the subject on which Christ doth exercise his Divinitie and that is on dead men The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and shall live Secondly the instrument by which he doth it and that is by his Word which is not meant onely the bare preaching and hearing of the Word but such an inward commanding powerfull operative word that makes men doe that which is commanded them Such a word was spoken to Lazarus being dead Lazarus come forth and he did it This word commands men and makes them to obey it Thirdly the time when he will exercise his divinity the houre is comming and now is that is the time shall come when as it shall bee abundantly revealed the fruit of the Gospell shall appeare more plentifully and fully hereafter but yet it is now beginning to appeare there is now some small fruit of it Lastly It is affirmed with an asseveration or oath Verily Verily I say unto you And these are the parts of this Text. Out of these words I purpose to shew you these three things First What the estate of all men is out of Christ. Secondly what we gaine by Christ. Thirdly What we must doe for Christ. First we will shew you what your state is out of Christ for this will make you to prize him more And the point for this is That every man out of Christ is in a state of death or dead man that is All men how ever they are borne living yet they are still dead men without the living Spirit the root is dead Hence are these places of Scripture Gen. 2.17 The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Mat. 8.22 Let the dead bury their dead Ephes. 2.1 You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sinnes Eph. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light The meaning is that all men are spiritually dead This will be of some moment to shew you that you are dead without Christ. Yee account it a gastly sight to see many dead men lie together it affects you much but to see a multitude of dead men walke and stand before us that affects us not The naturall death is but a picture or shadow of death but this spirituall death is death indeed As it is said spiritually of Christs flesh Ioh. 6.55 That it is meate indeed Now that you may know what this death is I will shew you First of all what this death is Secondly how many kinds of this death there are Thirdly the symptomes and signes of this death Fourthly the degrees of this death For the first what this death is it consists in two things First in death there is a privation of life then a man is dead when as the soule is separated from the body so a man is spiritually dead when as the soule is separated from the quickning spirit of Grace and righteousnesse This is all our cases In us there dwels no good there is no Spirit of life within us the Soule is so out of order that the spirit is weary of it and forsakes it When the body growes distempered and unfit for the Soule to use then the Soule leaves it Even as when the instrument is quite out of tune a man layes it aside whiles it is in tune he plaies on it So a man dwels in a house as long as it is habitable and fit to dwell in but when it becomes unhabitable he departs so as long as the body is a fit organ for the soule it keepes it when it becomes unfit it leaves it Even so the holy Ghost lives in the soule of man as long as it is in good temper but being distempered by sinne the holy Ghost removes You may see it in Adam as soone as hee did eate of the forbidden fruite the holy Ghost left him and he lost his Originall righteounes Secondly in this death as there is a privation so there is also a positive evill quality wrought in the soule whereby it is not onely void of goodnesse but made ill In the naturall death when a man dyes there is another forme left in the body so in this spirituall death there is an evill habit left in the soules of men This you may see Heb. 9.14 where the workes you doe before regeneration are called Dead workes there would be a contradiction in calling them dead workes if there were not another positive evill forme in man beside the absence of the quickning Spirit which forme is called Flesh in the Scriptures But it may be objected that sinne is a meere privation of good that it is a Non-ens therefore flesh cannot bee said to be an operative qualitie and forme of sinne To this I answer that though all sinne be a meere privation yet it is in an operative subject and thence it comes to passe that sinne is fruitfull in evill workes As for example take an Horse and put out his eyes as long as hee stands still there is no error but if he begins to runne once he runnes amisse and the longer hee runnes the further hee is out of the way wherein he should goe and all this because he wants his eyes which should direct him So it is with sinne though in its selfe it be but a meere privation yet it is seated in the soule which is alwayes active Anima nunquam otiosa The goodnesse that should inlighten it is taken away and there is a positive evill qualitie put into it that leades us on to evill Consider farther whence this death proceeds the originall of it is the understanding mind of man which is primū vivens ultimum moriens That which lives first and dies last The cause of life is the understanding inlightened to see the truth when the affections are right and the understanding straight then we live when it is darkened all goes out of order Ioh. 1.4 speaking of Christ it is said that in him there was life and the life was the light of men he was life because hee was light he did inliven men because he did inlighten them therefore Ephe. 5.4 the Apostle speakes thus to men Awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light because light is the beginning of spirituall life Therefore it is said Iames 1.18 Of his owne will begot he them by the word of truth that is the word rectifies the understanding and opinion which is the first thing in this spirituall birth and Ephe 4.22.24 Put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts thereof and put on the new man which after God is created in holinesse and perfect righteousnesse The old man is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts that which is here called deceitfull lusts c. in the Originall signifies lusts proceeding from error and holinesse proceeding from truth Lust proceeds from error in mistaking things for lust is nothing
else but affection misplaced proceeding from error and that holinesse in which God delighteth in which his Image consists comes from truth When Adam was alive hee judged aright because then the wheeles and affections of his soule were right Being dead by reason of his fall he lost his sight hee saw no beauty in the wayes of God and this is the case of all unregenerate men but when the Spirit rectifies the judgement and convinceth men of sinn◠and righteousnesse then they beginne to revive To be dead is to have the understanding darkned the judgement erronious to be alive is to have the understanding inlightened and the judgement rectified And thus much for the first what this death is We come now to the kindes of this death which are three First there is a death of guiltinesse one that is guiltie of any offence that is death by the Law is said to be but a dead man So every one by nature is a dead man bound over to death though he be not executed Secondly there is a death in sinne that is opposite to the life of sanctification Ephe. 2.1 You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sinnes and there is a death for sinne that is contrary to the life of Glory Thirdly there is a death that is opposite to the life of joy in hell there is a life man is not quite extinguished but yet men in hell are said to be dead because they have no joy This death consists in the separating of God from the soule when God is separated from the soule then man dies this death of sorrow God joynes himselfe to the soules of good and bad to those that are not sanctified he joynes himselfe in a common manner and thence it is they have common joy common comfort common civility to the godly he joynes himselfe in an extraordinary manner by which they have extraordinary joy now when God is separated from the soule then comes a perfect death see it in the separation of God from Christs humanity God withdrawing himselfe from him but for a time he crieth out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee As God withdrawes himselfe more or lesse so is our joy our sorrow more or lesse Thus much for the kinds of this death Wee proceed now to the Symptomes or signes of this death and they are foure The first is this men are said to bee dead when they understand nothing when as there is no reason exstant in them when they see no more than dead men The life is nought else but the soule acted then a man is said to live when the understanding part is acted So man is spiritually dead when as his understanding is darkened when as hee sees or understands nothing of Gods wayes because they are spirituall and he carnall But it may bee objected men understand things belonging to faith and repentance carnall men not yet sanctified have some understanding of these I answer that they may understand the materials belonging to godlinesse as well as others but yet they relish them not they see them not with a spirituall eye Tit. 1.16 They are to every good worke reprobate they cannot judge aright of any good workes as to like approve and love them to see a beauty in them as they are good Rom. 8.7 the wisdome of the flesh is enmitie with God for it is not subiect to the Law of God the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meaning is not that they understand it not but they like it not they relish it not they tast it not they thinke of Gods wayes that they are but folly 1 Cor. 2.14 They are at enmity with them they count them drosse The second symptome of death is want of motion where there is no motion there is death All men naturally want this motion they cannot judge or doe any good thing by nature they may doe the opus operatum but they cannot doe it in an holy manner their prayers their hearing receiving of the Sacrament and the like are dead workes without faith the principall of life how ever they may be faire in other mens eyes The third signe of a naturall death is sencelesnesse so men are spiritually dead when they are not affected with Gods judgements when they have hard hearts which cannot repent Rom. 2.5 when they have hearts as hard as a stone Ezek. 36.27 or when they are affected with them onely as naturall men apprehend evill not from a quickning Spirit but from a selfe-love Lastly in naturall death there is a losse of that vigor that beauty in the face and countenance which is in living men So in men that are spiritually dead there is no beauty no vigor they have death in their faces they may have painted beauty which may be like the living as he said pictum putavi esse verum verum putavi esse pictum they may be much alike yet they haue not that livelinesse and beauty as living men have Gods beauty the beauty of holinesse is not found in them But it may bee objected they have many excellencies in them they know much they excell in morall vertues I answer they may have excellencies as a dead man may have Iewels and chaines about him yet they are dead they have them but yet they are as Iewels of gold in a Swines snoute they are as Swine their good things make them not men they are beautifull yet they are but dead men as the evill workes of good men make them not bad men so the good workes of evill men make them not good Thus much for the signes of this Death We come now to the degrees of this death in all these deathes there are degrees First in the death of guilt if you have had more meanes the guilt is greater if you make no use of them The Gentiles they shall onely be condemned for breaking the Law of nature because they knew no other Law The Iewes they shall be condemned for sinning against the Law of nature and the Law of Moses they had a double Law and shall be condemned for the breach of it Christians having a treble Law the Gospell the Law of nature the morrall Law shall be condemned for all three and among all Christians such as have had more meanes and better education the greater shall their punishment be Secondly in the death opposite to the life of sanctification there are degrees Now yee must know that there are no degrees in the privative part of death but they are onely in the positive The lowest step in this second death is to have enmity to the wayes of God being fighters against God and enemies to the Saints this is the lowest step The second degree is when as men are not so active that way but yet are dead in pleasures ambition covetousnesse and the like There is a generation of men which trouble not
Play-houses but in the Church assemblies Act. 10.44 whiles Peter was preaching to Cornelius and his family the Spirit fell upon them so the Spirit fell on others by laying the Apostles hands on them the ordinances are the Vehiculum of the Spirit give what is just to them and no more give them neither too little nor too much do not over-value them but yet neglect them not neglect not the Sacrament ye know not what ye do when ye neglect to receive it ye think that yee ate and drink your own damnation if ye receive it unreverently Absence from it is a sinne as well as the remisse and negligent receiving of it Sicknesse and death yee feare why then doe you neglect the Sacrament why doe you receive it unworthily Whence are those Epidemicall diseases amongst us the cause of them is from hence that yee neglect the Sacrament that yee receive it unworthily 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe Consider the danger of neglecting the Sacrament he that came not to the Passeover must bee cut off from the children of Israel the same Equitie remaines still in the Sacrament the cause of that was because he was to come up with the rest to remember the death of the first borne of Egypt and the redemption from their bondage hee being passed over thereby It is now the same sinne to neglect the Sacrament the Equity still remaines Are yee so strong in faith as ye need it not To bee absent from the Word yee thinke it a sinne so it is to be absent from the Sacrament nothing can excuse you If a master bid his servant do a thing and he goes and is drunken so that he cannot doe it will it excuse him If you have made your selves unfit to receive the Sacrament by commiting any grosse sinnes the unfitnesse will not excuse you If a man hath an occasion to ride a journey if he misse one day hee will take the next so ye if ye misse the Sacrament once be sure to take it the next time It is devided here that so if ye misse once yee may receive it the next time take heed therefore how yee neglect it The end of the Sacrament is to worship God to set forth Christs death it is the chiefest part of God worship therefore give it the chiefest respect Now from hence see the necessitie of this life of grace how can yee come to the Sacrament if yee are dead men Labour therefore for this life of grace And thus much for the first point that all men out of Christ are in a state of death We come now to the second which is this That all in Christ are in a state of life Our scope is to shew you what you are out of Christ and what benefits ye receive by being in Christ we cannot goe throughout all particulars but we will take the greatest life and death the one the greatest good the other the greatest evill All in Christ are living men this is the greatest benefit because death is the greatest evill therefore by the rule of contraries life must be the greatest good Farther men prize nothing so much as life this experience sheweth and Sathan himselfe could tell that skinne for skinne and all that a man hath he will give for his life Iob 2.4 Beyond experience God himselfe threatens death to Adam as the greatest evill The day that thou eatest of it thou shalt die the death Gen. 3.3 Now all that live this life are living men and have all things pertaining to life 2 Pet. 1.2 they have all that pertaines to life and godlinesse that is all things necessary for the nourishing and cherishing of them life were else unhappy take beasts and plants they having all belonging to their life are happy and they are said to live take any naturall life when as a man hath food and rayment and recreation he is said to live A man lives when he hath life and all that appertaines unto it I will divide this Doctrine into two parts and I will shew you two things First that there is such a life as this Secondly what this life is First that there is such a life as this It is needfull to shew you that there is such a life because it is a hidden life God hides these spirituall things as he hid Christ under a Carpenters sonne so he hides the glorious mysteries of the Sacrament under the base elements of Bread and Wine he hides the wisdome of God under the foolishnesse of preaching he hides those whom the world is not worthy of under sheepes Skinnes and Goates Skinnes Heb. 11. yea Col. 3.3 Our lives are hid with Christ in God But from whom is this life hidden I answer that it is hidden from naturall men as colours from a blind man they are there and he sees them not But with what is it hidden I answer that it is hidden First with this naturall life wee see it not because wee have this life it is hid as the Sap in the roote or water in the spring Secondly it is hidden with a base outside 2. Cor. 6.10 The Saints are as poore as despised as having nothing Christ had a base outside there was no forme or beauty in him that wee should desire him and so have the Saints being conformable to him they are like other men for their outsides Thirdly it is hidden with mis-reports thus Christ himselfe was hidden he was counted a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners one casting out divels by Belzebub and therefore he became a stumbling blocke unto many The Saints are likewise mis-represented they are evill spoken of they are presented to mens understanding otherwise than they are There are a generation of men that pervert the strait wayes of God Act. 13.10 that is they make them seeme crooked though they are straight notwithstanding they pervert them as a crooked or false glasse perverts a face that is beautifull representing it in another shape or as a sticke that is halfe in the water and halfe out seemes to be crooked and yet is straight in it selfe But in what is it hidden I answer that it is hidden in Christ as in the fountaine as in the heart and soule as in the subject wherein it dwels Men what ever they professe beleeve not this that there is such a life because it is a hidden life what course then shall wee take to make you beleeve it The Scriptures you will not deny yet you will be as hard to beleeve them as you will be to beleeve that there is such a life Wee will therefore say something without the Scriptures to perswade you that there is such a life as this First there is a life which the foule and spirits lives as the Angels they move act and understand though they eate not there is therefore a life
besides this common life Secondly consider the matter of the soule then yee shall see that the soule lives such a life as Angels doe The soules of good men leade such a life as good Angels doe the soules of bad men such a life as bad Angels The life of beasts depends on the compacture and Temperature of the substance as the Harmony doth upon the true extent of every string With the soule of man it is otherwise the soule lives first and then causeth the body to live it is otherwise in beasts their soules and bodies live together Besides it is certaine that the soule shall live when as the body is laid aside then it lives another life from the body therefore it lives another life in the body The higher faculties of the soule the Vnderstanding and Will are not placed or seated in the body as other faculties are the visive facultie must have an eye to see the hearing facultie must have an eare to heare and so the rest of the faculties must have their organs but the Vnderstanding hath no such organ it onely useth those things that are presented to it by the phansie Our sight feeling and hearing perish when their organs perish but the superior faculties of the soule weare not away but the elder the body is the younger they are The soule lives now in the object now in the subject it lives in the things it is occupied about As the Angels are said to be where they worke because they haue no bodies as we have to make them bee locally there so the soule it also lives where it is occupied as if it be occupied about heavenly things then wee are said to have our conversation in heaven Take the understanding and faculties of reason they sway not men but the Ideaes truthes and opinions that dwell in the understanding sway men There are three lives in man there is the life of plants of beasts or sence and the life of reason I may adde a fourth and that is this spirituall life which is an higher life of the soule Where there is an evill life there is death but where there is a good life there is this spirituall life See it in the effects for these are but speculations First yee see by experience that there is a generation of men that live not a common life delight not in vaine pleasures sports and honors there is no life without some delights their delights and life is not in outward things abroad therefore they have a retired and inward life at home Secondly there are no Acts but for some end there are men who make not themselves their end if they did they might then take other courses going with the streame If then they make not themselves their end then they make God their end they live not to themselves but to the Lord 1. Thes. 3.8 Thirdly they care not what they lose to get advantage to God they are content to be despised contemned to suffer Torments imprisonments and death they are content to doe that which is the ruine of their lives which they would not doe had they not a more speciall-life within them 2. Cor. 4.11 We which live are alwayes given up to death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might bee made manifest in our mortall flesh That is for this cause God suffered his children to be in danger that men might know that they live an other life and have other comforts this appeares by our readinesse to bee exposed to death all which shewes that there are some that leade an other life But it will be objected that the superstitious and those of another religion will suffer death as well as the Saints and morall philosophers are retired as well as the Saints and those who have but common graces live this life as well as the Saints therefore these experiences proue not the point sufficiently I answer that it is true that superstition doth worke much like Religion morall vertue doth many things like true holinesse and Common grace doth much like true grace yet it is no good argument to say that because a dreaming man dreames that he sees therefore a living man that doth see doth but as hee A picture is like a living man yet it followes not that a living man is dead because the picture is dead it is no Argument to say that because morrall vertue doth many things like true holynesse therefore true holinesse doth them not They may be like in many things yet not in all things the cause of all deceit is because we cannot discerne of things alike therefore I will shew you how these differ First superstition makes men suffer much as well as true Religion yet they doe it out of a false opinion the other from faith the one doe it being helped by the holy Ghost the other have a supernaturall helpe from Sathan that extendeth nature beyond his spheare the one doth it from grace the other from delusion the outward acts are alike but the inward principles differ Secondly morrall vertue and Christian holinesse differ in working the last is done of a sudden A man is made a living man suddainely though there are some previous dispositions yet the soule is suddenly infused after this manner the Saints passe from death to life Others have their habits by frequent acts and education they are moulded to it by little and little Thirdly in morrall men the change is never generall there is no new birth in them but in the Saints All things are new 2. Cor. 5.17.18 Fourthly morallitie doth never change nature but grace doth the most wilde man in a country the unlikeliest man of all others Religion makes him a Lambe of a Lion though it were unprobable Fifthly what did mortall men they went by divers wayes to the same center themselves were their end Epicures thought one way the best the Stoicks another but the Saints seeke a happinesse in denying themselves which helpes to perfect them Lastly common and true grace have many things alike yet they differ in this true grace doth things as a man doth naturall living actions as a man eates and drinkes with willingnesse and propensivenesse connaturally and readily so doth not the other Those who have onely common grace doe all from respects and by-ends their holinesse is but by flashes and by fits it continues not they are like violent motions quicke in the beginning and slower in the end the higher they goe the weaker they are but the motions and actions of the godly are as a stone falling downewards which moves faster and faster till it falles to the Center where it would be Now we have done all this there is not yet sufficient said to make it sufficiently appeare that there is such a life of grace these and an hundred other Arguments and reasons will not make naturall men beleeve that many men live other lives than they But when they see the life of
that it is not seene The life of grace being perfect swallowes up imperfection he that lives the life of grace hath the imperfections of this naturall life swallowed up For example before wee live this life we magnifie riches honours and Gugaes but the list of grace comming wee have other kindes of comforts then as a man that is to be made a Prince contemnes the things hee before admired The weakenesses we are subject to are swallowed up in this life al sicknesse and trouble ar swallowed up in this so are all our frailties and imperfections This should teach us to set a high prize upon this life of grace that we dye no more if we live it that it is a life indeed that it swallowes up this other life compare it with other lives it far excels theÌ„ all this therefore should move us to desire and seeke it Secondly this life of grace must needes be more excellent than the common life because it makes a man a better man much better than he was this puts man into a better condition elevates and puts him into a condition equall to the Angels and beyond in some respects That yee may understand this yee must know that every thing is made better by mingling it with things that are better than it selfe as Silver being mixed with Gold Water with Wine are made better than they were before There are two things required to make a thing better First that that thing with which it is mixed be of a better nature than the thing it selfe Secondly that there be a good union Nothing puts so high a degree of excellency into us as this that we are united unto God this uniting to God is the chiefest good Secondly this union betwixt God and us is a perfect union There are many unions as first there is a relative union such as is betweene man and wife Secondly there are artificiall and natural unions as when two peeces of bords are put together so that one touch the other so when graine and graine of another sort are mixed together there is a nearer union than this when as water and water are mixed together nearer than this is the union that is betwixt the soule and the body Such a union as this is there betweene us and Christ we are in him as the branches in the vine wee are incorporated and knit to him this puts us into an higher degree of excellency silver mixed with gold is better yet if we could take the spirits out of gold and make silver take the nature and quality of it it would be much better Wee put on the Spirit and quality of Christ when as we live this life Lusts which are most contrary to this life puts us below men and makes us worse than Beasts this life puts us beyond men and makes us equall with Angels All men desire some excellency which is done by adding something to them some desire wealth some learning some honour Consider then if yee live this life yee goe beyond all others nothing beyond Gods Image nothing better to be united to than God let this set the life of grace at a high rate in your affections men do it not and therefore they despise religion in its selfe and in those in whom it appeares Thirdly yee have this advantage in this life of grace it addes liberty to you it makes you to doe those things that otherwise yee could not doe it makes yee to pray to repent to beleeve and to doe those things without which there is no salvation looke on Christ. There are but few that can doe this there are few that can delight in God relish the word in its purity take pleasure in the company of the Saints comfort themselves in the Lord their God this life gives liberty which is an addition of some perfection it makes us to do things that we could not doe before and to doe them in another manner A man having gotten an Art hath liberty to doe those things which before he could not as one that hath gotten the Art of logicke or geometry can doe that which before he could not doe as one in health hath liberty to doe that which he could not doe being sicke water being hot hath liberty to heaâ—e which it could not before There is no liberty to doe holy actions but this liberty of the life of Grace the Spirit of life addes liberty to doe the actions of life 2 Cor. 3.17 Where the Spirit of God is there is liberty to doe things which before we could not as one having an Art can doe things that hee could not doe before This though you prise it not whiles your mountaine is strong yet the time will come when yee will need liberty to pray repent and trust in God and then ye will find the preciousnesse of it this then sets a price upon this life of Grace and should make you to desire it Thirdly if it be a happy condition and the priviledge of those who are in Christ that there is such a life for them let this â—each men to seeke to live this life of grace to get it if they have it not to confirme it if they have it to abstaine from lust the sicknesse of the soule and the meanes to quench this life take heede of estranging your selves from God who is the principle of this life take heed of dejections of mind the cloudings that damp this life This life is to be active to act much in the wayes of God when a man is cheerefull and vigorous he lives a life of nature so he that hath a quicke and nimble sence and is forward and busy in good workes lives most this life of grace He that rejoyceth most in God hath most comforts most life Take heed of the contraries Idlenesse sencelessenesse and barrennesse are contrary to life take heed of them take heed of sadnesse that rusts the wheeles of the soule whereas joy doth oyle them Doe all to further this life avoid all that hinders it Labour now to bee translated from death to life that which hinders us is that we thinke we are in a state of life when we are not Now yee may know whether ye are alive or no by seeing whether yee are dead or no But because yee may be certaine whether ye are alive or not I will give you some positive signes of life to know it First ye are translated from death to life yee are living men if ye love the Brethren 1 Ioh. 3.14 If a man be a living man he lives in another element than he did before Every living man converseth with those of the same kind as every creature doth Sheepe with Sheepe Lyons with Lyons Doves with Doves so living men will converse with living men Not loving the brethren wee are in a state of death Every creature must have an element to live in a new life must have a new element evill men out of their companies
that the righteous have more comfortable than all the revenues of the vngodly be they never so great That which hath been said of blessings the like also may bee said of crosses yee may grieve for them if yee take them as crosses but withall take heed that you account not those things crosses which indeed are no crosses Want was no crosse to Paul nor yet Imprisonment for in the one he abounded in the other hee sung It is advantage unto us many times to have outward blessings taken from us It is advantage to us to have bloud taken away in a Pleurisie it is good sometimes to lop trees that so they may bring forth more fruit so it is good many times for us to have crosses to humble us and to bring us nearer to God yet yee may sorrow for the losse of these things and take it as a crosse if yee can say this from your hearts that yee are not afflicted because ye are made poore because your wealth is taken from you but because it is Gods pleasure to take it from you either for the abuse of it or else to punish you for some other sinne So if that yee are cast into some sicknesse ye may not grieve for it as a crosse meerely as it is a sicknesse but as you conceive the hand of God in it laying it on you as a punishment for your sinne The second Let and Deceipt is the present sence and feeling that we have of the comfort that comes from aboundance Men are ready to say that they feele comfort from aboundance of outward things therefore whatsoever you say to the contrary is but speculations and fancies Men are guided by sence which cannot be deceived we find and feele comfort in these things by experience we see a reality in these things and therefore whatsoever you say to the contrary is but vaine and to no purpose To this I answer you must not judge of things according to sence for sence was never made a Iudge by God to judge of these things but judge of them according to faith and rectified reason which judgeth of things that are to come that are past present all together and so can best judge of these things as they are Now for to helpe your judgements in these things First consider what the Scripture doth say of them what it doth say of pleasure friends and riches the Scripture presents things as they are and that tels you that they are but Vanity of vanities and that all is vanity Secondly consider the Iudgements of others concerning them who have beene on the stage of afflictions and have abounded with good workes whilst they lived but are now gone Thirdly consider what yee will judge of them at the day of death then men are awaked they see these things as they are indeed and then they be foole themselves that they have spent so much time in seeking after those things which will not profit them and spent so little time in seeking after salvation Fourthly Iudge not of them as you finde them for the present but likewise as you shall finde them for the time to come judge of all together Now for Sence you must understand that there is a double sence First there is a sence and feeling of the comfort of the creature as a man that is benummed with cold is refreshed with fire or a man that is faintie and feeble in heart is refreshed with wine Secondly There is a supereminent comfort proceeding from an inward apprehension of Gods fauour towards us in giving these blessings to us There may be an inward distemper which may make our joyes to bee hollow and counterfeit there may be sadnesse of heart when as there is outward joy because there is an inward and supereminent sence which affects the heart another way and therefore Eccles. 2.2 Externall Ioy is called mad Ioy because wee minde it not It is the joy of joyes and life of comfort that is from within that proceeds from the inward man As the soule is stronger and the more it is in health so it findes more comfort both externall and supereminent comfort Graces are to the soule as health is to the body the more and greater they are the more comfort they administer But yee may object that the creature can administer its owne comfort and of its selfe To this I answer That there is an aptnesse and fitnesse in the creature for to comfort us but yet it can yeeld us no comfort without God Wherefore keepe your affections in square have so much joy and delight in the creature as the creature requires and no more if your affections hold a right proportion with their objects they are right therefore thus farre yee may joy in the creature and no further First Yee may joy in it with a remisse joy and yee may also sorrow for it with a remisse sorrow yee may joy in it as if yee ioyed not and sorrow in it as if yee sorrowed not Secondly Ye may joy in them with a loose joy and affection as they set loose to you so yee may set loose to them 1 Cor. 7.29.30.31 Brethren the time is short it remaineth therefore that those who have wives be as though they had none that those that weepe be as though they wept not that those that reioyce as though they reioyced not and those that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it That is let your affections be loose to these things Take any of these outward things yee may cast your affections on them in a loose manner goe no further than this For the fashion of the world passeth away Yee may bee taken away from it and it from you therefore affect it no otherwise than a transitorie thing and with a loose and transient affection willing to depart from it whensoever it shall please GOD to take it from you Thirdly yee may love them with a dependent affection they are things of a dependent nature they have no bottome of their owne to stand on they onely depend on God and so yee may love them as depending on him eyeing the Fountaine and not the Cesterne from whence they flow take not the light from the aire onely but looke to the Sunne from whence it comes The third Deceipt is false reasoning We finde it otherwise by experience we see that a diligent hand maketh rich and bringeth comfort we see that labour bringeth learning and for the labour which we take to get it in recompence of it it makes us happy To this I answer That this chaine doth not alwayes hold God breakes it many times riches come not alwayes by labour nor comfort by riches except God bee with the labour the labour profits nothing Psal. 127.1 Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it Except the Lord keepe the Citie the Watchmen
Christ it is not giuen us to keepe exactly for that is impossible it was impossible to keepe it through the weaknesse of the flesh Rom. 8.3 the Law was therefore given that wee might know our weaknesse not that we should keepe it but that Christs righteousnesse might bee fulfilled in us by faith Gal. 3.24 the Law is our schoolemasted to bring us to Christ that we might be iustified through faith that is the end of â—he Law But it will be objected that in as much as we are commanded to doe things impossible mans nature is destroyed for man is a free creature Secondly the command implies an absurdity an impossibility to bid a man doe that which hee cannot doe to bid a man that is in a deepe Well bound hand and foote to come out himselfe is foolish yee may blame him for falling in it is absurd to bid him come out To this I answer that there is a difference betweene the externall binding and the bonds wherewith a man is fettered by sinne There is an externall impediment which a man cannot remove as when he is fettered in the well but there is no externall impediment when as men are bound in the chaines of sin When wee command you to doe thus and thus all the businesse is with the wil we rather say men will not than they cannot come There is liberty when as a man hath eligibile or non eligibile when hee hath a thing in his owne choise when there is no impediment when hee may argue both wayes If a man out of the perversnesse of his nature doth it not it is not compulsory but free a beasts action is not free because hee cannot reason on both sides but man when hee considers arguments on both sides when hee can say doe not doe such a thing but doe such a thing when he can conceive arguments on both sides he is free there is no such externall impediment in him as to bid one in darkensse to doe a thing of the light or one bound hand and foote in a pit to come out since the chiefe impediment here is in the depraved wils of men which God doth rectifie and change by his grace and Spirit through the use of meanes If then every man out of Christ bee in an estate of death let every man examine himselfe and consider whether he be a dead man or no this is the great quere or question in this mutability and incertaintie of things Let us make the life to come sure our life is uncertaine here but have we this spirituall life are we living men then wee are happy but are we dead then he that is not partaker of the first resurrection shall not be partaker of the second It is too late to begin to live when we are dying certainely the time of our naturall death is a time of spending not of getting or inquiring after life If yee deferre this search while yee are in health when ye lie on your deaths bed when ye shall see heaven and hell immediately presented unto you this question will hold you solicitous and then you shall see that this spirituall life is the life indeed The time of this naturall life is not long the candle burnes not long if it burne out yet it is oftner blowne out than burnt out men oftner fall downe than come down from the tree of life this Tabernacle is often throwne downe before it fals downe therefore in this short life make your selves sure of eternall life Now there are two things which hinder this search and inquirie after spirituall life The first is a false opinion men thinke themselves in the wayes of life being in the wayes of death they thinke there is a greater latitude in the Gospell than there is The second is men are not at leasure there are millions of businesses in their heads so that they cannot hearken to the whisperings of conscience they have no spare time to be wise unto salvation It will be our wisdome therefore to consider our end Deut. 32.29 To helpe you therefore in this Quere whether you are dead or alive Consider first if ever you have beene dead Secondly if ye have beene dead whether yee are made alive First I say consider whether yee have beene dead or no I meane whether sin hath beene made alive in you that you might die Rom. 7.9.10 I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sinne revived and I died that is the Commandement awakens my sinnes and they being aalive I died sinne when it affrights not a mans conscience then hee is dead when it wounds the conscience then hee is alive The Law being brought to the soule by the Spirit yee see the rectitude of the Commandement and your owne obliquity and crookednesse then sinne is alive and ye die Peter preaching to the Iewes Acts 2. recites to them their sinne in crucifying the Lord of glory which sinne was made alive and pricked them at their hearts Sinne was dead in David till Nathan and the Law came unto him afterward hee lived and was humbled Luke 5. Peter seeing Christs Divinitie by the draught of Fishes cries out Depart from mee Lord for I am a sinfull man hee had sinnes in him before but they were dead then they were made alive Paul hee had sinnes that were dead in him but when the outward light which was but a tipe of his light within did shine about him then he dies and his sinnes were made alive So Iosephs brethren had sinnes but they were not made alive till they were put in prison then their sinne in selling their brother Ioseph lived and they died Hath sinne ever beene alive in you by the commandement to slay you that is hath it bred such an apprehension in you as of death not a sigh or two for a day that is no slaying of you but ye must apprehend sinne as death as one that is to bee executed forthwith apprehends death so must you apprehend sinne then it is a signe that there is life within you Secondly are yee made alive againe Is there such a change in you as if yee were other creatures as if yee lived an other life Where this life is it works an alteration and a change gives us another being makes us to bee no more the same men Who ever is in Christ is a new creature it works a generall change from death to life it makes all our actions to bee vigorous like the actions of living men Old things passe away all things become new it makes men lead a new life If old acquaintance and lusts would draw us away we answer that we are dead that we live no moe to these that now we have not our owne wills Christ lives in us and workes in us Gal. 2.20 It is not I that live but Christ lives in me The same mind will bee in us that was in Christ Iesus Phil. 2.5 Now if ye desire
doe if they bring not forth fruit if they glorifie not God they are dead See what a price is put into your hands see what yee have done and mend whiles yee may bestow not your price amisse There are many Talents yet none like this of life take therefore the Apostles exhortation Gal. 6. While yee have time doe good life is but an acting yee then live when ye are doing good We see how many men fall from the Tree of life as leaves in Autumne the candle of this life is quickly blowne out have therefore a better life in store bee not alwayes building never inhabiting alwayes beginning never finishing Stultitiae semper incipit vivere folly alwayes beginns to live It is the fault of most men they are alwayes beginning and neuer goe on Lâ—t us take therefore the Apostles counsell 1 Pet. 4.3 Thinke it sufficient that we have walked formerly as we have done the time which remaines let us reckon it precious and bestow it to better purpose Secondly if every one that is in Christ be in an happy estate of life then let men from hence know their state and condition let them often reflect on their priviledges behaving themselves as men that prize them and bestowing their time as well as may bee let as few rivulets runne out of this streame as you can Wee pray that wee may doe Gods Will on earth as perfect as the Angels doe it in heaven wee should therefore practise this as we pray for their life is without interruption they are in communion with God let us then be alwayes doing having our thoughts above let not cares and businesse call us off but let us comfort our selves in God acting that which is for his glory wherefore prize this life esteeme it much know what ye have by Christ and consider the excellency of this life above all others That yee may know the excellency of this life consider it comparatively with this other life that we live It hath three properties wherein it differs from and excells this common life which we all live First it is an eternall life Ioh. 6. Your fathers did eate Manna and died but hee that eateth of this bread shall die no more but he shall live for ever that is this is the advantage that yee have by the life that I shall give you those that did eate Manna the food of Angels died and Ioh. 4. Those that drinke of this water shall thirst againe that is those that live another life than this shall die and thirst but those that live this life shall never die To live this life is when the soule lives in the object there is a living in the subject yet this spirituall life is when the soule lives in the object when as it is set on God Take men that live other lives yee shall see that their lives are short A man living in honour that being the thing he mindes and intends it is in potestate honorantis there is no constancy in it it is brickle If a man lives in wealth sets his minde on it Why riches take their wings and fly away Pro. 23. and then their life is ended So if a man lives in pleasure and musicke they passe away and then he is dead those who live in these things suffer many sicknesses and many deaths as their hearts are more intent upon them But it may be wee may not minde these things Yes as if we minded theÌ„ not as a man that hears a tale and hath his mind elsewhere or as a man that baits at an Inne his minde being somewhere else If yee mind them ye die in them he that minds the best things never dies because there is no change in them God is alwayes the same his favour and love is constant see therefore that yee prize them As a time that is infinitely long exceeds that which is a but a span long in quantity so doth this life exceed the naturall life in perpetuity and excelles all other lives in excellencie Secondly this life is a life indeed as that that feeds it is meate indeed the other is not so looke upon all the comforts of this present life they are not such indeed take wealth pleasures honours and the like wealth is but a false treasure Luke 16.11 it is called the unrighteous Mammon the false treasure Et falsus Hector non est Hector in comparison of the true treasure it is nothing Therefore Salomon Pro. 23.5 speaking of riches saith Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not these riches are nothing So for honours all praise among men is nothing it is but vaine-glory and vaine because it is empty and hath nothing in it so the pleasures of this life are but sad pleasures the heart is sad at the bottome the riches the comforts of this life and onely these are riches and comforts indeed the actions of this life are actions indeed In eating and drinking there is sweetnesse but when we feed on the promises by faith then we taste sweetnesse indeed in them One that is weary being refreshed with sleepe finds sweetnesse and ease but it is another refreshing that those finde who have beene weary and heavie laden with sinne and are nâ—w refreshed this brings comfort to the soule So to thinke of houses wife children and lands to consider all the actions that wee have done under the Sunne and all that we have passed thorow is pleasant but to thinke of the priviledges we have in Christ that we are Sonnes of God and heires of Heaven this is comfort indeed especially to thinke of the good workes wee have done what good prayers wee have made what good duties wee have performed these are actions indeed and bring comfort indeed All the actions of this life are actions indeed this life is a life indeed in death you shall finde it so that Christs body and bloud are meate and drinke indeed that remission of sinnes and peace of conscience are comforts indeed peace indeed they are such now though ye thinke not so yee shall then know that this life is life indeed Thirdly this life of grace is a prevailing life swallowing up the other 2 Cor. 5.4 the Apostle desired death not to be uncloathed but to be cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life that is desiring death I desire not to be deprived of the comforts of this life then I were unwise I would not put off my cloathes but to be cloathed with a better suite I desire a life to swallow up this life not as a Gulfe swallowes that which is cast into it or as fire swallowes up the wood by consuming it but a life that swallowes it up as perfection swallowes up imperfection as the perfecting of a picture swallowes up the rude draught as perfect skill swallowes up bungling or as manhood swallowes up childhood not extinguishing it but drowning or rather perfecting it
the roote of all when all our actions come from faith which workes by love else though they are never so specious they are but dead works It is no matter whether ye pray or not whether ye receive the Sacrament keepe the Sabbaths or not they helpe not a jot unlesse they come from the principle of life a new creature Secondly consider the manner of their working they will bee done with quicknesse and vivacity Men doe them as living actions with all propensnesse and readinesse with much connaturalnesse with much fervency and zeale when they are done in a perfunctory manner they are dead workes Thirdly ye may know them by their end looke ye to Christ doe yee all in sincerity to him or no or to your selves if yee doe then they are gracious workes and proceed from grace they are living actions and not dead they issue from a right principle ayming at God and not at your selves Hosea 10.1 Israel is an empty vine he bringeth forth fruite to himselfe If ye bring forth fruites to your selves and not to God ye are but empty Vines God accepts you not Fourthly this life is discovered by your behaviour to the meanes of life when they are brought unto you when there is no sound no voyce there is no distinction twixt a deafe and a hearing man where there is no light there is no difference twixt a seeing man and a blind but the light differs them So when as the sound and light of the Gospel comes then men are tryed In times of ignorance God regards not men so much but now in the time of the Gospell see if it be powerfull and whether you set your selves about holy duties Matth. 3.10 Now is the Axe laide to the roote of the tree that is since Iohns comming there is a distinguishment twixt living and dead trees A tree is not discovered to be dead till it withers no man will cut downe a tree in winter because hee knowes not then whether it be dead or no the Spring distinguisheth the dead and living trees in the winter they are all alike The Spring is the powerfull preaching of the word if men spring not then if they come not in they are dead Those whose education hath beene good those who live under a powerfull Ministry now is the Axe laide to the roote of the tree with them it is a signe they are dead if they profit not by it Fiftly yee may know whether yee have this life by the food it is fed with severall lives are fed with severall foode Now the foode of this new life of grace is double first the word secondly good workes First the word 1 Pet. 2.2.5 As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby if so bee that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious that is if ye are alive as you professe your selves to be you shall know it by your behaviour to that which doth nourish your life First ye will long after the word as the Child doth after the Teate If the Child be hungry neither apples nor rattles nor any thing else can quiet him but the Teate So nothing can quiet these but the Word Others may have excuses they will have none Either they will live where the word is or they will bring the word home to them they will bring themselves to it or it to them Secondly they desire the sincere milke of the word many things may be mingled with the word that doe please the wit yet those who live the life of grace desire the sincere word the pure word without any mixture Thirdly they desire it that they may grow thereby many desire it to know it onely if ye desire it as new borne babes it will make you better and better you will grow by it Many heare but as men having an Atrophy in their bodies they grow not no fruite comes thereby Fourthly they taste a sweeenesse in the word above others the second ground received the word with joy and Herod heard Iohn Baptist with gladnesse but where there is true grace they goe farther they delight in the word it is sweeter to them than the hony few can say so in good earnest that the pure word is sweeter to them than Hony or the Hony Combe Iob he esteemed the word more than his appointed food Iob. 23.12 The second food of this life iâ— good works Ioh. 4.32 33.34 is the place out of which I collect this where Christ being asked of his Disciples to eate said that he had other meate that they knew not of then said they hath any man brought him ought to eate Hee saith unto them My meate is to doe the will of him that sent me and to finish his worke Doe you good workes with such a desire as men eate and drinke doe you hunger and thirst after them desiring for to doe them Then ye are alive Hypocrites may doe much but it is not their meate and drinke to doe it examine therefore your selves by these signes whether you are alive or dead This is the preaching of the law to shew you the narrow differences of life and death The first step to life is to know that ye are in a state of death the Law must goe before the Gospel to prepare its way as Iohn Baptist was before Christ ye must be brought to their case in the 2 Act. 37. Who were pricked at the heart ye must be brought unto the case of the Iaylâ—â— and of Paule to the case of the Prodigall that you may know your estate then yee will come home and not before Our end is to preach life and comfort to you not damnation Rom. 15.4 All Scripture is written for our comfort now there are many things in the Scripture that tend to discomfort and terror yet their end is comfort as Physicke is sharpe for the time yet the end is health Wee desire not to exclude any but to bring you in whilst you have time the market is then hard to make when yee lye on your death beds labour to know it in time your death is a time of spending not of getting it was too late for the foolish Virgins to buy oyle when they were to attend the Bride groome We desire not to affright you with false feares but to admonish you that you be not deceived I finde this sentence Be not deceived prefixed before many places of Scripture where Gods judgements are denounced as 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither fornicators Idolaters Adulterers c. shall inherit the Kingdome of God and Eph. 5.6 Be not deceived with vaine words for because of these things commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience to shew that men are apt to deceive themselves in such cases as these thinking themselves to be in beâ—ter estate than they are Consider your sinnes and apply them Consider your particular sinnes actio est singularium Consider
to know whether Christ live in you or no or whether you are in an estate of death you must see whether you have these two things which are in every one in whom Christ liveth first see whether you live to him He died that we should not live to our selve but to him alone In morall things the end and principle are all one Before Christ lived in you all you did was from your selves ye were your owne principle and end but Christ living in you there is another end ye eye Christ ye looke to him all that ye doe is done in sinceritie it is done for him and from him But how can Christ be the end of our callings eating drinking and recreations I answer that of every action Christ must be the end yee must doe as a man in a journey though every step he treades he thinkes not of his journeies end yet the generall aime of every step must be for that end and that causeth every step so in all yee doe the generall end must be Christ. Secondly if Christ live in you your hearts cleave to him as to the Principle of life as the child to the dug or the element to its naturall place What ever our life is we cleave to it Some place their life in their credit take away it and they die others in riches take away them and they perish What ever is your god if it be taken away you perish Therefore Iohn 6.68 When Christ demanded of the twelve whether they would likewise goe away Peter makes this answer Lord whither shall we goe thou hast the words of eternall life Thirdly ye may know what life ye liue by the food that feedes it Oyle feeds the Lampe fuel the fire If your life be fed with the duties of obedience then yee live If ye keepe my Commandements yee shall live in them saith Christ you shall live in them as in your proper element as the Fish in the water every motion out of it is to death There are two sorts of men to whom this triall doth belong The first are those who have a name they live and yet are dead like the Church of Sardis Rev. 3.1 The second to whom this belongeth are those who are dead indeed The first of these are like the Angels that take bodies and doe actions they are not truly living men though they appeare to be Now the signes that Characterise these dead men from those that are truly living are five taken from the signes of the fained life in the Spirits that have bodies but onely in appearance whereby they are distinguished from bodies that truly live First Angels that take assumed bodies eate and drinke and are not nourished as the Angels that came to Lot and Abraham and had created bodies So these dead men doe all the actions that living men doe they heare they pray they reade but they turne it not into flesh and bloud because there is no life in them they are not the stronger for hearing or any thing they doe they thrive not as those that have the Boulimia they eate and drinke yet they grow not because there is an Atrophy in their bodies We preach to men yet they are the same this yeare as they were the last they have a name to live and yet they live not they turne not the meanes to flesh and nourishment it is a signe of a living man that he growes That which is said of a good wit that it makes use of every thing may be said of grace it turnes all the passages of Gods providence into nourishment stormes as well as faire gales helpe a living man to the haven Affliction prosperity all put him on and helpe him forwards Take one not having this life doe what yee will hee thrives not as an unthrift put him to what trade you will he thrives not hee is still on the losing hand so these men prosperity adversitie helpe them not put any thing to a dead man to doe he doth it not so these men the Word and Sacrament helpes them not because they are dead Secondly the motion of the Spirits that take assumed bodies is not from any inward principall nor from the motion of life within so the actions of men that are not alive are not from the principles of life they are not vitall motions but as in other actions the Wheeles goe as long as the spring is up that moves them so the actions of men that are dead as long as the springs are up and the influence continues they move When they are sicke and apprehend death then they will doe many things but these being gone their goodnesse is ended whilst they deepely apprehend some accident they will be good that being gone and forgotten their goodnesse ends· Many whiles they have good acquaintance and are in good company will be good but when they are gone their goodnesse ceaseth These men have golden outsides they seeme to have the Kings stampe upon their actions yet they are but counterfeit they pay God in counterfeit coine not in currant mony their actions have a forme of religion but yet the power is wanting all they doe is but a meere formality their Prayers their Sabbath keeping are but in shew those actions and duties that have most power and life in them they doe least of all relish they tast them not because they have no life in them In generall all the actions that men wanting life doe they are but dead workes they may bee deceived with them for a time but when death comes they shall finde them to be but dead Remigius a Iudge of Loraigne tells this story that the divell in those parts did use to give money to Witches which did appeare to be good coine seemed to be currant money at first but being laid up a while it then appeared to be nothing but dried leaves so the divell deceives men now he makes them to doe outward actions which have a faire shew but when they need them they then appeare as they are to be nothing but dead leaves because the principle of life is wanting A third propertie of assumed bodies is this that they are taken up onely for a time and then are laid downe againe as the Spirits that take them listed so in these men which seeme to live there is an inconstancy and mutability in their lives they lay downe their religion as occasion serves If that they did was done in respect to God it would bee alwayes the same their company and occasions would not alter it but because it is not done in respect to God therefore as their company and occasions are mutable so is their religion They are as inconstant as Clouds without raine that are quickly scattered like wandring Stars or like the morning dew that is soone dried up The Saints have an inequalitie in their lives yet they never die againe they may be sickly but these men are
twice dead trees plucked up by the rootes that never grow againe The Saints may bee as sheepe soyled with a fall but they can never become Wolves againe but these men they turne Wolves againe so did Pharoah and Saul The Saints have their Turbida intervalla their ebbing and flowing their full and their waine but yet all these cloudings doe but obscure their graces not extinguish them the darkenesse of the night extinguisheth not the light of the Stars but covers it so doe these cloudings but only cover the graces of the Saints All the goodnesse of other men that seeme to live are but Lucida intervlla they are good but by fits when as those that live are bad but by fits Nullum fictum est diuturnum their goodnes is but counterfeit therefore it lasts not it holds not out Another distinguisher of these walking Ghosts from living is this the actions they doe they doe them not as living men do they make apparitions onely and vanish Those men that have nothing but civility it quickly vanisheth they are like the Church of Sardis Reve. 3.1 that had a name shee lived and yet was dead their workes are not perfect throughout they were but linsey-wolsey they were not thorow paced in the wayes of God but shuffell they graspe at both and comprehend neither they doe many things but not all As the young man that came to Christ Christ looked on him and loved him what distinguished him one thing was wanting his workes were not perfect his heart was set upon his wealth he would doe any thing else his heart was not weaned or divorced from it Saul had a name to live but yet his workes were not perfect when Samuel came not then hee was discovered that was but his triall he would not rest in God Herod did many things yet he was not perfect hee would not leave his incest so all that have but a forme of religion they are Wolves though they have a sheepish outside they are not perfect ye shall know them by their workes But what workes are those that we cannot see them doe I answer they may be exact in the first yet faile in the second Table and those that practise the duties of the second Table faile in the duties of the first If men be exact in the duties of both Tables their religion is pure and undefiled Iam. 1.27 If they faile in the duties of one table to make their religion pure is to mend in the other These civill men wrong no man yet they content themselves with a bare formalitie this is not pure Religion we say this is pure Religion if yee bee fervent in prayer and content not your selves with formality of Religion without the power Lastly these walking ghosts doe but shew themselves to men they company not with them yee see them and heare no more of them Ye shall know living men by their companying and loving of the Saints as sheepe and doves they are never out of company and keepe no other company but their owne Yee shall finde in others these differences First either they delight not in all the Saints We must love all the Saints this particle all is put in all Pauls Epistles these love not all the Saints Secondly if they love all the Saints yet they love not the Saints onely yee must love none but the Saints If yee love the Saints because they are Saints then those who are not Saints ye doe not love that is yee love none with the love of friendship and intimate familiaritie but the Saints yet love them with a love of pitty and we all faile in this love Thirdly they doe not love those that excell in vertue If your hearts be not right ye dislike all those that goe beyond you in holinesse and practise Lastly though they make a shew they love them yet they doe not shew the effects of their loves to them And thus much for the helpes and discovery of the first sort of men that have a name they live and yet are dead The second sort of men to whom this use is directed are those who are quite dead yee shall know them by these markes or Symptomes First yee shall finde coldnesâ—â— in them in death there is no heate so their prayers and performances are cold they are dead wanting fervency But the Saints want heate as well as others they also are cold I answer though sometimes they want it yet they are quickly made hot againe because there is life in them as Charcole is quickly kindled because it hath beene in the fire so the Saints are soone kindled brcause they had fire in theÌ„ before Others are as greene wood or rather as matter that is not combustible as the Adamant that will not bee made hot with fire Living men admonitions and the fire of good company will heate againe so wil it not the others Secondly ye shall know them by their stifnesse and hardnesse It is a signe of death to be inflexible Wicked men are as hard as flint to Gods commandes but as soft as waxe to that which humors them Are yee tractable Do you delight in your owne wayes and yet continue the same men keepe the same company Doe yee abide still in the same place or goe on in the same tract then ye are dead In many things you may be tractable but the maine is whether yee are flexible in those things that are connaturall unto you These deale with us as Iohanan did with Ieremiah Ier. 42. He said he would goe downe into Egypt hee would doe any thing that God should hid him whether it were good or bad but when Ieremy had told him and the people that they must not goe downe into Egypt then they say that he spake falsely God did not send him with such a message If Gods will had suted with his hee would have done what hee would have had him to doe your triall is when you must offer up your Isaacke when you must part with those things that are most sweete unto you Thirdly dead men are sencelesse like Idols that the Psalmist speakes of they have eyes and see not eares and heare not mouthes and speake not feet and walke not they have sences to discerne but there is yet an inward eye they want they see no beauty in the wayes of God therefore they thinke there is no such matter because they have eyes and see it not they have mouthes and taste it not they relish it not they smell no sweet savour from the graces of the Saints when as the graces of the Saints have a sweet savour like an ointment powred out Cant. 1.2 So for feeling they feele not they are not sencible of the judgements or threatnings the Law nor the Gospell move them not they have hard and insensible hearts the more insencible they are it is a signe they are more dead the more sencible wee are of
the threatnings or promises the more life is in us Lastly dead men are speechlesse there is no breath in them Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh The drie and empty channell drives not the mill but a full streame sets it on worke If the heart bee full of life the tongue is full of good speeches Prov. 10. The words of the righteous are as fined silver because there is a treasure within them but the words of the wicked are nothing worth because their hearts are evill As it is said of evill men that their tongues are set on fire of hell so the tongues of the righteous are set on fire by heaven Esay 19.18 they speake the language of Canaan In hypocrites there is loquacity as blasing meteors and in Saints there is sometimes an indisposition by reason of some sinnes which make them like to springs that are dammed up with stones and mudde Yet judge not of them by such fits but take them as they are in their ordinary course the mouth speaketh out of the abundance of the heart Every man is delighted in some genious operations in things that are sutable to him if there be aboundance of life aboundance of grace within a man he delights to speake of it as all men are severally disposed such are their speeches Now all these are privative signes of death I will adde one more that is positive Fiftly looke what life a man lives he drawes to him the things that nourish it and expelleth that which hinders it If a man bee alive to sinne he drawes that which is sinfull but holinesse and the meanes of grace he expels as contrary to him What doth satisfie his lusts that he doth he may doe good for a time but he is quickly sicke of it But I doe much good I abstaine from much evill may some men say To this I answer that if one member lives it is a signe the whole body lives so if one mortall sinne live in you it is a signe you are dead Truth of grace cannot stand with one mortall sinne unrepented unsubdued one disease kils a man as well as an hundred so one living lust kils you Doth any lust live and reigne in you it kils you But what is it to live and to reigne I answer when a man ceaseth to maintaine warre with his lust and resists it not when a man layes downe the weapons when he seeth his lust is naturall to him and therefore yeelds unto it then it reignes in him There is no man that lives the life of grace but hee hath this propertie that hee strives against all sinne to the utmost not in shew but in sinceritie he strives against the occasions of sinne though they foile him hee still maintaines warre against them and so they live and reigne not in him 2. If every man out of Christ be in an estate of death let us not deferre repentance but doe it whilst wee may Repentance makes a dead man to be a living man What is it that makes you deferre repentance Yee thinke yee can change your courses and sorrow when you list therefore ye deferre it If men be dead and repentance puts as it were a new soule into them makes them to passe from death to life then it is not so easie a thing Suppose yee had Ezekiahs warning is it in your power to make your selves live No it is beyond your power God onely can doe it Every man lies before God as that clod of earth out of which Adam was made God must breathe life into him else hee continues dead God doth not breathe life into all He quickens whom hee will It is your wisdome therefore to waite on him in his Ordinances if ye have good motions begun in you presse them forwards they are ofsprings of life Thinke seriously am I dead or alive If dead why then say it s not in my power to quicken me its onely in God to doe it and he doth this but in few those whom he quickneth are but as grapes after the Vintage or as the Olives after the beating how then shall I bee in the number Give your selves no rest know that it is God that breatheth and then depend on him Make that use of the doctrine of election with care and more solicitude to looke to your selves God workes both the will and the deede of his good pleasure worke out therefore your salvation with feare and trembling If repentance bee a passage from death to life if it bee such a change then labour for to get it The Spirit doth not alwayes strive with men yee are not alwayes the same yee will sticke in the sand grow worse and worse if yee grow not better and better No more power have you to change your selves than the Blackmore hath to change his skinne or the Leopard his spots the time will come when you shall say as Spira did O how doe I desire faith would God I had but one drop of it and for ought wee know he had it not Thirdly learne from hence to judge aright of naturall men for all the excellency they have yet they are but dead men If a man be dead wee doe not regard his beauty all excellencies in naturall men are but dead It is a hinderance in the wayes of God to over-valew outward excellencies and to despise others that want these trappings let us say for all these excellencies yet he is but a dead man wee know none after the flesh any more 2 Cor. 5.16 Againe for your delight in them know that this death differs from naturall death for these dead men are active and ready to corrupt others they have an influence that doth dead those who are conversant with them sinne communicates as well as grace Nothing so great a quench-cole as the company of bad men there is an operative vertue in them to quench mens zeale as the droppings of water will quench the fire though they cannot wholly extinguish it being once kindled Fourthly if all out of Christ are dead learne to judge of the Ordinances of God and the meanes of salvation let us not undervalue nor over-value them the Ordinances cannot bring life of themselves no not the Word nor Sacraments If yee are sicke and send for the Minister hee cannot quicken you the Ordinance is but a creature and cannot give life If we speake to the eare and Christ speake not to the heart it is nothing Let your eyes therfore be fixed on Christ beseech him to put life into you and pray to God for a blessing on the meanes the Ordinances are but dead Trunkes as Pens without Inke or Conduit-pipes without water Learne then that God doth convey life by the Ordinances that they themselves cannot give life therefore doe not over-valew them Yet know withall that God doth not worke but by his Ordinances the spirit breathes not in Taverns or
holinesse blase in their eyes they say it is but guilded over it is but hypocrisie These reasons may prepare and confirme but they cannot perswade we must therefore beleeve that there is such a life Iohn 3 Christ treates of this that there is such a life he tels Nicodemus that hee must live it and be borne againe He wonders at it how it can be Christ therefore concludes in the 12. verse If I have told you earthly things and yee beleeve not how shall yee beleeve if I tell you of heavenly things that is it must be beleeved that there is such a life sense beleeves it not yet it is easier to beleeve it because it is wrought on earth others things are harder than this to beleeve because they are wrought in heaven though this be wrought on earth yet it is hard to beleeve and must be beleeved And thus much for the first part of the doctrine that there is such a life For the second what this life is yee may know one Contrary by another wee have shewed already what death that is contrary to it is by which yee may partly perceive what this life is yet wee will give you some other signes how to know it This life is a reall life as reall as the other though it consist not in eating and drinking as the other doth it is a life of faith it is not seene yet it is as reall as the common life as will appeare by comparing it with the common life First in this common life of nature there must be temper of body disposition of instruments so in this life of grace there is a frame of heart a composition of soule on which it doth depend there are humors and ingredients of this life and they are the things yee know there is a realitie in this life as well as in the naturall life Secondly as the naturall life hath a temper of body hath divers mixtures so it abhorrs things that are hurtfull to it and desires things that chearish it so in this life of grace there in an appetite those that live it they are carried to the things that helpe them they hunger after the Word and that which buildâ— them up they abhorre sinne and lust that would destroy them Thirdly as in the naturall life so in this there is a taste a palate that helps this appetite Rom. 12.2 Be yee changed by the renewing of your minde that yee may prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God that is that yee may bee able to discerne of it as the touchstone discernes of gold or the taste and palate of meates Fourthly as in the other life there is hunger and thirst so is there in this men who live it are sensible of paines and refreshings they are sensible of sinne judgements and threatnings which others are not being hard and dead Fiftly as the other life is fed with food so is this the food which a man eats is not presently turned into flesh and bloud that nourisheth but there is a nutritive facultie that nourisheth and turnes all we eate into nourishment So the Saints who live this life have a nutritive facultie they assimulate and turne all things to a good use there is a living and vitall faculty in them that sets them forwards Ephe. 4.16 They being knit to Christ according to the eflectuall power working in every part increase and edifie themselves in love Lastly as this common life hath beside other things that maintaine it some other indowmâ—nts to helpe it out as company recreation riches and the like so hath this spirituall life it hath riches and friends it hath its heritage company habitation God is our habitation from everlasting with the same realitie though not with the same visibility and so exposed to sence as the other The cause of this life is the holy Ghost who is to the soule as the soule is to the body hee is the cause of it the end of it is the Lord all is done to God No other life is so this life is of God through God and for God when you finde such a realitie in your actions tending to God when he is your aime then ye live this life If this bee the condition of all that are in Christ to live and bee quickned see what is expected from you to whom this talent is committed every excellency is a talent it must not lie dead but bee improved for our masters use the sinne is great if ye doe it not the neglect being of a greater thing the sinne is greater God sets a proportionable account On his benefits and expects a severe account from us if wee use them not Bee exhorted then to live this life some live much in a short time some never live this life at all one man may live more in one day than another man in an hundred for to live is nothing but to be stirring and doing 1. Tim. 5.6 Those who live in pleasures are dead whilst they live so hee that is occupied about riches or honours is dead all that time that men are occupied about riches and their estates about credit honours and the like making them their end is a time of death yee have lived no longer than yee have acted duties of new obedience If you summe up your lives according to this computation to how short a reckoning will they come A wise man speakes more in a few words than a foole doth in a multitude one peece of gold hath more worth than a hundred peeces of brasse as we say of an empty oration that there is a flood of words but a drop of matter so if you consider your lives and see how long yee have lived in death bungling out your time you will see that yee have lived but little in a long time therfore now be doing something redeeme the time bee busie in doing or receiving good be still devising to doe something for God and to put it in execution spend your fat and sweetnesse for God and man weare out not rust out flame out not smother out burne out bee not blowne out So did Christ so did Moses so did Paul making the Gospell to abound from Ierusalem to Illyricum so did David the text saith that he served his time hee did not idle it out that is hee lived not as his owne master but hee did doe all to God as to a master All the worthies of the Church have lived thus and not onely they but poore Christians likewise are still doing they serve God and men they are usefull they are the men that live Those who spend their time in sports in gaming in businesse in serving wealth and honour in morall discourses in Histories in hearing and telling of newes as the Athenians did these are dead men they doe not live As we say of Trees that if they bring not forth fruit they are dead so what ever men
want his voyce ought to procure such Now if yee will not be at cost for a good Minister it is a signe you love your profit above Christ. Those that dwell where Christs voyce is not let them remove for they sit in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death Esay 9.2 If your dwelling be pleasant if you have bitter waters or no waters at all you will remove Have not your dwelling then where the water of life is not If the voyce of Christ be the onely meanes to beget life let men come to it It is a great fault men come not to this voyce hee that came not to the Sacrament must be cut off What shall be done to him that comes not to the Word Want of the Word preached is a great misery therefore David complaineth much of this case when he was not able to come to the Word O that I am constrained to dwel in Meshech and to have my habitation amongst the tents of Kedar The daily sacrifice being taken away it was the greatest desolation that could be and can men live there with comfort where the Word is wanting Is it a duty to come to heare the Word or is it Arbitrary to come or not to come If it be arbitrary then yee performe but a will worship when yee heare it if a duty then yee must heare it constantly and enquire where it is to be had But you have excuses To this I answer see how yee can excuse your selves to God How angry was Christ with those that came not to the marriage that is principally meant of comming to heare the Gospell It is a despysing of God and his ordinances not to come it is a contempt which brings forth a curse which brings a judgement that is like the sinne Those that despise you despise me saith Christ the word is the power of God to salvation there is no salvation without faith and there is no faith but by hearing Faith comes by hearing He that heares not you heares not me saith Christ. Therefore if you heare not this voyce of the Sonne of God take heed lest he heare not you at last FINIS THE DOCTRINE OF SELFE-DENIALL LVK. 9.23 And he said unto them all If any man will come after mee let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse daily and follow me WEe have formerly propounded three things unto you the first was to shew you what wee are out of CHRIST and that is wee are dead men the second is what wee gaine by CHRIST and that is Life eternall with all things belonging to it and these two wee have finished the third is what wee must doe for CHRIST And that is Wee must deny our selves take vp Christs Crosse and follow him and for this end I have chosen this Text. And hee saide unto them all If any man will come after mee let him deny himselfe and take vp his Crosse daily and follow mee As if hee should have said all expecting any benefit from me now I looke for this from them againe to deny themselves to take up my daily crosse and follow me The occasion of these words was this CHRIST told them before that the Sonne of man must suffer many things goe through many troubles and drinke this Cup now from this he makes this consectary Hee that will bee mine must doe the same things that I doe though not in the same measure He must deny himselfe hee must take up his daily crosse as I doe dye on the Crosse and follow mee The maine Poinct intended is this Who ever will have benefit by mee must follow mee Now there are two maine impediments that hinder men from following me The first is Pleasures or any thing that a man lusts after therefore hee that comes to me must deny himselfe The second is crosses hee that followes mee meets with many troubles crosses and afflictions from the Divell and the world now hee must not bauke the way or decline them when as he meeteth with them but hee must goe thorough with them and every day beare them therefore hee addes that hee that will come after him must not onely deny himselfe but likewise take up his Crosse daily and follow him The first point of Doctrine that ariseth from the words is this That whosoever lookes for any interest in Christ must deny himselfe Hee that comes after mee that is he that will bee saved by me united to me made one with me must deny himselfe that is though there be no precedent condition required of those that come to Christ wee Preach that if any man will come in hee shall be saved what ever hee hath beene there is no antecedent condition required but to desire CHRIST Rev. 22.17 Let him that is athirst come let whosoever will come and taste of the waters of life freely That is none will take him none will come in but such as thirst there is nothing required before hand but to take him yet yee must know that when yee have taken him you must bee his hee must bee your Lord and you must bee conformable to him this none can doe without denying himselfe PAVL followed Christ because hee denyed himselfe but DEMAS did not deny himselfe therefore 2 Tim. 4.10 Hee imbraced the present world and forsooke Christ. Numb 14.24 Iosh. 14.8 CALEB and IOSHVA followed God constantly they went through all and denied themselves the other heads of the Tribes did not Take ABRAHAM for example of Selfe deniall Gen 12.1 GOD bids him goe out of his Country to an unknowne Land and hee doth it Hee refused not to offer up his onely Sonne when hee was commanded to doe it hee served God constantly If our wills and Christs will were unisons coincident then there were no need to deny our selves but because they are contrary one to the other therefore we must deny our selves But what is it to deny our selves I answer it is nothing else but not to make our selves our aime and end but to make God our end and aime and to deny our selves as wee are contrary to him To deny that dulnesse and aversnesse of Nature that the Scripture calls the old man and the flesh to give this the deniall is to deny a mans selfe because this is reckoned a mans selfe Flesh and corruption of nature is called a mans selfe 2 Corinth 4.5 Wee preach not our selves but Christ That is wee preach not for our owne credit and ends but for Christ and his glory The corruption of Nature is reckoned a mans selfe 2 Corinth 12.5 PAVL saith that hee knew a man that was caught vp into Paradice c. Of such a one I will glory yet of my selfe I will not glory That is I will not rejoyce of my corruption but of the regenerate part of my selfe I am a lump◠〈…〉 of sinne But why is this reckoned a mans selfe I answer because it is spread