Tit. 2.14 Now consider how great an obligation lyeth upon such as are Gods people They draw nigh to God in all duties of Communion and God draweth nigh to them in all dispensations of grace But how much holinesse faith and purity is required of such Did Ahasueros command those Virgins to be so many daies persuming and preparing themselves to come into his presence what preparation then ought to be in us when we draw nigh to such an excellent Majesty If you ask what are the duties of Communion with God Prayer and other religious approaches are And if we did know what these things were we would throw away all our rags and every thing that may offend his pure eyes Now herein people not diligently meditate Whose servants do we professe our selves to be Into whose presence are we going when we come to pray and humble our souls May we not say to every prophane and formal man Know ye not that Prayer is a Communion with the most high God Know ye not that the Word you hear is the Word of the great and living God And if so Why doest thou taâ—e no more heed Why dost thou not prepare thy self with fear and trembling So that if people would consider what it is to come and stand before God how the Angels cover their faces this would make them diligently throw away all their unseemlinesse upon them Remember him in the Parable that came without a wedding garment Mat. 22.12 So then think of this more how great that God is how precious and choice those duties are which you go about Thirdly If we did consider That the Word of God is the Rule all ought to walk by when once they give in their names to Christ This also would be a special antidote against all sinne You that are Christians are not to live as you list to make your covetous ambitious or malicious lusts your laws but you must take Gods Word to be your guidance Thus David professed of himself that he made the Word a light and lanthorn to his feet and thereby he was forewarned from sinne Psal 19. So a young man though unruly and masterfull yet he may cleanse his way by attending unto Gods Word Psal 119. This is the spiritual Bath that may wash away all our filth Now where is the man that attends to this Doth the Bible allow me to be thus and thus prophane Doth the Word of God suffer me to be thus licentious Oh ye know not what you do Should ye not know that when you are Baptized that thereby you do professe a submission to Christ and his Laws to walk in an orderly conformity thereunto What the Word saith do you will do what that forbids you will abstain from Yet how few do order their conversation hereunto Oh that we might prevail with you in this particular Take the Bible to be your Guide to be your Rule write after that Copy Let it be that heavenly Glasse according to which thou wilt dresse thy self Know ye not that this is the Law you must walk by you must think and speak by Fourthly The very name and title of a Christian if men did consider how much were in that what great alterations and changes would it make Thou gloriest in the title of a Christian Thou wouldst judge it the greatest reproach that could be to be accounted no Christian But what is a Christian not a meer title a meer idle name it is as much as one anointed with all the graces of Gods Spirit As Christ was therefore called Christ because he was annoinned by God with all abilities and sufficiency for that work of Redemptâ—on so we are called Christians because we as Members from that Head are anointed with fit graces for our particular places and Relations So that this spiritual and precious oyntment is poured upon every one that is a Christian indeed But as God complaineth of some Rev. 3.9 who said they were Jews but were not but of the Synagogue of Satan so God will in time judge all those that say they are Christians and are not but are of Satan doing his work Now if you look into many a mans life you may call that no more Christianity then a noisome dunghill a bed of Spices What is Christianity said Nazianzen and he giveth this definition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a likenesse or resemblance of God according to mans ability As if a man should say Thou wert a rich man and thou findest thy self in extreme poverty That thou art an healthfull strong man but thou findest thy pains and infirmities What Wouldst thou regard the titles and names of things if thou find the clear contrary So it should be here I am called a Christian but I have not the humility of Christ the meeknesse of Christ the zeal of Gods glory which Christ had What will this name avail me when the reality is wanting I intreat you think of this more Fifthly The consideration of a Believer hath much efficacy likewise in it and should be like fire in our bowels Doest thou believe Art thou no Atheist no mocker and scorner no scepticall or disputer in matters of Religion but a serious stedfast and constant Believer this is enough to make all within and without thee consonant to Gods will For take but two or three particular Objects of thy Faith which thou saiest thou doest with thy whole heart believe thou canst not thou darest not deny them As First Thou believest there is a God who is omniscient and omnipotent who judgeth the world whose eyes are alwaies upon thee David was much affected with this That God knew his siting down and rising up and that he could not go from his presence but God was every where present with him Psal 139. Now if you do believe this indeed how darest thou do those things in secret which thou wouldst not have the world know Is not God in thy Chamber in the Closet with thee And so How darest thou have heart-sinnes saying All is well because the world doth not behold it Thou hast proud thoughts malicious thoughts How darest thou do this if thou doest believe the eye of God is upon thee Oh then when thou art solicited to any evil way say Oh my soul knowest thou not that God is here Am I afraid of a mans eye and yet he cannot damn me he cannot throw me into Hell and do I not tremble at Gods eye Secondly To instance no more Thou believest a Day of Judgment appointed when all men must appear to give an account of what they have done in this world when Christ shall come as a Judge in flaming fire to take vengeance upon all that obey not the Gospel Those Lamps that the foolish Virgins had as well as the wise are that outward profession of Christs coming and an outward preparation to meet him Now to believe such a day coming of so impartiall a Judge in such a terrible manner might it not take
wheat having several instruments for them saith his God teacheth him Isa 28.26 otherwise planting and sowing and all cost would be in vain so it 's here if God teach us not direct us not all our preaching is in vain and our Sabbath dayes are lost Our Saviour would not have any peece of material bread lost but asketh them how many baskets full took they up why then should any thing be lost of the bread of life Thirdly Therefore is wisdome necessary because of the untowardness and unteachableness of people which have sundry humors sundry appetites sundry affections and desires Nazianzen was much affected with the difficulty of his Ministery in this respect so many opinions so many different affections and desires that which draweth on some will drive others away now who is able to administer fit and convenient food but he that is endued with heavenly prudence Vse To shew peoples duty how much they are to pray unto God for their teachers that they may be directed into all good thoughts for their soules good Thou gettest no more profit thou canst not understand thou art not affected Oh see if this be not a just reward for thy want of prayers for thy guide How often doth Paul desire the prayers of the people he writes to how happy is it when the Ministery is profitable to thee and thou art profiting to it As God must be with the Preacher so he must be with the hearer a coal of fire on his tongue to purify it and a coal of fire on your eares to cleanse them Oh then how ungodly are they who instead of praying curse grudge and nourish malice for the Ministers work sake meerly when that should make him honourable Consider why is the Ministery good to others and not to thee why is it the word of power and wisdome to others but of weakness and folly to thee See if all this cometh not by thy prophane neglect and contempt of earnest prayer for to make it so to thee it's honey to others but gall to thee it 's a savour of life to others but death to thee Some sinne or spiritual judgement is upon thee and therefore be afraid The second Doctrine remaineth to be amplified which is That it 's very necessary to have a people instructed with the principles of Religion before they make further progress in Religion Thus the Apostle I have fed you with milk Children as they speak like children think like children and do like children as the Apostle in another case 1 Cor. 13. so they have meat fit for children And this point is of great consequence For how universal and damnable is the ignorance of most who have not yet learned the Alphabet of Religion scarce have heard whether there be an Holy Ghost or no Who though they have Christ often in their mouths yet know not what Christ was and thereupon may justly have that doom upon them which our Saviour passeth upon the woman of Samaria Ye worship ye know not what Joh. 4.22 To open this Doctrine Consider first And bewail the miserable atheisme ignorance and blindness that every man naturally is born in about Religion and divine truths Hence Eph 5.8 they are called darkness it self in the abstract and the natural man cannot receive the spiritual things of God 1 Cor. 2. Zophar compareth every man by his birth to the wild Asses colt Job 11.12 What is more brutish then that Now there are thousands of people and those living in the Church of God who are not yet come out of this brutish ignorance men that never felt this Sunne or day-starre of the Gospel arising in their hearts Thus as God promised knowledge should cover the face of the earth as waters do the seas Isa 11.9 Darkness covers our Congregations as it did the chaos at first Secondly As people are thus naturally ignorant of divine truths so also their wilful slothfulness about them is much more damnable He that doth not know his masters will shall be beaten with many stripes but he that shuts his eyes that he may not know he that bids the knowledge of the most High depart from him he shall be beaten with more stripes Oh then why is it that thou art such a blind Bat or Owle in the day of the Gospel thou canst not say it 's impossible for us to get knowledge No how great are the helps and meanes that God hath vouchsafed in these dayes Theodoret tells us That in his dayes the common sort of people maides old women handycrafts men labourers these could all tell the ground of their faith but there are few among us who can rise up to that duty to give an account of our hope yet the Scripture requireth this of all 1 Pet. 3.15 Why then dost thou say I must know how to work how to plow to sow to maintain my natural life and not also be as diligent about thy supernatural Thirdly Because naturally we are thus like a wilderness full of bryars therefore God hath strictly commanded this duty of instructing and informing those that are rude and ignorant in the wayes of God And this duty is not only upon the Ministers but the Scripture commands it indispensably upon Parents and Governours Thus in Deut. 6.7 they are commanded to whâ—t the law upon their family and to write it upon the posts and to be speaking of them daily Thus Joshua and Abraham they made their family to serve the Lord which cannot be without the knowledge of him In the new Testament Paul commands parents To bring up their children in the knowledge of the Lord Eph. 6.5 And Solomons Proverbs are full of these exhortations For certainly if the Scripture say Jer. 9 23. Let not the rich man boast in his riches nor the great man in his honours but in that he knows God then the endeavour of parents to provide wealth riches lands or a great portion is nothing so acceptable as to teach them the fear of God Oh therefore that at last our families might be made Christs Schools wherin the principles and commands of Christ may be frequently urged Oh who can make lamentations bitter enough for the neglect of this In many Families there is the Devils School people may learn to curse to swear to become bruit beasts But to have the Knowledge of God taught would be the greatest burden in the world Well consider that of Jeremy 10.25 Pour down thy wrath upon the Families that call not on thy Name Which by consequence at least reacheth private Families and Housholds And how can they call if they do not believe and how can they believe if they do not know As Aristotle observeth That Families are the beginnings of Common wealths and so they are good or bad as particular Families are So it is with the Church that consists of particular Families But if they be like a Cage of unclean birds like the Wilderness wherein dreadfull Birds are what good
it sometimes again to pull it up Oh fear lest that curse fall upon you yea that sentence be already come out Cut that unprofitable tree down and cast it into the fire Appolo watered This is the second main particular of the ministerial imploiment of Church-Officers To water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth a little alter the metaphor for that is properly to give beasts water yet as those that have plentifully drunken are said irrigari so to give to drink may be said to water The Metaphor is taken from plants to mans soul as the Garden is of a wildernesse planted with sweet and precious herbs but this is not enough it is afterwards to be watered else all will immediately decay So it is here Though we have received the principles of Christianity and are setled therein yet if there be not continual watering and pains taking the Church of God will presently become like a wildernesse No Church is like Paradise at first which being once planted needed not any water from Heaven but rivers came from the midst of it to water it and make it fruitfull So that to water is no more then to use all those ministerial helps that Christ hath appointed that the spiritual seed once sown may grow up to a plentifull crop God Isa 5. compared his Church to a Vineyard which when he had bestowed much cost on and for their unfruitfulnesse was resolved to destroy it then among other things he commanded That the clouds should not rain on it So that for God to deny spiritual watering to a people once planted is a sad forerunner of future desolation The Doctrine is That it is not enough for a people once to receive the true Faith and principles of Religion but they need a further watering and quickning them up to grow If the Husbandman should sow his seed and never have any rain to drop fatnesse his seed would rot under the ground And the Gardener who hath set his plants hath had his water-pot to cherish and refresh his dried plants Now as the Apostles they planted so there were Evangelists who did either accompany the Apostles or went where they had already planted and further instructed them Sometimes we read Paul himself watering where he had planted And it 's the constant imployment of Ministers in a Church already setled to water that is to endeavour the further growth of their knowledge and graces First Let us consider Wherein this spiritual watering consists and then the grounds First It lieth in a more explicite and distinct instruction about the principles of Religion already received For there is no vessel that receiveth all this heavenly liqour at first Apollo himself was an eloquent man and potent in the Scriptures yet he that watered others did once need watering himself Priscilla and Aquila did further instruct him in the wayes of God Act. 18 26. As the Sunne doth not come to the vertical point immediately but by degrees so neither do a Church or people presently arrive to the fullness of knowledge in the things of Christ but they still grow in more understanding Thus the Apostle prayeth Eph. 1. for the Ephesians already converted and enlightened that they might have the Spirit of revelation and wisdome and may be able still further to know the depth and breadth of Gods love in Christ And the Apostle Peter commends Believers that they did still give heed to the Scripture till the day-starre did arise in their hearts 2 Pet. 1.19 Oh then Who can bewail the imperfect and defective knowledge that is every where The eyes that should have grown clearer and clearer are become blinder and blinder You consider not that much more even about the very principles of Religion is yet to be understood then most do understand The Heathen even dying would still desire to learn and know more how much rather should Believers seeing the objects to be known are so heavenly spiritual and necessary The Philosopher thought a little natural knowledge about the Heavens better then a great deal of knowledge about the nature of sublunary things how much then is the supernatural knowledge of heavenly things in a practical way to be esteemed which will bring us to life everlasting Know then it 's your great duty to come up to more understanding in Religion Shall a David that had more knowledge then his Teachers pray yet to have his eies opened Psal 119. What fervent and earnest prayers should thou then have that thou die not and be damned in ignorance Secondly This watering lieth not only in advancing our knowledge but in giving further and clearer Arguments to confirm our faith and to make us unshaken and stedfast Oh we see for want of this particular how many reeds there are that be shaken with every wind They were indeed planted but not well rooted and what hath not a deep root will immediately wither Thus the Apostle exhorteth often to stand stedfast and immoveable in the work of tho Lord How can that be but by being strengthened more and more in believing We read of the Disciples that sometimes when any great miracle was wrought by our Saviour it 's said His Disciples believed Joh. 2.11 Why did they not believe before Yes but now they were more confirmned establishment and confirmation either in the truth or in godliness is a great matter yea it is all in all We read of a glorious likely building but because it was upon the sands therefore it fell down immediately and the fall was great Mat. 7.27 The third kind of ground miscarryed after all the hopes it gave because it had no deep root Mat. 13. So that a choice part of the Ministers work is to see that whatsoever faith whatsoever holiness there is this be so confirmed that it waver or wither not We read of the Apostle going even to those places that were already planted that they might confirme those that believed Alas the things of Christ meet with so much subtilty to undermine them and so much open violence to prostrate them that there needs daily confirmeing and following them We are subject to many strong winds and violent blasts that unless deeply rooted we cannot subsist Thirdly This watering containeth direction about the beauty and order of Churches in the government thereof when once planted As Rome so neither Jerusalem is not built on a day The Church at her Infancy is not a prepared subject for those many duties that are required of her especially the Church being a society of men orderly knit together there is need of governement without which men instead of being Saints and Christians would be wild beasts and this must come in by degrees it 's an essential Church before it can be a political one Thus the Apostle Paul after he had planted this Church yet had not setled all things concerning the order of it especially he bewailed that irreverent and prophane receiving of the Sacrament which was amongst
Christ the Pâ—llar and foundation of all his boldnesse and acceptance of grace through him Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and free access We cannot inherit or obtain a blessing unless we come in our elder Brothers cloaths as was even now said before He is made unto us wisdom righteousnesse and sactification yea we are made the righteousnesse of God through him 2 Cor. 4. ult Which expression first used by Ambrose but found in Calâ—in by Pighâ—uâ— was a means to bring him off to imputed righteousnesse And Paul throweth away all his own works as dâ—â—g in comparison of the righteousness through faith in Christ Phil. 3. Thiâ— iâ— a special foundation few are acquainted with this Gospel foundation Theâ— build on their works on their duties they rest on them as a foundation nor making Christ all in all He is the Altar from whom the incense of the Prayers of the Saints is accepted As Jacob said Let not me see your face unless you bring Benjamin Thus God saith Pray not but in the name of Christ Give not thanks but through Christ What a Mystery was this to the seduced Belivers even in the Apostles times The Epistle of the Romanes and especially to the Galathians is wholly to settle this foundation That it was not the righteousâ—ess of the Law iâ— their own persons or â—f works they were to seek after but a righteousness of Faith through Christ Yet where is the Christian to spiritual so Gospelized as to go out of all his duties resting on Christ only He is diligent and carefull in the use of them but leaneth on Christ only We are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus only Phil. 3.3 Sixthly Christ is to be preached as the foundation of all fulnesse for all our necessities and spiritual wants The people of God they sit dejected through theâ—r nakednesse and poverty Oh they would have better hearts more fruitfull lives and they complain and complain but they do not make use of Christs fulnesse for all their wants He is the fountain their streams are to be replenished by him Of his fulness we all receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16 That is aboundance of grace as some or grace answering the grace in Christ And Col. 1. It pleased God that in him should all fulness dwell So that the soul cannot be cast into such straights as not to know where to be supplied There is the fulness of the fountain and therefore the vessel may well be filled This is the fulness in the Head therefore the members may thrive and flourish It 's a sad thing to consider how unacquainted even the godly are in this point They do not improve Christ They do not go to his fulness As the Mothers breasts are filled for the Child and it 's an ease to the Mother to have the Child to suck them Thus Christ received the fulness of grace as an Head for us and by Faith we sucking of it do exceedingly please and honour Christ Vse of Instruction What it is to preach Christ even to set him up in all this glorious fulnesse To represent him in all these Offices and Perfections for us It 's true indeed there are few people that can prize him that can see the glory of these Properties They admire nothing but the pleasure of siâ—ne and the glory of the world Therefore our work is not so often to set forth the beauty of Christ as the foulness of sinne and the torments of Hell We like John Pâ—pâ—ist are to prepare a people for Christ to cast down high mountains to wound and break the heart of sinners to take them off from all false foundations The ignorance stubbornnesse and stupidity of most hearers do call for the two-edged sword to wound and cut not for balm and oyl to be poured in their wounds But yet certainly this is our main work to preach Christ in this his heavenly glory Although to speak properly as is to be shewed in time to preach Christ is to preach also all the duties all the threatnings all the Commands Christ required To preach Repentance is to preach Christ but we take it most strictly in this place Oh then that our Auditories were such to whom Christ in all his glory might be displayed such as we might have into this Wine-celler every day such as might be invited to this Banquet and heavenly Feast that the Gospel hath provided A people that know the the need of Christ that desire and thirst after Christ That say with the Church I will hold him and will not let him go Bernard did not like to read Tully's Works in all his eloquence because he did not find Christ there How shouldst thou in all prayers duties conference still desire to enjoy Christ Saying with the Church I am sick of love The Ministers of the Gospel are to lay no other foundation but Christ Jesus If ye are branches he is the Vine If ye are the body he is the Head If ye the building he the Foundation He is the Rock He is the Root Heb. 1.3 He upholdeth all things by the Word of his power in Creation much more in Redemption Two or three Particulars more we are to instance in by which it may appear in what Christ is laid a foundation And Seventhly He is to be preached as the Fountain of all the happiness joy and spiritual content the godly hearer can have We are to preach Christ as the center in whom all the lines of your hope love and desire are to meet Thus Paul himself I determined to know nothing but Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 The Greek words are comparative Christ crucified rather then any thing else There is no Doctrine no Opinion there is no outward or earthly advantage that I desire to know but Christ And in many other places you have Paul despising and renouncing all priviledges To be a Jew was nothing Circumcision was nothing To be an Apostle to be a pure Roman all these were nothing with Paul in respect of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Therefore it is that Christ is compared to our King to our Husband to our Head because all our affections desires and inclinations should be towards him And this is so necessary a foundation that no man can be Christs Disciple that doth not attain to this that doth not hate Father and Mother and Children for his sake Oh then consider Where is thy joy thy love Upon whom is thy heart set If it be on any thing but Christ thou errest in the Foundation Oh but how hard a thing is it thus to Disciple our Auditours Some have the world for Christ some their lust for Christ and thus instead of building gold and precious Stones they build dung and silth Eighthly Christ is to be preached as the person with whom we are to close in all Ordinances We are to look for Christ and enjoy him in every Prayer in every
sheep run into bryers that consume more then shelter 1 Cor. 7. the Apostle calleth it The fashion of the world not the substance and he saith it passeth away Whereas God is said to be alwaies the same and to abide from everlasting to everlasting Therefore if thy heart were wise thou wouldest see the vanity of these things Seventhly This must needs be an hainous sinne because it 's a breach of the first Commandement it 's direct Idolatry Worse then when we worship the true God after a false and unlawfull manner yet how severely doth God punish this kind of Idolatry How often do the Prophets threaten because of this But now thou who givest thy heart licence to delight in these things below thou sinnest against the first Commandement Thou errest in the Object of thy worship and not in the manner And is God only zealous of outward worship not of inward Is he angry only when men bow the body to wood and stones and not when the soul is prostituted to the creature Maiest thou not justly expect that as God said to those Idolaters They should call and see if their Idol gods would hear and deliver them So the Lord may bid thee call to those creatures to see if they will save thee if they will deliver thee from Hell Do not then wonder at the folly of Micha who cryed They have taken away my gods If gods Why did they not save themselves And thus here it is death takes away thy gods The fire may take away thy gods Oh that men would at last be awakened out of there blindnesse and folly herein Eighthly This creature affâ—ction is a wofull condition because it 's a debasing of a mans self and making of him a slave to that which he should rule over All the creatures they are made for his use God out of his rich abundance hath provided theâ—e things liberally for thee but they are given thee only to use As the belly is for meates and meates for the belly but God will destroy both the one and the other So all these creatures that are corruptible they are for thee who art also corruptible but God will destroy both the one and the other Therefore thou sinnest against that noble End why God made thee It was to enjoy him He did not give a reasonable immortal soul and made thee the master piece of his visible creatures that thou shouldst crawle on the dust Say rather with Austin Feâ—â—sti domine cor nostrum irrequietum est Thou madest our heart and it is restlesse till it come to thee again Vse of Admonition to every unregenerate man to inform himself throughly of his wretched and undone estate Thou canst not go beyond a creature and therefore shalt never partake of that infinite eternal happinesse which is in God himself Dost thou not plainly see the vanity and uncertainty of all other things Can any creature say I will justifie thee I will glorifie thee Consider how greately it is to thy losse to leave the Sun and go to the Starres To forsake the Ocean and take up a drop Oh will these things be ever as good as a God to thee And then in the next place Consider how dearly the enjoying of these things will cost thee Doth not our Saviour say What will it profit a man to winne the whole world and loose his soul Mat. 16.26 If now the whole world thou gainest would be no advantage thou wouldest be a wretched looser for all that Oh think I get a finite good and loose an infinite I loose an eternal good for a temporary a particular for an universal This will be thy complaint in Hell to all eternity for thy madnesse herein Antidotes and Meanes against this Creature-Affection I shall now conclude this first Doctrine with giving severall directive Antidotes and meanes against this creature-affection that so being loosened from the world our hearts may be fixed on God And First Let this consideration move you That you cannot addresse your selves unto God in Prayer while thy heart is not above the world Doth not our Saviour in that direction of his to Prayer give God that description of a Father in Heaven And why so but that we should lift up our hearts and affections thither So that as in Antiquity the Deacon cryed Sursum corda that they should not rest upon the element in the Sacrament but look up to Christ himself Thus also in every duty and performance a Sursum corda a lift up your hearts is necessary Therefore upon this ground it it that we may truly say No natural man did ever pray in his whole life did ever perform any one holy duty since he was born because he could never truly lift up his heart to God Prayer is called Ascensio mentis ad Deum Now a natual man can no more ascend upwards towards God then the earth can have an ascending motion Every creature that did creep upon the earth it was unclean And thus all thy duties and religious performances which creep and crawle upon the ground which soar not up high they make thee unclean and abominable before God Now should not this Argument be like a sword in thy bowels What live such a life wherein thou canst not pray no Prayer will do any good Continue in such an estate wherein thou art not able to draw nigh to God but art the Bird tyed by the snare that would fain fly up but is pulled back again Thus thou hast some sighes and some desires but presently thou art pulled down again with those clogs of creatures that are upon thee Secondly Consider Thy heartâ— it is the choicest and chiefest Treasure about thee It is too noble for any creature Thou doest dishonour thy self in making it serve the creature We see God himself calls for the heart of a man as the best Sacrifice My sonne give me thy heart Prov 23.26 And Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence So that as the heart naturally considered is the principle of all life and nature hath placed a wonderfull defence about it Thus the heart spiritually also considered is the chief fountain of all our happinesse and misery Therefore it 's sure destruction to let thy heart runne out upon the creature that is to make the chiefest of thy soul subordinate to that which is farre inferiour It 's as if thou shoudest let swine or such unclean creatures come into thy choicest Chamber It was a sad calamity to Pharaoh when the frogs and lice crept up into his Chamber and he could not be quiet in his most retired room no lesse yea farre greater an evil it is when thou sufferest these fading creatures to get into the heart Keep that for God alone Nothing is to possesse that place but God himself He that filleth Heaven and earth and makes that his dwelling place doth also require thy heart Hence it is that the Apostle James calleth those who love
in vain are taken up in the New Testament as well as the Old And experience teacheth us That where Christ is preached and the Gospel in a glorious manner promulged yet it 's but dead preaching to many This voice doth not make them come out of the grave of sinne onely herein the Law and the Gospel differ that the matter of the Law pressed will condemn us none being ever able to fulfill it Yea the godly cannot do all things the Law requireth and so the Law is a killing letter to him But the Gospel that comes with a moderation where the graces of Gods Spirit are though weak and imperfect there through Christ their weaknesse is forgiven So that the preaching of the Gospel to a soul oppressed for sinne is like the year of Jubilee to poor servants and indebted prisoners Howsoever then the preaching of the Gospel is said to be the ministration of life and of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. yet that is not to be understood simply of it self but as accompanied with the power of God Hence the Gospel is said to be the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 the power of God not of man It 's not mans wisdome that our faith is grounded on Thus much for what the Apostle meaneth not What he positively meaneth or inferreth are First That it 's not in the power or choise of the Minister to make it effectual He cannot bid or command the Word to work as he pleaseth for then the guilt of all mens souls and the damnation of all would lie upon us As our Divines say to the Papists when they brag The Pope hath the Keyes of power above all things not only in earth but in purgatory Why then doth he suffer those souls to lie tormented there as he doth So it would be here Why are any damned Why do any lie in their sinnes if the Ministry by its own power could convert them No the Ministers of God they can only pray they can mourn and grieve in secret to see the miscarriage of the Word and the wilfull resolution in men to destroy their own souls they can mourn over the dead but they cannot recover them to life Secondly The Apostle by this intends that both the Ministers and the people should keep themselves in their due bounds The Ministers though never so eminent though never so much applauded by a numerous company of Disciples yet they cannot make one black hair white They cannot say of any people obeying the Gospel That we by our own power have made such believe It 's true they are said to be Fathers and to beget men to the truth but that is only instrumentally and metaphorically by external application of the Word not internal power for so we have onely one Father in Heaven Pride and ambition do easily breed in the most eminent parts as worms in the sweetest fruit but when they shall consider that they are nothing and God is all this is a good way to humble them and then the people hereby are also taught much moderation Some mens persons they are apt to admire Not such a man in the world Oh but what a great God is there in Heaven without whom this man is nothing This is spiritual Idolatry and that worship which is to be given to Christ only you give to instruments Lastly In making the Ministry nothing and God all The Apostle would have both Minister and people in their Ministry to have our hearts and eyes up to Heaven As the Bird after every drop of water it sips looks up presently to Heaven so shouldst thou Lord what the Minister hath spoken what he hath pressed oh set it home with a blessing Cause it to come like rain upon the new mowed grasse Oh the carelesse and prophane hearing that is every where This makes God give no increase you matter it not you believe not you tremble not under it you do not earnestly pray about it If a man have a leg or arm to be cut off oh you desire all you meet with to pray about it Why because it may cost him his life How much rather about every Sermon every Duty that is preached shouldst thou pray and again pray Oh it may be the damning of my immortal soul to miscarry therein Quest But how may we addresse our selves to hear and to the Ministry so that God may make them something to us Answ To be made something is when the Word doth greatly wound thy heart or comfort thee when it makes a noise and a pain at thy very bowels when it makes thee sick at the very heart when it makes thee cry out Oh me a wretched sinner what have I done Whither shall I go Ah wretch that I am In what a wofull condition am I plunged Sinne is on one side hell on the other the wrath of God above me and all the curses of the Law round about me Then it 's something then our words fall like hot burning coals upon your consciences you cannot sleep nor rove but tremble under it Now this will be done these wayes First Make it a real and conscientious matter to pray unto God to give increase As to the woman our Saviour said According to thy faith so be it unto thee So according to thy prepared prayer saith God this Sermon and this duty shall be blessed unto you As your cruise is fitted so will God pour in oil If we then complain that the Ministry works no more notable effects that it makes no more transcendent alterations judge whether the blame lie not on thy own self Prayer is that which moveth with God Prayer is that in which the Sermon rolled produceth sutable operations The Word of God is a two-edged sword but prayer maketh it penetrate that sets God on work and God sets his Word on work A man much in prayer is alwayes much in profiting As the Preacher is to pray Christ prayed much in the night as he taught much in the day so the hearer he also must pray much Secondly Exercise strong and divine acts of faith this will make the Ministry something to thee The Word profited not because it was not mingled with faith Heb. 4.2 or as some interpret because by faith they were not mixed as it were with the Word they were not incorporated into it and who hath believed our report Rom. 10. Faith is that which comes at first by hearing and then afterwards makes hearing profitable The Atheism and unbelief which is on mens hearts make the Word without efficacy such are prophane mockers As you see they despised the Prophets that often said The burden of the Lord the burden of the Lord. Men believe not the things preached to be Gods truth that they are Gods word that they will be made good whether they will or no they are living words and sure words and faith only layeth the first foundation of this spiritual building believe the threatning and thou darest
they shall have more gracious strength that they shall grow up into further Communion with Christ that their hearts and graces shall be better Oh! How heartily doth the soul pray for these things and grieve when it finds a defect Now God hath promised this to those that abour in his work Lastly They are sure to have Gods Protection and Presence to support them in all their labour The Apostle cals it labour and that which is accompanied with painfulnese And indeed the whole work of grace is very troublesome to flesh and blood their Combates and Conflicts within and then very troublesome to man without in the world which makes the world hate and oppose them Now then the work of God being thus opposed within and without did not God protect did not he draw nigh with his support and deliver or strengthen none were able to abide Thus you see a three-fold encouragement the godly have to labour for the Lord even in this life Oh! Why then should any be so diffident as to think they shall lose by God that godliness will be an hinderance to them Do but be sure that thy work is Gods work and thou doest it in Gods manner and never fear the issue of things God is not unrighteous saith the Apostle to forget your sufferings Heb. 6.10 You read that God put up all Davids teares into his bottle As Christ would not have the least fragment of bread lost so God will not let thee lose one mite for him Thou shalt never say God hath hindered thee When Abraham for Gods glory would take none of the King of Sodoms wealth God presently said to him I am thy exceeding great reward Gen. 15. In the next place consider What is the eternal Reward and how eye hath not seen nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive If the Queen of Sheba's spirit fainted within her to see all the glory of Solomon what then would it do to behold all the glory of God laid up for those that love him This is like Ezekiel's waters that rise up higher and higher God by reason of the sovereignty he hath over us and because we are his creatures having all from him might have commanded all our work and labour and given us nothing when we had done yea he might have annhilated us immediately into our first nothing for we were his servants more then any can be servants to men And our Saviour saith What Master though his Servant hath been at work will bid him sit down presently and not rather command him to wait on him Doth he thank that servant after he hath done what is commanded Luk. 17.9 Now then if God who might have given us no reward shall yet out of his bounty give us a recompence and that not only in this life but so glorious an one in the life to come Here the soul may be amazed and cry out It 's streightned It 's streightned within it self not able to speak of the bounless love of God! For consisider how great a Reward it is First It is God himself communicating his goodness and comfort to him that hath done his work Then shall we be with the Lord for ever This is called seeing of God and seeing him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 No longer as in a glass It 's disputed Whether formal Happiness consists in the acts of the understanding as knowing of God or in the acts of the will loving of him and embracing of him But we conclude in both So that this reward being God himself as he told Abraham it is infinite as he is and as God himself is inestimable Et tunc dignè eum aestimans quando inaestimabilem dicimus quicquid de Deo dici potest eo ipso est indignum quia dici potest Thus it is of the reward The great mercy covenanted in the Promise is That God will be our God and this is compleated in Heaven Secondly This reward lieth in the full glorification of the soul in all the faculties thereof and body in all the parts thereof The spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12. There needs no more grace no more holiness There is no more sin or remorse about it It 's like the higher Region where no troublesome meteor's are Oh! What a bottomless subject is this That thy understanding should have no more darkness in it Thy will no more disobedience in it Thy heart no more dulness or sluggishness in it Oh! you would think we were speaking of some Platonical Idea or metaphysical abstraction and not of a reallity indeed But yet the Scripture assures the godly of this Reward And then for the body it 's made a glorious body all vileness and loathsomeness is removed It 's an immortal body No more death paines or any distempers This Honour will God put upon those that labour for him Thirdly The Eternity of this happiness that is astonishing also We shall be with the Lord for ever 1 Thes 4.17 Come ye blessed inherit everlasting glory Oh! Who would think much of the present service or labour for God when it will bring an eternal weight of Glory Think what eternity is if we poor mortals that measure all things by time can tell how to think about it Fourthly The fulness of this happiness an aggregation of all things that may make happy either within or without Therefore in the Scripture it 's represented by all those things that are glorious in the world a Kingdom a Crown a great Feast Jerusalem from above is paved with all precious stones This is only to lift up our hearts and to say of all earthly glory Alas what is this to heavenly If the taste of this if drops be so much what then is the Ocean Fifthly Consider the vast disproportion of this to those works thou dost for God What equality is there between God and all those glorious Priviledges and those duties thou doest How can any plead merit or worth Where can there be any trusting in our selves Oh! you that think to be saved for your Prayers Alms-deeds you know not what a great and glorious thing salvation is If a man should have all the world given him for lifting up a straw it 's no such disproportion as here is For 1. The one is infinite and thou art a finite limited creature The Angels are not found pure in his sight and what hope hast thou 2. What work thou doest for God God he first works it in thee so that thou labourest for him of his own and yet he rewards it 3. What thou doest for him it 's accompanied with much evil and many imperfections Bona meaneque mea sunt neque purè bona sunt There is four leaven still abiding in thee 4. Thou hast formerly been a servant to Satan done his work so that God might damn thee upon the old score though thou wert now able to do all things perfectly 5. Whatsoever thou hast
Ministry he would gather a people to himself And First This is a fit and an accommodated way to our natures When God sends men of the same mould and subject to the same affections this may the more easily draw us When God delivered the Law himself it was with such terrour and majesty that they desired that God would not himself speak any more to them so that meer men would not be able to bear the immediate approaches of the Divine Majesty to them Hence in the Old Testament when any divine apparition was made they presently concluded they should die immediately Can any see God and live Thus then it 's Gods goodnesse and love to appoint men of the same mould to be his messengers to importune you in his stead This is more sutable to you As the Fowler catcheth many birds by one decoy a bird of the same feather or rather as the Apostle argueth concerning Christ It became us to have such an High-priest that could be sensible of our condition and compassionate with us Heb. 7. Thus it is here it becometh us to have such to bring us home unto God that are affected with our estates that have the same temptations in them as other men Hence the more experience Gods Ministers have of the work of grace the temptations of Satan the deceitfulnesse of sinne the more fit they are to comfort others or to deliver them out of snares As face answereth face so the heart of man answereth another Prov. 27.19 Secondly He may do it to oblige us and tie us to his instituted means It 's a great caveat in the Scripture and frequently urged No man must follow the imagination of his own heart And in the New Testament many Commands To obey them that watch over them in the Lord and to submit to them for their workes sake Heb. 13. Thus also in the Sacrament God though he be not bound to them he can work grace as he pleaseth yet he hath bound us Therefore that no man might neglect or despise the Ministry thinking What needeth this preaching I may have grace by immediate revelations God is not tied to these externals Now God would prevent such loose principles and bind us up to his instituted way he will bind us though he is not bound Thirdly Herâ—by God would exercise the humility meeknesse and obedience of men Oh it 's a great matter for men to submit to Gods institution These are Shâ—pherds they are Guides they are Watchmen they are to instruct to exhort to rebuke and that sharply as occasion may serve Now how many men do abhorre and disdain this thinking all such Church-subjection worse than Turkish slavery The Scripture indeed commends to the Ministers of God much patience much meeknesse and that they should not Lord it over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 But it 's hard to discharge all ministerial duties especially that of powerfull reproving of sinne and Church-censures and not to have this accounted pragmatical lordlinesse As they said to Lot He will needs be a Judge over us Gen. 19 9. because he opposed them in their wickednesse Hereby then God will try thy humility and exercise thee if thou canst submit to those wayes God hath instituted in his Church not scorning to be either instructed or rebuked by such Fourthly That men might be the more inexcusâ—ble For if thou art not now converted and turned from thy sinne who shall plead for thee We may take up that of the Apostle you need not say Who shall ascend up into Heaven or descend into the lowermost parts of the earth For the Word is near you and nigh unto you Yea the Scripture maketh it a mercy when we have men of our own tongue and not a strange one that delivereth the Word unto us Oh then how speechlesse wilt thou be at the great day when God shall arraign thee Why hast thou not left thy sinnes Why hast thou not forsaken thy evil wayes Did I not send Messengers of thy own flesh and bloud Did they not speak in a tongue thou knowest and understoodest Why then have ye been rebellious Oh think of this for there is no sinne that God will punish so severely as that his Messengers have come away doing no good to a people God will one day make you know what it is to have a labourer for him amongst you Then shall they know they had a Prophet among them Ezek. 33.33 Then when they shall be punished more than any other people in the world Then when in their own consciences they shall be convinced Oh we heard these things we were told of these things but rejected them Fifthly God will hereby declare his power so much the more For God to have labourers with him doth not derogate from his power but advanceth it the more for when you see him work those divine and admirable effects by such a contemptible way in the judgment of flesh and bloud hereby God is the more set up We have this treasure in earthly vessels that the power may be of God 2 Cor. 4.7 Hence Paul cals it The foolishnesse of preaching 1 Cor. 1.21 that which is so mighty through God to confound the great things and wise things of the world he cals it The foolishnesse of preaching because in carnal reason it is so both in regard of the matter and the means or messengers thereof God could have immediately and suddenly destroyed Jericho with his command but he would have them compasse the City seven times and blow with Rams horns and then the wals must fall down Now Gods using such unlikely means made his power the more apparent which made the Apostle say Our weapons are not carnal but spiritual but because they are spiritual may they not be despised No they are mighty to the casting down of the strong holds of sinne and whatsoever doth lift up it self 2 Cor. 10.5 Now to this there needs one Caution to be added viz. That this connexion between the labour of the Minister and Gods working is not natural necessary and perpetual Paul may plant and Apollo may water yet God give no increase We may work and yet neither the presence or power of God be therein It 's not here as in the works of nature there God hath made a perpetual and unalterable Decree where such and such causes work he will also work but this is not so As for the Lutherans who will not acknowledge that the Ministry and Gods Spirit are ever divided neither in the Sacraments Baptism for example will allow a Baptismus externus and internus I know not how to understand them much lesse consent to them Now if you ask When may it fall out that though the Ministry laboureth yet God doth not work with it I have spoken to this already Reasons may be on Gods part the Ministrers and the peoples I shall onely speak to the hearers this two-fold duty if they would have God work with us if you would
onely poison Rom. 8. Those that are in the flesh cannot please God Oh dismall and sad condition Howsoever thou mayest please thy self and others please thee yet God is not pleased with thee In the third place let us take notice What are those weak and rotten foundations that many men build upon in regard of their practice And First A conformity to the life of others they do as most do they shall speed as well as they what would ye have them to be singular to be different from others This is a most rotten foundation which many support themselves with Now the Scripture is expresse Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil Exod. 23.2 Doest thou not know that the most are damned And wilt thou do as the most Take Lot for an example he was but one man and his righteous soul was so farre from conforming to them that it was tormented with seeing and hearing their unrighteous deeds 2 Pet. 2.8 Our Saviour tels his Disciples They must do some singular thing to the world Mat. 6.47 Gratias ago Deo quod dignus sum quod mundus oderit as Hierom said I thank God that I am worthy to be hated by the world Secondly Others build upon a partial practice of good things The hypocritical Jews they rested upon their Temple their Sacrifices their outward worship of God in the mean while their hands were full of bloud of unrighteousnesse and injustice So then whosoever builds his salvation upon his parts his duties his joyes his enlargements and doth not perform all the acts of righteousnesse truth and equity to men this mans foundation is self Others they build upon their moral righteousnesse and just conversation to men they lie not they defraud not none can accuse them of dishonest dealing but then for the religious duties of prayer humiliation and different walking to the world there they exceedingly fail likewise These build on a rotten foundation Thirdly Anothrr rotten foundation is The meer work done They consider no more than the external act of Religion of Justice of Charity and so they think they have obeyed the Commandment and kept the duty if they have done this This was the Pharisees foundation But what woes doth Christ pronounce against them He bids them look inward cleanse the heart the fountain And certainly God being a Spirit he will have all things done spiritually to him This opus operatum is the foundation of most mens Religion not attending to the manner whereas it is a known saying God loveth Adverbs better than Nouns not what but how is this and this done Fourthly Another rotten foundation is The goodnesse yea supposed perfection of the work they do Especially if men be poisoned with Popish Doctrines about the ability to keep all the Commandments of God and that what they do is meritorious of salvation Some Popish Interpreters do greedily catch at that expression 2 Tim. 6.19 where rich men are exhorted to works of liberality that thereby they may lay up in store for themselves a good foundation But by this good foundation is meant a certain and sure happiness which is not merited by such actions but graciously promised as a reward This is a most presumptuous and arrogant foundation thus to build upon thy own self and with the Pharisee to trust in thy own righteousness How different was Paul from this he laid another foundation when he desired to be found not in his own righteousness but in that of Christs Phil. 3.18 Now all this ariseth from a great ignorance of that total and universal pollution of man by nature Vse of Admonition to be awakened in this point What is the foundation that you have laid for a godly life How are all your duties and actions built Are they founded upon Christ for strength upon Scripture for direction upon justification for acceptance upon a sanctified nature for the root of all Then blessed and thrice blessed art thou blessed now in this life but more at thy death and the day of Judgment when the condition of wicked men will be most cursed and miserable But to whom hath the Lord revealed this Whose ear doth God open to understand this Oh what a confusion will it be to see all thy Religion all thy morality thrown into hell for want of a sure foundation It 's a matter of heavenly skill and wisdom so to do thy duties as they shall eternally live with thee What is a tree without a root in the midst of a storm What is a ship without an anchor The same art thou who hast no sound bottom to stand upon Think then whether this Sermon may not make thee to begin all anew Thou must pull down all thy old building and raise up a new one As a wise master builder I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon I have deferred the handling of the foundation of all our comfort and salvation till we arrive at the next verse and so shall take up those Particulars that are observable in the text not hitherto handled as the Adjunct or Quality Paul attributes to himself in this Office As a wise master builder Here it may seem vain-glory in Paul to write after this manner Doth not this expression savour of pride and self-conceit rather then of the humility and meekness of Christs Spirit Is it not Solomons Rule Let another mans mouth praise thee not thy own No We may not charge Paul with any folly or vaâ—ity in this thing especially when we shall consider the Reason moving him thereunto From whence Observe That it 's not vanity but a duty in some cases for the Ministers of the Gospel to magnify and set up their Work and Office It 's not vain-glory or self conceit but sometimes a necessary duty to justifie themselves and their Office otherwise the dishonour would much redound to God and danger be conveyed to mens souls To clear this though I intend to be brief in it because as Tully said of Hortensius that eloquent Authour He praised eloquence to the Heavens that he himself might be carried up with it So people are apt to think whatsoever the Ministers of the Gospel say in this case they do it for their own ends I shall only instance in what cases they may do it and what manner for he that doth it had need be an Argus full of the eyes of wisdom and prudence the matter is so nice and obnoxious to ill interpretation As First Then they may exalt their Office and work when false and malicious slanders and calumnies are raised against them by the ingratitude of the world When they devise all manner of evil and lay it to their charge here they are bound to preserve their good name and declare the good things they have done and of what necessary use their Office is Habent mores suas odores colores odores in famâ colores conscientiâ And therefore it 's not enough that our
him Now a mans self is to be denied two wayes 1. There is his sinfull and unlawfull self in the pleasures and profits of sinne This must be totally renounced But how absurd this is appeareth in that it is Pulling out our right eye and cutting off our right hand But then 2. There is a lawfull self which is seen in our affections even to lawfull things Now here also a man must-moderate himself yea hate all when it cometh in competition with Christ If a man hate not father or mother for my sake he cannot be my Disciple Luke 14.26 Those that marry must be as if they married not 2 Corin. 7. If a Christian set himself to such a mortified crucified life and not bid his soul take its ease and be vainly merry with the world he is judged a simple foolish man for his labour 2. The duty of faith in relying upon Christ onely and renouncing our own righteousnesse is the great Gospel-command yet nothing is more foolish and absurd to humane Reason than this All the Philosophers thought of no other righteousnesse but that of workes The Pharisees yea all the Jews they looked onely for justification by the workes of the Law Paul till wholly new moulded by the Gospel could not judge all things dung and drosse for the righteousnesse of Christ This is the Rock at which many have splitted their comforts All Popery findes this a stumbling block and it 's so foolish a thing judged by them that they call it a putative imaginary righteousnesse as absurd a thing say they as if we should say a deformed Thersites was fair and beautifull by another mans beauty Therefore this way of faith is only by revelation 3. The duties of Humility and Meeknesse especially forbearing of one another and loving our enemies is esteemed high folly in worldly mens esteem The Heathens thought it a very justifiable thing to hate their enemies Yea the Pharisees traditional Doctrine was to hate their enemies Therefore when Christ came with his But I say unto you love your enemies doe good to those that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you Mat. 5.44 This seemed to make a man a fool in the world More particulars we might instance in But Let the Use be to remove every thing that exalteth it self against Christ and his wayes Thy carnal wisdome is the first enemy that must be destroyed Do not think thy self wiser than the Scriptures submit to the dictates thereof What that saith is to be believed without further dispute believe What that faith is to be done without further cavils immediately obey though it be thy right eye that it must be pulled out If you aske Why men doe not mortifie their sinnes and live more strictly It is carnal wisdome that judgeth another life more creditable Thus it is also concerning every gospel-Gospel-duty If any man among you seeme to be wise let him become a foole that he may be wise The Text perswadeth us to put out our right eyes as Nahash the Ammonite did Davids Embassadours onely that was for their hurt and reproach this for our great profit and honour Humane and earthly wisdome is the great enemy to all heavenly things That Doctrine hath been dispatched We come now to consider the Description of this humane wisdome and the Apostle hath two diminishing limitations First If any man seem to be wise he doth not say if any be indeed wise but if he seem to be either to himself through pride and vain-glory boasting of that which is not in him as the empty vessels make the most sound and the empty carts most ratling in the streets if so it 's like another expression of this Apostle If any man thinketh he knoweth something he knoweth nothing as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 Or else if he seem to be wise in the opinion and repute of others and then this wisdome is like honour more â—n the imagination of those that repute him so then in the person himself Plus in hâ—â—orante quam honorato But either way you see it 's but a seeming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's but a wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the colours of the Rain-bow which are no colours indeed but a meer appearance by the Sunnes reflection as some say whereas the Scripture-wisdome is so indeed and in truth Let him become a foole that he may be wise he doth not say as before that he may also seem to be wise but wise in truth The second diminishing limitation is from the nature of it If any man seem to be wise in this world it doth not denote the place where this wisdome is for so the Apostles wisdome was in this world because they were men in the world but the Object and the Manner of tendency to it is worldly It 's about the world and rather a worldly manner therefore in the next verse he saith The wisdome of the world not in the world So that this is a very debasing restriction it 's the wisdome of the world it doth not at all further to Heaven or to eternal happinesse or to eternity it 's only about these fading things which live and die together almost Observe That all humane and earthly wisdome cometh farre short and is but a meer shadow and appearance in respect of Scripture wisdome Even the seven wise men of Greece were but seven fools if they be brought to the Scripture Aristotle with all his syllogistical arguments speaking of so many fallacies yet all his learning was but a fallacy Here was no true and solid wisdome which might make them happy Therefore the Apostle tels us of the oppositions of science falsly so called 1 Tim. 6. They were not Philosophi though Pythagoras out of humility assumed that name acknowledging God onely to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lovers of wisdome but of vanity All that knowledge was a cloud a shadow and they were as if an hungry man should open his mouth wide thinking to feed himself with air and had no true food at all Now the wisdome of the world may be divided into two heads First Their speculative and contemplative wisdome which consisted in the Liberal Arts as they called them In this they had great renown and for this they were admired having many monuments and statues dedicated to them as Rome did to one great Rhetorician with this Inscription Regina urbs regi eloquentiae The Queen of Cities to the King of eloquence This they called Scientia Secondly Their Political and Civil Prudence or Moral whereby as men and societies they labour to make themselves happy and to lead a pleasant life Socrates is commended for this that he brought in moral Philosophy reducing all speculations to practice Now answerable to both these the Scripture teacheth us 1. A way of believing which farre exceedeth their contemplative science And 2. A right motive of doing whereby we may indeed be partakers of everlasting joy and this
had never seen him they had never known him If they had they would have been enammoured with him as well as the Church And thus when natural men wonder saying Why do these men thus pray thus mourn thus long after God Why is it that they are never satisfied but in him It 's a demonstration that this experimentall work hath never been upon thy heart If it had the spirit of Prophesie as I may so say would fall on thee also Thou wouldst admire the favour of God as well as they Seventhly Such only can desire the light of Gods countenance who have the Spirit of God working in them It 's that which maketh the soul go upwards We being like that man bowed down that Christ healed till the Spirit of God thus raise us up The holy Ghost came down in fire which denoteh the activty of it When fire assimilateth any thing into it self it makes it ascend upwards And thus when the Spirit of God converts and sanctifieth a mans soul it giveth it a contrary motion to what it had before Then it made provision for the flesh then it minded earthly things but now the Spirit of God hath raised it from the death of sinne That as you see it 's the mighty power of God which will make these bodies that are now corruptible heavy and pressing downwards to be immortal spiritual and so agile that they shall meet the Lord in the aire Even these bodies will be so transformed that they shall move in the air like Birds No wonder then if Gods Spirit is able so to work upon our hearts that they shall be constantly inclining to God And indeed none are to rest till they find God thus mightily prevailing upon them This excellent frame may be given by the Spirit and the Spirit is promised to such as ask for it Mat 6. Especially the Spirit of God as adopting enabâ—ling us to call God Father rebuking legall slavish feares and filling us with a filial and evangelical frame of heart Eighthly Therefore another Property of such who do thus highly esteem Gods favour is That they are diligent in Prayer and fervent in approaches to God Prayer is the ascending of the heart to God who is in Heaven The eyes lifted up argue what the heart should be Now Prayer is of this excellent advantage if spiritually and fervently performed that it carrieth up the soul to God and thereby God also manifests his loving kindnesse to his people Even as Moses upon his Communion with God had his face shine so gloriously that the people could not behold it and Christ himself upon Prayer had his countenance changed that his face did shine like the Sunne and his garments were white as snow So that such who esteem of Gods favour they are instant in Prayer They perform that duty with watching and attending thereunto which if so discharged then many consolations many irradiations of his favour are communicated to them So that a man diligent in Prayer is like the tree by the water side whose leafe will never fade Hence we have that encouragement No man seeketh Gods face in vain And no sooner did God command this but immediately David's heart yeelded to it Psal 7.8 Thy face Lord will I seek We cannot have it without seeking for it as that which is most precious and a very infinite Treasure And withall you see the encouragement God bespeaks it he saith Seek ye my face Lastly Such as prize the light of Gods countenance they walk closely with God and keep up strict Communion with him Slothfull and carelesse walking will never be blessed with this glorious advantage You read the Church was but once carelesse and negligent when Christ proffered himself and immediately Christ withdraweth so that though she runne up and down much perplexed to see the face of her Beloved again yet it cost her dear ere she could obtain it David began to have but some proud and presumptuous thoughts Psal 301.7 And God bid his face and then he was troubled You see a little thing a word a thought may do it Therefore those who desire to enjoy it they walk circumspectly lest they should do any thing that may make him angry with them Vse 1. Of Exhortation to Gods Children To keep up a tender mollified heart to take no rest till the light of Gods countenance shine upon thee Let not lusts passions or any thing be an eclipse between this glorious Sunne and you How can you live without this May not the Devil come with seven more tormenting Devils then ever if thou provoke God to withdraw his gracious presence To whom are woes To whom are sad terrours and perplexities of spirit but to such who cry out God frowneth on them Oh they feel his anger consuming of them Vse 2. Of Admonition to natural and unregenerate men To know there is a better good then ever yet they tasted Oh that thou couldst desire God as thou doest wealth and pleasures Is not the pleasant smiling face of some great Potentate a reviving to thee What endeavours for the favour of a great man who yet is mortal Will not this condemn thee at the Day of Judgment Oh how will the face of God be then esteemed of A Consideration of some false Grounds of a Perswasion of Gods Love We have declared already the Characters of such who can truly esteem the light of Gods favour let us now consider the condition of such who are mistaken herein and take that for Gods favour which is not And First There is the rich earthly or great man of the world He who aboundeth in all Prosperity and needeth nothing this man thinketh that Gods face is towards him in mercy They gather from all the mercies they enjoy that therefore God loveth them but this is a very dangerous mistake For 1. In the Scripture we read That chastisements and afflictions are sometimes an argument of Gods love and that God is never more angry then when he lets a mans waies be smooth and prosperous As it was with Moab because he was not moved often therefore he was setled upon the Lees. And thus in Hosea when God is angry in the highest manner then he threatens He will not punish their sonnes or daughters any more Hos 4.14 They therefore have little cause to boast in this That they are not afflicted as other men they are not in such bonds as others are For David Psal 73.6 did of old observe this That whereas the wicked of the world had all encouragements they had all temporal increase yet the godly were bowed down all the day long and that in those times when Promises of temporal abundance were in a larger way proposed to them If then the godly man had this measure in the Old Testamant no wonder if he meet with it much more in the New Testament where tribulations are made the Red Sea to go through into the Land of Canaan Hence the Apostle doth
find the Lord in our Ministry that howsoever it have no virtue or efficacy to others yet it may have to you do these two things First Work with God in prayer that he would work with the Ministry Effectual prayer is the first wheel that sets all on going Prayer is the key of Heaven Hence the Apostle James speaks of a prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.16 working Whatsoever God will do he will do only to a praying people It 's like the Prophets arrow if that be stuck not in the ground thrice but often into Heaven so often will it bring glorious effects Now let this prayer be working two wayes 1. In the general That God would set up spiritual labourers in every Congregation Our Saviour taught his Disciples to pray That God would send out labourers into his harvest Matth. 9.38 Every particular Congregation without such a worker with God is like the world without a Sunne Wo be to them that are thus alone 2. Pray in particular That Gods work by the Ministers work may go home to thy heart Be exceedingly afraid that thy condition be not made like that of Sauls whom God would not answer any kind of way As Elisha struck the waters of Jordan with Elijahs mantle saying Where is the God of Elijah and presently the waters did divide and give way 2 Kings 2.14 Do thou say Oh where is that mighty God that wrought so with Peter and Paul and other servants of his Secondly Take heed of such sinnes as may provoke God not to be with the Ministry The word of God is not an hammer battering is not a fire consuming many times because of thy unthankfulness and rebellion The Jews did so long sin against God that he forsook the Temple and answered them no more there Thus a people may quickly provoke God to leave the Ordinances so that thou shalt find no benefit no power in them but even consume in thy sin Vse 1. Is the◠Ministry a working with God then it may teach Ministers First That they be not workers with the Devil And that is two waies either by bringing in the Doctrine of Devils all Heresies and false worship which are the works of the Devil Or Secondly That they do not sooth and flatter men in sinne as if they prayed that the Kingdom of darkness may come and not the Kingdom of God And Secondly So to walk as those that work with him Who is sufficient for this What holiness purity humility is required Vse 2. To the people Is it a working with God then lay aside all prejudice and cavils against it Neglect it not thou refusest the work of God upon thy soul This is the way wherein God will discover his power Secondly Wonder not if the Ministry hath many times wrought such powerfull effects that the blind see the poor are humbled the lofty cast down and mens hearts changed for God worketh with it Ye are Gods husbandry ye are Gods building The former part of this Text contained the description of the Office of the Ministers in the Church of God They were labourers with God This latter part describeth the nature of the people and the Church of God in what suteable relation they stand in viz. They are Gods husbandry they are Gods building Here is a two-fold Metaphor and the first that referreth to the comparisons the Apostle had used before of watering and planting Now answerable to this is Gods tillage the latter of building the Apostle prosecuteth in the following Verses Both these similitudes tend to the same thing yet they both have their peculiar signification likewise and emphasis The first word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both the matter and object that they are Gods field ager colendus as also Gods work about it we may put both the similitudes together and Observe That the people of God are his husbandry and building The Scripture doth delight to compare the Church to many similitudes all which shew the tende◠and dear respects it stands in towards God Sometimes to a wife sometimes to a body sometimes to the branches of a Vine at other times to a garden to a Vineyard and here to a field and an house Every one of these similitudes hath some peculiar respect which the other hath not and yet they all shew the near conjunction and relation they have to God They are excellent similitudes because they partly shew Gods tender love to us and partly they teach what holy and pur◠persons we should be to God So that here is both great priviledge and exact duty We will first handle these two similitudes joyntly and then severally Joyntly in that they are Gods husbandry and house It implyeth these things First The power and goodness of God in making them so A building is not of it self every body that seeth a house presently concludes the house did not make it self so if you see a field well husbanded plowed sowed and cloathed with goodly Corn we all know of it self the earth would not do so but rather its curse is to bring forth briars and thornes So when you see a people leaving the sinnes and superstitious Idolatry of the world walking according to the rules revealed in Scripture you must necessarily conclude this men have not of themselves they cannot have this by flesh and blood Hence God speaking of the Church of Israel said He planted a Vine Jer. 2.21 even as the pleasant garden of Eden was planted at first Thus the Psalmist speaking not of our natural but Church-Creation saith We are the sheep of his pasture he hath made us and not we our selves Psal 100 3. So then it is God that hath made us not only creatures but a people believing in him and worshipping of him Secondly It doth imply dominion and absolute soveraignty over us Even as the Master that buildeth the house appointeth what customes and orders shall be in the house the Husbandman appointeth what seed he pleaseth for the ground Heb. 3.6 Christ is said to be a Sonne over this house whose house the godly are he is there exalted above Moses who was a faithfull servant in the house of God and appointed what worship God commanded but Christ was over the house as well as over him that built it This point is of great consideration for how durst men in all ages have brought in such superstition such heresie such tyranny in the Church of God if they had remembred there is but one Master in the house of God one Law giver All Officers are but servants and not Masters Thirdly It denoteth propriety and interest that God hath a right to us that we are his and not our own The house is the owners he hath the propriety of it and therefore the Scripture is not content with these similitudes but useth these that declare a sweeter union and nearer as that of a wife to a husband that of the body to the head So that by