ruine to themselves The second use is an use of instruction If wee must try all things then must we learne to get wisdome rightly to apply the rule to every particular which is to be regulated 1 Cor. 2.13 Comparing spirituall things with spirituall for to try is nothing else but to apply the rule or touch-stone to the thing to be tryed And when I speake of wisdome I meane that spirituall wisdome whereby the spirituall man comparing spirituall things with spirituall discerneth all things This man led by the Spirit acknowledgeth Christ and followes him in all things takes faith his companion and sets in his eye Gods glory the end and scope of all things Quest. Can you helpe us to some directions or Rules by which we may be guided in this application which is the onely difficulty now to be opened in this Treatise Answ. Yes and these Rules are of two sorts 1. Generall Preparative 2. Speciall Practicall The generall or preparative Rules to application are foure 1. We must be industrious to know and be acquainted with the Scriptures in their right sence of them whether historicall and litterall or allegoricall and figurative For this is to have our Rule at hand and in our hand without which it must be with us as with the Sadduces of whom our Lord said Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures And because true Scripture is not in words and sillables but in the true sence of it wee must be carefull not to rest in the words without the true signification of them The Papists heare our Saviour saying of the Sacramentall bread This is my body and sticking to the words and applying them without the sense runne into infinite absurdities and errours on one hand and so the Lutherans on the other Against both which wee may not unfitly mention one of the two rules of Augustine in his bookes of Christian Doctrine Si praeceptiva locutio videtur flagitium aut facinus jubere aut utilitatem aut beneficentiam vetare figurata est It is not a proper but a figurative speech which seemes either to injoyne a thing unlawfull or to hinder a lawfull So this speech of our Lord Vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye have not life in you seemes at the first to impose on us a kinde of cruelty therefore it is figurative So Augustine 2. If we would be fit for this tryall we must lay up and hide in our hearts such Scriptures as wee understand that they may be neare us to serve our severall uses The Prophet David professeth that hee had hid the word in his heart that he might not sinne against God And Mary was commended that shee pondered all the sayings concerning Christ and hid them in her heart A Carpenter or Mason whose worke is squared or laid by rule is never without his rule in his hand or at his backe so should it be with Christians 3. We must absolutely submit our judgement to the word of God without reasoning or disputing though it be never so difficult and dangerous unto us for what is else the use of a rule but to rule Abraham left his owne Countrey and went he knew not whither at Gods commandement Heb. 11.8 One would thinke this were folly in Abraham but that the Scripture acquits him and saith he did it by faith And in a more difficult commandement hee rose earely went three dayes journey to kill his onely sonne whom he loved and reasoned no cases but went Good Moses would weigh the word of God in his owne ballance fixing his eye rather upon the impotency and impossibility of the meanes than upon the strength of Gods word which cleaves the hardest rockes therefore he sinned in striking the Rocke when God bade him onely speake to it and for it was barred out of Canaan 4. We must ayme at an absolute conformity betweene the whole word and our whole man This Rule takes place above all mens rules and lawes which rule the outward man but this the inner man the soule and the conscience the heart and the will yea the affections and thoughts which in regard of mens lawes are free but the word captivateth every thought and brings it into subjection 2 Cor. 12.5 It rules the whole outward man also our speeches and actions even the least our lookes and behaviours our callings and conditions our sports and recreations and as David saith of the Sunne Psal. 19.6 there is nothing hid from the heate and discoverie of it so nothing in man is exempted from the rule of the word We must therefore bring our practise thereto and thinke it not enough to be a rule in it selfe unlesse it be a rule to us also And lay this for a ground in our soules that there must be a proportion betweene the rule and the thing ruled Now we come to the speciall rules for the application of this Rule And they concerne 1. Doctrines 2. Actions and Practise Rules for the Tryall of Doctrines are sixe First all Doctrines must be brought to the analogy of faith and squared thereby Rom. 12.6 Whether wee prophecie let us prophecie according to the analogy of faith By analogy of faith the Apostle meaneth the measure of faith and Doctrine which is indeede the holy Scripture the heads of which Doctrine or the summe of which faith is contained in the Creede the Decalogue and the Lords Prayer If any Doctrine agree not with these which are the key and rule of faith it is unsound and to be rejected As for example 1. The Church of Rome teacheth that the bread in the Sacrament is turned into the very body flesh blood and bone of Christ which was borne of the Virgin We hold the cleane contrary Now bring this Doctrine to the analogie of faith that teacheth that Christ was born of the Virgin true man with a true humane nature like ours in all sinne things sin onely excepted visible circumscribed palpable in one place only at once as is ours that teacheth that he ascended into heaven in that humane nature and there fitteth at the right hand of God untill his second comming and therefore cannot be really and locally in the Sacrament 2. Romish Doctrine teacheth that a man may merit by his good workes remission of sins and eternall life they establish the merit of mans workes in the matter of justification we utterly exclude them Bring we this Doctrine to the analogie of faith The ten Commandements say The Lord sheweth mercy to thousands that love him and keepe his commandements If the reward be given by mercy then not for the merit of the worke done The Lords prayer teacheth us to pray for forgivenesse of debts and therefore we are farre from meriting The same prayer teacheth us to pray for every morsell of bread Is it not madnesse to thinke wee can merit the kingdome of heaven if we cannot merit a morsell of bread The Creede
a good honest man but a Christian so at this day hee is a right honest man but a Puritan Come to a Papist and tell him of a profane man that walkes after the flesh how odious his wayes are this doth not much trouble him hee may be a good Catholicke for all that hee will thinke very charitably of such a one Like one in Queene MARIES time taken in adultery in Red-crosse-streete said yet I thanke God I am a good Catholicke Tell him of a man that professeth enmity to his religion in many Articles of faith yet if he be not too precise there is hope of him there may be a reconcilement at least hee is a wise moderate man hee will not out-runne himselfe But tell him of a man that will cleave to the Scripture in all things both greater and lesse and will not bee beaten an hayre-breadth out of it and doth so flie from BABEL according to the commandement that hee will touch nothing that seemes uncleane Hee hates all appearance of evill Oh these curious fellowes saith hee are not to be suffered or endured they trouble the Church and Common-wealth Nay wee may wish some of our owne had not learned the Gileaditish language to preferre the Papists as better men and better subjects than the faithfull servants of God and their Soveraigne onely because they desire to avoide the least appearance of evill But whence should this bee but out of the hatred of goodnesse that they whose hands are yearely almost in some monstrous conspiracie should bee preferred before such as whose innocency was neuer yet touched Well let such as feare God buckle to this precept of the Apostle because First God lookes on such as bowe not their knee to Baal upon such as touch no uncleane thing 2 Corinth 6 and couenanteth to bee their Father Secondly wee cannot touch pitch and not bee defiled with it Thirdly it argues soundnesse of heart in our hatred of sinne when wee hate not onely capitall crimes which shame us before men but lesser euills and such as wicked men cannot hate Fourthly sweete shall be the comfort when wee suffer the word to binde us in least things not suffering us to cast downe our countenance but couenanting with our eyes neither to whisper evill of others much lesse to reproach them or haue our mouth full of cursing repressing also even unchaste thoughts and mentall sinnes before they come to appearances VERSE 23. Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and J pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ. THE Apostle here proceedeth to the conclusion of the Epistle and annexeth a fervent and heavenly prayer to the former precepts For the Thessalonians might say you have heaped up a number of excellent precepts together but how should we that are but flesh and blood and weake to any thing that is good performe them You command much more than we can attaine You have given us not onely many precepts but of such nature and strictnesse as are rather fit for Angels and Saints in heaven than flesh and blood weake and fraile creatures on earth wee must Try all things hold all and onely that which is good and abstaine from not evill onely but all appearance of evill which seeme to us impossible commandements All which and the like allegations our Apostle meetes withall and tells them it is his meaning indeede First that they should ayme at full holinesse which is conversant in every good duty and shunneth the least sinfull defilement Secondly he sends them out of themselues to God who can sanctifie them throughout Thirdly seeing he onely can teach them their duties but cannot goe further to give them grace and enable them to performe it he goes to God with them that by their joynt prayers they might be established in them and to sanctifie them throughout for if God sanctifie you throughout you shall be able to performe the former duties Whence note that it is the duty of godly Ministers not onely to preach exhort and admonish men in their duty but earnestly to pray for them and with them for the obtaining of good things which they have commended unto them It was the usuall manner of the Apostles to pray to God for the obtaining of those graces they had exhorted unto In this Text having chap. 4.3 shewed that this is the will of God even their sanctification and hauing laid downe the parts of sanctification in the particulars till this verse now prayes that according to the precepts they may be wholly sanctified So Rom. 12.16 hauing exhorted to like mindednesse in the 15.6 prayeth that they may be like minded Ephes. 3.14 15. having exhorted the Ephesians not to faint at his troubles he prayes for strength For this cause saith hee I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man And chap. 1.8 hauing shewed how abundant God was toward us in wisdome and understanding and in opening the mystery of his will he ceaseth not to pray verse 17. that God would giue to them the spirit of wisdome and reuelation that their eyes might be opened And in the 1 Pet. 5.10 Resist stedfastly in the faith c. then prayes the God of all grace make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you And this doubtlesse the Apostle learned of the Lord Iesus himsele whose custome was to teach and instruct in the day-time and to goe out in the night to pray for a blessing upon his Ministery Luke 21.35 1. God is hereby glorified and acknowledged the father of lights from whom every good and perfect gift is Iames 1.17 for now wee depend on him for wisdome and draw somewhat from his fulnesse 2. It is not in man to make his doctrine effectual he cannot reach the heart much lesse renew it Man may hold forth the light but God must giue eyes to see it man may speake to the eare but God onely can speake to the heart Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God must give the increase 1 Cor. 3. It is his priuiledge to write his law in the hearts of his people Ierem. 31. Lydia heard the word from Paul but not hee but God opened her heart Acts 16.14 3. As in all other labours and workes so much more here we must doe that which is our part and leaue God his The husbandman must plow and sowe and plant and water but hee must leaue all the successe to God hee cannot command raine nor blessing So in this spirituall husbandry Gods seeds-men must doe their worke cheerefully being co-workers with him but commend the successe to God in which sense the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.7 saith He that plants is nothing neither he that waters that is if hee be compared with that divine action which is all in all or nothing without him Hereby wee see
and holy things adde prayer to keepe them in temper 2 Chron. 18.29 Fourthly The memory must be made and kept unblameable And that is two wayes 1. When we keepe in fresh memory our sinnes and declinings so farre as to be humbled for them A corrupt memory is the corruption of the whole man Deut. 9.7 Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord to anger in the wildernesse The memory is Gods register and officer and though now there be none in office yet in the day of Christ it will bring forth the records which seemed to be lost a prelude and taste whereof wee see in such as are distressed in conscience 2. When we keepe good lessons in our memory Rev. 3.3 Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent II. Directions to keepe the soule unblamable Every man may holde himselfe bound in conscience and charged by God with the safe custody of his owne soule under God Deut. 4.9 Take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently A man would be loath to forfeit a joynt of his body by heedlesnesse how carefully doe men looke to their eyes heads hands and every member and the least part of the body and yet more carefully to the whole body and this nature teacheth every man But is not the soule that better part that calls for so much more care and circumspection and this grace teacheth us to keepe our soule above all for if a man lose his soule what recompence shall he give for it Now because that in the soule is included 1. the heart 2. the will 3. our affections all these faculties in the soule must be kept safe as the soule it selfe and layes upon us a necessity to watch them narrowly First for the keeping of thy heart the precept is â—eep thy heart with al diligence for thence issueth life or death the chiefe part of the body is heart the fountaine of life and the chiefe care is to keepe that sound so the soule the heart desires and choyces are to be chiefly intended for thence are the issues of life or death And indeed according to the well tending or neglect hereof the constant course of holinesse is either furthered or hindered Besides nature in the framing of mans body begins with the heart and the liver and other inward vitalls and comes last to the face and other outward parts teaching us the method in grace where to begin our frame keepe the heart well and unblameable and all will be well And for this end observe some rules Fist therefore if thou wilt keepe thy heart unblameable thou must keepe it humble it must be an humble and contrite heart that God will not reject and a broken heart is a sacrifice of Gods delight the soundnesse of the heart is the through breaking of it the plow of the law must rend up the fallowes of our hearts and fit it for seede this must helpe both the rotting and rooting of the weedes Ier. 4.4 This is called a melted heart in Iosiah for as golde can never be approoved and purified before it be melted no more can the heart till it be a melted heart It is called the circumcision of the heart with circumcision not made with hands Col. 2.11 wherein the foreskinne of the heart is removed sinfull flesh and beloved lusts are wounded the party put to paine and made sore as the Sichemites in parting with a peece of his owne flesh This exercise of painefull mortification of sinne is the entrance into possession of a good heart and the grounds of all soundnesse in religion whereas they onely prove unsound and rumous in religion who never were soundly humbled nor traded in selfe-deniall as that building when the foolish builder would not be at paine to diggge deepe whereby to lay a firme and sure foundation Secondly then see thy heart be not onely an humble heart but a cleane heart Blessed are the pure in heart Matth. 5. striving after inward purity as well as outward For these an hypocrite can resist an hypocrite can wash the outside and may seeme to others to be pure and blamelesse But an heart desirous to free it selfe from blame deadly hates naturall pollutions filthinesse of heart vile thoughts and lusts and because it cannot be cleane without faith which is an inward purifier it labours for the increase of faith in the meanes to apprehend Christs merits and holinesse And because the word is a meanes of purifying and cleansing the heart as Psal. 119.9 and Christ saith they are all cleane by the word he will shew himselfe in embracing the word in heeding of it and framing himselfe according to the rules of it and apply his heart unto it And because a fusty vessell is not fit for sweete waters he will still and still be cleansing his heart that it may be capable of the word And because by nature the heart is foule and doth every day contract some filthinesse wash it with the blood of Christ and get neare unto Christ to have part in his holinesse and get the beesome of the Law to sweepe it daily and by the exercise of repentance and mortification daily part with the uncleannesse of flesh and spirit Thirdly see it be a single and sincere heart called a true heart Heb. 10.22 Let us draw neere to God with a true heart void of guile of deceit of dissimulation with such an heart as Nathaniels was commended by Christ a true Israelite in whom was no guile This is the heart of Gods delight 1 Chron. 29.17 Now you shall know the singlenesse of it 1. By this it is not one heart in one estate in one company and another in another but the same in sicknesse and health on the Saboth and on the weeke day the same in tryall as in peace but if there be any difference a single heart will be better in a bad age and most carefull among a most carelesse generation true grace is like light it shines brightest in the darkest roome and like fire hottest in the coldest and sharpest weather 2. You shall know a good heart by this it cares rather to bee good than seeme so it is more carefull to have grace than seeme to have it it doth not onely abstaine from evill but abhorre it Rom. 12.9 True godlinesse and soundnesse of heart consists in the power of godlinesse it doth not onely forbeare the sinne it loved but loathes it as the sicke stomack-doth loathe that meate most that it once surfeited on and what once cast up it ever hateth it 3 It will be religious alone and if it cannot get company it will be singular â— good heart will walke to heaven alone if it cannot get company it would rather have company but if it cannot it will rather goe alone to heaven than any where else with company Ioshuah saith I will goe my way if you will not goe with me I will not goe
and make some offers but to purchase the pearle what ever it cost he heares this voice not to taste onely some sweetnesse of Christ and the heavenly gift which an ineffectuall calling may doe but to digest it and live by it Ineffectuall calling may enlighten many may affect many but this perswades the heart and justifieth many Esay 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many That may consent to the word and and receive it with joy but not with faith not with love That may taste it but digest it not as beleeving Christ rather the Saviour of others than their owne or if they say their owne they cannot prove it but this mingles all with faith assenteth and truly applieth and constantly retaines it when all the other blaze is quite put If God speake in the Sacraments hee heares his voice there First in Baptisme to obey his first call to be gathered into the Church as the creatures into the Arke But with this difference Hee heares this voice to be admitted not onely into the externall society of the Church among true beleevers as Simon Magus may Demas and Iudas and every uncleane beast but to put on Christ and to be justified by faith to be set into the head and so are both in the Church and of it He heares the voice effectually not onely to the washing of his body with water but to the washing of his soule with the water of regeneration and first fruites of sanctification He heares this voice not onely to make a profession but an actuall renunciation of Satan of lusts of the fashion of the world and to binde himselfe an houshold servant of Christ all his dayes Secondly in the Sacrament of the Supper hee heares the voice and discernes it to feede not his body onely with the Lords bread but his soule with the bread which is the Lord. He heares the voice to renew his Covenant and set his seale unto it to eate and drinke worthily the flesh of Christ which is meate indeede and the blood of Christ which is drinke indeede and so growes up in the Covenant as a true member of Iesus Christ. He feedes his faith by this Sacrament the hypocrite feedes his hypocrisie The second way of Gods externall calling is by the voice of his mercies and crosses The heart effectually called heares the voice of his mercy 1. To inflame it selfe with the love of God but not as hirelings for wages but as children for himselfe and his goodnesse Psal. 116.1 2. To make him cleave to his worship not outwardly onely as Cain and the Pharise but inwardly and sincerely 3. To frame him to cheerefull obedience whereas ineffectuall calling can make men say Lord Lord but they doe not things commanded 4. To make him zealous for religion and hate corruptions not in others as Iehu but in himselfe and that not by a fit as a burning ague but with a constant temperate heate against all evill because of love of good 5. To make him thankfull to God and mercifull to men as God hath beene to him Secondly when the Lord calls by afflictions and crosses this heart heareth the voice of the rod to open keep open the door that is the eare which was sealed It is the Lord as saith Eli and not as Pharaoh Who is the Lord Hee heares this voice to make him stoope and inquire and hearken further as Manasseh and as Paul stricken downe Lord what wilt thou have me to doe Hee heares it to make him feare the more but not servilly and slavishly by the spirit of bondage as the Israelites at the giving of the Law lest they should be stricken through with darts but with a childlike feare lest they further offend him He heares the voice of the Spirit purging and cleansing him by afflictions as by the Lords fanne and whitening him by this sope of afflictions Dan. 12.10 II. The Lord speakes inwardly by a still voice in the heart sometimes by the motions of his Spirit when the elect heare the voice behinde them saying this is the way they heare the voice cherish and foster the motion and walke in the way Many are the motions of ineffectuall calling but they are not followed but either resisted or neglected and at last utterly quenched Sometimes the Lord speakes by the secret checkes of their owne conscience which the hypocrite by all meanes would choake and stifle but effectuall calling listens to this voice to the humbling of the heart making the sense of one or more grosse sinnes to be as a weight of lead on their hearts to keepe them under to the shunning of them and terrifying of them from the like for time to come so as by sinne a way is made out of sinne and a passage made to reconciliation and grace which is given to the humble Thus have we described the first and most assured and infallible note of effectuall calling namely the true discerning of every voice and call of God with a gracious fruite and effect following the same A second infallible note of effectuall calling is a manifest and continuall change by this voice great and wonderfull is the change in a man truly called He is not the same man he was before Gods voice and calling makes things that are not as if they were Rom. 4.17 Was there not a great change in Lazarus when he was called out of the grave yet the difference betweene Lazarus dead and alive is not more than betweene a man effectually called and uncalled God hath quickened a dead man This change will bewray it selfe sundry wayes I. In respect of sinne Before effectuall calling oh how did he delight and joy in his sinne who was a more busie actour in sinne than he he could runne to excesse of riot as fast as any hee was a loving partner and companion of evill men hee hated none so much as those who would have reclaimed him from his sin or if sometime he were stung and pricked in conscience he could confesse and sorrow for sinne but not hate it not leave it Perhaps some sinister respects might cause him to restraine himselfe as Haman but to a thorow reformation he could never attaine But now he is called not onely out of the curse and guiltinesse of sinne but out of the bondage and service of sinne that now hee serves not in the oldnesse of the letter but in newnesse of spirit the more dearely hee loved his lusts the more deadly hee hates them as Ammon did Thamar Now he hates that which he doth Hee dearely accompts of him now whom God useth as an instrument to helpe him out of his sinne so the Iaylour Act. 16. He gives his sinnes a passe and saith as Ephraim to his Idols Get yee hence hee loathes his beloved sinnes past hates the present and avoides sinne to come with all the occasions be they never so secret gainefull and pleasant II. In respect
great and unspeakable wickednesse were it to despise so great salvation to despise the word of life of grace of light of peace of faith and the end of it which is salvation for it is the ingraffed word able to save soules Iam. 1.21 3. Manifold is the evill that overtakes a despiser of Prophecy 1. He is destitute of the Spirit who hath no being no delight to be there as the connexion of the precepts witnesseth 2. Prophecy being neglected piety is lost and men prove profane persons this was a brand of Esaus profanesse that hee cared more for a meales meate than he did for the blessing Heb. 12.16 3. Despise thou prophecy thy prayer shall be despised and all thy service is abominable Prov. 28.9 and chap. 1.28 Because I have cryed saith the Lord and yee would not heare yee shall cry and not be heard 4. It ties and fastens sinne on men yea and heapes up judgement for first it nourisheth ignorance a maine supporter of Satans kingdome secondly it resisteth faith by refusing the onely and ordinary meanes of it thirdly it barreth out repentance because this is the meanes of our regeneraration and change of heart and life fourthly it makes sinne farre more sinfull because here is a refusall of mercy and grace offered by prophecy Ioh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken they had not sinned but now they have no cloake for their sinne Fifthly the refusall of prophecy provoketh the Lord to give up men to vile affections to worke all uncleannesse with greedinesse because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 2 Thess. 2.10 Lastly it tyes on judgement as fast as sinne and wraps the despiser in the curse of God Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect much more despise so great salvation Consider the threatnings Acts 13.41 Beholde ye despisers and wonder and vanish away Beholde I will worke a worke in your dayes which a man would not beleeve for the terrour of it out of Habak 1.5 This serves to reproove 1. Anabaptists and Enthusiasts who pretend the Spirit and despise prophecy they have the Spirit to guide them and therefore neede no preaching 2. Those profane Atheists at home who despising the Spirit of grace and the word of grace live as without God in the world Many who have Iacobs voice professe in word better things yet prize the preaching of Christ as a thing of nought It is better to be casting up some account or reading some history or walking in the fields or visiting some friends or perhaps going to a play than to a Sermon Are these the sonnes of Abraham or the sonnes of God and not rather the profane sonnes of profane Esau What can hee tell me saith one which I know not As if thy knowledge could priviledge thee to despise Prophecy And what thinkest thou These Thessalonians had knowledge as well as thou for they were taught of God 1 Thess. 4.9 yet must not they despise Prophecy and wilt thou despise it We see not saith another but that all this preaching doth breede barrennesse as an immoderate raine and brings preaching into contempt As if the abundance of prophecying did priviledge the profane heart to despise it The Israelites made just such another reason Oh wee have nothing but Mannah Mannah and our soule is weary of this Mannah and yet by their owne confession if they loathe this Mannah they must have nothing else to live by they shall surely die and their blood be upon them Object Wee see not that this preaching doth any thing but breede contention among Preachers and hearers Answ. As if because a bad stomacke turnes wholsome meate into bad humours therefore good meate must be despised and because mans nature spider-like turnes wholsome doctrine into poyson therefore wholsome doctrine may be despised Many other allegations the Divell puts into the mindes and mouthes of men against Prophecy because he knowes by preaching his kingdome falls like lightening Luk. 10.18 But those that feare the Lord will abhorre them 3. Others are reprooved who can be content to heare the word read and thinke themselves in good case if they can reade the word or good bookes at home but despise prophecy and interpretation which what else is it but to reject Gods wisedome in his owne meanes who hath set us apart to pray men in Christs stead to be reconciled to God The conversion of men was never committed to mens owne private reading no nor to the ministery of Angels no nor Christ himselfe undertooke to convert the world by his owne industry but left his Disciples to doe greater things than himselfe Ioh. 14.12 Contemne Gods meanes and thy owne shall never succeede Besides will not any say that hee understands better by interpretation of things than by bare reading Yes any but grosse malice and wilfulnesse 4. Others will heare the word not read onely but preached and yet despise Prophecy because they despise the practise of that they heare as Herod That which a man cares not to keepe hee despiseth Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it and doe it Therefore beware of despising Prophecy and of receiving the grace of God in vaine 2 Cor. 6.1 but rather heartily and sincerely embrace it Meanes 1. Labour to see the necessity of it being the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 and a principall ordinance of his to reveale the great mysteries of salvation which thou canst never understand without a teacher 2. Make conscience of hearing the word often 1 Pet. 2.2 As new-borne babes feeling their want would sucke every houre of the day and night Esteeme it with Mary the one thing necessary 3. Attend at the gates of wisdomes house Prov. 8.33 It was the praise of these Thessalonians that they heard the word with all readinesse Act. 17.11 and a great worke of God in Lydia chap. 16.14 The Lord opened her heart to attend to the words of the Apostles 4. Rejoyce in it as the Iaylor Act. 16.32 Hee rejoyced that hee and all the household beleeved And the wise Merchant went away rejoycing Not to delight in the word is to despise it Ierem. 6.10 Beholde the word of God is to them a reproach why they have no delight in it 5. If thou wouldest not despise Prophecy despise not Prophets This were to despise Christ himselfe for Hee that despiseth you despiseth mee Luk. 10.10 But have them in singular love for their workes sake as our spirituall fathers begetting us unto Christ. Wee see how the Prophets of the olde Testament were esteemed even of Kings themselves as Ioash though a wicked King finding Elisha ready to die fell on his face and wept and cried My father my father the horsemen of Israel and the chariots thereof 2 King 13.14 And shall not beleevers in the new Testament honour the Prophets of the new Testament who as good lampes consume themselves to give others light But
not all is well when thou hast gotten grace righteousnesse and holinesse but keepe thy selfe pure for know it is no lesse vertue to keepe grace than to get it Iude 21. Keep your selves in the love of God and againe Keep that thou hast obtained lest another take thy crowne And the rather First because this is the effect of true religion for true religion unspotred and undefiled before God is to keepe a mans selfe blamelesse and unspotted without just crimes in the world and this is to keepe himselfe blamelesse Secondly no part of man can be kept blamelesse without great care and industry Adam in innocency could not keepe himselfe blamelesse as hee was created and much lesse the sonnes of Adam now in corruption No watch is sufficient against that subtill Serpent that windes himselfe into us insensibly every faculty as an eare and every sense as a window lets him into us to come in and spoyle us and therefore it is necessary wee should labour to keepe that we have gotten 3. Excellent and precious things are to be kept most charily mens gold silver jewells and treasures are carefully kept but their lives much more because they are precious unto them But of all treasures our spirits soules and bodies are of most incomparable value nothing so worth keeping as this First what a precious blood was shed for to redeeme them Secondly if these be lost what price can recover them what shall a man give for the recompence Nothing but the blood of Christ tread that under foote nothing can recover it a treasure must be kept most carefully but a godly mans heart is a good treasurie sending out good things A worldlings treasure is without him and that he holds fast but the godly mans treasure is within him he layes hold upon faith and grace in Christ and these hee holdes worth the keeping but for the things of the world they are not worth the keeping in safe custody If they be not kept till the day of Christ they are lost eternally there is no time of keeping them but the present neglect that there is no salvation 4. The necessity of keeping our selves blamelesse is exceeding great 1. If we looke upon our selves in our naturall inclinations to soyle and blacke our selves or whether we looke upon our whole or parts First the whole frame of mans heart is evill the whole naturall spirit imagineth evill continually Gen. 6.5 Secondly and for the parts 1. The conscience is darkened by the blacke darknesse of ignorance and impured by a thousand sinnes of most ugly hue 2. The thoughts which in the day of Gods appearing shall either accuse or excuse Rom. 2.15 are naturally vaine roving and stragling from God 3. The affections which are of great force to good or evill If they be sinfull they are as wings to carry us as slaves to the most barbarous and unnaturall evills and ever pulling us aside to the world and lusts As Cain to hate and murder his innocent brother C ham to lay open his fathers nakednesse Iudas to betray the most righteous Sonne of God But if they bee rightly ordered they are powerfull instruments of excellent duties and as wings to carry us to the high pinnacles of Christianity All excellencies have beene brought out of the strong affections of grace Thirdly Looke upon our selves in the presence of grace the cleanest house will gather soyle if it be not daily swept the brightest vessells take rust if not often scoured and oyled enemies chased will turne head againe trees lopped will grow againe nature expelled returnes againe fire quenched will kindle againe and therefore all watch is little enough Fourthly Looke on our selves in that to which we are called and set apart by grace to be sonnes of God Temples of the Spirit of God mansions for God and Iesus Christ to come into us and suppe with us How carefull are we to cleanse our houses from all filth when we are to give entertainment to an honourable friend whom wee are sure will be ready to pry into every corner as the Lord will surely doe when hee commeth into us This serves to discover the generall errour of men who if they had innocency it selfe could not stand by themselves without watchfulnesse yet can keepe any thing better than themselves their horses their swine cattle their money their wares but very few thinke they neede to be so carefull to keepe themselves They keepe no watch over their thoughts they are free nor over their words words are but winde nor did they ever see their soules and therefore care not to keepe them How carefull are wise men to keepe themselves out of the lurch of the law lest by word or deed they should forfeit any of their outward estate much more their liberty lives c But how carelesse are the same men of keeping themselves out of the lurch of Gods law and out of the actions which forfeit the whole estate of grace the liberty and life of their soules And yet 1. Is not thy charge straighter to keepe thy soule than any thing else 2. Is any thing so exposed to robbers and spoylers so many so vigilant so resolutely bent to mischiefe thee 3. Is any losse so irrecoverable so irrepairable 4. Can any thing thou keepest so fast doe thee good when thou hast lost thy selfe whatsoever thou most carefully keepest else that thou receivest not for thy selfe but for others and wilt thou fondly save all for others with the losse of thy selfe Alas our folly that needes so many warnings and motives for the keeping of our selves Be we incited to keepe our selves blamelesse Wherein observe 1. The generality 2. The time 3. The order 4. The rules First for the generality our Apostle saith the whole man consisting of soule body and the whole spirit soule and body for bonum est ex causis integris malum ex quolibet defectu if any part be blemished the whole is blamed Secondly keepe all or none God will have all or none no polluted part shall get into his presence hee will have no part of a divided man Thirdly the Saints tooke themselves bound to keepe all Above all David will looke to his heart and looke to his thoughts and hee will have an eye to his will I have vowed and will performe and then to his mouth he will keepe that as with a bid and bridle and to his wayes Psal. 39.1 Then he will lift up his hands to the Law and then refraine his feete from every evill way Fourthly The danger of not looking to the whole a thorne in the foote may fester a gangrene in one part is deadly one poyson in the body one part without armour is the ruine of the whole 2. For the time We must now keepe our selves Men thinke they can never be Saints till they come to heaven and professe they cannot bee blamelesse here But our Text saith we must be blamelesse till
Spirit renewes us onely within and not without doth he make us beleeve as Christians and not live as Christians doth the sappe and juice of a tree onely quicken it within and not cause it produce fruites outwardly Thou hast not received the Spirit of Christ if it be not unto thee life unto righteousnesse Rom. 8.10 that is make thee lively and active in all the wayes of godlinesse Faith is not as a light under a bushell therefore shew mee thy faith by thy workes Grace is as a light in a cleare lanterne which from within enlighteneth without Now the rather must we labour for renovation without as well as within 1. Because flesh and blood unrenewed shall not enter into heaven 2. The disorder of the outward man and members argue a sinfull and disordered soule seeing the body is but a servant of the soule and doth nothing but by the Masters direction and appointment an evill eye issueth from an evill minde and a corrupt tongue moveth according to the abundance of the heart 3. No outward deformity is comparable to this of sinne in the members which makes the body to God indeed vile and contemptible as a dead and loathsome corpes is to man Fourthly to keepe the outward man blamelesse beware of all unchastity and impurity of body and on the contrary watch unto chastity and civill honesty 1 Cor. 6.13 The body is not for fornication but for Christ the Lord and the Lord for the body That is the body is ordained for the Lords use and ought to be imployed to his glory And the Lord for the body to redeeme and sanctifie the body as well as the soule and consequently to rule the body and command that as well as the soule being the Lord of the body as well as of the soule And the same Apostle saith the body is a member of Christ as well as the soule Shall I take a member of Christ and make it a member of an harlot verse 15 Can any thing be more opprobrious unto Christ than to transforme him into an harlot Can any thing derogate more from his glory and majesty or be more contrary to his most holy nature Againe Christs body was Gods Temple Ioh. 2.21 Destroy this Temple because the Deity dwelt in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodily and of this Temple Salomons Temple was but a type So thy body is Christs Temple in which he dwells by his Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 virtually Now the light of nature teacheth to preserve Temples pure and cleane but grace much more to preserve spirituall Temples cleane and holy And therefore as Christ when he went into his Fathers Temple made a whip and whipped out buyers and sellers and money-changers who had made his house a denne of theeves so doe thou in Christs Temple which is thine owne body beate it downe and overthrow the wanton and stragling corruptions of it whip out those roving lusts which make the house of Christ as a denne of harlots and filthinesse Coloss. 3.5 Mortifie your earthly members fornication uncleannesse and all inordinate affections Eph. 5.3 But fornication and all uncleannesse let it not once be named as becommeth Saints The fifth Rule Magnifie Christ in thy body both by life and death this was the Apostles care Phil. 1.20 As alwayes so now Christ shall be magnified in my body Thy body is mortall fraile fading yea a vile body Col. 3.21 yet in this body Christ will and must be magnified Quest. How Answ. 1. By keeping the heavenly treasure of the knowledge of God and the attendant graces in these earthly vessels as Paul 2 Cor. 4.7 We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power might be of God 2. By holding out the word of life and carrying the name of Christ in an holy undaunted and constant confession and profession in the place where thou livest as Paul did through the world 3. By expressing in this frail body not the doctrine only but the life of Iesus Christ conforming thy selfe to his blessed example in humility holinesse charity piety patience and other vertues that all men may see and say surely this man is a member of Christ he lives the life of Christ he resembles the patterne 4. In this weake body of thine carry about the mortification of Christ Iesus 2 Cor. 4.10 suffer afflictions for the name of Christ and beare in thy body as Paul did the markes of the Lord Iesus Gal. 6.17 fulfill in thy body the rest of the sufferings of Christ carry the badge of a true Disciple yea if God call thee offer up thy body and life a thankfull sacrifice not in life onely but unto death if thereby thou maist magnifie Iesus Christ. Thus did the faithfull Saints and Martyrs offering themselves the sweetest sacrifice of all others Yea our Lord himselfe comming into the world Heb. 10.5 said Burnt offerings thou wouldest not have that is now after the comming of Christ but a body hast thou given me that in this my body I might offer that expiatory sacrifice of all which the other were but shadowes Even so say thou Burnt offerings God calls not for but he hath given me a body to offer unto him and give up unto him in life and death in way not of a Propitiatory but of an Eucharisticall sacrifice of praise thereby to magnifie his name 5. Thou magnifiest him in thy body when thou magnifiest him in his body as when thou admirest the graces of his servants honourest his members delightest in them that excell in vertue helpest and releevest the poore Saints all which he taketh as done to himselfe These are the generall Rules now of the speciall for speciall parts To keepe the severall parts of the body blamelesse the word is plentifull in severall precepts but especially injoynes a strait watch over the senses which are the windowes of the soule But that the discourse may not swell beyond a reasonable proportion I will onely cull out 1. two principall senses and 2. two principall organes and members of the body and give some short rules concerning them and in them we shall see it is no easie thing to keep the body blamelesse neither in them nor in the rest which I must be silent in The two senses are the sight and hearing the senses of discipline and the other two members are the hand and tongue the which being well ordered by the word much blame would be cut off from the lives of men which they now stand guilty of First for the eye to keepe it unblamable We must watch it well for you must know that of all the sciences there is none so quicke a messenger to the heart and soule as the eye by reason whereof it requireth a strait watch God hath given to the eye power to see every thing but cannot looke into it selfe and therefore hee hath given to man understanding that he may looke into himselfe by