short Paul knew nothing wherein he had dealt unfaithfully and yet was he not thereby justified 1 Cor. 4.4 but he that justifies me is the Lord and therefore if you trust upon a gift and thereby to be justified and accepted you declare your graces to be but common and such as are but found among Hypocrites and in this the Papists have cause to groane under the burthen that lyes upon their religion they by looking for salvation and acceptance by common graces doe plainly shew that Christ profits them nothing And further as you are not to trust upon them for justification so neither are you to trust upon them for the life of your sanctification for though they be truly parts of sanctification faith hope love patience humility and every other grace of God which flowes from our fellowship with the death of Christ because these are parts of our sanctification you may looke at them as precious tallents received from God yet if you trust in these in preaching or praying or edefying your selves or families or neighbours and that in the strength of these you shall doe valiantly and bring mighty things to passe and be a fruitfull Christian you have truth of grace sound hearted saving grace and you doubt not but God will carry you an end in a comfortable Christian course if so you wil finde this to be true that you wil want Christ in the quickning and inlarging and thriving power of the life of your sanctification it cannot be but that where saving grace is there is Christ but you may have Christ and yet have but a dead Christ of him he may be so dead in your spirit that you shall cry out O what a dead heart and a dead spirit have I and yet I doubt not but Christ is in my heart true it may be thou hast received him but Christ can tell how to lye dead and to worke but little there where saving grace is layed up and therefore the life of Christ is not a life of grace but a life of faith I live not by all my zeale and humility and gifts of grace for I might have all these and make but dead work of them all How then By the faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2.20 It is one of the chiefest points that concernes our Christian practise and therefore I pray you consider it Note this the life of Christianity is not a life of wisdome and graces but of faith if you would have Christ live in you and live so that he may shew his life in you you must then live by faith that is not only looke for your justification by faith in Christ but looke for your sanctification and consolation from Christ by faith that if you goe about any duty goe not about it in the strength of grace received preach not or pray not in the strength of your knowledge and love and zeale and humility but go about them all in faith in Jesus Christ that is by comming to him and being inwardly sensible that unlesse he put new life into us and make new worke in our soules we may have but a dead businesse of it all the graces of Gods Spirit in us but dead and herein it is wonder to see sometimes how Gods servants are straitned all for want of the life of faith in their soules if God cut short with us it is because we doe not live in Christ but in the spirit of grace and think to walke by the strength of grace received we loose by it and spend of the stock of grace and therefore remember that speech Esa 40.30 31. They that waite on the Lord shall renew their strength to shew you your duty it is a borrowed speech from young men going out to warre they goe out in the name of the Lord of Hosts as David went out against Goliah 1 Sam. 17. If we waite upon the Lord and be sensible of our owne Insufficiency and unworthinesse of doing any Christian duty and not depend upon our owne sufficiency then we shall finde God lifting us up farre beyond all our owne apprehensions and gifts God wil put a new life into us and in this case even the weakest gifts of Gods servants are sometimes much enlarged and the same Christians gifts farre more enlarged at some time above what they are at another only by waiting upon the Lord and that puts life into our duties therefore if you would finde Christ to be the life of your sanctification then you must put away all confidence in saving graces they are not able to make you bring forth any one lively fruit of Sanctification I mean in your owne estimation and you wil have little comfort in it There is in this case much difference between one Christian and another and between the same Christian and himselfe at one time and another according to his waiting on the Lord for the renewall of his strength therefore trust not in any grace if you doe you wil want it when you stand in most need of it SERMON III. 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life WE now come to speake of the third way of having Christ A third way of having Christ is by Covenant and that is by way of Covenant Esa 49.8 I will give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages Psal 50.5 Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice so that would you know to whom God is a God and to whom it may be said He is my God Any of us that have made a Covenant with God by Sacrifice no man hath him unlesse by way of covenant for all these wayes though divers in explication yet all co-incident to this having of Christ And such as have made a covenant with God by Sacrifice they are his people of them it is said I am thy God vers 7. according to the tenour of the Covenant Gen. 17.7 Behold I make a Covenant with thee this day to be a God unto thee and to thy seed God becomes a God to me and to my seed by way of covenant so Deut. 29.10 to 13. both your Children of understanding and your little ones of no understanding you are all here before God this day to enter into a Covenant with him to keep his Commandements for ever you and yours enter into a Covenant with God and this is the way of having him for our God Deut. 26.17.18 This day thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God and he hath avouched thee to be his people Junius translates the word Thou hast required by way of Covenant and he hath promised that he will be thy God in the originall it is he hath made thee to speake thou hast made God to speake this as men that make promises one to another so that when people give up themselves
1.17 Gal. 2.20 A man doth nothing Christianly and spiritually but by his faith Faith profitable to all things now when faith must be the instrument to helpe us to work all our workes spiritually we had need to grow to some life and fruitfulnesse in faith and if our faith be not fruitfull we shall make but hard work of our daily imployments how shall we depend upon God and do all in the name of Christ and doe all in obedience to a commandement and live by a promise for Gods presence and blessing in it how shall a man do this if he have not faith yea if he have not some dexterity of faith A weake faith will then slug it when a man stands in most need to use it and therefore that a man may be ready to shew his faith upon every occasion in prayer in conference in every thing both concerning this life and another A man had need of a great deal of faith and therefore this is an evident signe that a mans faith is well wrought a sound and a lively faith if it be a growing faith But if you heare men saying they thanke God they have a strong faith and they alwayes beleeved on Christ and fie upon them that doe not let me say this is a presumption of faith but is no faith yea it is the badge of the want of faith when therefore you see the Apostle writes to them that beleeve that they may beleeve more certainly and more strongly that is a true faith and it will grow Vse 2 It serves to reprove the most sacrilegious and uncharitable faith of the Papists that take away these writings from the people John writes this Epistle to the intent that beleevers may beleeve you heard that the word dispensed in any ordinance is of mighty power to increase faith where it is begun and to beget it where it is wanting Take away reading of the Scriptures and conference about them Infidell practise of Papists and you take away all And therefore an infidell practise to go about to take away the faith of Gods Elect. God sent us the Scriptues to the end that we might beleeve and if this be the nature of faith to desire that themselvs and others might grow in faith what are they but Infidells in truth who as much as in them lyes lock up the Scriptures in a strange tongue that the people may not understand what is read unto them and as much as in them lyes drives the Bibles out of their houses And it is heretical presumption for such and such men to use the Scriptures this is infidelity and most sacrilegious to God And it is likewise uncharitable and injurious to the faith of Gods people An evident argument of infidelity how can you charge the wisdome of God of more folly and lightnesse God sends his word to his servants that they might be reading and hearing and conferring of it and that by beleeving they might beleeve These men to cast an imputation of folly upon God they are afraid that God did not consider the danger of it if beleevers should fall a reading and poore tradesmen a conferring about the Scriptures they are afaid they will be distempered with heresie and so trouble the whole Church do not they by so doing set the wisdom of God at naught and shew themselves sacrilegious against the truth of God Vse 3. It may serve to exhort us all since the holy ghost did write these things to the intent that you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God might beleeve First to you that beleeve and then to you that beleeve not You that have been diligent in hearing and reading the word be diligent in it stil and make it a point of your Christian practise not to faile to read some part of it every day unlesse you be necessarily hindred or if you have been necessarily hindred by busines from reading yet be sure nothing hinder you from meditating upon it the blessed man meditates on Gods word every night and every day though he takes the shorter time to it yet he must have some time for meditation upon the word upon something he heard this day or something hee hath sometimes read and you shall finde a mighty power in it to fructifie as if you were planted by the Rivers of waters Mighty power in meditating upon the word for the spirit of God breaathing in the word and your hearts sucking it up and by meditating upon it you grow in more knowledge in the object of your faith in the rootednesse in the sence and in the acts and fruites of your faith and this by hearing and reading and meditating read therefore the King himselfe must doe it daily Kings must read the Word of God daily who hath more businesse then any man Deut. 17.19 And if he doe so God will learne him the feare of his name now if God will not excuse Kings much lesse private men who have lesse affaires then Kings have and therefore be reading every day and when you cannot read be sure you meditate upon some part of Gods Word every day and every night As ever you desire to beleeve use the meanes that you may beleeve this being sanctified of God to that end then be not you wanting to use it and doe not only so but heare it likewise and conferre upon it and search it daily whether it be true or no use the meanes that God hath sanctified his Word to be dispensed in and by which he will blesse it to his people and then you shall finde this In beleeving you shall beleeve you shall grow from faith to faith and from sence to sence and in the fruits of faith till you be perfect in Christ Jesus be diligent in hearing Gods Word for it is the mighty power of God unto salvation and conferre of it there is a mighty power in the Word being conferred upon take heed ye neglect not occasions in this kinde and search the Scriptures and examine what you heare and you will finde a mighty power in it to increase faith Since therefore God hath given you his Word and shed abroad the water of his Spirit to run through every line of the Scriptures Note this so that the more you shall read and heare conferre and meditate and search the Scripture the more you shall finde the life of faith increased in you and therefore you must not wonder if you see Christian men that neglect these duties complaine of the deadnesse of their hearts Doest thou doubt in thy perswasion is thy confidence mixed with much diffidence then aske thy heart this question Whether hast thou used the Scriptures for those ends God hath appointed them and hast thou been diligent in conferring about them and searching of them whether what is delivered be suitable to them or no and meditated of them and brought them home to thy house and compared them together and meditated
CHRIST THE Fountaine of LIFE OR Sundry Choyce SERMONS on part of the fift Chapter of the first Epistle of St. JOHN PREACHED By that Learned judicious Divine and faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ Mr. JOHN COTTON B. D now Preacher at Boston in New-England Christus Vita Via est Scriptura Christi Published according to Order LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson and are to be sold by George Calvert at the signe of the half Moone in Watling street neer Pauls Stump MDCLI The Contents CReatures broken Cisters without Christ Pag. 2 Men cannot redeeme themselves ibid First part of the worship of Christ viz. in the minde and judgement p. 6 To prize Christ is to worship him p. 7 Christians worship Christ in their mindes p. 8 Moses honours the reproaches of Christ ib Naturally men desire to know the worth of blessings p. 9 He that hath Christ is inquisitive to know all the vertue that is in Christ ib Two parts of the worship of Christ is in the will and affections ib Deep measure of worshipping of Christ p. 10 Christ when more truly worshipped p. 11 Sweetest frame of spirit ib Third part of worshipping of Christ p. 12 Universall obedience ib If we cannot enjoy the liberty of the Ordinances but with sin against our soules in this case the Ordinances of God are to be neglected and omitted p. 22 The life of Christianity is not a life of wisdome and graces but of faith p. 29 A third way of having Christ is by Covenant p. 31 Extent of the Covenant on Gods part p. 33 God a Fountaine of goodnesse to his servants ib Extent of the Covenant on our part p. 34 Covenant three-fold ib Covenant of Salt p. 35 A fourth way of having of Christ p. 39 Christ received as into a temple three wayes p. 40 Second way of receiving of Christ p. 44 The third way of receiving Christ ib How to know whether you have truly embraced Christ p. 45 First thing considered in having Christ as a Son p. 46 True love to Christ wherein it is p. 53 Christ united to us and we to him by a three-fold spirit p. 59 A three-fold conformity between Christ and his p. 60 The first conformity wherein it consisteth ib The second conformity p. 61. The third conformity p. 63 The second worke of the Spirits liberty p. 65 Liberty from feare of sinne ib Naturall property of a Son p. 66 Liberty from power of sinne p. 67 Freedome from sins service p. 68 A Servants care in perseverance of Christian duties brings priviledge of peace to his soule p. 69 The third signe he that hath the Sonne hath him for his Prince pag. 74 To have Christ for a Saviour requires two things p. 75 Christ a Saviour from sin as well as from distresse p. 79 An hard matter to be willing to be saved by Christ p. 80 Christ saveth as a Prince p. 81 Christ our Prince in two things p. 82 Rebellious thoughts p. 83 Christians differenced by their thoughts ib Good thoughts continue for ever p. 85 Summe of all laid downe p. 88 Three sorts of signes of Spirituall life p. 92 First cause of Spirituall life ib John the first and the thirteenth opened p. 93 The second cause of Spirituall life p. 94 That the Promises belong to every true Christian p. 95 Ground of the point p. 96 A third cause of Spirituall life p. 98 Signes of Spirituall life from the effects of it p. 101 Life of Justification ib Inward peace flowes from pardon of sin ib That every sinner as soone as his sin is pardoned hath an unconceiveable peace in his soule p. 102 Second effect of the life of Justification ib Property of Spirituall life p. 105 Love of God a signe of Spirituall life ib Life of Sanctification p. 109 Joy and griefe in the soule sanctified at once p. 110 Joy and feare p. 111 Joy in affliction p. 113 Patience without forbearance ib Meeknesse and strictnesse at once p. 114 Modesty mixed with magnanimity p. 115 Psalme the 24. the 7. verse opened p. 116 Psalme 149. verse 6. expounded p. 118 The seventh combination of graces p. 119 Diligence in worldly businesse and yet dead to the world ib Love of Enemies p. 102 Effects of Sanctification signes of spirituall life p. 127 First effect motion ib Lightnesse of spirit p. 128 What is required to a Spirituall duty p. 129 Of common gifts p. 130 Causes of deadnesse of heart p. 132 Remedies against deadnesse p. 133 Second signe of spirituall life ib John 6.35 explained p. 134 First a soule longs after Christ in the Ordinance ib Strength and sweetnesse in the Ordinance p. 135 Third particular applying of the Word p. 136 Fourth conformity to the Word in every thing ib Growth in grace p. 138 Repentance the best purge p. 140 Fourth effect of the life of Sanctification ib Fifth signe life propagates it like p. 142 Three properties of life first warmth p. 144 Knowledge warme p. 145 John 5.32 expounded ib 2. Where there is life there is breath p. 146 3. Spiritual warmth digesteth Gods Ordinances p. 148 4. Spiritual warmth heateth others ib Power of sinne p. 153 Plyablenesse of spirit p. 158 James 3.17 expounded ib So much sweetnesse so much life p. 159 Danger of being out of Christ p. 161 Jer. 13. last opened p. 162 Esa 44.11 explained p. 165 Procure Christ for our selves and others p. 172 Motives to get Christ p. 172 Meanes of having Christ p. 174 What help Johns Epistles yeelds to beleevers p. 179 The bane of Congregations that have no means of preaching p. 184 Note the miserable case of Congregations that have but bare reading p. 186. Carnal men have benefit by the Word p. 187 Three reasons or signes of grace p. 189 Knowledge what p. 190 Rome an Harlot ib Mighty power in the Scriptures preached p. 199 Reading the Word p. 200 Examination of things heard ib Repetition of the word blessed p. 201 Meditation on the Word p. 202 Property of a faithfull Minister p. 203 Faith profitable to all things p. 205 Infidell practice of Papists ib Mighty power in meditating upon the Word p. 206 Kings must read the Word of God daily p. 207 To pray according to Gods will in two things 1. Aske things lawfull 2. aske in Christs name 1. To aske in Christs name requireth humility p. 211 212 First second third fourth acts of humility p. 212 213 First second third fourth acts of faith in prayer p. 213 214 First to pray in the spirit is to pray feelingly 2. Fervently 3. Perseverance p. 218 219 Advocate what p. 228 Partiall eye Censorious eye Malicious eye wanton eye p 243 244 245 Mantle of wisdome p. 248 Mantle of of faithfulnesse ib Mantle of compassion p. 249 CHRIST the FOUNTAIN of LIFE SERMON I. 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life THese words containe the Third part of the record that God bare of
also The life of Justification you heard hath these three effects or fruits in the heart Peace Quietnesse and Assurance for ever Care to keepe our conscience pacified in some measure carefull to maintaine that peace we have had so much ado to get And also love of God according to the abundance of sin that hath been pardoned to us We are now speaking of the effects of life and now to speake of the effects of the life of our sanctification Life of Sanctification Hee that hath the Son hath life not only in the pardon of his sin but he hath likewise the graces of Gods spirit which are the life of sanctification A frame of grace wrought in the soule which is the life of holinesse Now because Sanctification is found partly in the heart and partly in the life Let me now shew you some such effects of spirituall life as are found in the heart of a Christian And breathe forth themselves in his life by those habits and gifts which are principally within And the sum of what I shall now say is thus much There are certaine variety of the graces of God in themselves so different and opposite As that in nature they are seldome compatible to one person at one and the same time or least of all to be found in one and the same businesse And yet are found where ever the heart of a man is sanctified by the Spirit of grace where you have the life of sanctification in a Christian you shall finde variety of graces in them some of them of such diversity and opposition one to another that in nature the like temper is not to be found in one person at the same time and in the same businesse They are certaine kind of conjugations or companions of grace so fitted and joyned together in the heart of a man as that nature is not able to compact such sanctified affections unto such uses upon any occasion much lesse able to bring them forth upon any occasion they are so different in themselves to name some of them in particular First if you looke at the grace of God as it workes in the heart Ioy and griefe in the soule sanctified at once and exercises it selfe in the conversion of a sinner you shall finde that when the soule discernes any life of grace in its heart that sin is now pardoned and God is pleased to frame it anew and to give it a new life at that time the heart is taken up with these two contrary effects it is both inlarged with no small measure of joy that ever God should redeeme him from such a desperate condition as his soul lay in and yet withall full of grief of heart that ever he should have so much displeased that God that hath done so much for him and so plaine as that you shall evidently discerne the voyce of your own joy from the voyce of your owne griefe I know not better how to instance in it then to fetch a resemblance from the returne of the Children of Israel from captivity to Ierusalem read Psal 126.2 3 4. When God turned the captivity of his people this was their affection then was their mouth filled with laughter and their tongue with singing c. Now the same people that so rejoyce to see themselves redeemed by the Arme of the Lord when they doe rejoyce to see themselves set at liberty from the captivity they doe at the same time as sadly grieve and weepe to consider the unkindnesse they have put upon God and their unworthinesse of such a mercy from him as you may read Jer. 50. 4 5. speaking of the same people and of the same time their return from the captivity and he tels you They shall come going and weeping shall they goe and seek the Lord God and aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward If the Psalmist speakes of it he saith they were out of and beyond themselves for joy as in a comfortable dreame the newes seemed to be too good to be true and they rejoyced with exceeding great joy and if the Prophet Jeremy speake of the very same people and the same time and the very same action he tells you They goe to Jerusalem weeping they goe to seek the Lord and aske the way to Zion they rejoyce at the greatnesse of the mercy and weep in sence of their unworthinesse of it And truly this kinde of combination shall you finde stirring in every soule that is converted to God when the pardon of its sin is sealed to its heart it breeds a certaine kind of inward joy and comfort in the Lord that hath thus graciously pardoned their iniquity and yet more abundantly mourning for the evils it hath so displeased God with nor is there any mourning so deeply woundeth the soule as that which ariseth from the sight of Christ crucified then the soule mournes full bitterly Zach. 12.10 He wil mourne exceedingly to thinke that he should deale so unworthily against that God that hath all this while had such wonderfull thoughts of peace towards him This is the first combination of graces that is found in the soule after sinne is pardoned and the heart restored to a new life for wee spake before of prizing Christ in our judgements by certaine preparative graces but now we speak of that kind of life of sanctification which puts forth it selfe after some sence of our justification this life of the mixture of joy and mourning beares witnesse to our life of sanctification Secondly in the worshipping of God in those duties of the life of sanctification 2. Joy and feare you shall finde another combination of mixed affections the like of which are not and cannot be found in nature and that is joy and feare according to Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling A Christian man when he is in a good frame and the life of grace most stirres in his spirit he never comes to an holy duty but with some holy fear and trembling before God before whom he then stands and yet there is no duties he goes about with more comfort and joy then those when his heart is not dead It is true a dead hearted Christian comes to good duties like a Beare to a stake while they are in such a temper if they can shun duties they wil but take the heart of a Christian when it is alive and then they are a willing people Psal 110.3 they come with some inward gladnesse of heart it is the joy of their spirits to heare of an opportunity when they may heare the Word and pray or performe any duty acceptable to God but how when their hearts are most joyful and they goe about duties most willingly yet then most awfully for take you a Christian when he comes unwillingly his heart is not much affected with feare and trembling but then he is most awfull when his heart is in the best frame towards holy duties these
distemper with boyling in heat of wrath against his enemies he is all upon it to doe him any harme his heart is full of hot and bitter wrath so as that love which was as heat and fire to thaw and warme cold and hard hearts when it comes to the fire of wrath it is as it were cold water and allayes that heat and bitternesse and harshnesse which else our hearts are subject to This is the nature of love as it is the nature of water to coole hot distempers and as it is the nature of fire to thaw and soften hard frozen spirits so though it be but as one intire grace Yet in the act it puts forth a kind of variety of worke whereby one would thinke it did crosse it selfe but it doth not but doth all by the life of Christ thus you see what the effects of the life of sanctification is in the heart of a man after that God hath begun to roote the life of justification in us and hee discernes that God hath wrought a change in him and then these severall graces though in themselves and worke one opposite to another yet in a Christian heart they can meet and joyne together And therefore now doe but lay this to heart he that hath the Sonne hath life Will a Christian say how shal I know that I have that life in having of which I may know I have Christ Why do but consider with thine owne soule not now of the life of thy justification but hast thou found that ever God did fill thy heart with joy so as thy soule hath said the Lord hath done great things for my soule whereof he hath made me to rejoyce and hast thou found that when thou hast most rejoyced in the wonderfull mercy of God then hath thy heart most melted before the Lord thy God And thou hast been ashamed and confounded within thy selfe and never open thy mouth against God any more Doest thou see that the more God reveales Christ to thee who was crucified for thy sake the more bitterly thou moanest for thy wickednesse then it is a strong evidence of life and peace in thy soule were it not the mighty power of the life of Christ in thee thou couldest have had neither of both these graces much lesse combined together to worke the same thing at one and the same time if therefore God hath helped you to looke at the great mercy of God with joy and yet with shame and bitter mourning that ever thou shouldest dishonour such a God certainly God hath vouchsafed thee life and such a life as in which thou shalt live You shall have many a soule that is marvellously comforted in hearing the word rejoyce exceedingly in what they heare and goe home and say such a word was good and very comfortable and never man spake like that man and he never thought before that there was so much to be found in the word as now he conceives there is But now if this were the joy of Gods Elect if it were such a joy as would not vanish away like lightning in the aire a flash of joy it would sinke downe into the heart and leave so much the more deeper impression mourning by how much the more it hath had joy I grant that sometimes the joy of Gods owne servants may soone vanish away but it was never knowne that the joy of a living Christian did so soone vanish and depart away but that when it did most abound in the heart it did cause inward mourning and if not weeping yet an affection of greife and sorrow of soule that ever we have so displeased God the more God hath been mercifull to us the more are we shamed of ourselves inwardly grieve for our shamelesse carriages If therefore you only finde joy in hearing that may deceive you it is not the shortnesse of the continuance that argues the unsoundnesse of the joy but the want of this combination that will argue the falshood of it if God yoake not spirituall joy with spirituall mourning then suspect your joy for it doth not accompany salvation unto life And in very deed this you shall find to be true the joy of living soules in Christ though that oftentimes bee soon gone yet it leaves this spirit of mourning which keeps possession for it and that many times for a long time and you may read your comfort in the sorrow that it hath left behind for there is as much cause of comfort in this sorrow as in the joy when you had it when you see your soules can mourne unfeignedly for that you see so good a God to such a wretch this very comfortable sorrow that is left in thy heart is an undoubted pledge that it is not a vanishing joy the power and work of it lasts long and wil abide in the soule for ever a man will in such a case mourne for his sin while he lives If you have therefore found your joy mixed with sorrow it is right else it is but a fading hypocriticall and false joy Againe further how doe you finde your heart affected with the duties of Gods worship Doe you come to duties marvellous unwillingly that if you could avoyd it you would not keep such duties in your house and if it must needs be you put it upon any body rather then upon your selfe you may be a living Christian but your heart is in a dead frame at that time and if it be alwayes so with you you never did truly live but if you finde your spirits at least your hearts comming on most willingly to Christian duties that you performe them like Free-will offerings not free so as without warrant from Gods Word but free in respect of grace Doe but observe thus much it may be you may come off freely before God because hee hath given you spirituall gifts and you can quit your selves well in the performance of them and that makes you come the more boldly but consider if the more willingly you come to Christian duties the more trembling your heart goes about them the more the soule is prepared the more it feares before the Lord and the more lowly the spirit is and awfull in the sight of God if a man can serve the Lord with joy and trembling together then the service you perform to God is heavenly and spirituall and lively and such as in which you live they come from a living heart and the sacrifice is lively and acceptable and argues you have life and therein you have Christ the God of peace but if a man have only feare in a duty but no joy or joy but no feare his heart is not in a good frame we must bring a better frame of heart before God then so before we can say that we have the life of sanctification Againe for another signe How doe you finde your selves in your tribulations are they altogether matter of burden and wearinesse to your hearts Have you no
about such duties meerly for themselves they are wanting of this spirituall life So then doe but lay these things together doe you finde a man that is desirous to be doing good duties but is it to please others or is it out of the bonds of authority that lyes upon him Doe you see them have affection to duties but out of their place and calling or in their calling they doe such duties but rather out of their own strength then from the strength of Christ and not out of a conscionable respect to all the Commandements of God or if it be from outward principles and to wrong ends the glory of God not sought after nor tending to the building up themselves nor others in grace all these are such as men may be carried to doe from outward respects they may doe something that one would thinke would argue life but all the duties they doe by their owne strength is like a Spider that weaves a webbe out of her owne bowels we follow not the rule of the Word exactly but are ever wheeling about to our owne ends and to those respects that concerne our selves rather then to the glory of God and the Churches good it is true no man that hath common graces men that have gifts of preaching and gifts of praying may love to act and move them or any other zealous gift but yet notwithstanding you shal finde this to be true that till the heart be sanctified by the life of Christ we ever detaine all the graces of God in unrighteousnesse as the Romans and Gentiles did detaine the truth of God in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 So we by a spirit of ypocrisie detaine all the graces of God in unrighteousnesse and in Hypocrisie whereas God hath given us every grace and the manifestation thereof to edifie himselfe and to glorifie God withall We wonderfully magnifie our selves withall and make our selves goodly in the eyes of men we are full of our selves and thinke we have this and that in us that will serve our turne and reach our owne ends this is not a life of grace but is indeed a dead worke all that we doe and therefore rest not in any such kinde of life and motion But if you finde an inward inclination of soule to Spirituall duties and to those duties in speciall that are pertinent to your place and if they be not within the compasse of your calling you dare not reach unto them and in your calling you do them not out of desire to be seen of men but you are doing good duties out of a sence of your owne inability to reach any duty in your calling much lesse of Gods service and in them all you observe every commandement of God and the ends you aime at are singly that God may be glorifyed and that God may see you and not man that good may be done by you in your places in Church and Family and Commonwealth and that thereby others might be brought on to God and his Kingdome increased this very motion and inclination of your hearts is an argument that you have a stirring spirit to spiritual duties and this is spirituall life in Christ And therefore by how much the more God shall give you an heart to bee doing your works and duties in this order so much the more comfort you shal gather to your souls that undoubtedly Christ hath shed abroad his spirit in you by which you are able to doe that which else you could not have reached unto Quest You say unto me may not a good Christian man have his heart so dead that he is unfit to pray or preach or to instruct his Family or for the duties of his calling fit and good for nothing And is a soule in such a case as this altogether void of spirituall life and sanctification is there not sometimes a kind of a coath come upon a Christian that so benumbs his spirit that he performes no duties at all but if he might have his owne mind he would not pray at all nor receive Sacraments Is not this sometimes the case of Christian and will you say that such an one is a dead soule because he is altogether listlesse and dead-hearted to move to any spirituall duty Answ It is true there may fall such a deadnesse upon the heart of Christian men that they are both unable and unwilling to any spiritual duty Which commonly God leaves his servants unto when he hath found them acting and moving in their own strength and upon their detaining of the graces of God in unrighteousnesse Causes of deadnes of heart and diverting them rather to their own praise in the world then the edifying of the people of God or the glorifying of his own name when God sees we are much of our selves and thinke we can doe much by the strength of grace we have received then God is wont to leave us cold and dead so as we know not in the world what to doe nor are we willing to do any thing The very presence of a duty and the thoughts of it is an horror to such soules in such cases we have been too busie in our own strength and too mighty in the grace we have received and rather aimed at our selves then at him and then no marvaile if God leave us to a world of deadnesse But when God hath thus by this meanes let us see that all our life is in him and that we are dead hearted further then we have life from him then God is wont not to faile but to help us thus farre at the least to looke with a wist and a sad eye upon the forlornnes of our estates and to cry out of our selves O what dead hearted Creatures and dull spirited things are we and bemoane our selves as Paul did Rom. 7.18 I see that in me that is in my flesh Remedies against deadnesse dwels no good thing Sometimes I have a minde to doe good duties but I finde that I have no strength to performe Paul comes to Macedonia and he had an open doore a faire calling to preach but he had no heart to it because he found not Titus his brother there Now when this is the case of a Christian man that he is strait and dead hearted he groanes under the burthen of it and he lookes at it with sad countenance and sees he is not well but is ready to complaine of it now this sence and complaint of deadnesse and using the best meanes to raise himselfe up out of this deadnesse this is an action of Spirituall life It is an act of Spirituall life for a man to be sensible of his owne deadnesse which in time workes the soule of a Christian to a more constant dependance upon Christ for life and makes him more observeable of the Word and more ingenuous and sincere in looking at the glory of God and the Churches good more then his owne and by how much the more we come to this passe and
upon them day and night and taken times to chew and digest them If thou hadst done thus then thou wouldest have beleeved more assuredly but if we be negligent in any of these kinds then wonder not if we take away bodily food we take away bodily heat take away the fuell that nourishes faith and then it must needs grow weake and infirme And therefore as you desire to grow in beleeving be diligent in these duties that you may beleeve on the name of Christ and in beleeving may beleeve much more And for you that doe not beleeve savingly whose faith will not put you in possession of eternall life though this Scripture was not so much written for your use and benefit Note this as for them that already beleeve yet since there is no meanes to come to faith but by the Word be not you wanting as ever you desire to come to that faith which accompanies salvation be not wanting diligently to heare the Word of God and conferre about it with those that beleeve already Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.17 and it is the mighty power of God to salvation Be glad of any opportunity to heare the Word and waite at the posts of wisdomes gates Prov. 8.34 35. He that findeth me findeth life the promise is very plaine waiting daily at my gates Implying that in hearing we shall finde him and in finding Christ we shall finde life be diligent therefore to heare and when you have heard it goe home and search whether it be true or no and if you have liberty be doing this often be conferring about it as you can have any opportunity God hath sanctified these Ordinances to this end Be diligent in inquiring after wisdome after Christ in the Scripture there is a treasure lyes digge for it and you shall have it especially if with all these you joyne humble and hearty prayer to God for a blessing upon all these Ordinances for 1 Tim. 4.5 they are all sanctified by the Word and Prayer and Prov. 2.2 3. God would have you to use Prayer intreat him to open your eyes and hearts that you may beleeve and obey and that no Ordinance might be in vaine to you but might profit by them all and might grow up in beleeving SERMON XIV 1 JOHN 5.14 15. And this is the Confidence that we have in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth us And if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we aske we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him IN the former Verse the Apostle described to us the maine scope of his writing this Epistle which was partly that Beleevers might know that they did beleeve and partly that they might beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God Now in this latter end Iohn aymes at in writing this Epistle he exhorts Beleevers to imbrace it by three severall Motives in the verses following the 14 15 16. verses Motive 1 The first Motive is taken from the confidence of such as beleeve on him for salvation for the obtaining of their Petitions This is the confidence that we have in him meaning we that beleeve on his name that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth us Motive 2 Secondly Another motive or benefit that flowes from this is this That if we know he heareth us we know we have the things that we asked of him Motive 3 Thirdly here is likewise added another motive taken from the prevalency of his Prayers with God in such a point as wherein of all others we may finde this comfort and that is look as by beleeving on the name of Christ we shall finde comfort in respect of our everlasting estate so we shall finde this further benefit that if we see any Brother which hath sinned a sinne that is not unto death not a deadly sin that is not the sin against the Holy Ghost so mighty and prevalent shall our prayers be with God that in case we beleeve on the name of Christ and aske pardon of sinne for our brothers offence God will give him life so that if we beleeve on his name our prayers shall be heard and they have a prevailing power with God to obtaine at his hands the pardon of all our brothers sinnes that have not sinned unto death The Doctrines hence are these Doct. 1. First That a prayer that is made well never speeds ill Or thus A prayer that is made according to Gods will is ever granted according to our will or as the Apostle saith according to our desire vers 15. Doct. 2. Secondly Such as beleeve on the name of Christ for salvation may be confident and certaine of the hearing and granting their petitions Doct. 1. A prayer made according to Gods will shall be granted according to our will For so saith the words of the Text If we aske any thing according to his will he heareth us We praying according to Gods will shall finde acceptance according to our will Notable is that speech of encouragement and acceptance of our Saviour to the woman of Syrophenitia Matth. 15.28 O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt She had prayed as Christ would according to Gods will and shee received answer according to her desire As if a man that did beleeve and had a spirit of Prayer and had learning to pray according to Gods will he might be able to carve for himselfe in the treasures of Gods goodnesse as if God would let him into the chamber of his presence of his grace and favour and bid him take what he will take for himselfe and his friends and for his brethren as he will For opening of this point observe thus much First let us see what it is to pray according to Gods will and then secondly what is the ground of the point For the first to pray according to Gods will To pray according to Gods will in two things are contained in that Phrase and yet divers things besides those are comprehended in it First when he saith according to his wil it implyes first That we pray for such things as God wills such things as are not according to his secret will for so we cannot guide our actions for secret things belong to the Lord our God but of things revealed it is according to his revealed will and it implyes that we should aske him nothing but what hee gives us Commandement to aske all that he commands us to doe as to aske that we may aske and for that we are to pray for expresly As for the glory of his Name the comming of his Kingdome and the building up of his grace in any the doing of Gods will for our daily bread c. These are the things he hath given us warrant to pray for Secondly According to Gods will this is evident That whatsoever we aske we should aske it with submission to the will of God so our Saviour
a spirit of liberty to have the heart set free from all feares it is the summe of all security he hath redeemed us That we might serve him without feare all the dayes of our lives Luk. 1.74 75.78 We are free from feare of Death and Hell and of the World and we doe not feare what flesh can doe unto us Psal 3.5 6. his meaning is That the feares of men should not breake his sleep but he would walke in a child-like confidence before God and man and he would lye him downe quietly and sleepe securely though ten thousand had compassed him round about and the like you read Psal 56.3 What time I am afraid I will trust in thee And vers 11. In God will I put my trust I will not be afraid what man can doe unto me It is an usuall phrase with David and the usuall frame of the spirits of Gods people and this kinde of holy tranquillity of heart and liberty to walk with even nesse and comfort of soule against all the feares of this and another world this kinde of inward liberty from all feare Naturall property of a son is the naturall property of a Sonne a sonne never greatly feares ill measures from his Father all his care is to approve himselfe to his Fathers will and then he knowes his Fathers care is more for his owne provision and protection then his owne can be and if at any time he fall short of doing his Fathers will he makes his peace with his father upon as good termes as he can and there he rests but this is his fathers will and you need not possesse him of that and if he be a sonne he will looke for protection from his father A childe of God knowes his heavenly Father will support him and he feares not what sinne and Hell and the Grave and Death can doe unto him he feares not persecution nor sword nor famine the Lord is with him and he feares none of them I am perswaded saith Paul that in all these we are more then conquerours Rom. 8.37 38. this is the liberty of the spirit of a sonne Now as there is by the Spirit in the heart of the Childe of God liberty from all feare of sinne Liberty from power of sin so he hath liberty from all the power and dominion of sinne he is not subject to the dominion and bondage of sinne sinne hath not that power over him as to carry him captive to it but he walkes at liberty Psal 119. and therefore at liberty because he is not under the law but under grace Rom. 6.14 And notable is that speech in Chap. 8.2 The law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the law of sinne and of death The spirit of life viz. That spirit of life which hath a legall power in it a power like a law and hath a ruling power over me as the law hath and in both these respects called A Law of God A kinde of spirituall life because there is a lively spirit in him And this law of the Spirituall life of Grace hath freed me set me at liberty from the law and trade of sinne and of death sinne and death set him a course and trade which this Law of the Spirit of life hath set him free from so as that he is but a bungler in sin now not now learned in the law of sinne as sometimes he hath been but the Law of the Spirit of life hath freed him from the skill of sinne and from the command of sinne the law of sinne hath had a soveraigne power over him but now he is freed from the act and trade of sinne and now he walkes at liberty even from the dominion and usurpation of sinne time hath been when nothing would withhold him and he could have followed evil company and unlawfull games they were as lawfull to him as to any and he had no power to resist them but now the Law of the Spirit of life hath helped him against them all this is another part of the spirit of liberty a liberty from the bondage and dominion of sinne and it is a marvellous comfortable liberty indeed many a vallourous spirited man hath so little feare of death that he rushes upon the Pikes as the Horse into the Battell as if it were their meat and drinke but yet he wants this liberty he is not at liberty from feare of danger by the redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ but as Aristotle saith valiant because ignorant of the danger And besides such a naturall man though he be of a magnanimous spirit in respect of fear of danger yet such a man is often captivated of many base lusts and sinfull courses and is not able to resist ill counsell nor ill company whereas a godly man is free from all these free from the bondage and dominion of sinne and all the law of sinne he looks at it as a cobweb-law which hee may easily breake through and accordingly doth so and overcomes all his former sinfull lusts Freedome from sins Service Thirdly There is another frame of this spirit of liberty as it is the Spirit of the Sonne it frees us from the service of men 1 Cor. 7.23 Not that it forbids civill subjection not so to make men free but if God have called you a servant live as a servant 1 Cor. 7.12 to 20. but use your liberty the rather if you can but if you must needs be a servant then know that he that is a servant is the Lords free man but be not ye the servants of men that is though you owe and doe your bodily service to men yet towards God walk at liberty and if thy labour be great and thy reward little yet doe thy service and looke for more wages at the hand of Christ Col. 3.23 then from men in serving men serve Christ and therefore goe about your Masters service not with eye service but in singlenesse of heart serving the Lord and not men in serving of men they do faithfull and diligent service to the Lord and therefore they do it willingly and not grudgingly but in much quietnesse of spirit and are more free for Christian duties and have more quiet time for seeking God then ever after 1 Cor. 7.22 He that is married careth for the things of the world And it is true he that is most free is but a servant to Christ but a free servant though But he that is a servant is the Lords free-man the meaning is not only to doe the worke of his owne service with a free spirit but he is not onely a free man when he is most bound but then hee goes about the service of God with much more liberty of spirit then when he is his own man It is oft times wonder to see servants being called what care they will have of Christian dutyes what time they will steal to call upon God and to examin
themselves Note this and what a grief it is to them to see this and that duty neglected in the family and they are very free to God But afterwards when they come to be Free men and are for themselves that they may now have as much liberty as they will pray when they will and take what time they will to instruct those that are about them which time they wanted when they were servants and which they then mourned under And yet whereas then they would serve God with much freedome and liberty of spirit were then free from the law of sinne and free for any duty There is now a secret kind of bondage come upon them their hearts is more imbondaged and insnared and imcombred and intangled and so dutyes come not to be performed either with that constancy and care or not with that inlargement of heart as they were when they were servants And therefore that is the reason why the Apostle bids them not bee over-ready to challenge freedom But this shewes you that there is a marvellous liberty even in those that are servants they are free from the service of men in their hearts and consciences and then most at liberty to serve God when they are most bound to serve men yet in their hearts and consciences they are free from their service they are not bound in conscience to doe any thing but what is the will of God and this is a marvellous great freedom that a man is not bound to become a slave to other mens wil and to do as other men do he is not bound to do any thing that is unlawfull and this is a spirit of liberty that makes even a servant to have a spirit of freedome he is a Free-man his heart is free to Gods Service and this is from nothing else but from this spirit of a sonne a spirit of liberty Now on the contrary side as by this spirit of liberty a Childe of God is free from the feare of sinne so he hath a certaine kinde of priviledge of peace in his soule and of freenesse and readinesse to every Christian duty and also he hath a certaine priviledge of dominion over all the Creatures It is the nature and proper definition of liberty Freedome from evil and liberty unto the enjoyment of some good things it sets me free from sinne and gives me liberty and peace of conscience from the same Spirit of the Lord Jesus it sets me at liberty to run the way of Gods Commandements Psal 119.32 And Gods people are a willing people Psal 110.3 This is indeed a spirit of liberty it inlarges me to dominion over men no Creature in heaven or in earth but a Christian is able to rule him to his owne advantage a Christian servant wil turne his Masters government to his advantage and so all his enemies tyranny he will be sure to be better by them all and he wil grow and thrive in his spirit by all the dangers and evils that can befall him in this world I know not in what better to instance then in that of Gen. 25.23 The Oracle of God said to Rebecca the elder shall serve the younger And this is a thing in much dispute among Divines wherein this was ever made good and say That Esau was never a servant to Jacob for you shall finde in the 32. and 33. Chapters of Genesis that Jacob uses this word My Lord Esau and beseeches his Lordship to goe before and his servant would follow after and so it stood in their outward condition And Divines say Though the promise be true of the persons both seperate from the Wombe yet the service was not so But we need not straighten our selves for the explication of it for Esaus Lording and domineering over Jacob was as serviceable to Jacobs spirit as if he had layed aside his state and come and served Jacob and kept his Sheep the bitternesse of Esau against him did him more reall service then all the service of all Iacobs servants could reach him Whence was it that Iacob went a Pilgrimage from his Fathers house and that in a strange Country God so prospered him that whereas he went out but with his staffe in his hand he returned back againe with two bands or two droves And whence was it that Iacob made such a solemne Vow to God and kept it in so much faithfulnesse that if God would keepe him in that journey God should be his God for ever Did not all this come from the rage and wrath of Esau towards him Esau did him that good service and when he came back againe and heard newes that Esau came out with foure hundred men against him and thought to come to spoyle them all what a marvellous service was this to Iacob as you may read Chap. 32. from 9. to the end Esau by this meanes set him on wrastling with God by prayer and therefore wrastles with God all that night and so wrastles that God changes his name upon it Thou shalt not be called Jacob a wrastler but Israel a Prevailer thou hast prevailed with God and thou shalt prevaile with men And now he is past the worst with his Brother and when he meets him expresses much naturall affection and is marvellous glad to see him and offers to help him to drive his flocks to shew you that the very emulation and envie and cruelty and ragings of the enemies of Gods Servants even when they are most incensed against them and most tread them down and insult over them then they doe them the greatest service that is possible to be done through the mighty power of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ that turnes all into contraries that even when men doe most domineere over them then they doe them the best service Looke as it was with the Tyrants of Syria and Aegypt that made waste of Gods people It is a notable speech that in Dan. 11.35 36. It is to purge them and to cleanse them and make them white A Scullion in the Kitchin when he scoures his Pewter when he first takes it in hand you would thinke he would quite spoile it but he but scoures and cleares it up and makes it more bright then it was before the end of all is but to take away the filth and to make it cleare and bright And so an Huswife that takes her linning she Sopes it and bedawbs it and it may be defiles it with dung so as it neither looks nor smels wel and when she hath done she rubs it and buckes it and wrings it and in the end all this is but to make it cleane and white and truly so it is here when as Tyrants most of all insult over Gods people and scoure them and lay them in Lee or Dung so as the very name of them stinks yet what is this but to purge them and to make them white and it is a great service they doe to the people of God in so
God bee thus served think you doe you thinke to put him off as Witches put off the Devill will he think you take your service then Consider of it This is to make God our Prince when wee give up our selves to serve him There is a second thing wherein the having of Christ for a Prince doth stand And it requires that you doe all your service to him as to a Prince it should all be Princely service such as becomes a Prince Mal. 1.8 When you bring that which is torne or lame offer it to your Prince and see if hee will accept it Implying that God is a Prince and if a Prince then where is his Princely service if you wil serve him serve him of the best of that you have God looks for no more but what you have but when you come and offer him a lame peremptory Sacrifice and be loath to come off with the fat and strength of your affections and are loath to crucifie your dearest lusts then you deal not with God as with a Prince you offer him such a Sacrifice as is loathsome to him God curses such Deceivers who have in their flock a male and sacrifice unto the Lord a corrupt thing For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hoasts to pretend him to be a Prince and yet to serve him like a Peasant this God curses God accepts Abells Sacrifice because he brought the fattest and best of the flock to sacrifice Gen. 4. When we bring the strength of our hearts the fat of our strength this God accepts and then wee offer to him as to a Prince Notable was that speech of David 2 Sam. 24.24 I will not offer to God a Sacrifice of that which will cost me nothing A man offered royally to the King I give them all freely to thee As a King he gave to the King If a man give to a King he must give of the best he hath behold all are thine And as if David should say If you will be so bountifull to mee shall not I much more that am a King give like a King to the King of Kings We must give our best strength the best we have of any thing to God I and my houshold will serve the Lord Josh 24.15 All is little enough to give to God make it a point of our service in our best duties this God lookes for we should do it the best we can If we would have him for a Prince and as to a Prince we should freely part with all And therefore to conclude this point know that this point is the principall summe of the Gospell and this duty is of great necessity And let us therefore summe it up together Sum of all and lay it to our owne hearts You would know whether you have life or no if you have life you have Christ How will you know that Aske then your hearts this question Hath God exalted Christ to be a Prince and a Saviour to you Consider if you have Christ for a Saviour and a Prince And if you so have him then you have the Son and if you have the Son you have life And therefore meditate upon this seriously do you find your hearts looking to Christ for salvation in whatsoever distresses you are in Some will say I am in distresse and anguish of soule comfortlesse in my spirit and troubled with fear of Gods wrath and sence of the torment of Hel. Another man saith I am in distresse through bodily weaknesse and sicknesse another sayes I am in distresse through great poverty another in debts another is in distresse through the great untowardnesse of Wife and Children and Servants these be deep and great distresses yet consider Christ is a Saviour from all distresses God hath not limited his salvation to this and that but it reaches all the evils we are subject to then whether doth thy heart looke and upon whom doest thou waite for salvation If thy heart tell thee that in the midst of all these desertions thou lookest for salvation from the Lord Iesus and thine eyes are unto him and thou doest finde thy spirit willing to waite for salvation from him then thou hast him for thy Saviour and he wil save and redeeme thee from them all and it is an evident argument we have him for a Saviour But if in our dangers and distresses we looke to this and that meanes and to this and that friend and sometimes put our selves to flight from Pestilence and Famine though in some cases we lawfully may if thou doest only consider lawfull meanes and usest them according to Gods wil and for Gods honour then thou waitest upon God for salvation else not If thou lookest to him which hideth his face from the house of Israel if God hide his face from Church and Common-wealth and yet our eyes are towards him and we know not what to doe for our Consciences and Liberty and Estates and health and peace c. But our eyes are unto Christ such a looke at Christ is a saving and healing looke and as they were saved and healed by looking at the brazen Serpent Numb 21.9 so truly the Son of Man is exalted that whosoever lookes for salvation from him should receive it though they be not yet come to the full perswasion that the Lord is their God as they shall in time come to but if they looke with a wist sad looke at him and rest not satisfied till salvation come this makes him their Saviour Looke unto me and be ye saved But if we look to friends and meanes and our owne hands and doings then no hope of salvation from him There is this difference between the Cony and the Hare the Cony is a thing not strong yet reckoned among the wise people when they heare the noyse of a Dogge they run to their rock and shrowd themselves and so are safe whereas the wilde Hare hath no helpe but her heels shee runs through Fields and pastures runs every way but hath no protection but her heeles and is of all Creatures most destitute So if we run to the Lord Jesus for deliverance from all our evils he wil spread a wing of preservation over us but if we run to any Creature we can have no rest nor peace and then it argues we have no Christ because no Saviour and no Saviour because we look not to him And if you looke to him to save you from your miseries and not from your sins you have him not as a Saviour you would be excused in this and that spare me but here only Faelix would be spared in his Dalilah but if you would be spared in any sinne excused for nor parting with any iniquity then you have not Christ for your Saviour remember what our Saviour said to the man Joh. 5.6 Wouldest thou be made whole He said Yea Lord and he was healed So this is the point Wilt thou be made whole If God so far turne the
two affections never meet in other things when a man goes about any businesse gladly he is not afraid of it or if he be in feare he goes not about it joyfully the Sun trembles not at his course but rejoyces to run his race the Horse rejoyceth at the Battaile he never trembles at the matter or when any man goes about any worke with joy he never trembles at it but a Christian man when he goes about any spirituall duty though he have much joy and comfort in it and is glad of the occasion yet he is most fearfull as Psal 130.4 the very consideration of the greatnesse of Gods mercies makes a soule fearefull of the presence of God so the more rich God in grace and mercy is to us either pardoning sin or sanctifying the heart or quickning us to any duty the more fearefull is the soule in such a condition And hence is that you read Exod. 15.11 the Lord is said to be fearfull in praises when the heart is most enlarged to praise God with comfort then doth it most feare God so that here is another combination of graces that are not commonly found together in other businesses of ordinary affaires but where the heart is spirituall they meet together in the same thing Thirdly Take you a godly man in affliction Ioy in affliction and when he is most able to bear them and yet when afflictions is most heavy if he find his heart able to grapple under them yet then you shall find much joy and sadnesse of heart mixed together it was a signe of the election of the Thessalonians because they received the word in much affliction and with joy of the Holy ghost When they found much affliction either by the word or in the outward man though much affliction yet inwardly joyous Heb. 12.11 No affliction is joyous for the present yet it brings forth the quiet fruites of righteousnesse By how much the more affliction makes their spirits sad yet so much the more is the heart inlarged with joy and comfort in the Holy ghost Rom. 5.3 We rejoyce in tribulations tribulation is such a kind of affliction as is a threshing us like corne out of the chaffe drives us out of all the comforts of this life and that is not in nature to rejoyce in any measure when the heart is in grief and discouragement it ever wants something to raise it up Fourthly There is this mixture of affection in our carriage towards men which argues the life of holinesse in us Patience without forbearance In our converseing with men you shal have the same heart full of much patience but without all forbearance And those are such as are not found in nature nor in an hypocrite yet in a Christian heart you shall find them together the more patient a man is towards others yet the lesse able is he to bear with evill read Revel 2.2 I know thy workes and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not beare them which are evill A man would think it were a very strange expression A man of known and prooved patience and yet cannot bear For what is patience but bearing and forbearing yet saith God I know thy patience and that thou canst not beare them that are evill implying that such a soule if it were a matter to be put upon himselfe any affliction or tryall put upon himselfe then I know thy patience in bearing of it but if it come to a matter of evill not of punishment but of sinne then I know thou cannest not bear it Take you any patient man that onely hath a moral vertue of patience and if he have so much patience as that he can bear with crosses and afflictions he can as well also beare with evills committed against God but this is the nature of spirituall patience it is mixed with zeale so as that the more patient a man is in regard of injuries done to himselfe the lesse patient he is in respect of injuries done to God Fiftly You shall have gentlenesse and meeknesse sometimes mixed in a man with much austerity and strictnesse which is very much they should meet in one man Meeknes and strictnesse at once at one and the same time The wisdome that is from above is gentle and meek and easie to be intreated It was said of Moses Hee was the meekest man upon earth Numb 12.3 Take Moses in his owne case and his carriage towards men as they had respect to himselfe and then he was a meek man soon perswaded yet the same Moses when hee saw the matter concerned the Cause of God hee is so stiffe and unmoveable as that he wil not yeeld one jot he wil not leave an hoofe behind of all that appertained to the children of Israel Exod. 10.26 He would not onely have men and women and children goe forth to serve the Lord but their cattle and their stuffe He will not yeeld a little here no not for the Kings pleasure sake A man would much wonder that such a man so meek and gentle and so easie to be perswaded in his owne cause that yet when it comes to a matter of importance and concerns God hee will not there yeeld he is now inflexible nothing can perswade him to give way to it this is a combination of graces that are not wont to be found in men thus mixed together but it is found in the people of God that live a sanctified and holy life I know not better what to instance in then in the liquid Aire of all other things the most easiest to be peirced through of it selfe it gives way to every creature not the lest flye or least stone cast into it but it gives way to it of it selfe yet if God say it shall be as a Firmament between the waters above and the waters below it then stands like a wall of brasse and yeelds not it will not suffer the water in the clouds to fal down but if it do fal to water the earth it shall straine through the aire as through a sieve the clouds sometimes are so full that one would thinke they would burst through the aire and fall upon the earth but God having set the aire to be a Firmament or expulson between the waters above and the waters below though of it selfe a very liquid thing yet it stands like to a wall of brasse and truly so is it with a Christian spirit though of himselfe he is as liquid as the aire you may easily passe through him and goe an end with him easily he is easie to be intreated very gentle but take him now in any thing wherein God hath bid him keep his stand in his course and there he stands like a wall of brasse that were never such high and great matters put upon him ready to beare him downe he will not shrinke nor give any way at all this is another mixture of affections which are found in Christian men that
joy in them Have you many afflictions in inward or in outward man and no comfort in them It is an uncomfortable signe to you the life of sanctification is not so shed abroad in your hearts that you may gather you have life but if you finde that in the multitude of your thoughts within you Gods comforts delight your soule Psal 94.19 20. In the midst of sorrow you finde some comfort if your life in Christ makes your saddest times joyfull and comfortable to you and so in outward afflictions though afflictions may seeme to be grievous yet waite a while and you shall see the more weight and burthen that lyes upon thee and the more thy afflictions for Christ hath abounded so hath thy consolation abounded much more 2 Cor. 1.6 Againe observe your carriage with men it is good to be patient when you meet with evill doers 2 Tim. 2. last yet notwithstanding not so patiently as to beare with them in every thing that is evil to allow them in any sin no if God give you place and opportunity shew some kinde of zeal to cleanse them from their evils and this may well stand with your patience be patient in things that concerne your selfe but beare not with them that are evil in their evil deeds Againe doe but observe the frame of your spirit in the things that you suffer Are you meeke and gentle and flexible that is a good vertue but how are you in the things of God Are you stiffe and unmoveable there 1 Cor. 15. last that though they may perswade you very farre in any reasonable thing concerning man Note but in things concerning God you will not baite any thing of the peace of your Conscience for any mans pleasure are you unmoveable in such a case both these together doe very well stedfast and yet soone perswaded such an heart as is thus mixed and knowes how to temper and frame his spirit according to God he is a living soule and hath life and Christ the Prince of life Againe thou art a modest Creature and thinkest meanly of thy selfe and art weaned from this world it is a vertue but how is it coupled for God couples every grace with another grace that they may poyse one another as Christ sent out his Disciples by two and two together so all the graces of the Spirit joyne one with another they ballance one another that he may not be too high on the one side nor too low on the other but that all things may be carried according to God and therefore thou art modest it is well but hast thou withall an high and a lofty spirit that if it be heavenly matters thou art to be exercised in they cannot be too high for thee Let a man tell thee of State matters comming before Princes and tell thee of nobility thou art ashamed and knowest not how to set about such things as those be but tell thee of an inheritance in the Kingdome of glory and the making it sure to thee in a way of Gods grace Tell thee of pardon of sinne and of the Spirit of grace and the riches of the precious promises of God and thy heart can looke at these highly then thou art of a magnanimous spirit then is thy modesty in outward things well coupled but he whose spirit is most lofty should be most humble couple them together and they well suit one another when they goe hand in hand righteousnesse and peace goe together modesty and magnanimity humility and courage goe together they make an amiable set of grace where-ever they are so coupled if it be of things concerning thy selfe thou hast not an heart to stand out against any man of place but he may bow thee round about but if they wrong thee so farre as Gods honour is interested in the thing thou canst then stand upon thy lawfull rights and if therein thou be impeached thou canst come off with this thou art not inferiour to the chiefe Apostles and yet art nothing nor art able to doe any thing Againe looke at thy worldly businesse art thou diligent in thy Calling it is well and you say Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently and the work of his Calling is the worke of the Lord. But how stands thy heart affected in the midst of thy businesse Is thy heart dead to the world goe not about it with a worldly heart goe not about it for profit sake but because God sets thee about it And you are more free to the service of God and to doe more good this is the life of sanctification And lastly if God give us hearts so abundant in love that it both thawes our cold and stiffe hearts towards our poore Brethren and also puts a watery temper to coole the wilde-fire of our wrath towards our enemies it is a mighty power of the Spirit of grace to turne it selfe so many wayes for the right ordering and framing of a Christian in the course of his sanctification these be comfortable signes of our life of sanctification SERMON IX 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life NOw we come to speake of such effects of the life of Sanctification Effects of Sanctification signes of spiritual life as shew themselves in the lives of Christians by observing of which in our selves we may know we have Christ and life in him Now these effects are suitable to the effects of naturall life and they are principally five The first is motion 1 Effect motion when a creature is able to move it self unto the duties of its place it is an effect of naturall life when it is able to move it selfe in its place then it is said to live such or such a life if you see a Creature stirres and moves not further then by the help of another then you say it lives not but if it stirre of it selfe then you say it lives Nor is it strait way alive if it move unlesse it be in its place for you see earthly things will move downward if they be upward and light things will move upward but these are out of their places they are rather moved then themselves doe move when they are out of their place and it is not so much from a power of moving but rather an affection to rest then a power to move themselves And further suppose they should move themselves meet it is they should move themselves to such actions as argues as argue this and that life which they expresse suppose a Tree moves it selfe and nourish it selfe and grow and that in its place yet it doth not move it selfe to see nor heare and beasts that doe move themselves to see and heare yet they cannot move themselves to acts of Reason and men that can move to acts of Reason yet cannot move themselves to any spirituall duty and work of grace so that that motion which argues the life
of the soule is a power to move it selfe and in its place unto spirituall duties that is the true nature of the life of sanctification doe you therefore see a creature no further moving it selfe then according to its lightnesse You shall sometimes have men to move themselves out of their levity come to an eminent duty in the pride of their natures Note and will lift themselves up to some duties but this is not out of an inward principle but out of the lightnesse of their spirits desire to be above Lightness of spirit will move them to this and that duty and rather move from hence then from any inward principle of grace and so sometimes creatures out of their heavinesse and basenesse of minde will be doing spirituall duties but as the one doth them to be seen of men and performe the meere letter of the duty and in the pride of his heart not out of any inward affection to such duties so there be others that for profit sake will move themselves basely unto spirituall duties as Christ said of his Hearers they followed him for loaves Joh. 6.26 so that it is one thing to move to such or such a businesse or to be stirring about such duties out of an inward affection to the duty and inclination of heart and love of such a worke and another thing to be carried to such workes out of an inward levity of nature or because by such duties a man may excell others and goe beyond his neighbours and it is one thing to be acting and stirring in spirituall duties out of an inward love to them and another to performe them out of a base respect to the profit and pleasure that may be found in them in outward peace and rest as sometimes the case so stands that if a man doe betake himselfe to spirituall duties he shall perhaps finde the more favour in the eyes of men and to please authority if it take the better side and so from an heavie basenesse of their hearts to such regards they will have respect unto spirituall duties but these doe not move but as heavie things move downward and light things upward a stone will move downward and fire upward Absolom had a marvellous strong affection to be doing 2 Sam. 15.4 he tels them every man should have justice if he was but made King in the Land so all Israel desired after him but Absolom was now out of his place but as soone as ever he got into the place hee desired the first thing he intended was to cut off his Fathers life an act of the greatest rebellion that ever could be done so that men out of their places are apt to be stirring and moving but it is but either from the basenesse or lightnesse of their hearts Note this O that I were but in my Masters place saith a servant I would have duties performed in such time and place and when they come to be in place and might order and command their families then they grow as bad as their Masters and it may be worse but this are we apt to doe when we are out of our places apt to be moving but it s not true life because only that which moves in its place that only lives and yet further A thing may move in its place and yet move from some kind of outward respects as a Watch or a Clock it moves but it is from the weight that lyes and hangs upon it and so it is rather a violent motion then a naturall So is it many times with men the weight of the Law or the weight of the authority of Governours doth so carry them an end in those waies they walke in that they goe through with it and yet it is but from an outward principle from some outward weights that hangs upon them but yet suppose men should be doing in their places as Jehu was he was mighty in his place and was very much against Baal and destroyed the house of Ahab and his children and his friends but yet notwithstanding though this was all in his calling he had a speciall Calling given him of God to that end What required to a spirituall duty but though you should performe duties in your places as a tree though it move in its place upward yet it puts not forth so many a man may doe good duties in his place and yet be wanting in the graciousnesse and spirituality of them Now to make a duty spirituall requires not only that it should be for the better a good worke but that it should be wrought First in sence of our owne insufficiency without Christ and yet so as that by and from Christ we are able to doe it Secondly that we have some respect to the Word of God for our warrant Thirdly that in all we doe we have respect to the glory of God in all our performances I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 The just shall live by his owne faith As if he should say he no further puts forth a worke of spirituall life further then he denies his owne ability so farre hee lives by his faith and depends upon Christ for supply in every duty he goes about whether he pray preach or receive Sacraments or be diligent in his Calling or in his carriage towards any that stand in relation to him so farre as we are sensible of our owne failings and therefore doe depend upon him for strength these are not such as come from common graces Common gifts but doe accompany sanctification to life It is true if men be invested with common gifts they may be acted and moved to many duties in their places and put out very sweet affections to the duty and yet doe it rather out of the power of their owne strength and rather for their owne glory and applause then from any dependance upon Christ so that spirituall life hath the Lord Jesus for its root and the Word for its warrant and for its rule to walke by Psal 119.6 Then shall I never be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandements All such actions will be accpptable to God and serviceable to men and also aime at the glory of God for the end that is their last end and all such other ends as are sub-ordinate unto that the building up of Gods Kingdome Zach. 7.5 6 7. When ye did eate did ye it unto me saith the Lord nay did ye not doe it to your selves Hos 7.14 They have not cryed unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds Did you desire in your prayers to bring in any service to God to tend to his honour and glory And did you debase your owne soules before him that you might finde help from him Or did you not this to your selves or for your owne deliverance and redemption and freedome from such bondage and other miseries that lay upon you so that if God see men goe
the more we have respect to the Word as our daily rule so much the more All our stirrings in our callings is a motion of Spirituall life and argues the life of sanctification shed abroad in our hearts Secondly another action of life is feeding 2 Signe of spirituall life the creature that feeds it selfe is able to live Joh. 6 35. explained Iohn 6.35 Except you eate my Flesh and drinke my Blood you have no life in you He doth not speake of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper there for it was not then instituted but yet it is true of that as wel as of any other Ordinance of God the Body and Blood of Christ fed upon in Word and Sacrament and Christian communion in hearing and reading the Word and if Christ had ordained more Ordinances then he hath yet when he hath had ordained any Spirituall Ordinance the feeding upon Christ in that Ordinance had been an argument of Spirituall life Except yee eate his flesh and drinke his blood yee have no life in you This is an argument of Spirituall life when a man in every duty that he takes in hand and is sensible in them all in some measure though not alwayes easie to be discerned at first but if in every duty of Christianity that you performe and in every Ordinance of God you feed upon Christ then you have life in Christ so that let a man observe it You heare the Word and you receive Sacraments and you partake in Christian company Doe you eate the flesh of Christ there and drinke his blood there If so then it is well when you heare the Word is the Blood of Christ or is the flesh of Christ there or is either of both there to feed upon Or in prayer or in any other duty that you take in hand doe you feed upon Christ in it If you feed upon him there you have life and he that feeds not lives not if a man forbeare his meat he cannot long subsist It is true a man may live for a while and finde no rellish in any thing but in time he must finde relish in them else he cannot be preserved Quest But how shall I know that I doe feed upon Christ in every Ordinance Ans 1. A soule longs after Christ in Ordinance First Whether doe you finde an inward longing desire in your souls after the Lord Jesus Christ in the duties you goe about Doe you come with a desire to finde Christ in his Ordinance hungring and thirsting and not satisfied unlesse you finde Christ that is the nature of hungring and thirsting and so is the case here This desire and thirst is such an unquenchable desire as that without Christ it is by no meanes satisfied doe you therefore finde an inward longing to find and meet with the Lord Jesus in the Word that you read or heare in the Sacraments that you receive and such a longing desire as that if you finde not Christ there you goe away poore and dead and finding your hearts unsatisfied is an evident signe of life for you came to an Ordinance and desired to finde Christ there and there he was not what then Cant. 3.1 2 3. to the bed of the Ordinances the Church goes to seek and to finde Christ by night I sought him that was in a time of calamity that she could plainly discerne she found him not and she sought him in every other Ordinance but found him not or sign of life she hungers and sought out after him but could not finde him and when she missed him was not satisfied If a man come to an Ordinance and find nothing there Note this and yet when he is gone he is satisfied he is well enough that soule hath either no life at all or life in a swound or cold without stirring and motion there is not an hungering desire after him when you can come and goe away unsatisfied and yet be well contented too Secondly feeding hath another worke Strength and sweetnesse in the ordinance the former is but a preparation or supposition of feeding but a man also then feeds when he findes some sweetnesse and rellish in the meat that he eates that doth ever accompany feeding and is a signe that a man doth feed the stomach doth well affect the meat it feeds on have you then found some sweet rellish in the Ordinances the Gospell is a sweet savour to them that are saved 2 Cor. 2.15 16. and as for savour to smell so as a sweet savour to the taste doe you therefore finde some kinde of sweetnesse a spirituall sweetnesse in the Word you heare or read or Sacraments you receive or prayers that you make Are they such a comfort or sweetnesse to you that you finde in this or that promise or commandement or doctrin any word of life Do you finde strength and sweetnesse in it It is an evident signe of life because you finde sweetnesse in it it s a signe of health to rellish a sweetnesse in our meat for a sick man it may be eates and drinkes but he findes no sweetnesse in it and that is a part of his complaint that he cannot relish his meat and it is true it may be a man that hath some life in him feels no relish no savour in any Ordinance but then he sees he is sicke and he complaines of it to God but yet notwithstanding if a man doe finde sweetnesse and relish there it is an evident argument not of life only but of health and such as will maintaine spiritual life but if a man find no sweetnesse in it he cannot live for were there life it would finde sweetnesse Thirdly 3. Particular applying of the Word in all feeding there is a taking of the meate downe and not spitting it out but we receive it downe and there it lyes in our stomachs and we chew upon it and there it rests but if we cast it up againe then we feed not it is an ill signe when we cast it away as soone as we receive it If Gods Word abide with us and in us that we doe not reject it but hide it in our hearts that so we might not sinne against God Psal 119.11 and receive it by a wise applying of it to our owne soules receive it into the inward man and apply our selves to every duty commanded us so farre as concernes our callings and our estates and takes notice of every threatning that we had need looke to it so farre as we might sinne against God if we thus take the Word of God downe into our hearts and make it our owne case and therefore keepe it within our selves and give up our selves in some measure to be bowed by it and hide it in our hearts and lets it sit next our hearts then truly we doe feed upon it and it secretly conveyes strength into us though sometimes we lesse discerne it Fourthly 4. Conformity to the Word in everything all
growing as a theefe in a candle wasts it but if there be a theefe in the heart a lurking lust in the soule a living soule is not well till it be removed by some good means or other that so it may recover it selfe It is sometimes the case of a Christian as David speakes Psal 39. ult Oh spare a little that I may recover any strength so a Christian man if he find himselfe in a decay that he is dead and heartlesse in every spirituall performance oh then spare a little that I may recover my strength Now hee is afraid to dye in such a case but hee would now have some time that he may recover his first love and his first fruits and that his faith might not vanish away in ashes and smoak if he see that his spirit decayes he considers then whence he is fallen Rev. 2.4.5 and repents and doth his first workes This is the nature of repentance it purges out Repentance the best purge it purges out the noysome humours that brought the body into languish and decay Repentance is the cheifest purge and so then wee doe our first workes and attain to our first love and grow more at the last then at the first Rev. 2.19 and therefore this is to be considered of a Christian man is a growing man if not always in the bulke which is easie to bee discerned as to grow in strength and rootednesse c. yet surely he growes to more sweetnesse of spirit An Apple is sometimes grown to full growth upon a tree yet grows not sweet till a good time after but in time it will So a Christian though it may be he shall never get more knowledg then he hath or more ability but though the case so stand Simile that you are like to grow no further yet you may grow to more sweetnesse and mellownesse to more love to your brethren and be more ready to deny your selves of that arrogancy of spirit and pride he is now addicted to And so a Christian growes in sweetnesse and growes in rootednesse of spirit and sees his more want of Christ and gets faster hold on Christ And though he cannot grow more tall in his outward expression nor more painful yet in these two no Christian that growes but if he be living ahd healthful he growes in firmenesse and rootednesse in Christ and in great dependance upon him from day to day in his wayes And he growes in more sweetnesse aymes more at Gods glory and is more in love to his brethren and more denys himselfe in his own matters And if he grow not here he is either no living Christian in truth or no healthfull Christian and if a man see this and not bewaile his not growing in these he hath no life at all in him a man that growes harsh and unsavoury and doth not take a course to repent of it it s a thousand to one there is no life at all in him but if a man grow though but in amiablenesse and selfe-denial and more firmly in Christ and more assured of Gods grace and mercy and more depend upon Christ for what he doth and can do nothing without Christ and he knowes it by experience that unlesse a man so grow there is no life in him Fourthly 4. Effect of the life of Sanctification another effect of the life of sanctification is this life is such a thing as hath an expulsive power to expell and drive out of the body that which is noysome and hurtfull to it and will cast and sweat it out Nature cannot endure to be clogged with superfluity out it must one way or other Nature will ease it selfe it cannot long subsist paine and sicknesse is grievous and painfull to Nature if any thing trouble the stomach or the body out it must by vomit or purge it cannot stay if the man be living so if grace be but living in the soule there is an expulsive power in the soule that will purge away that which is contrary to it it cannot endure superfluity but away it must goe there it cannot stay nothing will he keep but that which is convenient for him A Christian looke whatsoever it be that a Christian findes superfluous and findes contrary to the life of Christ in his soule either too much or contrary to his spirit that he abandons it more or lesse by degrees measure after measure and time after time so the Apostle exhorts Jam. 1.21 Lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse c. If there be any thing which is superfluous or filthy away with it let it not rest there and if it be for no good purpose let it have no rest in thee There is many parts of knowledge that is not contrary to the life of sanctification but are more then we shall have use of in our callings and though they may be such things as others may make use of yet they are superfluous when they are of no use to us in our callings then put them away unlesse they be of use either for necessity or expediency then nature will cast them away especially if they be naughty things they are more then superfluous then they are noysome and hurtfull and therefore a Christian man principally casts away that which is noysome and corrupt both doubting and presumption is contrary to the life of faith and therefore must be cast out cast out all feares and all selfe confidence Perfect love casteth out feare 1 Joh. 4.18 Faith strives against feare and love strives against malice and patience strives against frowardnesse modesty against pride and so every of God wonder to see how it will by the degrees either sweat them out or else set themselves by some serious duties of humiliation and so cleanse themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 that he may grow to perfect holinesse in the feare of God He is weary of it and that life of grace casts out all the life of sinne he lookes at the life of this world as something in it that is good yet so much of the world as he sees he cannot well manage but with cumberance to the Spirit of grace he layes it aside and meddles not with it he studies no more then to use in a practicall life he would live as David in Sauls Armour when he sees it troubles him he layes it aside So shall you finde it with a Christian these things are unprofitable for him keepe them out of your soules least they prove a snare to you and whatever is superfluity cast it out and whatever distracts you and clogs you with cares out with it whatever is a burden to the life of grace cast out all such things Fifthly 5 Signe life propagates its like The last act of the life of sanctification is the begetting of the like and propagating according to their kinde it is the nature both of Spirituall and Naturall life it propagates its kinde
lye till they be dead in trespasses and sins But above all things have fervent love among your selves forsake not the fellowship you have one with another as the manner of some is Heb. 10.25 26. Love covereth a multitude of sins So as that though there was much evill in Christians before yet their very lying together doth burn out all that superfluity of naughty stuffe that hangs about the servants of God 1 Pet. 1.22 see that ye love one another with a pure heart and fervency of spirit This warmth in Christians it is found in these foure things And thus you see the properties of this life Quest You say but if this were always found in Christian men how comes it to passe then that the servants of God do many times finde their hearts so cold in their prayers and appetite so little to the word and so unprofitable under it How should a man heare so much and profit so little if a man aid digest the word and is it not a common complaint of Christians how much they hear and how little they profit Yea and will not some Christians say he profits nothing at all no not any thing And is it so many times that Christians come together and they are little edification one to another very little profit sit together and talke of matters that little edifie but rather corrupt the spirits one of another how is it then that you say where ever there is life there is heat so such as makes them more lively in Christian duties And it might be objected that Luke 24.32 Did not our hearts burn within us c. A sign that till he came to them and came into conference with them and did rub them up they were very cold hearted and dull spirited and went on their way with much darknesse of soule without life and strength of soule until he came to put life into their spirits Answ It is true many times Gods servants are very cold and benumbed and a cold spirit growes upon them exceedingly so as that they scarce feele any life breathing in their knowledge or prayers or appetites to the Word or love to their Brethren little warmth in any of these partly through want of supplying the life of Gods grace with fit nourishment whereby the heart should grow warme As naturall fire if it be not supplyed with new fewell it will goe out and partly sometimes by pouring cold water upon it which is as much as in us lyes to dampe the fire And we doe power cold water upon this life of grace when we admit of any sinfull lusts in our soules those do marvellously eate out all that life and heate of spirit that sometimes we had in our hearts and sometimes by an excessive use of worldly things which without a very spiritual mind doth clog the soule as much as if you should throw cold water upon a fire it will damp it very much so is this case men sometimes walke in worldly businesses with worldly affections and sometimes give leave to distempered lusts and sometimes neglect to put any fewell to the fire of grace but as soone as ever they find the heart well warmed with some good Sermon or a good Prayer or Conference or the like they thinke this fire wil never goe out and so they begin to neglect it and so either the fire goes quit out or else is so damped as that you can discerne no life no savour or power of Religion there And therefore such a thing may befall Gods servants they may grow dul hearted one way or other as you have heard But yet thus much let me say though this sometimes do befal the spirits of Gods people yet even then when they want burning and chafeing and stirring up there is something in them that argues some life and where is some life there is some heat so much life as there is so much heat is there so much as you take away of your Christian heat so much life you take away And therefore for these two Disciples that went to Emaius It is said when they were talking one with another they were talking of Jesus Christ and upon all the things that befell him in his passion And said Christ to them ver 17. What manner of communication is this and what is the matter that you are thus sad what was it that made them sad was it not an affection of griefe for all the evills done to their Saviour that was life of grace and some heate there was in them that their spirits should be so troubled to see their Elders and Princes and all the people to cry out so bitterly against the Lord Jesus Christ and not to leave him till they had crucified him there was some sad expression came from them upon that occasion And so though it left the outward man sad yet there was something in the heart though full of doubting through unbeleife what this Christ was and what this would come to we hoped this was he that should redeem Israel c. then Christ began to put a little warmth into them by saying ought not Christ to suffer these things v. 24 25. and so he opens to them the Scriptures spoken of himselfe and these words put new life into them and did blow up the spirit and heat of that decaying life which was overwhelmed with griefe and care their hearts was heated yet So that take you a Christian man when he is even in the most disordered framelook how much he hath lost of his spiritual heat so much of his true life if he have left to be warm so much life hath he lost and if his warmth be smoothered his life is smoothered for the present And even as life will shew it selfe in the very sad face of the heart and dejection of spirit that they fall into and sometimes in the deepe sighs and groans of the heart which in such a case it sometimes will breake forth into So a Christian soule when his heate is most damped there is a sad face in his spirit that he discerns all is not well with him his spirit is benumbed his heart in his own thoughts is frozen within him It is a burden to him and a matter of sadnesse to his spirit and therefore hee doth expresse himselfe sometimes with many sad and deep sighs and groanes about his forlorne and lost estate and yet sometimes you shall have his heart even then when his heart is most cold which is worse then the former for you shall sometimes have a Christian soule not onely not affected with sadnesse 〈◊〉 this when his life is smothered within him but vanish away in much empty carnall delights and contentments and rejoycing in those comforts which have no life at all in them A Christian man that hath his life so deaded may come not onely to have nothing left but sadnesse of heart to behold it but hee may loose his sadnesse too and even
aboundance There are two properties more of life Where there is any life there is some kind of plyablenesse Pliablenes of spirit whereas dead carcasses are cold and stiffe and unsavoury though never so sweet before this is a certain truth the more you keep a dead corps above ground the more it stinkes and is unsavoury It shoots out at length and you may sooner breake him then bend him any way but while he is alive you may bend him which way you will now therefore consider thus much if there be any truth of grace in you you are gentle and easie to be intreated Jam. 3.17 but if not Jam. 3.17 expounded then you are of a stiffe spirit inflexible and implacable for to be gentle and easie is the true nature of life but if not then have you lost your life then either you never had life or else it is a swound and so evapoured that there is no bending or bowing of it but they are fit to be buryed as a dead carcasse Quest What is this plyablenesse and easinesse to be entreated and on the contrary this stiffenesse Answ There is Foure things in easinesse to bee intreated First Easie to be pleased 1 Pet. 3.18 any thing that you doe about them is pleasing to them that is poynt of gentlenesse and a gracious man in whom is the life and power of godlinesse he is easie to be pleased If you go about any thing with any tollerable indeavour to give him content he is not hard to be pleased and if not easie to please there is little grace or dangerous to be none at all if you have much a do to bow or bend them to comply with them that asketh and thing of them there is a dead heart in such a spirit Secondly A man that is easie to be intreated and gentle if he be offended he is easie to be intreated Rom. 1.31 It is a signe a man is of a reprobate sence when hee is implacable and stiffe when life is gone a man is stiffe not easie to be intreated Thirdly If so be that hee have offended another man he is easie to yeeld and to acknowledge that he is in a wrong Eccles 10.4 There is in a living Christian an aptnesse to yeeld when he is in a wrong If a man be in a wrong and will not see his errour will not see the evil hee hath done in Gods sight his stiffenesse is a signe of his dead-heartednesse So much stiffenesse here so much deadnesse in his heart and so much nearnesse to the chambers of death For a living Christian if he have offended he is willing to yeeld and will acknowledge himselfe a failer and promise amendment Fourthly He is willing to deny himselfe of his owne right even upon equall easie termes to prevent an offence that may grow and he stands upon equall termes least an offence should arise he yeelds and denies himselfe 1 Thes 2.6 7. So Abraham yeelded to Lot though he had not offended him yet hee condiscended to his inferiour and if any Lot shal be the chooser Gen. 13.8 This gentlenesse of spirit argues life of Christ in the holy servants of God Abraham was not stiffe but gentle and easie to be pleased when he was offended Now therefore art thou easie to be pleased easily intreated to passe by a wrong And if thou hast offended another thou wilt acknowledge it and art easily willing to deny thy selfe to prevent offence then thou art not stiffe but art living Christian but if men be stiffe in spirit hard to be pleased and froward no man can give him content as Naballs servants said of him And of we have offended hard to be intreated and will by no meanes see it or acknowledge it and by no meanes yeeld but turne our selves to endlesse devices and if we stand upon our owne ends and wee will have our owne to the utmost farthing and why should we bend then truly we are cold and little power and life breathing in us The last property of life is this So much sweetness so much life The body while it is alive is sweet and savoury but so soon as ever it begins to smell it must be buryed it cannot be kept above ground every living Christian is a sweet savour to God a Cor. 2.13 and Col. 4.4 5 6. Let your speech be savoury seasoned as with salt And the Apostle saith let no unsavoury or corrupt communication proceed out of your mouthes How then doe you finde your owne spirits doe you breath savoury and sweet and doth your conference yeeld edification and is it all wel-pleasing to God what ever you doe doth it savour wel in the nostrils of God and your brethren If the dutys you perform be so it is signe you are living in Gods sight But if your speeches be prophane conference unsavoury and carnal so much as we loose our sweetnesse so much we loose our life when a Christian carries himselfe serviceably and amiably then we live and in having life we have Christ SERMON XI 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life HAving handled an Use of Tryal of life and this depends upon our having of Christ We come now to another Use from this Doctrine Vse 2 It is to teach us the dangerous and uncomfortable estate of every such soule as hath not Christ for the Text saith he that hath not the Sonne hath not life No life in us if there bee no Christ in us Danger of being out of Christ this is that which Apostle speaks often to that we are dead in trespasses and in sins Eph. 2.1 5. This is the of estate of them all so farre as we are without Christ we are without life no Christ no life It is with the sons of men in this kinde that I may so speake as it was with the Souldiers 2 Kings 19.35 they were all dead corps truly that is the case of us all by nature every soule of us as long as we live in the world without Christ so many men so many dead corps so many unsavoury carcasses And indeede all that worke of life which you have heard opened it is no spiritual motion no feeding upon Christ no growing in grace no expelling of noysome lusts no care nor indeavour to beget others to an estate of grace in any men that are dead no motion at all to any spiritual good Heb. 9.14 al our works the best works we doe in an estate of nature they are all of them but dead workes And so are we to any spiritual motion As the Apostle tels you we none of us doe good and which is worse wee can doe no good yea and stil which is worse wee would doe no good if we could this is the estate of us all by nature The Lord looked downe from heaven to see if any of them did good but they are altogether become unprofitable not one doth