thou seest another unclean the seeds of uncleannesse thou mayest see in thy owne nature And in that thou doest not act uncleannesse as others it arises not from the goodnesse of thy nature but from the riches of Gods grace Remember this there is not a worse nature in Hell then that that is in thee and it would discover it selfe accordingly if the Lord did not restraine it it would carry thee to those horrid acts that are against the very light of nature I have read of an Italian Monster who taking his Enemy upon an advantage set his dagger to his heart made him to abjuâ—e and blaspheme the Lord â—hat so he might save his life which being done he thrust him through and with a bloody triumph insulting over him said Oh this is right noble and heroicall revenge which doth not only deprive the body of temporal life but bringeth also the immortall soule to endlesse flames everlastingly See what natures you carry with you It was a good saying of one of the fathers Other Viâ—es are in sins saith he but pride and high confidence is most apt to creep in upon duties wel done There was one that was a long time tempted to three horrid sins to be drunk to lye with his mother and to murder his father Being a long time followed with these horrid temptations at last he thought to get rid of them by yielding to that he judged the least and that was to be drunk But when he was drunk he did both lye with his mother and murder his father Why such a Hellish nature is in every soul that breaths and did God leave men to act according to their natures men would be all incarnate Devils and this world a perfect Hell Such is the corruption of our nature that propound any Divine good to it it is entertain'd as fire by water But propound any evill and it 's like fire to straw 't is like the foolish Satyr that made hast to kisse the fire 't is like that unctious matter which the Naturalists say that it sucks and snatches the fire to it with which it is consumed There was a holy man that rarely heard of other mens crimson sins but he usually bedew'd the place with his tears considering that the seeds of those very sins was in his owne nature In thy nature thou hast that that would lead thee with the Pharisees to oppose Christ and with Judas to betray Christ and with Pilate to condemne Christ and with the Souldiers to crucifie Christ c. Oh what a monster what a Devil wouldest thou prove should God but leave thee to act sutable to that finfull and wofull nature of thine Fourthly Dwell much upon the imperfection that followes and cleaves to thy best actions Oh the wandrings Oh the deadnesse the dullnesse the fruitlesnesse of thy spirit in Religious duties Man is a creature apt to hugge himselfe in Religious services and to pride himselfe in holy duties and to stroak himselfe after duties and to warme himselfe by the sparkes of his owne fire his owne performances though he does lye downe in sorrow for it Isa 50. ult When ever thou comest off from holy services sit downe and look over the spots blots and blemishes that cleave to your choycest services The fairest day ha's it clouds the richest Jewels their flawes the finest faces their spots the fairest Copies their blots and so have our finest and fairest duties Plutarch tells of a private Souldier of Julius Caesars who fought so valâ—antly in Brittaine that by his meanes he sav'd the Captaines which otherwise were in great danger to be cast away being driven into a Bogge then marching with great Plutarch in the Life of Caesar paine through the mire and dirt in the end he got to the other side but left his shield behind him Caesar wondring at his noble courage ran to him with joy to imbrace him But the poore Souldier hanging downe his head the water standing in his eyes fell downe at Caesars feet and besought him to pardon him for that he had left his Shield behind him You know how to apply it He had done gallantly yet he falls downe at Caesars feet after his brave service with teares in his eyes upon the sense of his leaving his shield behind him When we have done our best we have cause to fall downe at Jesus feet and with teares in our eyes sue out our pardon Fifthly In the day of thy prosperity forget not thy former 5 Direction poverty In the day of thy present greatnesse forget not thy former meannesse Humble Jacob in the day of his prosperity remembers his former poverty With my staffe I passed over Gen. 32. 10. Jordan and now I am become two bands And so David in his prosperity remembred that his sheep-hook was changed Psal 78. 71. 1 Chron. 17. into a Scepter and his seat of Turse into a Royall Throne And when Joseph was a Royall favourite he remembred that he had been an Imprisoned slave And when Gideon was raised to be a Saviour to Israel he remembred how God took him from the Threshing-floore Judges 6. 11. and how God changed his Threshing instrument of wood into one of iron to Thresh the Mountaines as God himselfe phraseth it Isa 41. 15. Primistaus the first King of Bohemia kept his Countrey shooes alwayes by him to remember from whence he was raised Agathocles by the furniture of his Table confest that from a Potter he was raised to be King of Sicily We live in times wherein many a man hath been raised from the dunghill to sit with Princes And O that such were wise to remember their former low and contemptible beings and to walk humbly before the Lord Otherwise who can tell but that greater contempt shall be poured forth upon them then that which they have poured upon Princes Sixthly Looke upon all that you have received and all that 6 Direicton you shall hereafter receive as the fruit of free Grace Look upon thy Adoption and write this Motto This is the fruit of free Grace Look upon thy Justification and write this Motto This is the fruit of free Grace Look upon all thy Graces and write These are the fruits of free Grace Look upon thy Experiences and write These are the fruits of free Grace Look upon thy strength to withstand Temptations and write This is the fruit of free Grace Look upon Divine power to conquer Corruptions and write This is the fruit of free Grace Look upon the Bread thou eatest the Beer thou drinkest the Cloaths thou wearest c. and write These are all the fruits of free Grace 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received And if thou hast received it why doest thou glory as though thou hadst not received it Who maketh thee to differ Episcopius a great Insolent Arminian answered Ego me ipsum disceâ—ne I make
his Conversation Now a weak Christian should be very studious to observe how his heart stands God-wards for the man is as his heart is if that be right with Christ then all is well therefore sayes Solomon Prov. 4. 23. Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life The Hebrew runs more The heart is Camera omnipotentis Regis The presence-Chamber of the King of Heaven fully thus Before all or Above all keepings keepe thy heart for out of it is the goings forth of lives The heart is the Spring and Fountaine of all naturall and spirituall actions 't is the Primum mobile the great wheele that sets all other wheeles a going 'T is the great Monarch in the Isle of Man therefore keep it with all custody and Caution or else bid farewell to all true joy peace and comfort When the heart stands right towards Christ Christ will pardon much and passe by much If the ravished Virgin in the time of the Law cryed out she was guiltlesse So when a poore soule ravished by the power of corruption and strength of Satans temptations cryes out Lord I would not for all the world sin against thee I would not distrust thee I would not be impatient under thy afflicting hand I would not be proud under thy mercifull hand but Lord these Sons of Zerviah these corruptions 2 Sam. 3. 39. are too hard for me they commit a Rape upon me they ravish me of my Jesus and of my joy and of my peace Lord help me Lord deliver me Now these weaknesses shall not be charged upon the soule The ravished Virgin under the Law if she cryed out was guiltlesse And certainly God is not nor will not be lesse mercifull and gracious to his people under the Gospel who are still a crying out against their sins and Satans assaults Surely those sins shall never be a Christians bane that are now his greatest burden 'T is not falling into the water but lying in the water that drownes 'T is not falling into sin but lying in sin that damnes If sin and thy heart be two Christ and thy heart are one If thy heart be Christ-ward thou art so happy that nothing can make thee miserable Sixthly Take heed of making sense and feeling a Judge of your condition Though there is nothing more dangerous yet there is nothing more ordinary then for weak Saints to make their sense and feeling the Judge of their condition Ah poore soules this is dishonourable to God and very disadvantagious to Sense and reason in spirituall things sayes Luther is Nâ—xia bestia an harmfull beast that will destroy and pull downe what faith builds up your selves Sense is sometimes opposite to reason but alwayes to faith therefore doe as those Worthies did 2 Cor. 5. 8 9. We walke by faith and not by sight For a man to argue thus Surely God is not my God for I am not inlightned I am not quickned I am not melted I am not raised I am not inlarged as formerly Oh! I have not those sweet answers and returnes of Prayer that once I had Oh! I can't find the Lords quickning presence nor his inlivening presence nor his humbling presence nor his incouraging presence as once I have therefore surely my condition is not good Oh! I am more backward to good then formerly and more prone to evill then formerly therefore I am afraid that God is not my God and that the work of grace is not through upon me Oh! God does not look upon me as in the dayes of old nor speak to me as in the dayes of old nor carry it towards me as in the dayes of old and therefore I am afraid that all is naught Verily if you will make sense and feeling the Judge of your estate and condition you will never have peace nor comfort all your dayes Thy estate O Christian may be very good when sense and feeling sayes 't is very bad That Child cannot but be perplexed that thinks his father doth not love him because he does not alwayes feele him smoothing and stroking of him Christians you must remember that 't is one thing for God to love you and another thing for God to tell you that he loves you Your happinesse lyes in Psal 80. 4. Lam. 3. 44. Psal 119. 25 37 40 88 107 149 154 156 159. Psal 42. 5. Can. 3. 1 2 3. Isa 54. 7 8. the first your comfort in the second God hath stopt his eare against the prayers of many a precious soule whom he ha's dearly lov'd The best of men have at times lost that quickening ravishing and comforting presence of God that once they have injoyed And verily he that makes sense and carnall reason a judge of his condition shall be happy and miserable blest and curst sav'd and lost many times in a day yea in an houre The Counsel that I would give to such a soule that is apt to set up reason in the roome of faith is this Whatsoever thy estate and condition be never make sense and feeling the Judge of it but onely the word of God Did ever God appoint carnall reason sense and feeling to be a Judge of thy estate Surely no And why then wilt thou subject thy soule to their judgement God will judge thee at last by his word John 12. 48. The word that I have spoken the same shall judge you in the last day Carnall reason is an Enemy to faith 't is still a crossing and contradicting of faith it fills the mind full of cavills and prejudices full of Pleas and Arguments to keep Christ and the soule asunder and the soule and the Promises asunder and the soule and peace and comfort asunder 'T will never be well with thee so long as thou art swayed by carnall reason and relyest more upon thy five Senses then the foure Evangelists Remember Job was as famous for his Confidence as for his Patience Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13. 15. As the body lives by breathing so the soule lives by believing c. The Duties of Strong Saints to the Weake WEE come now to the last thing propounded and that is The Duties of strong Saints to those that are weake I intend at this time to finish this Point and therefore shall not speak every thing that might be spoken being not of their minds that think a man never speaks enough that speaks not all that may be spoken to an Argument I shall as near as I can instance in those Duties that are most weighty and worthy and surely those soules that are serious and conscientious in the discharge of these cannot nor will not be negligent in the discharge of the rest Now there are eleven Duties that strong Saints are to performe to those that are weak And the first is this Those that are strong ought to bear with the infirmities of the weake Rom. 15. 1. We then that are strong saith the
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE Unsearchable Riches OF CHRIST OR Meat for Strong men Milke Babes Held forth in Twenty two SERMONS From Ephesians 3. 8. By THOMAS BROOKES Preacher of the Word at Margarets New-Fishstreet Ipse unus erit tibi omnia quia in ipso uno bono bona sunt omnia Aug. It pleased the father that in him should all fullnesse dwell Collos 1. 19. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Chap. 2. 3. LONDON Printed by Mary Simmons for John Hancook at the first Shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill 1655. The unsearchable Riches of Christ TO ALL TRVE ISRAELITES In whom there is no guile Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ be multiplied Dear hearts MY design in appearing once more in Print is not to please the captious Critick or the sullen Cinnick but to heighten your fellowship with the Father 1 John 1. 3 4. and the Son and to further you in a closer walking with God and to ripen you more and more for Reigning with God when you shall be here no more Beloved in our Lord there are two sad and great evills Oh that there were no more among the Saints this day The strong are very apt yea they make little of offending the weak And the weak are as Rom. 14. 1. â—â—ult apt and make as little of judging and condemning the strong The serious and conscientious perusall of this Treatise may by Invalidum omne naturâ queru'um Sen. Weake spirits are ever quarrelling and contending the blessing of the Lord contribute much to the preventing of those sad evills You that are weak may in this Treatise as in a Glasse see your weaknesses your mercies your graces your duties your priviledges and your comforts You that are weak in grace may here find many Questions answered and doubts resolved that tend to the satisfying quieting settling and establishing of your precious soules in peace joy and assurance You that are weake in grace may here find a staffe to support you a light to direct you a sword to defend you and a Cordiall to strengthen you c. And you that are strong in grace may here see what is your way what is your work and what at last shall be your reward Here you will find that which tends to the discovery of spirits the sweetning of spirits the uniting of spirits the healing of spirits and the making up of breaches c. Here you will find Meat for strong men and Milke for Babes Here you will find who is more motion then notion more heart then head more spirit then flesh more inside then outside c. Here you will finde The Vnsearchable Riches of Christ which of all boxes of precious Ointment is the most precious opened and Oh how sweet must he be that is the sweetest of sweets In Christ are riches of Justification in Christ are riches of Sanctification riches of Consolation and riches of Glorification And this following Treatise may serve as a key I say not as a golden one to open the doore that you may come where these Treasures lye Christs riches are like the eternall Springs of the earth that cannot dry up but are and shall be diffused by his spirit and Gospel untill his whole house be filled with them The excellency and usefullnesse of the Riches of Christ and Answers to many weighty Queries about his Vnsearchable Riches is more then hinted at in this Tract In this Tract much is spoken concerning the Nature Properties and Excellencies of Humility which is both the beautifier and preserver Humility is Conservatrix virtutum saith Barnard that which keeps all graces together Humilâ—as ani mi subtimitas Christiani of all other graces Here you may see that Those that are lowest in their owne esteeme are highest in Gods esteeme Here you may see that Humble soules are not so low and contemptible in the eyes of the world as they are honourable in the eyes of God And if ever there were an Age since Christ was on earth wherein 't was needfull to Preach presse and print this great doctrine of Humility of selfe of soule-abasement this is the Age wherein we live Oh the pride the statelinesse of the professors of this Age But because this point is largely spoken to in this Tract I shall satisfie my selfe with this touch There are many other weighty things treated on which for brevity sake I shall omit Onely give me leave to acquaint you with a few things about this ensuing Tract and then I shall draw to a close First That it is the substance of twenty-two Sermons Preached by me about three yeares agoe on the Lecture nights at this place where now I Preach Secondly That there is in it severall other things of no small concernment to soules that I did not then deliver but have been given in since from that Fountaine that fills all in all Thirdly That though I have been much A Sermon Preached serâ—eth but an Auditory a Sermon Printed may serve many Auditories pressed to Print these Sermons yet I should never have yeelded had I not been throughly convinced and perswaded in my judgement and conscience that they may by the blessing of the Lord upon them prove many wayes usefull and serviceable to all those honest Nithanaels into whose hands they may fall Else they had been buried in the dark and never come to publick light I have onely a few Requests to make to you and then I shall take my leave of you And my fiâ—st Request is this That you would meditate and dwell upon what you read otherwise your paines I say not your soules and mine will be lost Lectio sine meditatione arida est meditatio sine lectione errâ—na est oratio sine meditatione tepida est Aug. simely 'T is a Law among the Persees in India To use premeditation in what they are to doe that if it be bad to reject it if good to act it The Application is easie The more any man is in the contemplation of truth the more fairer and firmer Impression is made upon his heart by truth Christians must be like the clean Beasts that parted the hoose and chewed the cud They must by heavenly meditation chew truths and concockt truths or else they will never tast the sweetnesse that is in Divine truths Mary pondered the sayings of the Shepheards in her heart Luke 2. 19. Not they that eat most but they that digest most are The Angels are much in meditation the most healthfull Not they that get most but they that keep most are richest So not they that hear most or read most but they that meditate most are most edified and inriched My second Request to you is this That Your actions in passing passe not away for every good work is a grain of seed for eternall life you will make conscience of living out those truths you read
here rendred Peace signifies the quietnesse and silence of his mind he did not hold his tongue onely for many a man may hold his tongue and yet his mind and heart may kick and swell against God but his very mind was quiet and still there was a heavenly calme in his Spirit he was dumb and silent because the Lord had done it So in Acts 10. 33. We are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God We are not here to heare what may tickle our eares or please our fansies or satisfie our lusts no but we are here to hear what God will say our hearts stand ready pressed to subject themselves to whatever God shall declare to be his will we are willing to heare that we may doe that we may obey sincerely and universally the good pleasure of our God knowing that 't is as well our dignity as our duty so to doe There are three things in an humble soule that doe strongly incline it to duty The first is Divine Love The second is Divine Presence The third is Divine Glory The Dove made use of her wings to fly to the Ark so does an humble soule of his duties to fly to Christ Though the Dove did use her wings yet she did not trust in her wings but in the Ark So though an humble soule does use duties yet he does not trust in his duties but in his Jesus But now proud hearts they hate the truth they cry out Who is the Lord that we should obey him And what are his Commandements that we should submit to them I but an humble soule falls under the power of truth and counts it his greatest glory to be obedient to all truth A fifth property of an humble soule is this An humble soule lives not upon himselfe nor upon his owne actings but upon the Lord Jesus and his actings Poore men you know they doe not live upon themselves they live upon others they live upon the care of others the love of others the provision of others why thus an humble soule lives upon the care of Christ the love of Christ the promise of Christ the faithfulnesse of Christ the discoveries of Christ he lives upon Christ for his Justification Phil. 3. from ver 7. to 10 He lives upon Christ for his Sanctification Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North winde and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may flow out And he lives upon Christ for his Consolation Cant 2. 3. As the Apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the Sons I sate downe under his shaddow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast And he lives upon Christ for the performance of all holy actions Phil. 4. 13. I can doe all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himselfe for me An humble soule sees in Christ * Plenitudo abundantiae and plenitudo redandantiae Omne bonum in summo bono All good is in the chiefest good Christ is quicquid appetibile as Origen speaks whatever we can desire Isa 58. 2. 7. Luke 7. 4 5 6 7. 6 Property A proud heart resists and is resisted this is duro durum flint to flint fire to fire Job 13. 25. An humble soule blesses God as well for crosses as mercies as well for adversity as for prosperity as well for frowns as for smiles c. because he judges himself unworthy of the least rebukes from God a fullnesse of Abundance and a fullnesse of redundancy and here his soul lives and feeds An humble soul sees that all his stock is in the hands of Christ his stock of Graces his stock of Comforts his stock of experiences are in the hands of Jesus Christ who is the Great Lord Keeper of all a Believers Graces and of all his Comforts and therefore as Children live upon them in whose hand their stock is be it a Brother or a Friend Why so an humble soule sees its stock is in the hand of the Lord Jesus and therefore he lives upon Christ upon his love and his provision and his undertakings c. But now proud hearts live not upon the Lord Jesus Christ they live upon themselves and upon their owne duties their owne righteousnesse their owne actings as the Scripture evidences Christ dwells in that heart most eminently that hath emptied it selfe of it selfe Christ is the humble mans Manna upon which he lives and by which he thrives A sixth Property of an humble soule is this He judges himselfe to be below the wrath and judgements of God An humble soule looks upon himselfe as one not worthy that God should spend a rodd upon him in order to his reformation edification or salvation As I am unworthy saith an humble soule that God should smile upon me so I am unworthy that he should spend a frowne upon me Job 13. 25. Wilt thou break a leafe driven too and fro and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble Why I am but a leaf I am but a little dry stubble I am below thy wrath I am so very very bad that I wonder that thou shouldst so much as spend a rod upon me What more weak worthlesse slight and contemptible then a leafe then dry stubble why Lord sayes Job I am a poor weak and worthlesse Creature I wonder that thou shouldst take any paines to doe me good I can't but count and call every thing a mercy that is lesse then hell So David in 1 Sam. 24. 14. After whom is the King of Israel come out after whom dost thou pursue after a dead Dogg after a Flea The language of a humble soule when God begins to be angry is this Lord I can blesse thee that thou wilt take any paines with me but I humbly acknowledge that I am below the least rodd I am not worthy that thou shouldst frowne upon me threaten me strike me or whip me for my internall and eternall good But proud hearts think themselves wronged when they are afflicted they cry out with Cain Our punishment is greater then we can beare Gen. 4. 13. 7 Property Another Property of an humble soule is this An humble soule doth highly prize the least of Christ The least smile the least good word the least good look the least truth the least mercy is highly valued by an humble soule The Cananitish woman in the 15 of Matthew sets a high Vers 27. Faith will pick an Argument out of a repulse and turn discouragements into incouragements Luther would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible such a price he set upon it from the sweet that he found in it Song 1. 3. John 10. 4 5. Psal 27. 4. Mat. 9. 20. 21. Acts 24. 14. 1 Cor. â—9 22. Austin
as a little sum multiplied is great that they cloud the face of God wound conscience grieve the spirit rejoyce Satan and make work for Repentance c. An humble soule knows that little sins suppose them so are very dangerous a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump a little staffe may kill one a little poyson may poyson one a little leak in a ship sinkes it a little Flye in the box of Ointment spoyles it a little flaw in a good cause marres it So a little sin may at once barre the door of Heaven and open the gates of Hell and therefore an humble soule smites and strikes it selfe for the least as well as the greatest Though a head of Garlike be little yet it will poyson the Leopard though he be great Though a Mouse is but little yet it will kill an Elephant if he gets up into his Trunk Though the Scorpion be little yet it will sting a Lyon to death and so will the least sin if not pardoned by the death of Christ A proud heart counts great sins small and small sins no sins and so disarmes Conscience for a time of its whipping and wounding power but at death or in Hell conscience will take up an iron rod with which it will lash the sinner for ever and then though too late the sinner shall acknowledge his little sins to be very great and his great sins to be exceeding grievous and odious c. The tenth Property of an humble soule is this It will quietly 10 Property Psal 39. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Alam which signifies to be mute or tongue-tied Lev. 10. 1 2 3 Vaiidem from Clam am which signifies the quietnesse of the mind the troubled affections being allayed 1 Sam. 3. 11-19 2 Sam. 16. 5-14 Gallesius observes upon Exod. 22. 28. the exceeding patience of those three Emperours Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius towards those that spoke evill of them bear burdens and patiently take blowes and knocks and make no noise An humble soule sees God through man he sees God through all the actions and carriages of men I was dumb saith the Prophet I opened not my mouth because thou didst it An humble soule looks through secondary causes and sees the hand of God and then layes his owne hand upon his mouth An humble soule is a mute soule a tongue-tied soule when he looks through secondary causes to the supream cause So Aaron when he saw his Sons suddenly surprised by a dreadfull and dolefull death he held his peace he bridled his passions he sits silent under a terrible stroke of Divine Justice because the fire that devoured them went out from the Lord. So when Samuel had told Eli that God would judge his house for ever and that he had sworn that the iniquity of his house should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever c. It is the Lord sayes Eli let him doe what seemeth him good Eli humbly and patiently layes his neck upon the block it is the Lord let him strike let him kill c. sayes Eli. So David when Shimei manifested his desperate fury and folly malice and madnesse in raving and raging at him in cursing and reproaching of him sayes he Let him alone and let him curse for the Lord hath bidden him God sayes he will by his wise providence turne his cursing into blessing I see the Justice of God in his cursing therefore let him alone let him curse sayes David Cassianus reports that when a certaine Christian was held Captive by the Infidels and tormented by divers paines and ignominious taunts being demanded by way of scorne and reproach Tell us what Christ has done for you answered He Acts Mon. fol. 811. hath done what you see that I am not moved at all the cruelties and contumelies you cast upon me So that blessed Martyr Gyles of Brussells when the Fryers By long soo thingour own wills we have forsaken as Cassian saith the very shadow of patience sent to reduce him did at any time miscall him he ever held his peace insomuch that those wretches would say abroad that he had a dumb Devil in him Full Vessels will bear many a knock many a stroke and yet make no noise So Christians that are full of Christ that are full of the Spirit will bare many a knock many a stroke and yet make no noise An humble soule may groan under afflictions but he will not grumble in calmes Proud hearts discourse of patience but in stormes humble hearts exercise patience Philosophers have much commended it but in the houre of darknesse 't is onely the humble Christian that acts it I am afflicted sayes the humble soule but 't is mercy I am not destroyed I am fallen into the pit 't is free-grace I am not fallen into Hell God is too just to wrong me and too gratious to harme me and therefore I will be still and quiet let him doe what he will Isa 58. 1 2 3. with me sayes the humble soule But proud soules resist when they are resisted they strike when they are stricken Who is Non sic deos coluimus aut sic viximus ut ille nos vinceret said the Emperour An onius Philosophus the Lord sayes lofty Pharoah that I should obey him and Cain cryes out My punishment is greater then I am able to beare Well remember this though it be not easie in afflictions and tribulations to hold our peace yet 't is very advantagious which the Heathens seemed to intimate in placing the Image of Angeronia with the mouth bound upon the Altar of Volupia to shew that those that doe prudently and humbly conceale their sorrowes and anxieties by patience shall attaine comfort and refreshment The eleventh Property of an humble soule is this In all 11 Property John 14. 13. Ch. 15. 16. 16. 23 26. The name of Jesus hath a thousandtreasures of joy comfort in it saith Chrysostome And is therefore us'd by Paul five hundred times as some have reckoned Religious duties and services he trades with God upon the credit of Christ Lord sayes the humble soule I need power against such and such sins give it me upon the credit of Christs blood I need strength to such and such services give it me upon the credit of Christs word I need such and such mercies for the cheering refreshing quickening and strengthening of me give them into my bosome upon the credit of Christs intercession As a poore man lives and deales upon the credites of others so does an humble soule live and deale with God for the strengthening of every grace and for the supply of every mercy upon the credit of the Lord Jesus An humble soul knows that since he broke with God in Innocency God will trust him no more he will take his word no more and therefore when he goes to God for mercy he brings his Benjamin his Jesus in his armes and pleads for mercy upon
fore-runner of a fall Pride goes before destruction and a haughty mind before a fall Herod fell from a Throne of Gold to a Bed of dust Prov. 16. 18. Chap. 18. 12. Nebuchadnezzar fell from the state of a mighty King to be a Beast Adam fell from Innocency to Mortality The Angels fell from Heaven to Hell from felicity to misery The tenth and last Proposition is this God will by an invisible power carry the day against proud soules You that it escape and ruffle it out and carry it with a high hand remember this God will by an invisible power carry the day against you when you think not of it he will Pope Innocent the fourth as he was walking securely in his Pallace heard that sorrowfull and dreadfull Summons Veni miser in judicium come thou wretch receive thy judgement and soon after he was found dead Eccl. 8. 11. eat you out like a Moth. Isa 47. 10 11. For thou hast trusted in thy wickednesse thou hast said None seeth me Thy wisedome and thy knowledge it hath perverted thee And thou hast said in thine heart I am and none else besides me Therefore shall evill come upon thee thou shalt not know from whence it riseth and mischiefe shall fall upon thee thou shalt not be able to put it off And desolation shall come upon thee suddainly which thou shalt not know Impunity oftentimes causeth impudency but Quod defertyr non aufertur Forbearance is no Acquittance The longer the hand is lifted up the heas vier will be the blow at last Of all Mettals Lead is the coldest but being melted it becomes the hottest Humble souleknow how to apply this and Proud soules shall sooner or later experience this I shall now proceed to a second Observation namely That all Saints are not of an equall cize and growth in Grace and Holinesse Some are higher and some are lower some are stronger and some are weaker in spirituall Graces and Heavenly Excellencies Vnto me who am lesse then the least c. Among true Believers some may be found to be but weak Believers This Point flowes as naturall from the words as the stream do's from the fountaine and no Point more clear in all the Scripture then this In Rom. 14. 1. you read of some that are weake in the faith Them that are weake in the faith receive saith the Apostle None are to be rejected in whom Aliquid Christi any thing of Christ is to be found And so Mat. 14. 31. there is mention made of little faith 1 Cor. 9. 22. To the weak became I as weake that I might gaine the weake You read of Babes in Grace 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that you may grow thereby if so be that yee have tasted that the Lord is gratious 1 John 2. 12 13 14. there is mention made of little children of young men and of Fathers All are not Fathers in grace nor all are not young men in grace there are some Children in grace It is with Christians as t is with Planets The Moon goes her course in a month the Sun in a year the rest not in many years yet at length they finish A Christian in this life hath his degrees of growth he is first a Child in Grace and then a young Man in Grace and then a Father in Grace For the further opening of this Point I shall endeavour these foure things 1 I shall endeavour to decipher to you soules weak in Grace 2 I shall endeavour to lay downe those things that may Incourage Support and Comfort soules that are weak in Grace 3 I shall speake to the Duties that lye upon those that are weak in Grace 4 The Duties that lye upon those that are strong in grace towards those that are weak in grace Of these foure we shall speak as the Lord shall assist I shall begin with the first To decipher soules weak in Grace The first thing by which I shall decipher soules weak in Grace is this Weak Christians are usually carried much out after the poore low things of this world They are much in carking and caring for them and in pursuing and hunting greedily after them That 's a clear Text for this Mat. 6. 24. to the end Christ labours by severall weighty Arguments to fence and fortifie his Disciples against those dissident doubtfull carking cares that divide distract distemper torture and teare the heart in a thousand pieces And yet neither these Arguments nor yet the presence of him who was the great Land-lord of Heaven and Earth and whose love and bowels were still yearning towards them and whose speciall eye of providence was still over them could rid their heads and hearts of these worldly cares that doe but vex and perplex the soules of men And 't is very observable that after this smart Lecture that Christ had read them they did strive three severall times who should be greatest and highest in worldly Enjoyments Their hearts should have been onely in Heaven and yet they strive for Earth as if there were no Heaven or as if Earth were better then Heaven All which do's cleerly evidence that their Graces were very weak and their corruptions very strong Men that have little of the upper springs within are carried out much after the springs below Baruch was good but weak in Grace he had but some sips and tasts of the glory of that other world and Jerem. 45. 1 2 3 4 5. that made him when God was a pulling downe all worldly glory to seek for Earth as if there were no Heaven Certainly there is but little of Christ and Grace within where the heart is so strongly carried on t after these things without Where there is such strong love and workings of heart after these poor things it speaks out soules enjoyment of God to be but poor and low In the Old Testament the Jewes being Babes and Infants in grace and holinesse had a world of Temporall Promises and very few Spirituall Promises But now in the dayes of the Gospel the Lord is pleased to double and trebble his spirit upon his people and now you meet with very few temporall Promises in the Gospel but the Gospel is fill'd with spirituall Promises the Gospel drops nothing but marrow and fatnesse love and sweetnesse and therefore God looks in these dayes that men should grow up to a greater height of holinesse heavenlinesse and spiritualnesse then what they attained to in those dark dayes wherein the Sun shin'd but dimly Men rich and strong in Grace look upon the world with a holy scorne and disdaine as Themistocles when he saw in the dark a thing like a Pearle he scorn'd to stoop for it himselfe saying to another Stoop thee for thou art not Themistocles Abraham a man strong in Grace look't with a holy scorne and with an eye of disdaine upon these poor things When Melchisedech from God had made
blessed for ever In heaven there is no prayers but all praises I am apt to think that there can't be a clearer nor a greater argument of a mans right to heaven and ripenesse for heaven then this being much in the work of heaven here on earth There is no grace but Love nor no Epictetus wisht he were a Nightingale to be ever singing And what then should a Saint wish c. duty but Thankfullnesse that goes with us to heaven I but weak Saints may say Sir We judge that there is weight in what you say to provoke us to thankefullnesse But did we know that we had true Grace though it were never so little though it were but as the graine of Mustard-seed we would be thankefull But this is our condition we live betweene feares and hopes one day hoping we shall to heaven and be happy for ever Another day we are fearing that we shall to hell and miscarry for ever And thus we are up and downe backward and forward sometimes we believe we have grace and at other times we doubt we have none Sometimes we have a little light and suddenly our Sun is clouded one day we are ready to say with David The Lord is our portion and the next day we are ready to complaine with Jonah that we are cast out from the presence of the Lord. Me-thinks I hear a weak Saint saying thus to me Sir I would faine have an end put to this controversie that ha's been long in my soule viz. Whether I have grace or no and if you please I will tell you what I find and so humbly desire your judgement and opinion upon the whole Well speak on poore soule and let me heare what thou hast found in thine owne soule Why Sir then thus I finde first a holy restlesnesse in my soule till with old Simeâ—n I have gotten Christ in my armes yea till I Luke 2. 25. to 33. The Child is restlesse till it be in the Mothers Armes Cant. 5. 10. have gotten Christ into my heart I goe from Duty to Duty and from Ordinance to Ordinance and yet I cannot rest because I cannot find him whom my soule loves I am like Noah's Dove that could not rest untill he had gotten into the Ark. Oh I cannot be quiet till I know that I am hous'd in Christ My soule is like a ship in a storme that is tost hither and thither Oh! where shall I find him Oh! how shall I obtaine him who is the chiefest of ten thousand What Absolom said in another case I can say in this saith the poor soule in his banishment he could say What 's all this to me so long as I can't see the Kings face And truly the language of my soule is this What 's honour to me And riches to me And the favour of Creatures to me so long as I goe mourning without my Christ so long as I see not my interest in my Christ Well have you any thing else to say O weake Christian Yes Sir I have one thing more to say What 's that Why it is this I can truly say That the poorest the most distressed and afflicted man in the world is not fuller of desires nor stronger Tota vita beni Christiani sanctum desiderium est in his desires then I am The poor man desires bread to feed him and the wounded desires a Plaister to heale him and the sick man desires Cordialls to strengthen him c. But these are not fuller of desires after those things that are sutable to them then I am of holy and heavenly desires Oh that I had more of God! Oh that I were filled with Christ Oh that I had his righteousnesse to cover me His grace to pardon me His power to support me His wisedome to councell me his loving-kindnesse to refresh me And his happinesse to Crowne me c. Well is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more to tell you What 's that Why that is this Though I dare not say that Christ is mine yet I can truly say that Christ his love his works his grace his word are the maine objects of my contemplation and meditation Oh Some Contemplatioâ—s have Generationem longam fruitionem brevem but these are not the conâ—em plations of the Saints I am alwayes best when I am most a meditating and contemplating of Christ his love his grace c. Psal 139. 17. How precious are thy thoughts unto me O God How great is the summe of them Well is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more to say What 's that Why it is this I can truly say That the want of Christs love is a greater grief and burden to my soule then the want of any outward thing in this world I am in a wanting condition as to temporals I want health and strength and Trading friends and money that answereth to all things as Solomon speaks and yet all these wants doe not so grieve me and so afflict and Eccl. 10. 19. trouble me as the want of Christ as the want of grace as the want of the discoveries of that favour that 's better then Psa 63. 3 4. life Well is this all O weake Saint No Sir there 's one thing more What 's that Why that is this That I would not willingly nor resolvedly sin against Christ V. for a world 'T is true I dare not say I have an interest in I will rather leap into a bonsire then willfully to commit wickednesse willfully to against God Christ yet I dare say that I would not willingly and resolvedly sin against Christ for a world I can say through grace were I this moment to dye that my greatest feare is of sinning against Christ and my greatest care is of pleasing Christ I know there was a time when my greatest care was to please And I said A selme had rather gâ—e to hâ—ll â—ure from sin then to heaven polluted wiâ—h that filth The Primitive Christians chose rathet to be â—hrowne to Lyâ—ns without then left to lusts within Ad Leonem magis quam Leonem saith Tertullian VI. It is repâ—red of Bucer and Calvin That they loved aâ—l them in whom they could espâ—e Aliquâ—a Christi any thing of Christ 'T is justi so with these poore hearts that question their present condition Jer. â— 1. 2 3. VII Psa 119. 136 my selfe and the Creature and my greatest fear was of displeasing the Creature I can remember with sorrow and sadnesse of heart how often I have displeased Christ to please my selfe and displeased Christ to please the Creature but now 't is quite otherwise with me my greatest care is to please Christ and my greatest fear is of offending Christ Well is this all O weake Saint No Sir I have one thing more What 's that Why that 's this Though I dare not say that Christ is mine and that I have an interest in him
holynesse-ward they received new life from the Spirit of Christ as at first conversion they did and I am confident for want of the knowledge and due consideration of this truth many professors take such libertie to themselves as to live in the neglect of many precious duties of Godlinesse for which first or last they will pay deare But remembring that 't is not a flood of words but weighty arguments that convinces and perswades the soules and consciences of men I shall give you foure reasons to demonstrate That Beleevers have a power to doe good and the first is this First Because they have life and all life is a power to act Omnis vita est propter delectationem by naturall life is a power to act by spirituall life is a power to act by eternall life is a power to act by The Philosopher sayth That a fly is more excellent then the heavens because the fly hath life which the heavens have not c. Secondly Else there is no just Ground for Christ to charge Omission of diet breeds diseases so doth omission of dutie and makes worke either for repentance hel or the physitian of souls the guilt of sins upon them as neglect of Prayer Repentance Mortification nor the guilt of Carelesnesse and Sloathfullnesse c. which he doth if they can act no further nor no longer then the Holy-Ghost acts them as at their first conversion notwithstanding their union with Christ and that spirituall principle of life that at first they received from Christ Certainly if it be so it will not stand with the unspotted Justice of God to charge the guilt of sins of omission upon Beleeving soules if they have no power to act but are as stocks and stones c. as some dreame A third Ground is this If there be not some power in Beleevers to doe good then we should not have as much benefit by the Ipse unus erit tibi omnia quia in ipsâ— uno bono bona sunt omnia August second Adam as we had by the first Adam The first Adam if he had stood would have Communicated a power to all his sons and daughters to have done good and being corrupted he doth communicate power to sin as all his children finde by sad and wofull experience and shall not Christ much more communicate a power to us to doe good in our measure surely he doth though few minde it and fewer improve it as they should If there be not such a power in beleevers how have they gain'd more by the second Adam then they lost by the first and wherein lyes the excellency of the second above the first c. Fourthly and lastly All those exhortations are voyd and of none effect if there be not some power in soules truly gratious to doe good as all those exhortations to watchfullnesse To stirre up the Grace of God that is in us and to worke out our owne salvation with feare and trembling and that also Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure To what purpose are all these precious exhortations if the regenerate man have no power at all to act any thing that 's good Nay then beleevers under the Covenant of Grace should be in no better a Condition then unregenerate men that are under a Covenant of workes who see their duties discovered but have no power to performe which is contrary as to other Scriptures so to that Psal 40. 7 8 9. Then said I loe I come in the volume of thy booke it is written of me I delight to doe thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart or thy law is in the midst of my Bowells as the Hebrew reads it And to that of Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. c. A soule truly gratious can sincerely say Thy law O Lord is in the midst of my bowells and I delight to doe thy will O Lord I confesse I cannot doe it as I should nor I shall never doe it as I would till I come to heaven but this I can say in muâ—h uprightnesse that Thy law is in my heart and I delight to doe thy will O father And so Paul With my minde I serve the Law of God though with my Rom. 7. ult flesh the Law of sinne And we have many promises concerning divine Assistance and if wee did but stirre up the Grace of God that is in us Isa 41. 10. Heb. 13. 5 6 c. we should finde the Assistance of God and the Glorious breakings forth of his power and love according to his promise and the worke that he requires of us Isa 26. 12. Chap. 64. 5. c. Though no beleever doth what he should doe yet doubtlesse every beleever might doe more then he doth doe in order to Gods glory and his owne and others internall and eternall good Affection without endeavour is like Rachel beautifull but barren They are blessed that doe what Beaâ—i sunt qui praecepta faciunt etiam si non perficiunt Aug. they can though they cannot but under-doe When Demosthenes was asked What was the first part of an Orator what the second what the third answered action the same may I say if any should aske me what is the first the second the third part of a Christian I must answer action Luther saith He had rather obey then worke Miracles obedience is better then sacrifice But Sir you will say What is the meaning of that Text that is so often in the mouths of Professors Without me you can doe nothing John 15. 5. I answer All that that Text holds forth is this That if a man ha's not union with Christ if he be not implanted into Christ he can doe nothing Without me that is separate from me or apart from me as the words may be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Secrsim a me Vide Beza Câ—meron and Pisâ—at you can doe nothing If you are not implanted into me if by the spirit and faith you art not united unto me you can doe nothing The arme may doe much it may offend an enemy and it may defend a mans life by virtue of its union with the head but if you separate the arme from the head from the body what can it doe Certainly the soule by virtue of its union with Christ may doe much though such as are separated from Christ can doe nothing at least as they should Union with Christ is that wherein the strength comfort and happinesse of the soule does consist Ah Christians if you would but put out your selves to the utmost you would find the Lord both ready and willing to assist you to meet with you and to doe for you above what you are able to aske or thinke Caesar by continuall employment overcome two constant Diseases the Head-ach and the Falling-sicknesse Oh! the spirituall Diseases that the active Christian overcomes Among the Aegyptians Idlenesse was a capitall crime Among the
in the very eyes of your enemies oh there 's nothing in all the world that contributes so much to the stopping of the mouthes of your enemies and to the rendering of your soules lovely in the eyes of your enemies as the exercise improvement of your Graces as you may see in David David improved his Grace to a glorious height and says Saul Thou art more righteous then I 1 Sam. 24. 17. John improved his Grace to a glorious height and was much in the exercise of it and what follows why Herod fear'd and reverenced him knowing that he was a just and a holy man Mark 6. 20. So what a deal of respect and honoâ—r did Alexander the Great puâ— upon Jadus the High Priest Theodosius upon Anbrose and Constantine upon Paphâ—utius kissing that eye of his that was bored out for the cause of Christ c. O! how did the wisdome faith and holinesse of Joseph Daniel and the three children silence their most enraged adversaries yea what a deale of honour did the exercise of their graces cause those Heathen Princes to put upon them 1 Pet. 2. 15. For so is the will of God that by well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 'T is not all the talking and profession in the world that can stop the mouths of foolish men it must be well-doing grace improved grace exercised and manifested in wayes of holinesse that must work so great a wonder as to stop the mouths of wicked men The Greek word that is here Translated * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well-doing is a Participle of the Present Tense and notes the continuall custome of well-doing And indeed nothing but a continuall course of well-doing will be able to stop the mouths of wicked persons 'T is not a fit of holinesse but a course that can produce so great a Miracle as to stop the mouths of wicked men That ye might stop the mouths of ungodly men The Greek is That ye may muzzle or halter up There 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no way in the world to button muzzle or halter up the mouths of wicked men but by the exercise of your graces in wayes of well-doing Oh this will cause you to be well thought of and well spoken of this is that that will make even wicked men to say these are Christians indeed these are they that have not onely a name to live but are alive that have not onely a forme of godlinesse but the power A Christians exercise of faith in times of wants and of patience in times of affliction and of courage in times of temptation and of contentation in times of opposition c. does mightily silence and stop the mouths of the worst of men Henry the Second of France being present at the Martyrdome of a certaine Taylor burnt by him for Religion was so terrified by beholding the wisedome courage faith and constancy Epiâ— Hist Gal. 82. of the said Martyr that he swore at his going away That he would never be any more present at such a sight Fifthly Dwell much upon the sweet nature of grace if you would have your soules carried out to the exercise and improvement of grace The name of grace and the nature of grace is very sweet The Hebrew word that 's rendred Grace signifies favour and mercy and it answers to the Greek word Caris that signifies Grace is a Panâ—ply against all troubâ—eâ— and a Paradise of all pleasures favour and mercy and some derive the Greek word from a word that signifies Joy because grace begets the greatest joy and sweetnesse in the spirits of men that possibly can be Grace is compared to the sweetest things to sweet Spices to Wine and Milke Grace is a beam of the Sun of righteousnesse Cant. 4. 10 14 16. Cha. 6. 2. Isa 55. 1 2. the Lord Jesus Christ Grace is a sweet Flower of Paradise a spark of glory c. 't is cherisht and maintain'd by that sweet word that 's sweeter then the honey or the honey-combe and by sweet union and communion with the father and the Son 'T is exercis'd about the sweetest objects viz. Psal 119. 103. 1 John 1. 3 4. God Christ Promises and future Glory It sweetens all your services and duties your best performances are but stinking sacrifices if they are not attended with the exercise of grace Grace is that heavenly salt that makes all our services savoury and sweet in the nostrills of God Grace is of the greatest and sweetest use to the soule 't is an Anchor at sea and a Shield at land 't is a staffe to uphold the soule and a sword to defend the soule 't is bread to strengthen the soule and wine to cheer the soule 't is Physick to cure all diseases and a Plaister to heale all wounds and a Cordiall to strengthen the soule under all faintings c. Grace is thy eye to see for Christ thy ear to hear for Christ thy head to contrive for Christ thy tongue to speak for Christ thy hand to doe for Christ and thy feet to walk with Christ Grace makes men of the forwardest sowrest crabbedst natures to be of a sweet lovely amiable pleasing temper It turnes Lyons into Lambs Wolves into Sheep Monsters into Isa 11. 7 8 9. Men and Men into Angels as you may see in Manasses Paul Mary Magdalen Zacheus and others Yet sometimes Laâ—imer told the Clergy and the Bishops That if they would not learne diligence and vigilance of the Prophets and Apostles they should learne it of the Devill who goes up and downe his diâ—cesse Grace in a rugged unhewne nature is like a gold ring on a leprous hand or a Diamond set in iron or a Jewel in a Swines snout c. Sixthly By way of Motive consider this That wicked men doe exercise and improve to the uttermost all those principles of wickednesse that be in them against the wayes of God the honour of God and the comforts of the Saints Now shall wicked men improve all their Principles to the uttermost against God his truth and Saints c. And shall not Saints improve their graces to the honour of God the advancement of truth and the joy and benefit one of another You may see the activity of wicked mens spirits in Prov. 4. 16. They sleep not unlesse they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unlesse they cause some to fall Oh they cannot rest The wicked are like the troubled Sea as Esay speaks when it cannot rest whose waters cast up Isa 57. 20. 21. The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Râ—shang signifies properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— laborious sinner a practitioner in sin The Verb Rashang signifies to make a stir to be exceeding busie unquiet or troublesome c. mire and dirt So in 2 Pet. 2. 14. Having eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin beguiling
ship an arrow a dream a post c. This Valerian Valens and Bajazet three proud Emperours found by experience and so have many Kings and Generalls and Nobles as Scripture and History doe abundantly evidence Earthly riches are very uncertaine 1 Tim. 6. 17. They are ever upon the wing they are like Tennis-balls which are bandied up and downe from one to another As the Bird hopps from twig to twig so doe riches from man to man This age can furnish us with multitudes of instances of this nature c. Seventhly and lastly They are the most Vsefull riches to sweeten all other riches mercies and changes c. which speaks out the Excellency of these riches above all other riches The more usefull any thing is the more excellent it is Now the riches of Christ are of all things the most usefull to poore soules When the soule is under the guilt of sin nothing relieves it like the riches of Christ When the soul is surrounded with temptations nothing strengthens it like the riches of Christ When the soule is mourning under afflictions nothing comforts it like the riches of Christ When state friends and trading failes nothing makes a Christian sing care away like the riches of Christ c. The riches of Christ sweeten all other riches that men enjoy If a man be rich in parts Earthly riches cannot in rich the soule noâ— better the soule oftentimes under silk and sattin apparrell there is a thred-bare soule or rich in grace rich in faith rich in knowledge rich in wisedome rich in joy rich in peace c. Or if a man be rich in temporalls rich in money rich in wares rich in Jewels rich in Lands c. the glorious and unsearchable riches of Christ sweetens all his riches and the want of these riches imbitters all the riches that men enjoy When mens consciences are inlightned and awakened then they cry out What are all these worldly riches to us except we had an interest in the riches of Christ As Absolom once said What are all these to me except I see the Kings face I have read of one that upon his dying bed called for his baggs and laid a bagge of gold to his heart and then cryed out Take it away it will not doe it will not doe There are three things that earthly riches can never doe They can never satisfie Divine Justice They can never pacifie Divine wrath Nor they can never quiet a guilty conscience And till these things are done man is undone The Crowne of gold can't cure the Head-ach nor the honourable Garter can't cure the Gout nor the Chaine of Pearles about the neck cannot take away the paine of the Teeth Oh but the unsearchable riches of Christ give ease under all paines and torments Nugas the Scythian King despising the rich Presents and Ornaments that were sent unto him by * Michael Palâ—olegas the Emperour of Constantinople asked him that brought them Whether those things could drive away calamities diseases or deaths looking upon all those Presents as no Presents that could not keep off calamities from him Verily all the riches and glories of this world cannot keep off the least calamity neither can they make up the want of the least mercy But the riches of Christ doe both keep off calamities and make up the want of all mercies that the soule craves or needs All which speaks out the Excellency of the riches of Christ above all other riches We come now unto The Vses of this Point AND the first Use that we shall make is a Use of Exhortation to exhort you all seeing Christ is so rich to labour to be spiritually rich Oh labour to be rich in grace In the handling of this Use I shall propound this method 1 I shall lay downe some Considerations that may provoke your soules to labour to be rich in grace 2 I shall propound some Directions or Helps to help you to be rich in grace which is as much a mercy as a Duty c. 3 I shall lay downe some Propositions concerning the soules being rich in grace 4 I shall shew you how you may know whether you are the persons that are rich in grace or no. I shall begin with the first and be a little the more large upon it because it is a point of mighty weight and concernment and then be the more brief in the three following particulars For the first By way of Motive I shall onely propound these following Considerations to provoke your soules to labour to be rich in grace Laborandum was one of the Emperours Motto and must be every Christians First Consider That the more rich the soule is in grace the higher the soule will be in joy and comfort 'T is the greatest measures of grace that usher in the greatest O the joyes the joyes the unconceiveable joyes cryed out Mistris Katharine Bretterge who had attained to a great measure of grace c. measure of joy and comfort into a believing heart Christians have you tasted of the Consolations of God Have you at times sate downe and drank of these wells of salvation Are your hearts carried out for more of those waters of life Then labour to be rich in grace A little Star yeelds but a little light and a little grace will yield but a little comfort but great measures of grace will yield a man not onely a Heaven hereafter but also a Heaven of joy here Divine comfort is a choyce Flower a precious Jewel and onely to be found in their bosomes that are rich in grace Spirituall comforts are such Strong-waters that weak Christians are not able to bear them Great measures of grace carry with them the greatest evidence of the truth of grace and the clearer evidence there is in the soule of the truth of grace the higher will joy and comfort spring The soule is apt to hang her comforts on every hedge to shift and shark in every bye corner for comfort but as aire lights not without the Sun and as fuell heats not without fire so neither can any thing soundly comfort a Christian without the God of grace without his being rich in grace Great measures of grace carry with them the greatest evidence of a mans union and communion with God and the more a mans union and communion with God is evidenc't the more Aeterna erit exultatio quae bono laetatur aeterno c. will the soul be filled with that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory and with that comfort and peace that passes understanding In great measures of grace a man may read most of the love and favour of God and the more a man sees of the love and favour of God to him the more high the springs of comfort rise in him In great measures of grace as in a Christall glasse the soule sees the glorious face of God shining and sparkling and this fills the soule with joy Acts 9.
love to grace and because of an excellency that they see in grace Grace is a very sparkling Jewel and he that loves it and pursues after it for its owne native beauty ha's much of it within him c. Thirdly 'T is your Principle That men must subject themselves and square all their actions by the word of God Now what will make a man live up to this Principle will a little grace Surely no. But great measures of grace will Isa 8. 20. Zacharias and Elizabeth were rich in grace and they liv'd up to this Principle Luke 1. 5. They walked in all the Commandements of the Lord blamelesse The Apostles were rich in grace and they liv'd up to this Principle 2 Cor 1. 12. This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world So in 1 Thess 2. 10. Ye are witnesses and God also how holily justly and unblameably we have behaved our selves among you that believe Oh here are soules that live up to their Principles A Christian that is rich in grace is excellent all over George Prince of Anhalt his family is said to have been Ecclesia Academia Curia A Church a Vniversity and a Court. A Christian that is rich in grace ha's a heart as large as his head yea a heart that is as large as the whole will of God Acts 13. 22. I have found David the Son of Jesse a man after my owne heart which shall fullfill all my will In the Greek 't is All my wills to note the universality and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sincerity of his obedience Soules rich in grace practice that themselves which they prescribe to others Lessons of Musick and Copies must not be read onely but acted also Soules rich in grace are good at this and they will be good in all places and cases They are as good at the particular Duties of Religion as at those that are more generall they are good Fathers and good Masters and good Husbands as well as good Christians in a more generall sense But now soules that have but a little grace they are much in the generall Duties of Religion but very defective in the particular Duties of Religion as sad experience does abundantly evidence Those that have a blemish in their eye think the skie to be ever cloudy and nothing is more common to weak spirits then to be criticising and contending about others Duties and to neglect their owne But such that are rich in grace make it their glory to subject themselves to the rule of righteousness As Baldasser a German Minister cryed out Let the word of the Lord come let it come saith he and we will submit to it if we had many hundred necks to put under It must be much grace that must inable a man freely fully and sweetly to subject himselfe and his actions to the word of the Lord. Fourthly 'T is your Principle That you must deny your selves your owne profit ease pleasure c. for a publick good And this the Scripture requires 'T is your Principle to deny your selves your own honour pleasure profit c. for a publick advantage when your particular advantages stand in competition 'T is a base unworthy spirit for a man to make himselfe the Centre of all his actions The very heathen man could say A mans Countrey and his friend and others chalenge a great part of him with the publick Now selfe must be laid by and the publick must carry the day Oh but will a little grace inable a man to live up to this Principle Wofull experience shewes the contrary I but now take me a man that is rich in grace and he will live up to this golden Principle as you may see in Nehem. 5. 14 15 16 17 18. Nehemiah was a man eminent in grace and he chooses rather to live upon his owne Purse then upon the publick purse Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their Governour in the Land of Judah from the twentieth year even unto the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the King that is twelve years I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the Governour Behold the former Governours that had been before me were chargeable unto the people and had taken of them bread and wine besides forty Sheckles of silver yea even their servants did bear rule over the people but so did not I because of the fear of God yea also I continued in the worke of this wall neither bought we any land and all my servants were gathered thither unto the worke Moreover there were at my Table an hundred and fifty of the Jewes and Rulers besides those that came in to us from among the Heathen And yet for all this saith he I required not the bread of the Governour because the bondage was heavy upon the people Oh! here was a brave spirit indeed he was far from inriching himselfe by others ruines from emptying others Purses to fill his owne But he is dead and it seemes this brave spirit is buried with him there are few of his name and fewer of his spirit if any in this world and therefore well might he pray Thinke upon me my God for good according to all that I have done for this people And accordingly God did think upon him for good and made him very famous and glorious in his Generation And that 's a remarkable passage concerning Moses Numb 14. 12. to 21. I will smite them with the Pestilence and dis-inherite them and will make of thee a great Nation and mightier then they saith God to Moses Therefore let me alone to destroy them and cut them off for they are a rebellious Generation And I will make thee a mighter Nation for honour riches and power then they Nay saith Moses this may not be Lord. Oh the people must be spared the people must be pardoned and the people must have thy presence with them and rather then it should be otherwise let my name Lord be blotted out of the Book of life Lord I care not how ill it goes with my particular so long as it may goe well with the generall let me dye so they may live Can the self-seekers of our age think seriously of this and not blush So Mordecai was a man of a brave publick spirit Esther 10. 3. Mordecai the Jew was next unto King Ahassuerus and great among the Jewes and accepted of the multitude of his brethren seeking the wealth of his people Or as the Hebrew ha's it Seeking good for his people That is he made it his businesse to seek their good Christ also was full of grace Christ healed others but was burt himselfe he â—ed and filled others but was hungry himselfe c. and had a brave publick spirit he laid out himselfe and laid downe himselfe for a publick good and so did Paul c. Few in our dayes are of his opinion
opportunites to grow rich in the world as formerly doe we wonder that they thrive not as before Surely no. And sometimes this arises from the breaking of some bone by sin David found it so Many a man by breaking a bone Psal 50. is much hindered from thriving in the world O this broken arme this broken legge hath lost me many a faire pound which otherwise I might have got O friends sin is the breaking of the bones the breaking of a mans peace and communion Isa 59. 1 2. Chap. 64. 7. Gal. 6. 1. with God 't is the breaking of his hope and confidence in God 't is the dis-joyning of a man from God and so it hinders a mans spirituall growth Believe it Christians if you play and dally with sin if you fall in with sin if you make one with sin you will never grow rich in spiritualls Sin will cause such a breaking of bones as will undoubtedly hinder the prosperity of your soules And so much for the sixth Proposition The seventh and last Proposition I shall propound is this A man may grow rich in those Graces that are more remote from Christ that are lesse conversant about Christ when he doth not grow rich in those Graces that as speciall favourites stand alwayes at the elbow of Christ and are most busied and conversant about Christ Let me open it thus to you You know at Court there are some that have the honour to attend alwayes at the Princes elbow and there are others that appertaine to the same Prince but are more remote in their imployments for him c. So in the soule there are some graces that are more remote and not so conversant about the person of Christ as now Humility Self-denyall Patierce Meeknesse Temporance Sobriety and the like Now though these graces doe appertaine to the same Prince though they are all servants of the Lord Jesus yet notwithstanding they are more remote and busied about other objects and things O but now faith and love are choyce favourites that alwayes stand at the elbow of Christ faith and love are Christs greatest favourites in Heaven Now I say a Christian may grow rich in those graces that are more remote from Christ that are lesse conversant about the person of Christ when he doth not grow rich in those particular graces that are most active about the person of Christ He may grow rich in Humility in Self-deniall in Meeknesse in Temperance c. when he doth not grow up in joy and delight Some Limbs and branches of a Tree grow more then others and comfort c. The Tree growes downward when it doth not grow upward so a soule may grow rich in some particular graces when he doth not grow rich in other graces he may grow rich in those graces that are more remote from Christ when he doth not grow rich in those graces that are more conversant about the person of Christ And so I have done with these Propositions the serious minding of them may prevent many Objections and to many give satisfaction in severall cases c. The fourth and last thing propounded was to give you Some Notes of a person that is Spiritually Rich. Cleerly As there are few worldly rich men to those that are poore so there are few in this professing Age that will be found to be spiritually rich compared with the multitude of Laodiceans that swarme in these times We have many that say they are rich and that think they are rich when the truth is they have either no grace or but a very little grace And these five following things doe clearly evidence it c. Notes of a person that is spiritually rich FIrst Rich men have more variety of objects to delight themselves with then poore men have They have Houses and Gardens and Lands and Cattell and Silver and Gold and Jewels and Pearls and what not to delight themselves with Oh but poore men have not such variety of objects to delight themselves with as rich men have It 's just thus in spirituall riches A man that 's rich in grace hath more variety of spirituall objects about which his soule is most conversant then a man that is poor in grace Joseph in Pharâ—ah's Court had more variety of objects to delight him then his brethren had to delight themselves in their fathers house c. He ha's more objects of love of joy of delight of content to busie and exercise his soule about then others that are weak in grace 2 Cor. 6. 10. Injoying nothing and yet possessing all things A soule rich in grace possesses and injoyes all things in Christ and Christ in all things They injoy all good in him who is the chiefest good who is the spring and fountaine of good I have spoken largely to this already and therefore shall content my selfe in giving you this hint It stands you upon to inquire what variety of Objects you have to delight your soules in But Secondly Rich men can reach to those things that poore men cannot reach to I would have such and such things saith the poore man as the rich man hath I would fare as he fares and weare as he wares and doe as he does but my stock will not reach it So a soul that is spiritually rich can reach to those things that one that is poore in grace cannot reach unto He can reach to those joyes to those comforts and to those contents to those heights of communion with God and to those Visions and apprehensions of God that a soule that is not rich in grace cannot reach to Oh! I would faine have that comfort and that joy and that peace and that communion with God and those Visions of God that such and such soules have saith a poore Christian but I cannot my stock will not reach to it It 's an Argument a man is growne higher when he can reach higher then he could before whether it be a beam or a pin c. So it 's an Argument that a soule is grown rich in grace when he can reach beyond what formerly he could reach unto when he can reach beyond his inlargements beyond his incomes beyond his comforts to a Christ When in duty he can reach above duty when in an Ordinance he can reach to Christ above the Ordinance when under inlargements he can reach above inlargements to Jesus Christ Oh but now a man that hath but a little grace he can rarely reach above his duties above Ordinances above Inlargements to Christ he is very apt to sit downe and warm himselfe with the sparkes of his owne fire and to feed upon Isa 50. 11. Isa 44. 20. ashes as the Prophet speaks c. But now a soule that is rich in grace sayes Well these Ordinances are not Christ these refreshings are not Christ these meltings are not Christ these inlargements are not Christ these are sweet but he is more sweet these are very precious but he
in his works you will find nothing but what may incourage you to believe in him and to resigne up your selves to him Ah poore sinners what would you have Is there not power in Christ to support you and mercy in Christ to pardon you and grace in Christ to heal you and goodnesse in Christ to relieve you and happinesse in Christ to crowne you and what would you have more Oh that you would believe Ninthly Let this Principle be rooted in you That the surest way and the shortest cut to mercy and to get an interest in Christ is by a peremptory casting of the soule by faith on Christ John 3. 16 17 18 36. 8. 24. 16. 9. 4. 50 53. 5. 24. 6. 35 40. 7. 38. 11. 25 26. 12. 46. Acts 10. 43. Rom. 3. 26. 1 John 5. 10 11 12. There 's no way under heaven to be interested in Christ but by believing There 's no way to get an interest in the riches of Christ but this He that believes shall be saved let his sins be never so great and he that believes not shall be damned let his sins be never so little And so much shall suffice to have spoken concerning this great and weighty Point I shall follow what hath been said with my prayers that what ha's been said may work for your internall and eternall welfare c. EPHES. 3. 8. Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should Preach among the Gentiles the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ. THERE are two other Observations that arise from these words I shall by Divine assistance speak something to them and so finish this Text. And the first is this Viz. That 't is the great Duty of Preachers to Preach Jesus Christ to the people To me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ 'T is the great Duty of Ministers to Preach the Lord Christ to the people I shall prove it and then open it to you In Acts 5. 42. And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach what Jesus Christ So in Acts 3. 20. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you So in 1 Cor. 1. 23 24. 2 Cor. 4. 5. We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake So in Acts 4. 2. 2. 35. 9. 20. As soon as Paul was converted straightway he Preached Christ in the Synagogue that he was the Son of God Now for the opening of the Point I shall onely attempt two things 1 Give you the Reasons Why it 's the great Duty of Ministers to preach Christ to the people 2 Which will be the maine To shew you How they are to preach Christ to the people I confesse this is a very usefull Point in these dayes wherein many men Preach any thing yea every thing but a crucified Jesus Well Christians remember this As 't is your duty to take heed how you heare so 't is as much your duty to take heed who you hear Many there are that count and call themselves the Ministers of Christ and yet have neither skill nor will to Preach Jesus Christ to exalt and lift up Jesus Christ in lip or life in word or work a sad reckoning these will have to make up at last But to come to the Reasons of the Point Why it is the great worke and duty of Ministers to preach Jesus Christ to the people First Because that this is the onely way to save and to win soules to Jesus Christ There is no other way of winning and saving soules but by the Preaching of Christ to the people In Acts 4. 10 11 12. compared Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby Jewel Cowper and others had no such pleasure or joy as they had in Preaching Christ unto the people we must be saved You may Preach this and that and a thousand things to the people and yet never better them never win them 't is onely Preaching of Christ that allures and drawes soules to Christ John 17. 3. This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Ah! nothing melts the hearts of sinners nor wins upon the hearts of sinners like the Preaching of the Lord Jesus 'T is true the teaching of this and that opinion may please many a mans fansie but 't is onely the Preaching of Christ that changes the heart that conquers the heart that turnes the heart c. Peter by Preaching of a crucified Christ Acts 2. 14. to 42. converts three thousand soules at once Were Christ more Preached men would be more inamoured with him He is onely precious to them that hear of him and that believe in him Christ is in all respects incomparable and therefore as 1 Pet. 2. 7. you would honour him and win upon others make him more and more knowne to the world c. Secondly They are to Preach Christ to the people Because it is the choycest and the chiefest way to ingratiate Christ with poore soules This brings Christ and the soule together and this keeps Christ and the soule together nothing indeares Christ to Marâ—ian Arch Bishop of Constantinople said once of Subbaâ—ius a wretched and unworthy man whom he had Oâ—dained to be a Presbyter We wish we had raâ—her laid our hands on the bryars then on such heads the soule like this We see by wofull experience Christ neglected despised scorned and trampled upon by most and no wonder for many Preach themselves more then Christ and they Preach men more then Christ and their owne notions and impressions more then Christ Surely Christ is but little beholding to such Ministers and I think the soules of men as little and Oh that they were so wise as to consider of it and lay it to heart Surely a reall Christian cares not for any thing that hath not Aliquid Christi something of Christ in it There is a strange and strong Energy or forciblenesse in hearing Christ and his beauties and excellencies displayed and discovered The daughters of Jerusalem by hearing the Church presenting Christ in so high a Character and by describing and painting him out in such lively colours are so inchanted and inflamed that might they but know where to find him they would be at any paines to seek him When Christ is set forth in his glories with much affection and admiration others fall in love with him as you may see by comparing Cant. 5. 10. ult with Chap. 6. 1. Thirdly 'T is their great duty to Preach Jesus Christ to the people Because the Preaching up of Christ is the onely way to Preach downe Antichrist or whatever makes against Christ Some would have Antichrist