side Love of lusts and pride of heart can never consist with obedience to the word Nehem. 9. 16. Ier. 13. 17. 43. 2. Thirdly converting and saving knowledge is not of our owne fetching in or gathering but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Doctrine that comes unto us and is brought by that sacred blast of the spirit which bloweth where he lifteth We doe not first come and are then taught but first we are taught and then we Come Ioh. 6. 45. Esai 55. 5. 65. 1. we must take heed of attributing to our selves boasting of our owne sufficiencies congtuities preparations concurrencies contributions unto the word in the saving of us Grace must prevent follow assist us preoperate and cooperate Christ must be All in All the Author and the Finisher of our faith of our selves we can doe nothing but disable our selves resist the spirit and pull downe whatever the word doth build up within us Ever therefore in humility waite at the poole where the spirit stirres Give that honour to Gods ordinances as when hee bids thee doe no great thing but onely wash and be cleane heare and beleeve beleeve and be saved not stoutly to cast his Law behinde thy backe but to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God and to see his name and power in the voyce which cryes unto thee Fourthly though sinne seeme dead to secure civill morall superstitiously zealous men in regard of any present sense or sting yet all that while it is alive in them and will certainely when the booke shall be opened either in the ministry of the word to conversion or in the last judgement to condemnation reviue againe All these points are very naturall to the Text but I should be too long a stranger to the course I intend if I should insist on them I returne therefore to the maine purpose Here is the state of sinne sinne revived the Guilt of sinne I died the Conviction of it by the spirit bringing the spirituall sense of the Commandement and writing it in the heart of a man and so pulling him away from his owne Conclusions The Doctrines then which I shall insist on are these two First the spirit by the Commandement convinceth a man to be in the state of sinne Secondly the spirit by the Commandement convinceth a man to be in the state of death because of sinne To convince a man that he is in the state of sinne is To make a man so to set to his owne seale and serious acknowledgement to this truth That he is a sinner as that withall he shall feele within himselfe the qualitie of that estate and in humility and selfe-abhorrencie conclude against himselfe all the naughtinesse and loathsome influences which are proper to kindle and catch in his nature and person by reason of that estate and so not in expression onely but in experience not in word but in truth not out of feare but out of loathing not out of constraint but most willingly not out of formality but out of humility not according to the generall voyce but out of a serious scrutinie and selfe examination loade and charge himselfe with all the noisomenesse and venome with all the dirt and garbage with all the malignitie and frowardnesse that his nature and person doe abound withall even as the waves of the sea with mire and dirt and thereupon justifie almighty God when he doth charge him with all this yea if he should condemne him for it Now we are to shew two things First that a meere naturall light will never thus farre convince a man Secondly that the spirit by the Commandement doth Some things nature is sufficient to teach God may be felt and found out in some fence by those that ignorantly worship him Nature doth convince men that they are not so good as they should be the Law is written in the hearts of those that know nothing of the letter of it Idlenesse beastiality lying luxury the Cretian poet could condemne in his owne countrey-men Drinking of healths ad plenoscalices by measure and constraint condemn'd by Law of a heathen prince and that in his luxurie Long haire condemn'd by the dictate of nature and right reason and the reason why so many men and whole nations notwithstanding use it is given by Saint Hierome Quia à natura deciderunt sicut multis alijs rebus comprobatur And indeede as Tertullian saith of womens long haire that it is Humilitatis suae sarcina the burden as it were of their Humility so by the warrant of that proportion which Saint Paul allowes 1. Cor. 11. 14. 15. We may call mens long haire Superbiae suae sarcinam nothing but a clogge of pride Saint Austin hath written three whole chapters together against this sinfull custome of nourishing haire which hee saith is expressely against the precept of the Apostle whom to vnderstand otherwise then the very letter sounds is to wrest the manifest words of the Apostle unto a perverse construction But to returne these Remnants of nature in the hearts of men are but like the blazes and glimmerings of a candle in the socket there is much darknes mingled with them Nature cannot throughly convince 1. Because it doth not carry a man to the Roote Adams sinne concupiscence and the corrupted seeds of a fleshly minde reason conscience will c. Meere nature will never Teach a man to feele the waight and curse of a sinne committed aboue five thousand yeeres before himselfe was borne to feele the spirits of sinne running in his bloud and sprouting out of his nature into his life one uncleane thing out of another to mourne for that filthinesse which he contracted in his conception Saint Paul professeth that this could not bee learned without the Law 2. Because it doth not carry a man to the Rule which is the written Law in that mighty widenesse which the Prophet David found in it Nature cannot looke upon so bright a thing but through vailes and glosses of its owne Evill hateth the light neither commeth to the light cannot endure a through scrutinie and ransacking left it should be reproved When a man lookes on the Law through the mist of his owne â—…usts he cannot but wrest and torture it to his owne way Saint Peter gives two reasons of it because such men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 3. 16. 1. Vnlearned men namely in the mysterie of Godlinesse have not been taught of God what the truth is in Iesus till that time a man will never put off his lusts but defend them and rather make crooked the rule coine distinctions and evasions upon the law it selfe then judge himselfe and give glory to God 2. Fickle unstable men men apt to be tossed up and downe like empty clouds with every blast never rooted nor grounded in the love of the truth unstedfast in the Covenant of God that lay not hold on it
Abounds like the pumping of water out of a fountaine the more it is drawne the faster it comes We grant indeed that the Lord being the Fountaine of life doth allow the Creature in regard of life temporall some subordinate operation and concurrencie in the worke of preserving life in us But we must also remember That the Creatures are but Gods Instruments in that respect and that not as servants are to their masters Living instruments able to worke without concurrence of the superior cause but Dead instruments and therefore must never be separated from the Principall Let God subduct from them that concourse of his owne which actuates and applies them to their severall services and all the Creatures in the world are no more able to preserue the body or to comfort the mind then an axe and a hammer and those other dead instruments are able by themselues alone to erect some stately edifice It is not the corne or the flowre but the staffe of bread which supports the life and that is not any thing that comes out of the earth but something which comes downe from heaven even the blessing which sanctifies the Creature for man liveth not by bread alone but by the word which proceedeth out of Gods mouth The Creature cannot hold up it selfe much lesse contribute to the subsistence of other things unlesse God continue the influence of his blessing upon it As soone as Christ had cursed the figge-tree it presently withered and dried up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frâ—m the rootes to shew that it was not the roote alone but the blessing of Christ which did support the figge-tree The Creatures of themselues are Indifferent to contrary operations according as they have been by God severally applied Fire preserved the three children in the furnace and the same fire lick'd up the instruments of the persecution Fire came downe from heaven to destroy Sodome and fire came downe from heaven to advance Elias the same sea a Sanctuarie unto Israel and a grave unto Egypt Ionah had been drown'd if he had not been devour'd the latter destruction was a deliverance from the former and the ravine of the fish a refuge from the rage of the sea pulse kept Daniel in good liking which the meat of the kings table could not doe in the other children for indeed Life is not a thing meerely naturall but of promise as the Apostle speakes Let the promise be removed and however a wicked man lives as well as a righteous man yet his life is indeed but a breathing death onely the cramming of him to a day of slaughter When the blessing of God is once subducted though men labour in the vâ—ry fire turne their vitall heate with extremity of paines into a very flame yet the close of all their labour will prove nothing but Uanitie as the Prophet speakes We should therefore pray unto God that we may live not onely by the Creature but by the word which sanctifieth the Creature that wee may not leane upon our substance but upon Gods promises that we may not live by that which we have onely but by that which we hope for and may still finde God accompanying his owne blessings unto our Soule But here the vanitie and wickednesse of many worldly men is justly to be reproved who Rest on the Creature as on the only staffe and comfort of their life who count it their principall joy when their corne and wine and oyle encreaseth who magnifie their owne arts sacrifice to their owne net and drag which is the Idolatrie of Covetousnesse so often spoken of by the Apostle when all the trust and hope and glory and rejoycing which men have is in the Creature and not in God They boast saith the Psalmist in the multitude of their Riches Nay so much sottishnesse there is in the nature of man and so much sophistrie in the Creature that the proud foole in the Gospell from the greatnesse of his wealth concludes the length of his life Thou hast much laid up for many yeeres and the certainety of his mirth and pleasure Take thine ease eate drinke and be merry Their inward thought is that their houses shall endure for ever and their dwelling places to all generations And David himselfe was over-taken with this folly I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved Yea so much seed is there of pride in the heart of man and so much heate as I may so speake vigour in the Creature to quicken it as that men are apt to Deifie themselves in the reflection on their owne greatnes to deifie any thing else which contributes to the enlargement of their ambitious purposes The greatnesse of the Persian Emperors made them all usurpe religious worship from their subiects The like insolence we finde in the Babilonish monarchs they exalted themselves above the height of the clouds and made themselves equall to the most high Esai 14. 14. yea their pride made them forget any God save themselves I am and there is none besides me Esai 47. 7. 8. It was the blasphemous arrogance of Tyrus the rich citty I am a God I sit in the seate of God I have a heart like the heart of God Ezek. 28. 26. neither are these the sinnes of those times alone the fountaine of them is in the nature and the fruites of them in the lives of those who dare not venture upon the words For albeit men with their mouths professe God there is yet a bitter roote of Atheisme and of Polutheisme in the mindes of men by nature which is mightily actuated by the abundance of earthly things Where the treasure is there is the heart where the heart there the happinesse and where the happinesse there the God Now worldly men put their trust in their riches set their heart upon them make them their strong citty and therefore no marvell if they be their Idoll too What is the reason why oftentimes wee may obserue rich and mighty men in the world to bee more impatient of the Word of God more bitter scorners of the power of religion more fearefully given over to the pursuite of fleshly lusts and secular purposes to vanity vaine-glory ambition revenge fierce implacable bloudy passions brasen and boasting abominations then other men but because they have some secret opinion that there is not so great a distance betweene God and them as betweene God and other men but because the abundance of worldly things hath brawned their heart and fatted their conscience and thickned their eyes against any feare or faith or notice at all of that supreme dominion and impartiall revenge which the most powerfull and just God doth beare over all sinners and against all sinne What is the reason why many ordinary men drudge and moile all the yeere long thinke every houre in the Church so much time lost from their life are not able to forbeare their
utterly depriu'd the right of any worldly goods nothing is his ex jure but onely ex largitate and in as much as the sinne of man hath made him though not a sacrilegious intruder yet a prophane abuser of the good things which remaine partly by inditect procuring them partly by despising the author of them by mustering up Gods owne gifts against him in riot luxurie pride uncleanenesse earthly mindednesse hereby it comes to passe that to the uncleane all things are uncleane because their mindes and consciences are defiled Now the whole Creation being thus by the sinne of man uncleane and by consequence unfitted for humane use as Saint Peter intimates I never eate any thing common or uncleane it was therefore requisite that the Creature should have some Purification before it was unto men allowed Which was indeede legally done in the Ceremonie but really in the substance and body of the Ceremonie by Christ who hath now unto us in their use and will at last for themselves in their owne being deliver the Creatures from that vanity and malediction unto which by reason of the sinne of man they were subjected and fashion them unto the glorious liberty of the Children of God make them fit palaces for the saints to inhabit or conferre upon them a glory which shall bee in the proportion of their natures a suteable advancement unto them as the glory of the Children of God shall be unto them The bloud of Christ doth not onely renew and purifie the soule and body of man but washeth away the curse and dirt which adhereth to every Creature that man useth doth not only clense and sanctifie his church but reneweth all the Creatures Behold saith he I make All things New and if any man be in Christ not onely He is a New Creature but saith the Apostle All things are become New Those men then who keepe themselves out of Christ and are by consequence under the Curse as their persons so their possessions are still under the curse as their consciences so their estates are still uncleane they eate their meate like Swine rol'd up in dirt the dirt of their owne sinne and of Gods malediction So then the Creature is then sanctified when the curse thereof is washed away by Christ. Now secondly let us see How the Creature is sanctified by the Word By Word wee are not to understand the Word of Creation wherein God spake and all things were made Good and serviceable to the use of man For sinne came after that Word and defaced as well the goodnesse which God put into the Creature as his Image which he put into man But by Word I understand first in generall Gods Command and Blessing which strengtheneth the Creature unto those operations for which they serue in which sense our Saviour useth it Matth. 4. 4. and elsewhere If ye call those Gods unto whom the Word of God came that is who by Gods Authority and Commission are fitted for subordinate services of Gouernement under him say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified that is to whom the Word of the Father and his Commission or Command came to whom the Father hath given Authoritie by his Power and fitnesse by his Spirit to Iudge and save the world Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Sonne of God Secondly by that Word I understand more particularly the Fountaine of that Blessing which the Apostle cals in generall the Word of Truth and more particularly The Gospell of Salvation and this word is a sanctifying Word Sanctifie them by thy truth thy Word is Truth and as it sanctifies us so it sanctifies the Creatures too it is the Fountaine not onely of Eternall but of Temporall Blessings And therefore we finde Christ did not onely say unto the sicke of the Palsie Thy sinnes are forgiven thee but also Arise and walke intimating that Temporall Blessings come along with the Gospell it hath the Promises as well of this life as that to come I never saw the righteous forsaken saith the Prophet David suteable to that of the Apostle He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee nor their seed begging their bread That is never so wholly by God forsaken if they were the seed of the Righteous inheritors of their fathers hope and profession as to make a constant trade of begging their bread and so to expose the promises of Christ that they which seeke the kingdome of heaven shall have all other things added to them unto reproach and imputation from wicked men Or thus I never saw the righteous forsaken or their seede forsaken by God though they beg'd their bread but even in that extremitie God was present with them to sanctifie to their use and to give them a comfortable enjoyment of that very bread which the exigencie of their present condition had constrained them to begge Thus we see in generall That the Blessing or Command of God and the fountaine of that blessing the Gospell of Salvation doe sanctifie the Creature But yet neither by the Blessing nor the Gospell is the Creature effectually sanctified unto us till it be by us apprehended with the Word and Promise and this is done by Faith for the Word saith the Apostle profited not those that heard it because it was not mingled or temper'd with faith For Faith hath this singular operation to particularize and single out God and his Promises unto a mansselfe So then the Creature is sanctified by the Word and Blessing beleeved and embraced whereby we come to have a neerer right and peculiarity in the Creatures which we enjoy for being by Faith united unto Christ and made one with him which is that noble effect of faith to incorporate Christ and a Christian together we thereby share with him in the inheritance not onely of Eternall life but even of the common Creatures Fellow Heires we are and Copartners with him therefore in as much as God hath appointed him to be Heire of All things as the Apostle speakes we likewise in the vertue of our fellowship with him must in a subordinate sense be Heires of all things too All is yours saith the Apostle and you are Christs and Christ is Gods Fidelibus totus mundus divitiarum est The Saints saith Saint Austin have All the world for their possession And if it be here demanded how this can be true since wee finde the Saints of God often in great want and it would doubtlesse bee sinne in them to usurpe another mans goods upon presumption of that promise that Christ is theirs and with him all things To this I answere first in generall As Christ though he were the Heire of All things yet for our sakes became poore that we by his poverty might be made rich so God oftentimes pleaseth to make the faithfull partake not onely in the priviledges but in the poverty
momentarie and vanishing First by the Law of their Creation they were made subject to alterations there was an enmitie and reluctancy in their entirest being Secondly this hath been exceedingly improved by the s◅ne of man whose evill being the lord of all Creatures must needs redound to the misery and mortalitie of all his retinue For it was in the greater World as in the administration of a private family the poverty of the Master is felt in the bowels of all the rest his staine and dishonour runnes into all the members of that society As it is in the naturall body some parts may be distempered and ill affected alone others not without contagion on the rest a man may have a dimme eye or a withered arme or a lame foot or an impedite tongue without any danger to the parts adjoyning but a lethargie in the head or an obstruction in the liver or a dyspepsie and indisposition in the stomake diffuseth universall malignity through the body because these are soveraigne and architectonicall parts of man so likewise is it in the great and vast body of the Creation However other Creatures might have kept their evill if any had been in them within their owne bounds yet that evill which man the Lord and head of the whole brought into the world was a spreading and infectious evill which conuey'd poyson into the whole frame of nature and planted the seed of that universall dissolution which shall one day deface with darkenesse and horror the beauty of that glorious frame which wee now admire It is said that when Corah Dathan and Abiram had provoked the Lord by their rebellion against his servants to inflict that fearefull destruction upon them the earth opened her mouth swallowed not only them up but al the houses and men and goods that appertained to them Now in like maner the heaven and earth and al inferior Creatures did at first appertaine to Adam the Lord gave him the free use of them dominion over them when therefore man had committed that notorious rebellion against his maker which was not only to aspire like Corah and his associates to the height and principality of some fellow Creature but even to the absolutenesse wisdome power and independency of God himselfe no marvell if the wrath of God did together with him seize upon his house and all the goods that belongd unto him bringing in that cōfusion and disorder which we even now see doth breake asunder the bonds and ligaments of nature doth unjoynt the confedera◅ies and societies of the dumbe Creatures and turneth the armies of the Almighty into mutinies and commotion which in one word hath so fast manicled the world in the bondag◅ of corruption as that it doth already groane and linger with paine under the sinne of man and the curse of God and will at last breake forth into that universall flame which will melt the very Elements of Nature into their primitive confusion Thus wee see besides the created limitednesse of the creature by which it was utterly unsuteable to the immortall desires of the soule of man the sinne of man hath implanted in them a secret worme and rottennesse which doth set forward their mortalitie and by adding to them confusion enmity disproportion sedition inequalitie all the seeds of corruption hath made them not onely as before they were mortall but which addes one mortalitie to another even momentary and vanishing too When any Creature loseth any of its native and created vigour it is a manifest signe that there is some secret sentence of death gnawing upon it The excellency of the Heavens wee know is their light their beauty their influences upon the lower World and even these hath the sinne of man defaced Wee finde when the Lord pleaseth to reveale his wrath against men for sinne in any terrible manner hee doth it from Heaven There shall be wonders in the Heauen blood and fire and pillars of smoake the Sunne shall be turned into darkenesse and the Moone into blood and the day of the Lord is called a day of darknesse and gloominesse and thicke darknesse How often hath Gods heavy displeasure declared it selfe from Heaven in the confusion of nature in stormes and horrible tempests in thick clouds and darke waters in arrowes of lightning and coales of fire in blacknesse and darkenesse in brimstone on Sodome in a flaming sword over Ierusalem in that fearefull Starre of fire to the Christian World of late yeeres which hath kindled those woful combustions the flames whereof are still so great as that wee our selves if wee looke upon the merits and provocations of our sinnes may have reason to feare that not all the Sea betweene us and our neighbours can bee able to quench till it have scorched and singed us Wee find likewise by plaine experience how languid the seeds of life how faint the vigor either of heavenly influences or of sublunary and inferiour agents are growne when that life of men which was wont to reach to almost a thousand yeeres is esteemed even a miraculous age if it be extended but to the tenth part of that duration We need not examine the inferiour Creatures which we find expressely cursed for the sinne of man with Thornes and Briers the usuall expression of a curse in Scripture If we but open our eyes and looke about us wee shall see what paines Husbandmen take to keepe the earth from giving up the Ghost in opening the veines thereof in applying their Soile and Marle as so many Pills or Salves as so many Cordials and preservatives to keepe it alive in laying it asleepe as it were when it lyeth fallow every second or third yeere that by any meanes they may preserve in it that life which they see plainely approching to its last gaspe Thus you see how besides the originall limitednesse of the Creature there is in a second place a Moth or Canker by the infection of sinne begotten in them which hastens their mortalitie God ordering the second causes so amongst themselves that they exercising enmitie one against another may punish the sinne of man in their contentions as the Lord stirred up the Babylonians against the Egyptians to punish the sinnes of his owne people And therefore wee finde that the times of the Gospell when holinesse was to bee more universall are expressed by such figures as restore perfection and peace to the Creatures The Earth shall be fat and plenteous there shall be upon every high hill Rivers and Streames of water the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne sevenfold as the light of seven dayes And againe the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the leopard shall lye downe with the kid and a Calfe and a young Lion and a fatling together c. Which places though figuratively to be understood have yet me thinks thus much of the letter in
prevent or correct the naturall crookednesse of the smallest things much lesse make a man solidly and substantially happy Thirdly That which is crooked cannot be made straite It is impossible for a man by the exactest knowledge of naturall things to make the nature of a man which by sinne is departed from its primitive rectitude strait againe to repaire that Image of God which is so much distorted When they knew God they glorified him not as God they became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned It is the Apostles speech of the wisest heathen Aristotle the most rationall heathen man that the world knowes of in his Doctrine confesseth the disability of moral knowledge to rectifie the intemperance of nature and made it good in his practice for he used a common strumpet to satisfie his lust Seneca likewise the exactest Stoick which wee meet with then whom never any man writ more divinely for the contempt of the world was yet the richest usurer that ever wee read of in ancient stories though that were a sinne discovered and condemned by the heathen themselves A second Ground of vexation from knowledge is The Defects and Imperfections of it That which is wanting cannot be numbred There are many thousand conclusions in nature which the most inquisitiue Iudgement is not able to pierce into nor resolve into their just principles Nay still the more a man knowes the more discoveries he makes of things which he knowes not Thirdly in much wisdome is much griefe and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow In civill wisdome the more able a man is the more service is cast upon him the more businesses runne through him the lesse can hee enjoy his time or liberty His Eminence lodes him with envy jealousies observation suspicions forceth him oftentimes upon unwelcom compliancies upon colours and inventions to palliate unjust counsels and stop the clamors of a gainsaying Conscience fills him with feares of miscarriage and disgrace with projects of honour and plausibility with restlesse thoughts touching discoveries preventions concealements accommodations and the like in one word is very apt to make him a stranger to God and his owne soule In other learning let a man but consider First The confusion uncertainty involvednesse perplexities of causes and effects by mans sinne Secondly The paines of the body the travell of the minde the sweate of the braine the tugging and plucking of the understanding the very drudgery of the soule to breake through that confusion and her owne difficulties Thirdly the many invincible doubts and errors which wil stil blemish our brightest notions Fourthly the great charges which the very instruments and furniture of learning wil put men to Fifthly the general disrespect which when all is done it findes in the world great men scorning it as pedantry ordinary men unable to take notice of it and great schollers faine to make up a theater amongst themselves Sixthly the Insufficiency thereof to perfect that which is amisse in our nature the malignant property thereof to put sinne into armour to contemne the simplicity and purity of Gods Word And lastly the neere approach thereof to its owne period the same death that attendeth us being ready also to bury all our learning in the grave with us these and infinite the like considerations must needs mingle much sorrow with the choisest Learning Secondly let us take a view of pleasure There is nothing doth so much disable in the survey of pleasure as the mixture either of folly or want When a man hath wisdome to apprehend the exquisitnes of his delights and variety to keepe out the suâ—…fet of any one hee is then fittest to examine what compasse of Goodnesse or satisfaction is in them First then Salomon kept his wisedome he pursued such manly and noble delights as might not vitiate but rather improve his intellectuals Chap. 2. vers 1. 2. 3. Secondly his wisedome was furnish'd with variety of subjects to enquire into he had magnificence and provisions suteable to the greatnesse of his royall minde Sumptuous and delicate diet under the name of wine vers 3. stately Edifices vers 4. Vineyards and Orchards yea very Paradises as large as Woods vers 5. 6. Fish-ponds and great Waters multitudes of attendants and retinue of all sexes Mighty heards of Cattell of all kindes vers 7. Great treasures of silver and gold all kinds of musick vocall and instrumentall Thirdly Salomon exceedes in all these things all that ever went before him vers 9. Fourthly As he had that most abundant so likewise the most free undisturbed unabated enjoyment of them all Hee with-held not his heart from any joy there was no mixture of sicknesse warre or any intercurrent difficulties to corrupt their sweetnesse or blunt the tast of them Here are as great preparations as the heart of man can expect to make an universall survay of those delights which are in the Creature and yet at last upon an impartiall enquirie into all his most magnificent workes the conclusion is they were but vanity and vexation of spirit vers 11. Which vexation he further explanes First by the necessarie divorce which was to come betweene him and them Hee was to leave them all vers 18. Secondly by his disability so to dispose of them as that after him they might remaine in that manner as hee had ordered them vers 19. Thirdly by the effects which these and the like considerations wrought in him they were so farre from giving him reall satisfaction as that First he Hated all his workes for there is nothing makes one Hate more eagerly then disappointment in the good which a man expected When Ammon found what little satisfaction his exorbitant lust received in ravishing his Sister Tamar he as fiercely hated her after as he had desir'd her before Secondly He Despaired of finding any good in them because they be get nothing but travell drudgery and unquiet thoughts Lastly let us take a view of Riches the ordinarily most adored Idol of all the rest The wise man saies first in generall neither Riches nor yet abundance of Riches will satisfie the soule of man Eccl. 5. 10. This he more particularly explanes First from the sharers which the encrease of them doth naturally draw after it vers 11. and betweene the Owners and the sharers there is no difference but this an emptie speculation one sees as his owne what the other enjoyes to those reall purposes for which they serve as well as he Secondly from the unquietnes which naturally growes by the encrease of them which makes an ordinarie drudge in that respect more happy vers 12. Thirdly from the hurt which usually without some due corrective they bring vers 13. either they hurt a man in himselfe being strong temptations and materials too of pride vaine-glory couetousnesse luxurie intemperance forgetfulnesse of God love of the world and by these of disorder dissolutenesse and diseases in the body or else at least
heart upon thine Asses for the desire of Israel is upon thee Why should a Kings heart be set upon Asses so may I say why should Christians hearts be set upon earthly things since they have the desires of all flesh to fix upon I will conclude with one word upon the last particu lar How to use the Creatures as Thornes or as vexing things First Let not the Bramble be King Let not earthly things beare rule over thy affections fire will rise out of them which will consume thy Cedars emasculate all the powers of thy Soule Let Grace sit in the throne and earthly things be subordinate to the wisdome and rule of Gods Spirit in thy heart They are excellent servants but pernicious Masters Secondly Be arm'd when thou touchest or medlest with them Arm'd against the Lusts and against the Temptations that arise from them Get faith to place thy heart upon better promises enter not upon them without prayer unto God that since thou art going amongst snares he would carry thee through with wisedome and faithfulnesse and teach thee how to use them as his blessings and as instruments of his glory Make a covenant with thine heart as Iob with his eyes have a jealousie and suspicion of thine evill heart lest it be surpriz'd and bewitched with finfull affections Thirdly touch them gently doe not hug love dote upon the Creature nor graspe it with adulterous embraces the love of mony is a roote of mischiefe and is enmity against God Fourthly use them for Hedges and fences to relieve the Saints to make friends of unrighteous Mammon to defend the Church of Christ but by no meanes have them In thy field but onely About it mingle it not with thy Corne least it choake and stifle all And lastly vse them as Gedeon for weapons of Iust revenge against the enemies of Gods Church to vindicate his truth and glory and then by being wise and faithfull in a little thou shalt at last be made ruler over much and enter into thy Masters Ioy. FINIS THE SINFVLNES OF SINNE Considered in the State Guilt Power and Pollution thereof By EDWARD REYNOLDS Preacher to the Honourable Societie of Lincolns Inne PAX OPVLENTIAM SAPIENTIA PACEM FK LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Robert Bostocke 1631. THE SINFVLNESSE OF SINNE ROM 7. 9. For I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came Sinne revived and I died WEE have seene in the foriner Treatise that man can finde no Happinesse in the Creature I will in the next place shew That he can find no happinesse in Himselfe It is neither about him nor within him In the Creature nothing but vanitis and vexation in Himselfe nothing but Sinne and Death The Apostle in these words sets forth three things First The state of Sinne Sinne Revived Secondly the Guilt of Sinne I Died or found my selfe to be a condemn'd man in the state of perdition Thirdly the evidence and conviction of both When the Commandement came which words imply a conviction and that from the spirit First a conviction for they inferre a conclusion extremely contradictory to the conclusions in which Saint Paul formerly rested which is the forme of a conviction Saint Pauls former conclusion was I was alive but when the commandement came the conclusion was extremely contrary I Died. Secondly It was a spirituall conviction For Saint Paul was never literally without the Law but the vaâ—…le till this time was before his eyes he is now made to understand the Law in its native sense and compasse the Law is spiritual v. 14. and he is enabled to discerne it spiritually Absurd is the Doctrine of the Socinians some others That unregenerate men by a meere natur all perception without any divine superinâ—…us'd light they are the words of Episcopius and they are wicked wordes may understand the wholâ—… Law even all things requisite unto faith godlines Foolishly confounding and impiously deriding the spirituall and divine sense of holy Scriptures with the grammatical construction Against this we shall need use no other argument then a plaine Syllogisme compounded out of the very words of Scripture Darknesse doth not comprehend light Ioh. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 men are Darkenesse Eph. 5. 8. 4. 17. 18. Act. 26. 18. 2. Pâ—…t 1. 9. yea Held under the power of darkenesse Col. 1. 13. and the word of God is light Psal. 119. 105. 2. Cor. 4. 4. therefore unregenerate men cannot understand the â—…d in that spirituall compasse which it carries There is such an asymmetry and disproportion betweene our understandings and the brightnesse of the word that the Saints themselves have prayed for more spirituall light and vnderstanding to conceive it That knowledge which a man ought to have for there is a knowledge which is not such as it ought to be doth passe knowledge even all the â—…ength of meere naturall reason to attaine unto peculiar to the sheep of Christ. Naturall men have their principles vitiated their faculties bound that they cannot understand spirituall things till God have as it were â—…nplanted a â—…ew understanding in them framed the heart to attend and set it at liberty to see the glory of God with open face Though the vaile doe not keepe out Grammaticall construction yet it blindeth the heart against the spirituall light and beauty of the Word We see even in common sciences where the conclusions are suteable to our owne innate and implanted notions yet he that can distinctly construe and make Grammar of a principle in Euclide may be ignorant of the Mathematicall sense and use of it much more may a man in divine truths bee Spiritually ignorant even where in some respect hee may be said to know For the Scriptures pronounce men ignorant of those things which they see and know In divine doctrine obedience is the Ground of knowledge and Holinesse the best qualification to understand the Scriptures If any mâ—…n will doe the will of God he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God The 〈◊〉 will he teach his way and â—…eale his secret to them that feare him to babes to those that conforme not themselves to this evill world To understand then the words we must note first that there is an opposition between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those two Clauses in the Text Once and When the Commandement came It is the conceite of some that the latter as well as the former is meant of a state of unregeneration and that Saint Paul all this Chapter over speaketh in the person of an unregenerate man not intending at all to shew the fleshlinesse and adherency of corruption to the holiest men but the necessitie of righteousnesse by Christ without the which though a man may when once the Commandement comes and is fully revealed will good hate sinne in sinning doe that which he would not
waite for the Lord any longer If this be all the reward we haue for waiting and calling upon God to what purpose serve our humiliations and fastings what profitablenesse at all is there in his seruice Thus we find the hypocrits challenging God for afflicting them upbraiding him with their humiliations and the fruitlesnesse of his service Wherefore haue we fasted and thou seest not wherefore haue wee afflicted our soule and thou takest no knowledge ye haue said it is in vaine to serue God and what profit iâ—… it that wee haâ—…e kept his ordinance and that wee haue walked mournâ—…fully before the Lord of hoasts c And thus Saul when hee found himselfe forsaken by God and should haue humbled himselfe and sought his face he proceeded in a further rage to inquire of the witches which himselfe had commanded to be destroyed These things should teach us all to labour with God in prayer that what ever evill hee sendeth upon us hee would not suffer his strength and spirit to forsake us nor giue us ouer to the rage and madnesse of our owne nature O what hearts should men see in themselues if they would looke upon their owne faces in other mens lives See â—…ulian dye with revenge and rage against Christ Iudas bursting asunder under the weight of Gods wrath The cursed persecutors putting of their power retiring to a priuate life pining away with vexation because the Gospell of Christ was too hard for them Achitophel dispatching himselfe for very madnesse because his oracle was not beleeved One despaire another blaspheme another wrestle with his affliction as a beast in a snare till the part swell and rancle and grow too bigge for the punishment which is upon it How could not this chuse but make men out of loue with themselues and labour to haue more holdfast of the Spirit of Christ that this madnesse of our nature may thereby betained and our equanimity and moderation made knowne to all men Fifthly and lastly In the Ministery of the Word when thy bosome sinne is met with and the plague of thine owne heart discouer'd when thou art prick't in thy master veine when the edge of the sword enters to the quicke sacrificeth thee crucifieth thy lusts cuts off thy earthly members ransackes thy conscience and shewes thee the inside of thy foule soule heere by all meanes looke unto thy heart never so likely a time for madnesse and fierce opposition to set up it selfe as when a man is driven into a corner and cannot flie Sinners are all cowards and cannot indure the brightnesse of Moses face are not able to abide the scrutinie of the Word but would faine turne their backes upon it not onely out of scorne but out of feare too Many a sturdy sinner will seeme to contemne the plainenesse and power of the Word as an illiterate rude foolish thing to scorne undervalue the persons companies discourses of faithfull Ministers as of despicable or supercilious or schismaticall fellowes but the truth is and they in their owne consciences know it too that though there bee indeede much stoutnesse and contempt yet there is more cowardice Scorne is the pretence but feare is the reason they cannot indure to bee disquieted and gall'd as a diseased or wounded horse cuâ—…vets and pranceth and is very actiue and impatient at first sight a man would thinke it pride and metall but the truth is t is paine and smart that causeth it Well then sinners are all cowards and would faine fly but even cowards themselves when they are shutin and surrounded will fight with more fiercenesse then other men even for very feare The basest vermin almost that is when shut out of all his refuges and holes will trie his strength before he will perish and leape in the face of his pursuer And this now is the property of the word to 〈◊〉 men in The Scripture saith the Apostle hath shut up all under sinnâ—… Gal. 3. 22. And we shall ever finde that the deeper the conviction hath been the more likewise hath beene the preiudice and the fiercer the Opposition against the word see Ier. 5. 5 12. 6. 10. 43. 1 2. Nehem. 9. 29 30. Ioh. 8. 48 59. Ioh. 11. 47 53. Act. 5. 33. Act. 6. 10 11. 7. 54. 57 58. Ier. 36. 23. 2. Chron. 36. 15 16 17. As in the meeting of two contrary streames if one prevaile not to carry away and over-rule the other there must needs arise a mighty noyse and rage in the conflict so is it in the wrestling and strife betweene the Spirit of God in the Word and the current of a mans owne corruptions the greater strength and manifestation of the Spirit the Word hath in it and the fewer corners and chinkes it leaves for sinne to escape at the more fierce must needes the opposition be if the word be not prevalent enough to turne the current Let us therfore beware whatever we do of snuffing or rebelling against the warnings which are giuen us out of the Word It is hard to kicke against the prickes there is no overcomming Gods Spirit a man may fall upon the stone but hee shall be broken by it if he be so strong and lift so hard as to move the stone it shall fall upon him and grinde him to powder Let us not resolve to baffle the ministers and to despise their message It is a sinne that leaves no remedy for a man to throw away the physicke to trample under foote the playster that should heale him Let us not thinke to blow away the Words of God as if they were but so much empty winde for the Lord saith that they shall become fire to devouâ—…e the adversaries Let us not distinguish Scripture to our owne humours nor accept or reject Gods Truth as will best consist with our owne resolutions but as it is the power of the Word to Captivate even rebelliousthoughts to the obedience of Christ so let us resolve to accept of every one of Gods righteous Commandements and to hate every false way to heare Christ and his Ministers in all things to answer to Gods severest cals even then when they make us tremble and doe astonish us as Saint Paul did Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe Even when the word affrights thee yet giue this honour to it not to reject it nor fly from it not to smother and suppresse it but to endure it to search thee and to submit thy selfe unto it This is a notable way to abate the Originall madnesse which is in thy heart Secondly as there is furor in madnesse so there is Amentia too A distemper in the Intellectuals as well as in the passions Every man that is throughly mad is a foole too And therefore the same originall word is translated in one place madnesse Luk. 6. 11. and in another place follie 2. Tim. 3. 9. Now this distemper is Twofold for either it is an universall privation
and defect of reason or at least it is an inconsistency a lubricitie a slipperinesse of reason And these are very deepe in the nature of a man folly is bound up in the heart of a childe and in spirituall things we are all children First there is an universall ignorance and inconsideratenesse of spirituall things in the nature of man he takes lesse notice of his condition then the very bruite beasts The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider The Stâ—…rke in the heavens knoweth her appointed time and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow but my people knoweth not the judgement of the Lord. The very dumbe Assereproved the madnesse of the Prophet as Saint Peter speakes And for this reason it is that we shall observe That frequent Apostrophe of God in the Prophets when he had wearied himselfe with crying to a deafe and re bellious people he turnes his speech and pleads before dumbe and inanimate Creatures Heare O Heavens and give eare O Earth nothing so farre from the voyce of the Prophet as the heavens nothing so dull and impenetrable as the earth and yet the heavens likelier to heare the earth likelier to listen and attend then the obdurate sinners Heare O ye mountaines the Lords controversie and ye strong foundations of the earth Nothing in the earth so immoveable as the mountaines nothing in the mountaines so impenetrable as the foundations of the mountaines and yet these are made more sensible of Gods pleadings and controversies then the people whom it concern'd The Creatures groane as the Apostle speakes under the burden and vanitie of the sinnes of men and men themselves upon whom sinne lies with a farre heavier burden boast and glory and rejoyce in it Of our selves we have no understanding but are foolish and sottish as the Prophet speakes we see nothing but by the light and the understanding which is given unto us we cannot have so much as a right thought of goodnesse The Apostle doth notably expresse this universall blindnesse which is in our nature Ephes. 4. 17. 18. Walke not as other Gentiles in the Vanitie of their minde having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God or from a godly life through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their Hearts First their minds are vaine the minde is the Seate of Principles of supreme primitive underived truths but saith he their mindes are destitute of all divine and spirituall principles Secondly their understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is darkened The understanding or Dianoeticall facultie is the seate of Conclusions and that is unable to deduce from spirituall principles if there were any in their mindes such sound and divine conclusions as they are apt to beget so though they know God which is a Principle yet this Principle was vaine in them for they conceiv'd of his glory basely by the similitude of foure footed beasts and creeping things they conceiv'd him an idle God as the Epicures or a God subject to fate and necessity as the Stoicks or a sinfull impuâ—…e God that by his example made uncleannesses religious as Saint Cyprian speakes one way or other they became vaine in their imaginations of him but secondly though they knew him yet the conclusions which they deduc'd from that Principle That he was to be worshipped c. were utterly unworthy his majesty They worshipped him ignorantly superstitiously not as became God they changed his truth into a lye Thirdly suppose their principles to be found their Conclusions from those principles to be naturall and proper yet all this is but speculation they still are without the end of all this spirituall prudence their hearts were blinded the heart is the Seate of knowledge practicall that by the Principles of the minde and the Conclusions of the understanding doth regulate and measure the Conversation but that was unable yea averse from any such knowledge for they held the truth of God in unrighteousnesse they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge they served the lusts of their owne hearts were given up to vile affections were filled with all unrighteousnesse and had pleasure in evill workers even when they did things which they knew deserved death and provoked judgement This is that universall defect which is in us by nature and very much of this remaines in the best of us Here then when we are not able to conceive the Lords purpose in his word though of it selfe it be all light when we finde with David that it is too excellent for us let us learne to bewaile that evill concupiscence of our nature which still fils our understandings with mists and puts a vaile before our faces The whole Booke of God is a pretious Mine full of unsearchable treasures and of all wisedome there is no scoria no refuse in it nothing which is not of great moment and worthy of speciall and particular observation and therefore much are we still to bewaile the unfaithfulnesse of our memories and understandings which retaine so little and understand lesse then they doe retaine If David were constrain'd to pray Open mine eyes to see more wonders in thy Law how much more are we to pray so too If there were a dampe of sinne in Davids heart that did often make his light dimme that did make him as abeast in understanding as himselfe complaines how much darkenesse then and disproportion is there betweene us and that blessed light Looke upon Heretiques old and new Marcions two gods a good and an evill Valentinians thirty and odde gods in severall lofts and stories worshippers of Caine worshippers of Iudas worshippers of the Serpent and a world of the like sottish impiecies nay amongst men that pretend more light to see the same Scriptures on both sides held and yet opinions as diametrally contrary as light and darkenesse one gospell in one place and another gospell in another to speake nothing of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and naevi those blemishes that are in the writings of the most rare and choisest instruments in Gods Church All these are notable evidences of that radicall blindnesse which is in our nature and is never here quite removed for if the light be not seene it is not for want of evidence but for want of sight Secondly consider the slipperinesse and inconsistencie of naturall reason in spirituall things it can never stay upon any holy notion And this is another kinde of madnesse Mad men will make a hundred relations but their reason cannot stand still nor goe through with any but roves from one thing to another and joynes together notions of severall subjects like a rope of sand some few lucid intervals they may haply have but they quickly returne to their frenzies againe This is the condition of our nature let a man enter upon
men change their glory for that which doth not profit forsake the Fountaine and hâ—…w outbroken Cisternes which will hold no water â—…owe nothing but winde and reape nothing but shame and reproach Our Saviour assures us that it is no valuable price to get the whole World by sione and Saint Austen hath assur'd us that the salvation of the World if possible oughtâ—…ot to be procurd by but an officious lie But now how many times doe we sinne even for base and dishonourable endâ—… lie for a farthing sweare for a complement swagger for a fashion flatter for a preferment murder for a revâ—…ge pawne our soules which are more worth then the whole frame of nature for a very trifle Seventhly all this evill hitherto staies at home but the great scandall that comes of sinne addes much to the life of it the perniciousnesse and offence of the example to others Scandall to the weake and that twofold an active scandall to mis-guide them Gal. 2. 14. 1. Cor. 8. 10. or a passive scandall to grieve them Rom. 14. 15. and beget in them jealousies and suspitions against our persons and professions Scandall to the wicked and that twofold also the one giving them occasion to blaspheme that holy Name and profession which we beare 2. Sam. 12. 14. 2. Cor. 6. 3. 4. 1. Pet. 2. 13. The other hardning and encouraging comforting and justifying them by our evill example Ezek. 16. 51 54. Eighthly the evill doth not reach to men onely but the scandall and indignity over-spreads the Gospell a great part of the life of sinne is drawne from the severall respects it hath to Gods will acknowledged When we sâ—…e not onely against the Law of Nature in our hearts but against the written Law nor onely against the truth but against the mercy and Spirit of God too this must be a heavy aggravation O what a hell must it bee to a soule in hell to recount so many Sabbaths God reached fâ—…rth his Word unto me so many Sermons he knock'd at my doore and beseeched me to be reconciled he woâ—…d me in his Word allured me by his promises expected me in much patience enriched me with the liberty of his owne pâ—…etious Oracles reached forth his blood to wash me poured forth his teares over me but against all this I have stopped the â—…are and pulled away the shoulder and hardned the heart and received all this grace in â—…ine and not withstanding all the raine which fell upon me continued barren still God might have cut me off in the wombe and made me there a brand of hell as I was by nature a Childe of wrath he might have brought me forth into the world out of the pale of his visible Church 〈◊〉 into a corrupted Synagogue or into a place full of ignorance atheisme and profanenesse but he hath cast my lot in a beautifull place and given me a goodly heritage and now hee requires nothing of me but to doe justly and worke righteousnesse and walke humbly before God and I requite evill for good to the hurt of mine owne soule Ninthly the manner of committing these sinnesis is full of life too Peradventure they are Kings have a court and regiment in my heart at best they will be Tyrants in mee they have been committed with much strength power service attendance with obstinacy frowardnesse perseverance without such sense sorrow or apprehension as things of so great a guiltinesse did require Lastly in good duties whereas grace should bee ever quick and operative make us conformable to our head walke worthy of our high calling and as becommeth godlinesse as men that have learned and received Christ how much unprofitablenesse unspiritualnesse distractions formality want of rellish failings intermissions deadnesse uncomfortablenesse do shew themselves How much flesh with spirit how much wantonnesse with grace how much of the world with the word how much of the weeke in the Sabbath how much of the bag or barne in the Temple how much superstition with the worship how wuch security with the feare how much vaine-glory in the honour of God in one word How much of my selfe and therefore how much of my sinne in all my services and duties which I performe These and a world the like aggravations serve to lay open the life of actuall sinnes Thus have I at large opened the first of the three things proposed namely that the spirit by opening the Rule doth convince men that they are in the state of sin both originall and actuall The next thing proposed was to shew what kinde of condition or estate the state of sinne is And here are two things principally remarkeable first it is an estate of most extreme impotency and disability unto any good Secondly of most extreme enmity against the holinesse and wayes of God First it is an estate of impotency and Disability to any good Paul in his pharisaicall condition thought himselfe able to live without blame Phil. 3. 6. But when the commandement came he found all his former moralities to have been but dung Our naturall estate is without any strength Rom. 5. 6. so weake that it makes the Law it selfe weake Rom. 8. 3. as unable to doe the workes of a spirituall as a dead man of a naturall life for wee are by nature Dead in sinne Eph. 2. 1. and held under by it Rom. 7. 6. And this is a wofull aggravation of the state of sinne that a man lies in mischiefe 1. Ioh. 5. 19. as a carkasse in rottennesse and dishonour without any power to deliver himselfe He that raised up Lazarus out of his grave must by his owne voyce raise up us from sinne The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of man and they that heare shall live Ioh. 5. 25. All men are by nature strangers to the life of God Eph. 4. 18. and sorreiners from his household Eph. 2. 19. Able without him to doe Nothing no more then a branch is to beare any fruit when it is cut of from the fellowship of the roote which should quicken it Ioh. 15. 4. 5. In me saith the Apostle that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. a man is as unable to breake through the debt of the Law or his subjection to death and bondage as a beast to shake of his yoke Act. 15. 10. or a dead man his funerall clothes Ioh. 11. 44. In one word so great is this impotencie which is in us by sinne that we are not sufficient to thinke a good thing 2. Cor. 3. 5. not able to understand a good thing nor to comprehend the light when it shines upon us 1. Cor. 2. 14. Ioh. 1. 5. Our tongues unable to speake a good word How can yee being evill speake good things Matth. 12. 34. Our eares unable to heare a good word To whom shall I speake and give warning that they may heare behold their eare is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken Ier. 6. 10. our whole man
O thou whom my Soule loveth where thou lodgest at noone When Ezekiah could not pray he chatter'd and peep'd and when thou art not able to speake thy desires the Spirit can forme thy sighs into prayers Lastly when still thou art heavie and in darknesse flie to thy Faith take Iobs resolution though he slay me with discomforts yet I will trust in him angry though he may be yet hee cannot be unfaithfull though hee may like Ioseph conceale his affection for a time yet impossible it is that he should shut up his compassions and renounce the protection of such as in truth depend upon him Who is there amongst you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his Servant that walketh in darkenesse and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Esay 50. 10. God will ever have us so much Conscious of our owne defects and sensible of our owne disabilities as that wee may still runne to the Sanctuary of our Faith and rest on him not glory or rely upon our selves And now if our Impotencie drive us to the grace of Christ make us more vâ—…e in our owne eyes and crie out with the Apostle of our owne wretchednesse there may be as much life and obedience All over as when this or that particular duty was performed with more vigor for that which was wanting in our strength may be made up in our humilitie and this is a sure rule God is more praysed and delighted in those graces unto which humilitie doth more essentially belong as Faith Spirituall sense of our owne disabilities and the like then in any others And thus as a small heape of gold may be equall in value to a greater of silver so though in other regards we should be many times weake yet if the sense of that make us more humble and the lesse holdfast wee have of any thing in our selves make us take the faster hold of the hope that is set before us we may be equally acceptable in the sight of God who doth not Iudge of us according to our sense of our selues but hath respect to the lowlinesse of his Servants and of their Graces The second thing I wil but name having largely insisted upon it from another Text that is that the estate of sin is an estate of enmitie against God and his wayes this is amongst other characters of wicked men by nature that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haters of God Rom. 1. 30. and Enemies of the crosse of Christ by minding earthly things Phil. 3. 18. 19. and this by nature is universall the Apostle useth three expressions for the same thing when we were sinners when we were without strength and when we were enemies Rom. 5. 6 8 10. to note that Impotencie and Eâ—…itie is as wide as sinne and therefore else where he saith that we were enemies by wicked workes Col 1. 21. And our Saviour maketh it all one not to love him and not to keepe his sayings Ioh. 14. 24. and to refuse subjection unto him and to be his enemie Luk. 19. 27. The very mindes of men and their wisedome their purest faculties their noblest operations that wherein they retaine most of the Image of God still is yet sensuall earthly fleshly divellish enmity against him Iam. 3. 15. Rom. 8. 7. In a word Wee are by Nature enemies to the Will of God by rejecting his Word Ier. 6. 10 8 9 1 19 44 16. 2. Chron. 36 16. Zech. 7. 11. Matth. 23. 37. Act. 13. 45. 46. Enemies to the Spirit of God by withstanding his Operations Act. 7. 51. Gal. 5. 17. Act. 6. 9. 10. Enemies to the Notions of God by disliking and suppressing the thoughts and knowledge of him Rom. 1. 18 21 28. Rom. 3. 11. Enemies to the righteousnesse of God by setting up our owne workes and merits Rom 9. 32. 1. Cor. 1. 23. Enemies to the wayes of God by fulfilling our owne lusts and wicked workes Col. 1. 21. Iob. 21. 14 15. Enemies to the Servants of God in persecutions and cruell workings c. Ioh. 15. 19. 2. Tim. 3. 3. Esai 8. 18. Zech. 3. 8. Gal. 4. 29. Heb. 11. 36. And how should the consideration of this fetch us in to the righteousnesse of Christ make us fall downe and adore that mercie which spared and pittied us when we were his enemies Consider but two things First what an vngratefull thing Secondly what a foolish thing it is to be Gods enemies as every man is that continues in sinne without returning unto him First how ungratefull He is our Father Adam the Sonne of God Luk. 3. 38. and therefore there is due unto him Honor He is our Master and therefore there is due unto him feare and service He is our Benefactor He left not himselfe without a witnesse All we are All we enioy is from him He is the Fountaine of our life It is his mercy that we are not consumed his compassions faile not Therefore there is due unto him Love and Reverence He is our Purchaser He bought us out of bondage when wee had sould away our selves therefore there is due unto him Fealty and Homage nay he humbled himselfe in Christ to bee our Brother to be our Husband He tooke our ragges our sores our diseases and paines upon him and therefore there is due unto him all Fidelity and Obedience O what an aggravation will this be against the sinnes of men at the Last day that they have beene committed against the Mercie and Patience against the Bountie and Purchase nay against the very Consanguinitie of God himselfe Hee died for us when we were Enemies and we will continue Enemies against him that died for us And yet the folly is as great as the impietie Consider what God is The Iudge of all the World All Eye to see All Eare to heare All Hand to finde out and punish the sinnes and provocations that are done unto him A Iealous God and jealousie is most impatient of disaffection A consuming fire and who amongst us can dwell with devouring fire who amongst us can dwell with everlasting burnings Doe we provoke the Lord to Iealousie are wee stronger then hee Saint Paul hath resolv'd his owne question before as long as wee are Enemies wee are without strength And now for the Clay to contend with the Potter for the Postheard to smite the Rocke for impotencie to stand up against Omnipotencie what a madnesse is it Let us learne wisedome from our Saviours parable Consider whether wee with our tenne thousand are able to goe out against him that meeteth us with twentie thousand whether wee with our ten thousand flies and lusts are able to meete him with twentie thousand Angels and Iudgements And when we are indeed convinc'd that in his presence no flesh living shall be justified that it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the Living God that our hands will not be
cannot cease from sinne Now where there is All of a strong thing that must needes be exceeding strong If all the foure windes should meete together in their full strength what mountaines would they not roote up by the foundation What a mighty rage and strength is there in the sea onely because it is full of waters and All water belongs unto it Who is able to looke upon the sunne or endure the brightnesse of that glorious Creature onely because it is Full of light the same reason is in fleshly lusts they are very strong in us because our nature is full of them and because all their fulnesse is in our nature Now this strength which is thus made up of so many ingredients doth further appeare in the Effects of it which are these Three all comprised in the generall word of Obeying it in the Lusts thereof which denotes a full uncontroled Power in sin First the somenting entertaining cherishing of lust shaping of it delighting in it consenting unto it when a man doth joine himselfe to sin and setle himselfe upon it set his heart to it and respect it in his heart and studie consult it and resolve upon it Secondly Executing of it and bringing into act the suggestions of the flesh thus conceived yeelding to the commands drudging in the service drawing iniquitie with cords and cartropes resigning both heart and hand to the obedience of sin Thirdly Finishing it going on without wearinesse or murmuring without repenting or repining in the waies of Lust running in one constant chanell till like the waters of Iordan the soule drop into the dead lake All these three Saint Iames hath put together to shew the gradations and the danger of fleshly Lusts. Euery man is Tempted when he is drawne away of his owne Lusts and enticed Lust when it hath Conceiued bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is Finished bringeth forth Death First there is the Suggestion Lust draweth away and enticeth Secondly the Conception and formation in the delight and consent of the will Thirdly the Execution and bringing into act Fourthly the Consummation and accomplishment of Lust filling vp the measure going on vnweariedly to the last till there is no hope and so abusing the patience and long suffering of God unto destruction Sinne growes till it be ripe for the slaughter now if men in the interim cut off their sinnes and turne to God before the decree be sealed before he stirre up all his wrath and will suffer his Spirit no longer to strive if they cōsecrate that litle time strength they have left to Gods Service then the kingdome of sin is pull'd downe in them To this purpose is the Counsell of Daniel to Nebuchadnezar That he should breake off his sinnes by righteousnesse and his iniquities by shewing mercie to the poore that is he should relinquish those sins which were most predominant in him his unjustice and oppression and tyrannie against poore men thus Paul preached of righteousnesse and temperance and judgement to come to Felix a corrupt and lascivious Governor by that meanes his tranquillitie should be lengthened not by way of merit for a theefe deserves no pardon because he gives over stealing but by way of mercie and favour Hitherto I have but shewed that sin is a strong king But this is not enough to d◅ive men to Christ which is my principall scope It is further required that men bee Convinc'd of being under this power of sinne The first use then which I shall shew you may bee made of this Doctrine is for Conviction and tryall of the raigne of sinne in our selves for the more distinct expediting whereof I shall propose these three cases to be resolved First whether sin may raigne in a Regenerate man so as that this power and kingdome of sinne shall consist with the righteousnesse of Christ Secondly How wicked men may be Convinc'd that sinne raignes in them and what difference there is betweene the power of sinne in them and in the regenerate Thirdly why every sinne doth not raigne in every unregenerate man For the first of these we must remember in the generall that sinne doth then raigne when a man doth obey it in the lusts thereof when he doth yeelde up himselfe to execute all the commands of sinne when he is held under the power of Sathan and of darkenesse And for the regenerate wee must likewise note what Saint Paul and Saint Iohn have spoken in generall of this point Sinne shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace saith Saint Paul when a man is delivered from the Obligations of the Law he is then delivered from the strength of sinne for the strength of sinne is the Law And he that is borne of God sinneth not neither can sinne saith Saint Iohn that is cannot obey sinne in all the lusts and commands thereof as a servant to sinne from which service hee hath ceased by being borne of God for no man can bee Gods Sonne and sinnes servant for we are to distinguish betweene doing the worke of sinne and obeying sinne in the lusts thereof As a man may doe divine workes and yet not ever in obedience to God so a man may be subject as a Captiue in this or that particular tyrannie of sinne who is not obedient as a servant to all the governement of sinne for that takes in the whole will and an Adequate submission thereof to the peaceable and uncontroll'd power of sinne Let us then inquire how farre the power of sinne may discover itselfe in the most regenerate First the best have flesh about them and that flesh where ever it is worketh and rebelleth against the Spirit of Christ so that they cannot doe the things which they would Secondly this flesh is of itselfe indifferent to great sinnes as well as to small and therefore by some strong temptation it may prevaile to carrie the Saints unto great sins as it did David Peter and others Thirdly this fleshis as much in the will as in any other part of regenerate men and therefore when they commit great sinnes they may commit them with consent delight and willingnesse of heart Fourthly this flesh is in their members as well as in their wills and therefote they may actuate and execute those wills of sinne which they have consented unto Fifthly we confesse that by these sinnes thus committed the Conscience of a regenerat man is wasted and wounded and overcome by the power of sinne and such a particular grievous Guilt contracted as must first bee washed away by some particular repentance before that man can be againe qualified to take actuall possession of his inheritance or to be admitted unto glory In which case that of the apostle is most certaine that the very righteous shall scarsely be saved For wee are to note that as some things may indispose a man for the present use or dispossesse him of the
build uâ—…grounded presumptions of safety to it sâ—…lfe by the fellowship of such whom it conceives to be in a good condition Thirdly they involve themselves in the common calamities with those with whom they communicate It Israel had not separated themselves from Egypt by the blood of the Paschall Lambe but hâ—…d communicated with them in their idolatâ—…y they should have felt the sword of the destroying Angell in their houses as well as the Egyptians If upon hostility betweene nations warning be given by an adversary to all strangers to voyde the place which he commeth against and they take not the summons though of themselves they bee no way engaged upon the quarrell yet being promiscuously mingled with the conquer'd people they also shall share in the common calamity and become captives with the rest so good men by communion with the wicked are involved in the generall miseries of those with whom they communicate Fourthly they betray the safety and tranquillitie of the Church and state wherein they live for they under Christ are the foundations of the common wealth their prayers establish the Princes throne their cryes hold God fast and will not let him alone to destroy a people If the Salt bee infatuated every thing must be unsavoury if the foundations faile what can the people doe Now lastly in the words of the Text the Apostle shewes the aptnesse of the promises to clense and purifie and that therefore they to whom they are made do mis-imploy and neglect them if they purifie not themselves from all that filthynesse of flesh and spirit which by communion with the wicked they were apt easily to contract I shall not trouble you with any division of the words but observe out of them the point I have proposed Touching the pollution and filthinesse of sinne and inferre other things in the Text by way of corolarie and application unto that The wise man saith That God made all things beautifull in their time and then much more man whom hee created after his owne Image in righteousnesse and holynesse with an universall harmony rectitude in soule and body Hee never said of any of the Creaâ—…ures Let uâ—… make it after our oâ—…ne Image as he did of Man and yet the Creatures have no more beautie in them then thâ—…y have footesteps of the power wisedome and goodnesse of him that made them How much more beautifull then was the soule of man for whose service this whole glorious frame was erected and who was filled with the knowledge and love of all Gods revealed Will Now sinne brought confusion disorder vanity both upon the whole Creation and upon the Image of God in Men and Angels What thing more glorious then an Angell what more hideous then a Devill and it was nothing but sinne which made an Angell a Divell What thing more beautifull and benigne then Heaven what more horrid and mercilesse then Hell and yet it was sin which drew a Hell out of Heaven even fire and brimstone upon Gods enemies What more excellent and befitting the hands of such a workman then an universall fulnesse and goodnesse in the whole frame of nature What more base and unserviceable then emptinesse and disorder And it is sinne which hath put chinkes into all the Creatures to let out their vertue and hath brought vanitie and vexation of Spirit upon all things under the Sunne In one word what more honourable then to obtaine the end for which a thing is made What more abhorrid then to subsist in a condition infinitely more wofull then not to be and it is sin only which shall one time or other make all impenitent sinners wish rather to bee hurried into that fearefull gulfe of annihilation and to be swallowed up in everlasting forgetfulnesse then live with those markes of vengeance under those mountainous and unsupportable pressures which their sinnes will bring upon them When we looke into the Scriptures to finde out there the resemblances of sinne wee finde it compar'd to the most loath some of things To the blood and pollution of a new borne childe before it bee cut washed salted or swadled Ezek. 16. 6. To the rottennesse of a man in his Grave The whole world lieth in mischiefe and sinne 1. Ioh. 5. 19. even as a dead man in the slime and rottennesse of his Grave To that noysome steame and poysonous exhalation which breath s from the mouth of an open sepulcher their throat is an open sepulcher Roâ—… 3. 13. that is out of their throate proceedeth nothing but stinking and rotten communication as the Apostle cals it Eph. 4. 29. To the nature of Vipers Swine and Dogges Luk. 3. 7. 2. Pet. 2. 20. To the dung or garbage the poyson sting excrements vomit of these filthy creatures to a roote of bitternesse which defiloth many Heb. 12 15. to thorns and briers which bring forth no other fruites but cuâ—…ses Heb. 6. 8. To the excrements of mettals drosse and reprobate silver Ier. 6. 28. Ezek. 22 18. To the excrements of a boyling pot a great scumme Ezek. 24. 11. 12. To the worst of all diseases sores Esai 1. 6. Rottennesse 2. Tim. 3. 8. Gangrenes or leaprosies 2. Tim. 2. 17. Plague and pestilâ—…nee 1. King 8. 38. The menstruousnesse of a removed woman Ezek. 36. 17. To a vessell in which there is no pleasure which is but the modest expression of that draught into which nature emptieth it selfe Hos. 8. 8. And which is the summe of all uncleannesse sinne in the heart is compar'd to the fire of hell Iam. 3. 6. So that the pure eyes of God doe loath to see and his nostrils to smell it Zach. 11. 8. Amos. 5. 21. It makes all those that have eyes open and judgements rectified to abhoâ—…re it in otâ—…ers The wicked is an abomination to the righteous Prov. 29. 27. When desperate wretches poure out their oâ—…thes and execrâ—…tions against Heaven scorne and persecute the Word of Grace count it basenesse and cowardise not to dare to bee desperately wicked then every true heart mournes for their pride compassionates their misery defies their solicitations declines their companies and courses even as most infectious serpentine and hellish exhalations which poison the ayâ—…e and putrifie the earth upon which they â—…reade And when God gives a man eyes to looke inward unridgeth the Conscience unbo welleth the heart stirreth up by his Word the sinke which is in every mans bosome makes him smell the carrion of his owne dead workes the uncleannesse of his evill Conscience the filthinesse of his Nature every man is then constrained to abhorre himselfe to be loathsome in his owne sight and to stoppe his nose at the poyson of his owne sores Ezek. 36. 31. For the more particular discovery of this Truth let us first looke upon the best workes of the best men Though we say not that they are sins and in naturarei culpable as our adversaries charge us yet so much evill doth adhere unto
comprehending the head and the members in the unitie of one body So then every Promise carrying us to that Vnitie which we have with Christ by his spirit who is therefore call'd a spirit of Adoption because he vesteth us with the sonneship of Christ and a spirit of holinesse and renovation because he sanctifieth us by the resurrection of Christ doth thereby purifie us from dead workes and conforme the members to the Head building them up in an holy Temple and into an habitation of God through that spirit by whom we are in Christ. In one word Our interest in the Promises is grounded upon our being in Christ and being one with him and our being in him is the ground of our purification Every branch in me that bringeth forth fruite my father purgeth that it may bring forth more fruite And in this respect the promises may be said to purifie as still carrying us to our interest in Christ in whom they are founded Fifthly and lastly the Promises are causes of our purification as Exemplars patterns and seeds of purity unto us For the Promises are in themselves Exceeding great and pretious Every Word of God is pure and tryed like gold seven times in the fire it is right and cleane and true and altogether righteous and therefore very lovely and attractive apt to sanctifie and cleanse the soule Sanctifie them by thy truth saith Christ thy Word is truth and againe Now ye are cleane through the Word which I have spoken unto you For the Word is Seed and seede a similates earth and dirt into its owne pure and cleane nature So by the Word there is a trans-elementation as it were and conforming of our foule and earthie nature to the spiritualnesse of it selfe Therefore the Apostle useth this for an argument why the regenerate cannot siâ— namely in that universall and complete manner as others doe because they have the seed of God abiding in them that is his Word Spirit and Promises abating the strength of lust and swaying them to a contrary point For thus the Word of promise makes a mans heart to argue Hath God of meere Grace made assurance of so pretious things to me who by nature am a filthy and uncleane Creature obnoxious to all the curses and vengeance in his booke Hath he wrought so great deliverance and laid up such unsearchable riches for my soule and should I againe breake his Commandements and joyne in the abominations of other men Would he not be angry till he had consumed me so that there should be no escaping Should I not rather labour to feele the comforts and power of these Promises encouraging mee to walke worthy of so great meroy and so high a calling to walke meete for the participation of the Inheritance of the Saints in light Shall I that am reserv'd to such honour live in the meane time after the lusts of the Gentiles who have no hope Hath God distinguished me by his Spirit and Promises from the world and shall I confound my selfe againe Shall I requite evill for good to the hurt of mine owne soule These and the like are the reasonings of the heart from the beauty and purity of the Promises Thirdly and lastly Promises are Arguments to inferre our Purification because in many of them that is the very Matter of which they consist and so the power and fidelity of God is engag'd for our Purification I will clense them from all their iniquity whereby they haue sinned against me saith the Lord. And againe I will sprinkle cleane water vpon you and you shall be cleane from all your filthinesse and from all your idoles will I clense you c. And againe They shall not defile themselues any more with their idoles nor with their detestable things nor with any of their transgressions but I will save them and I will cleanse them And againe I will heale their backeslidings I will Love them freely The Lord will wash away the filth of the daughters of Sion purge the bloud of Ierusalem from the midst thereof by the Spirit of Iudgement and by the spirit of burning Which Promises bringing along the fidelity and power of God to our faith doe settle our hearts amidst all the corruptions and impotencies of our nature When the conscience is once throughly acquainted with the sight of its owne foulnesse with the sense of that life and power which is in concupiscence it findes it then a great difficultie to rest in any hope of having lusts either subdued or forgiuen The Psalmist when his sore ranne and ceased not refused to be comforted thought himselfe cast out of Gods fauour as if his mercies were exhausted and his promises come to an end and his compassions were shut up and would shew themselves no more Therefore in this case the Lord carries our Faith to the consideration of his Power Grace and Fidelity which surpasseth not onely the knowledge but the very coniectures and contrivances of the hearts of men The Apostle saith That Christ was declared to be the Sonne of God with power according to the Spirit of holinesse by the resurrection from the dead That Spirit which raised Him from the dead is therefore called a spirit of Holinesse because the sanctifying of a sinner is a resurrection and requires the same power to effect it which raised Christ from the dead When Saint Paul had such a bitter conflict with the thorne in his flesh the vigor and stirrings of concupiscence within him he had no refuge nor comfort but onely in the sufficiencie of Gods grace which was able in due time to worke away and purge out his lusts And the prophet makes this an argument of Gods great power above all other Gods that he subdueth iniquities and blotteth out transgressions Though wee know not how this can be done that such dead bones soules that are even rotten in their sinnes should be cleansed from their filthinesse and live againe yet he knowes and therefore when wee are at a stand and know not what to doe to Cure our lusts then wee may by faith fix our Eyes upon him whose grace power wisedome fidelity is all in these his promises put to gage for our purification Thus wee see how promises in generall doe worke to the Cleansing of us from filthinesse of flesh and spirit The same might at large be shewed in many particulars I will but name those in the words before the Text to which it referres The Lord promiseth to Dwell in us as in spirituall Temples and this proves that wee ought to keepe our selues Cleane that wee may be fit habitations for so Dovelike and pure a spirit Flee forâ—…ication saith the Apostle why know you not that your bodie is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you therefore glorifie God in your bodies and spirits for they are Gods And againe If any man defile the Temple of God
he must come And now when we have Christ how carefull should we be to keepe Him how tender and watchfull over all our behaviours towards Him lest Hee be grieved and depart againe The Spirit of the Lord is a delicate spirit most sensible of those injuries which his friends doe him Let us therefore take heede of violating afflicting discouraging grieving this Spirit which is the bond of all our union and interest with Christ in any of those his sacred breathings and operations upon the Soule But when He teacheth let us submit and obey receive the beleefe and the love of His Truth when He promiseth let us neither distrust nor despise but embrace as true and admire as pretious all the offers which He makes to us when Hee contends with our lusts in His Word and secret suggestions let him not alwayes strive but let us give up our fleshly affections to bee crucified by Him when Hee woes and invites us when Hee offers to lead and to draw us let us not stop the eare or pull away the shoulder or draw backward like froward children or cast cold water in the face of Grace by thwarting the motions and rebelling against the dictates thereof but let us yeeld our selves unto Him captivate all our lusts and consecrate all our powers and submit all our desires to His rule and government and then when Hee hath beene a Spirit of union to incorporate us into Christs Body and a Spirit of unction to sanctifie us with His Grace Hee will undoubtedly bee a Spirit of comfort and assurance to seale us unto the day of our full redemption THE LIFE OF CHRIST PHILIP 3. 10. That I may know Him and the Power of His Resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings THe purpose of the Apostle in this place is to arme the church of the Philippians against those false Iudaizing Teachers that Confounded Christ and Moses Circumcision and the Gospell together This he doth by Arguments Personall from men and by arguments reall from the matter it selfe Arguments Personall are first from the disposition quality End of those false teachers whom he describes ver 3. They are evill trees and therefore no great heed to be given to the fruits they beare to the doctrines they obtrude They are Dogs uncleane beasts that barke onely for their bellies and doe not onely barke but watch their times to bite too They are Euill workers though they come like fellow workers with Christ pretending much strictnes in the edification of the Church yet indeed their businesse is only to pull downe and to pervert They are the Concision where the Apostle by an Iâ—…onicall paranomasia shewes the end of their doctrines They preach indeed Circumcision but their businesse is schisme and Concision In the Law it was Circumcision Gods ordinance but now being by Christ abolished it is nothing at all but a bare Concision or cutting of the flesh and will in the Event prove a rent and schisme in the Church The Second personall Argument is taken from the Apostles owne condition who neither by nature nor Education was an enemie to legall Ceremonies who in all points had as great reason to vindicate the Law and to boast in fleshly priuiledges as any of those False Teachers ver 4. He was by nature an Israelite of the whole bloud as well as they by Education of the strictest sect of all a pharise by custome and practice a persecutor of the Church under that very name because the law he had been bred under was engdanger'd by that new way and in his course of life altogether unblameable in regard of legall Obedience and observations and lastly in his opinions touching them he counted them gainfull things and rested upon them for his salvation till the Lord opened his eyes to see the light of the Glorious Gospell of God in the face of Iesus Christ. The arguments from the matter are first from the Substance of which Circumcision was the shadow Wee are the Circumcision who worship God in the spirit and reioyce in Christ Iesus c. Vers. 3. They boast in the flesh they have a Concision but we are the Circumcision because we have the fruite and Truth of Circumcision the spirituall worship of God which is opposite to externall Ceremonies Ioh. 4. 23. Secondly from the plenitude and all sufficiencie of Christ which stands not in neede of any legall accession to peece it out and this the Apostle shewes by his owne practise and experience What things were 〈◊〉 to me those I counted losse for Christ because they were things that kept him from Christ before and he repeats the same words Confidently againe that he might not to be thought to have spoken them unaduisedly or in a heate yea doubtles and I count all things but losse for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things As a merchant in a tempest is contented to Suffer the losse of all his goods to redeeme his life or rather as a man will be content to part with all his owne beggerly furniture for a Iewell of greate value Math. 13. 44. Onely here wee are to note that the Apostle did not suffer the losse of them quoad Substantiam in regard of the Substance of the duties but quoad qualitatem et officium Iustificandi in regard of that dependance and Expectation of happines which he had from them before Neither did he onely Suffer the losse of them as a man may doe of things which are excellent in themselves and use as a merchant throwes his wares out of the ship when yet he dearly loves the and delights in theÌ„ but he shews what estimation he had of them I count them dung that I may win Christ I Count them then filthy carrion so the word signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 garbage and filth that is thrown out to dogs things which dogs such as he describes these false teachers to be may delight in but the spirit of God in a sincere hart cannot relish nor sauor in comparison of Christ. And may be found in him when I shall appeare before the face of God or may finde in him All that I loose for him that is a most plentifull recompence for any legall commodities which I part from for his sake not Having mine owne righteousnesse c. Here the Apostle distinguisheth of a twofold Righteousnesse Legall which is a mans owne because a man must come by it by working himselfe Rom. 10. 5. And Evangelicall which is not a mans owne but the righteousnes of God Rom. 3. 21. 22. Freely given to us by grace through Christ. That I may know Him c. That I may have the Experience of his Grace and mercy in Iustifying me frely by faith through the vertue of his suffrings and resurrection Here then we have these two things set down first the Pretiousnesse secondly the nature of
Saving Faith The Pretiousnesse is in the whole scope of the place for the words are a comparative speech where faith is preferd before all legall or morall performances The nature is open'd by the Act of it Knowledge and the Obiect the vertue of Christs Resurrection and the fellowship of his Sufferings Touching the former of these two the scope of the Apostle in this place is to shew that faith is the most pretious and excellent gift of God to a Christian man So it is Expresly called by Saint Peter a pretious faith 2. Pet. 1. 1. For understanding of which point mee must note that faith may be Consider'd in a double respect Either as it is a Qualitie inherent in the Soule or as an Instrument whereby the Soule apprehendeth some other thing Now in the same thing there is much difference betwene it selfe as a Qualitie and as an Instrument Heate as a Qualitie can only produce the like quality againe but as an Instrument of the Sunne it can produce life and sense things of more excellency then the Quality it selfe Faith as a Quality is noe better then other graces of the spirit but as an Instrument so it hath a Quickning quality which noe other Grace hath The iust shall live by Faith Heb. 10. 38. This pretiousnesse of Faith is seene chiefely in two respects First in regard of the Obiects and secondly in regard of the Offices of it First Faith hath the most pretitious and excellent object of any other Christ and his Truth and promises Herein saith the Apostle God commended His Love in that when we were sinners Christ died Rom. 5. 8. This was the soveraigne and most excellent love token and testification of divine favor that ever was sent from Heaven to men God so loved the world so superlatively so beyond all measure or apprehension that He gave His Sonne Ioh. 3 16. There is such a compasse of all dimensions in Gods love manifested through Christ such a heigth and length and breadth and depth as makes it exceede all knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. It is exceeding unsearchable riches In one word that which faith lookes upon in Christ is the price the purchase and the promises which we have by Him The price which made satisfaction unto God the purchase which procured Salvation for us and the promises which comfort and secure us in the certaintie of both and all these are pretious things The blood of Christ pretious blood 1. Pet. 1. 18. The promises of Christ pretious promises 2. Pet. 1. 4. And the purchase of Christ a very exceeding and aboundant weight of Glorie 2. Cor. 4. 17. But it may be objected Have not other Graces the same object as well as Faith Doe we not love Christ and feare Him and hope in Him and desire Him as well as Beleeve in Him True indeede but heerein is the excellencie of Faith that it is the first grace which lookes towards Christ. Now the Scripture useth to commend things by their order precedencie As the women are commended for comming first to the Sepulcher the messenger which brings the first tidings of good things is ever most welcome the servant who is neerest his masters person is esteemed the best man in that order so Faith being the first grace that brings tidings of Salvation the neerest Grace to Christs Person is therefore the most excellent in regard of the obiect Secondly Faith is the most pretious Grace in regard of the offices of it Though in its inherent and habituall qualification it be no more noble then other graces yer in the offices which it executeth it is farre more excellent then any Two pieces of parchment and waxe are in themselves of little or no difference in value but in their offices which they beare as instruments or patents one may as farre exceede the other as a mans life exceedes his lands for one may bee a pardon of life the other a lease of a Cottage One man in a Citie may in his personall estate be much inferiour to another yet as an Officer in the Citie hee may have a great precedence and distance above him Compare a piece of gold with a seale of silver or brasse and it may have farre more worth in it selfe yet the seale hath an Office or Relative power to ratifie covenants of far more worth then the piece of gold so is it betweene Faith and other Graces Consider Faith in its inherent properties so it is not more noble then the rest but consider it as an instrument by God appointed for the most noble offices so is it the most superlative and excellent grace These offices which are to it peculiar I take it are principally these three The first to unite to Christ and give possession of Him The Apostle prayes for the Ephesians that Christ may dwell in their hearts by Faith Eph 3. 17. Wealth in the Mine doth no good at all till it be sever'd and appropriated to persons and uses Water in the Fountaine is of no service unto me till it be conveyed thence to mine owne Cisterne the light of the Sunne brings no comfort to him who hath no eyes to injoy it So though Christ be a Mine full of excellent and unsearchable riches a Fountaine full of comforts and refreshments a Sunne of righteousnesse a Captaine and Prince of Life and Salvation yet till Hee is made ours till there bee some bond and communion betweene Him and us we remaine as poore and miserable as if this Fountaine had never beene opened noâ—… this Mine discovered Now this Vnion to and Communion with Christ is on our part the worke of Faith which is as it were the spirituall joynt and ligament by which Christ and a Christian are coupled In one place wee are said to live by Christ Because I live saith he you shall live also Ioh. 14. 19. In another by Faith The Iust shall live by Faith Heb. 10. 38. How by both By Christ as the Fountaine By Faith as the pipe conveying water to us from the fountaine By Christ as the Foundation By Faith as the Cement knitting us to the foundation By Christ as the Treasure By Faith as the clue which directs as the Keye which opens and let us in to that Treasure This the Apostle explaines in the former place where he shewes by what meanes Faith makes us liue namely by giving us an enterance and approach to Christ for he opposeth Faith to drawing backe vers 19. 30. Noting that the proper worke of Faith is to carry us unto Christ as our Saviour Himselfe expoundeth beleeving in Him by comming unto Him Ioh. 6. 64. 65. Therefore the Apostle puts both together not I but Christ liveth in mee and the life which I live I live by the Faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. Faith is compared to eating and drinking Ioh. 6. and we know there is no sense requires such an intimate and secret union to its object as that of