〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was made flesh q Io. 1.14 and hee the God r Rom. 15.5 of all consolation but of him the Prophet speaketh not here the sure word of prophecie there is also which was vnto Ieremie hauing found and eaten it the verie ioy and reioycing of his heart ſ Ier. 15.16 Dauid made his heart an hiding place for it t Psal 119 11. so became it a Sanctuarie for him yea a fortresse against the assaults of Satan and during the obsession Ammunition for his soule u Coloss 3.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle of Christ All and in all Therefore stiled Sermo Inscriptus Insititius Many good words and comfortable words in the little Booke which we hold in our hand but the word which comforteth is The Inscribed Word The Ingrafted Word 1. Sermo inscriptus Sermo consolatorius inscriptus sermo The word inscribed and written not with inke but with the spirit of the the liuing God x 2 Cor. 3.3 not in Tables of stone or books like this but in the fleshie Tables of the heart the heart mollified the spirit sent into it which writeth therein the comforting word euen the word of grace in the New Couenant i. worketh within the heart a disposition correspondent to the word which commeth y Io. 10.35 and the grace which appeareth x Tit. 2.11 As face to face in a glasse or in the waters as Tally to Tally as Indenture to Indenture as the Impression in the Wax to the Seale that made the same so the holy disposition which is The Consolation answereth to the word which is in the heart written yea grauen by the spirit of God as letters in marble neuer wearing out Let a man therefore examine himselfe and brethren proue your owne selues whether such a disposition and correspondence to the Word be in you yea or no If your heart and the word meet as friends euen as mercie and truth and kisse each other as righteousnesse peace a Psal 85.10 If your heart close with the word as the clay with the mold and the inke to the paper fixt and faire without any blurre or foule fault quarrell or difference It is inscribed it is the word which comforteth in affliction but if enmitie be put betweene or if your heart and the word looke as enemies the one vpon the other no comfort is therein nor in the affliction 2. Sermo insititius Sermo consolatorius The word of consolation S. Iames calleth the ingrafted word b Iam. 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which when Paul planteth c 1 Cor. 3.6 he cleanseth 1. the stocke 2. maketh insition 3. inserteth the impe 4. closeth it about 5. fenceth it finally expecteth fruit Suffer me to reuiew and open these vnto you that your eyes opened by the euidence produced yee may see the things that pertaine to your peace in your warfare on the earth 1. The stocke which is the heart is to bee cleansed foule it is in all all filthinesse and superfluitie of naughtinesse about it which is to be laid aside d Iam. 1.21 with all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and enuies and euill speakings e 1 Pet. 2.2 or else the sincere word will bee turned aside If the stomack rise the soule bee lifted vp f Hab. 2.4 when the heauenly husbandman about to plant the word is about to purge the stocke If any rancor or excrescencie of malice bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour be g Ephes 4.31 Now hee striketh mee he intendeth mee hee cutteth mee who can heare him who can endure him Aërem coedit Hee beateth the aire hee washeth the Aethiopian his labour is in vaine Cut to the heart ye know who were with the words of Stephen and to what effect h Act. 7.54 who were pricked and healed by the same Word receiued with meeknesse ye also know i Act. 2 37. verily as the Apostle of him that praying wauereth like a waue of the sea driuen with the wind and tossed k Iam. 1.6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let not that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord So may we of the man that hearing the word and hauing it nigh him paring or pricking or cutting or cleauing him to bee ingrafted in him is like the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast vp mire and dirt l Isa 57.20 is moued wexeth angrie flingeth it off in furie and kicketh against pricks Non existimet homo ille Let not that man think that the word shall bee or possiblie can be in him doing thus effectually ingrafted Qui aurem audiendi habet He that hath an eare to heare let him heare and heare yee it my beloued brethren if yee would receiue the ingrafted word for your comfort in that day sanctifie your selues and cleanse your selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit m 2 Cor. 7.1 prepare your heart or as Ieremie phraseth it n Ier. 4.14 wash your heart from the desperate wickednesse and deceitfulnesse thereof or keepe your feet o Eccles 5.1 when yee enter into the house of God and bee more readie to heare the hardest word than to cast it off as a burthen too heauie for you to beare Hard as iron is the heart of man therefore is the word first as fire and an hammer for it p Ier. 23.29 full of knots and wilde stems which must bee cut off therefore is the word sharper at the first than any two-edged sword q Heb. 4.12 yet to bee suffered without any preiudicate or preuaricate opinion of malitious personating or enuious particularizing your soules deare Brethren must if ye would bee numbred with the elect of God and reckoned of his peculiar people be dealt with in particular and your particular sinnes reproued yea hewed and hewed as Agag by Samuel in peeces before yee can feele any comfort by the word Many things wee speake in loue to warne you r 1 Cor. 4.14 not in malice to shame you but the more wee loue you thus ſ 2 Cor. 12.15 the lesse we are loued of you wee loue your persons wee tender your soules but as our owne wee hate your sinnes and would if wee could strike them dead because they worke by their passions t Rom. 7. ◠and motions in your members as in ours to bring forth fruit to death vnto death But how can a Preacher smite a mans sinne really and not touch his person intentionally Our controuersie writers in that great dispute about iustifying faith D. Abbot against Bishop pag. 481. Whether faith iustifieth alone without charitie and good workes distinguish thus Separation of things one frō another is either real in the subiect or mentall in the vnderstanding that denied this subdistinguished negatiue or priuatiue that when in the vnderstanding there is an affirming of one thing and denying of another this
world Gen. 19.6 and these troubles as the Angels on him lay hold on mee the Lord being mercifull vnto mee to bring me forth and to set me without the bounds of destruction I will therefore take in all that come for in doing this as other in their tents I may entertaine in this earthly tabernacle Angels vnawares Heb. 14. â—â— An Angell sent from God for some speciall good to me is my tribulation and this is my comfort in my affliction 8. By the word through faith they vnderstand That afflictions demonstrate faithfull and fruitfull branches Euerie branch of the vine that beareth fruit is purged that it may bring forth more fruit Io. 15.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 defractionem partium luxuriantium Aret. in loc Fert vberiorem fructum post refectionem Aret. vbi sup Vitis foditur circuÌ„ciditur sterceratur putatur aliisque multis exercetur laboribus c. Aret. vbi sup For as after the refection defraction of the parts luxuriant the branches of the vine yeeld more fruit so the faithfull in their afflictions which are as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rusticke purgations are the more fruitfull not pruned at ease and grow wilde apace or their grapes wilde but purged afflicted wounded within and bruised without euerie gift is stirred vp and set to work euery grace that is in them the lights put vnder a bushell before shine afterwards as in candlestickes set vpon hills What vse before of faith or of patience before what hope or ioy in the holy Ghost As the wine forced runs out of the presse and as the weights of a clocke turne all the wheeles about so the loads of afflictions presse out of them that are Christs the praises of Christ * 1 Pet. 2.9 and shew forth the hidden vertues of them that are the hidden ones of God * Psal 83.4 This when I remember I powre out in me my soule thus Pinched I am pruned and pared nigh yea cut to the quicke that I bleed in spirit but needfull the compunction it is the first degree of inward humiliation if a wound bee it is the second and not hurtfull nor the third which is the contrition it selfe Better is a conscience wounded D. Slater Salue for a wounded spirit than a conscience seared better a heart grownd to powder with the millstone of wrath turning about vpon it than one dedolent and past feeling of sin and wrath better a soule to be lopped in the passions of sinnes than to be obducted with ranke lusts or neglected and reiected Not meerely poenall the wounded spirit in the children of God as in Cain and Iudas the beginning of their hell but either castigatory for the chastisement of some particular disobedience as Dauids or probatory for triall as Iobs or percursory for preuention as Pauls thorne in his flesh lest through the abundance of reuelations he should be exalted aboue measure 2 Cor. 12. or purgatorie for the cleansing of vncleane and euill thoughts imaginations and reasonings touching Gods prouidence the word the profession the power of nature selfe-abilitie to conuert inherent righteousnesse good works freewill and security in the arme of flesh How such sparkles rise in vnswept chimneyes the fire blowne with the bellowes of hell who knoweth not that knoweth the deuices of Satan Phil. 2. Therefore I will through him that worketh the will and the good deed giue all diligence to search and try mine own wayes In euery crooked way I may finde a crosse * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my crosses indigitate mine exorbitancies As I deprehend them I will amend them and bring forth fruit meet for repentance new obedience in all things the old things in mee shall become all new When I shoot forth Isai 27.8 the Lord will in measure debate with mee and stay the rough wind in the day of the East wind when I blossome and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit in its season for I will approue my selfe as the seruant of Christ 2 Cor. 6.5 6. in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in tumults in labours by the word of truth by the power of God by the armour of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left by honour and dishonour by good report and euill report as persecuted yet not profligated as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowfull and yet reioycing as pruned being pampinous too full of needlesse sprigges and superfluous twigges yet not taken away as the fruitlesse branch nor cast forth nor withered nor gathered of men nor cast into the fire but purged for fructification Io. 15.6 and this is my comfort in my affliction 9. By the word of God through faith they vnderstand that afflictions are necessary exercises Heb. 12.13 a kind of wrestling betweene the Lord and his seruants Troubles on them his hands on them and theirs on him the right hand of faith 2 Tim. 2.5 Thus it is wrested and who preuaileth Alwayes the afflicted striuing lawfully The lawfull striuing learned of Iacob Hoseah his interpreter hee had power with God and preuailed for hee wept and made supplication vnto him Hos 11. so may all ouercome if the Lord may ouercome the heart yeelded vp the strife is ended humbled in the sight of God immediately lifted vp Iam. 5.10 teares seene hee yeelds supplications made he takes away his hand the victory with facility had grieuous the conflict for the present time yet ioyous afterwards Heb. 12.11 the Lord not let goe the blessing not obtained This when I remember I powre out in me my soule thus Is the euill vpon me the hand of the Lord Doth hee thereby wrestle with mee wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee Rom. 7.24 Hee will himselfe hold mee downe with his left and vphold mee with his owne right hand my faith his gift Io. â— 2â— his worke that I beleeue in him beleeuing in him I cannot nor shall be cast downe of him or out of his sight Gen. 35.25 touched happily the hollow of my thigh as hee wrestleth with mee it may slip out of ioynt or the sinew may shrinke and I may halt vpon it but my faith shall not faile Therefore will I while the Lord with mee striue lawfully with him holding my selfe fast by him weeping before him and making incessant supplications vnto him exercised this shall bee my exercise vntill I preuaile and through him I shall preuaile with him he will hold me fast see my teares Psal 6.8 heare the voyce of my weeping Isai 38.5 giue mee the petitions that I desire of him blesse me with the new name Reuel 2.17 in the white stone giuen to him that ouercommeth I shall haue princely power with God and men Psal 118.6 I will not feare what men can doe vnto mee aduantagious the disaduantage the agitation requisite lucratiue the luctuation And this is my comfort in my affliction Lastly By the word through faith they vnderstand That afflictions precede the ioy of the Lord and glorie to come as the pleasures of sinne destruction and damnation To them that make their bellies their Gods Phil. 3.18 and that minde earthly things as the enemies of the crosse of Christ Rom. 29 10. Tribulation and anguish indignation and wrath but to them that lye amongst the pots in stocks in the dungeon in the briars and in the burning bushes induring the fierie triall of their faith fulnesse of ioy and brightnesse of glorie the triall of their faith being much more pretious than of gold which perisheth though it bee tried in the fire shall bee found vnto praise and honour and glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ The Passouer of the great * Reuel 5.14 tribulation celebrated or the same passed ouer they shall wash their robes Phil. 3.21 and make them white in the bloud of the Lambe their vile bodies also be fashioned like vnto the glorious bodie of Iesus Christ shall shine as the firmament yea as the Sun in the height of his glorie This when I remember I powre out in me my soule thus Of a truth I perceiue Rom. 8.18 that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to bee compared to the glorie which shall be reuealed in me I reckon not the temporall euill but haue respect to the eternall good I faint not 2 Cor. 4.16 17. for though mine outward man perish mine inward is renewed day by day my light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for mee a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glorie Therefore vnder my pressures Rom. 2.10 I will by patient continuance in well-doing seeke for glorie and honour and immortalitie and eternall life for I am perswaded that neither tribulation nor distresse nor persecution nor famine Rom. 8 3â— nor nakednesse nor perill nor sword nor death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to preuent the ioy or to separate me from the glorie to come the spirit of glorie resteth already on me and full is my heart of ioy in the Holy Ghost The God of all grace hath by Christ Iesus called me into his eternall glorie and after that I haue suffered a while * 1 Pet. 5.10 will cause mee to enter into his ioy which is fulnesse of ioy and crowne mee with his glorie which is eternall glorie To him be glorie and dominion for euer and euer Amen FINIS
when of things that cannot indeed bee separated the one is vnderstood and omitted the other ver grat light and heat cannot bee separated in the fire yet the light may he considered not the heat or the heat and not the light So charity and good works are not negatiuely separated but priuatiuely made as effects consequents not concurring causes of iustification Sembably my Beloued although we cannot really separate betweene your sinnes and your persons yet negatiuely we say that we intend not your persons but priuatiuely in our mindes we consider your sinnes bearing the image of Satan at which wee strike I say at the image of the Deuill and Satan not at your persons made as we our selues after the similitude of God O that yee would beleeue this and when your sinnes are smitten on the face with the rod of the mouth u Isa 11.4 or with that sharpe two edged sword which goeth out of the mouth of the Lord x Reu. 1.16 ye would reason with your selues or commune with your owne heart and be still or speake on this wise one vnto another in the faithfull assemblies This Preacher speakes with authority aboue himselfe it s the very word of God which hee preacheth the word which he preacheth is quicke and powerfull y Heb. 4.12 pierceth and diuideth things asunder in vs discerneth the thoughts and intents of our hearts pulleth downe strong holds z 2 Cor. 1â— 4 5. casteth downe imaginations and euery high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God apprehendeth our sins grappleth with them euinceth them conuinceth vs 2 Tim. 2.15 dealeth as a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly diuiding the word of truth applying it according to the rule thereof Are wee not our selues or many of vs husbandmen what doe we our selues in our profession doe wee cast our seed into vncleane places or amongst bryars thorns and stones rubbish no we first clense and manure our ground sowe afterwards our seed and haue long patience for the precious fruit besides in our orchards when we plant or graffe doe we suffer to grow the fiens of the crab-tree No we cut them off and cleanse the stocke What then doth the spirituall husbandman more in his spheare than we in ours before he will sowe the holy seed or let in the heauenly plant hee laboureth with great difficulty to prepare the ground where he would sowe and purge the stocke on which he would ingraffe the word Must hee therefore be blamed or slouenly would we haue him to doe his worke or negligently or vnfaithfully Absit God forâ—id This in our owne seruants is not tolerated much lesse it to bee in the seruants of the Lord * Ier. 8.11 To cry peace peace when there is no peace is to heale hurts slightly * false Prophets will doe it but otherwise the man that is sent from God Consider what I say and God giue you vnderstanding The word to be ingraffed the stock is to bee cleansed The stocke cleansed incision for insition is made a diuision made betweene the soule and the spirit a Heb. 4.12 Nomen aâ—timae saepe idem valet quod spiritus sed cum simul iunguntur prius comprehendit sub se affectus omnes c. Caluin in lic Allegoria quadam hyperocha â—dumbrare vâ—luit Apostolus diuinisermonis vim efficaciâ—m c. Bâ—llinger naturall things and spirituall things reason and the light which is the life of men the affections and the intellectuall facultie This diuision Experience reacheth tacitè and conuerts best know how it is How were the first pricked in their hearts and diuided in themselues nâ—t knowing what to doe b Act. 2.37 after the incision made before before the immission of the heauenly plant nor doth any man The word which saueth the soule of whom receiued without much affliction by the internall diuision after the infition Such it is I thinke as the groanings of the Spirit making intercession according to the will of God it cannot be vttered the Thessalonians receiued the word with much affliction but what kind of afflâ—ction or how grieuous it was he saith not Therefore whensoeuer incision is made your heart smitten and smiting you being smitten by the word attend still or diuided in you selues all the faculties slit and clouen the affections your reason visited with the day-spring from on high your vnderstanding illightened your soule fainting your spirit panting a conflâ—ct begunne and a striuing within you as in Rebeccahs wombe betweene Esau and Iacob Nature and Grace Bee not dismaied for this must be and is where the word is about to bee ingraffed to the sauing of the soule 3. Incâ—sion for insition made the sien of holy science is infited and set in the word let in that heauenly plant by heauenly Art into the vnderstanding The sense giuen thereof and the reading vnderstood Therefore hearing the word of the kingdome apply your heart to wisdome and your minde to vnderstand the wondrous things d Psal 119.18 the mysteries which were kept secret since the world began e Rom. 16.15 yea pray alwayes with all manner of prayer and supplication in the spirit that it may bee giuen vnto you to know the mysterie of God f Coloss 2 2. 1 Tim. 3.16 and of godlinesse that seeing yee may see that hearing yee may heare and vnderstand h Mat. 13.16 Dauid prayed how often Gâ—ue me vnderstanding make me to vnderstand An vnderstanding heart Salomons hearts desire i Reg. 3.9 and Pauls that the Churches might abound more and more k Phil. 1.8 9. in all knowledge and in all iudgement in all wisdome and spirituall vnderstanding This by the Word The word read or heard and not vnderstood profiteth not but by reading and hearing and prayer made to God entrance is made into the vnderstanding heauenly light let in and worldly darknesse out l Psal 119 130 The entrance of the word giueth light it giueth vnderstanding to the simple 4. The sien insited is bound fast and closed about with all louing affections stirred vp vnto it yea shut vp and riuetted in the heart to dwell richly therein in all wisdom not left loose for graffes so let fall out anon or be blowen out Therefore loue yee the incitiue word lest ye lose it vnawares embrace it with all complacencie of affection so shall no storme stirre it nor force amoue it it is not enough to receiue the word except ye receiue the loue of the word Shall not some be damned because they receiued not the loue of the truth m 2 Thes 2.10 O how I loue thy laws n Psal 119.97 saith Dauid it is my meditation all the day yea day and night the exercise of the blessed man it is inclosed within him it is in his heart and loued with his heart the heart as soone to be lost as the word ingraffed therein and