Edifying and Satisfying discovery of this Necessary Important Truth viz. Christ made of God to us Wisdome Righteousness Sanctification Redemption and withall Point out plainely particulary the way how Beleevers in all their Particular and various exigéncies maâ—… and should so make use of and apply that all fulness which is treasured up in the Head for the benefite and advantage of the Members of the Mystical body as they may not only theoretically see but practically also experience this truth That in Him they are compleat and so they may be helped to understand how through the necessary constant usemaking of Him as all in all they may grow up in Him in all things If this be I say done by any to better purpose I shall think this my adventure not altogether fruitless in part at least excusable As for thee O Christian whose instruction edification and confirmation in the Faith of our Lord Iesus Christ the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints I mainly intended in this undertaking I have a few things to adde knovv then that there are certain men as the Apostle Iude speaketh crept in unawares who were of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Iesus Christ for in these last dayes vve see that these perillous times are come of vvhich Paul advertised Timothy 2 Tim. 3 1. c. vvherein men shall be lovers of their owne selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce breakers false accusers or make bates incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traitours heady high minded lovers of pleasure morethan lovers of God having the forme of godliness but denying the power thereof for of this sort are they which creep into houses lead captive silly women laden with sinnes led away with diverse lusts ever learning never able to come to the knowledge of the truth And because it is so be exhorted to give deligence to make your Calling Election sure by giving all diligence to adde to faith vertue to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity for if ye do these things ye shall never fall As the Apostle Peter assureth us 2 Pet. 1 5 6 7 10. for itis the Elect vvho are secured from full and final defection and Apostasie Mat. 24 24. Mark 13 22. Rom. 11 5 7. 9 11. 8 33. Mat. 24 31. Mark 13 27. and the promise of Salvation is made to such as shall endure to the end The Crown is for the Overcomers such as are faithful to the death Mat. 10 22. 24 13. Mark 13 1â—… Revel 2 10 11 17 26 27 28. 3 5 1â—… 21. All vvhich and the like are sct dovvne that hereby his people might be rationally moved to a constant seriousness in the working out of their owne Salvation in fear trembling and the forevvarnings given of the great difficulty of reaching the end of our faith the salvation of our souls because of the many Active Vigilant Indefatigable Subtile and Insinuating adversaries who by good words faire speaches vvill readily deceive the hearts of the simple are to avvaken the more His people to be sober vigilant because their Adversary the Devil vvho acteth and moveth his under-agents in their several Modes Methods and Motions so as he may best according to the various Tempers Present Dispositions Advantages or Disadvantages of such as he intendeth to seduce vvhich he carefully studyeth and plyeth for this end obtaine his designed end their ruine and destruction as a roaring lyon walking about seeking whom he may devoure And this calleth them to haste out of their slumber and security lest their Adversary who will be loath to misse his Opportunity surprize them to their great losse and disadvantage It is Beloved high time novv to awake to look about us to consider where we are upon vvhat ground vve stand vvhether the Enemy or we have the advantage hovv and in vvhat Postour vve are to rancontre with deceivers that seek to cheare us of all of our souls and of our Salvation because they vvould cheat us of the Lord our Righteousness and dravv us off the pathes of life that vvhen vve come to die beside the unspe akable great losse vve vvould thereby be at even here in missing the comfortable accestes to God through lesus Christ the inflowings of grace strength for spiritual duty through the Lord our Strength the sweet communications of peace and joy in the holy Ghost the shedings abroad of the love of God in our hearts by the holy Ghost vvhich is given unto us and the full assurance of hope through the Lord Iesus our hope vve might be frustrated of all our expectations and finde that all that vvhich Men made us grip to lay hold on and leane unto in stead of Christ vvas but a meer shadow and a lie in our right hand to the unexpressible griefe vexation and sorrovv of soul vvhen all should end in a dreadful and horrible disappointment But let us not think that our Purposes firme-like Resolutions to adhere to the Truth and our present Abhorrence at and Detestation of errours novv broached to the overturning of the very foundations of true Christianity vvill sufficiently guaird us from and make us proof against the shotes and assaults of these crafty seducers Nor think that our learning and knovvledge in the Theory of the Truth nor our Abilities to rancontre Sophisters vvill secure us from a fall let us not think that the Enemies are contemptible and therefore vve need be the less anxious nor yet think that former experiences throughbearings in the like cases vvill be a pillow vvhereupon vve may novv lay our selves downe to sleep If vve do vve shall certanely deceive ourselves if all our strength standing be in ourselves and through ourselves and if this be the ground of our hope the Righteous Lord in his holy justice may give us up to be a Prey Peters instance should never be forgotten bâ—… us and such as tempt the Lord have no ground to expect his last issue Our strength must be in Christ to the rock of ages must vve flee to our chambers in Him must vve retire and there must vve hide ourselves on Christs lee side can vve only ride salfe and be free of the hazard of the storme To Him therefore must our recourse be dayly by new fresh acts of Faith In and through Him and His Influences communicated according to the tenor of the Covenant of grace through Faith eyeing the Promiser the Promise vvith the Price purchaseing and so dravving and sâ—…king Light Direction Strength Stability and vvhat our present exigent calleth for must vve think to stand and happy they vvho conscious to
and the basis of mans blessednesse advanceing him both to a conformity to God and qualifying him for the fruition of Him by the generality of those called to be saints that they may be haved is not onely upon deliberation and choice laid aside as having nothing in it to recommend and endeare it to the souls of men but hated floured fled from and forsaken as if it came on purpose to marre mens tranquillity and torment them before the time While I say it is thus some faithful Servants who make conscience to carry on His work who came to destroy the works of the Devil and went about while in the world healing all that were oppressed of him set themselves to pray preach and perswad the things concerning the Kingdome of God yea to write and warne and weep men into a compliance with their own happipinesse they endeavour solicitously to informe mens minds that they may reforme their manners and rescue them with feare who are runing upon their own ruine but alas with so little successe that they doe the work of the Lord with grief and have much sorrow of those of whom they ought to have joy and after all their beseechings obtestings requestings and cryings this is the way walke yee in it turne you turne oh why will you dye have this as the last returne to all their importunities Nay there is no hope speake no more to us of that matter do not offer to perswade us to relinquish the old road or disswade us from following our lovers for when ye have done all after these we will go we resolve to abide what we have been children of imperswasion But if his Servants in following their work closly seem to have gained a little ground upon men and almost perswaded them to be Christians Satan to the end he may make all miscarry and counter worke these workers together with God and poison poor souls by a perversion of the Gospel beyond the power of an antidot hath raised up instigat and set on work a race of proud Rationalists for they are wiser then to classe themselves amongst those poor fools those base things those nothings to whom Christ is made all things to whom Christ is made wisdome that he may be righteousnesse sanctification and redemption to them nay they must be wise men after the flesh wise above what is written a crucified Christ is really unto them foolishnesse and weaknesse though the power of God and the wisdome of God they will needs go to work another way they will needs glory in his presence and have a heaven of their own hand-wind O my soul enter not into their secrets and O sweet Jesus let thy name be to me the Lord my righteousness thou hast wone it weare it and gather not my soul with such who make mention of any other righteousness but of thine onely to bring-in another Gospel amongst men then the Gospel of the grace of God as they determine to know some other thing then Christ and him crucified so with the inticeing words of mans wisdom they bewitch men into a disobedience to the truth setting somewhat else before them then a crucified Christ And this they do that they may remove men from those who call them into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel A Christ it is true they speake of but it is not the Christ of God for all they drive at O cursed and truely Antichristian designe is that he may profite them nothing while they model all Religion according to this novel project of their magnified morality This is that which gives both life and lustre to that image they adore to the Dagon after whom they would have the world wonder and Worship That there is such a moralizeing or muddizeing if I may be for once admitted to coine a new word to give these men their due of Christianity now introduced and comeing in fashion many of the late pieces in request do evince Now that Christianity should moralize men above all things I both give and grante for he who is partaker of the divine nature and hath obtained precious faith must adde vertue to his faith But that it should be only conceived and conceited as an elevation of nature to a more cleare light in the matter of morality wherein our Lord is onely respected as an heavenly teacher and perfect paterne proposed for imitation is but a proud pleasing fansie of self conceited darkened and deluded dreamers robing God of the glory of his mercy and goodnesse our Lord Jesus Christ of the glory of his grace and merit The Spirit of the efficacy of his glorious and mighty operations and themselves and their pilgrimes who give them the hand as guids of the comfort and frute of all This is the pilgrimage we are perswaded to undertake to the holy Land this is that reasonablenesse of Christianitie which with great swelling words of vanitie is ventilat to the allureing and ensnareing of such who had almost escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust and the pollutions of the flesh through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ This is the way which they who undertake to publish to the world the true causes of the decay of pietie take to revive and introduce that pietie which they complain is wanting O impious invention not only encroaching upon the unsearchable mysterie of the Gospel but subversive of the whole method and blessed and beautiful contrivance of salvation and rendering salvation impossible to the greatest proficients in this studie and the grand patrons and practitioners in this new art the greatest opposers of that grace of God which bâ—…ingeth salvation unto all men It is true they will not plainly plead for profanitie Nay they may and do make a great noise about the practise of pietie as if they were the only patrons thereof that with lesse observation and greater facility they may beguile themselves and their followers of the reward they may possibly perswade even to a pinching of the body that they may puffe up and pamper their fleshly minde and while they overdrive men to the practise of will worship and performance of those things which have a shew of wisdome it is that they may withdraw them from holding that blessed head from which all the body by joints bands having nourishment ministred and knit together encreaseth with the encrease of God yet the grace of God that onely liveing principle of all true pietie which they dispute out of the souls of men that they may debauch them into a contempt of the Spirits working in men to will and to do takes frequent vengance on this their invention by leaving them not onely to play the Devil in disguise that they may be known by their fruits but also to lay aside that garbe of external godlinesse for the Devil nor his Domesticks cannot long weare a strait doublet that it may appeare how it is verified in them from
to rejoyce in this that the enemy is already conquered by the Captaine and that we share in his victory and that the very God of peace shall quickly bruise Satan under our feet Rom. 16 20. CHAP. VII How Christ is to be made use of in reference to Growing in grace I Come now to speak a little to the other part of Sanctification which concearneth the change of our nature and frame and is called Vivification or Quickening of the new man of grace which is called the New man as having all its severall members and parts as well as the old man and called New because posteriour to the other and after regeneration is upon the growing hand This duty of growing in grace as it is called 2. Pet. 3. uâ—…t is variously expressed and held forth to us in scripture for it is called an abideing and bringing forth fruit in Christ Iohn 15 5. adding to faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. 2 Pet. 1 5 6 7. a going on to perfection Heb. 7 1. a growing up in Christ in all things Ephes. 4 15. a working out our salvation Phil. 2 12. a perfecting of holinesse 2. Cor. 7 1. a walkeing in newnesse of life Rom. 6 4. a yeelding of our selves unto God as alive from the dead and our members as instruments of righteousnesse unto God Rom. 6 13 18. a bringing forth of fruit unto God Rom. 7 4. a serving in newnesse of spirit Rom. 7 6. a being renewed in the spirit of our mindes and a putting on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes. 4 23 24. Col. 3 10. and the like some whereof do more immediatly expresse the nature of this change as to the root and some as to the fruit and effects thereof and some the progresse and advancement that is made or to be made therein And all of them point out a speciall piece of work which lieth on all that would see the face of God viz. to be holy gracious and growing in grace This then being a speciall piece of the exercise and dayly work of a Christian and it being certane as some of the places now cited do also affirme that without Christ they cannot get this work either begun oâ—… carryed on the maine difficulty and question is how they are to make use of Christ for this end For answere whereunto though by what we have said in our former discourse it may be easie to gather what is to be said here yet I shall briefly put the Reader in minde of those things as usefull here 1. The Beleever would consider what an ornament this is to the soul to have on this new mâ—…n which is created after the image of God Ephes. 4 23. what an excellency lyeth here to recover thâ—… lost glory holinesse and the image of God and what advantage the soul reapeth hereby when it is made meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1 12. and walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God Col. 1 10. and strengthened with all might according to his glorious pover unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse vers 11. and when the abounding of the graces of the Spirit make them that they shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Pet. 1 8 and to be a vessell unto honour sanctified and meet for the masters use and prepared unto every good work 2. Tim. 2 21 what glory and peace is here to be found obedient unto the many commands given to be holy What hazard is in the want of holinesse when without it we cannot see God Heb. 12 14. How unanswereable it is unto our profession who are members to such a holy Head to be un holy What profite joy and satisfaction there is iâ—… being temples of the holy ghost in walking after the spirit in bringing forth fruit unto the glory of the Father c. The consideration of these and other motives unto this study of sanctification would arme the soul with resolution and harden it against opposition 2. It would be remembered that this work though it be laid upon us as our duty and we be called thereunto of God yet it is beyond our hand and power it is true at conversion the seed of grace is cast into the soul new habites are infused a new principle of life is given the stonny heart is changed into an heart of flesh yet these principles and habits can not act in themselves or be brought into act by any thing that a beleever considered in himself and without divine helpe can do But this work of sanctification and grouâ—…h in grace must be caryed on by divine help by the Spirit of Jesus dwelling and working within and therefore it is called the sanctification of the spirit 2. Thes. 2 13. 1. Pet. 1 2. The God of peace must sanctifie us 1. Thes. 5 23. We are said to be sanctifiâ—… by God the Father Iud. 1. and by the holy ghost Rom. 15 16. See also 1. Cor. 6 11. We would remember that of our selves we can do nothing 2. Cor. 3 5. and that He must work in us both to will and to do of his owne good pleasure Phil. 2 13. Albeit no beleever will question the truth of this yet it may be it shall be found after tryal that one maine cause of their not growing in grace and making progresse in this work is their not acting as beleeving this but setting about the work as if it were a work which they themselves could master and do without speciall divine help Therefore the beleever would abide live and act in the faith of this truth 3. Therefore beleevers would not in going about this work either trust to their own strength to the habites of grace to their former experiences to their knowledge and pairts or the like nor yet would they trust to any externall meane which they are to go about because the wisdome strength and helpe which their case calleth for is not to be found in them yet they should not think of laying these meanes and dutyes aside for then should they sin against God they should prejudge themselvs of the helpe strength and supply which God useth to convey to the soul in by the use of the meanes and withall they should tempte the Lord by prescribing another way to Him than He hath thought good to take The beleever then would use the meanes and duties prescribed and that diligently seâ—…iously and constantly and yet would leane as little to them and exspect help reliefe as little from them as if he were not useing them at all as we said above And indeed this would be a right way yea the most advantagious and profitable way of going about dutyes to be diligent in the use of them because of Gods command and yet to place
trusting to our own understandings so to the judgments of other men nor would we look to what suiteth most our own humors nor to what appeareth most specious and plausible for that may deceive us 9ly We would lye open to the influences and rayes of light by exerciseing faith in earnest desires as also patient waiting for and single looking to Him mindeing his name and his relations promises and engadgments for the strengthning of our faith and confidence 10ly We would labour to keep fast whatever He teacheth us by his word and spirit not prove â—…ecking vessels This the Apostle exhorteth to Heb 2 1. Therefore we ought to give the more eâ—…rnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip yea and we should be established in the Truth 2. Pet 1 12. 11ly We would beware of resting on a forme of the truth as those did of whom we read Rom. 2 â—…0 and of holding the truth in unrighteousnesse as these Rom. 1 18. and of disobeying it as these mentioned Rom. 2 v. 8. see also Gal. 3 v. 1. and 5 v. 7. 12ly But on the contrary we would so receive truth as that it might â—…ule and be master in us captivate judgment will and affections and break out into the practice and this comprehendeth several duties such as 1. To have the Truth in us whileas if we practise otherwise the truth is not in us 1. Iohn 1 v. 8. and 2 v. 4. 2. To be of the Truth as belonging to its jurisdiction power and command 1. Iohn 3 19. Iohn 18 37. 3. To doe the Truth by having true followshipe with Him 1. Iohn 1 6 and to walk in the Truth 2 Ioh. 4. 3. Ioh. 4. Psal. 86 11. 4. To have the loyns girt with truth Ephes. 6 v. 14. 5. To receive the love of the truth â—… Thes 2 10. 6. To be instructed of him as the truth is in Iesuâ—… Ephes. 4 21. 7. To purify the soul in obeying the truth 1 Pet. 1 v. 22. This shall suffice for clearing up and applying in the generall this excellent truth That Christ is the Truth We shall now come and make some more particular use of this precious point by speaking to some particular cases which we shall instance in by which the understanding christian may be helped to understand how to carry and how to make use of Christ in other the like cases wherein Christ is to be made use of as the Truth and show how beleevers are to make use of Him in these cases as the Truth CHAP. XIII How to make use of Christ as the Truth for grouth in knowledge IT is a commanded duty that we grow in the knowledge of Iesus Christ. 2 Pet. 3. last And the knowledge of Him being life eternal Ioh. 17 3. and our measure of knowledge of Him here being but imperfect for we know but in part it cannot but be an useful duty and a desireable thing to be growing in this knowledge This is to walk worthie of the Lord unto all pleasing to be increasing in the knowledge of God Col. 1 10. Knowledge must be added unto vertue and it layeth a ground for other christian virtues 2 Pet. 1 5 6. In this knowledge we must not be barren 2 Pet. 1 8. And this being so necessary so desireable and so useful and so advantagious a grace the beleever cannot but desire to have more and more of it Especially seing it is a part of the image of God Col. 3 vers 10. Now it is the Truth that must teach them here first and last The light of the knowledge of the glory of God must be had in the face of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4 6. The question therefore is how we should make use of Jesus Christ for this end that we may attaine to more of this excellent knowledge For clearing of this I shall propose those directions First It is good to live in the constant conviction of a necessity of his teaching us and this taketh in those particulars 1. That we should be conscious of our ignorance even when we know most or think we know most remembring that the best knoweth but in part 1 Cor. 13 9. The more true knowledge we attaine to the more will we see and be convinced of our ignorance because the more we know the more will we discover of the vastnesse and incomprehensibility of that object which is proposed to our knowledge 2. That we should remember how deceitful our hearts are and how ready they are to sit down upon a shadow of knowledge even when we know nothing as we ought to know 1 Cor. 8. vers 2. and this will keep us jealous and watchful 3. And to helpe forward our jealousie of our own hearts and watchfulnesse we would remember that our hearts naturally are averse from any true and saving knowledge whatever desire there be naturally after knowledge of hidden things out of curiosity and of things natural or of thingâ—… spiritual as natural for the perfection of nature as might be pretended whereby in effect those that increase knowledge increase sorrow Eccles. 1 18. yet there is no inclination after spiritual and saving knowledge in us naturally But an aversation of heart therefrom 4. That we should study and know the absolute necessity of this knowledge how necessary it is for our christian communion with God and christian walk with others how necessary for our right improving of dispensations general and particular what a noble ornament of a christian it is and a necessary piece of the image of God which we have lost Secondly Upon these grounds mentioned 〈◊〉 would also be convinced of this That of ourselves and by all our natural parts enduements quicknesse and sagacity we cannot attaine to this saving knowledge which is a special and saving grace and so must be wrought in the soul by a divine hand even the mighty power of God By our private study and reading we may attaine to a literal heady and speculative knowledge that will puff us up 1 Cor. 8 1. but thereby shall we never attaine to this knowledge which is spiritual hearty and practical and so saving We must have the anoynting here which teacheth us all things 1 Iohn 2 27. And of this we would be perswaded that we may look to a higher hand for light and instruction Thirdly There would be an eyeing of Christ's furniture and fitnesse for this work of teaching of us To wit 1. An eyeing of Him as the substantial wisdome of the Father Prov. 8. 2. An eyeing of Him as one come out of the bosome of the Father Iohn 1 18. and so sufficiently enabled to acquant us with the mysteries of God for salvation 3. An eyeing of Him as mediator fully endued with all necessaries for this piece of his work and so having received the Spirit without measure for this end Iohn 3 34. and as having hid in Him all the treasures of wisdome and