribes and Pharisees is given by some to be this and I conceive it very pertinent viz. because he did what he said and taught and they said and did not So when they that keep the holy Commandment and walk up to the Rule of the Gospel shall teach admonish and instruct they shall do it with power and authority the Conscience and Judgments of men will give them reverence and do homage unto them As it is said of Herod that he feared John knowing that he was a just man and an holy and observed him and when he heard him he did many things Mar. 6.20 And our Saviour taketh notice else-where of his righteousness and holy life as making his Doctrine much more commendable and of force upon the Consciences of men and withal chargeth such persons very high who did not embrace and submit unto his Doctrine John faith he came unto you in a way of righteousness and yet you believed him not Mat. 21.32 as who should say You declared your selves a Generation of Vipers indeed when as having such a man as John come among you a person so innocent and holy that you could lay nothing to his charge yet you reject his Doctrine you believe him not which is contrary to the light of Reason and argues a preposterous and perverse spirit frowardly bent against the Truth So that if men be not of this Generation men of a viperous spirit and desperately set upon their own ruine and destruction it cannot lightly be but the Gospel coming from the mouthes of just and holy men will do great execution upon them and make the powers of sin and darkness to fly before it Thus we have made good that in the Reason given which was supposed being this That every man standeth bound in duty towards God to act the part of a worthy Benefactor unto the World round about him and as far as in him lieth to bless his Generation The other thing which is affirmed in the Reason Sect. 7 was That no man or woman can be in any good or indeed tolerable capacity to discharge this Obligation unless they be filled with the Spirit of God And this we have in part made good already in what was delivered in opening the former Reason There we shewed That men and women will never do any great any singular thing for God and the interest of the Gospel unless they take a regular and due course to be filled with the Spirit There is the same consideration of doing great things for the World Men and women will fall extremely short of their duty herein also and with-hold that from the World which is its due unless they take an effectual course to strengthen their hand and their heart to the work which must be by filling themselves with the Spirit of God For as they who give munificently and like Princes had need be Princes or at least have the the Estate and Revenues of Princes So such men and women who shall cast in any thing considerable into the Treasury of the World to cover the nakedness and feed the hunger and heal the poverty of it had need be full of the Divine Nature and have a special Magazine within them of Faith and Love of Wisdom and Knowledge of Patience and Humility of Mortification and elf-denial and many other heavenly endowments Otherwise they shall never be able to rejoyce over mankind to do it much good nor to sow liberally and plentifully unto it As the Lord Christ had he not been Rich as the Apostle faith 2 Cor. 8.9 the making of himself Poor would not have extended to the making of many Rich so in case that a person hath but a little inward worth in him if he be scanted in true excellency and nobleness of spirit though he should empty and pour out himself to the World the poverty of it is such and the necessity of it so extreme craving and so devouring above measure that such an estate would do little more towards the relief of it than the seven fat Kine in Pharaohs dream did toward the seven that were lean and ill favoured the Text faith when they had devoured them they were not seen upon them but they were as lean and starven and as evil favoured as before the fat had need it seems to have been seven and seven and twenty times seven times fatter than they were to have wrought a Cure upon the leanness and hard-favouredness of the other And as Andrew Simon Peters Brother informed Christ of a Lad that had five barly loaves and two small fishes but viewing the multitude that were to be fed demanded but what are they amongst so many Joh. 6.9 And the truth is without the miraculous interposure of a Divine Power for their multiplication they had been very little indeed amongst the multitude that was to be relieved by them In like manner he that shall diligently consider and compute not so much the numberless multitude of souls or of men and women in the World round about him as the numberless multitude of their spiritual necessities and those very sad and threatning with open mouth eternal ruine and destruction on every side cannot lightly but confess upon the view that he that shall minister unto them with any likelihood
is here plainly and in expressness of words attributed to the Holy Ghost or Spirit of God So Tit. 3.5 we are said to be saved by the washing of Regeneration and by the renewing of the Holy Ghost And 1 Cor. 6 11. we are said to be washed sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God The parts likewise of Regeneration the several graces or holy dispositions of which the body of Regeneration is made up is attributed to the Holy Ghost Gal. 5.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering c. From the Scripture then propounded with the rest consorting as ye have heard with it I reason thus If the work of Regeneration be the appropriate work of God appropriate I mean so that it cannot be effected by any meer Creature without him then must the Holy Ghost to whom this work is attributed needs be God But such is the work of Regeneration Ergo. This latter Proposition I suppose will not be denied because evident it is both from the Scriptures and from the consideration of the nature of the work it self which we call Regeneration that it is not cannot be effected without the interposure of the hand and power of God True it is God may use Creature instruments about the raising and production of it as he commonly useth men his Ministers and their gifts together with his Word I mean his written Word but yet all these without his interposure will not do the deed will not reach the blessed effect of Regeneration The Scripture is very express and clear in this I have planted saith Paul and Apollo watered but God gave the increase So then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3.6 7. When he saith that neither is he that planteth nor he that watereth any thing he speaks not absolutely as if their agency in the business were simply nothing for he had said of himself and Apollo a little before that they were Ministers by whom they believed but he speaks this comparatively meaning that that which they did in the work of their conversion to the Faith was nothing in comparison of that which God did in it God could have effected it if he had so pleased without them but all that they did or were in a capacity of doing was nothing unless his hand had been with them Elsewhere those that are regenerate or born again are said to be born of God Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 And again ver 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World c. to omit many other places So that evident it is from the Scriptures that Regeneration is a work which is appropriate unto God and cannot take place without him The Minor Proposition then in the Argument last propounded is unquestionable But to the Major Proposition it is like it will be replied that though the work of Regeneration be attributed to the Holy Ghost and withal cannot be effected but by God himself yet it doth not necessarily follow from hence that the Holy Ghost should be God because the Holy Ghost may have an agency or efficacie in it in conjunction with and subordination unto God as Ministers of the Gospel and the Persons themselves who are regenerated have To this I reply If the operation or efficacy of the Holy Ghost in and about the work of Regeneration were subordinate or instrumental we could not be said to be begotten or born again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the spirit but only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by or through the Spirit as we are not said nor can in any tolerable propriety of speech be said to be begotten of men as of the Ministers of God though they be instrumental in our Regeneration but only by men according to the Apostles expression lately mentioned 1 Cor. 3.5 Who is Paul who is Apollo but Ministers BY whom ye believed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So as the Word of God is instrumental or subordinate to our Regeneration we are said to be begotten by it 1 Pet. 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by or through the Word of the living God And elsewhere Jam. 1.18 God is said to have begotten us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with or through the Word of truth The Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still notes either the principle efficient cause or else the material cause of things produced but seldom or never the instrumental efficient cause Thus men are said to be begotten of their Parents You saith Christ to the wicked Jews are of your Father the Devil Joh. 8.44 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Angel to Joseph concerning Mary Mat. 1.20 That which is begotten in her is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to omit instances of this kind without number Therefore there is little question but that in the same sense wherein men are said to be born or born again of God they are said to be regenerate or born again of the Spirit It is true sometimes the Spirit is spoken of as instrumental or subservient in the works of believing mortification c. Peter tells the Saints unto whom he writes 1 Pet. 1.22 that they had purified their souls in obeying the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Spirit i.e. by means or by the help of the Spirit So Paul to the Romans Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by or through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live But first it is to be considered that that subserviency which in these or the like passages seems to be attributed to the Holy Ghost is attributed unto him in reference unto men not unto God and the reason of the attribution is not to imply that He the Holy Ghost is not the principal or prime cause both of our believing and so of our mortification but only that with his agency or interposure about these works he never effects them without the consent and compliance of men themselves therewith So that in this respect men are said to purifie their hearts in believing the Truth through the Spirit and so to mortifie the deeds of the flesh through the Spirit when they fall in and comport with the preventing motions of the Spirit in order to these great and blessed works which may well and with clearness of apprehension stand with the Spirits being the first Author of yea and the principal Actor in them only it implies that He works none of these spiritual or heavenly things within us irresistibly or whether we will or no. And therefore Secondly Such attributions of subserviency unto men as these do no waies prove or so much
Treatise is gravely and with solidity penned and worthy the perusal of those whose feer are taken in the snare of that Error or others remaining in any measure dis-satisfied about the Point Though the truth is they have as much reason to be dis-satisfied about their Christianity it self and whether Salvation is to be obtained by Jesus Christ and Faith in his bloud as to be dis-satisfied about the Holy Ghost being God We might argue the Deity of the Holy Ghost from other particulars observable Sect. 10 upon such an account from the said passages of Scripture lying yet before us As 1. That Christ saith of him that he should teach them all things 2. That he should bring to their remembrance all things that he had spake to them 3. That he proceedeth from God the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall but only glance at them First our Saviour undertakes for the Holy Ghost that when he comes he shall teach his Disciples all truth To be able to teach all truth is a Royalty too rich to be vested in any Creature it is most worthy God himself and meet only for him The Eph. 3.9 10. Angels learn many things from the Church and from the Min stry and Dispensation of the Gospel there And the Apostle Paul himself professeth of himself and the rest of his fellow Apostles 1 Cor. 13.9 who knew more than all the World besides of the mystery of Christ and of God that they knew but in part Therefore no Angel was in a capacity to teach them all things when as they themselves were in a condition to learn some things of them If it be demanded But how can these two stand together 1. That Christ should say unto the Apostles that the Holy Ghost should teach them all things and lead them into the way of all truth And yet 2. That Paul should say notwithstanding that they knew but in part Can he be said to know but in part who hath been taught all things or led into the way of all Truth I answer 1. That the all things which the Holy Ghost according to our Saviours Promise here was to teach the Disciples is to be restrained to the business in hand which is very frequent in Scripture and so such things as were necessary and meet for them to know in order to the performance of their Apostolical Office as well in teaching as in planting Churches and ordering the Government hereof For it was not for them to know the times and seasons which God had reserved in his own hand Nor doth it follow from hence either that the Holy Ghost was not able to teach them that restrained all things or that the teaching of this restrained all things should be no sufficient proof of the Holy Ghosts being God The former of these is evident enough from the common principle in reason God and Nature as they are not defective in things that be necessary so neither do they abound in things that be superfluous And therefore if the Apostles had no need of any further knowledge of any thing which did any waies conduce to the performance of their great Office as they were Apostles It is not to be conceived that the Holy Ghost should impart such things unto them which were not expedient for them to know The latter viz. That the teaching of that limited all things we speak of especially taken with that Clause that goeth along with it and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you Joh. 14.26 is an Argument no waies defective in proof that the Holy Ghost who was to do all these things is truly God this I say is evident from hence For 1. He that shall be able to teach all that was necessary for the Apostles to know for the discharge of their great Office must be supposed to know all the heights and depths of the Scriptures all things that are contained and comprehended there For doubtless there is nothing in the Word of God but what was fitting and necessary for the Apostles to know and understand As namely the sitting and applying of all the Figures Shadows and Ceremonies under the Law to and with the Gospel and so likewise to know and understand all obscure Prophesies for otherwise they might have been foyled and intangled by their Adversaries which would have been matter of prejudice to them in the fulfilling of their Office Now then to be able to do this certainly doth prove sufficiently that he must needs be God For 1 Cor. 2.1 1. saith the Apostle what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of a man which is in him It is the Spirit within a man who knoweth all the motions of the heart all the Purposes Counsels Hopes Sorrows c. No man knows all these things but the spirit of a man which is within him which is intimous to him and upon the matter himself Even so after the same manner we may say no man knows the things of God but the spirit of God The Spirit God searcheth the deep things of God As the Spirit of a man is privy to the most secret things of a man even so the Spirit of God is privy to the secrets of God So there is no man and consequently no Spirit besides no Creature no Angel though never so great and near unto God in point of Office and Ministry that is able to search the deep things of God but only the Spirit of God which is intimately acquainted with the deep things of God 2. He that was able to bring so the Apostles remembrance whatsoever Christ had said unto them must neds be God because he must know their hearts and their thoughts and what of themselves they did remember without him and withall to know what was worn or blotted out of their memories For I suppose the meaning is not that when the Spirit comes he should be a Remembrancer unto them of such things which they remembred already and therefore it supposes that the Holy Ghost of whom it is said he should remember them of all things that Christ had formerly spoken unto them did know the state of their minds and inward parts and that he knew what things they had or did remember and what things they had forgotten and lost and accordingly shouldsupply them Which is another consideration that doth argue that certainly this Spirit of God this samje great Remembrancer of the Apostles can be no other but God 3. We might also argue from that other Clause where our Saviour describes the Holy Ghost or the Spirit of God there being no plurality of Holy Ghosts to be one individual Spirit of Truth And then denotes his Process which proceeds from or out of the Father For both words should be put in from the Father and proceeds out of the Father after an ineffable and inconceivable manner Now if any such Character as this or any near to it can be found to be given of
find persons so filled with the Spirit of God that they do not give some such sign or testimony as now we speak of something to discover their temper humour and such kind of Principles within them that make them stiff that they cannot bow nor comply Their Iron Sinew is not yet broken they have not taken the course they have not dealt effectually with their hearts to bring them into subjection they have not chastened their Souls every morning as David did who had disciplined and nurtured his heart to some kind of order and compliance with God in all his occasions and affairs And so much for this Direction or the second Rule given by which we may know whether men be filled with the Spirit of God namely if they understand judgment as the Scriptures speak and then be ready in their hearts and affections to concur and to measure out to every case and business according to the exigency and requirements of it this now doth declare an excellent degree of the fulness of the Spirit of God with them And Thirdly Sect. 11 A deep degree of Mortification especially when the work is uniform spreading and stretching it self with an equal force and power unto all a mans Affections Disposition and Desires which ought to be mortified with the Deeds Fruits and Works of them This I say is another great Argument or sign of a man or womans being filled with the Spirit of God The work of Mortification is performable only by the Spirit of God and therefore where it is performed and wrought thoroughly where it appears in any degree of glory it must needs argue a great presence of the Spirit For if ye live after the flesh saith the Apostle ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.13 If you ask me But why doth the Apostle place the great work of Mortification in the deeds of the body in having these mortified and not rather in those sinful affections and inward dispositions from whence they proceed I reply That he placeth it here in the deeds of the body because it is principally seen and the reality and truth of it found there though the work it self lieth most in the heart and inward man yet the energy and force chiefly appeareth in the abolishing or cessation of the deeds of the flesh or of the body When such sinful and unworthy actions cease to be found in men and women whereunto others are tempted by the flesh or by the occasions of the flesh and ever and anon are practicing of them it is a sign that the work of Mortification is real and in truth yet elsewhere the same Apostle placeth it in the affections and lusts of the flesh in having these crucified or moâ—tified Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts i.e. they that are Christs i. e. that are his Disciples or that have resigned up themselves unto him or are subject unto him have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts i.e. have pierced the flesh or outer man thorough and thorough with such sharp and effectual considerations that the strength and vigour of it as to sinful demands or actions is much spent and wasted and as the natural strength and vigour of a man that is nailed to a Cross breatheth out by degrees in that bloud that cometh from him by his wounds so have ye crucified the flesh with the affections or passions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and lusts thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the passions i. e. with all those affections which belong to the irascible part of the soul as both Philosophers and Divines call it Anger Wrath Hatred Envy Revenge c. they have crucified these i.e. they have taken a course to break the strength and to suppress the motions and breakings out of these And the lusts i.e. all those affections also which belong to the other part of the soul which they call the Concupiscible such as are Fornication Uncleanness Drunkenness Gluttony Covetousness c. So then we say that when the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts and Deeds thereof are so crucified or mortified so handled that men and women are become Meek Patient Humble Gentle long-suffering c. And again Chaste Pure Sober Temperate free from Covetousness and all this to an excellent degree it is a sign that they are full of the Spirit of God the reason is because First If these things be in any weak and imperfect degree in men Sect. 12 they proceed from the Spirit of God and must be wrought by him Secondly A being filled with the Spirit is no waies to be estimated and discerned but by a proportionable excellency or fulness of his operations and effects Now the work of mortification as hath been in part described is one of the most signal works of the Spirit and therefore where it is full or any thing rich and deep it argues a great presence of the Spirit but the truth is it is very hard to be found in any such degree as that we speak of even amongst Professours yea or Believers themselves Men and women have generally some sinful humours and dispositions or other unbroken and unsubdued either they are Cholerick Hasty Froward easily Provoked Revengeful and the like or else they are given to Pleasures Ease Voluptuousness of life desires of Riches Honour Power the great things of the World And though many keep within some tolerable compass in respect of the breaking out of these and such like unmortified affections whilst the Tempter keepeth at a distance from them and some few it may be whilst the Temptations runs somewhat low and are but ordinary yet the greatest part of the persons we speak of Professors I mean are apt to be overcome and led away Captive unto Sin by every touch of Temptation any Temptation almost that will may serve it self upon them Even as some mens Judgments are so weak that they are apt to be carried about with every wind of Doctrine as the Apostle speaks apt to take impressions of any thing that is presented unto them with the lightest appearance of truth but to find a man or woman that is able to stand their ground of innocency when any strong temptations beare hard upon them is exceeding rare which argues the work of Mortification to be very imperfect and slight in the greatest part of men and consequently that they are far from being filled with the Spirit of God If it be here demanded Sect. 13 But are not all the works of the Spirit of God perfect If he work Mortification in any person must it not needs be perfect Can any thing proceed from that which is perfect yea most perfect as the Spirit of God is but that which is perfect indeed I reply The perfection of a work may be estimated or considered two waies First Absolutely or in reference only to it self
how many pretenders have we to little less than a Prophetick Unction to mystical discoveries to a deep and further insight into the mind of God in the Scriptures and to the understanding of things there whose Notions notwithstanding the pretended fruits of such their high Anointings and Revelations being weighed in the Balance of the Sanctuary are found light and to have nothing of the mind of God or of Christ in them Therefore in the first place unless these discoveries which are pretended unto and held forth with the greatest confidence shall commend themselves for truth unto the judgments and understandings of sober and judicious men much versed and exercised in the Scriptures either from their own light or evidence or else shall be made out by light of Argument and Demonstation Whether from the Scriptures or clear Principles in reason to be real truths and such things that are every waies worthy the Wisdom Righteousness and Holiness of God they are not to be looked upon as proceeding from any fulness of the Spirit in their Authors but as the exertions and puttings forth of a Spirit of vanity and delusion in men For certainly God would not have sent Christ Jesus in the end of the World to seal vp Revelations and Prophesies and to set bounds unto the Children of men and afterward send these men to gather up what Jesus Christ hath scattered and to make perfect what he hath left imperfect Wko knoweth not that the New Testament is sealed with a Curse with dread and terrour unto the man or woman that shall either make any breach upon that which is there delivered by diminishing ought thereof and so likewise unto any that shall bring any new or further Revelation than what is already brought in there Secondly In case by the opportunity and advantage of Education Sect. 21 liberty for Study and searching into Authors and Writers or the advantage of pregnancy of Wit quickness of Apprehensions or the like any man shall attain unto a greater dexterity or ability to unfold the Scriptures and to bring many of the secrets thereof to light which have been hidden from the eyes of others this doth not necessarily argue a fulness of or a being filled with the Spirit at least in the sense wherein we have prosecuted the Doctrine hitherto i. e. a filling with the Spirit as sanctifying unless it shall appear by their lives and waies that they are really and throughly perswaded of the truth and certainty of these things which they hold forth from the Scriptures It is true many men may do great Services for the Christian World and for the Saints and that by opening the great Deeps or Fountains of the Scriptures and may cause many beams of light and Spiritual understanding to break forth and many waies of Wisdom there to appear and yet may not believe As it is with a fained Story though there may be some kind of rationality in it yet the rationality of it doth not therefore argue its truth and verity just so men may maintain the reasonableness of the Scriptures and consequently many great truths therein contained they may argue excellently and shew how one thing giveth light unto another and yet nevertheless at the bottom there may be nothing else but uncertainties and doubtings of the truth of all the Story and this hollowness and defection at the bottom and core and root of the heart is like to break out and bewray it self in such a kind of life and conversation which is unsutable unto the tenour of Scripture and unto the Genius Nature and light of the glorious Gospel which they declare or preach unto men The Reason of the Character or sign last mentioned Sect. 22 whereby to judge of any mans being filled with the Spirit is because it is the proper work of the Spirit to open and reveal unto men the Scriptures and the mind of God there so that when any person man or woman shall be found to excell in such a way upon the terms and with the cautions lately specified I mean to be richly acquainted with the mind of God in the Scripture it must needs argue a great measure of the Spirit of God in them For it is I say the property of the Spirit of God to reveal the mind of God in the Scriptures and to reveal such and such truths which have lain dormant in the bodies of the Scriptures wound up and unpublished For the Spirit of God hath reserved and set apart some particular portion of truth which is appropriate to every Age and Generation that cometh over the World which is to be opened unto it Some conceive that the seven Seals do respect several Ages and times wherein several truths are to be revealed as that in such an Age and Time when one Seal was broken up there was such a part of the mind of God let out and so at the breaking up of a second then cometh forth another part of the mind of God This is clear and experience teacheth us that every Generation and every Age have had some sealed or fallow ground of Scripture broken up unto them some considerable passage of Scripture that hath never seen the Sun that hath never been so generally understood or known by men as in the present Generation so that it being the proper work of the Spirit of God to take away the vail and covering which hath been upon the Scriptures when he findeth some person whom he doth much delight in he will single him out for this service 1 Cor. 2.10 11 c. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God That is according to Scripture Language teacheth men to search and to find out by searching the deep things of God i. e. such Counsels of his which do not lie in the surface of the Scriptures such things which cannot be seen at the first cast of a mans eye For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man which is in him Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now the Notions which are bred in the Mind and in the Nature of God are of another sort of a quite different nature from those which are ingendred and conceived in the mind of men even as those impressions in bruit beasts are of a far other nature and kind from those which are in men and being of another nature and kind and also inferiour to those Notions or Impressions which are in man they cannot understand or comprehend those Notions or Impressions and those Principles of Action that are in men and by which they order and steere their course The Reason is because these Notions or Impressions that are in Men are of a superiour kind to those in Beasts and out of the reach of them or any other created being especially beneath themselves So that though it should be supposed that
it matter of Conscience to turn their backs upon the Ministry of the Gospel which as the Apostle calleth it is the Ministration of the Spirit Secondly They who though they do not make it matter of Conscience to neglect or despise this Ministry yet make it no matter of Couscience diligently to attend upon it when they know otherwise how to bestow their time whether in the pursuit of their pleasures or recreation or in the service of Mammon and attending upon the World between these we might insert a third sort viz. such who though they have not turned their backs upon the Ministry and preaching of the Gospel but seem to make it some matter of Conscience to attend upon it yet have itching ears and cannot long together endure wholsome and sound Doctrine but run from Mountain to Hill from one Minister to another For the first We all know that of late years there is a strange spirit of Error and Ungodliness gone out into the World and walks up and down the Streets of your City and hath taken the heads or hearts rather of many who sometimes greatly loved or at least seemed thus to love the Assemblies of the Saints and those discoveries of himself which God is wont by his Word and the Ministry thereof to make from day to day unto them The Spirit we now speak of is a Spirit which teacheth men to say that the Tabernacles of the Lord of Hosts are vile and for the Ministry of the Gospel and the opening the Mysteries thereof by those that have an Anointing from heaven to do it Wherein is it to be esteemed This Spirit also reacheth and perswadeth those men to fortifie and strengthen or harden themselves in their way not only by Reasons and Arguments such as they are but by the Scriptures themselves also as if they were divided in themselves and destroyed with one hand what they build up with the other Do not men who suffer themselves to be lead by this superordinancing Spirit rather consult the emptying of themselves of the Spirit of God than their filling with him and take a course by degrees wholly to bereave and dispossess themselves of that presence of his in them which at present they do enjoy or have enjoyed formerly Where no wood is saith Solomon or as the Hebrew hath it Prov. 26.20 without wood the fire goeth out In like manner except the Spirit of God in men be fed and nourished with the fresh and new comings in of the light of the knowledge of God and of Christ his presence will languish and sink and die in a manner Hence it is that the Apostle having admonished the Thessalonians not to quench the Spirit 1 Thes 5.19 He immediately subjoyneth by way of caution ver 20. and presignification how they might and must prevent it Despise not Prophesying or as our last Translation with more agreeableness to the Original rendreth it Despise not Prophesyings in the plural number Prophesyings i.e. the opening and interpreting the Word of God by a proper gift of the Spirit for the work if this be despised i. e. made nothing of as the word signifieth then the Spirit in men and women will be quenched i. e. the vigour and activeness of his presence in men will abate and if the neglect and disesteem be long continued in will by degrees wholly cease The word Prophesyings in the Plural number seems to imply that not only or simply to despise Prophesying i. e. the Work or Ordinance it self in the general of Preaching or opening the Scriptures is the ready way to quench the Spirit but to despise the frequency of the opportunities vouchsafed by God in that kind viz. when the bountiful providence of God affordeth unto men and women frequent opportunities of attending upon the Spirit of God in the exercise of Prophesyings and when they may be diligence and wise ordering and disposing of their secular and worldly occasions without any considerable inconveniency frequently attend the openings of the mouth of God which we spake of and yet they shall frequently neglect to do it pleasing themselves with a conceipt that to attend on Prophesying on the Lord's day only is sufficient If the persons with whom we have to do in the reproof in hand Sect. 2 should ask me But why should the despising or neglecting of Prophesying or of the Ministry of the Word be the quenching of the Spirit or a way to empty us of the Spirit I reply First Suppose we could give no other reason of the thing now enquired into but only the Will and pleasure of God and could say no more in the case but this that it is the Counsel of the Will of God to make the attendance of the Creature man upon the Ministry of the Gospel where he vouchsafeth it the condition of the Spirits presence or abiding with him so that in case he doth neglect it his Spirit shall withdraw from him If there were nothing else but this Were not this enough to satisfie any man of Conscience But now the truth is that the reasons of this Counsel of the Will of God that the attendence upon the Ministry of the Gospel should be a standing means to preserve and maintain the presence of the Spirit of God the reasons I say are not so hard to come at in this case but that if the Minds Judgments and Understandings of men were impartially engaged in the enquiry after what the Scriptures speak as to matters of this nature they might be clearly discerned The reasons therefore why God hath made such a Connexion between the attending upon the Ministry of the Word and the presence of his Spirit are first because the word of God is as it were the materials or proper matter for the Holy Ghost to work on to work all his excellent and heavenly works in the hearts and souls of men As for example to work Faith Peace Joy and Righteousness and Holiness and Love c. The Holy Ghost produceth all these excellent works in the hearts of men by the truths of God in the Gospel As an Artificer worketh upon his materials and by his Art and Skil produceth his Artificial piece as a Carpenter upon his Timber or a Goldsmith upon his Metal so that if you do not furnish them with these materials they can do nothing As the Carpenter cannot work when he hath no Timber the Holy Ghost in like manner if there be no Vision no Truth no New Light coming in for him to work on he will take no pleasure nor delight to inhabit or continue there He shall saith our Saviour speaking to his Disciples of the Holy Ghost He shall receive or take of mine and shall shew it unto you Joh. 16.14 What things of his doth our Saviour mean the Holy shall take and shew Doubtless they are such things of his or relating unto him which are contained and asserted in the Gospel As his Divine Nature Humane Nature his Incarnation Conception
ordinarily it is uttered by the Mouth of the Conscience which is not wont to be wide opened unless it be in some broader or more known duties of the Second Table what the reason hereof is is not so proper for present consideration Secondly The Cares Lusts Thoughts Desires Fears and Apprehensions of things relating to this present World make a continual noise and hubbub in the hearts and inward parts of men and women generally So that in case any thing were spoken to the heart or inner man especially with a soft voice whilest these things are stirring in him it will not be heard or minded And therefore Thirdly The Holy Ghost being a Spirit of Wisdom will not speak at least ordinarily unto hearts so full of distractions and confusions Neither fourthly Do men that voluntarily make noise or suffer noises to be made about them desire to hear any man speak unto them Therefore fifthly and lastly It follows from these Premises that such persons who are earthly minded and continually filled with the Cares Lusts or Desires of this World are either in no capacity at all to hear or not at all care to hear any thing that the Spirit shall speak unto them Men that desire to hear the Spirit of God speaking in them must sequester and abstract themselves from the noise and tumults of this World For the voice of the Spirit of God in men that voice by which he suggests things in the Conscience is a still and low voice and therefore when men are in a hurry in their thoughts whilest the World is lifting up its voice within them there is no opportunity for him to speak When persons are full of the Cares of this Life and are making provision for the flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof there is no opportunity for the Spirit to declare himself to them or to shew them his secrets I will hearken what the Lord will speak saith the Psalmist Psal 85.8 They that will listen to this still voice of the Spirit must muse must have all quiet within them lay their ears close unto what shall be spoken They that do not thus hearken unto the Spirit of God that do not thus listen and keep a perfect calm in their Spirits are not likely to hear what the Spirit speaketh in them And yet in the fourth place there are another sort of men and women worse than these and these are they that resist the Spirit Ye have resisted the Holy Ghost c. Acts 7. where Stephen chargeth them with that grievous charge that they resisted the Holy Ghost when he was striving to do them good and to acquaint them with the mind of God with true holiness and waies leading to Salvation They resisted him i. e. fortified themselves against him cast about with their Minds and Reasons and Understandings how they might discover and take hold of any pretense why they should not submit unto such and such Counsels such Doctrines such Truths wherein the Holy Ghost did from time to time speak unto them By this means men are said to resist the Holy Ghost and there is a Generation of men and women amongst us who dash their foot at this stone of death who when the Spirit of God either in the Word or in the Counsel or Application of Christian Friends unto them or otherwise presenteth them with such and such truths of God which bear upon their Consciences making it evident that it is for their good that they should submit themselves in the course of their lives and waies unto them and perswading them to abandon such and such waies to cast from them all such works which are contrary to those truths and sayings of God They I say who are well aware of these motions and suggestions of the Spirit to them and yet turn their backs upon them are of this second or worser sort who because they are desperately unwilling to be led out of their old waies loth to drink New Wine saying the Old is better therefore they withstand the Spirit of God even when he cometh with power and is about to bind the Understandings of men that they might not be able to move Now he is not to be resisted in such cases but with a high hand of rebellion and there must be abundance of enmity and disobedience against him otherwise men would be led away in a blessed captivity unto Jesus Christ This is the reason why men whom God hath had much to do with who have lived under a mighty and powerful Ministry either they are overcome and prove the best and holiest of men or otherwise they must arm themselves with such weapons of Rebellion which will prove them to be the most vile and most desperate sinners in the World A fifth and last sort of Offenders are such who neglect to sow unto the Spirit Sect. 17 we use the Phrase of the Apostle Gal. 6.8 He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting We have opened heretofore what it is to sow to the Spirit It is to do such things to go forth in such waies and to be found frequent in such Actions and Practices which will turn to the praise and honour and glory of the Spirit of God and not only so but to do such things with an eye and intention that the Spirit of God should receive honour and reap praise by such their waies Now he properly soweth unto a man who doth intend that the man to whom he soweth should reap benefit thereby Even so a person is said to sow unto the Spirit of God who frequently is engaged in such waies and actions which he knows must of necessity turn unto the honour and praise of the Spirit of God Now if men and women shall rise up in their obedience unto God above the line and common road of the World if they shall walk in a more excellent way than their Neighbours more excellent than the common sort of Professors about them This must needs turn to the praise of the Spirit of God for the means by which they are advanced and gotten above their Neighbours and become more excellent than they this of course falleth and is ascribed by all to the honour and praise of the Spirit of God Men will conclude that surely the Spirit of God acteth and operateth in these men and teacheth them more excellent works and more heavenly curiosity than is found in the ordinary sort of men in the World Therefore they who refuse thus to sow unto the Spirit when the Spirit first soweth unto them that is when the Spirit suggesteth unto them and graciously stirreth up and tempteth their hearts and Consciences to do such Heroick Acts wherein there is a more than ordinary strain of goodness to be seen they do not consult the honour of the Spirit of God nor their own peace and enriching but on the contrary their own sorrow and poverty They I say that shall refuse thus to sow
these things unto them Indeed there is this difference between beasts having Communion with men and mens having Communion with God As beasts they have no Communion with men in Principles so neither are they capable of any Discourse or Communication or of receiving the light of knowledge from men But it is otherwise with men in respect of the knowledge of God and Communion with him for though they have no knowledge of the things of God at the present yet are they capable of the knowledge of them if they be communicated unto them they can relish them and improve them And so for the fourth particular and last that great interest in God to carry things in Prayer this is such a Priviledge that me thinks every man must acknowledge and grant and cannot find any thing to oppose or object against it but that this must be the effect of an enlargement in Righteousness and this comes by the assistance of the Spirit of God For God makes a great Treasury of his Ear that is only open for persons of greatness and worth it is one of the highest means and greatest encouragement which God hath in his hand to work and draw up the hearts of men on high viz. unto a life excellent in holiness to grant them a rich interest in Heaven to have his car open to do great things for them Now if God should grant all to other persons that are low and of an ordinary conversation God would be divided against himself and should make that common which he hath set apart for great and signal Services For should he grant this great Priviledge to have his Ear open to persons of an ordinary rate or growth in holiness that when they prayed unto him for great things they might obtain them at his hand he would spoil his market for great things For who are they that would strive to out-run their Neighbours in matters appertaining to God if they apprehended that God would give as much interest in himself and in his love unto them that neither labour nor strive to gain it So that there is no question to be made but that this Royal Priviledge also is the natural and appropriate effect and product of an high excellency in Righteousness in the World and consequently shews them that have it to be filled with the Spirit of God Thus we have made good the truth of our Motive last propounded so far as it concerns this present life and the desirableness of it and have shewed and proved that he that is filled with the Spirit of God must needs be invested in and possessed of the four Priviledges mentioned And secondly that he that is possessed of these must needs live upon the most desirable and happy terms that this World can afford We cast in this likewise additionally that this blessedness of life and condition is not to be obtained by any other means but by being filled with the Spirit We now proceed to shew the like concerning the life which is to come Sect. 12 viz. that a being filled with the Spirit in this World is that which will make a mans Crown of glory to flourish on his head and this with the greatest encrease of glory in the World which is to come Only by the way we suppose one thing which I know is doubted of and questioned by some and denied by others but yet is more generally received and questionless is a truth and the Doctrine of the Scriptures themselves viz. That as the state and condition of men differ in this World some live upon better and more comfortable terms than others so shall it also be in the World to come I mean amongst those who shall all be happy and blessed some shall be greater in blessedness than others and higher in glory though it shall be well with them all and they shall all be happy and blessed Now whereas the World to come according to the more general and probable Opinion is twofold First That state of the Saints under the Kingdom of Christ which is yet to come and that condition afterwards when God shall be all in all there is no estate between these two Now take either the one estate or the other they may well be called the World which is to come that is a World which as it is future so the state and condition of it will be much different from the World that now is That which we are about to propound unto you doth relate indefinitely unto them both in all and in every of the several degrees and dispensations of God in them We shall not make any long business to argue and vindicate the truth which we now suppose as the Basis or ground-work of the next part of our discourse partly because we would not make any long digression from the main business in hand partly because as I remember we not very long since did argue the Point at large giving reply both unto such Scriptures and such Arguments which are generally opposed unto the Opinion Therefore we shall at present only take some brief notice how the Scriptures stand enclined in the Point and add a Reason or two for the confirmation of what we shall find the Scriptures hold forth in the case and when we have laid this foundation we shall go forward with the building First For the Scriptures there is a great appearance here yea doubtless more than an appearance too on the behalf of the Notion or Opinion which was lately mentioned All those passages wherein it is declared that God will judge every man according to his works and so reward every man according to his works suppose a difference in rewards unless we shall suppose that which is manifestly untrue viz. that the good works of all those who shall be saved are equal and that none of them have done either more or less nor that they have been more or less serviceable either unto God or men in their Generation but that all have been found alike righteous alike faithful alike zealous for God But supposing that the works of the Saints I mean their works of righteousness are not equal but that some have lifted up their hands higher unto the Commands of God than others then these passages of Scripture clearly suppose that there will be found a variety of rewards between righteous men and righteous men For that such places of Scripture as these are not to be understood only of the kind or general quality of mens works as if the meaning only were that God would reward all those that shall have wrought righteousness and who have done well with eternal life and that he will punish those that have done wickedly and ungodlily with eternal death now though this be a truth yet that this cannot be the meaning is apparent by the Scriptures which speak elsewhere not only of both kinds of works and the different species and kind of rewards and recompenses proper to them but also that
spend and be spent upon the interest of God in the World certainly if there be any Crowns of Glorie in the World to come more weighty than others they are the persons that shall receive them from Christ Now it only remains that we weigh the Motive and for that I shall refer you to the consideration of what hath already been delivered in this Motive FINIS A Table of such Texts of Scripture unto which light is given in the foregoing Discourse ABraham will command his Children Gen. 18.9 and his House after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord Page 512 Now therefore go Exod. 4.12 and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say Page 143 If there be a Prophet among you Num. 12.6 I the Lord or I Jehovah will make my self known unto him in a Vision and will speak unto him in a Dream Page 143 I said indeed that thy Fathers House shall walk before me for ever 1 Sam. 2.30 Page 30 The Lord hath heard my Supplication Psal 6.9 10. and he will receive my Prayer let all mine Enemies be ashamed and sore vexed Page 529 I will call on the Lord Psal 18.3 who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from mine Enemies Page 529 The sorrows of Hell compassed me about Ver. 5 6. He heard my voice out of his Temple and my cry came before him even into his ears Page 529 The eyes of the Lord are upon the Righteous Ver. 34.15 17. and his ears are open to their cry the Righteous cry and the Lord heareth Page 525 Then shall I teach Transgressors the way Ver. 51.13 and Sinners shall be converted unto thee Page 48 They are all plain to him that will understand Prov. 8.9 Page 517 Wherefore is there a Price in the hand of a Fool to get wisdom Prov. 17.16 seeing he hath not a heart Page 474 He that despiseth his way Prov. 19.16 Page 83 84 Labour not to be rich Prov. 23.4 Cease from thine own wisdom Page 474 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not Ver. 5. For riches certainly make themselves wings they fly away Page 474 Awake thou North wind Cant. 4.16 and come thou South and blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out Page 183 184 Make the heart of this people fat Isa 6.9 10. Page 145 And now the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me Isa 48.16 Page 145 Neither lift up a cry for this People Jer. 11.14 for if they pray I will not hear them Page 530 Behold the daies come Jer. 30.31 saith Jehovah that I will make a new Covenant Page 145 They should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness Ezek. 14.14 Page 530 When I say unto the righteous man he shall surely live Ezek. 33.13 if he shall trust to his own righteousness and commit iniquity in his iniquity he shall die Page 30 The morning cloud Hos 6.4 and early dew Page 88 Rejoyce not against me Mic. 7.8 O mine Enemy Page 83 Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5.48 Page 127 And I say unto you ask and it shall be given you Mat. 7.7 8. seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you For every one that asketh receiveth he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Page 309 Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Mat. 13.43 Page 122 123 Therefore every Scribe Ver. 52. which is instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is an Housholder which bringeth forth out of his Treasury things new and old Page 435 And they likewise received every man a Peny Ver. 20.9 Page 93 94 119 120 Grant these my two Sons may sit the one on thy right hand Ver. 21 23. and the other on thy left in thy Kingdom It is not mine to give but unto them for whom it is prepared of my Father Page 124 125 For unto every one that hath Ver. 25.29 shall be given and he shall have abundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath Page 19 27 28 29 c. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Ver. 28.19 baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Page 135 c. He saw the Heavens opened Mar. 1.10 and the Spirit like a Dove descending upon him Page 151 152 Why doth the man thus speak blasphemies Mar. 2.7 Who can forgive sins but God only Page 155 156 Ye know not what you ask Mar. 10.35 Page 27 c. For it shall be given to whom it is prepared Ver. 40. Page 27 That he would grant unto us Luke 1.74 that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear Page 68 69 And ye your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return from the Wedding Luke 12.36 37. that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediately Blessed are those Servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself and make them sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them Page 350 Which of you having a Servant plowing or feeding Cattel will say to him by and by when he is come from the field Luk. 17.7 8. go and sit down to meat and will not rather say unto him make ready wherewith I may sup and gird thy self and serve me till I have eaten and drunken and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink Doth he thank that Servant because he did the things which were commanded him I trow not Page 350 c. That was the true light Joh. 1.9 which lighteth every man that cometh into the World Page 284 I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a Dove Joh. 1.32 and it abode upon him Page 153 Jesus answered verily Joh. 3.5 verily I say unto thee Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Page 156 That which is born of the flesh is flesh Joh. 3.6 Page 18 The wind bloweth where it listeth Joh. 3.8 and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth Page 174 Except you see signs and wonders you will not believe Joh. 4.48 Page 408 I am come that they might have life Joh. 10.10 and that they might have it more abundantly Page 68 But if I do Ver. 38. though ye believe not me believe the Works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him Page 516 Even the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not Ver. 14.17 neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Page 21.22 But the Comforter Ver. 26. which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father