belong to ministers in a more eminent sort yet let every one lay it to heart you ought to have abilities to comfort others and to receive comfort of others And consider it is an angelical work to comfort others we imitate God himself and the most Excellent creatures the Angels whose office it is to comfort Even our very Saviour they came to comfort him in his greatest extremity A man is a God to a man when he comforts when he discomforts and directs and withdrawes he is a divell to a man men are beasts to men Divels to men that way but he that is an instrument to convey comfort he is a God to a man God is the God of comfort Thou art in the place of God to a man when thou comfortest him thou shalt save thy self and others God honours men with his own title when they comfort not onely ministers but others save men thou shalt gain thy brother by thy admonition and reproof what greater honour can yee have then Gods own title to be saviours one of another It is the office I say of Angels they were sent to comfort Christ it is their duty to pitch their tents about Gods Children to suggest holy thoughts as the divel suggests evill and to be about us though we think not of it Nay it is not onely an angelical work but it is the work of Gods spirit the sweetest stile of the Holy Ghost is to be a Comforter What shall we think of cursed spirits that insult over others misery that give them gall to eat and vinegar to drink that add affliction to the afflicted What shall we say to barren spirits that have not a word of comfort to say but come in a prophane and dead manner I am sorry to see you thus and I hope you will be better barren soul as the wildernesse What a member of Christ of the communion of Saint and no way furnished no word of comfort to a distressed soul We may know the comfort we have our selves to be comfort indeed and from the grace and favour of God when we have hearts enlarged to do good to others with it How do gifts and grace differ to add that useful distinction And man may have a great many gifts and be proud and full of envy and have a divellish poysonful spirit to draw all to himself and not be good but be carried with self-love and die a divell notwithstanding his excellent parts Why here are such gifts and parts but there is a bitter roote of self-love to draw all to himself to deifie himself to make an Idol of himself but grace with gifts works otherwise that turnes all by a spirit of love and humility to the good of others There is no envy in a gracious heart so far forth as it is gracious there is no pride nor scorn to do good to others How shall we distinguish men of excellent parts whether they be Christians or not Christians They have both of them wit and memorie they have both courage I but whether of them improve their parts and abilities most to the good of others Whether of them hath the most humble spirit the most loving spirit the most discreete spirit to be wittie to do others to good upon all advantages there is the Christian that hath Gods Grace with his gifts But for the other Knowledge puffeth up saith the Apostle what edifies and builds up Love edifieth knowledge gathers many materials stone and timber c. what builds the house the bodie of Christ It is a loving and humble spirit Therefore let us think that we have nothing in Christianity by any parts we have of memory or witt or reading c. unlesse we have a humble spirit that we can deny our selves and abase our selves to do good to others upon all the best advantages or else we have not the spirit of Christ that sweet spirit of Christ that denied himself to do good to us Where grace is established once and is in the right nature there is a publick mind and it is one of the best signs of a heart that is fashioned to the image of Christ who denied himself and became all in all to us to have a publick mind to have self-love killed to think I have nothing to purpose as I should have except I can make use of it to the good of others therefore let us be willing to do good in this kind And as I said let us make use of comfort from others think that they are reserved to the times and place where thou livest that thou mightest make use of them Therefore those that need comfort should not flatter themselves in their grief but humbly depend upon the meanes that God hath ordained And let every man think what if God have hid my comfort in another man what if he have given him the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season unto me Let no man think to master his trouble and grief by himself we are members of the body and the good that God will convey to us must be from and by others Therefore it is a mutual duty those that have comfort ought to comfort others and those that do need comfort ought to repiare to others it is the ordinance of God As Job saith for one of a thousand to shew a man his righteousnesse Though a man be never so wise yet sometimes he knowes not his owne comfort he knowes not that portion of comfort that belongs to him till some others discover it to him Physitians will have others to heale themselves to judge of their diseases and certainly one reason why persons that are excellent in themselves have passed their daies in darknesse it hath been this that they think to overmaster their heavinesse and distraction of spirit with their own reason c. which will not be God what he will do he will do by his own meanes and ordinance Let us therefore learn hence to see the goodnesse of God that besides the Ministery that he hath ordeyned and the salvation that he keeps for us and the promises that he hath given us and the Angels that attend us c. he doth even ordain others that are men and have bodies with our selves other fellow-Christians to be instruments to convey comfort he trains them up that they may be able to comfort and do good to us and he hides the good he intends to us in them and conveyes it to us by them it is a speciall goodnesse of God that every thing should tend to our good Thus all things are for us the sufferings of others tend to increase our comfort and the comfort of others is for our comfort There is such a sweet prudence in directing us to heaven that God makes every thing help not onely our own troubles that we suffer our selves but he doth sweetly turn the troubles of others and the comforts of others to our good It ministreth an
not rob God of any honour It was a proud term the Philosophers had as I said sometimes they called their moral vertues habits and if we consider them meerly as they are in the person they are habits but indeed they are graces the Scripture gives them a more heavenly term Grace those things that we guide our lives by as Wisdome Love Temperance Sobriety Grace is a fitter word then habit because then we consider them as they come from God freely they are graces they come from grace and favour And when men differ one from another in wisdome they differ in grace and favour he gives more light he opens the understanding of one more then another Therefore S. Paul was wise and careful this way when he speaks of that he had done himself lest he should rob God Not I oh not I 1 Cor. 15. but the Grace of God that was in me that was all in all For indeed we are what we are and we do what we do by Grace Even as by our selves we are men we are what we are and we do what we do by our soules by our reason and understanding so it is with spiritual grace we are what we are out of our selves by spiritual grace and we do what we do by spiritual grace And when that ceaseth when God suspends the blessed motions of his Spirit to humble us alas we are dark a man is a confused creature he is at a losse he is in darknesse for the particular managing of his life he knowes not what to do he knowes not what to speak he is puzzled in every particular action And therefore when he hath spoken or done that which is fit he should consider it is a grace My Conversation hath been in the Grace of God saith the Apostle Therefore let us sanctifie God in our hearts this way And when we stand in need of any direction desire God of his grace to give us wisdome and to give us the grace that we stand in need of That is for the phrase The point as I told you was this That All wisdome comes from Grace And God is ready to give us his Grace For saith S. Paul My Conversation hath been in Grace which God did minister to me and hath ministred to me to lead my life by The Reason is this Christ hath undertaken to give us grace if we be his Men under grace shall never want grace to lead a Christian life For Christ hath undertaken to be our Head to be our Husband to be our guide in our way to heaven As our head he is to give us motion to move us as his members As he is our Shepherd as he saith I am the good Shepherd so he is to lead us in our wayes and passages in his paths to conduct us to happinesse And as he is our husband so he is to be the head of his wife to guide us it is his office And he works according to his own office He is a King to subdue in us whatsoever is contrary to his good Spirit to subdue our rebellions and to bring all our Imaginations under his Spirit as well as to be a Priest to make peace between God and us He is a King to rule us and to over-rule in us whatsoever is ill And he is a Prophet to teach us and to guide us He is the Angel of the Covenant the great Counsellour that hath the Spirit of Counsel in him Esay 9. 6. not for himself onely but for his Church Therefore as all the things that we need come from grace and from the favour of God so we need not doubt of the grace of God in Christ being reconciled he is willing to give us grace This I observe to cut off all cavils of flesh and blood and to arm us against all discouragements There are two things that greatly hinder us from a Christian course Presumption and Despair Presumption to set upon things without asking grace of God without depending upon his direction by the strength of naturall parts of naturall wit And then Despair when a man saith What should I go about these things I shall never bring them to passe No First consider thy standing thy place and calling and then consider the abilities that God hath given thee consider thy parts consider thy duty that thou art to do And beg of God assistance and strength and if it be a thing that belong to thee go on set on all the duties that belong to thy place in this confidence that thou shalt have grace Go to the Fountain to Christ for grace for the direction of thy life he is the light of life he is the Way he is all in all to bring us to heaven Wherefore serves all the Promises not onely of life everlasting but even of grace but to encourage us to set on holy duties in confidence that if we have a will to be out of Satan's Kingdome and if we have a will to be out of fleshly wisdome God will take us into his Kingdome and into his Government He will give the Spirit to them that ask him Now the Spirit is a Spirit of direction a Spirit of assistance a Spirit of strength and comfort it serves all turnes How many Promises are wrapped in that promise of the Spirit In want of direction he shall be our Counsellour in want of strength to assist us In perplexities when we know not which way to turn us to advise us In extremities when we are ready to sink to comfort us He will give us his holy Spirit to supply all our defects in a fit time if we ask him If we find our need and if we will renounce our carnal wisdome Therefore set on those duties that God calls you to And withall do as S. Paul doth here he sets the negative before the affirmative renounce carnal wisdome be not guided by that trust perfectly to the Word of Grace and to the Spirit of Grace for the Word of Grace and the Spirit of Grace go together and then you shall find that God will do abundantly above all that you are able to ask or think Luther when he set on the work of Reformation those that saw him at the first might have said Get thee into thy Cloyster and say Lord have mercy upon thee for thou settest on a work impossible But he saw the parts that God had given him that he had wit to understand the abuses of the times and he had given him courage he saw by his profession he was called to be a Divine his conscience was awaked to see the abominations of the times and he set on to discover these things Did Christ leave him No he did not but gave successe to him to be admired of all When all the world was set against one man yet he prevailed against them all even because he walked as S. Paul did here in sincerity and simplicity that is he looked
stones and pearles Solomon presseth it have a high estimation of wisdome of the government of Gods Spirit as the best government And be out of love with carnal reason with carnal affections and their guidance account them as base things not worthy to come into the esteem of a Christian heart Those that highly prize wisdome God will lead them by it those that sell all for the pearl shall have it There must be a high price set on the guidance of Gods Spirit and on grace as indeed it is worthy of it and then we shall have it Again if we would lead our lives according to spiritual and heavenly wisdome according to grace and gracious wisdome let us learn as it is Job 22. to be more and more acquainted with God by prayer for grace comes not from within us Grace is in Christ as in the root as in the spring as in the Sun we have it but as the beam as the stream therefore let us learn to be acquainted with God and with Christ by prayer and meditation and search into his Word by reading and by hearing him speak to us and let us often speak to him Let us acquaint our selves with him by prayer and by hearing his Word and then we shall have his grace to guide us For grace is a fruit of his peculiar love he gives grace to his own peculiar people How do you think shall he have a peculiar delight in us if we labour not to be more and more acquainted with him by often speaking to him by often hearing of him by coming into his presence and attending as much as we can upon his holy Ordinances by conversing as much as we can in the holy things of God Those that will be warm they come under the beams of the Sun those that would have the Spirit work effectually they must come where the Spirit is effectual where the Spirit works Now the Spirit is effectual in the Word preached the Spirit fell upon Cornelius and the rest when they were hearing of S. Peter And the Spirit is where there is conversing in good company Where two or three are met together I will be in the middest of them saith Christ. If we walk with the wise we shall be wiser It must be the heavenly wisdome of a Christian if he would lead his life by grace to attend upon all the meanes of grace because the Spirit of God is effectual by his own means he works by his own means therefore use the meanes that the Spirit hath sanctified for the working of grace I do wonder at a company of vain sottish creatures that carry themselves according to their vain conceits according to the whirling of their own brain in toyes and baubles that come into their heads they care not for the hearing of Gods blessed truth either they abstain altogether or else they hear it carelesly as if it were a thing that concerned them not Oh but those that will lead their lives by grace they come to it by the Spirit and the Spirit is onely effectual in holy Ordinances It must be our wisdome therefore to bring our selves under some meanes or other that the Spirit may be effectual The wisest and the best men in the world are no longer gracious then they are wise this way if they neglect good company good acquaintance if they neglect the hearing of the Word if they neglect prayer they will grow dead and dull and carnal-minded they will be possessed with base thoughts How do men differ one from another not so much by any habitual grace that is in them as by avoiding all that might prejudice them in a Christian course and by using all means whereby the Spirit of God may be effectual Again the way ro be under the grace of Gods Spirit is often to meditate of the grace of God the free love of God in Jesus Christ for so it comes first The first grace of all is Gods free love in the forgiving of our sins and accepting us to life everlasting and then he doth alter and change our natures more and more he transforms us more and more when we find therefore any defect of grace in our hearts when we find coldnesse and deadnesse and dulnesse go to the first fire to the first Sun to the free grace of God in Christ pardoning all our sins and accepting us to life everlasting and promising us grace to lead our lives in the mean time If you have fallen into any sin by the temptation of Satan or your own weaknesse beg not first grace to alter your course to sanctifie your life but renew every day your interest in the first grace in the forgivenesse of sins and your acceptation to everlasting life For till God have pardoned your sinnes and have witnessed to your soules that you stand reconciled he will not give the best fruit of reconciliation which is grace Therefore every day examine your lives if you have offended God in what termes you stand with God and if you stand in ill termes that there is any sin against conscience the best way is not presently to amend that for that will not be except the heart be warmed with Gods love and favour in the pardon of your sins first and in the acceptation of you in Christ notwithstanding your sins as he justifieth us every day not onely in the first act of conversion but daily he acquits our consciences daily from our sins and therefore in the Lords Prayer Christ teacheth us every day to say Forgive us our sins And then after forgivenesse of sins to beg the particular graces for our lives that we want I would this were better thought on Challenge likewise the Covenant of grace we have a promise of all grace and the spring of all grace We have a Promise of Love God will teach us to Love one another We have a promise of Fear he hath promised that He will put his fear into our hearts that we shall never depart from him We have a promise of the holy Spirit Let us challenge these Promises every day So much for the Directions how to lead our lives by Grace But by the Grace of God Saint Paul here makes it the ground of his rejoycing that he led not his life by fleshly wisdome but in simplicity and sincerity and by the Grace of God and all that are led by S. Paul's spirit live thus There is a Religion in the world that bears it self very big on high terms of Universality Succession Antiquity c. and they will have it thought to be a spiritual and holy Religion Well if a man be a carnal man that is led with fleshly wisdome and not by the grace of God that Religion must needs be a naughty Religion that hath onely the support and the foundation of it in fleshly wisdome which is an enemy and opposite to the grace of God and to simplicity and sincerity But Popery is this
to their Childrens good I come to bestow a grace on you How this is observed I list not to speak therefore I leave it and come to that which concerns us all I was minded to come to you To bestow a grace on you We see then That The Preaching of the Gospel is a special Grace It is a free and bountiful benefit of God Gracce implies freedome and mercy and bounty It is a free mercy of God to have the Gospel Why Because this is the means to work all that is savingly good in us This is a means to open to us Gods love in Christ and to work in us a disposition answerable to his love therefore it must needs be a grace Heaven is a grace life is a grace reconciliation a grace and such like therefore the Word must needs be a grace by which all these are communicated Therefore the Word hath the name of these things It is the Word of the Kingdome of heaven It is called the Kingdome of heaven the preaching of the Gospel because it puts us into the state of the Kingdome of heaven and the Word of reconciliation because by it we know our reconciliation with God it is offered and wrought in our hearts and faith to apply it by this Word It is the Word of life Act. 20. the life of grace and the life of glory all come by this Word I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace saith the Apostle All grace and spiritual life is wrought in us by the Word therefore the Word preached it is a special grace and favour of God Saint Paul here calls his coming to them to strengthen and confirm them a grace For all means come under the same decree of Gods eternal love with the decree it self When God out of grace resolves and sets down that he will bring such a one to heaven of his free love he doth out of the same grace fit him with opportunities of persons and means he accommodates him with all means for he intends in such a way to bring him to heaven And therefore S. Austin doth well define Predestination it is an ordaining to salvation and a preparing of all means tending thereto Therefore all fall in the compasse of grace both the free favour of God setting a man down to make him happy and likewise by sending men that have an outward calling and inwardly furnishing them with gifts and whatsoever all is of Grace The preaching of the Word is a grace It concerns us therefore so to esteem it Do not many sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Is it not a grace therefore that we partake of the means of salvation What is in us by nature better then in Turks and Pagans or then many other people under Satan and under Popish Teachers and so rot away in their Ignorance nothing we differ onely by the grace of God therefore let us esteem it as a grace How shall we esteem it as a grace Receive it thankfully as a largesse and bounty and free grace of God receive it as a bounty with thankful hearts Grace begets grace it begets thankfulnesse so to receive it as a grace is to receive it with thankful minds to be more thankfull for the means of salvation then for any outward thing How shall we come to be thankful Never unlesse we find some grace wrought by the Word of Grace Therefore to receive it as a grace is to receive it as a free loving gift of God and to yield to it when by it holy motions are stirred in our hearts not to suppresse and quench holy motions but to yield to them Not to quench and resist the Spirit but to yield our selves pliable to the Word This is to acknowledge it a grace to be thankfull for it because you find your hearts wrought to holy obedience by it Give it way in your soules that it may be an ingraffed Word that all the inward and outward man may be seasoned with it and relish of it that the Word may season your thoughts and speeches and desires and season your course of life that what you think may be in the relish and strength of the Word in the strength of some Divine truth and the guide of your actions may be Divine truth or some motives from it Then you will give thanks for what is wrought on you when it is an ingraffed Word in your soules and all relish of it your speeches and actions and your whole course when a man may know by your carriage that there is something invested and ingraffed in your soules that gives a blessed relish to all the expressions of the outward man Such a one indeed will account the Word a special grace by a sweet experience wrought in his heart I will not presse that Point any further Again whereas S. Paul saith he would come to bestow a second grace on them we see here That Those that are in the state of Grace already they need a second grace Those that have initial grace to be set in a good course they need confirming and strengthening Grace S. Paul had planted them before I but he must come to water them there is alway somewhat left for the Minister to do till he see their soules safe in heaven he hath alway somewhat to do to the Christian soules under him For he must not onely get them out of Satans Kingdome into a good estate but he must labour to build them up he must water them and fence them and strengthen them against all discouragements A man is never safe till he be in heaven therefore he saith I will come to you but I will come to bestow a second Grace on you you have need of it and my love is such to you that you shall have it To enforce this a little because we set termes to our growth and go on plodding in a course and many years after we are no better then we were at the first and some out of a prophane fulnesse out of a Laodicean temper they think they have enough they are rich when indeed they are empty and miserable and wretched and poor and if temptations set upon them they have nothing in them To let you see that we stand in need of a second grace and of a third grace and a fourth grace that we need continual building up First look within what opposition there is to saving goodnesse within what rebellion of lusts what Ignorance and blindnesse and darknesse and indisposition what head the flesh makes in us against the Word of God Let a man a little continue out of the means and he shall see what growth of corruptions there will be a distasting of all means that a man shall be ready to begin anew with them almost having a double principle in them of grace and corruption there needs continually strengthening and stablishing Grace Consider outwardly what discouragements from the ill
with reasons discovering an absolute necessity of geting into Christ and of having him to be our Husband except we will lye under the wrath of God and be damned and withal discovering the fulnesse and excellency that is in Christ. Again it is God onely that must stablish the soul all the parts of it both judgment and conscience For I beseech you what can any humane creature what can any thing under God work upon the soul I mean so firmly as to stablish it and therefore our controversie with the Papists is just and good We say The reason and ground of our believing the Word of God to be the Word of God must not be the testimony of the Church and the authority thereof for alas what can the judgment of man what can the judgment of the Church do It may incline and move the will by inducing arguments and so cause a humane consent but to establish the soul and conscience and to assure me that the Word of God which is the ground of my faith is the Word of God it must be God by his Spirit that must do it the testimony of the Church will never do it The same Spirit that inspired holy men to write the Word of God works in us a belief that the Word of God is the Word of God The stablishing argument must be by the power of Gods Spirit God joyning with the soul and spirit of a man whom he intends to convert besides that inbred light that is in the soul causeth him to see a Divine Majestie shining forth in the Scriptures so that there must be an infused establishing by the Spirit to settle the heart in this first principle and indeed in all other Divine principles that the Scriptures are the Word of God And to go on a little further this is a fundamental errour in our practice For what is the reason we have so many Apostates what is the reason so many are so fruitlesse in their lives what is the reason that men despair in death but even this because men are not built and stablished aright Gods Spirit never stablished their soules in Divine truths For first concerning Apostasie ask them what is the reason they are of this or that Religion They will say they have been taught so they have been brought up to it the company with whom they have conversed have been devout men and have been alwayes led with this opinion and they see no reason to thwart it Is that all Hath not the Spirit wrought these things in thy heart hath he not given thee a taste of them hath he not convinced thee in thy judgment that it is so hast thou not found the power of the Spirit working upon thy soul changing of thee raising of thee drawing of thee out of the world nearer to God hast thou not I say felt the power of the Spirit this way No but thus I was catechized and thus I have been bred and thus I have heard in the Ministery And no otherwise Alas it will never hold out there will be a falling away for when a man believes not that which he believes from the Spirit of God he will be ready when dangerous times come when there is an onset made by the adversaries to fall and to fall clean away as we see it was in the time of Popery for whatsoever is not spiritual whatsoever knowledge is not Divine and from the Spirit of God never holds out Therefore I beseech you what 's the reason that you have many illiterate men that set upon the truth and hold out to the end and on the contrary many great seeming Scholars that are skilful in school-learning and in other Authours do not The reason is the one hath the truth from the Spirit discovering all the objections that the heart of man can make against it and the strength that is in the truth to answer and silence all those objections The other man hath onely a discoursing knowledge an ability to gather one thing from another and to prove one thing by another by strength of parts But the Spirit of God never discover'd the sleights and the corruptions of his heart never fastned and settled his heart upon the truth he never had experience of the truth For indeed nothing doth stablish so much as the experience of the truth on which we are stablished Again what is the reason of that unfruitfulnesse that is amongst men but because truths were never settled in the soul by the Spirit of God That which men know out of the Word of God concerning Christ and the priviledges by him they were never perswaded of it in their hearts therefore they come not to a fruitful conversation It is impossible but that men should be abundantly fruitful that have spiritual apprehensions of Divine things of Evangelical truths Hence comes all our unthankfulnesse and undervaluing of the Gospel The Gospel of it self is an unprized thing however we esteem of it God values it highly we value it not because our apprehensions of it are customary and formal gotten by breeding and education and discourse and not by the Spirit we feel not the spiritual and heavenly comforts of those truths we think we know How comes likewise Despair in time of temptation and in death but onely because men want this stablishing by the Spirit of God Men go on in evil courses trusting to a formal dead humane knowledge gotten by humane meanes and not settled in them by the Spirit of God that hath not sealed the truth in their hearts and hereupon when sharp tryals come they despair because they have no feeling of the truths of the Gospel and so when conscience is awakened and smarts it clamours and cryes out upon all their formall and humane knowledge For they having not a spiritual sense of the mercies of God in Christ and the perswasions of comfort are not so near to support the soul as the tentations and vexations and torments are how can they but despair Now who can still the conscience but the Spirit of God Why now if the knowledge that men had were spiritual and heavenly in all accusations of conscience it would set conscience down and still it I am a sinner indeed I am this and this but I have felt the sweet mercies of God in Christ God hath said to my soul I am thy salvation he hath intimated to my spirit by a sweet voyce Son thy sinnes are forgiven thee Where there is I say a knowledge and an apprehension of these Evangelical truths wrought by the Spirit it sets down Conscience and stills it though the heart rage at the same time There are thousands in the very bosome of the Church that miscarry because of this resting in a literall outward formall knowledge gotten onely by discourse and by reading and commerce with others and never labour to have their hearts stablished in Christ by Gods Spirit You see here then a
and troubled and we hear many comfortable truths let us lift up our prayers to God let there be ejaculations of spirit to God Now Lord by thy holy Spirit set and seal this truth to my soul that as it is true in it self so it may be true to me likewise This is a necessary Observation for us all Oh we desire all of us in the hour of death to find such comforts as may be standing comforts that may uphold us against the gates of Hell and against the temptations of Satan and terrours of Conscience why nothing will do this but spiritual truths spiritually known nothing but holy truths set on by the hoy Spirit of God But what course shall we take when we want comfort when we want joy and peace In the third of John there are three witnesses in heaven and three in earth to secure us of our state in grace and the certainty of our salvation The three witnesses upon earth are the Spirit the water and the blood and these three agree in one and the three that bear witnesse in heaven are the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and the three on earth and these three in heaven agree in one Now the Spirit is the feelings and the sweet motions of the Spirit The water may well be that washing of the Spirit sanctification The blood is the shedding of the blood of Christ and justification by it When therefore we find that part of the seal that extraordinary seal that I spake of before the joy of the Spirit of God that it is not in us what shall we do shall we despair No go to the water when we find not spiritual joy and comfort when the witnesse of the Spirit is silent go to the work of the Spirit in sanctification I but what shall we do if the waters be troubled in the soul as sometimes there is such a confusion in the soul that we cannot see the Image of God upon it in sanctification we cannot see the stamp of Gods Spirit there there is such a Chaos in the soul God can see somewhat of his own Spirit in that confusion but the Spirit it self cannot Then go to the blood of Christ there is alwayes comfort the fountain that is opened for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in is never dry go therefore to the blood of Christ that is if we find sin upon our consciences if we find not peace in our consciences nor sanctification in our hearts go to the blood of Christ which is shed for all those that confesse their sinnes and rely on him for pardon though we find no grace For howsoever as an evidence that we are in Christ we must find the work of the Spirit yet before we go to Christ it is sufficient that we see nothing in our selves no qualification for the graces of the Spirit they are not the condition of coming to Christ but the promise of those that receive Christ after Therefore go to Christ when thou feelest neither joy of the Spirit nor sanctification of the Spirit go to the blood of Christ and that will purge thee and wash thee from all thy sins This I onely touch for a direction what to do when our soules want comfort when perhaps we cannot see the seal of the Spirit in sanctification so clearly To go on now to the next And given us the Earnest of the Spirit Here is the third word borrowed from humane affaires to set out the work of the Spirit in our soules Anointing we had before and Sealing now here is Earnest The variety of the words shewes that there is a great remainder of unbelief in the soul of man that the Spirit of God is fain to use so many words to expresse Gods dealing to the soul to bring it to believe to be assured of salvation And indeed so it is howsoever we in the time of prosperity when all things go well with us we are prone wondrously to presume yet in the hour of death when conscience is awakened we are prone to nothing so much as to call all in question and to believe the doubts and fears of our own hearts more then the undoubted truth and promise of God therefore God takes all courses to stablish us he gives us rich and precious promises he gives us the holy Spirit to stablish us on the Promises he seales us with his Spirit and gives us the earnest of the Spirit and all to settle this wretched and unbelieving heart of ours So desirous is God that we should be well conceited of him he loves us better then we love our selves He so much prizeth our love that he labours by all means to secure us of his love to us because except we know his love to us we cannot love him again and we cannot joy in him c. But that onely in the general Here is earnest and the Earnest of the Spirit that is in plain termes he gives us the Spirit with the graces and comforts of it which doth in our hearts that which an earnest doth amongst men But what is this Spirit an earnest of It is an Earnest of our inheritance in heaven of our blessed estate there We are sons now but we are not heires invested into the blessed estate we have title to God leaves us not off in the mean time while we are in our Pilgrimage he keeps not all for heaven but he gives us somewhat to comfort us in our absence from our Husband from our Lord and King Christ he gives us the Earnest of the Spirit that is he gives the holy Ghost into our hearts which is the Earnest of that blessed everlasting glorious condition which we shall have in heaven hereafter that is the meaning of the words In what regard is the Spirit called an Earnest First of all an Earnest is for security of bargains and contracts so the Holy Ghost assures the soul of salvation being present with his graces and comforts the Holy Ghost is given for security Secondly an Earnest is part of the whole bargain though it be a very little part yet it is a part and so the Spirit of God here and the work of the Spirit and the graces and joy of the Spirit it is a part of that full joy and happinesse that shall be revealed The Spirit dwells not fully in any one he dwelleth no further then he sanctifieth and reviveth but that is an Earnest for the time to come that the Spirit shall be all in all wherein we shall have no reluctancy nor nothing to exalt it self against the sure regiment of the Spirit Thirdly an Earnest is little in comparison of the whole bargain so the work of the Spirit the comforts the joy the peace of the Spirit it is little in comparison of that which shall be in heaven in regard of the fulnesse of the Spirit which we shall have there An Earnest though it be little in quantity yet it
which I observe the rather because I would raise your hearts to hate unbelief and distrust exceedingly because God labours to undermine it by all means possible Wherefore doth he use so many terms here of Sealing Anointing and Earnest with words and Sacraments and all whatsoever may confirm you The Holy Ghost applyes it to us all this is that we may not doubt of the favour of God and therefore when we find any goodnesse in us let us accompt that to give false witnesse against our selves is a horrible sin it is to make God a liar God stands upon his credit and therefore take heed what we say specially if we have found the work of grace in former time any Earnest that we have no grace God doth this for our assurance all his dealing of Word and Sacraments of Earnest and Oath and all that may be to assure us and therefore we should not crosse the goodnesse of God so as to cherish such a disposition as is most contrary to him that he labours to undermine by all means And therefore here is the poyson of Popish Religion that it maintaines doubting and leaves men doubting indeed they do well to maintain it in their Doctrine for indeed they false found a man upon satisfaction they false found him upon Purgatory and merits and the foundation they have of a Christian soul is uncertain and therefore they may well teach doubting it suits with the course that they take but I say it is very corrupt for God useth all means that we should not doubt and therefore it is idly objected God for his part will but for our part we have reason to doubt why he in all things stoops to us he labours to secure us and therefore in the Covenant of grace he doth his part and ours too But I hasten to that which followes because I would end with the time To touch that a little distinctly by it self that the Spirit doth all the Earnest of the Spirit for indeed though Spirit be not added to stablishing yet the Spirit stablisheth by Christ and the Spirit it anoints and the Spirit seales to the day of redemption and the Earnest of the Spirit So it is the Holy Ghost doth all here you have the three Persons in the Trinity we have three grand Enemies the world the flesh and Satan Now here are the three persons in the Trinity stronger then all our enemies He which stablisheth us is God the Father by his Spirit upon whom upon Christ â—…n Christ and gives us the Earnest of his Spirit you have I say the three Persons of the Trinity here but why doth the Spirit give us the Earnest why doth the Spirit give us grace and comfort seal us and doth all and stablisheth us I answer First of all because now since the fall we have no principles of supernatural good and therefore it must be a principle above our nature to work both grace and comforts in our barren hearts Again as there is no principle to that which is supernaturally good so there is opposition to that which is supernaturally good and therefore there must be somewhat to overpower the corruption of our nature But why the Spirit rather then the Father and the Son He comes from both and proceeding from both he is fit to witnesse the love of both for the Holy Ghost is in the breast of the Father and the Son and proceeds from both and he knowes the secret love of the Father to us and the love of Christ Jesus Mediatour to us Now the Spirit knowing the secrets of God as a mans spirit saith the Apostle knowes his own secrets he knowes his love and he knowes whom he loves So the Spirit of God knowing the affection of the Father and the affection of Jesus Christ to us is fit to be an Earnest fit to be a Seal Indeed all things are wrought by the Spirit in grace for application the desert is from the Son originally from the Father but in regard of application of what is wrought by the Son all is by the Holy Ghost both graces and comforts the Holy Ghost takes from Christ for if grace be wrought it is with divine reasons from the love of God in Christ if grace he wrought it is from the wondrous love of God reconciled in Christ wherein heaven is opened hell is vanquished it is by reasons fetched from Christ and so he takes of mine as Christ saith He shall take of mine and give to you he takes reasons from Christ the holy Ghost whereby he makes all the application is altogether by the Spirit And it must be by the Spirit again because the Spirit of God and no lesse then the Spirit can quiet our spirits for when the soul is distempered it is like a distempered lock that no key can open So when the Conscience is troubled what creature can settle the troubled Conscience can open the ambages of a troubled Conscience in such perplexity and confusion and therefore to settle the troubled Conscience aright it must be somewhat above Conscience and that which must quiet the Spirit must be such a Spirit as is above our spirits This is excellently set down in this Epistle in the 3. Chap. the work of the holy Ghost in this kind But I cannot stand upon it now at this time I go on Likewise in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the second Chapter and 11. ver that one place shall stand in stead of all What man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him So the things of God no man knowes but the Spirit Now We have received the spirit not of the world but the Spirit of God to know the things that are freely given us of God if our spirits were in the heart and soul of another man in the breast of another man we should know what another man thinks if a man had a spirit in another mans spirit surely he would know all his thoughts and all his affections Now the holy Spirit of God is in the breast of the Father and the Son and he knowes our spirits better then we know our own spirits he searcheth he is a searcher as the word is in the original the Spirit is a searcher he searcheth our own hearts and he searcheth the secret love of God to us that is the Spirit must stablish us Well then if the Spirit doth all how shall we know then that we have this Spirit A note or two and so go on If we have this Spirit of God to seal us and to be an Earnest I will not speak all that may be but a little for indeed all comes from the Spirit Even as in our souls how may a man know that he hath a soul by living and moving by actions vital c. So we may know a man hath the Spirit of God by those actions that come onely from the Spirit which is to
the soul as the soul is in the body for as all beauty and motion comes from the soul to the body so to the soul from the Spirit all comes of the Spirit and therefore every saving grace is a sign that the Spirit is in us In a word the Spirit is in us in the nature of fire as in other things so in this in transforming wheresoever the Spirit dwells he transforms the soul he transforms the party like himself holy and gracious Those therefore that find the Spirit transforming and changing them in the use of the Ordinance of the Word they may know that they have the Spirit sealing them and being an Earnest to them They may know likewise that they have it wrought by the Spirit for every one grace you may knowspiritual graces are with conflict for what is true is with a great deal of resistance of that which is counterfeit Comforts and graces that are not the Earnest of the Spirit are with little conflict but where there are true comforts and graces of the Spirit wrought by the Spirit it is with much conflict with Satan and with himself for there is a great deal of Envy in the Divell against the man that walkes in the Spirit Thinks he what such a base creature as this is to have the Earnest of heaven to walk here as if he were in heaven already and to defie all opposite powers Nay I will trouble his peace he shall go mourning to heaven if he go there this is the reasoning of the cursed spirit and hereupon he labours to shake the assurance and perswasion and the grace and Comfort of a Christian it is with much conflict and temptation not onely with Satan but with his own heart Our hearts misgive us when we are guilty of some sins as alwaies there is guilt on the soul so much guilt so much doubt till the soul be free from giult it wil never but be casting of doubts and therefore there is alwaies resistance in us and there must be a higher power then the heart and soul of a man to set the heart down and quiet it It is alwaies in conflict And the gracet and comforts of the Spirit wrought by the Spirit are alwaies in the use of meanes holy means and it carries a man above the strength of nature it carries a man to the practice of that which he could not do by nature to pardon his enemies to pray for them to overcome revenge and to enjoy prosperity without pride in a comfortable measure and it enables him to practise the last Comandement That he shall be content with his estate and not lust after others and the first Comandement the graces of the holy Spirit enables a man to love God and to rejoyce in him above all as his best portion it makes his joy spiritual and it makes him delight in all connatural things that are like the Spirit as whatsoever is spiritual is connatural to the Spirit If a man have the graces of the Spirit he joyes in spiritual company he joyes in the presence of God he hates sin as being contrary to the Earnest of the Spirit he hates terrour of conscience and the way unto it he will look on good things as God lookes on them and as the Spirit looks on them and every thing that is spiritual he relisheth he savours the things of the Spirit Now be cause I will not detract your thoughts there are some six or seven properties of the Spirit in one Chapter that you may have them all together in Rom. 8. I will not name all but such as are easie First of all it is said in the 9. ver that the Spirit where it is it dwells as in a house now wheresoeve the Spirit is he is dwelling and ruling for the holy Ghost will not be an underling to lusts and he repaires and makes up the breaches of the soul where the Spirit dwells all the breaches are made up Ignorance to knowledge he begets knowledge and affection and love he prepares all he prepares his own dwelling and it is familiar and constant to the Spirit a dwelling implyes familiarity and constancy he is not in us as he is in wicked men that have the Spirit As Austin saith The Spirit of God knocks at their hearts but he doth not dwell there To go on that is the first The Spirit dwells in us if we have the Spirit And then the Spirit doth subdue the contrary for the Spirit when it comes into a man it pulls down all the strong holds it makes way for it self and therefore it is said to mortifie the deeds of the flesh ver 13. If you mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit you are led by the Spirit Those therefore that by the help of the Spirit by spiritual reasons subdue their corruptions they are led by the Spirit those that cherish corruptions or mortifie them not by spiritual reasons but out of civil respect to carry authority among men and therefore they would be free from aspersions as might disable their reputation they have not the Spirit Thirdly as many as are led by the Spirit are the sons of God the Spirit leads them as the Angel that went before the Israelites from Egypt unto Canaan so the Spirit of God like the Angel goes before us and leads us the way and removes the lets it doth lead us I say sweetly and not violently as the Devil leads his that are possessed with his spirit So that those that have the Spirit working grace and comfort in them sweetly he leads them and yet strongly too for it is strongly because it is against corruption and opposition from without but yet sweetly preserving the liberty and freedom of the soul. We by nature are like children or blind men we cannot lead our selves and therefore the Spirit leads us Those therefore that have the Spirit it leads them they submit themselves to the guidance and leading of the Spirit That is another evidence A fourth is this That it is a Spirit of adoption it assures us that we are the sons of God it gives us assurance of our adoption that we are the sons of God the same Spirit that sanctifieth us it witnesseth to us it makes us holy it witnesseth to us that we are the sons of God And then again the Spirit stirres up sighs and groans that cannot be expressed when we are not of our selves able to pray this is an evidence of the Earnest of the Spirit when we can send our sighes and groans to God I say God will hear the groans the voice of his own Spirits for whence come those sighes and groanes to God why should we not rather sink in despair in troubles but because the Spirit is in us Those therefoore that in extremity having nothing to comfort them and yet are able to send forth sighes and groans to God they may certainly know that they
have the Spirit And likewise the Spirit makes us mourn and wait for the adoption of the sons of God those that mourn and wait have the Evidence of the Spirit for a worldling doth not mourn for his imperfections for his corruptions he doth not mourn that he is absent from his Saviour neither doth he wait for the accomplishment of that that shall be bestowed on Saints because he hath his portion here therefore those that can mourn for their corruptions for those things which the world is not able to tax them for because they cannot serve God with enlargement of the Spirit as they would and they wait also without despair or without discouragement till God have finished their course they are led with a better Spirit then the world Though I should name no more what a many sweet evidences are here to manifest a soul truly acted and guided and led by the Spirit but these shall be sufficient for this time Well then if the Spirit doth all if the Spirit anoint and seal and give Earnest of grace and comfort and all till he bring us to heaven being Christs Vicar for Christ hath no other Vicar on earth but his Spirit if the Spirit doth all as indeed he doth all for God to us and from us to God whatsoever God doth to us it is by the Spirit he anoints and seals and sanctifieth by the Spirit and whatsoever we do to God it is by the Spirit or else it is not acceptable we sigh and groan in the Spirit we pray in the holy Ghost saith Jude and that God doth to us immediately from the Spirit and all that we do to God is in the Spirit Is this so then as it an undoubted truth oh then we should labour by all meanes for this Spirit of God To give some directions in a word and so to end Labour I say to have the Spirit and to groan in the Spirit and to this end because the Word is the Chariot of the Spirit in which the Spirit is carried attend upon the Ordinances of God and use all kind of spiritual meanes wherein the Spirit is usually effectual for the Spirit will onely work with his own means all those bastard inventions and devices fetched from the Church of Rome humane devices in Gods service they are naught Gods Spirit will not be effectual with Popish devices and therefore Rome is the habitation of Devils Gods Spirit hath nothing to do there because they have set up a worship contrary to Gods worship they have set up a Covenant contrary to Christs Covenant they have set up the Covenant of Works and deny in a manner a Covenant of Grace Christ is not taught as he should be there Now wheresoever the Spirit is it is with the clear teaching of the Gospel Received you the Spirit by hearing of the Law or of faith preached Therefore let us attend upon the unfolding of Christ Jesus in the Gospel for the Spirit is given with a clear and true unfolding of Christ and omit no spiritual means wherein the Spirit is effectual as meditation reading c. For as a man working in a garden though he think not of it perhaps he drawes a sweet sent of the flowers there is a tincture from the ayr that is round about him So the Word of God being indited by the Spirit of God we being in holy company being led by the same Spirit a man shall either by reading of the Word or in holy company or conversing in good books he shall draw a spiritual sweetnesse from the Word or from those that he hath to deal with The spirit of a man is like water that runs from Minerals as we see bathes have their warmth from Minerals that they run through they have a tincture from them to be hot in this or that degree in this or that quality So it is with the soul when it runs through holy things when it hath to deal with good books and good company c. it draweth a spirituall tincture and therefore if we would have the Spirit of God to guide us let us be much in those things that the Holy Ghost hath sanctified us for that end at all times when we have liberty from our callings And withall take heed that we greive not the Holy Ghost any way if we will have the Spirit to seal us to increase our Earnest How do we grieve the Holy Ghost By cherishing contrary affections and lusts and desires And resist not the holy Ghost as now when you hear the Word of God if you shut your resolutions if you shut your hearts and resolve not to give way to any instruction that shall be delivered This is a resisting of the Holy Ghost God now knocks at the hearts of those that are here by his Word and Spirit and therefore we should open the everlasting doors and let the King of glory come in We should lay open all to the Spirit Oh when the Spirit when Christ is so willing to give the Spirit it cannot be any but our fault if we be no more spiritual then we are for indeed there is nothing in a manner required to be spiritual but not to resist the Spirit The Holy Ghost presseth upon us in the Word such reasons of heavenly-mindednesse of despising of earthly things of purging our selves from the corruptions in the world such reasons to be good that indeed none are damned in the bosome of the Church but such as set a bar against the Spirit of God in their hearts with a cursed resolution that they will not be better that they will not part with their cursed lusts therefore they are damned because they will be damned that say the Preachers by the Word and Spirit what they will they think it better to be as they are then to entertain such a guest as will marre and alter all that was there before take heed therefore of resisting of the Spirit and of grieving of the Spirit by any thing in our selves or by conversing with company that will grieve him He that hath the Spirit of God in him cannot endure carnal company for what shall he hear what shall he draw in at his senses but that which will be vexation of spirit to him therefore it is said of Lot His righteous soul was vexed with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites it is an undoubted sign of a man that hath no grace not to care for his company that hath grace Likewise yield all obedience and subjection to the Spirit and to all the motions of the Word and Spirit bring our hearts into subjection lay our selves as it were before the Spirit suffer our selves to be moved and fashioned and framed by it for God gives his holy Spirit to them that obey him And beg the Spirit also as the principal thing God gives the Spirit saith Christ to them that ask him and by Christs manner of speaking there he
that the Romish Religion indeed is nothing but a meer carnal devillish policy to bring others to be subject to them and to make not only Kings and Princes but to make God and Christ and the Scriptures whatsoever is divine or humane to make all to serve their aimes What do they with Christ but under the Name of Christ serve themselves What do they with the Church but under the name of the Church carry their own ends What do they with the names of Saints and Angels Peter Mary c. but under a plausible pretence carry their own ends and set up a visible greatnesse in this world answerable to the Cesarian Monarchy This is plain and evident to all that will see that it is so and one main way to attain their ends is to rule over the conscience And that they may help all the better forward they have raised in the Church a kind of faith which they call an implicite and infolded faith that people must believe what the Church teacheth though they know not in particular what the Church teacheth and so they lead people hoodwinck'd whither they please themselves To make some Use of it briefly Let us labour to blesse God that hath freed us from this spiritual tyranny O beloved it is a great tyranny when conscience is awaked to be racked and tormented and stung by Scorpions to have conscience tormented with Popish errours as in the point of satisfaction the most of them if their eyes be open they dye with terrour O it is a blessed liberty that we are brought out of Antichristian darknesse that we know we believe and upon what termes we believe and are taught to submit our conscience only to the blessed truth of God that the soul it is the bed as it were only for Christ and his holy Spirit to dwell in and to lodge in and that no man may force the conscience with any opinion of his own further then it is demonstrated out of the Word of God what a sweet inlargement of Spirit do we live in now and our unthankfulnesse perhaps may occasion God to bring us in some degree of Popish darknesse again I beseech you let us stand for the liberty of Christ and the liberty of our consciences against the spirituall tyrant of soules Let us maintain our liberty by all we can by all lawes and execution of lawes by all that may uphold our spirituall liberty for there is no bondage to that of the soul. Do but a little consider the misery of the implicite faith that the Popish sort are under that infolded inwrapped faith wherein they are bound to believe without searching what the Church determines Hereupon they swallow in all doctrines that tend to superstition that tend to rebellion that tends to treason they swallow up all under this implicite faith as if God had set an Ordinance and Ministery in the Church against himself as if he had advanced any Ministery against his own Ordinance When you think of Popery consider not so much particular dotages as about Images and Transubstantiation and Reliques c. but consider the very life and soul of Popery in this opinion the leading errour of all others the tyranny over soules of people and holding them in blindnesse and darknesse It is not a device of mine do but read the Council of Trent in some editions There the late Pins Quartus that sate there daily he made more Articles then the Apostles distinct not proved by Scripture he made Articles of his own to be believed people were tied upon the necessity of salvation to believe them and to believe them with that faith that is due to Scripture And it is a common tenent among them Every man is bound to be under the authority of the Church of Rome under peril of damnation There is the grand errour that 't is a matter necessary to salvation to be under their tyranny Hereby they excommunicated all the Eastern Churches and all former times wherein they were not undes the Romane tyranny for that is but of late six hundred years since they condemned S. Cyprian's time and other times And they made Articles of Religion and established them with this censure that upon pain of damnation men must believe these things as well as the Articles of the Creed As Transubstantiation Invocation of Saints Purgatory and such things they are so many Articles indeed as I say they have more Articles then the twelve Articles of the Apostles We say an errour in the foundation it is not mended after and the first concoction if it be naught all after are naught if there be not good concoction in the stomack at the first the blood is naught and all is naught So this is a fundamental errour and a ground of all errours that they hold they cannot erre and hereupon they come to tyrannize over the consciences and soules of people Therefore I say let us blesse God that hath set our soules in spiritual liberty that now we see God in the face of Christ now we see the means of salvation we see the bread of life broken to us we see Christ unveiled we see what to found our consciences upon we cannot be sufficiently thankful for this Thankfull we may be for the peace of the Kingdome that we have so long a time enjoyed and for the outward prosperity we have so long had But above all be thankful for the peace of Religion for the peace of conscience for the liberty of soul that we enjoy And as I said if any thing move God to strip us of all it will be our unthankfulnesse and our practice witnessing our unthankfulnesse by valuing no more the blessed estate of the Gospel we enjoy Not that we have dominion over your faith This disposition to domineer over the faith of others from abominable grounds it ariseth Partly from pride and tyranny that they would set themselves in the Temple of Christ where he should rule in the hearts of his people And partly out of idlenesse they raise the credit of their own Traditions that they may not be forced to take the labour of instructing the people therefore they fasten a greater vertue upon outward things then there can be only to avoid the labour of instruction And then it riseth partly from guilt they are so in their lives especially if they be looked inwardly into as that they cannot endure the knowledge of people They are afraid that people should know much lest they know them too well and their courses and errours So partly from pride and partly from idlenesse and sloath and partly from guilt they domineer over the faith of Gods people But are helpers of your joy The end of the Ministery is not to tyrannize over peoples soules to sting and vex them but to minister comfort to be helpers of their joy that is to help their salvation and happinesse which is here termed joy because joy is a principal
and but helpers They do but utter and propound matter of joy grounds of joy from the Word of God but it is the Spirit of God that doth rejoyce the heart The fruit of the lips is peace it is true but it is when the Spirit of God speaks peace to the soul together with the lips God creates the fruit of the lips to be peace saith Esay The fruit of the lips is peace bâ—… God creates it to be so so the Ministers are comforters but God saith I even I am thy comforter We speak matters of comfort and grounds of comfort but God seals them to the heart by his holy Spirit God is the comforter himself He is the Father of comfort and the God of all consolation And the Spirit is called the comforter to shew unto us that however in the Ordinances the materials of comfort be set abroach to Gods people yet notwithstanding that that that speaks peace to the heart and sets on those comforts to the soul and conscience it is the Spirit of God God himself So there is the outward preaching and the spiritual preaching He hath his chair in heaven that teacheth the heart as S. Austin saith S. Paul speaks but God opens the heart of Lydia he hath the Key to open the heart Therefore you have all attributed to the Spirit of God In Joh. 16. I go hence but I will send you the comforter the Holy Ghost and what shall the Comforter do he shall convince the world of sin of righteousnesse and judgment Do not pretend therefore your own inability that you are unable to comfort or to cast down or to seal unto people their righteousnesse do you that that is your duty propound grounds of direction and casting down and of righteousnesse and of judgment of holy life after and then the Holy Ghost shall go with you the Comforter shall do this to the hearts of people the Holy Ghost shall convince What is Paul or what is Apollo but Ministers Paul may plant and Apollo may water but if God give not the increase what is all Therefore Christ promiseth his disciples that the Holy Ghost should accompany their teaching They might have objected Alas we shall teach the world that they are Gentiles that they are obstinate persons hardened in superstition Do not fear saith he I will send the Holy Ghost he shall fall upon you and furnish you Now when the Holy Ghost was in them and the Holy Ghost in their auditors too together with the Word inspired by the Holy Ghost when the Spirit meetes in these three there are wonders wrought When the Spirit of God is in the teacher and the Spirit of God in the hearers and the Spirit of God in the Word I say when there is one Spirit in the teacher and in the hearers and in the Word there are wonders wrought of conversion and comfort It is the Spirit that must do all we are nothing but Ministers Let a man conceive of us as Ministers and dispensers of the Gospel Ministers of comfort we are and but Ministers just so we are helpers of your joy but we are but helpers Those that account us not helpers of joy know not our calling and those that account us more that we are able to comfort people by the Word they turn the preaching of the Word to magick to a charm We can speak the Word but God must speak to the heart at the same time As it is with Physical water there is the water and there are many strong things in it What doth the water cure or purge it is a dead thing it hath no efficatious quality but to cool c. Whence comes the efficacy There are some cool herbs some strong things in it and then it doth wonders So what is the infusion of the Word but water but aqua vitae water of life the dew of heaven Rosa solis whence is it so as water no but there is a Divine influence and vigour in it that refresheth and quickeneth the soul. It doth not do it of it self but it hath a Divine influence of the Spirit So we see though Ministâ—…s be helpers of joy they are but helpers they are but the conduits that convey that that comes from the Spirit of God they are instruments of the Spirit You see it clear then that God only speaks comfort because the Spirit of God only knowes our spirits throughly The spirit of God can only comfort because he knowes all the discomforts of our hearts he knowes all our griefs all the corners of our hearts that the Minister cannot do The Minister may speak general comforts but the Spirit of God knowes all the windings and turnings of the heart and all the disconsolate pangs of the heart and soul every little pang and grief the Spirit of God knowes it Therefore the Spirit of God is the Comforter he strikes the nail and seales the comfort to the soul we are but helpers Then again the Spirit of God must do it because the soul must be set down with that that is stronger then it self it must be so convinced and set down that it must have more to say against the griefe or temptation then can be alledged by the Devil himself The soul before it be comforted it must be quieted and stilled Now who is above the soul and Satan that tempts the soul Let Satan be let loose to tempt the soul and the soul hath a hell in it self if God let it alone who is above those unspeakable torments of coascience if they be not allayed by the Spirit of God Who is above the soul but the Spirit of God will the soul allay it self no it will never Therefore the Spirit of God that is stronger and wiser then the soul and is the Spirit of light and strength it must set down and quiet and calm the soul that it hath nothing to say against the comfort it brings but quiets it self and saith I must rest I must see this is from heaven I am quiet This the Spirit doth Therefore make this Use of it that in all our endeavours to procure peace to our consciences and spiritual balm to the wounds of our soules let us go to this heavenly Physician not depend over-much upon the Ministery or reading or any outward task but in the use of all things lift up our hearts to God that he would comfort us by his Spirit that he would send the Comforter into our soules Though the disciples had comfort upon comfort by Christ yet till the Comforter came whose office it was to do it to seal his Word to their soules alas they were dead-hearted people but after the resurrection when the Comforter came and refreshed their memories and convinced their understandigs then they could remember all the sweet comforts that our blessed Saviour had taught them before So it is with us we hear many sweet comforts day after day out of Gods
book comforts against sin comforts against trouble outward and inward and all but till the Comforter come till God send his holy Spirit we shall not make use of them Therefore let us labour to have more communion with God before we come to hear the Word and after we have heard it let us have communion with God again that he would seal whatsoever is spoken to our soules and make it effectual to us Therefore we must learn to give the just due to the Ordinance of God and not to idolize it to make it the means of comfort not to make it the chief Comforter but the Spirit of God by it What is Paul or Apollo what are we but Ministers of faith and by consequent Ministers and helpers of comfort but not the authors of comfort Oh if I had such and such here I should do well I should be so and so Alas all is to no purpose unlesse thou hast the Holy Ghost the Spirit of God that can help by weak means Therefore we must not tie comfort and joy to this or that means but in all means look to the ground of comfort and the spring of all the Holy Ghost The reason why men do nor profit more that they are not more cheared and lift up with the Ministery of the Word which is a Word of reconciliation and of joy and comfort it is because they are more careful in the use of means then in going to God for his Spirit to blesse the means Now these must go together a care of using the means and a care to pray to him that he would give us wisdome and strength and blessed successe in the use of all means Then if we would joyn religiously and conscionably these two together the use of all means conscionably and in the use of all to lift up our hearts to God to blesse them we should find a wondrous successe upon the Ministery and all other good means likewise So much for that I go on to the last clause of the Chapter For by faith ye stand Why doth the Apostle vary the word we have not dominion over your faith but are helpers of your joy whereas the consequence it seems might run thus we do not domineer over your faith but are helpers of your faith he puts joy instead of faith and afterward he brings in faith again for by faith ye stand This is one main reason because joy riseth from faith therefore he names it in stead of faith for the Holy Ghost is not curious of words but when the same Spirit wroks both he names that which he thinks will fittest suit the purpose Faith breeds joy How is that Because faith first of all doth shew to us the freedome from that that is the cause of all discomfort whatsoever it takes away all that may discourage For it takes away the fear of damnation for our sins it shewes our reconciliation in Jesus Christ. Faith shewes liberty and deliverance and so discovering deliverance by a Mediator it works joy Is not a prisoner joyful when he is set at liberty Then likewise faith discovers to us the face of God shining to us in Jesus Christ it shewes not only deliverance but favour It shewes us the ground of all the righteousnesse and obedience of our Saviour whereby we are delivered and brought into favour Now from this comes peace from the knowledge of our deliverance and acceptance with God founded upon the obedience of God-man a Saviour there comes in peace and peace breeds joy because faith discovers all these the ground of reconciliation with God in Jesus Christ and thereupon peace therefore it causeth joy For this is the pedigree and descent of joy as the Apostle hath it Rom. 14. The Kingdome of God is in righteousnesse and peace and joy There must be righteousnesse first of a Mediatur to satisfie the wrath of God and procure his favour From righteousnesse comes peace peace with God peace of conscience From peace comes joy there is no joy without peace no peace without righteousnesse And this whole pedigree of joy as it were is excellently set down Rom. 5. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord and have accesse to the throne of grace by which grace we stand and not only so but rejoyce So there is justification by the righteousnesse of Christ and thereupon peace with God and from peace boldnesse and accesse to God and thereupon joy So we see how faith brings in joy because it shewes the spring of joy whence it comes it shewes peace and peace riseth from reconciliation and reconciliation from righteousnesse of Christ Mediator whereupon we are delivered from all that we may fear and set in a state of true joy God being our friend When God is reconciled all is reconciled all is ours have we not cause of joy then Therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 15. The God of peace fill you full of joy in believing shewing that faith is the cause of all spiritual joy And the same you have in 1 Pet. 1. 8. In whom ye rejoyced after ye believed with joy unspeakable and glorious In whom after ye believed that is in Christ you rejoyced with joy unspeakable and glorious And therefore you see the Apostle might well substitute joy in stead of faith because it springs and riseth from faith in Jesus Christ the Mediatour Hereupon we may come to make this Use of tryal how we may know whether our joy be good or no. Among many other evidences this is one that spiritual joy is good if it spring from the Word of faith If it spring from the Ordinance of God unfolded in the Word shewing us the ground of believing For he that truly joyes can shew the ground of his joy Herein joy differs from presumption from presumptuous swelling conceits true joy that is not the joy of an hypocrite it doth shew from whence it comes it riseth from grounds out of divine truth Then again this joy doth more immediately spring from faith in the Word from assurance that God is ours and that Christ is ours that God is at peace with us and that we are at peace with him it ariseth from peace that is wrought by faith Then again this joy if it be sound it is such a joy as S. Peter saith is an unspeakable and glorious joy joy arising from the Word of God and from faith and peace it is above discouragement because we have in the Word of God matter of joy above all discouragements and all allurements whatsoever It is a joy above the joy of riches or pleasures or profits why because the Word shewes matter of joy above all these The Prophet David rejoyced in the Word of God above Gold and Silver as one that had gotten great spoyles you see how oft he repeats it Psal. 119. It was sweeter to him then the honey and the honey-comb Psal.
hypocrite in many respects but in this one mainly that a true Saint of God is altered in the inward frame and qualification of his soul he is a new Creature therefore there is a spring of better thoughts of better desires of better aimes in him then in other men And he labours more after the inward frame of his heart then after his outward carriage what he is ashamed to do he is ashamed to think he is ashamed to lust after what he desires to do he desires to love in his heart he labours that all may be true in the inward man because grace as well as nature begins from the heart from the inward parts An hypocrite never cares for that all his care is for the outward parts he is sale-work so his carriage be acceptable to others all his care is taken he lives to the view therefore he looks not to the substance and the truth but to the shadow and appearance Now I come to the Salutation it self VERSE 2. Grace be unto you c. GRace doth enter into the whole conversation of a Christian and doth sweeten his very Salutations Which I observe because many men confine their Religion to places to actions and to times there is a relish of holinesse in every thing that comes from a Christian in his Salutations and Courtesies St. Paul salutes them Grace and peace from God c. And the use of holy Salutations are To Shew Love Win To shew love and respect therefore he salutes them and by shewing love to gain love for there is a Loadstone in love And thirdly the use of salutations is by them to convey some good for these salutations are not meer wishes but prayers nay blessings Gods people are a blessed people and they are full of blessing they carry a blessing in their very speeches What is a blessing A blessing is a prayer with the application of the thing prayed for it is somewhat more then a prayer Grace be with you and peace It is not onely a meer wish I desire it nay my desire of it is with an applying of it grace shall be with you and peace and the more because I heartily wish it to you It is no light matter to have the benediction and salutation of a holy man especially those that are Superiours for the Superiours blesse the Inferiours there is a grace goes even with the very salutations with the common prayers of a holy man It is a comfortable sign when God doth enlarge the heart of a holy man to wish well to a man And surely the very consideration of that should move us to let them have such incouragement from our carriage and demeanour that they may have hearts to think of us to the throne of Grace to give us a good wish to give us a good desire for every gracious desire every prayer hath its effect when it comes from a favourite of God especially from such a man as St. Paul was from a Minister a holy man in a calling a man of God they have their efficacy with them they are not empty words Grace and peace The Popes think it a great favour when they bestow their Apostolical benediction and blessing their blessing is not much worth their curse is better then their blessing but surely the blessing of a man rightly called those that are true Ministers of Christ they are cloathed with Power and efficacy from God Grace be with you and peace it is no idle complement And here you see likewise what should be the manner of the salutation of Christians as they ought to salute to shew love and to gain love so all their salutations should be holy There is a takingthe name of God in vain in salutations oft times God save you c. and it must be done with a kind of scorn and if there be any demonstration of Religion it becomes them not that which should become them most What should become a Saint but to carrie himself Saint-like and yet men must do it with a kind of scorn with a kind of gracelesse grace that which in the religious use of it is a comfortable and sweet thing and is alway with a comfortable and gracious effect in Gods Children Either it hath effect and is made grace to them to whom it is spoken or returns to them that speak it As Christ saith to his Disciples when you come into a house pronounce peace to them and if the house be not worthy your peace shall return to you So the salutations of a good man if they be not effectual to the parties if they be unworthy rebellious creatures they return again to himself they have effect one way or other Let it not be done therefore with a taking the Name of God in vain in a scornful manner but with gravity and reverence as becometh a holy action There is some limitation and exception of this Salutations in some cases may be omitted As in serious businesse salute no man by the way as Christ saith to his Apostles A neglect sometimes is good manners when respect is swallowed up in a greater duty As it was good manners for David to Dance and to carry himself as it were unseemly before the Ark because he was to neglect respect to meaner persons to forget the respect he was to shew to men being altogether taken up with higher matters it was a kind of decencie and comlinesse And overmuch scrupulousnesse and nicenesse in lesser things when men are called to greater is but unmannerly manners in these cases these lesser must give way and place to the greater Salute no man by the way dispatch the businesse you are about that is if it may be a hindrance in the way salute not this is in respect of time And as for time so for persons a notorious incorrigible Heretick salute not to salute such a one would be as it were a connivence or an indulgence to him salute him not The denying of a Salutation many times hath the force of a censure the party neglected may think there is somewhat in him for which he is neglected in that manner In these cases salutations may be omitted sometimes But I go unto the particulars Grace be unto you and peace These are the good things wished We see the Apostle a blessed man that had been in the third heaven wrapt up that had been taught of Christ what things were most excellent and had himself seen excellent things which he could not utter when he comes to wishes we see out of heavenly wisedom and experience he drawes them to two heads all good things to Grace and peace If there had been better things to be wished he would have wished them but Grace and peace are the principal things What is meant by Grace here Grace in this place is the free favour and love of God from his own bowels not for any desert or worth or
to his Children and what are the last comforts of all the comforts reserved at home when God shall be all in all Now there are some drops of comfort conveyed in smells some in garments some in friends some in diet here a drop and there a drop but when we shall have immediate communion there with the God of comfort himself what comforts shall we have there God comforts us here by providing for us and giving us things that are comfortable Or by giving reasons and grounds of comfort which are stronger then the reasons and grounds of discomfort reasons from the priviledges and prerogative of Christians c. the scripture is full of them But likewise which is the best of all and most intended the inward inspiring of comfort with the reasons and grounds he inwardly conveyes comforts to the soul and strengtheneth and supports the soul. And he doth this not onely by the application of the reasons and the things that we understand to the soul but by opening the soul to embrace them for sometime the soul may be in such a case as it may reject comfort that the consolation of the Almightie may seem light to it sometime there may be such a disposition of soule that the chiefest comforts in scripture yield it not comfort they are not embraced the soul is shut to them God provides reasons and grounds of comfort and likewise he applies these comforts by his spirit to the soul and he inwardly warmes and opens the soul to embrace comfort he opens the understanding to understand and the will and affections to embrace or else there will be no comfort Many are like Rachel her Children were gone and it is said of her Shee would not be Comforted God is the God of Comfort as he gives the matter and ground of comfort and reasons out of his holy word above all dsscomforts so by his spirit he frames and fits the heart to entertain these to take the benefit of them He comforts us in all tribulation To comfort is to support the soule against the grievance past or felt or feared There may be some remainders of grief for what is past grief present presseth most and grief feared Now God comforteth whatsoever the grievance is by supporting the soul against it as I said before We are in tribulation in this life and yet in all tribulations God doth comfort us to add to that I said before of this point let us therefore go to God in all the meanes of comfort because he is the God of it and he must comfort us Therefore when we send for divines or read Holy books for we must use all meanes we must not set God against his meanes but joyn them together to add that caution by the way We may not therefore necessitate the God of comfort that because he comforts us therefore we will neglect reading and prayer and conference with them that God hath exercised in the schoole of Christ who should speak comfort to the wearie soul by their office No No God and his meanes must be joyned together we must trust God but not tempt him to set God against his meanes is to tempt him that because he is the God of comfort therefore we will use no meanes no Physitian for the body or for the soul this is absurd he is the God of comfort in the means he comforts us in all tribulation by meanes if they be to be had If there be no meanes to be had he is the God of comfort he can create them and if it be so far that there be no meanes but the contrary he is a God that can comfort out of discomfort and can as I said make the greatest grounds of comfort out of the greatest discomforts But he is a God of the meanes if they be to be had if there be none then let us go to him and say thou God of comfort if thou do not comfort none can comfort if thou help not none can help and then he will help and help strongly It is necessary to looke to God what ever the meanes be it is he that comforts by them Therefore let him have the praise if we have any friend any comfort of the outward man or any solace of the inward man by seasonable speech c. blessed be the God of comfort who hath sent this comforter who hath sent me comfort by such and such let him have the praise whatsoever the means be the comfort is his And that is the cause that many have no more comfort they trust to the means overmuch or neglect the means Again if God comfort in all tribulation Let Christians be ashamed to be overmuch disconsolate that have the God of comfort for their God who comforteth in all tribulation Why art thou so cast down Is there no Balme in Gilead for thee Is there not a God in Israel It is the fault of Christians they pore too much on their troubles they look all one way they look to the grievance and not to the comfort There is a God of comfort that answers his name every way in the exercise of that attribute to his Church therefore Christians must blame themselves if they be too much cast down and labour for faith to draw near to this God of comfort It should make them ashamed of themselves that think it even a duty as it were to walk drooping and disconsolatly and deadly to have flat and dead spirits What is this beseeming a Christian that is in Covenant with God that is the God of comfort and that answers his title in dealing with his Children that is ready to comfort them in all tribulation what if particular comforts be taken from thee is there not a God of comfort left he hath not taken away himself What if thou be restrained and shut up from other comforts can any shut up Gods Spirit can any shut up God and our prayers Is not this a comfort that we may go to God alway and he is with us in all estates and in all wants whatsoever So long as we are in covenant with the God of comfort why should we be over much cast down Why art thou so troubled oh my soul David cheeks his soul thrice together for distrust in God he is thy God the God of all comfort What course shall we take that we may derive to our selves comfort from this God of comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulations Let us consider what our malady and grievance is especially let us look to our spiritual grievance and malady sin for sin is the cause of all other evils therefore it is the worst evil And sin makes us loathed of God the fountain of good it drives us from him when other evils drive us to from him and therefore it is the worst evil in that sense too Again in the third place look to the discomforts of sin especially in the discomforts of
others as we should let us labour to get experience of comfort in our selves God comforteth us that we might be able to comfort others He will easily kindle others that is all on fire himself and that is comforted himself he can easily comfort others with that comfort he feels himself those that have experience can do it best As we see in Physitians if there be two Physitians whereof the one hath been sick of the disease that he is to cure in another the other parhaps is more excellent then he otherwise but he hath never been sick of it the patient will sooner trust himself with the experienced Physitian then with the other for undoubtedly he is better seen in that then the other though perhaps the other may be a greater booked Physitian then he As it is with the Physitians of the body so it is with the Physitian of the soul the experienced Physitian is the best What is the reason that old men and wise men are the mercifullest of all because they have had experience of many crosses and miseries a wise man knows what crosses are he understands them best The way then to comfort others is to get experience of divine comforts our selves And that we may get experience of Gods comforts let us mark what was said before of the rules of comfort and work upon our own hearts whatsoever may be comfortable to others That we may not be empty Truncks to speak words without feeling He that is well may speak very good things to a sick man but the sick man sees that he speaks without pitty and compassion those that have been sick of the same disease when they come to comfort they do it with a great deal of meeknesse and mildnesse Those that are fit to comfort others must be spiritual themselves first As the Apostle saith Gal. 6. 1. saith the wise and holy Apostle if any man be overtaken as alas we are all overtaken with some corruption or other ye that are spiritual restore such a one set him in joynt as the word is with the spirit of meeknesse knowing that thou thy self maist â—…e tempted The Spirit of God is a Spirit of comfort the more we have of the Spirit the fitter we are to comfort others We see many men will speak very good things but they do but personate sorrow and personate comfort it comes from them without feeling as he saith if thou didst believe these things that thou speakest wouldest thou ever say them so He that speakes good things without experience he speaks as if he did never believe them Those that speak things with experience that have wrought them upon their hearts and spirits there is such a demonstration in the manner of their speaking of a spirit of love and meeknesse and compassion that it prevailes marvailously It is so true that our Saviour Christ himself that he might have the more tender bowels of compassion towards us he made it one end of his Incarnation as it is pressed again and again in Heb. 2. and Heb. 4. the Apostle dwels upon it It became him to be man to take upon him our infirmities that he might be a merciful Redeemer a merciful high Priest It was one end of his Incarnation that he might not only save us but that he might be a merciful Redeemer that he might have experience of our infirmities of persecution he was persecuted himself of want he wanted himself of temptation he was tempted himself of wrath he felt it himself my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Here is the comfort of a Christian soul that Christ hath begun to him in all therefore it became him to be mam not only to Redeem us but to be a merciful high priest a comfortable high Priest The way then you see how to comfort others is to get our own hearts sensible of spiritual comfort Two Irons if they be both hot do close together presently but unlesse both be hot they do not joyn together handsomly so that that makes us joyn together strongly is if two spirits meet and both be warm if one godly men comfort another godly man if one holy man labour to breed an impression of heat in another there is a knitting of both spirits they joyn strongly together Therefore we ought to labour to get experience that we may comfort others seeing none can comfort so well as experimental Christians Why is experience such an enabling to spiritual comfort I answer because it brings the comfort home to our own soules The Divell knowes comfort well enough but he feeles none Experience helps faith it helps all other knowledge Our Saviour Christ is said to learn by experience for he learned obedience in that he suffered Experience is such a meanes of the increasing of knowledge as that it bettered the knowledge of Christ that had all knowledge in him he had knowledge by looking upon God being the Wisedom of God yet he learned somewhat by the experience he bettered himself by experience he knew what to bear the cross was by experience he knew what infirmities were by experience he knew what he could suffer by experience so it added to his knowledge as man And so the Angels themselves are continual students in the mysteries of the Gospel they get experimental knowledge to the knowledge that they have inbred that knowledge that they have by the presence of God to that they add experimental knowledge So then if it bettered the knowledge of our blessed Saviour and increased it it was a new way increased by experience and it adds to the knowledge of the Angels much more to ours Then again it gains a great confidence in the speaker for what we speak with experience we speak with a great deal of boldnesse Again experimental comforts those that we have felt our selves and have felt likewise the grievance we speak them with such expressions as no other can do in the apprehension of the partie whom we comfort so well as an experienced person for he goes about the works tenderly and gently and lovingly because he hath been in the same himself And that is the reason that the Apostle St. Paul in the place I named before Gal. 6. 1. presseth this duty upon spiritual men especially because themselves have been tempted and may be tempted those that have been tempted and think they may be afterward this doth wondrously fit them for this work of comforting others But to add a little in this point to shew how to comfort others by our own experience and skill I spake before of an Art of comforting our selves there is a skill likewise in comforting others Even as we comfor our selves in that method we must comfort others When we comfort our selves we must first consider our need of comfort search our wounds our maladies have them fresh in our sight that so we may be forced to seek for comfort and as we ought
that one God will be worshipped his own way There is one God one Truth And that one Religion must needs be that in which that one God discovers and reveales himself and not that which man deviseth For will any Master be served with the device of his servant And will God suffer his creature to devise a Religion to serve him Therefore there is of necessity as one God so one Religion and that one Religion must be that which that God hath left in his Word Therefore those that are to govern States as they will answer to that one God they are to establish that Religion that he hath left to the world in his Word and not any Religion not that which men have devised To go a little further In that one Religion that is left by him there must be a care had that the people live by the rules of that one For this is a rule in nature nothing in Religion will help him that will not live according to the rules of it therefore it concerns all that are not atheists to labour to stablish one Religion and obedience to that one And every particular man as he looks for good by his Religion is not to live by the rules of fleshly wisdome but by the rules of Religion And here a man might deplore the misery of poor Religion above all other things above all other Arts and Trades In other Arts and Trades he is accounted no body that works not according to his Trade and that hath not besides some speculative skill and rules in his head that hath not skill to work he is accounted no body but a talker except he doth But in Religion men think it is enough to know practise it goes under base names Any common conscience any common care and obedience to the rules we must be saved by is reproached and rejected Religion will not do a man good except he be ruled by it Wherefore serves the rule but to bring things to it But I will not stand on this point longer There is a necessity of wisdome And this wisdome may be had and this wisdome it leads not onely to salvation but it reacheth to the State and it leads every man in his calling Well we may see to touch that by the way In the third place True Wisdome toucheth Conversation My Conversation hath been by the Grace of God that is in wisdome he puts the general for the particular there was other graces besides but together with them there was this wisdome So wisdome tends to conversation Mark what I said wisdome is not in word but in work A man that will be Master of his Trade must work when a man can work well he is Master of his Trade and not till then Religion tends to practice You know what Christ saith If you know these things happy are ye if ye do them He intailes happinesse to doing If you know these things he saith not you are happy if you know them no If you know these things happy are you if you do them For indeed true wisdome is not onely speculative This wisdome understanding and knowledge when it is true and spiritual it alway tends to practice and practice is never sound but when it springs from wisdome from things known Every Article in the Creed it tends to practice in a Christians life and quickens practice every Article so wisdome tends to conversation Now besides that main wisdome which properly concerns salvation there is another wisdome which is more particular that tends to conversation which is called Spiritual Prudence for particular actions This comes from the Spirit of God I Wisdome dwell with Prudence Wheresoever there is wisdome to salvation there is prudence to the guidance of a Christian's life But in a word if so be that wisdome tend to conversation and is joyned with it You may see that all naughty livers are no bodies in Religion they are fooles in Religion wherefore serves knowledge wherefore serves light but to walk by wherefore serves an instrument but to work by wherefore serves wisdome but to guide our lives by Is it to be matter of discourse and talk Therefore this doth demonstrate clearly to any man that thinks there is any Religion or any heaven who be the best Christians even those that by the Spirit know the wisdome that God hath revealed in his Word and apply it in their lives and conversations to be ruled by it to work to that end Wisdome prefixeth an end alway and those that work to that end they are wise men he is a wise man that works to attain his end Now there is no man that can attain his end by meer knowledge he attains his end by working by doing therefore the wisest Christian he sets himself to converse wisely and holily and he shewes his religion in his particular calling in every thing If any man be Religious let him shew it in holy Conversation let him be unspotted of the world So much for that But by the Grace of God To give a little further light to the words Grace is either the free favour of God in himself issuing from his goodnesse whereupon we have forgivenesse of sins and acceptation through Jesus Christ to life everlasting This is grace resting in the breast of God but is onely entertained of us and works no change in us of it self Or else grace is something from that favour from that free grace of God wrought in us And thar grace wrought in us is First the grace of a whole universal change for whomsoever God accepts graciously to life everlasting he gives them the gifts of grace with his favour he changeth their nature that they may be fit to entertain fellowship with him For when by grace he accepts us to favour if he should not alter our natures alas what a case were we in were we fit for communion with God No therefore that we may have communion with God he alters our dispositions that we may be holy as he is holy this change is the first change in Christianity Now in this gracious change which is a work of the gracious Spirit derived to us by Christ in whom our nature is filled with all grace and in whom we receive grace for grace there are graces wrought as First a heavenly light to see a further end then ever we saw before a heavenly convincing light to see the love of God to see life everlasting to see glorious things And withal comes the grace of Love to carry the whole inward man to the things that we see Then there is the grace of Hope to expect and Patience to indure all till we be possest of that which our understandings are enlightned to see And Faith perswades the soul where to have it and relies on the Promise so particular graces are wrought Therefore that is one reason why the Apostle names not wisdome in particular when
year as a good parenthesis in an unlearned and unwitty speech A good parenthesis is unseemly in a wicked speech and a good piece is unseemly in a ragged garment so their lives that make a good shew then and there are few that do so they are scarce among us men are such Atheists that there is not outward reformation but if there be if they give themselves leave to be Civill and to respect holy things a little time afterward they return to their loosenesse again Doth this patching out of a holy life please God No no I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Statutes saith David And S. Paul I have resolved to be so to the end I will be my self still So where grace is there is a resolution against all sin for the time to come If you entertain not this resolution to walk in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of your life acknowledge no benefit by Christs redemption and come not near the holy things of God This is the honest heart that the Scripture speaks of that receives the seed deep into it that hates sin above all miseries and ills and that loves grace above all other good things therefore if any infirmity come he can say it is against his resolution I purposed not this I plotted it not I do not allow my self in it here is an honest heart the Word is fixed deeply in such a heart it comes with an honest resolution If you come to the Sacrament and purpose to live in sin you prophane the holy things of God the Word of God will do you no good it will never take deep root to save you So much for S. Paul's resolution for the time to come I trust 〈◊〉 shall acknowledge to the end VERSE XIV As also you have acknowledged us in part that we are your rejoycing even 〈◊〉 ye are ours in the Day of the Lord Jesus YOu have acknowledged us in part now since you have repented for when he wrote the former Epistle to them they had many corruptions among them in Doctrine and in conversation about the Sacrament many corrupt opinions they had and in conversation they endured the incestuous man among them without casting of him out and many of them doubted of the Resurrection Now when he wrote the first Epistle it took a blessed effect in their hearts they repented and began to acknowledge S. Paul notwithstanding they were disasted of him by reason of the bad information of some presumptuous Teachers saith he now again You have acknowledged us in part that now we are your rejoycing c. Observe this which I touch by way of coherence It is a sign of a repentant man of a man that hath repented of his sins and is in a good estate to acknowledge him that hath told him of his sins to acknowledge his Pastor For a false heart swells against the reproof if the Corinthians had not been sound hearted they would never have endured S. Paul's sharp Epistle but now he tells them their own plainly as indeed it is a very sharp Epistle in many passages yet now they acknowledged him to be a good and gracious man a faithful Teacher Let it be a Trial of your estate can you endure a plain a powerfull an effectual Ministery More particularly can you endure a plain effectual friend that brings that which is spoken by the Minister more particularly home to your hearts It is a sign of a good heart of a repentant heart that would be better But if not it is a sign you have a reserved love to some special sin that will be your bane it is a sign your soules have not repented As you see after in another Chapter of this Epistle where he sets down the fruits of repentance And here is one sign Tâ—… have acknowledged us in part c. In the words First There is the thing it self acknowledgment Secondly the object matter of it That we are your rejoycing and you are ours There is a mutual entercourse of rejoycing And then the time is set down The Day of the Lord Jesus The second coming of Christ. To speak a little of Acknowledgment Acknowledgment is more then Knowledge for knowledge is a bare naked apprehension and acknowledgment is when the will and affections yield to the entertaining and the owning of the thing known As a father not onely knowes his son but acknowledgeth him a King acknowledgeth his Subjects and the Subjects their Prince It is not onely a knowledge of such men but an acknowledging of them acknowledging a relation to them So you acknowledge us that is in the relation we stand to you to be faithful and good Ministers and good men too What doth S. Paul mean by saying You have acknowledged us doth he mean himself No not altogether but you have acknowledged me in my faithful preaching of Christ to you Wheresoever the Minister is acknowledged as a Minister Christ is acknowledged For what are we We are but the Ministers of Christ no more nor no lesse Saith S. Paul Let a man esteem of us as of the Ministers of Christ. If they think of us more then Ministers that we can make and coyn things of our own they think too much of us If they think meanly and basely of us they think too little of us Let a man think of us as of the Ministers of Christ no more nor no lesse it is enough that they acknowledge us so as the Ministers of Christ. So they are never acknowledged but Christ is acknowledged by them for they have a relative office they are the Ministers of Christ. How shall we know then whether we acknowledge the Minister or no If we acknowledge Christ first by him How shall we know that we acknowledge Christ To acknowledge Christ God-man in his natures that we have a great deal of love to him that he would be born for us and a great deal of reverence in that he is God We must not think-of him but-with a great deal of reverence and meddle with nothing of him but with much love he is God-man God incarnate He acknowledgeth Christ in his Priestly Office that doth not despair that doth believe his full satisfaction to God and doth not mingle other things Popish satisfaction and Purgatory for venial sins He acknowledgeth Christs Priestly Office that goes boldly to God through Christs intercession-in heaven and boldly trusts in the satisfaction of Christ in the clamours of conscience and the accusations of Satan This is to acknowledge Christ a Priest in our boldnesse and liberty to God and confidence in our conscience of the forgivenesse of sins To acknowledge Christ as a King is to yield subjection to his Word and to suffer him to rule us To acknowledge him as a Prophet to be instructed and guided by him But now such as are ruled by their own lusts and by the examples of others and care
not for the spiritual leading of Christ they do not acknowledge him Let not this man reign over us they shake off his bands they are sons of Belial without yoak and they shall be reckoned at the day of Judgment among them that know not Christ because to know him and not to acknowledge him is to no purpose As God knoweth us well enough but if he know us not and acknowledge us to be his what will become of us at the day of Judgment I know you not saith he that is he acknowledgeth them not to be his So if our knowledge be to know Christ generally so as not to give up our selves to be ruled by him to be directed by him this is not to acknowledge him and to know him and not to acknowledge him will be no comfort for us As it will be no comfort to us for him to know us and not to acknowledge us They that acknowledge Paul or any Minister they are brought to acknowledge Christ by him And then to give you a familiar taste of these things they do acknowledge the Minister that acknowledge the Word to be the Word of God to be from him What is that when they are cast into the form and mould of the Word and are willing to be framed to be such as the Word would have them to be pliable to it if it threaten to be terrified if it comfort to be raised up to be fashioned every way to the Word then they acknowledge the Word then they feel it to be Gods Word why For they feel it leavening the soul making all the powers holy and comfortable As leaven changeth the whole lump so the Word of God when we are cast into it and imbrace it it frames and fashions the whole man to be holy as the Word is holy This is to acknowledge the Word of God to hear it as the Word of God to hear it with reverence as we would hear something from a great Potentate from a Judge from a man that hath to do with us We know the Word of God and acknowledge him in the Minister when we tremble at it and hear it with obedience As Cornelius saith We are all here in the presence of God to hear whatsoever shall be commanded us of God whatsoever without distinction and turning over and declining the Word and shifting When there is a willing yielding to every thing that is told us and a meaning to obey it this is to acknowledge the Word of God or else we do not S Paul saith comfortably to the Thessalonians That they received the Word of God as the Word of God that is they acknowledged the Word of God because they heard it with such reverence and obedience and respect So you may know that you acknowledge the Minister if you acknowledge Christ if you acknowledge the Preacher and the VVord that he preacheth and you acknowledge him when you will be directed by him when he speaks in the Name of Christ to esteem highly of the Consolations of the Almighty in his mouth to suffer the strong holds of sin to be beaten down by his Ministery This is to acknowledge the Minister there is no good taken by Gods Ordinance where it is not onely known but acknowledged Christ comes to us in his Ministers as well as by the poor and it shall be known one day that we have rejected not poor men like our selves but Jesus Christ For we are joyned with Christ in acceptation or in neglect and contempt What we do in our Ministery faithfully we are joyned with Christ in our acceptance we accept Christ when we accept and esteem of the Minister or we reject Christ when we reject and refuse and set light by the Ministers of Christ. The hypocrisie of mans heart is not discerned almost so much in any thing as in this Let any command come from great men that have power of our bodies or estates to advance us or debase us Oh there is much astonishment and much heed taken wondrous heed of penal Lawes and Statutes that we run not into the dint of them Now God by his Ministers threatens hell and damnation hardnesse of heart and to throw us from one sin to another we hear these things as Judges forsooth as if they concerned us not It shall one day be known that they are Gods Ministers and that it is Gods Word If we have Grace to acknowledge them as speaking from God This is to acknowledge the Minister to be directed by him and to hear that that he speaks in the Name of God We are Ambassadours of God saith S. Paul and intreat you as if Christ himself were on earth would intreat you to be reconciled to God Therefore when you refuse our intreaty you refuse Christ that comes with us Those that will not hear him here shall hear that sentence hereafter they must not think to be regarded of him then but of that I shall speak hereafter As ye have acknowledged us in part You acknowledge us Ministers you acknowledge our doctrine you acknowledge Christ by us How do these Corinthians acknowledge S. Paul in part That we are your rejoycing even as ye are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus You have acknowledged us that we are your rejoycing What is the meaning of that You have acknowledged us that you have cause to rejoyce much to the day of Judgment and then you shall rejoyce to purpose that ever I was your Apostle that ever you had Grace to hearken to me that ever you had such a sincere down-right Apostle that would tell you the truth and gain you to Christ. That we are your rejoycing Whence we may observe That A faithful Minister is the rejoycing of the people Those people that are good and have any grace in them and not onely here but they will be so at the day of Judgment Why Because a faithful Minister brings to them him that is the cause of all joy him that is Isaac laughter Christ Jesus at whose very birth there was a message of joy from heaven For all joy and all glory is originally and fundamentally in God reconciled that is certain there is our joy in God reconciled For naturally before God be reconciled our hearts are full of confusion they are so far from joy and glory that they are full of horrour Now God is reconciled by Christs satisfaction and obedience his full satisfaction witnessed by his resurrection and thereupon comes our glorying to be in Christ who hath brought us to be at one with God with the God of glory Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ saith St. Peter that hath begotten us to a lively hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ c. Now we have a lively hope we have a glorious hope we may glorie in it in the resurrection of Christ considering that his resurrection is an evidence that the debt is paid our surety
good man But as an Apostle his doctrine was without ifs and ands without exception as we say if God permit c. No saith he As God is true our word to you was not yea and nay So in the Apostles we must consider a difference of Divine truths that they delivered as Apostles from those things that they purposed as men and as holy men those were subject to be crost and without sin too For God will have men to be men that is variable creatures and such as cannot promise themselves for the time to come any certain thing It is Gods prerogative to know things to come we may know them by their causes we may know when there will be an eclipse a hundred yeares hence but to know what weather there shall be as we may know the eclipse we cannot because there is nothing in the cause I say God will have men to be men S. Paul may promise holily with a reservation to God as a man and as a holy man and without sin too but as an Apostle in his doctrine he was not so but as God is true our word to you was not yea and nay but constant as God himself that shall suffice to satisfie that Therefore S. Paul makes the difference I promised to come but I did not but as God is true our word to you was not yea and nay Our voyage to heaven and the reference we have to a better life stands not on uncertainties as the things here in this world Saint Paul's journey to Corinth might be frustrate but S. Paul had another course to heaven his religious course stood not on uncertainties whatsoever he taught in a Religious course it was yea as he saith in the next Verse Christ the Son of God whom we preach was not yea and nay but yea that is infallibly true perpetually true necessarily eternally true As God is true our word to you was not yea and nay Saint Paul labours to stablish them therefore in a good conceit of his Ministery and that made him indeed so much decline the suspition of inconstancy in other things Because carnal men are prone to think a man in his calling even a Preacher in his doctrine to be unconstant if he be so in his common course Saint Paul knew their corruption was such that from a suspition of lightnesse in his carriage and common course they would rise to a suspition of his doctrine therefore he was so curious to avoid the imputation of lightnesse in his journey because he would avoid any imputation of lightnesse in his doctrine That is it which he more aimes at he stands not on the imputation of lightnesse in his journey or such matters but he knew the corruption of men is such that if a man fail in common things presently they think he is so in his calling Full of false surmises and suspitions is the nature of man and as a man is once they gather him to be so alway therefore he deceiving them in not coming they might think he would do so at other times too that makes the Apostle labour to clear himself but especially his doctrine from all suspition As God is true our word to you was not yea and nay Here is a truth And the seal of it His averring the truth is this Our word our preaching as it is in the margin Our word as it was unfolded it was not yea and nay it was not uncertain And the proof and seal of it God is true as it is in the Original which is made up in the English tongue As God is true it is in our translation but in the Original it is God is true and as he is true and constant and faithful so our word is constant and faithfull you may build on it As God is true as God is to be credited and believed so my word to you is to be credited as yea as a certain doctrine that is not yea and nay It is a kind of an oath As God is true The holy Apostle here seales it with an oath What is an Oath An oath is a Religious calling of God to witnesse or to be a Judge in doubtfull things It is in doubtful things a calling of God to be a witnesse of the truth we speak and to be a revenger if we speak not true It is to call God to witnesse and to judge to makes him testis vindex S. Paul here calls God to witnesse God is true and as verily as he is true our Word to you was not yea and nay You know oathes are either as we say assertory to aver a thing Or promissorie for the time to come to do this or that and they are either imposed or voluntary Now this is an assertorie oath not a promissorie he avers and avoucheth peremptorily that as God is true his Word to them was not yea and nay but yea And it was a voluntary oath for no body exacted it of him but he saw there was a necessity to stablish them in the certainty of the doctrine he taught to seal it with an oath that they should as well doubt of the truth of God as of his doctrine As God is true my word is true Jeremy the Prophet hath three conditions of an oath Jer. 4. 〈◊〉 It must be in truth in righteousnesse and in Judgment In truth we must speak and swear true things And in judgment necessary things with discretion And in righteousnesse Now S. Paul observed the conditions wondrous well here For S. Paul doth it in a true matter and in judgment for he was forced to it An oath is never good but when it is necessary not to seal up every idle discourse as if men would make every thing they say to be as true as an oath Indeed the life of a man should be an oath the life of an honest man is an oath as true but we must not call God to question for every idle impertinent thing S. Paul saw it necessary to call God to witnesse it was true and necessary I will not enter into a large discourse of an oath because afterward I shall have better occasion to speak of it Onely thus much at this time S. Paul here useth it he thinks it to be necessary to establish their minds the better in his Ministery and a good conceit of it that it was constant God is true our word to you was not yea and nay Therefore in such a case we may not make scruple of an oath If it be In Charity Piety Necessity In Charity in matters of controversie of Civil life In Piety to establish matters of Religion And in matters of Necessity that cannot be determined otherwise there is no scruple to be made of it And where we are bid not to swear at all that is not in ordinary course or not to swear by creatures but if we do swear it is a part of Gods service
atheisme how can these men hope for favour from God when he hath sealed his Word with this that as he is true and truth it self his Word is true they shall never enter into heaven So again if this be true that God is true and his Word thereupon is not yea and nay it serves to comfort us many wayes When we are oppressed in the sense of sin If we confesse our sins he is merciful to forgive our sins he that is true hath said it whose Word is not yea and nay but yea trust to it If we doubt of perseverance for the time to come he that hath begun a good work will perfect it to the day of the Lord. He is yea and his Word is yea he is true and his Word is true Again hence for our judgment we learn this truth That the Word of God hath the same ground of truth as God himself therefore it is the Judge of all Controversies of all things questionable in Religion the Word of God is Judge because it is not yea and nay but yea and it is true as God is true And it is Judge of this controversie too whether it be the Word of God The question between the Papists and us is whether the Epistles and the Prophets be the Word of God or no whether is it or no I answer from Apostolical testimony S. Paul saith As God is true his Word is true the true Word of God and All Scripture is given by inspiration The Word of God therefore is the Judge of all Divine truths because it is most certain even as certain as God himself What are the properties of a chief Judge He must be true without errour authentical without appeal such as can from himself without a higher determine He must be infallible without perill of errour All these belong to Gods truth It is yea it is true without errour it is alway yea And then it is authenticall there is nothing higher but God himself whose Word it is and it hath the same authority that himself hath As God is true so it is true It is authenticall without all appeal we cannot go higher then God himself in his Word We cannot call God or Christ from heaven he hath left us his VVord and therefore it is to be credited of it self And it is infallibly true without danger of errour one depends upon another As God is true so our Word is true If God be true infallibly this issues by consequence that the Scripture is the Judge and infallibly true without danger of errour Hence we may know what to judge of that Romish assertion There are no other Judges in the world can be said to be yea alway Councels are not alway yea they are yea and nay what one Councell hath set down another hath reversed In the Councel of Basile the Pope was above the Councel In another Councel that is above the Pope So one Popes decrees thwart another The Popes are yea and nay and not yea for many hundred years they laboured to crosse and thwart one another So Councels and Popes are yea and nay and not alway yea Traditions of the Fathers are yea and nay and not alway yea they thwart themselves S. Austin the best of the Fathers to whom the Church is most chiefly beholding of all the rest he was yea and nay Doth he not retract He wrote a book of Retractations of his former opinions then he was yea and nay and yet a holy man That which is the Judge of controversies must be yea that is infallibly true authentically true that there be not a higher From all others from Fathers and Councels there may be appeal to Scripture but from Scripture to none because it is the Voice and Word of God All things else are yea and nay they are changeable and they may be so without prejudice to the being of them A Councell may be a good Councel and unconstant in many things Fathers may be holy Fathers and uncertain it is onely the prerogative of God to be infallible like himself unchangeable in his nature and his Word is like himself Hence likewise issues this That whatsoever agrees not with the Word of God which is not yea and nay is false and naught Therefore those opinions of the Church of Rome that say they cannot erre if they be not yea with this yea then they are not yea for onely the Word of God is not yea and nay but onely yea that is onely certain and true All other Religions that are not Divine are yea and nay Popery is not grounded upon the Word of God because it is yea and nay that is it is uncertain See how they crosse many wayes this Word of God that is alwayes yea and true as God himself is true Is it yea that they saw no Image of God and therefore they must make and worship no Image Nay saith the Church of Rome they have a nay for this yea they will make Images and worship them the Image of Mary and other Saints Yea saith the Scripture drink ye all of this Nay saith the Church of Rome they have a nay for this yea only the Priest must drink the wine Let the Word dwell plenteously in you is the yea of Scripture The Church of Rome hath a nay for this yea it is dangerous for the people to read the Scripture and therefore they are forbidden it VVe must pray with the understanding as well as with a good affection 1 Cor. 14. that is we must know how we pray it is proved at large excellently Nay understand or not understand so the intention be good saith Rome pray in Latine or howsoever there is their nay to this yea Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers is the yea of Gods Book therefore the soules of the Clergy and whosoever The Church of Rome hath a nay for this yea therefore their doctrine is bad for only God is true and his VVord is only not yea and nay but alway yea infallible therefore that which is contrary to it must needs be false If onely yea be true then that which is contrary to it must needs be false And likewise again if Gods VVord be not yea and nay that is not unconstant then whatsoever is unconstant and thwarts it self in contradictions is not Gods VVord Popery is full of inconstancy full of contradictions to it self First besides inconstancy and uncertainty it is full of contradictions it is yea and nay for a body to be in many places at once and yet a true body to be in a hundred in a million of places at once as they would have Christs body to be in the Sacrament here is to be and not to be a body and no body for it hath not the properties and quantity of a body for a body can be but in one place at one time here is yea and nay For Christ to be a perfect
certain they are made in him and in him they are Amen that is they are accomplished in him in him they are made and in him they are accomplished I might spend a great deal of time to shew the acception of the word Amen but it is not pertinent to my purpose Amen is here certain undoubtedly certain as it is here to make way to that which is to be understood There are three main senses of Amen It signifies that a thing is positively so and not no it is so Yea and Amen signifie that such a thing is as Let your yea be yea such a thing is But now Amen is more not onely that a thing is but it is so truly and so unchangeably it is Yea and Amen The Promises are yea they are made in Christ and then they are true in him undoubtedly eternally unchangeably true So take it in the strictest in the strongest sense you can all the Promises of God in Christ they are so true that they are invariably constantly eternally true in him they are made in him and performed in him they are Yea in him and Amen in him So the whole carriage of the Promises is onely in Christ. The truths we are to deliver out of the words are these First of all we must know That since the fall of man it hath pleased the Divine Nature the three Persons in Trinitie to stablish a Covenant of grace and so of salvation in Jesus Christ and to make him a second principle a second Adam by whom mankind is restored to a better estate then ever we had in the first Adam God now since the fall takes another course to bring us back again to him He doth not leave us as he left the Angels that fell in a state of perdition for ever but as we fell by infidelity and distrust of him so now we are recovered again by Promises and by faith in them There can be no intercourse between God and man but by some promise on his part God deales with man by Promises The reason is this How can man dare to challenge any thing of the great Majestie of God without a warrant from himself How can the conscience be satisfied The conscience looks to God it is a knowledge together with God how can conscience rest but in that it knowes comes from God Therefore for any good that I hope for from God I must have a promise For this is Gods constant dispensation while we live in this world we are alway under hope we are children of hope We are saved by hope we rejoyce in the hope of glory and hope looks to the promises whereof some part is unperformed How doth heaven and earth differ heaven is all performance here is some performance to encourage us and there is alway some promise still unperformed We are alway under some Promise and therefore the manner of our apprehending God in this world differs from heaven here it is by faith and hope there by vision vision is fit for performance faith and hope looks to the Promise alway here Therefore God rules his Church by Promises partly I say to secure the soul of man we cannot have any thing from God but by the manifestation of his own good will How can we look for any thing from God but by promise can we look for any thing from God by our own conceits that is a fooles Paradise Further God will have his Church ruled by Promises in all ages to exercise faith and hope and prayer and dependance upon God God will try of what credit he is among men whether they will depend upon his promise or no so that knowing he is true by promise it may be certain to them they shall have performance in time he gives men Promises to see if they will trust him God will have this manner of dispensation to rule his Church by Promises to arm us in this world against feares and discouragements therefore we have alway some Promise He might have done us good and have given us no promise but now having given us Promises he will try the graces that are in us and arm us against all discouragements and difficulties till the thing promised be performed For we must know that a Promise is a Divine thing better then any earthly performance Let God give a man never so much in the world if he have not a promise of better things all will come to nothing at the last Therefore God supports the soules and spirits of his Children with Promises to arm them against all temptations on the right hand and on the left that would draw them from trusting in his Promise he will have them live by faith and that hath alway relation to the Promise This is a general ground then That God now in Christ Jesus hath appointed this way to govern the Church with Promises Now what is a Promise A Promise is nothing but a manifestation of love an intendment of bestowing some good and removing some ill a manifestation of our mind in that kind is a promise of conferring of a future good or removing of a future ill therefore it comes from love in the party promising There are three degrees of loving steps whereof a promise is the last The first is inward love The second is real performance And the third is a manifestation of performance intended before it be and this I say is a degree of love For love concealed it doth not comfort in the interim in the time that is betwixt Now God who is love doth not onely love us and will not only shew his love in time but because he will have us rest sweetly in his bosome and settle our selves on his gracious Promises in the mean time he gives us rich and precious Promises He is not onely love and shewes it in deed but he expresseth it in word And we may well build on his Word as verily as if he had performed it in deed for whatsoever he saith is Yea and Amen This is the nature of a promise It is not only love and the expression of love in deed but the expression of it in word when he intends to solace and comfort and stablish and stay the mind of man till the good promised be performed Therefore even from this we see how God loves us that not onely he hath an inward love in his breast and doth good to us but he manifests it by word he would have us as I said live by faith and stablish our selves in hope Faith and hope are two graces altogether from Promises if there were no promise there could be no faith nor hope what is hope nothing but the expectation of the things that the Word saith And what is faith but a building on the Word of God Faith looks on the Word that God will give such a thing and hope looks upon the thing that the Word promiseth as the
had at the first as Gods mending is ever for the better The state of grace and glory is better then ever the state of nature was spiritual is better then natural Therefore it is much for the glory of the wisdome of God that he can in Christ reconcile justice and mercy and shew more mercy then ever he did in making man out of the dust of the earth and all is to the glory of God These attributes especially are glorious in the promises in Christ. His Justice is glorious in punishing sin in Christ there sin is odious in the punishing of Christ God-man if we speak of justice there is justice If of Mercy to put it upon our surety for God to give his Son for us there is transcendent mercy and transcendent justice in the punishing of our sin how could it be punished greater And then the glory of his Wisdom to bring these together infinite mercy and infinite justice in Christ. Infinite Power for God to become man and without sin to be so farre abased a humble omnipotency to descend so low that God could be mortal and then to raise himself again And then the glory of his Truth that whatsoever was promised to Abraham to David to the Prophets all was performed in Christ all the Types here is glory by Christ of Mercy Justice Wisdome Truth for all are Yea and Amen in Christ. Therefore he may well say all this is To the glory of God Therefore consider how the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus Christ as the Apostle saith If you would see God see him shining in the face of Jesus Christ see his Mercy shining in Christ and his Justice in the punishing our sin in Christ see his Truth his Power his Wisdome shineing in Christ and shining more then in the Creation or in any thing in the world besides Can you honour God more then in believing the Gospel Can you dishonour him more then to call his truth into question that is Yea and Amen If you believe the Gospel you set to your seal that God is true 1 Joh. 3. What an honour is this that God will be honoured by you in setting to your seal that he is true you give him the glory of all his attributes In not believing what a dishonour do you do to God you deny his Mercy his Wisdome his Justice his Truth you deny all his attributes you make God a liar what a horrible sin is unbelief Therefore fortifie your faith The Devil layeth siege to our faith above all other things if he can shake that he shakes all for holy life goes when faith goes Who will love God or obey God when he knowes not whether he be his God or no Let faith flourish and it will quicken life in the heart Let the promises grow in the heart and the Word be graffed in the heart and all will flourish in a Christians life all will come off clearly and freely obedience will be chearful and free when we see God reconciled in Christ. Then love will be full of devices when I see Gods love to me what shall I do to shew love again to shew thanks to God where is there any that for Cods sake I may do good unto How shall I maintain the truth and resist all opposers of the truth Can I do too much for him that hath done so much for me Love quickens The Devil knowes if he can shake faith he shakes all Let us fortifie faith and we glorifie God more then by any thing else He is glorious in the Gospel and how shall he be so by us except we set our hearts to believe him Therefore let us seal Gods truth by our faith and set to our seales that God is true God vouchsafes to be honoured by weak sinful men believing of him and that faith that honours him he will be sure to honour By us By us Ministers How When the Gospel is preached God is carried in triumph as it were and his banner is set up and the Promises displayed and sinners called unto him and God is glorified by the discovery of these things and faith is wrought in people to whom they are discovered and they glorifie God when they believe they blesse God that ever they heard these tydings so every way God is glorified The Ministers they open as it were the box of sweet oyntment that the savour of it may be in the Church and spread far They lay open the tapestry the rich treasures of Gods mercies they dig deep and find out the treasure Therefore these Promises in Scripture being so made and performed in Christ they tend to Gods glory but by us by our Ministery God to knit man and man together will convey the good he means to convey by the despised Ministery The enemies therefore of the Ministery of the Gospel what are they here is a double prejudice against them they are enemies of the glory of God and of the comfort of Gods people for they glorifie God in the sense of his mercy when it is unfolded to them God gets glory and they comfort What do we think then of Popish spirits that feed the people only with dead and dull ceremonies but let them go I go on to the next Verse having dwelt somewhat long on this VERSE XXI Now he that stablisheth us with you in Christ is God who hath anointed us c. AS the riches of a Christian consisteth in the promises of God which as we have heard in Christ are all Yea and Amen so unlesse he be stablished and built upon this strength all is nothing What if a man stand on a rock if he be not built on it what if the foundation be never so strong if he be not stablished thereon It is not sufficient that the Promises be stablished but we must be stablished upon them The Promises of God are indeed Yea and Amen might the soul say but what is that to me Therefore the Apostle addeth He that gives the Promises will stablish us upon the promises Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ is God The first thing that I will observe before we come to the particular handling of the words shall be onely this in the general from the connexion and knitting together of this Verse with the former viz. That there must be a double Amen There is an Amen in the Promises they are in themselves true there must be an Amen likewise in us we must say Amen to them that is we must be stablished upon them There must be an Echo in a Christians heart unto God that as God saith These and these things I promise and they are all Amen so the soul by faith must Echo again These things are for me I believe them For as we say in the Schooles to good purpose there is a double certainty a double firmnesse a certainty of the Object and a
or whether I speak of my selfe Be true to known truths be not false in disobeying them To him that hath shall be given We have a little stablishing by an uniform obedience to the truth we shall have more God will increase it I say let us be faithful to the truths we have ' and not crosse them in any sinful course let us not keep the truth prisoner to any base affection as those in Rom. 1. that had but the light of nature yet because they imprisoned it and held it in unrighteousness and lived in sins contrary to that light rhat God had kindled in them though I say it were but the light of nature God gave them up to sins not to be named much more will he do to us if we withhold the light of the Gospel take heed therefore that we inthral not the truth to any base lust whatsoever and that is a means to be stablished in the truth And be oft in holy conference with others Conference if it be rightly used is a special means to stablish that is most certain which is certain after doubting and debate because that which is doubted of at the first we come to be resolved of at the last comparing reason with reason Remembring alwayes that of S. Ambrose That there must not be striving for victory but for truth And then when we have tryed all we must keep that which is good and not be alwayes as the Iron between two Loadstones haled this way and that way alwayes doubting and never resolved there must be a time of resolution This the Apostle observes to be an excellent way of stablishing oft to confer of things doubtful And labour to get experience of the truth in our selves nothing stablisheth more then experience Our Saviour Christ in Joh. 6. 68. when many left him out of dulnesse not understanding the spiritual things that he taught as many whose wits will serve for matters of the world and to make them great amongst men but when they come to heavenly things they have no understanding they cannot apprehend them he asks his Disciples Will you go away also Peter who had his heart opened by the Spirit of God saith he Lord whither shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life insinuating that the experience that he had of the power of that truth that Christ taught did so establish him in the present truth that with a holy kind of indignation at the question he replyes Whither shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life I have found thy words to have a spirituall life in them So when we come once to have an experimental knowledge of the truths we learn then our hearts are stablished indeed then it is an ingraffed Word as S. James saith then the Word is true leaven when it altereth and changeth the soul in such a case there is no separating from fundamentall truth when it is one with our selves and digested into us And pray to God oft as David did Psal. 86. to knit our hearts to fear his Name Lord my heart is loose and ready to fall off of it self Oh knit my heart it is unsettled Oh settle my unsettled heart settle my judgment and affections this should be our meditation And because it is God that stablisheth alway maintain spiritual poverty in the soul that is a perpetual dependance upon God see the insufficiency that is in our selves that we cannot stand out What is the reason that God suffers great men to fall from the defence of the truth and from the profession of it in their lives as we see it in the case of Peter to shew that we stand not by our own strength therefore we should be alwayes in this temper of spiritual poverty to know that as Samsons strength was in his Hair so our strength is in God God is my strength of my self I have no strength And therefore upon every new defence of the truth when we are called to it we should lift up ejaculations and dart up strong desires to God that God would strengthen and stablish our souls that we may not be traytors to the truth but that we may stand to it for in his owne strength shall no man be established And grow every day more and more in detestation of a luke-warme temper Your Ancipites as Cyprian calls them your doubtful flatterers of the times that have their Religion depending upon the State and the times that are neither fish nor flesh Bats as we say that are neither Mice nor Birds but of a doubtful Religion that out of carnal policy are fit to entertain any thing Oh this is a devilish temper Howsoever we in our luke-warm disposition value the truth God values it highly it was purchased by Christs blood and sealed by the blood of Martyrs and shall not we transmit it to our posterity as safe and as firm and retain it come what will Let us grow into dislike of this temper atemper that we should as much hate as God hates it such a temper as is in Popery they are in an adiaphorisme temper in Religion a luke-warm cold temper a temper of Religion according to reasons of flesh and reasons of policy this will make us be spued out of Gods mouth at the last Do we think to lose Religion alone Oh no never think to part with Religion alone it came with peace and prosperity and if we keep not this Depositum this truth delivered to us God will take it away and that which we betray it for Peace and Plenty Let us labour therefore to be radicated in our Judgment in our Affections in our Love in our Faith in our whole inward man in the truth revealed To be stablished in the truth it is our best inheritance it is that will stand by us when all leaves us What consistence hath a man out of the truth are you rich or honourable death will drive you out of all your riches and honours in the world and strip you of all What stablishing hath any man but in Christ in the truth Take a man that is not bottomed that is not fastened on Christ he is the changeablest creature in the world he is vanity he is nothing Oh love this state that we may say Though I be variable here though I be not so rich as I was or have not that favour of great ones that I have had or it is not with me as it hath been but in all changes I have somewhat that is unchangeable my soul is settled upon Christ and upon the truth in him which is certain As it is a glorious being to be found in Christ so it is an eternal and an everlasting being once Christs and for ever his he will never lose a member Labour we therefore to be stablished in Christ in all the changes and alterations in the world and then we shall have something that is unchangeable to fix and stay our selves upon
a Christian to be cowardly because he hath death and hell conquered and every thing is made serviceable to help him to heaven But for another man to set light by these things it is more madnesse No man but a Christian can be stout and couragious except it be from a false spirit especially in things that are above mans natural power as death it is eternal and what man can stand out against the eternal wrath of God And therefore those that put on a Roman stoutnesse and courage though they seem to have strong spirits it is but false either they are besotted with sensuality or else with a spirit of pride When they look before them and see eternity and see their sins and that they must all appear at the day of Judgment they cannot be strong Let us labour therefore to have our hearts stablished by the Spirit of God and try our selves often by propounding Queries how we do things with what minds and upon what grounds Again another Evidence whereby we may know that we have spiritual strength and stability in Christ wrought in us by the Spirit of God is this when it makes us desire the coming of Christ when it makes us think of death and of the time to come with joy and comfort and that for the present it gives us boldnesse to the Throne of Grace in extremities He that in extremity can go to God in Christ it is a sign his heart is established Hypocrites in extremity flye to desperate courses as Saul and Achitophel did but in extremity the soul that is stablished goes to God My God my God saith Christ so Job Though he kill me yet will I trust in him I say it is an evidence of a soul stablished upon Christ by the Spirit of God to have boldnesse to the Throne of Grace in extremity nay when God seems to hide himself which is the principal extremity of all as in Divine temptations when God seems to be an enemy then for a man to fight and wrastle with God and tug with the temptation and not to let God go though he kill him this is a true Israel a conquerour of God this is a heart fortified by the Spirit It is an argument of a heart established when besides for the present for the time to come he can chearfully and boldly think how it will be with him when death shall come that he shall go to Christ that the Match shall be fully made up that is begun by God between Christ and him for the contract is in this world but the nuptials are celebrated in heaven and in confidence hereof can say Come Lord Jesus come quickly A heart that is not stablished saith Oh come not Wherefore art thou come to torment us before our time say the Devils to Christ so an unstablished heart at the hour of death is afraid it shall be tormented before the time and therefore come not come not saith such a soul. But the soul that is stablished upon Christ and upon the promises in Christ of forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting by the Spirit of Christ that saith Come Lord Jesus come quickly I have been larger upon this Point then I intended these unsettled times moved me to speak a little more then ordinary that we might labour to have our hearts stablished that whatsoever comes we may have somewhat that is certain to stick to that our estate in Christ may be sure whatsoever becomes of our state in the world otherwise VERSE XXII Who hath anointed us and also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts THe Apostle having formerly laid open the riches of a Christian In this Verse he cometh to shew his strength His riches consisteth in the promises of God in Christ His strength in being stablished upon those promises Now that which he had spoken of more generally in the word stablishing he unfolds in three borrowed Terms Anointing Sealing Earnest Implying therein the manner of the Spirits establishing a Christian. He who stablisheth us how is that wrought By the Spirit anointing by the Spirit sealing and by the earnest of the Spirit which three terms do all argue assurance For you know that in the old Law Kings Priests and Prophets were anointed that is they were authorized and confirmed in their places And for sealing Writings among our selves are sealed for security And an Earnest secures Contracts and Bargains So that whatsoever may serve to strengthen a Christians faith and assurance is here laid down God to help our soules by our senses fetcheth it from humane affaires applying words borrowed from earthly commerce by a heavenly anagogical sense to spiritual things First the sure estate of a Christian is set down in the general by stablishing and then in particular we are anointed and sealed and have the Earnest of the Spirit God in the Covenant of grace doth our part and his own too he gives faith and strengthens faith and seales us he gives us promises he doth stablish us upon those promises and works our hearts to an embracing of them he anoints us and seales us and gives us the Earnest of the Spirit All in the Covenant of Grace depends upon the faithfulnesse of God and not upon ours but upon ours dependantly as he is faithful in stablishing us Now because the holy Apostle would have us settled in the excellency of the state of a Christian in the Covenant of grace you see how large-hearted he is he useth four words implying one and the same thing Stablishing Anointing Sealing and giving Earnest all of them words used in ratification amongst men God is pleased to stoop to speak to us in our own language to speak of heavenly things after an earthly manner and therefore he sets down the certain estate of a Christian by borrowed speeches This is a gracious condescending of God stooping as it were lower then himself and indeed so he alwayes abaseth himself when he deales with man coming down far below himself To come to the words in particular And hath anointed us This word hath a double reference The holy Ghost carries our minds first to the relation and proportion that is between the graces of the Spirit of God and the oyntment with which in former times they were anointed in the Jewish Politie And it hath reference likewise and relation to the persons that were anointed The persons were Kings Priests and Prophets Now God hath anointed us in Christ. The order is this First Christ himself as Mediatour is anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes but for his fellowes The oyntment is first poured on the head of spiritual Aaron and then it runs down to all the skirts of his garment that is to the meanest Christian. Even as the least finger and toe is actuated and enlivened and moved by the soul and spirits that the head and the chief vital parts are so every Christian though he be but as the toe or
after there is inward intrinsical grounds in the Word that make us to know the Word without the Church Now they would have the authority of the Word depend upon the Church and so over-rule mens consciences in that case Whereas all that the Church hath is a leading inducing perswading to hear the Word under which Word and Ordinance we shall see such light and majestie in the Scriptures that from inward grounds we shall be perswaded that the Word of God is the Word of God Therefore the Church is the first inducer to believe the Word of God not the last object to which all is resolved For they themselves crosse it in their tenents when they speak discreetly Is this opinion so and so The Church holds it but what authority hath the Church to maintain it where is the authority of your Church then they bring some place of Scripture I will be with you to the end of the world And He that heareth you heareth me c. I do but a little discover to you the danger of this errour They make the Word of God to be believed because the Church saith so they make truth to be believed because their man of sin whom they depend upon saith so Do we believe the Trinity or that Christ is our Redeemer because the Church saith so should we not believe it except the Church say so what if the Church teach the Doctrine of Devils as they do they cannot shake it off we must believe because the Church saith so so upon equal grounds they shall teach the Doctrine of Devils and the Doctrine of Christ because the Church saith so As it was said anciently he that believes two things the one for the other he believes not two but one in effect because he believes the one for the other So in effect they believe nothing but the Church that is themselves believe the truth to be divine because they say so so they may believe any devillish errour because they say so so any treason or rebellion must go current because they say so because they cannot erre Yyou see how they domineer over the faith of others shall not Christ be Christ nor God be God nor the Devil be the Devill except the Church say so Again in the very matters themselves in the points that themselves do not urge the Church of Rome domineers and tyrannizeth over the souls of people For example they hold that the intention of a Minister in the Sacrament makes it effectual What a fear doth this breed in the souls of men that they know not whether they be baptized or no because it must be in the intention of the Minister And then in confession they must confesse all what a tyranny is this to the souls of people when perhaps there is somewhat that they have not confessed and so their confession is of no worth And in satisfaction perhaps I have not made satisfaction enough by their injunction laid on me and therefore I must satisfie in hell what a rack is this to conscience So what a rack to conscience is that opinion that the Pope cannot erre when I cannot tell perhaps whether he be the right Pope or no if he came in by Simony or is not in Cathedra and many conditions they have to salve that Point If any of those conditions be not observed he is not the man he should be what tyranny do they force upon people over their faith Therefore they are called in the Revelations scorpions indeed they are spiritual Scorpions that sting the souls of Gods people The Devil is the King of darknesse and is not he the Prince of darknesse that maintains ignorance of the Word of God that all his old tenents and opinions may have the better sway that he may sit in the blind and dark consciences of people It is said 2. Thess. 2. that he sits in the Temple of God that is in the Church nay he labours to have another Temple to sit in mans soul which is the Temple of the Holy Ghost It is not sufficient for him that is the man of sin to have any other place he must sit in the very souls and consciences of men Satan hath a special malice to sit in the place of God since he was turned out of heaven and cannot come thither he will come to that place if he can upon earth where God should be and where will God be God will especially be in the hearts of his people in the souls and consciences of his people Conscience is Gods throne Satan being thrust out of heaven labours to stablish his throne there Now they that are Satans vicars led with his spirit they are of the same mind let them be what kind of great ones they will they desire to sit in Gods throne in the conscience and if a man will not tie his conscience to them he is no body to them This is the property of Antichrist in the highest degree as far as any are addicted to this that they will not be satisfied but the consciences of men must be tied to them they must deny all honesty and justice and law and all to please them and to gratifie them with particular kindnesse so farre they are led with the spirit of Antichrist and of the Devil himself who labours to sit in Gods throne that is in the hearts and consciences of people And therefore as I said they labour to keep people in darknesse for this very purpose that people may let them into their consciences and rule them as they please As Sampson when they had put out his eyes they led him to base services so do they with Gods people they put out their eyes and then they lead them to grind in the mill to all the base services they can It is not to be spoken of the brutish slavery and ignorance that is in Spain and other Countreys where that Devillish Inquisition reigns which is a great help to Popish Tyranny What should I speak of the state of the Romish Church indeed the main scope of it is to subdue all to them to subdue all Kings and Kingdomes to them that is the grand scope of the greatest of them others have their particular scope for their bellies and base ends but those among them that have brains that are Governours their scope is to bring all under their girdle and how shall they do this They cannot bring their persons but they must bring their consciences for where the conscience is the person will follow presently therefore they labour to lay a tie upon the conscience of Prince and people upon all that so they may domineer and rule over their consciences And for that end they labour to nourish them up in blindnesse for by blindnesse they rule in the conscience and ruling their conscience they may rule their persons and Kingdomes This is their main scope this hath been their plot for many hundred years So
part of happinesse in this world and in the world to come Now the end of the Ministery is to set the peoples hearts into a gracious and blessed liberty to bring them into the Kingdome of grace here and to fit them for the Kingdome of glory to help forward their joy This is the end both of the Word and of the dispensation of the Word in the Ordinances of salvation in the Sacraments and all that our joy may be full as our blessed Saviour saith These things have I spoken that your joy may be full It is the end of all our communion with the Father Son and Holy Ghost and with the Ministery and one with another as it is 1 Joh. 1. These things have I written that your joy may be full you have communion with the Father Son and Holy Ghost and with us that your joy may be full all is for spiritual joy We are helpers of your joy The meaning is we are helpers of your faith from whence joy comes more especially for he doth not repeat the word again We have not dominion over your faith but are helpers of your faith but instead of that he names joy as that that doth accompany true faith The Points considerable in this clause are these That joy is the state of Christians that either they are in or should labour to be in because the Apostle names it for all happinesse here All that have given their names to Christ should labour to rejoyce either they do rejoyce or they should labour to come to it that is supposed as a ground I will be the shorter in it The second is That the Ministers are helpers of this blessed condition The third is They are but helpers they are helpers and but helpers they are not authours of joy but helpers We are but helpers of your joy saith the Apostle These three things I will speak of briefly out of these words First Joy is that frame and state of soul that all that have given their names to Christ either are in or should labour to be in For this Doctrine is fetched from the principle of nature We do all with joy all in our callings is done with joy What do men in their Trades but that they may have that that they may joy in when they have it It is an old Observation of S. Chrysostome We do all that we may joy Ask any man why he doth take so much pains and be a drudge in his place it is that he may get somewhat to rejoyce in in his old dayes So out of the principle of nature this ought to be the scope of all to joy Now those that are Christians God requires it at their hand as a duty Rejoyce alway again I say rejoyce And he doth prepare and give them matter enough of joy to those that are Christians For whether we consider the ills they are freed from the greatest ills of all they are freed from sin and the wrath of God they are freed from eternal damnation they are freed from the sting of death from the greatest and most terrible ills Or whether we regard the state that God brings them in by believing being in the favour of God they enjoy the fruits of that favour peace and joy in the Holy Ghost And then for the life to come they are under the hope of glory The state of a Christian is a state of joy every way whether I say we regard the ill he is freed from or the good he is in for the present or the hope of eternal good for the time to come A Christian which way soever he look hath matter of joy God the Father is his Christ is his the Holy Ghost is his Comforter the Angels are his all are his life or death things present or things to come all are his Therefore there is no question of this that every one that hath given his name to Christ is in a state of joy if he answer his calling or he should labour to be in it he wrongs his codition else Why should they labour to be in that state Among many Reasons one is That God that gives them such matter of joy may have glory from them For what should the life of a Christian be that is freed from the greatest ill and advanced to the greatest good his life should be a perpetual thanksgiving to God and how can a man be thankfull that is not joyful Joy is as it were the oyl the anointing it makes a man chearful it makes the countenance of his soul to be chearful it makes him active in good when he is anointed with the oyl of gladnesse Now every man should have a desire to be good to be diligent and expedite in all that is good Therefore we should labour for this spiritual anointing that we may be ready for every good work Vessels of mercy prepared for every good work And then for suffering we have many things to go through in this world how shall a man suffer those things that are between him and Heaven with joy unlesse he labour to bring himself to this temper of joy And then for others every man should labour to encourage others We are all fellow-passengers in the way to Heaven therefore even to bring on others more chearfully we ought to labour to be in a state of joy Those that do not rejoyce they bring an ill report upon the way of God as if it were a desolate disconsolate way As the Spies brought an ill report upon the Land of Canaan whereupon the people were disheartned from entring into it So those that labour not to bring their hearts to spiritual joy they bring an ill report on the wayes of God and dishearten others from entring into those wayes which way soever we look we have reasons to encourage us to joy That God may have more glory and that we may do him more service that we may endure afflictions better and encourage others and take away the reproach of Religion from those that think it a melancholy course of life which indeed do not understand what belongs to the state of a Christian for the state of a Christian is a state of joy And if a Christian do not joy it is not because he is a Christian but because he is not a Christian enough because he favours the worse principle in him he favours himself in some work of the flesh God in the Covenant of grace is all love and mercy he would have us in our pilgrimage to heaven to finish our course with joy and he knowes we can do nothing except we have some joy It is the oyl of the soul as I said to make it nimble and fit for all actions and for all sufferings It gives a lustre and grace to whatsoever we do Not onely God loves a chearfull performer of duties but it wins acceptance of all others and makes the worker himself wondrous
and delivers him from going to the pit I have found a ransome c. The messenger one of a thousand the man of God that hath the tongue of the learned he hath shewed him where his ransome is to be had he hath shewed him his righteousnesse Thus did S. Peter after he had brought them to Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved then he points them out to Jesus Christ. Therefore the Ministery is called the Ministery of reconciliation and the Ministery of peace they are called Messengers of peace You know joy comes from reconciliation with God in Christ joy comes from peace Now the Ministers they are Messengers of reconciliation and Messengers of peace and therefore Messengers of joy They bring glad tydings of joy You see how Ministers are helpers of joy by shewing to man his ill and then by shewing to man his good and comfort in Jesus Christ they shew that where sin hath abounded grace abounds much more They dig the Mine to let people see what riches what treasure they have in the Word of God and what comfort they have there And then in the continual course of life they are helpers of joy For what do Ministers if they be faithful in their places but advise in cases of conscience what people should do so their Office is to remove all scruples and hindrances and obstacles of spiritual joy by advising them what to avoid and what to do We know that light is a state of joy The Ministery of the Gospel is light it sets up the light of Gods truth it shewes them the way they should go in all the course of their life and thereupon it rejoyceth them The Word of God is a Lanthorn especially in the Ministery Spiritual liberty and freedome that doth make people joyful but the end of the Ministery is to set people more and more at liberty both from the former estate that I named and likewise daily by office to set them at liberty from corruptions and temptations and snares to bring them to an enlarged estate Victory and Triumph is a state of joy Now the Ministers of God teach Gods people how to fight Gods battels how to handle their weapons how to answer temptations how to conquer all and at length how to triumph therefore in that regard they are helpers of their joy they encourage them against discouragements against infirmities and afflictions against Satans temptations shewing them grounds of joy out of the Scriptures Then they are helpers of their joy by forcing it as a duty upon them Rejoyce evermore and again I say rejoyce saith S. Paul They are as guides among the rest of the Travellers that encourage them in the way to heaven Come on let us go chearfully As the Apostles in all their Epistles they stirre up to joy and chearfulnesse so should those do that are guides to Gods people Travellers they need refreshments of wine c. Now thus the Ministers of God help the people of God in their spiritual travel to heaven if the people of God faint at any time then as it is Cant. 2. they refresh them with apples and wine with the comforts of the Holy Ghost they are ready to support and comfort them in all their spiritual falls when they are ready to sink We see by experience in all places where the Ministery of the Word is established how comfortably people live and dye and end their dayes above other people that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death so we see this is true That the Ministers help joy because they help that that breeds joy not onely at the first but continually help the joy of the people of God even to death And then in death it self the end of the Ministery is to help joy to help them to heaven to help them to a joyful departure hence to give them a good and comfortable loose out of this world drawing comfort out of the Word for this purpose for whatsoever the Minister doth it is by drawing comfort out of the Word shewing them that the sting of death is taken away that now death is reconciled and become a friend to us in Christ that it is but a passage to heaven that now it is the end of all misery and the beginning of all happinesse Blessed are those that die in the Lord so they assist and help them in those last agonies There is special use of the dispensation of the Word in all conditions while we live and at the hour of death You see it is clear I need not further enlarge the Point that the Ministers by reason of the Word which indeed is the main thing that comforts they are helpers of the joy of Gods people But you will say They help Gods people to sorrow and they vex and trouble them oft-times Indeed carnal men think so as the two Witnesses in the Revelations it is said They vexed the men upon the earth so indeed the faithful witnesses of God they vex the earthly-minded base men as Ahab said of Elias Thou art he that troubleth Israel he accounted him as one that troubled Israel when it was himself that troubled Israel these Ministers they are accounted those that marre all the mirth in the world that a man that is given to pleasures and delights he trembles at the sight of them as men opposite to his delights and carnal course he cannot brook the very sight of them so it is with a carnal man But we may make an Use hence to judge of what spirit they are that judge and think so they are not true believers for there is no man that hath given his name to Christ and makes it good by his life that he is a good Christian but he accounts the Ministers helpers of his joy Those that do not so are in an ill course and which is worse they resolve to be in an ill course Therefore let us make much of the Ordinances of God as that which is the joy of our soules not onely make much of the Word of God but of the Word of God in the ministerial dispensation of it for oft-times we find that comfort by the opening of the Word of God that our own reading and private endeavours could never help us to experience shewes that We see when the Enuch was to be converted it was he that read but Philip was sent to open the Word to him and then he went away rejoycing And so the poor Jayler when the Word was opened and applyed to him then he rejoyced therefore as we intend our own comfort let us regard the Ministery Many object that that Naaman the Assyrian did I can have as much comfort by reading I would they were so well occupied but God gives a curse to private means when they are used with neglect of the publick And joy comes from Gods Spirit God will not attend our pleasure to giveus joy
more perform the conditions of the Covenant of grace of our selves then the Covenant of the Law Nature cannot do it because it must be done by the Spirit altogether Now here is a foundation for faith to stand on God so farre condescends as he gives his Word and his Seal and his Oath with his Word to convey that Word by way of a Covenant and to make that Covenant a Testament and Will to us that he will do this and to seal that Will with his own blood for a Testament is of no force till the Testatour be dead his own blood hath sealed the Testament you see here what ground there is for faith to stand upon Then again the sweet relation that God hath taken upon him in Christ he is our Father faith builds not on naked God divested of his sweet relations for then he is a consuming fire but upon God a Father in Christ what a sweet thing is it to consider God a Father In Christ the nature of God is Fatherly to us and our nature is sweet to him We are sonnes in Christ his nature is sweet to us and ours to him he will surely perform his relations For in Christ he is a Father not in creation onely but in the Covenant of grace Faith relies upon the Word of God upon the Covenant and Testament and upon God himself altered and changed in the Covenant of Grace to be a sweet Father But what is a further ground of this The nature of God himself who is a Father for if God himself were not cloathed with properties that might satisfie faith and satisfie the soul fully though he were a Father it were not a sufficient ground for faith But now who hath taken the relation of a father upon him God who is infinitely good infinitely merciful above all our sins it must be infinite mercy faith would not have footing else For the soul will so upbraid in the sense of sin that if God were not a Father and a Father infinite in mercy nothing but infinite mercy will satisfie the soul when conscience is awaked and infinite power to subdue all enemies and infinite wisdome to go beyond the reach and subtilty of all the Devils in hell God is such a Father as in his Nature is of infinite mercy and wisdome and power here is a foundation for faith to lay hold upon indeed to have a Father and such a Father that is Jehovah there we must rest in his essence he is Jehovah I am he is eternal and immutable an eternal being of himself and he gives being to all and all things have their dependance upon him The Devils in hell and wicked men he can quell them all and substract their being and turn them to their first nothing from whence they came You see if we resolve all to Jehovah I am to the eternity of God and then to his nature cloathed with power and wisdome and mercy and then to his relation of a Father and then how he condescends to convey himself sweetly by way of Covenant and Testament I beseech you is not here a foundation for faith to build upon in the Word of God when God hath thus opened himself to us You see what this standing is And how by faith we stand and what faith stands on and may well stand on To come to some Observations then First of all Observe hence That The foundation of faith must be out of a mans self That bottom that a man must lay his soul upon must be out of himself it must be Divine it must be God For the soul rests not till it come to God and if the Word were not Gods Word it would not rest on that God must open himself by his Word It must be Divine revelation that the soul must stand upon and at last resolve to pitch and build and rest there It must not be humane authority therefore not the authority of any creature that the soul must stand on because that that the soul stands on must stand it self Now nothing hath a firm consistence but that which is Divine Which I prove thus There is no creature but though it be true and good yet it is changeably true and may be otherwise then it is and yet be a creature still and a good creature There is no man but he is changeable and is changeable as a creature and as a creature severed from the consideration of sin he is changeable The very Angels are changeable as they are creatures all things created are mutable it is the Observation of Damascene Now that that is the foundation of faith must not onely be true but infallibly and unchangeably true there must be no danger of errour in that that faith layes it self upon It is an old rule Falshood cannot be under faith because faith must lye upon truth infallible and immutable truth and who is so but God and what revealed truth is so but Divine truth Therefore faith onely relyeth upon the first good and the first truth upon God and his truth Therefore we may see what to judge of that controversie between us and our adversaries that would have our faith to be resolved into the authority of the Church and not of the Scriptures and by consequent not to the authority of God himself The question is Who hath the best standing the Papists or we We say we stand by faith therefore we stand better then they They say they stand by faith too but how Their faith is resolved into the authority of the Church at length and there they rest But I say even by the confession of themselves or of any reasonable man the Word of God is more Divine then the authority of the Church can be For the authority of the Church is therefore infallible and true because the Word of God saith so That he will be with the Church c. and save his Church The ground is determined upon the Word Now the Word to which they have recourse to prove that they cannot erre that must be trusted before them if they have credit from the Word the Word must be believed before them before men for there is no man if God speak by him but he speaks by him so far as he understands the Scripture and builds upon the Scriptures first Therefore we must first found our selves upon the Scriptures and upon men as far as they agree to the Scriptures If the Scriptures were not the Word of God indeed they could not be the foundation of faith we could not stand upon them but they are the Word of God indeed for men wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Ghost Now that that comes from men it is not infallibly the Word of God but if they speak any thing that is good it is so far as it is agreeable to the first truth the Word of God Indeed the resolution of their faith is very rotten and unsound and bewrayes what their
subordinate Religion to State-Policy p. 294 295 Religion tends to practice p. 295 Popish Religion is a carnal Religion p. 312 313 The most Religious men are the best States-men p. 315 Wherein our Religion and the Pâ—…pish agree and differ p. 395 398 Popish Religion unsound and rotten p. 546 Popish Religion is not founded upon the Scriptures but upon Tradition p. 545 546 Popish Religion crosseth the Word of God p. 385 386 Popish Religion is full of contradictions p. 386 Popish Religion is full of uncertainties p. 386 387 It's safer to be of the Protestant Religion then of the Popish p. 397 Whether one living and dying in the Romish Religion may be saved p. 397 398 Repentance Late Repentance such as is in time of sicknesse and death seldome true Repentance p. 33 Reproof It 's a sign of a gracious heart to endure reproof and to esteem and affect the reprover p. 330 513 A Minister must not spare to reprove people for sin committed p. 512 c. A three-fold Reproof or Correction p. 514 Resolution Of good Resolutions pag. 323 324 c. Resurrection The Resurrection is an argument to strengthen faith p. 167 There will or shall be a Resurrection p. 167 c. God raiseth the dead p. 167 to 171 Rock What is meant by Rock Matth. 16. 18. p. 394 S. Saint OUr love and respect should be carried to all Saints p. 5 God scatters his Saints why p. 6 All that make profession of Religion should indeed be Saints ibid. Professours called Saints why ibid. Four things required to make a Saint viz. 1. Separation 2. Dedication 3. Qualification 4. Conversation pag. 7 8 How to know a Saint from a meer civil man p. 8 True Saints wherein different from hypocrites and formal professours ibid. See Christian. Salvation Salvation wrought by affliction or suffering how and how by Christ p. 108 to 113 How Afflictions or Patience in suffering afflictions helps to salvation p. 110 111 112 Two wayes to obtain salvation p. 108 Salutation Use of holy Salutations three-fold p. 9 Salutations should be holy p. 10 Gods Name when taken in vain in salutations ibid. Salutations in what cases to be omitted ibid. Satisfaction Against Popish Merits and satisfactions for others p. 107 See Indulgences Scripture How to know the Scripture to be the Word of God and truly Divine p. 386 392 Whether the Scriptures receive any authority from the Church p. 3 4 545 The Scripture is to be believed for it self not because of the Church p. 392 393 See Word Seal Christ the head is first sealed and then the members viz. Christians pag. 473 Our sealing what p. 474 Four uses of a Seal p. 474 475 The Spirit compared to a Seal wherein pag. 474 475 476 478 481 How the Spirit differs from other seales p. 476 How the Spirit seales us p. 476 477 Four things the Spirit works in this sealing 477 c. How to know the sealing of the Spirit or that we are sealed by the Spirit p. 477 478 Objection against the Spirits sealing answered p. 479 c. Motives to labour to get the Spirits sealing or to have the image of Christ stamped upon our soules by the Spirit pag. 481 to 486 Simplicity Simplicity what and how taken p. 216 242 243 Why called godly simplicity or the simplicity of God p. 243 Difference between Simplicity and sincerity p. 241 S. Paul's conversation in Simplicity how p. 241 242 To what things Simplicity is opposed p. 244 245 246 Directions or Means to get Simplicity p. 251 Simulation Of Simulation p. 244 Aggravations of this sin p. 245 See Dissembling Sincerity Sincerity what p. 253 How Sincerity differs from Simplicity p. 241 Why called godly Sincerity or the Sincerity of God p. 253 A Christians conversation in the world should be in sincerity p. 253 271 Sincerity in good actions how discovered or tryed p. 254 255 Sincerity how tryed or discovered in ill actions p. 256 Sincerity how tryed or discovered in actions indifferent p. 257 Motives to labour for sincerity pag. 258 259 263 264 Means to get sincerity pag. 260 261 262 Corruptions and imperfections may stand with Sincerity p. 264 c. Order in sincerity how to be kept pag. 265 Sincerity extends it self to all the frame of a mans life p. 266 We must have our conversation in sincerity while we live in the world pag. 271 Singularity There is a spirit of singularity in many pag. 3 Slander How to arm and fence our selves against Slander pag. 357 Society The comfort and benefit of Society p. 71 267 Solitarinesse Solitarinesse very dangerous pag. 71 267 See Alone Society Son Christ the Son of God how differing from others sons p. 388 Soul Gods Spirit alone speaks comfort and peace to the soul p. 536 God in all things that are ill intends the good of the soul p. 151 The soul must have somewhat to trust to ibid. People should do well to open the case of their soules to their spirituall Physicians p. 535 Spirit The Spirit with its graces compared to Anointing or Oyntment See Anointing Ointment The Spirit compared to an Earnest See Earnest The Spirit compared to a Seal See Seal Why the work of Grace is attributed to the Spirit rather then to the Father or the Son p. 498 Why the Spirit is said to seal and to be an Earnest and not the Father or the Son ibid. Means to attain or come by the Spirit p. 501 502 503 How to know that we have the Spirit p. 499 500 Of our anointing by the Spirit p. 463 to 473 Of our sealing by the Spirit p. 473 to 485 Gods Spirit alone seales comfort to the soul p. 536 Stablish Stablishing grace necessary why pag. 442 Christ is the foundation of our stability p. 443 Our judgment will affections c. are stablished in Christ p. 444 It 's onely God that can stablish the soul he must do it none else can pag. 446 c. As God can so he will stablish us pag. 446 c. God stablisheth us by working in us stablishing graces viz. 1. Fear 2. Wisdome 3. Faith 4. Peace of Conscience c. 449 Means of stablishing or whereby we may come to be stablished pag. 455 456 457 Signes or Evidences of our stablishing p. 458 to 463 Strength How these two may stand together 2 Cor. 18. We were pressed out of measure above strength and 1 Cor. 10. 13. God is faithfull and will lay no more upon you then you shall be able to bâ—…r p. 124 125 Suffering The sufferings of Christ abound in us or Gods Saints are subject to many sufferings why p. 74 All Christians suffer how p. 112 A threefold suffering in the Church since Christs time p. 76 The sufferings of Christians are the sufferings of Christ and why so called p. 77 Christs sufferings two-fold ibid. Differences between the sufferings of Christ and ordinary crosses p. 78 Motives to suffer for Christ ibid. How the sufferings of Saints do good
sincerity by pleading corruptions By pleading afflictions Order in sincerity 1. A deep foundation 2. Faith 3. Love Simile Sincerity extends to all a mans life Wicked men have fits of goodnesse God judgeth by the tenour of our life Observ. Christianity may stand with converse in the world Observ. Religion makes a man converse in the world untainted Reason A Christian hath a spirit above the world Grace increased by opposition Not to tempt God by rushing into ill company Object Answ. Times appointed by God Halting in Religion brings danger Observ. We must have our conversation in sincerity while we live here Depravers of goodnesse blamed Observ. A true Christian best where he is best known Christians substantial not painted Use. To approve our selves most where we are best known Simile Ministers win by Life as well as Doctrine Wisdom either 1. Natural Simile Politick wisdome 3. Spiritual 4. Fleshly wisdom Wisdome what Carnal wisdome what Why fleshly wisdome Flesh what The Soul placed between good and evil Wisdome according as the man in whom it is All carnal men have not fleshly wisdome Observ. Fleshly wisdome where there is not sincerity Doctr. Gods Children noâ—… ruled by fleshly wisdome Reason 1. It is Gods enemy 2. It is our enemy Reason 2. It is base Reason 3. They must mortifie it Reas. 4. It doth all the mischief in the world It hinders from good It sets it self against good It hinders from reforming of ill It hinders from suffering It provokes to evil It keeps in ill Carnal wisdome mistaken Ground of Credulity Jealousie Use. To disclaim fleshly wisdome A great Judgement to begiven up to our selves August Use 2. To get our hearts changed Get assurance of salvation See the vanity of earthly thingse Not to walk by fleshly wisdome breeds joy To repent of carnal devices Gods Children not led onely by the rules of reason Christians renouncing fleshly wisdome have a better guide Quest. Why tâ—… Apostle names Grace not Wisdome Answ. Wisdome not from our selves but Gods Grace 2. We are guided not only by wisdome but other Graces 3. Our want of wisdome supplyed by grace Gods wisdome for us more then in us Why weaker christiani are sometimes safer Obser. A Christian needs wisdome 1. To avoid dangers 2. Because of the likenesse between good and evill 3. In regard of hindrances and helps to good 4. Good is not good without it 5. Good is hid under evil Wisdome may be bad Use. To go to God for wisdome God gives wisdome for the things of this life Men leaving Gods wisdome miscarry Use. Reprooâ—… of those that subordinate Religion to State-Policy Observ. True wisdome toucheth Conversation Use. Bad livers no bodies in Religion Grace two-fold 1. The favour of God 2. Something wrought in us 1. A Change 2. Particular graces 1. Heavenly light 2. Love 3. Hope Patience 4. Faith 3. Exciting applying strengthening Grace Doctr. All our wisdom from Grace Every thing necessary to heaven a grace Use. Not to ascribe any thing to our selves God ready to give Grace Reason Christ hath undertaken it Presumption Against Despair Consider our parts and duty Beg assistance of God Go to Christ. Go to the Promises Renounce Carnal Wisdome Incouragements to be guided by Grace Quest. Answ. Signes of being led by Grace 1. To renounce carnal wisdome Sign 2. Simplicity Sincerity Sign 3. The strength of Grace Sign 4. In men of great parts By abasing his gifts and parts In men of weaker parts Sign 5. From the ground of his actions Sign 6. Graces are together Every Grace of use to a Christian Sign 7. When a man provides for his best good Help 1. Submit all to the Spirit of Grace Self-denyal 〈◊〉 Humility 3. High esteem of wisdome 4. To acquaint our selves with God 5. To meditate on the free love and Grace of God 6. Challenge the Covenant of Grace Popery founded on carnal wisdome 1. In the Government 2. In their Worship 3. Opinions Best Statesmen who Observ. A Christian uniform Abuse of signes Observ. God is wise for those that walk by Grace Observ. Gods Children have place in the conscience of others Use. To approve our selves to mens consciences Trust what S. Paul's good conceit of the Corinthians Reason 1. Reason 2. Reas. 3. To entertain good conceits of others Saint Paul's resolution to hold to the end S. Paul's sourse to persevere How the Corinthians were S. Paul's rejoycing To imitate S. Paul in this Resolution The glory of a good life To take God in our resolutions Saint Paul's comfort Things of the world uncertain To examine what we acknowledge Men deceived in the death of others Danger of ill company Aggravation of Hell-torments Ground of ill mens cruelty To be constant in good courses Observ. A sign of a good estate to acknowledge him that hath told us of our sins Use. Tryal Acknowledgment what Christ acknowledged in the Minister Acknowledge Christ what Who acknowledgeth not Christ. To acknowledge the Word To acknowledge the Minister Ministers joyned with Christ in acceptance and neglect Doctr. A faithful Minister the joy of the people Reason He brings Christ the cause of joy Original of our joy Christ must be opened by the Ministery Use of the Ministery Ministers wooers for Christ. Ministers a gift of God The Ministery a great blessing Why God brings men to heaven by men Gods benefits come by the Ministery Use. To rejoyce in enjoying Gids Ordinance Doct. The peoples good is the Ministers joy 1. The matter of his joy 2. A meanes to increase his joy 3. The seal of his Ministery 4. To evidence that he was a good man Use. To be good under the Ministery Good communicative Wicked men draw others to sin Use. To labour to make others good The misery of opposers of goodnesse Not to leave Churches for some corruptions Observ. Christ hath a Day Simile Doctr. Christians rejoycing as it will be at the last day What will avail at the last day who take the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Application to the Sacrament How we are acquainted with Christ. To acknowledge Christ in the Sacrament what Thoughts of Judgment make us painful Observ. Good as far as may be to cherish a good opinion of others Reason 1. Reason 2. Not to cast off men for infirmities Use. Encouragement to inferiours to give occasion of good hope Observ. Personal presence hath a special power Use. To esteem Gods Ordinance Object Answ. Saint Paul's end in coming to Corinth Observ. Holy men work from holy ends Use. To look to our aimes in our actions Doctr. The preaching of the Gospel a special grace Reason It is the means to work all good in us Use. To esteem the Word as a Grace How to come to be thankful Doctr. Those that are in the state of Grace need a second grace Reason 1. From inward opposition Reas. 2. From without Reas. 3. From new temptations Reason 4. From the time to come Reason 5. From Satan Reason 6. From the capacity of the soul.
abuse Promises of this life 2. Gods Promises wondrously performed 3. God deferreth his performance To wait Gods time Believe contraries in contraries To have Amen for Gods Amen Complaint of Unbelief Faith in the Promises honours God Why God honors faith so much To make the Promises familiar How to make use of former examples What use to make of the story of our own lives Comfort in the false dealing of men To deceive trust odious Comfort in all changes in the world How the Word of the Lord endures for ever To rely constantly on the constant Promises To observe how God daily fulfills his Promises 1. For temporals 2. For spirituals Turn Promises into Prayers Labour to know the Promises Work the Promises on our hearts Evidences of believing the Promises 1. They breed joy 2. They quicken to obedience 3. They purge 4. They quiet the soul. 5. A staying of tâ—…e soul when all iâ—… contrary 6. Faithfulnesse in our Promises to God Quest. Answ. God gives grace to perform the Covenant God promiseth the things be requires Promises Legacies Covenant a Testament Threatnings of God Amen as well as Promises 7. Opposition of flesh and fleshly men Carnal men despise those that trust in Gods Promises To go to God in Christ to perform the promises How to think of Christ. All in the world nothing without Christ. Observ. Gods glory manifested in the Gospel More then in the Creation Our estate in Christ better then Adam's Glory of Gods Justice His Mercy Wisdome Power Truth To see Gods Attributes in Christ. To honour God by believing the Gospel Glory of God by the Ministery Observ. A double Amen 1. In Gods Promises 2. In our Faith Necessity of application Difference between faith and presumption Observ. Stablishing grace necessary Reason 1. In regard of our indisposition 2. In regard of oppositions Difference between true Christians and others Degrees of faith Observ. Christ the foundation of our stability 1. Our Judgment stablished in Christ. 2. Our Will 3. Our affections A Christians stability more then Adam's or Angels None are firm but Christians Observ. God onely can stablish the soul. 1. By shewing our misery and Christs excellency The ground of believing Gods Word Reason of Apostasie The reason of unfruitfulnesse The reason of Despair Spiritual knowledge necessary Observ. God will stablish us 1. Because he is constant All of Grace from God Ground of a Christians not falling away God stablisheth bâ—… working stablishing graces Fear Wisdome Faith Peace To value all good Christians The Spirit works as we are in the body Bond of communion of Saints Use. To give God the glory of our stablishing Strengthen radical graces 1. Humility 2. Faith 3. Knowledge Knowledge must be spirituall 1. Be acquainted with Gods Word 2. Take no scandal at those that shrink 3. Retain the truth in love 4. Practise truths â—…nown 5. Be frequent in holy conference 7. Pray to God to stablish us 8. Be spiritually poor 9. Hate lukewarmnesse Use 2. Examination of our stablishing 1. When it is grounded on the Word 2. When weak men overcome strong temptations 2. By freedome from base fears cares c. Examine our knowledge Examine our course of life None but a Christ an truly couragious in death 2. Desire of Christs coming Why God useth so many several words to secâ—… us What the Spirit is an Earnest of The Spirit an Earnest 1. For security 2. It is part of the whole 3. An Earnest is little to the whole 4. It serves the party receiving it 5. It is never taken away Observ. A Christian man be assured of his estate in grace All in the work of Redemption is for that end Christians not alike assured at all times Double act of saith 1. Direct 2. Reflect The reflect act may be hindred Naughty hearte content with a state of doubling Observ. Gods Children may be assured they shall held out to the end Grace and glory differ but in degrees Observ. Those that look to be happy must first be holy Observ. We may be assured from a little measure of grace The Spirit appears not in all graces at once A Christian is a mixed creature Use 2. To examine the truth of grace We may know grace is true though little 1. The soul mournes that it is little 2. Wait 3. To wait with Patience 4. Constancy 5. To purge our selves 6. Desire of accomplishment Cautions 1. When conscience is wounded 2. Have been carelesse 7. Growth in grace 8. Quieting of the soul. 9. True gold will endure the tryal 10. It will persevere Christians get strength by their falls To labour for assurance Earnest given for our sakes To labour against unbelief Earnest the work of the Spirit 1. He proceeds from Father and Son 2. He only can quiet the soul. How to know we have the Spirit 1. By life and motion 2. By transforming us 3. By Conflict 4. By supernatural obedience 5. It dwells in us 6. It mortifies sin 7. It leads us 8 It is a Spirit of adoption 9. It teacheth to pray 10. And to wait Directions to have the Spirit 1. Attend Gods means 2. Not to grieve the Spirit 1. By cherishing Lusts. 2. Obey the Spirit 3. Pray for the Spirit The Spirit makes impregnable No thankfulnesse without the Spirit No joy without the Spirit No willâ—…ngnesse to dye without it Parts of the Verse Observ. Mans nature prone to suspition Grounds of suspition 1. The infirmity of men 2. Guiltinesse 3. From Probabilities Suspition more then fear lesse then judgment Suspition what Suspition makes the worst construction Why the Devil cherisheth suspition Mischief from suspition Observ. To labour to avoid suspition Suspition a Canker That that is suspected is made unprofitable God labours â—…o free himself from suspition Christ labours to be freed from suspition Sin must be censured and judged Doctr. Gentle courses first to be used Reason 1. It is suitable to â—…ns nature Reason 2. To Gods disposition Reason 3. To the carriage of our salvation Reason 4. Gods course Reason 5. It is most successeful Reason 6. It is tasting Use. To deal gently with others Doctr. When gentle means prevail not severe must be used Reason Men must not spare that God may Against selfrâ—…spects in reproos of sin Use. People to be willing to bear of their sins How to prevent severity in others Vexation in hell to those that were cherished in sin Three-fold correction 1. Private admonition 2. Before others Definition of an Oath None but good men should take an Oath To swear by none but God Invocation in an Oath Imprecation Oath to be taken onely in serious matters An Oath must be 1. In Truth 2. In Judgment 3. In Justice Against equivocation An oath only in matters in determinable Oath lawful Ordinary Swearing forbidden Object Answ. Swearing without good life nothing Object Answ. Custome no plea for swearing Object Answ. Company no excuse for swearing Swearing ordinarily argues a vile heart Original of common swearing 1. Atheisme 2. Cherishing passion 3. Affectation 4. Shame Men should abstain swearing in love to the Kingdome For love to theâ—…r own sam lies Conscience of lessâ—…r oathes Ordinary Swearers curse themselves A Christians life a kind of oath Doctr. No man hath dominion over anothers faith 1. What it is not to have dominion over the faith of others What â—…ranny over the faith of others is Quest. Answ. The Church of Rome domineers over the faith of others 1. By Traditions 2. Will-worship 3. That the Pope cannot erre A grand lie that hinders their Reformation 4. Church Judge of Controversies 5. In the intentioâ—… of the Minister in the Sacrament Confession Satans malice to sit in Gods throne Popery would subdue all Use. To be thankful for freedome from this tyranny How to think of Popery Grounds of spiritual Tyranny Salvation termed joy why Doctr. 1. The state of a Christian is joy Nature teacheth it God gives matter of joy 1. Freedom from ill 2. The good they are brought to Reason 1. That God may have glory Reason 2. It makes active in doing good Reason 3. And able to suffer ill Reason 4. To encourage others Doctr. 2. The Word unfolded helps this joy To comfort what The Ministers helpers of joy 1. By shewing people their ill 2. By shewing the remedy 3. By advice Light Liberty Victory 4. By forcing it as a duty 5. In death Object Answ. Ministers trouble the joy of carnal men Object Answ. Private means will not comfort when publick are neglected Object Answ. The sorrow caused by the Ministery tends to joy Simile Object Answ. Simile Comfort what Use. To esteem the Ministery To open the case of our soules to spiritual Physitians Doctr. 3 Ministers but helpers not the authours of joy Simile Gods Spirit only specks comfort 1. He only knowes our hearts 2. He only can set down the soul. Use To look for comfort from the Spirit by the means Not to idolize the Ordinances why S. Paul varies the phrase Observ. Faith breeds joy 1 Faith takes away all that may discourage 2. It shewes Gods love in Christ. Pedigree of joy Use. To try if our joy be good 1. If it spring from the Word 2. It springs from faith 3. It is above discouragements or allurements 4. It is with humility Standing what meant by it Quest. Answ. Why our stand ing is by faith Four degrees of assent 1. Opinion 2. Knowledge 3. Believing 4. Experience How we stand by faith Quest. Answ. What faith it self stands on God our Father The nature of God Observ. The foundation of faith out of us Faith withstands opposition Quest. Answ. How we stand by faith when conscience is awakened for sin The firmnesse of a Christians standing If our knowledg of Scripture be not spiritual 1. We fall into sin 2. To despair 3. To Apostasie The Sacrament strengthens faith Faith the radical grace