with God 't is heart-Adultery to go out after any creature to go out after any creature but in God is Adultery and if this be Adultery every one if we should look into our own hearts will be careful and afraid to throw stones at an Adulteress you know the story in the Gospel whosoever he be that fears God he hates and detests all evil yet he sees it in his heart and though he be free from gross acts yet he will be far from insulting over any that are left to defile themselves with gross acts The desire of any creature it is Adultery Flesh can do nothing but commit Adultery All Flesh hath corrupted their way but it doth not break out alike but all are alike in the root to make out after any creature is Adultery And again The friendship of the world is enmity unto God Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God and he that is a friend to the world is an enemy to God This is that other Scriptures hold forth The love of mony is the root of all evil Love not the world nor the things thereof whosoever loves the world the love of God is not in him 1 Joh. 2. 15. They are enemies to the Cross of Christ that mind earthly things Phil. 3. about the end enemies to the Cross of Christ what is the business of the Cross of Christ to crucifie us to the world and the world to us you admire outward things and love outward things you have friendship with them you are enemies to the cross of Christ and therefore ungodliness and worldly lusts are joyned together Tit. 2. The grace of God that brings salvation unto all men hath appeared teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts c. We cannot serve God and Mammon friendship of the world is enmity to God and therefore let every one consider what his heart most ayms at and what his Prudence and Wisdom and Providence is what that is that the world does so admire and extol Is it friendship with the world or no So long as thou dost well to thy self men will speak well of thee but thou dost well to thy self indeed when thou seekest after the Lord thirstest after him and lustest after him and desirest him and in all desires in which thou art carryed out towards any thing but him thou expressest enmity to him thou lovest not him There is no going from God but to the creature thou art the creatures if thou have left God he that is a friend to the world is an enemy unto God What is friendship with the world when that we seek the creature for it self we are in love with it we do not seek God but seek it when we put our rest in it cannot be without it must have it put it in Gods place we must have such a thing and the other thing we cannot be without it A pitiful thing to live in enmity to God O when God comes forth how shall we be devoured and destroyed before him But there are that will be friends with God and the world too let them look to it how they make it out the friendship of the world is enmity to God And now the Apostle is shewing here how the Scripture discovers this same evil that is in our hearts Vers 5. Do you think the Scripture saies in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy Does the Scripture say in vain the Scripture says nothing in vain but the Scripture speaks much in vain to us while that we do not mark it nor attend it We all speak for the Scripture how the Scripture is of God the Scripture is Truth and the Word of Truth we speak well of it but the Scripture doth not speak well of you It says The spirit that is in you lusts to envy There is nothing but evil in our hearts We shall never understand the Scripture till that we understand it in our own hearts Do you think that the Scripture says in vain The spirit in you lusteth to envy Where does the Scripture say this It says Every thought of mans heart is onely evil and that continually The Scripture it tells you the evil is in your hearts and there is no good in your flesh and let it not be in vain the Scripture tells you if it be in vain now and you do not entertain it and hear God will come and you will finde it so How many carry the Scripture a witness and testimony against them Does the Scripture say in vain there is evil in you and the spirit in you lusts to envy The devill is in your hearts and he reigns there Does the Scripture say this in vain You will not hear it now to heed it and believe it you shall feel it one day that the Scripture does not speak in vain The greatest contenders for the Scripture and the Authority thereof are the greatest despisers of the Scriptures for they make the Scriptures speak as Ahab would make Michaiah speak well of him speak nothing but good and will not observe that the Scripture speaks in discovery of our evil but this is to reject the Scripture to catch here and there a piece to serve our turn and abuse them and wrest them as the devil did so the devil in us does Do you think the Scripture saies in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy But the Scriptue tells us not so I but the Spirit of God tells us in the Scripture In the Scripture there is a cleer discovery of evil in our hearts Vers 6. But he gives more grace To finish in a word What is the meaning of that Why I conceive it is to prevent an Objection which might arise from the foregoing words For if the spirit that be in us lust to envy and if that be to serve the devil and that is all in our wars contendings and fightings what shall we do it is in vain to speak Nay for he gives more grace There is more grace then there is sin And where sin hath abounded Grace shall abound much more there is one greater in you then he that is in the world He gives more grace Why God he comes forth in his people and he makes them able to deny themselves and this wicked one that lusts to envy He gives more grace Wherefore he says God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Here is Pride seen in contention and war and when we submit to God and depend upon him we are well Submit your selves therefore to God He gives more grace to the humble And he gives thee grace to be humble If any man be humble it is his Grace and what is that Humility and Grace Submit your selves to God be at his dispose let him measure out that he knows convenient for you and do not you lust after this thing and the other thing but let God come out to you Feed
in you Christ in you dead Christ in you alive He is alive that was dead then you live Because I live ye shall live also Look if ye know this life You are in him that is true and he in you that is true he is risen and you risen with him ascended with him and set down with him in heavenly places FINIS THE MAJESTY of GRACE OR The Soveraignty of SALVATION SERMON I. TITUS 2. 11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world c. VER 15. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority Let no man despise thee IN the beginning of this Chapter the Apostle is directing Titus how to carry himself in his Doctrine towards all Sexes and Ages of men But speak thou the things that become sound doctrine That the aged men be sober grave temperate sound in Faith in Charity in Patience The aged women likewise that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness c. Young men exhort to be sober-minded Exhort Servants to be obedient to their Masters c. And here he laies the ground and foundation of it which is an encouragement to Titus to set upon this preaching it should not be in vain For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us c. The grace of God shall teach with thee therefore be thou a Minister of the grace of God be thou bringing forth this grace of God which hath appeared that hath appeared in us and hath appeared in thee Thou hast a Ministry of the Spirit go thou forth in that and bring up men from the grave of ungodliness to the grace of God do thou bring forth that redemption which is come forth in Jesus Christ do thou bring forth Jesus Christ in those to whom thou preachest And what do we unless this grace go with us The grace of God which is also The God of grace unless God be in grace it is such a grace as may be received in vain I laboured more abundantly then they all saith the Apostle yet not I but the grace of God which was with me and in me The grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men hath appeared Therefore exhort all men and teach all men and make a proof where this grace of God will further appear it hath appeared teaching us see whom it will teach besides I shall speak to the words as they lie in order and as I shall conceive may be most profitable for us The grace of God The kindness of God the favour of God as it is called in the next Chapter After the loving kindness of God appeared c. The grace of God or the God of grace Grace without God will be abused but grace from God and with God is Salvation The grace of God is God in Christ The Scripture that tels us in one place of the grace of God tels us in another place of the God of grace and the grace of God doth give God himself unto his People I am thy exceeding great reward The grace of God that bringeth salvation There is Grace and there is Salvation the Scripture speaks of but grace is not all nor salvation is not all Salvation will not satisfie him that hath the God of grace but he must have glory as well as salvation it will not satisfie an heir of heaven to be safe only but he must have a Kingdom It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom We must take the Scriptures in their extent There is one place speaks only of grace there is another tels us of God One place speaks only of salvation another tels us of glory God will give grace and glory Each single Scripture doth not express the whole mind of God They that will take the Scriptures by pieces and not the whole Scriptures must make account to be deceived The grace of God that brings salvation God in grace brings salvation and is salvation and there is no salvation but where the God of grace is come Gods appearing in his love owning us and manifesting himself to be our portion this is salvation In his favour is life Whosoever doth not believe the wrath of God abides upon him His anger and absence is death and destruction every man is under destruction and death till the grace of God come to him till that appear If you look for salvation where is the grace of God or the God of grace appearing The grace of God is salvation and salvation is the grace of God or the God of grace The grace of God that brings salvation There is grace that doth not bring salvation there is the grace of God in these outward things there is the grace of God in gifts this grace bids us look after salvation this grace leads unto repentance but here is the grace of God that brings salvation and that is salvation it self Here is God in grace come to us here is the grace that turns the heart from the world and sin and hell This is salvation The grace of God that brings salvation There is no salvation by Works there is no salvation by the Law salvation is by the grace of God by that grace that makes us to do the works of God by Gods working in us by Gods taking us into himself All our works are wrought in God It is the Scripture expression The grace of God that brings salvation unto all men The Apostle spake before of aged and young male and female of Servants and Governours teach them all for the grace of God hath appeared to all and for all It is come to every mans door brings salvation to all to all that God doth make any reckoning or account of the holy seed Of others it is said Thou puttest away the wicked like dross Psal 119. There is a generation of men that are in no better esteem with God then those creatures begotten of corruption Thou puttest them away like dross These are the seed of the Serpent You are of your father the Devil and his works will you do It is a poor languishing controversie that in which so many are exercised about Vniversal Redemption Let every man look whether salvation be come to him and whether he hath entertained it and embraced it and if so let him rejoyce Let every man make his Calling and Election sure and let him be a good Minister of this grace of God to others leave disputing and jangling and begin to live By denying ungodliness and worldly lusts live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world And be a pattern and example Make thy self a pattern of good works Let thy light shine before men that they may see thy good works and glorifie thy Father which is in heaven Salvation to all hath appeared Grace ever was but it appears
in time There is nothing that is but it hath been Grace coming forth is nothing but the Childrens coming out of their minority from under tutors and governors The Saints coming from under the Law and out of the flesh There is a time appointed of the Father for this this is the time of grace grace hath appeared and we receive the adoption of sons God tels us we are his begotten his inheritance and he is ours Grace comes forth and appears by degrees and there was never but some appearances of grace But a low appearance of grace is counted as no appearance in respect of a higher That appearance before Christ in the flesh is counted no appearance in respect of that which came forth with Christ in flesh That appearance with Christ in flesh is not appearance in respect of that which comes forth with Christ in the Spirit When he shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation to them that wait for him He appears now to salvation but now he appears in sin and weakness and this is not appearing in respect of that which shall be the glory is no glory in respect of that which is coming that is at the dore God brings forth himself out of the dark he hath put himself into the dark and he comes up by degrees he lyeth under vails and coverings and hides his face There is everlasting mercies but they are hidden Your life is hid with Christ in God and God reveals this by degrees There is grace not appearing and salvation not appearing where it is And there is wrath and destruction not appearing also where it is they will both come forth And till these do come forth it is very irrational for any to judge that that which now doth not appear is not there and will never appear It is the comfort of them that wait for grace and cannot see it I know thy poverty saith Christ to one of the Churches in the Revelations but thou art rich Rev. 2. 9. There is nothing to be done for our salvation and glory but the bringing it forth the making it to appear We have a life but 't is hid and vail'd and so we are said to be dead as 't is in Col. 3. 1. Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we appear with him in glory Grace hath appeared teaching us 'T is a blessed thing to know the teaching of grace There is the Laws teaching and Graces teaching there is a Letter teaching and the Spirits teaching In the first teaching we are ever learning but never able to come to the Knowledge of the truth but are still led about with lusts Here is onely a profession and nothing but a form but there is the teaching of grace which is the writing the Law in our minds and putting them in our hearts Here is the Covenant of grace the Law of grace when we are delivered up into the Doctrine as the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 6. 17. the form of Doctrine into which you were delivered as 't is in the Margent We are delivered up into the Doctrine we are formed and fashioned and moulded into it There is an appearance of God in Majestie in Mount Sinai that makes servants and slaves and bondmen that saith Do or you dye Do or you are cursed And there is an appearance of God from Mount Sion in love and grace The God of grace or the grace of God hath appeared and he teacheth us his ways and he makes us sons and he brings forth his own nature in us 'T is our life our meat and drink to do his will and finish his work The everlasting Covenant in blood comes forth and makes us perfect to do his will Here is the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus that frees us from the Law of sin and death 'T is a sad thing to be only under a Letter and under a Voice to have nothing but a Letter and a Hearsay Nothing but a voice and direction without here is nothing but enmity within But the word is nigh thee in thy heart when we come to this teaching this inward teaching this Law of the Spirit All other teaching without this inward teaching doth but put us into a Dream into Fancies and we think and seem that we eat and drink but when we awake we shall find our souls hungry and thirsty But this grace of God that teaches effectually delivers us up into the Doctrine moulds us into the form of that which is taught The God of grace appearing to us we are turned into his Image from glory to glory by his Spirit 2 Cor. 3. latter end Let 's all look after this teaching this inward teaching They shall be all taught of God Let us look after the teaching of Christ who spake with authority and not as the Scribes Let us look for power and life and light from God And let 's deal with man for nothing else but that we may hear God by him and see God in him and be able to say God is in you of a truth The grace of God which brings Salvation hath appeared teaching us grace and favor it is exceeding winning God doth overcome all our evil by good Love is mightily constraining She had much forgiven her she loved much Let favour be shewed to the wicked he will not learn righteousness in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly as 't is in Isa 26. 10. Thou after thy impenitent heart treasurest up wrath and dispisest the goodness of God that leads thee to repentance Bounty is leading to repentance but the God of grace and the grace of God it sets up repentance in us Let us go forth then in grace and in love And so let us be winning and working upon others Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly c. Many men will say if I deny my lusts all the lusts of the world here 's an end of my life What shall I do How shall I live Thou shalt live the life of God It brings death upon this life this Worldly life and brings us to live in hope Looking for that blessed hope It is a foolish thing to a carnal heart to think of suffering it self to betaken off from the present enjoyment of the world the satisfying his lusts to live upon hope But the hope that is in God is firm and sure and surerer then the World The World passeth away and the lusts thereof and they that have their life in these things find nothing but shame and Death but this hope never makes men ashamed Which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entereth into that within the vail And here le ts take notice of this That the grace of God that brings Salvation is made out in teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Every one
of us talk of grace and Salvation If we be partakers of grace and Salvation indeed then we are delivered from worldly Lusts in some degree We are taught by it to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts We are taught by it likeness to God and not to be fashioned to this world To deny ungodliness is to deny every thing that is not like God Not to walk like men the Apostle condemns the Corinthians that they walked like men It may be 't is a strange thing to hear we should not walke like men Like whom should we walk Like the Devil Like beasts So some do No you should walk like God The grace that brings Salvation It doth not bring you to satisfie sensuality to satisfie Lusts nor to follow the creature but it brings in power it brings in and raiseth up the life of God whereby we deny these Lusts whereby we famish these Gods of the Earth God saith he will famish all the Idols And this God doth when he riseth up in us he famisheth in us the Love of the World the love of flesh This grave and hell he starves them both This grace of God that brings Salvation leads up into Heaven into God into the Spirit and satisfies and fills us in the other World And we deny our Lusts after this They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and Lusts They have done it and they are doing it 't is as good as already done for there is that power in them which will do it a greater power then is in the World 'T is the Circumcision in heart by the Circumcision of Christ 'T is dying with Christ and being buried with Christ 'T is dying to this fleshly State to this glory and these contentments It is the consecrating us to God so that he becomes our delight he is our Joy he is our riches We sought them in the flesh we sought them in the World Then we sought Corn and Wine and Oyle now nothing but the light of Gods countenance this is grace and this is Salvation And the world and the flesh which is generally sought after by us it is a vail of death It is a vail upon Christ a covering upon the life of God It is the grave and the prison of the Saints it is Babylon and the Northcountry into which we are carried The North-country far from the Sun far from light far from life When we come into flesh we are buried here we are estranged from our own life which is the life of God And the grace of God appearing that is as it were the Sun drawing nigh When the Sun comes in the Spring and Summer the face of the Earth is renewed We come into the nature of wrath but as grace returnes again so this life appears and comes forth this Sepulcher is opened and this vail is rent and the Earth gives up her dead and no longer covers her slain The flesh and World and glory thereof riches and contentment are a vail and covering upon the life of the Saints For God is life and Salvation union with him that is life indeed and the appearing of this union is life manifested That which the World and natural men do call death is indeed the swallowing up of death as 't is called Isa 25. He shall take away the vail and the covering that is upon the face of all People He shall wipe off all tears and shall swallow up death in Victory The World and flesh is a Vail and is a Vail of tears when this Vail is rent by the comming of that which is called death then life-comes indeed and death is swallowed up in it God who is our life appears Grace and Salvation is not leading us into contentments of the flesh into the abundance of the riches of the Earth 'T is not satisfying of lusts but the killing of lusts 't is bringing forth the Spirit bringing forth the life of God Godly in this present World By this will appear how far Salvation is from most men Salvation is far from the wicked as David hath it because they keep not thy Statutes Little do wicked men think there is no Salvation but in keeping Gods Statutes but that is the truth of it Salvation is conformity to God to be made like to God to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and the love of the World is enmity to God This is Salvation and the same is destruction to wicked men Worldly men they have their life in the Vail their life is in the World and in the flesh When God appears and throws off the Vail there is nothing to be seen by them but death and destruction And what is the second death that the Scripture speaks of but the appearance of God The manifestation of God 't is the second death 't is everlasting destruction to them that know him not that have no life but in the flesh and in the world When God appears here ends their life and here begins destruction they are destroyed from his presence That which is life and Salvation indeed is death hell and destruction to a worldly man and if he speak his heart he will say if this be salvation let me have none of it I know not what it means I know no other life but this in the flesh What saith the Apostle The life I live I live by the faith of the Son of God t is not I live but Christ that lives in me though I live in the flesh yet I do not War after the flesh though I live in the World I am not conformed to the World but transformed On the other hand the life of the World is give me Corn Wine and Oyl ease in the flesh honour in the World the life of the Saints is lift up the light of thy countenance make me after thine own heart form me according to thine own Image fashion me to thy Will teach me to deny my self It is feeding hell and destruction to satisfie worldly lusts it is life and salvation to deny these to crucifie these therefore le ts be acquainted with grace and salvation what it is Le ts not deceive our selves with names of things le ts not call evil good and good evil put light for darkness and darkness for light Le ts not call wrath and destruction grace and salvation Whoever thou art that only looks to the world and flesh and outward things thou dwellest in wrath and destruction Thou hast vexation here and the Gospel makes thee mad for it puls thee from these things and with the more power it comes forth the more hell works within thee Now begin to learn what is salvation it is to have power to deny these lusts to crucifie the flesh to be taken out of sensuality to be redeemed from among men Is this a strange thing to you then salvation is strange and grace is strange 'T is to be conformed to God to know what his good and acceptable
will is If grace and salvation be reckoned by us to be safe in sin and safe in the world and in the flesh we are in the Devils deceit in the deceivableness of unrighteousness among them that perish If you will have this made out to you by Scripture the Saints of God know this in their hearts and souls but will you have it in the Scripture His name shall be called Jesus a Saviour Mat. 1. Why because he shall save his people from their sins Here is salvation to be saved from sin What is sin 'T is opposition unto God breaking his Laws to be saved from falling out with God this is salvation And to be saved from sin is to be saved from wrath there is wrath and hell in sin though it be not yet come forth but it will come forth When sin hath conceived it brings forth death if you have a Saviour he saves you from your sins Another place is Acts 3. 26. God sent Christ to bless us to turn every one of us from our iniquities You look upon your selves as blessed by Christ if you be blessed this is the blessing Turning you from your iniquities enabling you to deny ungodlines and worldly lusts You may add a third place Acts 5. 31. Whom God hath made a Prince and a Saviour he speaks of Christ there to give Repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins You like forgiveness of sins well how like you Repentance where God gives one he gives the other where Christ is our Righteousness he is our Sanctification where he is both these he is our wisdom he gives us a new minde and a new heart writes his Law in our mindes this is life this is salvation here is grace and salvation teaching us to deny ungodliness t is a work supernatural as to old Adam the corrupt Man it is only in those that spring from the Spiritual man Jesus Christ they rise up in a new life and walk in it if ye walk in the spirit fulfil not the lusts of the flesh T is the Divine Nature springing up in us that doth not live the life of the flesh if a man hath no life but in the flesh that which is indeed salvation and grace is destruction and wrath to him Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts c. What is this denying ungodliness and worldly lusts T is that which is called in other Scriptures self-denying we have a self that is nothing but ungodliness If we be Saints indeed we have two selves a divine self a spiritual and heavenly self the new Creature the Heavenly man the Divine Nature and there is a carnal self an earthly self a self that is sin in which dwells nothing that is good There is another self contra-distinct to sin t is not I but sin in me there is a self that is Christ and a self that is corrupt Adam I do not live I of corrupt Adam but Christ lives in me Here is one self never to be denied one self that is godliness heavenly lust and heavenly desire makes after God only this self is to be pleased happy is he that pleases this self and knows this self But there is carnal self the Law of the Members this is ungodliness this carries wholly from God to the World wholly to that which is not of the Father this is to be denied And this is beating down the body that the Apostle speaks of I beat down my body What 's that is it as the Papists do to whip themselves to pine their bodies no there is a body of death a body of sin this corruption in me this self I beat down there is the old man that is to be destroyed The grace of God that brings Salvation teacheth us to deny this self this ungodly self this worldly self this self that is of the Devil And it is by bringing forth another self that this self is denied if it be truly denied for there is self denying self sin denying sin lust denying lust a master lust that starves other lusts this is not the denying that the grace of God teacheth There is a lust that is kept in with bit and bridle like a horse and mule there is denying ungodliness by the power of the Law but here t is grace that teacheth us to deny ungodliness grace that brings salvation Corrupt self denies it self but in some things the Law enables us to deny our selves but in some things some ungodliness and indeed it is not the denying of ungodliness the denying ungodliness only by a carnal man it is ungodliness T is the new man that is brought forth in true righteousness and holiness There is nothing but a shew of righteousness and holiness till this new man be brought forth after the Image of God The Law it teacheth us to deny this piece of ungodlinesse or to seem to deny it at least to deny the gross act of it but to deny it in the root of it it can never do it But the grace of God teacheth us to deny all ungodliness to come out of all that is not of God all that is not like God This life of God it purges out all filth He that hath this hope purifies himself as he is pure this life it rises out of its vail and grave and covering of worldly lusts yea it riseth from under the Law This grace of God appearing is the time appointed of the Father when we shall be no more under Tutors and Governors in the condition of Servants but Sons Heirs and Free-born SERMON II. TITUS 2. 11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us c. TEaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts Denying implies soliciting ungodliness and worldly lusts will be soliciting even in those to whom the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared After grace hath effectually appeared there will be solicitations temptations and motions to sin ungodliness and worldly lusts soliciting and tempting to return again unto them but the grace of God that brings salvation teacheth us to deny them There is sin in our Members still there is soliciting and there is very far prevailing The grace of God that brings salvation sprouting forth is often struck back into a seed into the root again There may be a bewitching of the Spiritual man as the Apostle writes to the Galatians O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth There is many a blast that comes upon the Oaks and the tall Trees and there may be withering in the branches while the substance the holy seed abides in the root There are solicitations of death after grace and Salvation hath appeared and sometimes exceeding violent In so much that Paul cries out I am carried captive O miserable man Who shall deliver me Rom. 7. The reason of this is because ungodlines and worldly lusts are not quite destroyed at once But the work is
the death of it and if we be nothing but sin then t is our death How many be there whose life is death and their Covenant agreement with Hel is all their stability And when we come to think of ungodliness wickedness departing from God one man propounds this to himself another that to be a prophane swearer this is a course of ungodliness to be a beastly drunkard this is ungodliness to be a filthy unclean person this is ugodliness 'T is true all this is ungodliness this is base this is filthy but is here all No all worldly lusts all going out in desire after any piece of this Creation is ungodliness There is a Civil ungodliness that is modest and handsome unto the world and that is it they call providence and prudence which is nothing else but base distrust and denying God 't is nothing but Idolatry as the Apostle calls it nothing but adultery Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity to God and then there is base and deboist ungodliness that breaks out in drunkness and whoredom and fraud and rapine and theft Nothing but the breaking forth into scabbs and boiles and blanes and botches But there is that poyson within which we see not There is the Itch as well as the Scab and Boil Itching after the world and the things thereof is ungodliness After the worlds account only what is hurtfull to the society of men is reputed ungodliness what sinks men in their peace in their wealth in their estate in their credit So the world looks upon sin as to such and such evil fruits as are hurtfull to this present state of flesh It doth not look to the offence of God to the going out from God to the leaving God It doth not know the life of God it knows only sin as it is any way prejudicial to the life of sense It doth not know sin in the root of it Let us learn so to know sin even in the root of it and that is worldly lusts hence it proceeds This is ungodliness leaving the Creator and setling our selves in the creature and setting up the creature in the place of God How many be there that are condemning uncivil courses as they are to be condemned but condemning them so as they justifie themselves as the Pharisee doth God I thank thee I am not thus and thus I am not like this Publican this harlot this drunkard Look into thy heart what thou art before God Make inquisition after worldly lusts there the root of all ungodliness the root of that thou condemnest in the Publican in the Harlot in the Drunkard This love of the World and turning from God to the world this breaks out in him look how it works in thee Perhaps thou art more civil more modest thou carriest thy self so that thou art not so unmanly For there are worldly lusts that do unman a man and make him like a beast and there are worldly lusts that are very glorious things with men But thy heart and inside are as bad as this and as great an abhorring in the sight of God God hath chosen to himself the man that is godly The Godly man is he that cleaves to God rests in God trusts God believes in God that hath all in God This is godliness let us receive this truth which is acccording unto godliness SERMON III. TITUS 2. 11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope c. THe last thing we spake to was from the consideration that ungodliness and worldly lusts are joined together whence it was observed that all ungodliness lies in worldly lusts Ungodliness is going from God and going to the creature the friendship of the World is enmity to God is Adultery Idolatry the Devil is the God of this World going out after these things is going out after sin and ungodliness Lying thus it is impossible for a man for a son a meer son of Adam to escape ungodliness only he that is born of God only Christ that came from heaven and we through him do it Now as grace teaches what us to avoid and shun what to go from so it teaches us what to make to We should live soberly godlily and righteously in this present World to these words now Here is the lesson that grace teaches us that brings Salvation To live soberly righteously and godlily here is the place and time when it teaches us this lesson where in this present world It teaches us to live soberly righteously and godlily There is no sober man that is not a righteous and a godly man There is no righteous man that is not a sober and a godly man It teaches us to live soberly righteously and godlily And there is no sober man but he whom the grace of God that brings Salvation hath taught to be sober and there is no righteous man but he whom the grace of God that brings Salvation hath taught to be so And there is no godly man but he whom the grace of God that brings Salvation hath taught to be so Now a little to Dilate upon these three 1. That the sober man is only he whom the grace of God that brings Salvation hath taught to be so We know not how to live soberly till the grace of God that brought Salvation hath taught us What is sobriety what is it to live soberly Sobriety is opposed to two things to Madness and to Drunkenness Madness is Drunkenness and Drunkenness is Madness There 's Drunkenness by drink by Wine and Drunkenness by passion and pride there 's drunkenness by cares of the world and drunkenness by heaviness There 's fury and wrath and there 's joy too in making over much and sometimes this same drunkenness by fury and wrath and by joy do usher the grace of God that brings Salvation The grace of God it must bring us into sobriety through distempers discovering our weakness and our distempers together with the curing of them This same Drunkenness that is opposite to sobriety take it in the lump all together it is our state in the flesh with the Devil We come out of the life of God into the flesh come into the dark into a distempered state It is a bewitching drunkenness that is upon us There is a pure state of flesh that is not without distemper in comparison to the life of God There is a corrupt state of flesh that is pure distemper Our true life if we be of God is the life of God and the glory of God and all that comes short of the glory of God is distemper All have sinned and come short of the glory of God And so Madness hath seized upon all and all are under distemper till the grace of God that brings Salvation appears which
brings us into the Spirit and now our way is above all the righteousness of man above all the wisdom of man above all the contentments of the flesh Ungodliness and Worldly lusts Here take notice of this that ungodliness lieth in worldly lusts Godliness is being like unto God Ungodliness is fashioning our selves to the World Ungodliness and worldly lusts are one So far as we are in worldly lusts we are in ungodliness You cannot serve God and Mammon The Apostle calls the love of Mony the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6. 10. Mony stands for any thing of this World of this life the love of that the lust after that is the root of all evil The same that James tell us Jam. 4. 4. The friendship of the world is enmity unto God and those that love the World and go after the things thereof he calls Adulterers and adulteresses Love not the world nor the things of the world saith John For if ye love the World the love of the Father is not in you 1 Joh. 2. 15. The Lord complains Jer. 2. 13. My people have committed two great evils for which be astonished you Heavens and horribly afraid And what are those two great evils They have forsaken me the fountain of living water and have hewen unto themselves broken Cisterns that will hold no water They run from the Creator to the Creature They have turned the glory of the invisible God into an Image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts They have set up the creature in my place and made it their fear and their joy and their delight and their love And so the Apostle in Phil. 3. Speaks of those Whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things They that mind earthly things are ungodly in the Scripture sense God that made Heaven and Earth is not their God but the things that are made Their belly is their God all they seek is for their belly who craves it of them All ungodliness lieth in worldly lusts Fashioning our selves unto the World is the defacing of the Image of God It is a turning away from the good and holy and acceptable will of God as 't is in Rom. 12. And the ground of this is plain and obvious to every one that will see it Whither can a man go forth from God unless it be to the creature there is the Creator and the Creature he that goes from God must go to the creature Whither can he go else Ye have forsaken me and digged to your selves broken Cisterns There is no going from God and godliness but to worldly lusts There is no stirring anywhere else All ungodliness lieth in worldly lusts worldly desires going out to the Creature All going forth to these is going forth to the Devil who is the Prince of this World as Christ calls him The Prince of this World comes saith Christ All that sue to the World sue to him worship him The Devil is served in every desire that goeth forth from God In all opposition to God the Devll is set up We use to reckon of three enemies to God the Flesh the World and the Devil The going out to the World is for the flesh the serving the flesh and the World is serving the Devil What is offered in sacrifice to Idols is sacrificed to Devils and the Apostle calling us to the mortifying of fleshly and worldly lusts mentions Covetousness among them which he calls Idolatry and Covetousness which is Idolatry Ungodliness lieth in worldly lusts that is in loving the world and desiring the things of the World Love not the World nor the things of the World Quest But you will say Is every desire of any worldly thing ungodly Answ If you will hear the Scripture and let that be judge harken while I propound some Scriptures unto you which shall shew you what lusts they are What desires after the World they are in which ungodliness lieth Consider that in Heb. 13. Let your conversation be without covetousness be content with such things as you have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Desiring any thing more then you have is covetousness and worldly lusts and is a denying of Godliness If you be not content with that you have you are covetous and there is ungodliness God is rich in himself content in himself full in himself and if you partake of the Divine nature you shall have riches and fulness in him I am God Alsufficient saith he to Abraham I am thy exceeding great reward walk before me and be perfect q. d. thou hast nothing to do but to approve thy self to me whatever thou wantest here it is I am God alsufficient Looking after any thing but me is looking from me and is ungodliness Again consider that Scripture in Mat. 5. Take no thought what you shall eat or what you shall drink or what you shall put on after these things do the Gentiles seek All this is ungodliness 't is ungodliness to take thought what you shall eat what you shall drink or what you shall put on Now what is godliness Seek first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof Here you shall have supply So far forth as you look from God his Kingdom and the righteousness thereof you are of the world you are ungodly 't is your little Faith O ye of little faith why do ye take care Seek nothing but the Kingdom of God if there be any thing else it shall come into you with it 'T is godliness to seek God 't is failing of godliness when you seek any thing else but God when you turn to any broken Cistern whatsoever when you see not God before you there turn away or else you turn from God Love the Lord your God withal your heart withal your Soul with all your strength Let nothing of the world have any place in you Let God fill your hearts his train filled the Temple What concord is there between Christ and Belial between God and Mammon I have learned to abound and to want to be full and to be hungry Phil. 4. In every state I am instructed I know what to do and I am content godliness is contentment and that is Great gain We have content in God and nowhere else If we seek anywhere else we seek trouble and vexation and disappointment Man doth not live by bread but by every word of God What a foolish thing 't is for man to seek life frombread let him seek God everyword of God So Christ put off the Devil when he bid him of stones to make bread he tells him man could not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Consider that Scripture mans life doth not consist in the aabundance of those things he possesses or that Scripture All things are lawfull but I will not be brought under the power of any thing I 'le
be under the power of none but God I want none but God I 'le seek to none but God Consider that of the Apostle in 1 Cor. 7. Let them that are married be as if they were not married and they that use the world as if they used it not All going forth to the creature to the world to any piece of it t is ungodliness t is going from God If you cannot be content with God alone t is ungodliness You deny his alsufficiency 't is little Faith this is want of godliness Your Father knows what you have need of you have nothing to do but to please your Father he will supply these things Seek his kingdom these things shall be sent into you So All going forth unto any part of this Creation is ungodliness it is going from God Here is the root of all ungodliness discovered going from God to the creature You will be rich and you must have this and you must have that there is but one thing necessary and if you think any thing else necessary t is denyal of God t is ungodliness You will say this is a hard saying and who can bear it When Christ had told his disciples that it was easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven who then can be saved say they Surely not one that trusts in riches for that is a denying of God Who shall be saved then who is there shall take off his desire from every creature that shall take off his heart and make it over wholly unto the Lord that shall desire nothing but the Lord and say I have none in Heaven but thee nor in earth but thee mark what Christ answers there to men this is impossible but with God all things are possible That which is called for of us is impossible to man but to God all things are possible even this is possible The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus will free us from the Law of sin and death God calls us to that which is above mans strength to yield to His belly cleaves to the ground and dust is his meat being beguiled by the Serpent and his looking towards God is meerly Hypocritical But God brings forth Christ in him raises up that substance that holy seed and that seeks him alone Vnless you be born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God So that it is impossible to please God except you know a better Righteousness then mans Righteousness Vnless your righteousness exceeed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Man will not see the extent of sin because he will not see his own condemnation in it but that man that is of God he sees that the power of God is his and the holiness of God is his And he hath a nature that shall rise up out of the creature and throw off all its dust and earth that is upon it and cleave perfectly to God And he delights in the greatness of the commands that God gives Look how great the command is so great is his inheritance there is nothing God commands but what he hath promised His Law he writes in the heart Whatever God commands he gives the higher God commands the Spiritual Man likes them the better God will work all this in me to this shall I rise in and through God Christ in me is able to do this It is God worketh in me to will and to do of his own good pleasure I 'le work out my Salvation Man dealing with the Scripture is lessening sin as much as may be by saying this is not sin and that is not sin May not I do this and may I not do that may I not take care how I shall live And then he comes to his distinctions of a tormenting care and a necessary care there must be a providence This is true providence to seek God You are to know your Father to please him and to deal in outward things as he leads you and no farther If you want it shall be good for you he will teach you to want and to abound to be hungry and to be full Godliness is beyond mans reach and he cannot comprehend it t is beyond what he can attain unto by nature and if you will have a right scantling of sin look upon it as the Apostle sets it out All have sinned and come short of the glory of God All falling short of the glory of God is sin We shall be brought in Christ into the glory of God and then we shall be brought quite out of sin Vse For the Applying of this Let this direct us in our account of sin and of ungodliness Let us reckon according unto this rule all worldly lusts all going forth from God to the world is ungodliness Where is the godly man There is no flesh can stand before God There is the man that is born of God though he lieth in flesh he will come forth and will be able to stand before God when fearfulness surpriseth the Hypocrite There is the new man that is created in true holiness shall stand There is an Hypocritical holiness an Hypocritical godliness that runs to the world and runs to the flesh making their belly their God they mind earthly things and yet they hold forth themselves high in godliness But the Scripture holds forth all going forth to the creature but in the Lord to be ungodliness It must needs be ungodliness to go out from God and it must needs be a denying God and his all-sufficiency to go out to anything but him Therefore let this teach us to mend our account and to correct our reckoning in matter of sin and matter of ungodliness If we be free from Cheats and Robberies and gross defraudings we lick our selves whole we wipe our mouth we are of the godly party so long as thou dost well for thy self men will speak well of thee when as there is raking after the world scraping riches and wealth together and we are ready to die for this thing and the other thing adding house to house and land to land I know not how to live without this Thus hell and the grave in us will never be satisfied alway craving And this is wisdom Prudence Providence This is to be a wise man in the account of men Men cry up this But dost thou acknowledge the Scripture then consider how that censures it Why do you take care Why do you look after any thing but God is not he alsufficient doth he not know what you need have you any thing to do but to look after his Kingdom Cannot you trust him O ye of little Faith is unbelieving godliness with you is not denying God ungodliness Therefore Le ts look into our own hearts and learn what to count ungodliness Sin lurks and is loth to be discovered the discovery of it is