had the Spirit Lord take not thy holy Spirit from me Psal 51. 11. So when a man hath not the Spirit of God he should pray to God Lord Give thy holy Spirit to me and send down thy holy Spirit into my heart that may work this work in me But it may be many of you will think that you expect this and desire it and wish it and use some means I Answer Then shew it by thy coming unto God for it from day to day will any man say That Noah did expect that God should deliver him from the Deluge if he had not took that course which God appointed If he had not built an Ark certainly we may justly say That he did not look that God would deliver him Therefore it is said of Noah That as he did expect that God should keep him so being warned of God he built an Ark c. Heb. 11. 7. So when a man shall say That he looks that God should deliver him from his natural estate and condition that God should renew him by his Grace and goodness yet if a man will not prepare an Ark if when a man is Commanded and directed by God what to do yet he will not come to God to do that which should be done for him these men do but deceive their own souls and treasure up indignation against themselves I remember the story of Moses Exod. 14. when the Children of Israel were in Pi-hahiroth and the Egyptians were behind them and the Mountains were on the side that they could not pass and the Sea was before them and there was notable crying out Oh! that God would deliver them now they were dead men the Egyptians were come out to destroy them the Mountains were on the side and the Sea before them Now mark what an Answer God gives to their cry cause the people to go forward you keep a crying to me I pray go forward you are not yet at the red sea but go to the red sea and when you are there then cry to me you are idleing and lazing and mistrusting me though the red Sea be before them yet cause them to come thither and when they are there then cry for help to me So thou sayest thou desirest that God would Regenerate thee and quicken thee and turn thy heart vouchsafe thee his holy Spirit do you so I say it is very well the thing is very good but if the desire be sincere you will take that course God bids you art thou come to the utmost difficulty Are not many things to be done which thou refusest to do Must thou not seek God more and more carefully Go forward go forward if thou meanest to have help and aid from God otherwise it is in vain if thou wouldst go on in the wayes of God and do what God Commands thee thou shouldst be quickened and renewed Fourthly Another Vse is for Examination To examine our selves whether the Word of God hath wrought this for us yea or no. And the first sign is this If thou beest born again if thou hast this new Nature then it is natural to thee to do good duties to follow good courses and to yield obedience to the commandements of God it is not enough for a man to do good duties a natural man an unregenerate man may do them but whether is it natural to thee A proud man may do the actions of humility a proud man may pull off his Hat and give the time of the day and speak meanly of himself a proud man may suffer another to do him wrong and put up base language he may do these things but the man is a proud man still he hath no humble nature but the question is whether it be thy nature to do this May be thou dost these things for fear or some by-respects A worldly man may speak of heavenly things but is thy nature heavenly A man may think of God but is thy nature godly Here is the thing If a man be regenerate there is Grace got into a mans nature Jer. 31. 33. when God regenerates his people he saith He will write his laws in their inward parts he doth not only say they shall do these duties but their very hearts shall carry them their very hearts shall go to a Sermon their very souls shall go about the duties of God as it is with the fire water may heat but not by nature but it is the nature of fire to heat So if a man be Regenerate it is natural to him to do good duties Rom. 2. 14. A man by nature may do the things commanded in the Law but here is the question Whether he doth them with this new nature this heavenly nature The old creature may hear and pray and be sober and moral for by nature the Heathen did the things contained in the Law But if a man be Regenerated as he doth the things contained in the Law and Gospel so he doth them with a new nature as Deut. 5. 29. when the Children of Israel had spoken admirable speeches All that the Lord saith to us we will do they made goodly professions now mark what God saith Oh that there were an heart in this people to keep my commandments As who should say These are very good words and I know that you think what you speak but Oh that this were written in your hearts that this were natural to you this will not hold your hearts are not carried this way Secondly If the Spirit of God hath Regenerated a man then the heart begins to be a good soyl for Grace and the heart begins to be sutable so that the heart is fit for Grace A natural heart is not a proper soyl for Grace As if a man should bring a Plant from Spain and set it here in England it cannot thrive unlesse a man meet with a soyl that is fit for it So Grace if it come into the heart and the heart is not a soyl for it it can never thrive there unlesse the heart be Regenerated and unlesse there be a new nature there may be admirable things in a natural man excellent good purposes and resolutions God may come to him as a Passenger that lodgeth for a night but he is gone the next morning he may come as a sojourner to endure for a while but here is no dwelling for him these resolutions and purposes and desires cannot last long that heart will squander them away it is like the putting of a new piece into an old garment Matth. 9. 16. When a man puts a new piece into an old garment a fine new purpose into an old heart a new good desire into an old mind the rent will be worse for that man will return back again and will have his lusts and will be worse then he was before for the heart is not able to hold these 't is true in the best hearts of Gods people is a great deal of unnatural soyl
is dead while she is alive that is dead in pleasure dead in sin dead in the vanity of her own heart and yet such a Widow liveth she liveth not only a natural life but she is alive in her own conceit in regard of a spiritual life for if she conceived she were a dead creature a damned creature it would kill all her pleasure it would kill the heart of any creature under heaven it would break the neck of all her pleasure but in that she took her pleasure it was a plain token that she was not killed Now for the Opening of the Point I will do these Three things First I will shew what this livelinesse is and wherein it consists Secondly I will shew what the effects of it are Thirdly the Uses First I will shew what this livelinesse is and it consists in these Three things I could branch them into Four but I will reduce them into Three Heads 1. First It consists in the non-appearance of a mans dead and damned estate So long as a mans dead and damned estate doth not appear unto him so long a man thinks he is alive and that he is not a dead man he is not a man that hath the sentence of condemnation lying upon him so long as the law hath not come and shewed a man his wretched estate and made his damnable estate appear in its own colours unto him why he is a live man he conceives himself to be alive because the law of God hath not convinced him of the contrary if the law of God doth seise upon a mans heart and in its own colours appear to a mans eyes and hold it self as a glasse to a mans understanding and shews him his wretchednesse and what a cursed estate he is in before God this will kill his very heart and break the livelinesse that is in him and make him burst out into out-cries Oh! I am a dead man I am a damned man so that the livelinesse that is here spoken of consists in the non-appearance of a mans dead and damnable estate As for example an Adulterer his damnable estate doth not appear to him he knows not that he is a dead man as Prov. 9. 18. He knows not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depth of hell when he goes to lie with his Whore and commit his wickednesse he doth not think that they are dead and damned men that are there nor that they are in the pit of Hell Though his Conscience may tell him that he is wicked and sinful and wretched and that he is half dead yet he is not a dead man he is not absolutely a dead man he doth not know this It may be he will confesse it Lord I am a dead man Lord I am a damned man it may be he will confesse this in his prayer because he hath some light but yet his heart is not taken down the liveliness of his heart is not killed I will prove it to you for let another man a Minister of God or a child of God say he is a dead man a damned man one that lies under the wrath of God he will deny it and say he is uncharitable and judgeth hardly and why may he not be a live man and a good Christian he hopes he is he doth not know that he is a dead man as the wise-man speaks Prov. 14. 12. There is a way that seemeth right to a man but the issues thereof are death that is there is a way that seems to be a way of life and a man seems to be alive that walks in that way but the truth is it is a way of death and a man that goeth in that way is a dead man and a damned man but yet in the mean time while he walks in that way it seems to be a way of life unto him there is a non-appearance of the deadnesse and damnednesse of a mans estate and condition that walks in that way and therefore it seems to him to be a right way and a way of life and there is great hope in him that he shall live for evermore and many men do walk in that way and therefore it seems to him to be a right way and a way of life it seems right to a man but the end thereof is death and this is the First thing wherein this liveliness consists the non-appearance of a mans dead and damned estate 2. Secondly It consists in Performance he is able as he conceives to do the duties that God commands he hath wisdom and ability at home to go about his affairs he hath understanding and supply at home he hath life and sufficiency to go about these and these duties and performances let the law tell him he must be sober he hath life to avoid the Ale-house and if he commit a Drunken Act he would have you think he hath grace to be sorry for it and let a man tell him he is a dead man he hath no grace in him no life in him he will tell you he doth thus and thus he hears Gods Word and he Prayes to God and he Trusts in God and he Believes in God your telling of him this doth not kill his heart he thinks he is alive for all this nay let the law of God come and tell him He is a dead man for all his doing this will not kill him neither so long as the Lord himself doth not open his eyes and clear his eye-sight and discover his sins and convince his Conscience though the law say he is a dead man and a damned man this doth not kill him he can wait upon God and perform these and these duties Then let the law of God say He is a dead man for all this he must deny himself why so he will I confesse Lord I am an unrighteous man a wretched man a sinful creature and all my righteousnesse is as menstruous raggs and now he thinks all is well but the law of God hath not yet come home unto him and shewed him his heavie estate but he is alive in regard of the performance of the duty and thinks verily he hath life at home in him whereas if the law of God did come home and charge his estate upon him and shew him what obedience the law requires what severity and truth in the inward parts it would break a mans heart and kill him notwithstanding all performance but in the mean time that a mans heart is not killed and the law hath not given him his deaths wound he thinks he is alive Cry aloud saith God lift up thy voice like a trumpet shew my people their transgressions and the house of Israel their sins Isai 58. 1. there the Lord looks upon the people as dead wretched sinners and abominable people but yet notwithstanding they thought they were alive in performances as we may see vers 2. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my wayes even as a
before he were quite dead when Ahab humbled himself and put on sackcloth and went softly a man would have thought he had been dead but in the next Chapter we may see he is alive again So Ananias and Sapphira one would have thought their covetousnesse had been dead whether they were any of the three thousand that were pricked at Peters Sermon I dispute not but they were pricked and made sensible of their damned estate and pretended to lay down all at the Apostles feet one would have thought their covetousness had been dead but yet it was alive therefore labour that the Gospel may make thee throughly dead The Spiritual Watch. 2 Tim. 4. 5. Watch thou in all things IN the verses going before we have 1. The charge that the Apostle gives to Timothy ver 1. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ that shall judge the quick and the dead There are many duties we are loath to come unto and are tempted from so that we have need of all strong cords to draw us to them 2. We have the thing he gives him this charge for and that is ver 2. Preach the word in season and out of season c. which duty strongly lyeth upon the Ministers of the Gospel to hold forth the Word of God to edifie and convert mens souls 3. Here is the reason why he gives him this charge and that is in the third and fourth verses For the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine c. The more danger there is among people the more instant should Ministers be to preach the Word unto the conscience Now in the verse I have read unto you the Apostle perswades Timothy to watchfulnesse as who should say Though others be careless and negligent yet I would have thee to be watchful consider thou art a Watchman Every Christian is to watch over his own wayes and those that are committed to his charge but Ministers are watchmen over their people therefore here is a double reason to move him to watchfulness both in regard of his own soul and the people he was set over Mark 13. 37. our Saviour saith What I say to you I say to all Watch. And what Paul saith here to Timothy I may say to all Christians Watch in all things For the better handling of this point I will shew you First What it is to watch Secondly The things we must watch Thirdly The reasons of it First What it is to watch And to watch in Scripture is taken two wayes Literally and Spiritually First Watching sometimes is taken Literally and then it signifies a waking when the time or nature calls not for sleep for there is a difference between watching and waking we are all awake at this time or else ought to be but yet we cannot be said to watch but this is to watch when time or nature calls for sleep When a man awaketh all night or the greatest part of the night as Luke 2. 8. The Shepherds were watching their flocks by night And this is two fold either Ordinary or Extraordinary Ordinary watching is contrary to immoderatenesse in sleeping As when a man is sober in eating and drinking and other lawful things so we ought to be sober in our sleep for it is a dangerous thing if we suffer immoderate sleep to fall upon us Now Extraordinary watching is contrary to sleep it self as ordinary watching is contrary to sleepinesse for it takes away our natural sleep which otherwise we are to have And this is for two reasons The first is for a Civil end when we watch with those that are sick as a duty of Charity it is fit that those that are well should break their natural sleep and rest to be helpful to those that are sick this is a Civil end Secondly There is a Spiritual end of extraordinary watching and that is when a man is not only moderate in sleeping but abates himself of that rest he may lawfully take for a Spiritual end As Saint Peter saith Watch unto prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. and the Church Lament 2. 19. watched to humble their souls under Gods hand For sometimes we have need to break our very natural rest for the good of our souls Though we be never so careful and conscionable in the day time yet it may so fall out that the day will not be enough but we must entrench upon the night also to seek the Lord extraordinarily but this watching is not here meant though it be sometimes required But a Spiritual watching is specially meant which includes three things in it First It doth note a readinesse of minde to be drowzy for as in natural and literal watching it doth note a natural proneness to be drowzy either through the darknesse of the night or the heat of the weather or the like so this spiritual watching signifieth unto us that we are naturally subject to be secure spiritually and vain and idle and negligent and have need to be rouzed up for indeed all Commandments since the Fall are such as do not agree with our nature as when he commands us to seek the Lord while he may be found that intimates that we are by nature apt to put it off and to be careless of making our peace with God and when the Lord saith pray alwayes it doth imply how backward we are to that duty how apt to neglect it or to shuffle it over and to be luke-warm in it before the Fall when God did bid man do any thing the bidding of him did imply that if he were not careful he was in a possibility of breaking the commandments it did not argue a proneness to break them but since the Fall the commandements of God whatsoever God hath commanded us to do either for matter or manner of it it implyeth how backward to and untoward we are in doing it Secondly Watchfulnesse doth imply a labour and endeavour in our selves to take off this sinful pronenesse to evil that is in us and to be seriously stirred up to look after our duty whatsoever it is both towards God and towards man we ought to shake off all untowardnesse of spirit whereby we are unfit to watch watchfulnesse implyeth this also Ephes 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead as who should say Shake off thy drowzinesse and labour to break off this folly of heart whereby thou goest dreaming on and rouze up thy spirit and stand upon thy guard The Third and main thing This watchfulness doth include some further businesse or duty to bedone that is not yet performed for watchfulnesse is an act to help forward some further act As for example We are bound to remember God in all our wayes the want of this is the reason we so often sin against God now if we did remember God if we did remember his Holinesse if we did remember the greatnesse of
man is so drowzy that he hath much adoe to keep any Grace alive in himself we are so apt to be so secure that we had need to watch Zech. 4. 1. the Prophet complains of the drowziness of his heart The Angel that talked with me came again and waked me as a man is wakened out of his sleep when God was talking with him he fell into a sleep So when we are in Prayer we have much adoe to hold out in the duty we have such vile natures and cursed dispositions How ought we then to watch over our selves Secondly Another reason why we should be watchful is because our life is a Warfare and we do not lie like two Armies in a field removed one from the other but we lie in the midst of our enemies round about us and so they are ready to surprise us The greatest means of doing us mischief are most commonly those things we have need of as our meat and drink and affaires and callings we cannot go to prayer but worldly thoughts are ready to intangle us we cannot go to the House of God but a man is in danger to be intrapped There is danger in every thing we go about by reason of the worlds powerful enticements therefore we had need to stand upon our Guard and be careful for else how can we avoid to be suprized and led away this is the reason why so many sink into Perdition Many that have given good hopes many that have promised excellent things have come to nothing but have fallen away as the fall of a leafe Whence comes this but because they have not been careful and watchful The Divel is watchful to insnare and intrap us therefore we should watch to avoid his snares As the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 5. 8. Be sober and watchful for your Adversary the Divel goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour The Divel is alwayes busie and therefore we had need watch and busie our selves and be careful at all times when we are secure and consider not God and consider not the good of our Souls and the peace of our Consciences Satan presently hath advantage against us If the Divel had any thing else to do it were something but the Divel hath nothing to do but to hurt us and lay Siege against us All his practice from the beginning of the world to this day is to go roaming and ranging up and down to do mischief it is all his employment from the beginning of the day to the end thereof If he get us alone he will ensnare us there if not there he will ensnare us in company if he cannot get us there he will get us in a Sermon and if any thing falls against our lusts he will cause our hearts to rise against it Now when we do not watch over our selves we are led away by Satan therefore we had need be careful for the Divel is alwayes watchful therefore we should labour to be alwayes provided to resist him Again we have the flesh that is continually about us it is an enemy within us it is that which doth betray us to the World and the Divel even our own hearts do betray us and therefore we had need be careful we have enemies from without and our own hearts within and all to undo us Take a man that is in a good way and hath all means and helps to make him Godly though there be no temptation from without yet he may de damned from his own heart if he be not delivered from it Jam. 1. 14. Every man is tempted by his own lusts and Jam. 4. 5. The Spirit that is within us lusteth to envy and covetousness and security and vanity and carnal ease it lusts after these things and therefore we had need to watch A Third reason is Because it will do us a great deal of good for as if we do not watch we are easily surprized so if we do watch it is an easie thing to stand all our miscarriages in the duties of Religion lye in security whereas if we were watchful and would walk with eyes in our heads and would consider the snares that be laid for us and consider Gods threatnings and Commandments the duties of Religion would be easie For if we do not watch the Divel and the World and the Flesh have advantage against us but if we do watch this is as it were a fence to the heart to hedge a man in to keep him safe Rev. 3. 2. there is an excellent place Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain it is the strength of the soul When a man watcheth let a man have but a little grace suppose a man be marvellously fallen off and hath but a little good remaining a few graces in him a little faith a little hope a little sanctified desire he hath but a little strength to go on against sin if a man doth but now watch if a man do but husband this little how strong will he be A little Faith is able to overcome all the Divels in Hell well managed a little hope is able to keep a man above water from sinking a little strength is able to maintain the Combate a little affection to goodness if a man have a careful heart to improve it to the uttermost will go a great way if a man did but watch it would strengthen the things that remaine Though a man were never so infeebled and come to never so low an ebb watchfulnesse is a stay and strength to the heart Fourthly Again if we do not watch we cannot so much as pray to God to forgive us our consciences tell us unlesse the Lord save us we cannot be saved now how can we expect that God should save us if we do not pray unto him and we cannot pray to him to save us unlesse we watch it is to tempt God to pray to him to preserve us from evil when we do not watch over our selves it is to tempt God to pray to him to quicken us when vve deaden our selves to intreat God to give us an holy mind vvhen vve our selves let in vain thoughts Therefore see vvhat Christ speaks Mar. 14. 38. Watch pray that ye fall not into temptation as vvho should say You cannot pray that you may not enter into temptation you tempt God if you intreat him to do any thing if you do not vvatch over your ovvn souls Though a man hath no Activity to do any good yet God vvill have him be vvatchful if he mean to purifie a man he vvill make him purifie himself if he mean to keep him from pride he vvill make his ovvn heart resist pride therefore watch that thou enter not into temptation if thou mean to pray to God not to lead thee into temptation But you will say All a mans watching will do no good except God watcheth over him Psal 127. 1. Except the Lord keep the City
for Grace but there is some of this good new soyl that Grace now can hold and shall hold so that the gates of Hell shall not prevail it is not for any goodnesse of the heart but for the goodnesse of Grace in the heart there may be transient acts of goodnesse in a wicked man as Prayer and such-like transient acts but when the transient act is done there is a conclusion but nature is permanent and an enduring thing it is not only to come to Prayer and then be dead to come to a Sermon and then be dead but it is a permanent thing a man is godly between Prayer and Prayer and religious between Sermon and Sermon and in all his wayes he sets himself to be good and well disposed all his dayes God complains against those that give him transient acts of goodnesse Oh Ephraim what shall I do to thee that art as a morning cloud c Thirdly If the Spirit of God hath made a man a new nature then he cannot live in sin as the Apostle saith 1 Joh. 3. 9. He that is born of God sinneth not c. he is born of God and it is against his nature to go on in sin a man cannot go against his nature 't is true a man for a little time may go against his nature as Moses though his nature was mild and meek yet he was transported very much Hear ye rebels and shall I bring water out of this rock he was carried away in his passion but he could not hold on in that strain for it was against his nature so if a man be overcome with any other sin yet when a man is renewed as a Spring clears it self of the mud so this new nature is so opposite and contrary to sin that he cannot go on in sin Fourthly If the Spirit of God hath wrought this work in thee then it is pleasant to thee to do the will of God Look what a man is naturally inclined to it is marvellous pleasant to him to follow it As for example If a mans nature be gluttonous how pleasing is it for him to satisfie his Appetite And if a mans nature be given to Intemperance how pleasing is Excess unto him And if a mans nature be proud how pleasing is it to be flattered and spoken fair to be reverenced and respected at every word A man loves these things a-life because they suit with his nature So if a man have a new nature and partakes of the divine nature how pleasing will Prayer be And how pleasing will the Word be how pleasing will Counsels and Exhortations be how pleasing to be corrected and reproved for sin How sweet are thy words unto my mouth saith the Prophet David Psal 119. 103. As our Saviour saith Joh. 4. 34. It is my meat and drink to do his Will that sent me So I have longed for thy Commandments saith David I have loved to know wherein I might glorifie thee and be serviceable to thee Now when it is irksom for a man to obey he cannot abide strictness and preciseness and he counts it a disgrace to him to deny himself in such a thing and he goeth to duty like a Bear to the Stake and he hath no forwardnesse it is a sign he hath no new nature Fifthly If a man be born again Grace will get the upper hand when a man meets with lusts and concupiscence of Soul though they may exceedingly bear a man down for a time and transport a man beyond himself yet in the end Grace will have the victory and prevail 1 Joh. 5. 4. He that is born of God overcomes the world all temptations of the world all pul-backs and draw-backs he that is born of God he will have the mystery so 1 Joh. 5. 18. the Apostle saith The wicked one cannot touch a man that is born of God that is with a deadly touch as he toucheth wicked men he toucheth wicked men so as he infects them and poysons them and carries them away Sixthly He that is born of God he is one that loves the Children of God If there be any Saint in the parish any Child of God there is his affection and bowels most I speak of spiritual affections for otherwise Grace doth not take away nature but set it up having refin'd it But I speak of spiritual love if a man be born of God himself he loves all others that are born of God 1 Joh. 5. 1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and he that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten If a man loves God that begets he must needs love them that are begotten of God Lastly If a man be born again then a man labours to do good and to spread the Knowledge of Jesus Christ to the glory of God He loves to be communicating that he hath he that hath this Spirit loves to be breathing upon others and would fain seatter his sweet things up and down where he goeth and would fain leave a sweet savour of himself wheresoever he comes this is the nature of him that is born again and regenerate to beget others That man is unworthy to be born by whom another is not born as we say when a man is born again he labours to beget others to God to be generative and fruitful and abundant in doing good up and down he labours to beget his Children and Family to God and to draw his neighbours and acquaintance unto God he would fain have people know Christ and obey him and submit unto him Thus you see the signs whereby we may know Whether we be born again or no CHRISTIANS Ingrafting into CHRIST 1 Cor. 12. 13. For by one Spirit are we all Baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Grecians whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit WEE have spoken of Regeneration which is a work of the Spirit and the first implanting of a man into Christ Now we come to speak of a new work of the Spirit The implanting of a man into the Church the Body of Christ when the Spirit makes a man to be a Member of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ and this is done all under one for being once ingrafted in Christ we come to be fellow-Members with all those that are Christs and this we have here in the Text By one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body c. The Apostles meaning is this All we that are the people of God we are all one Body and the efficient cause of this is the Spirit of God it is by the Spirit that we are made thus and the instrumental cause though it be not here expressed yet it is implyed and that is Faith and the means of confirming this Faith are the Two Sacraments First The Sacrament of Baptisme we are baptized into the same Body Secondly The Sacrament of the Lords Supper intimated in