ascended that he might raise us O then let us likewise ascend after him setting our affections upon things which are above not upon things which are below Christ who is our treasure is ascended Let our hearts also be where our treasure is Col. 3. ver 1. If then ye be risen with Christ seeke those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God 7. Lastly Will he yet once againe come and raise you by glorification O then Let Christ in you be the hopes of glory Looke for him he is making ready his chariot He is bowing the Heavens and comming downe He hath prepared a place for his redeemed ones and he is comming Loe he is comming to take them up into the chambers of glory that where he is there they may be also But to summe up all let me only adde 5. A fifth and last use of Consolation To all the Saints and servants of God both touching themselves and touching others 1. Touching themselves against their worldly miseries and spirit-feares 1. Art thou disconsolate Compl. Christian to thinke what a poore low estate God hath given thee in this world that thou art poore despised rejected O consider thou shalt have better in heaven The Martyrs could be comforted at their bitter breakfast to thinke they should have a good supper There is a roome prepared for thee in glory O be comforted in the hopes of glory When thou canst say I have not bread to eat yet Christ is mine I have not a foot of land yet Heaven is mine I am worth nothing yet I blesse God I have a portion in Jesus Christ It is enough Christian it is enough against thy spirit-fears be comforted Ah saith 2. Compl. a Christian my sins my great sins that my youth hath been guilty of make me feare and sit downe in bitternesse yet be comforted if thou beest changed Christ hath raised thee hee paid ransome enough for thee if thy sinnes were greater than they are It was a sad saying to remember such were some of you but it was joyfull newes to consider But now you are washed now you are cleansed c. But alas saith the 3. Compl. Christian I sinne every day my backslidings are many I sinne in my righteousnesse my best duties are sinne Consider Christian Christ is still raising thee by pleading for thee it is his work to make intercession for the Saints But alas saith the Christian If God be 4. Compl. with me if Christ be mine why am I thus why doe I walke heavily I answer Because God sees it fit for thee thou mayst be raised both meritoriously and actually though not comfortably and sensibly God will shine upon thee when he thinks good the Sun shines where it lists Ah But I feare 5. Compl. I shall fall away saith another I have a base heart full of corruption c. Dost thou feare and why dost thou so sinne Dost thou thinke Christ hath taken all this paines with thee for nothing No no be assured as Heaven is purchased for thee so it shall be given to thee Christ useth not to doe his worke by the halves I have not lost one of them saith Christ he knowes them by name they cannot be missing his worke shall not be in vaine concerning any one of his chosen ones Secondly Let Christians from hence be comforted concerning others 1. Such of their friends as they may sadly feare have as yet no portion in the Lord Jesus Christ O pray for them weep for them speake to them in the name of the Lord and yet hope that though they be not actually raised yet they may be meritoriously raised There is many a one that hath a white name in Gods Election-booke and whose name Christ hath engraven upon his hands that to us is yet a black child of wrath a stranger to the Covenant of Grace If their names be there Christ will in his owne time raise him betwixt this and the Judgment day there is a spare roome in Heaven for them 2. Art thou disconsolate to see some of thy friends in great terrors in great afflictions of spirit O rejoyce over them Christian it is probable Christ is raising of them Be assured if they be his he will raise them there is not the lowest worme that belongs to Christ but he hath provided an high place for them Not the most blubber'd-eyed uncomely Christian in thine eyes in the world but Jesus Christ hath provided an handkerchiefe to wipe all teares from their eyes Christ hath raised them and will raise them One Branch of my use of Instruction I forgate in its due place take it now in a word We may hence be instructed and let us learne how much Christ deserves our cleaving to him in the wildernesse in all trials and crosses whatsoever I take this to be the proper use of this Text. The Spouse had fancied to her selfe what the world would say of her how they would admire her dependance upon Christ when he seemed to leave her and make her sad Christ replyes in the words of the Text I raised thee up under the Apple-tree c. As much as to say And doe I not deserve all this love and a great deale more Is it for nothing that thou thus cleavest to me Remember what thou wert by Nature Remember who hath done all the good for thee that is done for thy soule I raised thee up under the Apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee THE SPOVSES Carriage In the Wildernesse in her leaning upon her Welbeloved Opening the temper of the Beleeving-soule in her severall Wildernesses And discovering the way of her comming out by her acting of Faith on the Lord JESVS CHRIST In a Sermon formerly preacht in Andrewes Parish in Norwich Now reprinted being corrected by the Author By JOHN COLLINGS M. A. Isa 50. 10. Who is amongst you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darknes and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God LONDON Printed for Rich Tomlins 1649. TO The Right Honorable his never enough Honoured Lady FRANCES HOBART Increase of Grace c. Madam SOme time since I presumed to present this Sermon to your Honours hands your Ladiships acceptance then hath emboldened mee now to present it againe with some though very small alterations It presents your Ladiship with a great piece of your Honours duty and practise Faith Madam is almost the Christians All the Life of Faith is distinctively the Christians life and if ever there were a time for a Christian to live this life surely this time in which the Lord hath cast our lot is the time The whole Church of Christ is this day in the Wildernesse the Israelites way to Canaan lay that way And for my part I look still that the Church should keep the beaten path and as all
had Zimri peace that slew his master is damning a soule the way to save it A third sort dispute themselves out of troubles come out of disquietments of spirit upon morall principles these will argue the case with themselves what a shame it is that they should be ◠so much troubled for a lost friend or for a crosse in a worldly estate and conclude this is below a man or below their spirits the peace of these men is but a logicall conclusion upon false premises All these have not known the way of true peace no Christians no the way of peace they have not knowne True peace neither growes in the alehouse garden nor in natures garden no nor yet in the Philosophers neither It is a branch that springs out of the root of Jessee a conclusion upon gospell-premises an effect of the balme Gilead Are you under any burthens of spirit in any troubles and would you have peace runne up to Jesus Christ fetch it from his bosome extract it out of his bloud gather it out of his word This this is the peace which passeth all understanding this is the lasting peace that hath no worme at the root no defect no rottennesse in it All other peace will be as easily broke as it is slightly made Come out of your crosses and troubles Christians with a peace drawn from Jesus Christ come out this way I say otherwise you mistake the way of peace But I shall proceed no further in this first branch of application Us 2 Secondly Is this a truth that whatsoever trouble a Saint meets with in the world yet in Christ hee may have peace what means this weeping then Christians why doth Rachel refuse to be comforted why doth Asaph or Davids soule runne and not cease why doth their soule refuse comfort what is the businesse with Christians that their spirits are heavy night and day and no oyle will make their face to shine All the balme of Gilead will not close their wounds if the Lord doth but lay an outward crosse upon them if he doth but take away a friend call in the money hee lent them crosse them in a relation let their spirits but fall a little how are they troubled as if their fountaine of Peace were dried up and justification and Gospell-promises had lost the Nature of a Cordiall Christians doe not your sad disquieted troubled spirits deserve chiding when Christ hath taken such paines that in him you might have peace and yet you walke under a crosse as if there were no way of peace discovered For shame Christians know your duty are you troubled you are by your trouble invited to Christ that you might find peace shew for shame shew that your condition is different from those that have not tasted how good the Lord is that know not how to improve Christ in a day of adversity and Use 3 Thirdly you that are Christs Disciples bee of good cheare It is Christ's owne application 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Get heart be of good cheare though in the world you meet with troubles if you walk long with troubled spirits it is your owne fault for in Christ you may have peace who will pity your starving when you refuse your meat you may have peace if you will take it Lift up your heads therefore in the midst of your worldly troubles Be of good cheare Christ hath overcome the world Disquieting your selfe is not your duty believing is your duty and will ease you when that will but adde vexation unto your spirit Are you under burthens of spirit doe worldly crosses trouble you what then these should drive you to Christ but not into the cave go and pray believe c. But what doest thou doe in the cave Eliah Runne to Christ as fast as thou wilt but why sittest thou still to weep bee of good comfort there is no trouble upon thy spirit bee it what it will But Christ hath spoken some word or other done some action or other from whence thou mayest extract peace in that trouble Ah but will a poore Christian say this is spoken to Christ's Disciples to them indeed Christ speaks in mee you shall have peace but I am afraid I am none of that number and then what have I to doe with peace How may I know whether I bee Christs disciple yea or no and secondly I am afraid if I should make up peace that it would not bee Christs peace To speak a litttle to these two things Let me in the fourth place insist a little upon an use of examination Use 4 How then doth it stand you in hand Christians to examine your hearts concerning these two great things 1. whether you bee Christ's Disciples or no 2. Whether the peace of your spirits with which you content your selves and in which you satsfie your selves after trouble sometimes be a peace of Christs making or of your owne making and so false and uncomfortable I shall speak shortly to both these c. 1. Would you know whether you bee Christ's Disciples yea or no I will give you notes from his owne mouth to informe you in that point 1. Did your soules ever effectually heare and imbrace the word of Jesus Christ this is one note Joh. 10. 27. My sheep heare my voice you have heard with your eares but have you had eares to heare have you heard with a poore and contrite spirit so that you have trembled at it Is 66. 2. Hath the Lord bored your eares with the word Hath the word of Christ beene transmitted as from the preachers mouth to your eare so from your eare to your soules you have heard the Ministers voice but have you heard Christ's voice to your soules in an ordinance that the word came not onely to you in the letter but in power and in the spirit of God This is one signe but not enough Many are called 2. Doe you continue in the word of Christ this is a notable marke marke that place Joh. 8. 31. If you continue in my word then are you my Disciples indeed not in name not in profession not in the account of men onely no but indeed Disciples to purpose can your soules say that you have made the word of God a light unto your feet and a la◠horne to your pathes that you have set the law of the Lord ever before you that as you have learned Christ so you walk in him you fall not back but continue in the word of Christ then are you Disciples indeed 3. If you beare much fruit then are you Christ's Disciples Joh. 15. 8. Herein is my father glorified that you beare much fruit so shall you be my Disciples Doe you bring forth much fruit of holinesse unto God and righteousnesse before men thus you glorifie the father thus you shall evidence your selves to be Christ's disciples by growing in Grace and thriving in Godlinesse 4. If you be humble selfe-denying selfe-hating meek creatures This is a signe that
thee 2. Thee that wert as low as others Adam left thee as deep in hell as any reprobate there Loe here the infinitenesse of free grace Two were in the same house yea grinding at the same mill of iniquity and thou art taken and the other is left possibly thou wert in thy wildest youth seeming to ride faster to hell than the other were that were thy brethren friends and acquaintance yet the Lord hath raised thee and let the others lye wallowing in their bloud he hath not said to them live 3. Thee that wert his Enemy Was ever dying love yea love in dying extended to an enemy before You have heard of two stories one of a Grecian the other of a Roman paire Theseus and Perithous Pilades and Orestes that would have dyed for their friends each for another but hath any offered to dye for his Enemy Moses would offer to have his name blotted out for his people that were Gods people and which he loved but would Moses have done it for a Philistine yet this hath Christ done O love ye the Lord all his Saints 4. Thee that never askt it He was found of them that sought it not Alas mankind lay as well without a tongue to aske as an hand to help themselves and behold Christ pitied them and amongst them thee his love declared from Eternity towards thee had not so much cause in thee as a poore prayer would have amounted to he was not moved by thy sighs and teares but by his owne infinite love 5. Lastly thee that hast still Rebellion in thee Christ said within himselfe when he dyed upon the Crosse Now is my heart-bloud powred out for as vile wretches as any are and for those that I know will requite my bleeding wounds my dying love with new speares and thornes thus he knew that thou wouldst doe in the time of thy unregeneracie yea and after thou shouldst be called too Who lives and sinnes not Now Christian lay these things to thy heart meditate of study out this love and see if thou hast not cause to say My soule and all that is within me my tongue and all that is without me praise the Lord. But O remember Christian Remember Burnt offering and sacrifice he doth not require but this he requires that thou shouldst doe his will O say Loe I come I am ready to do it But more particularly let me point thee out some particular duties that the Lord requires of thee in a poor answer to his rich Acts of eternall love First hath not he thought his glory too deare to lay aside for a while for thee nor his Word and Truth too dear to pawne for thee nor his bloud too deare to spill for thee hath he valued nothing in comparison of thee O doe thou value nothing in an equall ballance with him be willing to deny thy selfe for him who in every thing hath denyed himselfe for thee Thy Lusts cannot be so pleasing to thee as Christs glory was to him Be content to leave them Thy Honour cannot be so great as his was which he left for thee and became ignoble in our eyes Surely when wee saw him we esteemed him despised smitten of God and afflicted Isa 53. 4. But it was when hee was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities when the chastisement of our peace was upon him and that by his stripes we might be healed Thy Riches cannot be greater than his yet remember him O remember the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who though he was rich yet for your sake became poore that you through his Povertie might be made rich 2 Cor. 7. Thy life cannot be more deare than his yet he valued not his life for thee but powred out his bloud his precious bloud upon the Crosse that through his bloud thou mightest have remission purchased Learne hence Christian a lesson of self-deniall Be content to suffer for him who was content to suffer that he might raise thee value nothing in comparison of him This Lesson had Saint Paul learned Phil. 3. v. 7 8. What things were gaine to me I counted losse for Christ yea doubtlesse and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may win Christ c. ver 10. That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death Looke upon nothing in an equall ballance with him 1 Cor. 2. 2. I determined not to know any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified Secondly hath Christ entred into a Covenant and given his word to his Father and kept his word with his Father for you O then learne of him Vow your selves to him and keep the vowes of your lips Say with David Psal 116. ver 16. Ah Lord truly we are thy servants we are thy servants and the sons of thy handmaids for thou hast loosed our bonds Say with David Psal 40. Mine eares hast thou opened and bored them Say Ah Lord we come to doe thy will Christ kept his word with his Father for you Ah keep your word with him pay him the vowes which you have made Thirdly Hath Christ to raise you taken upon him your flesh O then Take ye upon your selves his spirit He hath become for you the childe of man doe you become for him the children of God Be made partakers of the divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. Your Nature was full of imperfection and weaknesse the divine Nature is full of perfection and glory He hath raised you be raised put off your filthy rags and put on change of Raiment Fourthly Hath Christ died that he might raise you from the death of Sinne and from the power of the Second death O then dye to sinne Col. 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatry for which things c. The Apostle Saint Paul presseth the great duty of mortification from this very principle Likewise reckon yee also your selves to be dead to sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 11. and so on ver 12 13. Let not sinne therefore reigne in your mortall bodies c. Ah throw away the nailes that pierced your Christ Fifthly Did Christ rise from the dead that he might raise you from the death of sinne O then rise to newnesse of life The Apostle Saint Paul presseth this worke of Vivification also from Christs Resurrection Rom. 6. ver 4. We are buried with him by Baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father euen so we also should walke in newnesse of life and so all along that Chapter Sixthly Hath he
I Have delightfully read over this following Treatise intituled Five Lessons for a Christian to learne being the summe of five Sermons and finding them to be sound solid zealous pious powerfull and very profitably seasonable I judge them well worthy to be printed and published John Downame FIVE LESSONS FOR A Christian to learne OR The summe of severall Sermons Setting out 1. The state of the Elect by Nature 2. The way of their Restauration and Redemption by Jesus Christ 3. The great duty of the Saints to leane upon Christ by faith in every condition 4. The Saints duty of Self-denyall or the way to desirable Beauty 5. The Right way to true peace discovering where the troubled Christian may find Peace and the Nature of true Peace By John Collings M. A. And Preacher of Gods word in Norwich London Printed for Rich Tomlins and are to be sold at his house at thâ— Sun and Bible in Pye-corner 1650. THE SPOUSE UNDER The APPLE-TREE OR The state of the Elect by Nature Wherein is discovered The distance that the highest Saints by grace stand at by Nature from the Lord Iesus Christ by which they may know they have nothing to boast of but what they have received By JOHN COLLINGS M. A. Psa 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me LONDON Printed for Rich Tomlins 1649. TO THE Right HONOURABLE the LADY St John Grace Mercy and Peace Madam THe deep sense that I have had of those Engagements by which it hath pleased your Honour to oblige me to your service hath imboldned me to command these Papers to wait upon your Ladiship to pay a debt by incurring â— further one if your Ladiship shall please to honour them with Acceptation These Sermons Madam were but ordinary labours and very unfit for a publicke view in this extraordinary time It was only a Sermon before published upon the Text that tempted out these to beare it companie yet did I not part with them without some parly The world is full of Writers and the Presse as much overgrowne with Authors as the Age we live in is with Professors But as the appearing spiritualnesse of many carries with it too much suspition that they would have the spiritualnesse of a Christian meerly to consist with a luxuriant wit and the superbiency of fancy so too many Writings seeme to have forgot the plainnesse of the Gospell which they so much pretend to and would make it the worke of a Christian meerly to gape for Notions and turne Religion into speculation To be able to speake high Notions of Christ and to wrap up the mysteries of truth in Parables of wit and expression is almost growne to be thought the All of a Saint And we may sadly feare lest wee should be about to study more to admire Christ than understand him more to contemplate Saints dignity than remember the Saints duty lest we should make it all our worke as Kings and Priests to be so taken with our Honour that we should forget that we are thus of Grace Humilitie is the Saint in Great If any one thinks he knowes any thing he knowes nothing as he ought to know it The high spirit is infinitely more below Christ than he thinks himselfe above others Lest in these priviledged daies whiles so many are proclaiming before the Saints Thus shall it be done to the persons whom Christ delighteth to honour Christians should so farre admire their beautie that they should forget their dust I have been content to let these unpolished Sermons goe out to follow their Triumphs with Christiane memento quid fueris Christian remember what thou wer't It is as much a duty and will one day be found as Beneficiall to keep a Saint humble as to make him thankfull to learne him to abase himselfe as well as to admire his fellowes to shew him that all he hath is of Grace as well as to tell him what he hath in the possessions of grace and the Reversions of glory I wish professors carriages spake not too much heart-Popery as if they thought their dignity were earnings not Almes and I am sure no soule is truely thankfull that is not throughly humble This for the subject of the Sermons For the phrase Madam I remember it was Pauls glory that he came not 1 Cor. 2. 1 2 4. to the Corinthians with excellency of speech or wisdome to declare unto them the testimony of God And his speech and preaching was not in entising words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the spirit and in power Gospell Misteries had not need be darkened with a misterious phrase It doth not please me to see Religion in a Lantskip Christ crucified was plaine English Seneca-Sermons are for the most part but like the superfluous dishes of the table that serve meerly for sight but must not be tasted Preaching surely was never ordained to tickle the eare it 's businesse lies deeper then scratching an humour Wit is the soules worst carver and pieces of wit are no better than peices of selfe Christ never intended us an interpreter for every Sermon Madam as they were preached so they are humbly presented to your Honours hands I know your Ladiships humility to bee such that it will spare an eye to look upon them though not commended by any novelty of matter or excellency of Phrase I trust thus far the meannesse of their worth will advantage the worthlesse author viz. By letting your Honour know how much that weak nothing of a preacher stands in need of an improved interest in your Ladiships prayers who so much as he is truly is Madam Your Honours most humbly obliged servant in the Lord Jesus John Collings Chaplyfield house May 21. 1649. To the Courteous and Conscientious Reader of these SERMONS Reader SOme two yeares since some friends prevailed with me to let the last of these Sermons slip out of my hands into thine What was done then was in hast which hath put me to the charge of correcting some slighty mistakes Thy courtesie to the first hath troubled thee with the second impression in which thou art againer and a loser Thou hast lost the Sermon that was then its partner the narrow handling of the subject of it not pleasing my second thoughts but thou hast gained a further addition of some more Sermons since preached upon the same Text. I have made thee a gainer in thy hand and eye the Lord make thee a gainer in thy heart If thou pleasest to read these Sermons The first part may make thee humble The second may make thee thankfull The third may make the carefull If thou learnest humility from the first thankfulnesse from the second and thy great duty of beleeving from the third I am sure thou wilt learne from all the weak nesse of a poore creature and if thy selfe beest in ought a gainer if thou wilt let the author also be a gainer of thy prayers thou hast rewarded
whom he justified them he also glorified under Predestination is included Redemption and Sanctification under Justification Now therfore a little to open this mysterie of our Redemption in the Application of it to the soules of them that shall be saved You have seen how there came to be Balme in Gilead and that there is a fulnesse and sufficiency in Christ Now what doth the poore Elect one want that it hath lost in Adam I conceive three things 1. Life 2. Strength 3. Light 1. Life It is a damned Creature in Adam it wants a way of salvation a pardon for its sinnes a righteousnesse to appeare in the sight of God 2. Adam hath left it a weak creature not able to do any thing that is good no not so much as to think a good thought it wants a strength to Act in so as to please God 3. Adam hath left it a comfortlesse creature without any light of Gods countenance shining upon it Now all these are purchased The first of them is necessary to give the first being to a Saint The second is necessary to preserve the Christians being The third ad bene esse for the comfortable being of all Christ is all to the Childe of of God Psalme 27. verse 1. But how doth Christ apply these to the soules of his redeemed ones 1. Saith the Apostle He calls them We say that in effectuall calling which is when God joynes the irresistable power of his Spirit with the outward preaching of the Word God doth these three things 1. Convince the soule of his elect vessell that is a child of wrath by Nature as well as others Ephes 2. 3. what a condition it is in by reason of its Originall and its Actuall sinnes 2. Humble the soule for its sinnes and discover unto the soule the insufficiency of all its owne righteousnesse that it is undone in its sinnes and undone in its righteousnesse and thirdly hee sayes to the soule Yet there is hope looke up to me and live I am as the brazen Serpent onely looke up and thou shalt live And that the soule may be able to look up with a true eye Christ gives faith to the soule to behold him come unto him and to receive him by a true resting and relying upon his Merits for salvation 2. And having thus Called the soule he then justifies it He hath in his Decree justified it from eternity hee hathmeritoriously justified it by his Death upon the Crosse but now hee doth actually and formally justifie it 1. By pardoning its sinnes and acquitting the soule from the obligation it till now lay under to death and forgetting the injury done to himselfe by any of its sinnes 2. By imputing the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ to the soule by which it appeares the sinner is pardoned not without a satisfaction first given to Justice 3. By accepting graciously the soule thus justified as perfectly righteous for the Lord Jesus Christs sake as if it had never sinned And the worke of true faith in this Justification is to lay hold upon it And thus now Christ applyes the merits of his Death to the soule in conveying life and pardon to it thus hee raiseth it saying to it in its bloud live But this is not all 2. The soule is weake and is not able to live an houre of it selfe Christ therefore in the next place in order to its more perfect raising sanctifies the soule which implyeth two things 1. He gives unto the soule new principles of grace 2. He gives the soule power to act these principles for as except from him we have nothing so without him we can doe nothing Joh. 15. 5. Which power being given the soule from above the soule is raised and becomes strong in the strength of Christ and sets upon works 1. Of Mortification to subdue the strong holds of Satan viz. the remainder of corruption in the soule 2. Of Vivification setting upon such Duties as God hath required of his redeemed ones being exercises of the grace which they have received from the Lord Jesus Christ he gives the soule power to live upon faith to love to desire him to delight in him to do and to suffer for him to be content with him c. Yea and thirdly In his due time he raises the soule to a comfortable life in giving it the sense of his love a perswasion of its Union with the Lord Jesus Christ peace in the inward man shining upon it with the light of his Countenance which is better to it than thousands of Gold and Silver This I say he does in his due time not to all nor continuing it constantly to any but according to his good pleasure thus making knowne to it the Redemption he hath purchased for it and the Justification of its soule which is past in heaven before 4. And lastly in his due time he will yet further raise the soule by taking it to himself and glorifying it with himselfe for ever He will come againe on purpose to raise the soules of his redeemed ones from the dust and to take them up to himself in glory that where he is there they may be also John 16. verse 3. Thus Christ hath meritoriously raised all his redeemed ones and will apply their Redemption with the fruits of it to them in his due time applying life to them by Vocation and Justification strength to them by Sanctification light and comfort to them by shining with the Light of his Countenance upon them and finally giving them Glorification hee shall then perfect his worke of raising us and wee shall live with him in the Highest Heavens for ever I have now done with the Doctrinall part so farre as to shew you 1. That it is Christ that raiseth his Elect ones 1. He is designed 2. He can doe it 3. Hee onely can 4. Hee hath done it meritoriously for all 5. Hee hath done it actually and formally for some and will doe it for the rest And so farre as to shew you the manner how he did it and doth it both in respect of his owne acts in relation to the fitting himselfe for the worke and in respect of his application of it to the soules of his servants If now you aske me the Reasons why and to what end he did it for the reasons of the particular Propositions I have given you them before Now for Reasons in the Generall I shall give you them in two words 1. The moving cause was his owne grace because he would 2. The finall cause was his own glory 1. The moving cause and reason was his owne grace and goodnesse This is the reason of all Gods acts of grace towards the Creature whether Election or Redemption or Vocation or Justification or Sanctification or Glorification the sole cause was in himselfe because he loved us and delighted in us for his owne Names sake c. Isa 43. 25. Deut. 7. 7. Hos 14. 4. His owne will was all the reason he
What wilt thou And he answered Lord that I might receive my sight Goe thou and doe likewise beg Lord that I might be washed with thy bloud Lord that my sinnes might be pardoned though thou meetest with discouragements and thou thinkest that thou art one that art a dog to whom the childrens bread must not be given yet leave not beg againe but for a crumme of mercy a drop of bloud verily thou shalt not goe away without comfort 4. There is but one Querie more What Rules must I observe in the using of his physicke To this Christ hath shaped an answer for me Goe thy way sinne no more lest a worse thing befall thee Thou must take heed that thou dost not returne againe with the dog to the vomit and the swine to the wallowing in the mire He that is borne of God sinneth not sayes the Apostle not constantly nor wilfully but weakly This for direction And remember this last which I shall conclude with that of the Prophet Ez. 18. 24. If the Righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in his sinne that he hath sinned shall he dye saith the Lord. Shall I need adde any thing for motive I should thinke not but only call upon you to get eyes to see your sad and undone condition in which you are It is no wonder that you should say we have need of nothing when you thinke you are rich Get but a true understanding 1. Of your owne vile and undone condition what an hell you carry about with you 2. What an hell you tread over every day and it will be enough to pricke on your soules to seeke a portion in the Lord Jesus Christ especially if yee well consider what I have sufficiently proved to you that it is impossible that in Heaven and earth there should be found any way of salvation for your poore soules but in himselfe Now the Lord worke these things upon your hearts 2. Give me leave now to speake a word of Exhortation to you my Brethren to whom the Lord hath of his free grace given a portion in the Lord Jesus Christ and you are become his raised redeemed ones The duty which I shall in generall presse upon you is thankfulnesse O give thanks unto the Lord he remembred you in your low estate for his mercy endureth for ever O what shall ye render Christians what can ye render to the Lord for this mercy For Motives Consider but every word of the Text apart and methinks it should be Motive enough to prevaile with those that have any thing tasted of this heavenly gift First I. To open this word a little and shew you what there is in it to melt your hearts into obedience 1. I that was infinitely above thee Christ was the brightnesse of his Fathers Image God blest for ever even from all Eternity He was from Eternity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the unice dilectus the only beloved of his Father in whom his Father tooke infinite delight he was the Prince of glory God blest for ever Now for an Eternall God to stoop to a poore worme O mercy for a King to visit an Hospitall to come with his owne hands and dresse the putrified wounds of his meanest subject it is a condescention scarse found amongst the sons of men and yet if you could find it it should come infinitely short of this condescention 2. I that did not at all need thee The Lord stood not in need of a worme the Father was pleased with the Sonne from all Eternity and taken up with delighting himselfe in him and the Sonne was againe pleased with the Father They had an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self-sufficiency of glory and were enough each of them to other had it not been his bowels of mercy that had yerned towards thee for thy good he had never been moved towards thee from any other principle 3. I whom thou hadst offended Greater love than this is not found amongst men than for one to dye for his friend yet greater love than this hath Christ shewne that he dyed for his enemy Rom. 5. 8. Scarcely for a righteous man will one dye yet peradventure for a good man some will dare to dye But God commendeth his love to us-ward in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us O love infinite unfadomable love Secondly consider the Act with its circumstances I raised thee 1. Out of a low condition What lower than hell that was thy portion Christian thou wert a child of wrath by nature even as others He remembred thee in thy low estate his mercy endureth for ever 2. To a glorious condition It is an estate more glorious than thy naturall estate was or could be miserable to be free men in Jesus Christ Rom. 6. 18. into marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. to to be children and if children then heirs of God and joynt-heires with the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 8. 17. Heires of salvation Heb. 1. 14. Heires of the Promises Heb. 11. 9. Heires of the Kingdome Jam. 2. 5. Ye which in times past were not a people are now the people of God you that had not obtained mercy have now obtained mercy and are become 1 Pet. 2. 10 11. A chosen Generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people wherefore is it but that you should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darknesse into marvellous light 3. He raised you by his owne falling yes nothing else could doe it Without bloud there had been no remission Heb 9. 22. His owne soule must be grieved to the death that your soules might be comforted He must be smitten despised rejected of men that the chastisement of your peace might be upon him and by his stripes you might be healed Was ever love like his Thirdly Consider it further in the object of this Act I raised thee 1. Thee not others Thee not Angels Thee not many other men 1. Not Angels yet the Angels were far more glorious creatures which if raised had sinned no more but spent their time in singing forth his glory and serving him with cheerfull readinesse all their dayes yet Heb. 2. 16. He in no wise took upon him the Nature of Angels but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham 2. If the Lord would have chosen men might not he have chosen ten thousand more great more noble more wise that in a carnall eye were by Nature cut out far more fit to have made vessels of glory of than thou art yet the Lord hath passed them by he hath passed by Eliab and Shammah that were sonnes of the same Father with thee and hath chosen thee that wert the least of all Ishmael and Esau that were thy elder brethren and hath chosen
gallant explcit or great service Their wives were somtimes given them for wages Jacob served 14 years for Rachell Gen. 29. 17. David for his Soveraignes daughter encountred great Goliah and afterwards robbed the Philistines of their foreskins he paid more for her than she proved to be worth By this right the beleeving soule is the beloved of Christ he hath served a long service for her not fourteene but above thirty yeares he hath vanquished the Goliahs of our soules and hath conquered our Spirituall Enemies 4. He is hers and she is his by right of possession he dwels in her and she dwels in him The second person in the Trinity is an inmate with the beleeving soule He dwels under the roofe of her heart He hath a chamber in the soule and hath pitched his tent within her and she is in him too united each unto other this is very plainly exprest Gal. 2. 20. I live but yet not I but Christ lives in me I am the Carcasse Christ the Soule the soule moveth the body so Christ moves my soule I move not from any principle in my selfe but from a principle of Grace The life I live in the flesh I live by the life of the Sonne of God who dwelleth in me who loved me and gave himselfe for me Thus you see she may well call Christ her Beloved and Christ may well call her his Beloved He hath a propriety in her and shee hath a propriety in him also hee hath marryed her and dwels with her yea and in her dilectum suum her wellbeloved indeed Thirdly It is her beloved not anothers beloved Every soule hath a Beloved the Drunkard hath his beloved cups the wanton hath his beloved Queanes the Covetous person his beloved gold The soule that leanes upon Christ goes not a whoring after other Gods The Spouse of Christ leanes not upon the Papists beloved merits nor upon the Turks beloved Mahomet nor upon the Pharisees beloved duties nor upon the Idolaters beloved Saints she sayes Abraham knowes her not and Israel is ignorant of her but Isa 63. 16. the Lord is her Father Christ is her Redeemer and her Maker her Redeemer is her Husband Creator tuus est sponsus tuus Her beloved not anothers Beloved Fourthly He that is her Beloved not that which was her Beloved She once loved her sins and her lusts were the beloveds of her soul The name of Baalim was in her mouth her lusts were her Lords and they ruled over her But now the name of Baalim is taken out of her mouth she calls the Lord Ishi God alone is her beloved Sin was the dearly beloved of her soule but now shee calls sinne no more Naomi shee calls it Marah that which was once the sweetnesse is now the bitternesse of her soule shee takes no pleasure in it no nor doth she account her duties her beloved she useth them but shee dares not trust her soule upon them she dares not plead any desert in them though once perhaps she had a Pharisaicall conceit that her duties would be her healing yet when she comes to the Lord Christ to leane upon his Arme though she useth duties and is as full of Prayer and humiliation as ever shee knocks her hand upon her breast and cryes she is a sinner Oh but what remedy the knocking her hand upon her breast shee knowes cannot save her no for that God be merciful to her she leanes upon Christ that is her now Beloved not upon any duties or any other merits that was before her Beloved Fifthly Her beloved not her beloveds The soule that comes to the Lord Jesus Christ loves him intensly and as she loves him best so she loves him onely As nothing shall have her whole heart so neither will she divide her heart betwixt him and another he shall have her heart and he onely shall have her heart and he shall have her whole heart too she dare trust her strength upon Christ and upon him alone she desireth only to be found in the Lord Jesus who is her Bridegroome shee is a Virgin not a Whore she leanes not upon Christ with one hand and her owne Merits with another no nor dares shee leane upon the Merits of another shee durst not trust the weight of her soule upon the wings of an Angel nor to the Prayers of a Saint she relies upon God and upon God onely The Papists leane upon Christ but not upon him alone shee knowes it wil be a dishonour both to her and her husband to take any thing in partem amoris to share with her husband in his love shee will keep her honour in being the wife of one Husband And so I have shewed you how she leanes what is her hand who it is she leanes upon what title she hath to him what rules she observeth in her leaning I have but one thing more and that is to shew you what strength there is in the Lord Christs shoulders to beare her how she leanes even in every wildernesse and what fulnesse of strength there is in her husbands arme to keep her up from falling The first wildernesse you may remember was the wildernesse of sinne Here the Spouse cannot be said properly to leane upon her beloved for she wants the hand of faith to lay hold upon Christ and indeed she is not weary yet I doe not know why in some sense even in this estate the elect soule is not beholding to free grace he is her Christ here though he hath not yet manifested himselfe to be her Jesus her Saviour The elect soule in sin is elect and decreed to be saved though shee be not declared to be elect she is beloved in decree though God hath not actually manifested his love unto her he is not her beloved but the soule is his beloved not actually but decretally he hath thoughts of good to her but his thoughts are kept within himselfe till he is pleased to reveale them to her at his best time she is his beloved though there be no correlation she is in his thoughts his Spouse aye and positively not conditionally The Arminians falsely dreame of Gods conditionall decrees because they comprehend not the wayes of God Beleeving is necessarily required yet it was not a condition in Gods decree The soule is his beloved though yet there be no correlation though she be not his wife yet yet she is intended for his wife To speake according to the wayes of men I may intend to make a woman my wife before I actually declare my intentions to her she is my wife in my determinations and thoughts before I wooe her though not actually my wife â—â—fore I have wooed her and she hath yâ—elded too there lyes only this difference my determination must be but conditionally if she will accept of my proffer'd love There lyes a power in her to refuse We may therefore make the simile a little higher A great Emperour buyeth a woman that is a slave which he
a Rule one president makes not a law It is no rule for thee or me to trust in that no more then the saving of the thiefe upon the Crosse might be a safe president for us to deferre repentance till our dying day Let thee and I learne to be humbled to get broken hearts to loath our selves see our owne misery Sorrow is the ordinary doore to joy Humiliation the ordinary step to exaltation Mourning for sinne the onely preface to Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in Gods ordinary way of dealing out grace The Latine is full Quae est illa quae ascendit that ascends from the wildernesse Our Translation commeth up implying an ascensive motion t is her running up an hil They that run up a mountaine if they run too fast they may quickly run themselves out of breath it is bad jumpping over a broad ditch especially if it be drowning depth for feare if wee jumpe short we jumpe our last It is a great jump from the bottome of Hell to Heaven to take it at one leape I wish those that dare take it doe not fall short and drowne themselves eternally I had rather goe up Gods steps then make such a hasty motion God give me grace to ascend up the Saints staires to the chambers of glory Elijah was such a favourite to heaven that God sent a coach for him But those that will expect till that fiery Chariot be sent downe for them too I suppose may waite something a longer time then they desire O beg of God to humble you to powre out his spirit of mourning and supplications upon you this will learne you to beleeve friends It is the humbled soule only that construe that word Faith it is Hebrew to others it poseth the impenitent heart Faith is a riddle to them Christ findes his Spouse in the wildernesse and there he gives her his shoulder to leane upon But Thirdly She commeth up leaning out of the wildernesse Is it the duty of a soul that is in a wildernesse of affliction or temptation or desertion to leane upon the Lord Christ Then this may reprove those that are in these wildernesses and yet cannot be perswaded to leane upon the Lord Christ hence they cry out O faith is impossible is it possible to beleeve that Christ will save me me that have scorned his salvation and slighted his mercies And because thou hast slighted mercy wilt thou therefore still slight mercy still refuse his offer of grace Thou sinnest as much now in not beleeving there is mercy for thee that hast dispised mercy as thou didst sinne in dispising that mercy O why is it harder to rise up then to cast downe a soule Why wilt thou not beleeve O thou of little faith Is the mole-hill of thy sinnes like the mountaine of his mercies doth the voice of thy sinnes roare like the voice of his loving kindnesse Is there any humbled soule before the Lord O doe not provoke God by thy infidelity now he hath made thee capable of faith You that are Christians for shame in your severall wildernesses of afflictions temptations and desertions doe not O do not cast downe your heads and say who shall shew us any good or if you doe say againe with the Saint in the ensuing words Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Beleeve in your depths of sorrow beleeve in your most trying afflictions most sadding temptations most killing desertions beleeve me it is the greatest honour you can put upon the Lord Christ And it is the greatest dishonour you can put upon your God to have any diffidence in the Lords armes any distruct in the Lords free grace It is the property nay it is the duty of the Spouse to come out of wildernesses leaning Fourthly Doth she leane upon God before shee can come must he worke the first motion to make her willing before she can beleeve in him Then how are those to be here reproved that would make mans will to be the Author of its first motions unto God Pelagius was a great defender of it First he would hold That the grace of God was not necessary but by the law of nature we might be saved 2. That the grace of God which the Apostle speaks of was only in giving the law of nature 3. Driven from this he would maintaine that the faculties of the soule and their naturall Actions was the grace of God understood by the Apostle Yet here is no leaning upon our Beloved Afterwards he would maintaine * Si quaeratur an ex suis Naturalibus viribus anima aliquid afferat ad suam conversionē vel renovationem vel aliquam facultatē vel actionē quae vel partiatis causa vel quocunque alio modo appelletur vere respondetur quod habet se merè passivè Chemni in loc de lib. Arbitr 4. That the grace of God was necessary for sinnes past but it was in the power of mans free-will to avoid or commit sinnes for the time to come and to resist rebellious corruptions 5. After this he would maintaine That some men indeed were weake and must doe all by the grace of God others that were stronger might act good by their owne will But still only some Spouses leane Lastly he would maintaine and the Arminians still from him That grace did indeed helpe a good worke but it had its first motion from our wils or at least might have and the will had a negative voice and might resist and crosse grace which did not work irresistably in the soule to force the soule to him * Quae de gratia Dei praeveniente praeparente operante traduntur hunc habent sensum quod non nostrae partes priores sunt in conversione sed quod Deus per afflatum divinum praeveniat post hunc autem motum voluntatis divinae factum voluntas humana non habet se mere passivè sed mota adjuta à spiritu sancto non repugnat sed assentitur Ib a Cassianus Monachus Pelagii Doctrinam amplexus est Faustus Hormisda Ben. I would not rake up these graves did not these ghosts walke in these our dayes when every grave of Heresie is unbowelled and no one takes care to throw the dirt upon them againe Nay and the Papists having beene tainted with this Leven the Sententiaries now tell us b Hominis est preparare cor Aqui. in Sum. Theo. Acquiescre assentiri est nostrûm That a man without grace meerly by the strength of his free will may avoid any mortall sinne and prepare himselfe for Gods free grace and fulfill the Commandements of God Quoad substantiam actus for the substance of the Act c Quibus de congruo mereatur gratiam facientem Scotus And another more impudently maintains That a man without any grace of God by the meere strength of nature may doe workes morally good yea even such as God shall be bound to concur with and give
his speciall grace for Even thus going back from their owne great Rabbies one of which was pleased to confesse d Homo sine gratiâ Dei non potest non peccare mortaliter venialiter Lom That a man without the grace of God could not but sinne both mortally and venially What is become here of the Beloveds leaning but no more of these only if you heare such Doctrines as you may heare any thing in these dayes beleeve them not Doth God move the will attendding him in duties first secondly 5. Spiritus Sāctus praevenit move◠impellit voluntatem in conversione non otiosam sed attendeniem verbo Chemnit Vel per speculationem somniorum vel per simulationem oration is illabi efficaciam Spiritus Sancti Vid. D. Featly Dippers dipt when the will is thus moved doth it then come when it is drawne doth it runne Then this reproves the Enthusiasts of old the Anabaptists Antinomians Seekers of our dayes that hold first there is no need of duties Enthusiasts of old affirmed That for the receiving of the Spirit of Promise and saving grace the Spirit of God was either infused to them in a dreame Vel per simulationem orationis Ay and the motions of the Spirit were as sensible in their flesh as the beating of the pulse so blasphemous were they growne and thence they would lye and gape for Revelations and so indeed they may have a suggestion from the Devill but scarse a Revelation from God Oh! How in these dayes are men tainted with these lazie Opinions slighting duties vilifying Sabbaths neglecting Ordinances that if poore people would truely now give account of their growth in grace and of their learning godlinesse many of them might truly As the child that ye have heard a story in the learning of its Primmer boasted to the father that it had learned past grace Is not this the miserable learning of our dayes that men are grown past grace past Prayer past Ordinances past all duties 6. Againe what you have heard that after the soule is drawne then it comes may shew us the falsenesse of another Doctrine of Enthusiasme too briefe even in these dayes also that the soule is meerly passive even after the worke of conversion also and is even then a meere stone Draw me saith See the Booke set out from the Ministers of New-England of the Hereticks c. Post conversionem concurrit voluntas non tamen quasi suis viribus adjuvet spirituales actiones Semper addendum est non esse plenam libertatem in sancto renato sed virtutem in infirmitate perfici Chemnit Intelligant si filii Dei sint spiritu Dei se agi ut quod agendum est agant cum egerint illi à quo aguntur gratias agant Aguntur enim ut agant non at ipsi nihil agant Aug. the Spouse and then I will runne after thee Indeed after our conversion the will is but in part sanctified and the Image of God in us will want of his first integrity after it is renewed but Christs strength is perfected in our weaknesse we must understand if we be the children of God that God hath therefore wrought in us that we might also worke something and when we have wrought it give thankes to God who hath made us to worke for God hath wrought in us that we might worke not that we should be idle Thus I have laboured to you to divide the Truth from Errour Now you have heard of the leaven of these Pharisees take heed of it In the next place what you have heard that the soule that comes to the Lord Jesus Christ leanes upon a new Beloved not upon her old beloveds may serve to reprove those that would faine plead a title to Christ and have a portion in Christ but they will not take Christ alone two sorts there are of these The one cannot leave their old beloveds and the other cannot trust this Beloved O the wicked man would have his portion in Christ if he might but have his lusts too his pleasures his profit but to take Christ alone O this is such a hard saying that they cannot beare by any meanes If Christ and his lusts would lye both in one bed Christ at the feet and his lusts at the head then Christ should be as welcome as any thing to him but he is loath to sue a divorce from this Beloved he is loth to part with his old love for a new till he seeth how he can love him but at a venture he will take him in partem amoris O wretch flatter not thy selfe if Christ be thy Beloved he will endure no Polygamy you must leave your sinnes or be without Christ The true Spouse leanes upon her Beloved not upon her Beloveds upon her now Beloved she forsakes her old Lastly this may serve to reproove 1. Those that would leane upon Christ but they dare not trust their soules upon Christ alone Forsooth he will be the Spouse of Christ but he must leane upon Christ with one hand and his good works with the other The whore of Babylon commits adultery with her selfe 2. Under this lash comes a better ranke of people that when God hath shewed them their owne sinfull sad condition they doe not only performe duties pray and mourne and repent and be humbled all which they ought to doe but they are ready to rest in them and make them their Beloved It is naturall to the soule that God hath made to loath its sinnes to love its duties it finds duties almost as consentaneous to its nature as sinnes were before and it is too ready to thinke that its saving or damning depends upon such a quantity of teares and humiliation Hence you heare soules in this condition often complaining Oh! I could beleeve if I were humbled enough if I could but mourne enough This soule doth well to be sensible of the hardnesse of its owne heart and it is too true it can never mourne it can never be humbled enough But it doth ill to think that free grace stints its operation and blessed influence to such a quantity of teares if it be humbled enough to see its want of Christ The water runs through the river that is the way to the Sea but it doth not rest in the river but with a swift and continued motion runs betwixt the banks till it comes and is swallowed up in the Sea Even so the soul ought to run through duties but not to rest betwixt the banks of duties but to run through till it come to the Sea of free grace where it will be swallowed up of infinite mercy and our imperfections will be drowned in his infinite perfection we ought to take duties in our way to Christ but not to make duties our Jesus God hath ordained that they should fit us for him but it is written My glory will I not give to another The glory of the Lords free grace
of free grace to speake it with reverence and he desires nothing more then to be delivered in thine heart He is a Sea of mercy and he would rejoyce to empty himselfe by drops into his peoples hearts But why did I say empty Can the Sun lose any light by communicating his light to others When the creature speaks of God he must speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he would fill thee and yet continue full himselfe He is satisfied when thou art full He shall see of the travell of his soule and shall be satisfied Thou art not so willing to receive as he is to bestow free grace O then lean upon him Thirdly Consider that canst not dishonour thy God more then when thou art humbled by him for thy sins and cast downe in thine owne thoughts and cal'd to beleeve in his mercies and secured upon his word if thou wilt but trust him If thou wilt not then beleeve in him Surely then thou art of a little faith if not an Infidell Thou couldst not beleeve when thou wert an impaenitent hard-hearted creature Why because thou knewest no need thou hadst of faith Neither couldst thou hear Christs invitation because thou wert not weary and heavie loaden but now that the Lord hath humbled thee now the promises belong unto thee what darest thou not take Christs word Suppose a Traytour were condemned to dye and the King should send a Pardon by the hand of his owne Son to this forlorne wretch and he should refuse it saying The King cannot pardon me what hath he to do to send me a Pardon I know he doth but mock me he meanes nothing lesse c. Were not this a peice of unworthinesse by which he should dishonour his Prince as much as with his Treason before O take heed of provoking the Lord still it is enough that thou hast provoked him once yet he will pardon thee And on the contrary thou canst not honour Christ more then in beleeving for thou acknowledgest the unfadomable depth of his free love and mercy Thou proclamest God to be a God gracious long-suffering a God that may be trusted by the creature which hath deserved nothing at his hand that he is so pure an Essence of love that he will create himself a cause of love where is none And though he coould find nothing in thee to pardon thee for thy sake yet he would pardon thee for his owne Name sake So likewise you that are in any wildernesse or shall be of Affliction Desertion Temptation c. O leane leane T is that which God requires at your hand 't is that which will ease you when you are weary help you when you are heavie laden Beleeving will ease you when complaining will not 't is that which honours God and honours Christ It gives him the glory of his Power and Providence Dominion and free Grace and mercy Christ beleeve me will take it kindly at your hands that you will try him in need and trust him even in despaire though he kills you yet you will trust in him Those that venture upon Death with such a faith cannot dye Those that have such a Spirit must live eternally The way to live is to dye beleeving and the way to stand is to leane falling O come all yee that love the Lord trust in his mercies I have done only I conclude with my Text. O you that are falling as you think into the pit of despaire that are lost in the wildernesse of sorrow Beleeve beleeve and you shall be saved Come out trusting upon God resting upon the fulnesse of his mercy and the freenesse of his grace come out come out leaning upon your Beloved O you that are in a wildernesse of afflictions lean upon Gods staffe let his rod comfort you beleeve that he smileth while he smiteth thee beleeve in affliction you shall have no more then you are able to beare he will let his grace be sufficient for you and all shall worke for your good And come you out of your wildernesse leaning upon your Beloved O you that are in the wildernesse of temptation in the snare of the Devill beleeve and leane your Christ was tempted and he knowes how to succour those that are tempted leane upon him to beare you up in and to give you an happy issue out of your temptations in which you are in for the triall of your faith and come you out likewise leaning upon your Beloved You that are in the wildernes of Desertion cry My God! though you be forsaken keep your faith retaine your Interest O leane lose not your hold you have upon the Almighty leane in and come out of this your wildernesse leaning upon your Beloved Finally All you that are in the wildernesse of sin the worst wildernesse of all Let me conclude with you And once more as the Embassadour of Jesus Christ in my Masters name as if he himselfe were here I beseech you by the many and tender mercies of him whose bowels yerne towards you by his precious bloud which was powred out upon the Crosse for sinners and who knowes whether not for you as well as others as you tender the life happines of your own souls the joy of your faithfull Pastors nay which is most of all as you tender the honour of God come out O come out of your sad wildernesse be humbled and mourne sit downe in dust and ashes that you may rise up adorned with grace and be crowned with glory that you may leane upon your Beloved and O that my first or last words might prevaile with some great sinner this day for whom we might all rejoyce concerning whom we might all say who is this that comes out of the wildernesse leaning upon her beloved FINIS A LESSON OF SELF-DENIALL OR The true way to desirable BEAUTY By JOHN COLLINGS M. A. Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me Ver. 38. And he that taketh not up his crosse and followeth after me is not worthy of me Printed for Rich Tomlins 1649. TO THE Right Honourable The Lady Frances Cecill the only Daughter of the Right Honourable the Lady Elizabeth Counteise Dowager of EXETER Increase of true Honour and Peace and Happinesse Madam WHen I considered the plenty of Gospell-sheaves which the Gracious Lord of the Harvest hath in our days caused his reapers to bind up I could not but question whemy gleane were worth your Ladiships stooping to take up God hath seemed to empty his treasuries upon our heads that there is scarce a gospell-gospell-duty but some or other more eminent labourers in the Lords harvest have undertaken to discover and urge which makes me sometimes tremble to think at what disadvantage they must perish that are yet dead or unfruitfull But if there be any lesson that hath been lesser urged or practised than other it is this of
capable of that literall sense Others are against this partly because as they say that marriage of Solomons was wicked and against Gods Law Deut. 7. and partly because it is probable that Solomon having before that time as 1 King 3. 3. the feare of the Lord in his heart it is not probable he would have contracted that marriage had not she first contracted to have forsaken her fathers house which the Hebrewes also say was one of the marriage-Articles But it is probable that that marriage gave occasion to the writing of this Psalme and for the reason against it Rivet answers by a Rule of S. Hieroms Homines mali in re non bona sanctissimarum rerum imo ipsius Dei typi esse possunt That In Scripture evill men and that in wicked actions are oft-times types of holy actions and that of Gods owne too oft times Ishmael was a type of the old Testament according to the Apostle an many other instances might bee given Whether it be a Type or an Allegory is not much materiall nor worth the disputing Rivet thinks neither sense improbable but conceives it might be both nor do I see any thing of value against it In the Psalme observe 1. The Preface verse 1. Wherein he Psalmist declares the readinesse of his heart and instinct of the spirit putting him upon the Composure of it 2. The narrative part of the Psalm from the 2 verse to the last 3. The Conclusion of it verse ult In the narrative part is something 1. Relating to the Bridegroom 2. Relating to the Bride The Bridegroome is commended from his Beauty v. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men 2. From his Eloquence v. 2. Grace is powred into thy lips 3. From the blessing of God upon him God hath blessed thee for ever 4. From his Glory and Majesty v. 3. 5. From his successe v. 4. 6. From his Temper and Disposition verse 4. 7. From his Valour verse 4 5 6. 8. From the nature of his Kingdome v. 6. 9. From his love to Justice v. 7. 10. From the perfume of his Garments v. 8. 11. From his choice in his Queene and his Attendants v. 9. So farre it relates to the Bridegroome The other part relates to the Bride and in it is a Lesson of Instruction and Exhortation read to her prest from severall Motives The Exhortation is in the two verses in which my Text lyes And it is foure-fold prest from severall Arguments In the Text then you may consider 1. An Exhortation enforced upon the former Description 2. Severall Motives to presse this Exhortation 1. In the first consider 1. The person exhorted set out by the name of Daughter O Daughter 2. The Exhortation which is five-fold 1. Hearken 2. Consider 3. Incline thin eare 4. Forget thy people and thy fathers house 5. Worship him 3. The Motives inforcing it which are 1. The former description of him now thou art married to such an husband hearken c. 2. The Relation of Daughter Children should harken to their Parents 3. Shee should bee beautifull 4. Her beauty should be desireable 5. The King should desire it yea greatly desire her beauty Let me a little open the words and then proceed O Daughter Quae consentit viro in matrimonium est viro in loco filiae saith Rivet The woman that consents to her Husband in marriage is to him in stead of a Daughter So saith the Parable 2 Sam. 12. 3. The Ewe-lambe which signified the wife laid in the poore mans bosome and was unto him as a daughter Jer. 3. 4. Wilt thou not from henceforth crie unto me Thou art my Father the guide of my youth the guide of her youth that is an Husband and yet her Father God can marry his Daughter and yet the marriage not be incestuous Yea hee first marryes the soule and then makes it his Daughter according to that 2 Cor. 6. 18. Wherefore come out from amongst them and be yee separate saith the Lord and I will be a Father unto you and you shall be to me Sonnes and Daughters saith the Lord Daughters by Adoption Gal. 4. 6. Nor in vaine called a Daughter It is a courteous compellation as both Rivet and Mollerus note by which the Lord will let his Saints know that he will extend towards them the care of a father as well as the love of an Husband he will love them like an husband and protect them like a father Hearke Christians Saints are Sons and Daughters as wel as Spouses to Christ If he be a father where is his honour If an husband where his love But to proceed Hearken O Daughter Audi filia What should shee heare Shee should heare her husband There was a voice from heaven Matth. 17. 5. This is my well-beloved Son heare him Christs Sheep are eare-marked John 10. 11. The good sheep are thus markt They hear his voice Faith comes by hearing yea and it growes up by hearing too they are over-growne Saints that are growne past Ordinances I am afraid they are growne out of Christs knowledge it is the deafe adder stops her eare Davids eare was opened Psal 40. They that are too proud to heare Christs Voice on Earth I am afraid will be thought too vile ever to see his face in heaven Hearken therefore O Daughter Gods way to the Heart lies through the Eare that 's his ordinary way if he at any time comes another way I am afraid it is not when wee have wilfully blockt that up but when himselfe hath stopt it Hearken O Daughter and Consider or see vide First heare then see There is a seeing of Faith Faith is the daughter of hearing the Eare must open before the soule Doe not onely heare but also see Hearing is not enough He that beleeveth not is damned already Seeing may bee of experience As wee have heard so have we seene in the City of our God The soule that heares well shall see Iohn 1. 50. Because I said unto thee I saw thee under the Fig-tree beleevest thou thou shalt see greater things than these Faith must goe before Sight but Sight shall succeed saith yet Faith is a Sight though not of experience And incline thine eare Expositors make this Phrase to containe three things 1. A Repetition of the first Branch Hearken It is a difficult duty the word is doubled that it may bee inforced the Psalmist speaks twice considering our deafnesse yet he speaks louder in this than in the other phrase Secondly therefore To incline the eare is more than to heare it doth argue a notable stirring of Attention Hee that inclines his eare affert aliquem animi motum propensionem quickens up his minde and brings with him to the duty a readinesse of Spirit and an intentnesse of minde 3. Inclining the Eare say some is Nota demissionis a Note of that subjection and obedience which should bee found in the Spouse of the Lord Jesus Christ toward him It followeth
of your evill company the vanity of your pleasures and carnall delights Did your soules ever tast a reall bitternesse in them if not I feare me you have not left them 2. Have you had another excellency discovered to your soules Had your souls ever yet a reall discovery made to you of the excellency of the wayes of holines those wayes that you once hated Doe you now see a beauty a glory in them so much that you can even stand and hold up your hands and admire that you should be blind so long A present pleasant thing will scarce bee left but upon a discovery of and an obtaining of something more excellent Christians under what notion do you look upon Christ and his wayes Do you look upon them as excellent the wayes of strictnesse as excellent sanctifying a Sabboth praying the frequenting of the communion of Saints Doe you look upon them as excellent If you doe not I feare mee you but cheat your selves with a conceit that you have forgot your fathers house 3. If you have parted with them I am afraid it cost you some teares you did not part with so many friends with drie eyes friends cannot ordinarily pats without teares but your weeping hath not beene such a weeping if it hath been true it hath not been because you have parted with them but because you abode with them so long it hath for measure been like the mourning of him that hath lost his onely begotten sonne Zach. 12. 10. but not upon the same account not because you must now part with them but because you embraced them so long See the effects of godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 11. it worketh carefulnesse and indignation c. Were your soules ever in such a true bitternesse for sinne that it wrought in thee an indignation against your selves that you could even eat your owne flesh to think you should ever have been such a vaine wanton wretch such a proud sinner as you have been This is a good signe you and your fathers house are parted and that at the parting you sorrowed after a godly sort 4. If ever you truly parted with it both at the parting and since too you have found something to doe with your owne spirit some struglings and combatings with your selfe Before you parted you were at a dispute with your soules shall I leave this or that corruption or shall I not and since you have been at some debates with your spirit shall I goe home againe shall I returne to such a vomit to such a wallowing in the mire even Paul himselfe found the law in his members warring against the law of his mind and bringing him into captivity to the law of sinne Rom. 7. 23. the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these contrary one to another Gal. 5. 17. I dare almost say that that soule never conquerd sinne that is not yet in combate with it never truly overcame it that is not still in combate never yet forgot its fathers house that hath not some strong inclinations sometimes to be going to its old home againe and sometimes finds not that it hath something to doe to keep his heart from a second time embracing what it hath beene once ashamed of 5. Doe you make Christ all your delight and your sole delight is hee to you solus desideria totus desideria Are your hearts taken more with Christ than with all the world besides and so taken with your husband that nothing of him nor from him displeaseth you can you bee content with Christ alone and say with David to the Lord Thou art my portion could you quest all things else for him and is there nothing of him but seemes lovely to you doe his strictest lawes seem excellent to you Is hee excellent to you in the intent of his Kingly office as well as in the comfort of his Priestly office doth his very yoke seem easie and his burthen seem light to you 6. Do you abide with Christ as the wife abides with the husband and the branch abides in the vine every true branch abides in him Joh. 15. 4. is your dwelling with him or are you onely religious by fits the hypocrite may bee so religions but the Saint makes the Lord his dwelling place Which is that which you count your home the best of Gods Saints may have some inclinations to vanity and be sometimes trading with the world Ah! but Christ is his home Christ is his dwelling place hee thinkes himselfe in a strange place when he is not with Christ in duties of holy communion Christian which is thy element Is your soule in its element when it is conversing with things below Christ that 's an ill signe by these things you may take a scantling of your owne haarts The Lord help you in applying these things to your soules I proceed to a 3d use 3. Here 's comfort to the Saints joy to the upright in heart especially 1. Against all the uncomelinesse and indesireablenesse the Saint apprehends in himselfe There 's none so comely as the Saint in Christs eyes nor any so uncomely and ugly in their owne eyes Paul cries out O wretched man that I am Rom. 7. 24. and againe I am as one borne out of due time the least of the Apostles not worthy to be call'd an Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 8 9. It is an usuall account the Saints give of themselves ah wretched creatures poore indesireable wretches hard-hearted sinners vile persons c. Bee of good cheare Christian The King hath desired thy beauty thou art black in thine owne eyes but comely in Christs eyes Black in respect of thy merit but comely in respect of imputation comely through the comlinesse that hee hath put upon you Secondly 2. Here 's comfort against all the dirt the world casts upon you all the uncomelinesse they conceit in you who so despicable creatures in the eyes of the world as those men and women whom the Lord delights to honour these are the despised ones upon the backs of these it is that the Plowers plow and make long furrowes they are the upright in heart that they privily bend their bow to shoot at against these are the puttings out of the fingers and the liftings up of the hands upon these are laid all the scoffes of the ungodly and through their weaknesse the barkings of these dogges sometimes trouble them But Christians hath not the King desired your beauty the beauty that these wretches are so blind they cannot see Hath not the King desired it Is it desireable in Christs eyes and despised in their eyes which is the best judge think you is it not enough for you that you please your husband 3. Here 's comfort for you not only against all their scoffes but against all their low esteeme of you David saith I am small and of no reputation Christ was accounted the least in the kingdome of Heaven hee was the stone which