an argument from Gods judging of men to prove that God must needs see O sayes he it is he that chastiseth the hea hen shall not hee correct hee that teacheth man knowledge shall not he know vers 10. q. d. yee deny God to be judge if hee say hee does not know how can he correct them will he judge men for that he knowes not what no if he be the judge of the whole World he must needs know all that men doe The use of this is First is it so that God knowes all mens sinfull courses if men be dead-hearted he knowes it if they be heartles in good duties he knowes it though they would be loth that men should know what they are and doe keepe it from them yet they cannot dawb it before God he knowes it then this may serve to confute them that say God does not know sin This was Averroes his opinion who sayes God does not know sin God knows all that ever he knowes by knowing of himselfe and how can hee know sin because hee can see no such thing in himselfe I answer this is to derogate from the knowledge of God and to deny the perfection of it True sin is an evill yea the greatest evill of all evills yet the knowledge of it is good nay it were strange to say that God does not know who sin against him that were a pity if men be abused wee say it were pity but that they should know of it and if wee doe love them wee tell them who they be that abuse them and what the abuses are Certainly God knowes who doe abuse him and how people carry themselves towards all his Commandements and worship it is a part of his perfection to know it Againe we our selves may know sin and may know sin by the contrary as wee know what darknesse is by the contrary which is light and shall we say that God doe not know it God damnes all the wicked one after another for it and therfore he does know it nay we see that God brings secret things to light here in this World when people had thought that no body should ever come to know it yet hee does often bring secret sinnes to light here in this World how much more at the last day And though God knowes all that ever he knowes by looking upon himselfe and sin be not there but nothing but good and goodnesse it selfe yet hee can know it as a Medium to bring good out of it And so it is good as he wils it and therefore hee decrees it and therefore he must needs know it and know it in himself For the permission onely of it is in himself and the acting which is evill is out of himselfe neither does it follow that Gods understanding should become vile by knowing so many vile things as Vorstius and others do blasphemously astirme thence they would conclude their cursed Atheisticall axiomes we indeed may make our selves vile by looking upon vile and base things because we cannot keepe our hearts from savouring of them whose end is damnation c. who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 19. that is their minde becomes vile by so doing Hereby people come to be unacquainted with God and with Heavenly things They know how to buy and sell how to earne and get gaine how to plough and sow and such earthly things and they do so savour their minds that they make their minds base with them and therefore we are commanded to ennoble our minds and understandings for these things make them vile and therefore we should think of them no oftner then needs must for our minds are debased by base objects This is to be meant in regard of us not as though any thing that God hath made were vile but our corruption makes us vile when we looke upon vile things we are apt to run a whoring after them and our affections to bee hampered by them but God can daily and every howre see and looke what vile things men doe for he keepes a continuall and an uninterrupted hatred of them as the Psalmist sayes he is angry with the wicked every day so hee hates their courses every day Againe does God know all mens sins then this confutes the Anomists that say God cannot see the sins of his people God sees no sin in his people say they abusing that place there of Balaam Hee hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seene transgression in Israel Numb 23. 21. what 's this but to pervert Scripture hee speakes there of the eye of his Justice He does not speake of the eye of his Knowledge He speakes of such things as is in the wicked That indeed God doe not see in his people for it is not there to be seene otherwise if Gods people sin God makes them know and confesse that hee sees it as David sayes O God thou knowest my foolishnesse and my sinnes are not hid from thee Psal 69. 5. The garments of salvation that God puts upon his people are not to hoodwinke Gods Al-seeing Knowledge but to keep of the destroying Angell Secondly another use is to condemne the most sorts of men that doe not consider of this truth they little thinke that God sees all their doings I feare there is hardly any among us that will seeme to deny but that God can see all his wayes and yet we see it is too apparent by mens lives that few men do believe this indeed There is this vile Atheisme sculking in all our hearts naturally otherwise we durst not doe as wee doe that either God is such a God as the Epicures made him that sits in Heaven and regards not what men doe here below or at least we doe not charge this truth on our hearts that God sees us this is the cause of all the sinnes that are among us That there is so much luke warmenesse in the better sort so much heartlesnesse in holy performances before God so much wickednesse among others for why if men did seriously consider that Gods sees all and markes all nay hee markes all that men do so curiously that hee can set them in order before them all that ever they have done Psal 50. 21. in the same order that they committed them marke he can set before us in order all that ever we doe from day to day this sin then and that sin then such a sin wee did at such a time such sins in the morning such at noone such the last night such lusts were in our hearts in such a place and such in such a place hee can set them in order before us he knowes them so well and will too before he hath done I say if wee did charge this upon our soules we could not live so loosely as we doe You will say yea but we are Christians why do you tell us such a known truth what need so many arguments to prove that God knowes all our sinnes wee
and therefore it awakens the soule to be earnest to please him in all things for the time to come the soule was dead and carelesse and drowzie and neglectfull of obedience goodnesse holinesse humility purenesse strictnesse precisenesse of walking it cared not for these things afore but when true repentance comes in it wheeles about the life of the soule towards God now the cares shall be to him now the endeavours make after him paines labours cautious watchfulnesse considerativenesse studious striveings and all 's active that way now so that if a man be still dead his repentance is false Againe to goe over all the duties of religion they all must be done with life to doe them with a dead heart is as good as not to doe them at all First prayer suppose we pray at Church and pray in our families and pray in our closets is this all to pray with a dead heart as if we cared not whether we sped or no no pullings of our heart downe before God no wrastlings with God for what we aske no liftings of our soules up no fastnings of our minds upon his presence no cryes no mournings no importunity but the heart as lumpish and unweldy as a stone is this praying no sayes David quicken us O Lord that we may call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. Secondly for hearing of the word It is not thy hearing of it so many times a weeke though thou must heare it as often as ever thou canst and those that will not no hearing as frequently as they may are high despisers of God his Ordinances but yet if thou hearest the word with a dead heart thy hearing is made as no hearing it is said of those primitive converts that they were pricked in their hearts as they were hearing Act. 2. 37. they onely got good by their hearing they heard the word with life so it is said of many of Christs hearers they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they laye upon him they preased upon him Luk. 5. 1. in another place it is said that they hung upon him they were attentive and eager to him our Saviour Christ says it is a very great judgement to be dull of hearing Matth. 13. 15. when people set as if the word did not concerne them when they heare without any motion or affection the word hardly joggeth their hearts it hardly shaketh their conscience at all the word does neither delight them nor wound them nor pierce them it heales none of their sinnes it cannot get betweene them and their lusts when they have heard a Sermon they goe away just as they came they sinde nothing now to doe it does not dragge them one jot more out of the world nor an inch neerer heaven their carriage is much at one as it was when they come home it cannot be perceived that ever they were at the word as earthly as ever as carnall as ever as backward to all goodnesse as ever this is no hearing at all Thirdly for sanctifying of the Lords day it is said of the Sabboth that we should call it our delight Isa 58. 13. that is we should keep it with life it should even quicken up our hearts to think it is coming we should be revived to consider Gods goodnesse that he would give us such a day seeing we have so much need of it when we have been six dayes about our owne businesse in the world that we should have a seventh given us of God lest we should be over head and ears in the world to take off our hearts now when this is no delight to us our hearts are dead to it we doe not sanctifie it indeed but prophane it as though it were not honorable and the house of the Lord. Fourthly for taking hold of an opportunity to doe good this is a duty too to be done with all life how glad should we be if there be any opportunity for us to shew our love to God or our hatred to sin we should be willing to ride or goe or be at charges nay we should deny our selves and lay downe our gaines and credits and goods and friends and all that we have at Christs Foot and blesse God that gives us such a price in our hands but now we have a dead heart to this what a horrible thing is this though we doe take the opportunity yet to goe about it as though we were sorry that God hath given it unto us this is meere folly as Solomon sayes Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a Foole to get wisedome seeing he hath no heart to it Proverbs 17. 16. Fifthly In one word for all the wayes of God there 's neere a one of them all that can be walkt in aright without a live heart as the Prophet sayes Lord turne away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken me in thy way Psal 119. 37. now when we goe dreamingly on as though we could not doe withall though the way be God's yet our going in it is stark naught and little better then not going in it at all and therefore the Lord accepts not of it when we humble our selves before God to hang downe our â—eads â—ike a bull-rush it 's naught it 's naugh the Lord cannot away with it when we conferre about the word or any gracious and Godly theme to speake as if we had no saveur of it no pleasure in it when our hearts would rather be on another subject and never lin till they have wound all good talke out if we speake one word to edification there shall be twenty to that one that shall serve to no other end but to the hardening of one another when Christ and the two disciples were communing together their hearts burned in them did not our hearts burne within us while he talked with us by the way Luk. 24. 32. that was talking with life But when our hearts are as cold as a flint this we may call talking but holy conference it cannot be termed Thus ye see a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all no grace is without life no duty can be done without life the reasons of this are First because this is all one as to have no grace at all though a man be a member of the congregation of the Lord though he have the seales of the covenant and professe the faith of Jesus and be as morall in his life as ever any of the heathen and as full of good duties as ever any hypocrite was and more too yet if he have not life yet he is but a tinckling cymball he hath no grace at all I meane no saving grace at all saving grace the Apostle cals it the grace of life 1 Pet. 3. 7. It is the grace of life it breeds life in him that hath it it makes him alive towards God it lets out the life of his heart in every good word and worke it makes him pray with life
dead conscience there 's no life in it at all when the conscience hath life in it once then it hath power over a man as the Church sayes my soule made me like the Chariots of Aminadab Cant. 6 12. that is my conscience was very forcible and powerfull in me it made me goe after Jesus Christ nay it carried me freely like the Chariots of Aminadab But when the conscience can whisper and onely finde fault and hath no power at all with it to make one obey from day to day this is a dead conscience Fifthly deadnesse of affection when the affections are clumbzie and will not move towards God and all supernaturall things when a mans affections are lively enough in other things and too lively But hee 's like a block in good duties he hath no affections to them nor in them These are affections out of order mortifie your inordinate affections sayes the Apostle Colos 3. 5. that is your affections must not be out of order if they be alive to the things here below ye must turne the life of them another way ye must kill them that way and let the life of them run out towards God and his service and worship now when the affections will not move this way at all then they are dead Thus ye see what I meane by a dead Christian Now that such a one is as good as no Christian at all is very plaine goe through all Christianity and you shall finde this to be true in every passage First for conversion conversion is not onely the turning of a man from wicked wayes unto good but so as to be quickened up in them Conversion puts another life into a man when we were dead in sinnes he hath quickened us together with Christ Eph. 2 5. that is conversion is the quickening of a man not onely the turning of a man from not praying to praying from not hearing of the word to hearing of the word from not sober to be sober from not chaste to be chaste from not professing Christian religion to be a professor of it but also it is the quickening of a man up in it it is the putting of a new life into a man and therefore to be converted meerely from the one to the other is just nothing as long as a man is dead-hearted to the same Secondly for beleeving should a man leane himself upon God should a man apply all the promises of the Gospell to his soule and credit all that 's contained in the Covenant of grace alas what of all this if this man be dead still True faith produces life as Christ sayes he that liveth and beleeveth in me Joh. 11. 26. True faith carries life with it wheresoever it is and therefore if a man have such a faith as lets him be dead still it is as good as nothing faith it may be Put true faith it cannot be if thou wouldst be able to say thou beleevest in Jesus Christ thou must be able to say that thou livest in him too it is impossible that a man should rightly beleeve in Christ and be dead Thirdly for hoping in God it may be thou hast hope that thou art a good Christian that thou hast a part in the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ thou hast a hope of the heavenly inheritance that thou shalt be saved in that day now if thy hope be a dead hope if it doe not quicken thee up to beat downe thy worldly lusts to serue thee up towards God more and more to carry thee on through thick and thin thy hope is not worth a rush True hope is lively he hath begotten us again to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. it is not a dead hope that lies sluggishly and blockishly in him that hath it not stirring him up every day but it lies like a carcase in the heart to little or no purpose no no this is as good as no hope at all True hope is a lively hope it revives a man up to the Kingdome of God it beares a man aloft in good duties it fortisies a man against daily temptations Fourthly for repenting what ever thou hast to say for repenting canst thou plead never so many teares for thy sinnes a thousand changes and reformings yet if thou hast not gotten out of a dead temper thou art yet under an impenitent heart true repentance is to life Act. 11. 18. True repentance rends the heart it shewes sin to be the greatest evill and so it rowzes a man daily up to take heed of it it makes us see what a God we have dishonour'd and therefore it awakes the soule to be earnest to please him in all things for the time to come The soule heretofore was dead to all holinesse and purenesse and precisnesse and humblenesse and mortifiednesse of walking it was dead to such things heretofore but when true repentance comes in it turnes about the life of the soule towards God now the cares shall be to him now the endeavours make after him paines labours cauâ—eloâ—snesse watchfulnesse circumspection consideration all are active now towards him so that if a man be still dead his repentance is false Fifthly for praying suppose we pray at Church and pray in our Families and pray in our Closets is this all alas if we pray with a dead heart no pullings of our heart downe before God no wrastlings with God for what we aske no heaving of our soules up no fastnings of our mindes on his presence no favouring of Jesus Christ no yearnings to the throne of grace this is as good as no praying at all no sayes David quicken us O Lord and we will call upon thy name Psal 80. 18. Sixthly for hearing of the word Though thou heare it never so often and duly yet that is not it if thou hearest it with a dead heart thy hearing is little better then no hearing our Saviour Christ sayes it 's a great Iudgement to be dull of hearing Matth. 13. 15. when the people sit as if the word did not concerne them when they heare without any motion or affection the word hardly joggeth their hearts the word does neither delight them nor warme them nor pierce them nor touch them it heales none of their sinnes it cannot get between them and their lusts when they have heard a Sermon they goe away just as they came it does not drag them one jot more out of the world nor an inch nearer heaven the carriage is much at one as it was when they come home it can hardly be perceived that ever they were at the word as earthly as ever as carnall as ever as backward to all goodnesse as ever This is as good as no hearing at all Seventhly for taking hold of opportunities to doe good This is a duty too to be done with all life How glad should we be if there be any opportunity for us to shew our love unto God or our hatred
to sinne we should be willing to ride or goe or be at charges nay we should be willing to deny our selves to lay downe our names and goods and friends and respects and all that we have at Christs foot and blesse God that gives us such a price in our hands But now to have a dead heart to this what a horrible thing is it though we doe take the opportunity yet to goe about it as though we were sorry that God hath given it unto us This is meere folly as Solomon sayes wherefore is there a price in the hand of a foole to get wisdome seeing he hath no heart to it Prov. 17. 16. But I will not repeat any more you see now that a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all I shewed you the reasons of this point but I will let them passe I come now to the uses And first this is for the reproof of the deadnesse that is now among us the Lord may say to us as he did unto Sardis I know thy workes thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead for notwithstanding the great means of life that the Lord hath placed among us O how does deadnesse of heart reigne we are like them the Prophets speakes of that drew nigh to God with their mouth and honoured him with their lips but their heart was far from him Matth. 15. 8. they had no heart to his holy worship So it is with most of us we draw nigh to God with our outward man but our heart is farre from him no heart to prayer no heart to the word we heare it peradventure but no heart to it at all how ordinarily doe we come to Gods house but heartlesnes hath dominion over the most of us the doctrine of the Gospell does not quicken up our hearts we deale with it as Phinehas his wife did with her Sonne when the women about her told her she had a Sonne the text sayes she did not regard it So what little regard have we of the Gospell of God! I stretched out my hands and no man would regard Prov. 1. tell us of our damned estate by nature how cursed we are from the wombe what infinite need we have to be sensible of it we know it but how dead is our knowledge of it it does not stirre up our hearts to consider of it neither does it prick us so much as the pricking of a pin tell us of the the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ his precious bloud his passion and merits whose heart is enlivened and quickened up by them nay our soules are hardly moved at all at the hearing of them Tell us of the Kingdome of heaven the marriage Supper of the lamb his Oxen and his fatlings O they are all ready come Sirs come to the marriage we are even as they in the parable they made light of it Matth. 22. 5. these things are made as if they were of no moment as if they were light matters they finde poore entertainement at our hands what little irk somnesse do we feele in sinne what little dejectednesse of heart what little remorse of conscience nay few know by experience what humiliation meanes we can confesse in our prayers how vile we are and how unworthy and how wretched and sinnefull but as though these were words of course our hearts are so dead that there is little or no relenting at it we can say we are undone if God doe not heare us our prayers are all nothing except they be with faith and life and yet who strives to awaken and rowze up himselfe we can say O how are we beholding to God for life for health for his daily good providence for his patience his bounty and we can say it is not the bare naming of his Blessings before him that is counted thanksgiving without being affected with his infinite goodnesse and yet who does unseignedly labour to be affected with them from day to day no body of us dares deny but that we should set the Lord alwayes before us tthat he may be at our right hand and yet who hath the heart to provoke this hereunto The devill may be of their right hand not God for all the pains that they take to have him there So that dead-heartednes is a common evill now a dayes as Christ saies of the last times Because iniquity shall abound The love of many shall waxe Cold Matth 24. 12. so it is now because iniquity abounds the most are prophane and dissolute and licentious and loose therefore many that profession love to Jesus Christ their love does grow cold and dead no life heardly at all no signe that they are alive from the dead if they doe beleeve after a manner there 's all they doe not live in Jesus Christ if they have any hope of mercy or heaven that 's all they have it is not a lively hope that may quicken them up in Gods holy wayes if they doe see their sinnes there 's the utmost it is a dead sight that does not excite them up unto strictnesse and precisenesse of living if they doe follow good and godly duties alas there be few that doe so but if they doe goe so farre it is cleane without heart and life as though any thing would serve Gods turne well enough what a horrible thing i' st when a dead Christian is as good as no Christian all No matter how many Christians we have alas none of us are true but such as are alive from the dead Secondly is it so that a dead Christian is even as good as no Christian at all then learne hence my Brethren what a dangerous thing it is to be a dead hearted Christian First all that we doe with a dead heart 't is as good as nothing as Paul sayes of love had we all faith and all knowledge yet if we have not love we are nothing 1 Cor. 13. 2. Whatsoever we doe if we doe not doe it out of love all 's nothing so I may say of life whatsoever good duty we doe if we doe not doe it with life it is but a dead worke and therefore it is no more then nothing when the prophet David would doe good duties so as to doe them to good purpose indeed you shall see how he labours against a dead heart Quicken me after thy loving kindnesse so shall I keepe the Testimony of thy mouth Psal 119. 88. so we may say too Lord quicken me after thy loving kindnesse so shall I preach so shall I heare so shall I doe thy holy will so shall I goe up and downe doing good now as long as a man does it with a dead heart it is even all one as if a man had not done it at all a dead man is no man as the Apostle sayes God quickens the dead and calls things that are not marke dead things are no things so dead workes are no workes as Solomon sayes There is
when the heart comes once to be willing towards God now every thing is possible I may say of him as Christ saith of faith All things are possible to him that beleeves Mark 9. 23. so all things are possible to him that willeth as we use to say there is nothing hard to a willing minde And therefore godly men in Christ Jesus the Apostle cals them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2 Tim. 3. 12. Fourthly because this takes in the manner of good duties too as well as the matter it is more a thousand times then the bare doing of them a dead heart will serve to doe them Put when the heart is made willing this is more then the bare naked deed as Paul sayes to the Corinthians about Almes ye have begun not onely to doe but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be willing a yeare agoe 2 Cor. 8. 10. as he sayes of his preaching if I doe it willingly I have a reward but if against my will c. 1 Cor. 9. 17. that is q. d. I may preach indeed I may have so much heart to it as to doe the deed alas that is nothing because if I doe it willingly this is it this is it brethren this is the right manner too Fifthly this is an argument that the heart hath an inward principle what is the life of the heart but an inward principle of acting looke where the heart is alive there it workes from within there needs no compulsion to a covetous heart to have regard of his profit no he regards it most willingly he hath an inward principle to regard it and therefore he is alive to it now when the heart puts forth its will towards God now it hath an inward principle of agency it needs no constraint as Peter sayes to Ministers feed the flock of God not by constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5. 2. that is doe it very lively doe it with an inward principle not because ye see others feed not because ye see the disgrace what will people thinke if I should not preach constantly not because ye dare not doe otherwise conscience will flye in your face alas ye may doe it that 's with a dead heart But doe it willingly where note this is the hearts life this is an inward principle of the heart now the heart will doe it though no body else doe it though he be hated for his labour though he have no thanke for his paines among men Thus ye see this is the life of the heart Now for your better understanding we will open this more particularly this willingnesse of the heart you see in the life of the heart and it containeth seven things First the inclinations of the heart Secondly the intentions of the heart Thirdly the Elections of the heart Fourthly the aversations of the heart Fifthly the appropiating of the heart Sixthly the savourings of the heart Seventhly the carings of the heart Beloved these are the living acts of the heart if these be converted to God in you now your hearts are alive towards him These make up the whole willingnesse of the heart First then the inclinations of the heart it may doe a thousand thousand good things with a dead heart But marke if your hearts be inclined towards God then ye serve God with a live heart if the Lord hath inclined your heart to him I have inclined my heart to performe thy Statutes alwayes even to the end Psal 119. 112. Hath God made you doe thus hath he inclined your heart to his name once ye were without heart but now he hath inclined your heart to doe good now ye finde sweet inclinations to every good duty ye doe not goe to them as a Beare to the Stake but now ye have an inward disposition to them he hath given you a feeling of your sinnes and your wants and that caryes you to Prayer a feeling of your Ignorance and forget fulnesse and that carries you to Sermons that ye may learne more of God that ye may see more into your owne unworthynesse that ye may be stirred up in all his wayes ye doe not onely shunn your owne iniquities in some measure but your heart is inclined unto it inclined to thinke of God inclined to holy talke inclined towards them that are Godly-minded ye had no disposition to the works of God heretofore but now the Lord hath not onely put you upon them but inclined your heart towards them ye â—â—ele inward impressions that bowes you others may be have good talke but you feele an unfeigned desire to be edisied and that bowes you unto it Others may be doe good things but the Lord hath bent your heart to them when you went to good duties heretofore ye went against the hare as a Stone does upwards but now in some measure the Lord hath put in a new nature and ye feele an internall mover This is life now Secondly the intentions of the heart we have a saying in Divinity voluntas sua natura vult finem the heart naturally wils the end now if God were our end if communion with him and sanctifying of God in our hearts and lives were our end our heart could not be dead towards his wayes nay we should be very eager after them all all our deadnesse comes from this that God is onely a matter by the by with us But if he were our end then we would be mainely for him and how to approve our selves to him Would we talke as we doe if edification were our end would we keep such company as we doe if mutuall helpe towards eternall life were our end Looke what the heart does intend from day to day the heart is very earnest after it therefore those that intend to rise if they can in the world they are very earnest in the pursuit after the same flatter fawne please humor they will doe any thing to the attaining of it if it be to rid a 100 miles it 's nothing with them if it cost them never so much O how greedy are they if a man intend to gather an estate if he can or to live in pleasure if he can all the world are eager in their intentions the heart runnes naturally on after it's ends Now when the heart is alive towards God these intentions are towards him now the heart standeth thus so I may obey God so I may take heed of dishonouring God so I may keep my heart close to him this is that I doe desire now I goe to worke so I may keep the world from carying away my heart I shall be glad now I am going to Prayer so I may draw down a blessing and get some farther help to walke before God this is the thing I ayme at now I goe to be in such a company so I may discharge a good conscience carry my selfe well and not bring dishonour to God and the like you may see this in Paul what was the matter he was
his conscience justified God O he deales very rightly with me The Lord is righteous 2 Chron. 1â— 6. so Adonibezek when the Lord brought that lamentable judgement on his head his conscience likâ— of Gods doings as I have done so God hath done to me so againe the conscience awakened may like of Gods commandements as Moses tels Israel that God gave them no other Commandements but such as were right and wise and good in the sight of the Heathen Deut 4. 6 7 8. that is they were such commandements that the Heathens thought in their conscience were good Againe the conscience somewhat awakened may like of Gods people that walke according to those Lawes and Commandements you may see this in Balaane O that I might dye the death of the righteous Numb 23. 10. his conscience lik't of their courses so Sauls conscience did approve Davids courses Thou art more righteous then I 1 Sam. 24. 17. A conscience somewhat awakened may like of the best preaching and the strictest preachers never man spake like this man O how mightily they lik't him Herod lik't Iohn admirably he was glad for to heare him profane Israel did wonderfully like the Sacrament of Gods presence when the Arke of God came into the Camp they shouted with a great shout that the earth rang againe 1 Sam. 4. 5. now when a carnall man perceives this work to be in him he is apt to conceive this is true grace of life Beloved you see this is very false Thou mayst like of Gods dealings with thee yea thou mayst thinke in thy conscience he deales very rightly with thee though it be never so bitter thou mayst thinke in thy conscience his commandements are good though they be never so strict thy conscience may like his Ministers and like his precepts and like his Ordinances and his Sacraments and yet be a dead conscience Secondly a conscience somewhat awakened may oblige a man to all manner of good things it may lay the commandements of God to his charge conscience may make him say not onely that the commandements are good but that it is his duty to doe them we see this by experience in many carnall people tell them of any commandement what is their answer Oh you say well I confesse it is my duty every drunkard will say thus I it is my duty never to be drunken the swearer will say thus you say right it is very true I confesse I should not take Gods name in vaine and therefore they are said to be under the Law Rom. 3. 19. that is they are bound in conscience to the Law their conscience tels them they ought to doe it their conscience layes it on them as a bond as the mad Prophet said must I not take heed to speake what God bids me speake Num. 23. 12. conscience layed a must upon his soule And this is the reason why a naughty heart will put off a commandement of God if he can when he sees it goes against his profit or his ease or his credit for he knowes if he yeeld it to be a commandement of God his conscience will come over him and say why then ye must doe it as we read of the Priests and the Elders they would not yeeld that Iohns Baptisme was from heaven O if we should yeeld that why then Christ will say why doe ye not beleeve Mat. 21. 25. mark the conscience comes over a man in all that he knowes God hath commanded and it layes it to his charge and you must doe this and you must doe that this is your duty now when men see this they are apt to conclude that their conscience is alive they thinke this is the life of their conscience to lay Gods commandements to their charge Alas brethren the conscience may be dead for all this you see this in people that are dead in trespasses and sinnes All that the Lord speakes that must I doe Num. 23. 26. it was the speech of a very wretch thou mayst have this principle in thy conscience all that the Lord bids me that must I doe and yet be a dead man O how does this beguile people because they feele such a principle in their conscience a dayes O thinkes one all that the Lord bids me that must I doe when people feele such a principle as this they thinke they are well now if they doe offend at any time they hold it to be but their infirmity and there 's an end But this is very false the conscience may have this principle in it and be dead Thirdly a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled about his sinnes he may be troubled before he commits he may be very loth to commit them as we see there in Herod when he was betrayed with his rash Oath and he was now tempted to behead John the Baptist his conscience made him very loth to doe it the Text sayes â—â— was exceeding sorrowfull Mark 6. 26. and the contempt shewes it was meerely because he thought in his conscience he should doe very ill to behead so good a man and therefore he was very loth he was troubled in conscience about it so was Darius when the Princes had wound him to cast Daniel into the Lions Denne he was moved troubled in conscience about it he was very loth to doe it he sought a good while how to put off the temptation by getting away how to avoyd this great sinne Dan. 6. 14. so was Pilot troubled in conscience about the condemning of Christ he went to it with a heavy heart and as a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled before the committing of sinne so he may be troubled in the committing of it An example of this we have in Saul when he committed that sin in sacrificing before Samuel came he was troubled in conscience in the very act I forced my selfe and offered a burnt offering 1 Sam. 13 12. Marke he did not commit the sinne hand-smooth as some doe but he felt a reluctancy againstit Againe a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled exceedingly after the committing of sinne when Iudas had betrayed our Saviour you see how his conscience was troubled after he had done O sayes hee I have sinned in betraying innocent blood Matth. 27. 4. especially at the hearing of a searching Sermon or at a Fast also then the conscience if it be onely awakened a little will be troubled exceedingly for his sinnes when Samuel kept a Fast there at Mizpah the Text shewes how they were smitten in conscience for their sinnes in so much that they cryed out in the open congregation we have sinned against the Lord 1 Sam. 7. 6. and yet many of these very men by and by shewed the rottennesse of their hearts so that this is another gall when men feele a lothnesse in them to commit sinne trouble of conscience before and at and after they thinke this is true grace doubtlesse doubtlesse their conscience hath life Fourthly conscience somewhat awakened
for his conscience he called it up every day he was active about it so that the stirrings that are in wicked men they are none of theirs but Gods meerly to pull them out of the bottomlesse pit if it might be in the meane time his conscience is as dead as himselfe Thus ye see what the life of the conscience is First there is a relative life of conscience the conscience is alive when the man is alive Secondly the conscience is alive when it makes duty so that it makes the man do his duty too when it does not onely check for evill and accuse for evill and condemne for evill and prompt a man that he should take heed of evill but it make a man doe his duty in all these so also when it does not onely urge a man to that which is good and excuse him and approve him but in all these it makes him doe his duty too so likewise when it counsels it does not onely counsell and dictate what is to be done and what not but it so does all these particulars that it makes the man to doe his duty in sincerity from day to day This is alive conscience Now that this is the live conscience I prove it unto you by five Arguments 1. Because conscience was made not onely to doe all these acts but to make a man to doe his so that when conscience does its own acts never so much that 's nothing to the life of conscience does thy conscience check thee and smite thee does it whisper never so much in thee this is no Argument it 's alive except it make thee to be obedient unto God Conscience was given man for this purpose and therefore then onely is it alive when it is for this purpose in thy Bosome when David would get up out of his temptations you may see how he got up by conscience I communed with my owne heart and my spirit sayes he made diligent search Psal 77. 6. that is he communed with his conscience what he knew about God and so got himselfe up this is thy consciences office to tell thee what thou hast heard out of the word and that is not all but to lead thee guide thee as the helme does the Ship It is given thee to be thy keeper as he sayes J was upright before him and I kept my selfe from my iniquity Psal 18. 23. that is this is my iniquity this is the sinne that I am most inclined to I must keepe my selfe from that Thus his conscience was his keeper under God Secondly another argument is because this is the way whereby godly people doe their duties their conscience makes them doe their duty it makes them beleeve it makes them feare God it makes them eschew evill and doe good from day to day Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Psal 103. 2. when the Prophet would doe this duty he made his conscience presse it soundly upon him to doe it so when he would waite upon God he set his owne soule and conscience upon him to make him to doe it waite on the Lord be of good courage he will strengthen thy heart waite I say upon the Lord Psal 27. 14. Thirdly another argument is this is the description of those that have a live conscience they are such as make themselves doe their duties continually as the Apostle sayes He that hath this hope in him purisieth himselfe even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3. 3. that is he is a man that makes himselfe doe his duty his owne soule and conscience sayes thus unto him Christ is a pure Christ and I must be like him as ever I hope that he will bring me into his kingdom and this makes him doe his duty he purisieth himselfe even as he is pure I could quote abundance of places to prove this Fourthly another argument is when God speakes to any that are alive from the dead to doe their duties towards him he bids them make themselves to doe their duties on this manner so Saint Paul sayes Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the sight of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. that is goe and aske your owne soule and conscience what have I not these and these promises why then I must labour to be cleansed from all manner of sinne I must perfect holinesse in the feare of God now sayes he let us make our selves doe our duties thus Nay fifthly when God speakes to them which are yet dead and would turne them home unto him he bids them doe thus in regard of the meanes turne your selves and live you Ezek. 18. 32. that is Let your owne soules and consciences consider this is the way to live ye cannot be saved without turning as ever I would live for ever I must be turned from all my sinfull courses make your selves doe your duties in this manner that is use all the meanes that the Lord hath given you to use make your selves goe about it not as though any man hath free will to turne himselfe But he speakes of the use of all meanes that he puts into your hands make your selves to use them nay no soule can ever look to be saved except he doe not onely let his conscience check him and tell him thus and thus his duty is but also let his conscience make him doe his duty too so that this must needs be the life of the conscience when it does not onely doe its owne duty to check and to whisper but also it makes a man to doe his The use of this is first then we see here how few have live consciences for people have consciences that doe onely tell them they should be more carefull they should give over such and such sins they should beleeve and they should be zealous and they should be more setled but O how few have consciences that make them doe their duties Numb 15. 40. that ye may remember and doe all my commandements and be holy unto your God REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead WE are come to speake of this necessary point when is a man quickened up towards God and all his holy wayes We have shewed you three things concerning this already First what the life of the minde is Secondly what the life of the heart is Thirdly what the life of the conscience is Now there remaines two more the one is the life of the memory the other is the life of the affections Fourthly then what is the life of the memory for the memory too may be dead and the memory may be alive First the memory may be dead when a man may be remembers if ye aske him a thing he can tell it aske him of a Sermon he can tell the Text and the points and the particulars that were delivered in the Sermon but here 's all it 's a dead memory he never remembers it to
to doe good nay does he not shrinke and winch and draw back we see thus in the Jewes how irksome the Sabbath was to them when they were held from buying and selling O that the Sabbath were over Am. 8. 5. it may be men doe not finde the Sabbath so tedious now because they help themselves by talking of the world by taking liberty that way but if they were held to it as they ought to be would they not wish it to be over The like we may see in the young man what an irksome thing was it to him to heare that he must fell away all the Text sayes he was sad at that saying Mark 10. 22. now is not this too a very hideous thing to be dead-hearted when it makes all the wayes of God tedious nothing should be more delightfull unto us then they they are perfect freedome there is great reward in them they are the best wayes in the world all his wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all his pathes are peace and if we were quickened in our hearts we would say so too as the Apostle speakes when he had said that none of Gods Commandements are grievous 1 Joh. 5. 3. in the next words he gives a reason of it O sayes he He that is borne of God overcometh the world that is he that hath the life in him that cometh from above he hath gotten above the world he hath past all the irksomnesse of them The irksomenesse of any commandement does not lie in the commandement that is sweet and pleasant but it lyes in the deadnesse of the heart a dead heart will ever count them grievous Seventhly as religion is an irksome thing to a dead heart so a dead heart if it should take it up it will in the end be weary of it as we see in the example of Israel when they grew to be dead-hearted towards God at last they were weary of his worship they went and devised othergets worships an easier kinde of religion they were weary of his Thou hast beene weary of me O Israel Isa 43. 22. we see this in Judah too Behold what a wearinesse is it Mal. 1. 13. this is too plaine and palpable how are we growne weary of God and of his pure service we have had the Gospell so long till we are even weary of it weary of sanctity weary of spirituall truth whence are all innovations but because people are weary of the old way many that have been very forward in preaching and in hearing and very zealous of good courses they begin to abate to side with the times to remit of their former strictnesse whence is all this whence is it that we see so many apostates that once loved good people now doe not once were very zelous against disorders now are not once were against humane devises now are not now they can brook any thing well enough they are weary of their first pitch they were wound up too high now they let themselves downe againe all this is because men have no life in them they are dead to what they did professe you shall see many a man smitten at the word and there he is knockt downe and sees what wretched courses he hath taken that will lead him to hell well he goes and reformes and growes very precise and now there shall not be a Sermon but hee 'l heare it There shall not be any good Christian duty but he will take it up hee 'l leave his old acquaintance hee 'le joyne himselfe to good people hee 'le have very good orders in his Family all this is well if 't would hold I but if this man doe not goe on to get the grace of life in the end hee 'le be weary a dead heart be it never so forward it will end in wearinesse It is meerely for want of quickening that any man growes weary of well-doing as the Apostle sayes Be not weary of well-doing for in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not Gal. 6. 9. take heed ye doe not let quickening goe if ye let your quickening goe directly you 'le grow weary if ye suffer your selves to faint if ye doe not get aqua-vitae to cure your fainting sits you 'le be weary of well-doing now beloved what a pitifull thing is this that we should be weary of well-doing if any of us have begun to doe well O how should we labour that we may never grow weary how ever things goe though persecution arise what ever dealings we meet with at the hands of the wicked world yet never to give in what ever flesh and bloud say what ever discouragements we meet with from without or from within we should earnestly labour that we may never be weary of wel-doing never weary of preaching to their conscience never weary of attending on the word or of preaching of our hearts or of resisting of sinne or of redeeming our time or of keeping our garments never weary of washing our hands in innocency and keeping of our selves that the wicked one touch us not and therefore what a dangerous thing is it to be dead-hearted for that 's the high way to be weary of well-doing at the last This then is the second use that we are to make of this point to see what a dangerous thing it is to be a dead Christian REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead I Come now to the fourth thing and that is this what it is to be aliving Christian First I will describe it by the efficient cause Secondly by the Instrumentall cause Thirdly by the parts of it For the first the efficient cause that makes one a liveing Christian is God as the Psalmist sayes he is the fountaine of life Psal 36. 9. He is the fountaine of al life it is he that makes one a living man He giveth life and breath to all Act. 17. 25. if he should take away our naturall life we dye and turne againe unto our earth as long as he breatheth on us we live as Elihu speakes the breath of the Almighty gives me life Job 33. 4. yea all the world would be a dead Chaos if he did not quicken it there 's a kinde of life in every thing that hath being But it would be a dead Masse if he did not concurre with it what is money and meat and clothes and friends and life and health it selfe men thinke they are well to live when they have them all True if he blesse them and quicken them unto us but if he be wanting to them they are dead things and can doe us no good nay the word of life it self it is but a dead letter without him all the ordinances of God we see they Minister life to some because God puts life into them but if he doe not put life into them they are sappelesse and cadaverous things so that God is the author even of our naturall life as John sayes in him is life and his life is the life of men
Sarahs wombe is said to be dead he considered not the deadnesse of Sarahs womb Rom. 4. 19. that is her womb had no activity to conceive now when a wombe is active this way then we say it is quick so a coale that hath sire in it is said to be a live coale There flew one of the Seraphins having a live coale in his hand Isa 6. 6. we call it alive coale because it is active it is able to burne whereas if that fire were out then it were not able to burne and therefore then we call it a dead coale so when a man is active towards God Take him in prayer there he can act now take him in selfe deniall in reconciling of himselfe in humbling of the heart in mourning for sinne in hungering after righteousnesse even as a man does after his appointed food take him in any of the things of God though he were like a dead coale afore yet here he can act now now he can move this way when one is like a block in good duties that man is dead we call moving things living things Every moving thing that liveth Gen. 9. 3. when a thing cannot stirre that we call dead when a man is not stirring in heavenly things he is stirring enough in earthly but he cannot stir in heavenly things that man is a dead Christian though he professe never so much yet if he be not stirring towards God from day to day he is dead I thinke it meet to stirre you up sayes Saint Peter 2 Pet. 1. 13. that is I think it meet to quicken you up Now beloved this being so if ye would know what it is to be alive towards God let us but finde out a little what is the life of a man First what is the life of a mans understanding people thinke that bare knowledge is and approving of Gods wayes and thinking of them now and then they thinke this is the life of their understandings But you shall see these are not it therefore we will search out what is the life of the understanding Secondly what is the life of the will or of the heart people are apt to thinke that wishings and wouldings and velleities if they have some volitions towards God and all holy courses they thinke their wills are alive no these are not it therefore we will search too wherein the life of the will does consist Thirdly what is the life of the conscience people generally doe conceive that if their consciences doe check them for their sinnes and smite them for evill and excuse them in other things that are good then their conscience is alive now we desire to enquire what is the life of the conscience indeed Fourthly what is the life of the affections I gave you a touch of these when I shewed you what it is to be dead now let me speake of them more fully to shew you what it is to be alive For the first what is the life of the understanding ye know there be many things in the understanding knowing approving studying determining now the world thinks that when the understanding is so far wrought upon as to know Christian religion to approve it to study it to determine aright upon things evill things to be evill good things to be good duties to be duties sins to be sins now they suppose their understandings are alive But the truth is none of all these are the life of your understandings The understanding hath another life besides these The understanding may have all these and be dead As first for knowledge I need not stand to prove that the dead Heathens the Apostle sayes they knew God when they knew God they glorified him not as God Rom 1. 21. knowledge is not enough as cur Saviour Christ speakes is ye knew these things blessed are ye if ye doe them Joh. 13. 17. nay literall knowledge does not so much as give them understanding true light much lesse life a great learned divine that is wicked his understanding is still in darknesse nay it may leave him more dead then those that are groslely Ignorant as the Prophet sayes of them that had knowledge I will get me to the great men for they have knowne the way of the Lord but these have altogether broken the Yoke Jer. 5. 5. they were more dead their hearts were more averse from all goodnesse Bare knowledge is a poore thing and yet people are apt to glory in it the Apostle makes a pish at it we know we have all knowledge 1 Cor. 8. 1. q. d. is that such a peece of matter never tell me of your knowledge I know ye all have knowledge but that 's a poore thing nay the greater is thy woe if thou hast not a quickened mind as Solomon sayes he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow Eccl. 1. 18. thou increasest thine owne selfe condemning the more thou hast the greater knowledge in thy Bosome thou knowest the more thou feest to condemne thee thy knowledge is like a sword in thy bowels that daily galls thee and wounds thee and therefore little reason to thinke that knowledge is the life of the minde it is not so much as the light of the minde take heed sayes our Saviour that the light that is in thee be not darknesse Luk. 11. 35. that is thou mayst have a great deale of light and yet be in darkenesse nay in worse darknesse then Ignorant blinde people that have no light at all if the light that is in thee be darknesse how great is that darknesse Matth. 6. 23. such people are more senselesse at the word harder to be wrought on they have the more distinctions to deceive their owne soules they thinke to well of themselves they are too wise to be fooles that they may be wise they are farther of from confession if they had lesse knowledge it may be there might be more hope to doe them good But having so much knowledge in a carnall minde it is made a strong hold against grace it is with such people as it was with Babylon thy wisedome and thy knowledge hath perverted thee Isa 47. 10. true knowledge is a good thing but when a man is fleshed with it that he takes himselfe to be some body this marres all but I will speake no more of this Secondly for approving of the truth that cannot be the life of the minde neither when a man approves goodnesse and good people this indeed is an excellent mercy of God to make a man approve goodnesse and good men O how are such bound to be thankfull few goe so farre But alas if thou goest no farther thy minde is not yet quickened up to God as the Apostle shewes that a man dead in his sinnes still may yet approve the best things Thou knowest his will and approvest the things that are most excellent Rom. 2. 18. Herod approved Iohn the Baptist and his preaching Achish King of Gath approved David and all
let his Baalisme alone or if the conscience be against all manner of sinnes it is but in a fume cito redibit in gratiam they are but like new Wine in old Bottels at last the Bottels break and the Wine is all spilt so all these workes in an awakened conscience are onely then while the conscience cannot sleep But when it can fall asleep againe then the man can be quiet againe the conscience is an old conscience and not renewed and therefore it is not able to hold them well then ye see these are not consciences life What then is the consciences life for this ye must know First the conscience hath a Testimoniall life a life whereof it lives as the soul lives for it is the reflexion of the soule the soules privity to it selfe betweene God and it selfe And therefore if the soule be alive towards God then the conscience is alive too as the Apostle sayes How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himself without spoâ— to God purge your conscience from dead workes is to serves the living God Heb. 9. 14. marke when a mans dead workes are purged away the conscience is alive when a mans selfe is alive and his workes are alive the conscience is alive as we say of the goodnesse of conscience though the conscience be never so good in it selfe yet as long as the man is not good his conscience can never be good conscience is said to be good as a Messenger is said to be good namely when he bringeth good tydings though he be never so good a man yet if he doe not bring good tydings we say he is an ill Messenger he sent evill Angels among them Psal 78. 49. Calvin thinkes it may be meant of good Angels yet said to be ill Angels because they brought evill Plagues upon Aegypt so stands a good conscience that can bring good tydings of a man that he is a good man true a wicked mans conscience may report well of him as Absolon did of the people O your matters are good sayes he when they were stark naught so thy conscience may flatter thee and say thy matters are good But when conscience can say truly thy matters are good The conscience is like a Register or a Bill now then it is a Bill of good Items when all thy sinnes are blotted out ye know we call it a fowle bill that hath fowle crimes written in it Item this man stole a horse Item he brake into such a mans house Item he murdered such a man when such a Bill as this comes in at the Assizes against a poore Prisoner this is a black Bill this is a fowle Bill so as long as thy conscience is a fowle Bill Item I was born in sinne Item I have lived very loosely Item I have heard so many Sermons and gotten litte good Item I was at such a Sacrament and was nere the better thy conscience is a fowle Bill this is a fowle conscience as the Apostle sayes a defiled conscience Tit. 1. 15. This is a bad conscience now when the conscience is cleane then it is a good conscience so I may say of a lively conscience the conscience is alive when the man is alive towards God then it beares witnesse but that is not all the conscience hath other acts Secondly the conscience hath another life of it's own namely the conscience is said to be quickened up to its duty when it quickens up the whole man to doe his As the conscience of the good people that offer'd to the Tabernacle was a quick conscience their conscience was quick to doe its duty because it quickened them up to doe theirs their heart made them willing Exod. 35. 29. that is their conscience made them willing though the conscience be never so eager that is not it it never does its duty with life till it make thee doe thy duty with life The conscience of the godly may be is not so eager neither does it keep such a doe as many a wicked mans conscience The eagerer conscience is faine to be it 's a signe the man is the more dead when a man is alive the conscience stirres him up with more ease like a man that is willing to pay his debts the creditor need no more then aske whereas when the debter is a slye fellow there needs the more Bawling so that if thou would'st know whether thy conscience be quick the question is not whether it be eager or no But whether does it quicken thee up to doe thy duty or no. This then is the life of conscience when it makes a man doe his duty towards God and man when it makes a man beleeve with all his heart when it makes him love God with all his soule and mind to serve him in truth to doe his holy will to humble himselfe soundly before God for all his sinnes to make his peace with God daily to please him and to walke before him in newnesse of life This is a living conscience this conscience hath the grace of life in it whether it doe it by eagernesse or not that is not it whether with much a doe or little that is all one First When the conscience does not onely check but it checkes to some purpose as when David had numbred the people his heart smote him 2 Sam. 24. 10. such checks there may be in a wicked heart when a man is made to doe the Lords will for conscience sake Secondly When it does not onely accuse for sinne so a naturall conscience may doe but it pulls a man downe before God and cites himselfe effectually before God The just man first accuseth himselfe as the Greek and the Latin read it Prov. 18. 17. Thirdly when it does not onely condemne one for sinne for so the wicked have condemning consciences as the Apostle sayes if our heart condemneth 1 Joh. 3. 20. that is if we be wicked as Paul sayes knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned ef himselfe Tit. 3. 11. that is he is a wicked wretch so that a wicked mans conscience may and will and shall condemne himselfe But I meane when the conscience does not onely condemne one for sinne but it tramples upon ones self as a damned wretch in himselfe to save God a labour as the Apostle speakes if we would judge our selves we should not be Iudged 1 Cor. 11. 31. Fourthly when it does not onely pull a man a dayes so it may doe the wicked and the ungodly they feele many puls every day and may be their conscience makes them leave many particular sinnes But when the conscience puls a man out of every known sinne withall the detestation and loathing out of unbeleife out of inpenitency and heardnesse of heart out of formality and all this is a lively conscience as Iob sayes my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live Job 27. 6. These are the
crimes written in it it 's a fowle Bill Item this man stole a Horse Item he broke into such a mans house Item he murdered such a man when such a Bill as this comes in at the Assizes against a poore prisoner this is a black Bill this is a fowle Bill so as long as thy conscience is a fowle Bill Item I was borne in sinne Item I have lived very loosely Item I have heard so many Sermons and yet I have beene nere the better Item I have beene at so many Sacraments and yet I have gone on in my vile courses thy conscience is a fowle Bill this is a fowle conscience as the Apostle sayes a defiled conscience Tit. 1. 15. now when the conscience is cleane then it 's a good conscience so I may say of a lively conscience the conscience is alive when the man is alive when his mind is quickened up towards God his heart which before was dead in trespasses and sinnes now it 's alive towards God this mans conscience is alive The reason is because now his conscience may say I am alive for conscience is the reflection of the soule on it selfe and therefore if thou beest alive thy selfe thy conscience is alive too This is the first life the relative life of conscience Now that this is one life of conscience is plaine because if a mans selfe be dead conscience will say I am dead as Paul sayes speaking of himselfe and the Ephesians before their conversion O sayes he ye were dead in sinnes Eph. 2. 5. looke what a man is if the conscience be inlightened it takes it on it selfe when David had sinned I have sinned sayes his conscience so let a man be holy the conscience presently takes it upon it selfe as we see there in David when he was holy I am holy sayes his conscience Lord preserve my soule for I am holy Psal 86. 2. So that if thou beest dead thy conscience is dead if thou beest alive thy conscience is alive But I let this passe I come now to the second life of conscience and that is it 's simple life conscience hath another life of its owne for as when the man is alive the conscience is alive so the conscience is quickened up to doe its duty when it quickens up the whole man to doe his as the conscience of the good people that offered to the Tabernacle was a quick conscience their conscience was quick to doe its duty because it quickened them up to doe theirs their heart made them willing Exod. 35. 29. that is their conscience made them willing Though the conscience be never so eager that is not it it never does its duty with life till it make thee to doe thy duty with life The conscience of the godly may be is not so eager neither does it keep such a doe as many a wicked mans conscience The eager conscience is feigne to be it 's a signe the man is the more dead when the man is alive his conscience stirres him with more ease like a man that is willing to pay his debts the creditor need no more then aske whereas if the debtor be a very slye fellow there needs the more bawling so that if thou wouldest know whether thy conscience be quick the question is not whether it be eager or no but whether does it quicken thee up to thy duty or no This then is the life of conscience when it makes a man doe his duty sincerely both towards God and man when it makes a man beleeve with all his heart when it makes him love God with all his soule and minde to serve him in truth to doe his holy will to humble himselfe soundly before God for all his sinnes to make his peace with God daily to please him and to walke before him in newnesse of life This is a living conscience This conscience hath the grace of life in it whether it doe it by eagernesse or not whether with a horrible stirre or a great pudder or no that is not it if it make a man doe his duty aright then conscience does its duty this is Consciences life First when the Conscience does not onely check but it checks to some purpose when it smites so that all the soule feeles it and lies downe under it when the Conscience does not onely doe duty in this thing but it makes a man to doe his it makes him smite himselfe as the Publican did he smote upon his breast Luke 18. 13. as Ephraim did I smote upon my thigh Jer. 31. 10. when a man is made to Check himselfe what have I done Jer. 8. 6. when David numbred the people the Text shewes how his conscience was quick his heart smote him 2 Sam. 24. 10. Dull checks there may be in a wicked heart yea mighty checks and mighty smitings yea greater for quantity then in any Childe of God but all to little or no purpose Davids Conscience smote him to purpose you see there it made him doe his duty indeed it was a Divine Check it was a Check that put him into a right way againe so except thy Conscience thus Check thee a dayes may be thou forgetest thy selfe now and then and then thy Conscience gives thee a Check O what a beast am I and so sets thee to rights againe sometimes thou art over taken in passion but then comes Conscience and tels thee what God sayes O why doe I give place to the Devill and then thy passions goe downe againe This is Gods Bit that he guides his people by as the Rider does his beast with a Bridle The wicked are like your sturdy horses that get their Bridle in their Teeth God may pull hard at them give them fiercer twitches then he does his owne Children but they get the Bridle in their Teeth and so they are unrulier But when it is Gods Bridle to lead a man by now his Conscience is alive when it Checks to purpose Secondly when it does not onely accuse for sinne so a naturall Conscience may doe but it puls a man downe before God and Cites himselfe effectually before his Tribunall I make this a different work for the accusation of Conscience differs from its Checking the Check is a spirituall lash the Conscience gives the soule now the accusation gives the reason of its lashing O thou hast sinned against God ye know this is a duty of Conscience too in regard of sinne to accuse And then Conscience is alive when it does this duty to purpose to make a man to doe his namely to goe and Confesse his sinne in a penitent manner True a wicked mans Conscience does accuse but that drives a man from God as it 's said of the Scribes and the Pharisees when their Consciences accused them they went cut Joh. 8. 9. But when Conscience is alive it accuses before God it Cites a man soundly before God and what a vile wretch am I it so does its duty in accusing
sayes Yea what seare 2 Cor 71. 1. a natural conscience may cause a kind of feare too nay a horrible feare The sinners in Zion are afraid fearefulnesse saith surprized the Hypocrites c. Isa 33. 14. for a guilty Conscience cannot but worke feares when it s awakened but this feare is meerely out of selfe love and of Bondage But when the Conscience hath done so its owne duty upon a man that it hath made him to doe his now it makes him filially afraid to sinne against God as a true Childe feares to offend his Father when a man hath this feare in him this is a signe of a living Conscience Fourthly another effect is trembling despaire in ones self it maks him see nothing but hell and damnation in himselfe and it flings him downe at Gods Gate as a man utterly undone in himselfe having no hope in himselfe for as God dealt with Paul in regard of his recovery out of sicknes he brought him to despaire of life in himselfe 2 Cor. 1. 8. so does a living Conscience in regard of mercy a naturall Conscience the effect of that is to despaire too But that is to despaire in God because when there is nothing but nature in the Conscience how can it be otherwise But when there is grace in the Conscience grace in the heart now though Conscience represent to him his damned estate it represents withall the free grace of God in Jesus Christ to all such as are heavy laden and so it is onely despaire in himselfe now hast thou such an effect in thee to despaire in thy self to fling of all thine own hopes and thy own dependences hangings holdings ye know the soule hath a thousand thousand such wishes wouldings purposes dutyes performances these the soule hangs on But now hast thou this effect in thee that thou doest absolutely despaire in thy selfe I meane selfe confidence with whatsoever good is in thee be it grace or what ever doest thou despaire in thy selfe this is a signe of a living Conscience now thou hang'st upon nothing but the meere mercy and good will of God And this is the best hold in the world though the world cannot abide it Thus ye see for sinne The livingnesse of Conscience in regard of sinne Secondly now for the livingnesse of Conscience in regard of good Then is the Conscience alive to that which is good First when it goes and it does not onely urge a man to that which is good so it did Agrippa Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian Act. 28. 28. when Paul spake unto him it seemes his Conscience tooke hold of Pauls words and it did mightily urge it had almost done the deed alas this is not it a dead Conscience may doe this yea with admirable importunity as it is in many But when the Conscience doth not onely urge when that does not onely doe its duty in this point but it makes a man doe his duty too the man freely urges himselfe and freely sets himselfe to it and about it as it was with David when thou sayest seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek Psal 27. 8. that is when thou sayest thus in my Conscience seeke my face my heart ecchoed back I will doe so indeed marke his Conscience did not onely doe its duty but it made him to doe his as his Conscience did urge him so he tooke these urgings and urged himselfe Secondly when the Conscience hath life towards good it excuses and it does not onely excuse in part for so it may doe in a wicked heart many a wicked man hath such an excusing Conscience when he does good for the matter of it as we read in the Heathen Rom. 2. 15. their Consciences accusing or else excusing their Conscience did excuse in part But it excuses full out it tels him he hath done it unfeignedly in the truth of his heart that he does beleeve in God that he does truly repent from dead workes that he does in some poore measure walke in new obedience from day to day and that he stands guiltlesse before God by faith in Christ Jesus or if it doe not excuse thus it is meerly out of Ignorance of the things given him of God a living Conscience is an excusing conscience it does not onely say the thing that he does is good but that he does it unfeignedly withall his heart true a naturall Conscience not awakened may doe thus but that 's a misprision for when it comes to see its owne condition indeed then it will be in another tale ah I am rotten I have beguiled mine owne soule to this very day but a living Conscience can never be confuted as it excuses so its excuses shall stand before God because it is quickened by the grace that is in Jesus Christ his bloud is sprinkled on it Thirdly when the Conscience hath life towards good it approves a man and his wayes it either may or does pronounce a man to please God As it was with Enech he had a conscience that told him he was approved of God before his translation he had this Testimony that he pleased God Heb 11. 5. this is the nature of conscience if it be alive to do its duty and so as to make a man to doe his to tell a man that he is allowed of God which is an admirable mercy that a childe of God should have such an intelligencer in his owne bosome that can tell him he is approved of God no creature is able to expresse what comfort this is none but good people can have this others may be approved of men others may heare that such and such doe approve them but they can never heare that God does approve them These are the consciences onely towards good which it can never doe except it be alive Now the effects of these be First Joy when the conscience does its duty towards God and makes a man doe his duty too this worketh Joy in his heart as Paul says This is our rejoyeing even the Testimony of our conscience that with sincerity and godly purenesse we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. There is no joy like this joy wicked men may laugh and seeme as merry as crickets but in the of their laughter their conscience gives them but cold comfort now when a man hath such a conscience as this that sets him about that which is good this makes him have truer joy then all the world besides for howbeit the world are besotted that they doe not looke after God Yet the conscience knowes it is goodnesse onely that will please God and therefore when the conscience is privy to this no tongue can speake what a joy this is unto one Secondly another effect is boldnesse and freedome from slavish feare There 's a deale of feare in a mans heart as long as he does not serve God and doe the things that are
their wages therefore must set them on work ibid. 4. They cannot otherwise look for his assistance Page 166 5. Nor have peace of Conscience ibid. 6. The people can have no pleasure under such a Ministery Page 167 Vse 1. Ministers ought to look for Christs placing ibid. 2. It condemnes intruders Page 168 3. Use to them that have Ministers of Christs placing among them ibid. 4. Never complain of gracelesse Ministers Page 168 2. What is the reason there is no more able Ministers every where Page 169 5. God hath the placing of Ministers then we know whether to goe for good Ministers Page 170 The Reasons Page 171 Vse 1. Ministers should not feare to bee deprived of their liberty Page 173 2. A Reason why the Gospel continues any where when the world cannot abide it Page 174 3. Christ hath the continuing of his Ministers Page 175 4. Reason to be earnest with God to have his Gospell continued Page 176 Christ hath the removing of Ministers And how Page 177 Vse 1. If Christ remove Ministers we ought to mourne before him Page 178 2. Look to the meritorious cause our sins Page 179 3. Christ takes away Ministers we ought to repent of our sinne Page 180 Doct. 1. The Lord knows every mans ill courses Page 185 How Page 186 Why. Page 188 Vse 1. If God knows all mens sinfull courses then men cannot dawb before him Page 192 2. To condemn those that doe not consider of this truth Page 194 3. A terrour to all that goe on with a selfe-condemning heart Page 195 4. Comfort to good people that if he see sins he sees goodnesse much rather Page 196 5. It should make us affraid at any time or place even the secretest Page 198 Doct. 2. The knowing that God knows our works is the powerfull meanes to all Gods Elect to quicken them Page 199 Reasons 1. Gods knowing our works is not a meer knowing but a marking Page 200 2. God sees our sins with a pure eye ibid. 3. He records them in a book Page 201 4. If God see them all one as if the world should see them too ibid. 5. Our disposition we cannot indure any should know of our Wickednesses that cannot indure them Page 202 Vse 1. They that this point cannot work on are gracelesse Page 203 2. If such meanes can work on our hearts let us not harden them ibid. The Reasons why God knows all our works Page 210 What is meant by dead Page 214 A horrible thing to rest in the name of being Religious Page 215 The Reasons Page 216 An unexcusable thing not to be alive Page 217 The Uses Page 218 2. What is meant by dead Page 219 Doct. 1. A dead Ministery none at all Page 222 2. The Scripture calleth it no Ministery in effect Page 223 3. It doth little or no good ibid. 4. God seldome goes along with it Page 224 5. It prophanes the word of God ibid. Vse 1. We see a reason why a dead Ministery is applauded in the world Page 225 2. To reprove Ministers that are no more lively in the Ministery Page 226 3. Of Exhortation to labour for a quickning Ministery Page 228 Motives ibid. 4. How to get a Ministery to be quickning Page 240 What meant by deadnesse of guilt Page 245 What by deadnesse of minde Page 246 What by deadnesse of heart ibid. What by deadnesse of conscience ibid. What by deadnesse of affection Page 247 Doct. 1. A dead Christian as good as none at all ibid. 2. All duties of Religion must be done with life Page 250 Reasons why a dead Christian none at all Page 253 Vse 1. If dead Christians be none what then that are not Christians in name Page 255 2. How dangerous to be a dead-hearted Christian Page 267 For 1. All we doe with a dead heart is nothing ibid. 2. It does not please God Page 269 3. It cannot yeeld us any true comfort Page 271 4. Though it comfort us in time of prosperity it cannot in adversity Page 272 5. We can never blesse God with a dead heart Page 273 6. So long Religion is irkesome to us Page 274 7. If a dead heart take it up it will soon be weary of it Page 276 Causes of living Christianly 1. Efficient God Page 278 2. Instrumentall Faith Page 280 The parts of it 1. Justification Page 281 2. Sanctification ibid. 3. Joy and Comfort Page 282 2. What is the life of man Page 283 Six stirring acts in the mindes of men Page 289 1. Application ibid. 2. Meditation Page 291 3. Considering Page 292 4. Remembring Page 294 5. The Inventing of the heart Page 295 6. The judgeing of the minde Page 296 Vse 1. How rude or profane wicked Christians are rejected for deadnesse Page 297 2. Condemnation of the sins wherein most part of the people are dead Page 298 3. What to be a living Christian ibid. Every act of an heart not an argument of the life of it Page 304 No not her wouldings Page 306 When wishing is an argument Page 308 The same proved Page 310 The acts of the heart living if converted to God Page 312 Five other acts of life in the heart towards God Page 319 What the life of a Conscience Page 327 1. A Conscience some what awakt may like of God and his wayes Page 328 2. It may oblige a man to all manner of good things Page 329 3. It may be troubled about his sins Page 330 4. It may urge one to good things Page 332 5. It may be very eager in urging Page 333 6. It may prevaile far by its cagernesse Page 334 7. It may make one look a great way as it prevaile ibid. But these cannot be the life of conscience and why Page 335 Signes of a living conscience Page 341 Two kindes of Conscience in a godly man Page 346 Foure effects of a lively Conscience Page 351 Effects of a good conscience Page 355 What is an humbled Conscience Page 356 How to know quicknings of Conscience Page 358 Arguments of a live conscience Page 360 Vse 1. How few have live Consciences Page 362 When the memory is dead Page 363 When the memory is alive Page 364 Memory a great blessing Page 367 And that for 8 Reasons Page 368 There must needs be the office of the memory Page 370 Vse 1. The onely living memory that remembers God Page 378 2. We can never retain Gods Commandements without some memory ibid. 3. The want of this cause of sin ibid. Seven causes of an alive memory Page 379 CHRIST'S ALARM To Drowsie SAINTS REVEL 3. 1. And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead SAint JOHN being banisht into the Isle of Patmos though the persecuters of the Gospel thought to doe him a displeasure yet the Lord turned it unto his great good
against our callings for we are to bee as Angels by our places in this sense lest our own profession hit us in the teeth at the last Secondly the Angels are creatures of another world not of this world though they walk up and down on Gods errands here yet they are creatures of another world and therefore they are called the Angels of Heaven Matth. 24. 36. Heavenly souldiers Luke 2. 13. True every child of God is a heavenly creature but a Minister should be in a more special manner a creature of another world crucified unto this as Paul sayes I am crucified to the world and the world unto me The preaching of the word is called the Kingdome of heaven so we that are the Preachers of it should be of heaven too not only in regard of the news we bring but we our selves that bring it should be heavenly ones When our Saviour Christ had told Nicodemus that he must be begotten from above O sayes hee art thou a Teacher in Israel and knowest not these things How beautiful upon the mountains The Ministers of the Gospel should be men aloft the world should bee a vally to them beneath they should not bee Secular men What care Angels for fine houses or great livings They had rather be in the prison with Peter then with Herod at the Court. Doe Angels care for outward things No no more should Ministers Paul was all for Jesus Christ I determined not to know any thing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. He cared not though the great Philosophers of Corinth took him for a Dunce in all human learning Jesus Christ and him crucified Paul included all his learning in that Thirdly the Angels stand before God as Daniel sayes Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him Dan. 7. 10. So the Ministers of God are to stand before God as God saith to Jeremy Thou shalt stand before me Jer. 15. 19. The Ministers of God are to stand before God to know what his pleasure is unto the people what message he hath for them Again the Angels are Ministring spirits sent forth for the good of them that are heirs of salvation Heb. 1. 14. So Ministers they are to minister unto them that are the heires of salvation to watch over their souls to be usefull unto them in all their wayes Again the Angels pitch their tents round about them that are good as the Prophet speaks so the Ministers they are the Churches Angels Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas all are yours they are not their own But as they are Christs so next under him they are theirs that are Christs they are Ministers by whom they beleeve helpers of their faith they are Gods servants to bring Jacob again to him Angels are Gods messengers they never come but when they are sent from God so it is said of Ministers There was a man sent from God whose name was John John 1. 6. The use of this is First Here we see that the Ministery is no base Office the world makes a matter of nothing of Gods faithfull Ministers vile men will Sirra them at their pleasure and take them up as if they were their dishclouts But beloved here we see they are as it were Angels of God Christ himselfe the Apostle makes bold to call him a Minister Rom. 15. 8. Now I say sayes he that Jesus Christ was a Minister the Apostle knew it was no disparagement unto him Solomon when he would chuse him his Title and might have called himselfe The King of Israel and Judah yet he rather takes this as honorable enough The Preacher Thus saith the Preacher Eccles 1. 1. The office of a Minister is an Angels office When Zachary perceived that his child should be a Minister though yet he were a little babe lying in the cradle he admires him And thou child shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest for thou shalt goe before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes to give knowledge of salvation for the remission of sins to give light unto them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death to guide their feet in the way of peace Luke 1. 76 77. The Angels of heaven never go on greater errands then these When they came to the Shepheards what did they doe they did but tell them of the birth of Christ of peace on earth and good will towards men Now this is the Ministers duty let the world think what they will of us as though our calling were mean and they care not much whether they heare us or no they will not regard what we preach O beloved consider what an office we have we are Gods Angels unto you to declare unto man his righteousnesse Job 33. 23. to pray men in Christs stead to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 20. to gather together the saints Ephes 4. 12. These are no small things no mean imployments to treat between God and Man about eternall life to be Christs Paranymphs and the friends of the Bridegroom to deale about the getting of a wife for the Lamb to cater for heaven to bring in custome for the Kingdome of God The whole world hath not a greater office in it yee cannot despise neither our persons nor our message and be saved as Paul sayes Let a man so esteem of us as of the Ministers of Christ and the stewards of the mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. 1. q. d. O take heed how yee slight us or our Ministery yee cannot have the mysteries of grace without us yee cannot have saving knowledge nor regeneration nor faith without us I doe not speak what God may doe extraordinarily but this is Gods ordinary way How can they beleeve on him of whom they have not heard and how can they heare without a Preacher Rom. 10. 4. and therefore our office is no mean office we are as the Angels of God unto you and people should honour our Ministery when a Minister comes into the Pulpit even as if an Angel did appeare It is said when Samuel came to Bethlehem the Elders of the town trembled at his coming 1 Sam. 16. 4. Secondly are Ministers Angels then they must be holy ye know the Angels are holy When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all his holy Angels with him Matth. 25. 31. They are holy all of them so should the Ministers be holy otherwise they may be Angels indeed but they are evill angels angels of darknesse they are Devils if they be not holy Every ignorant gracelesse and unconscionable Minister is ready to presse the dignity of his calling and what an honorable office he hath but hee never considers what a Minister then he must be If we be Angels brethren why then as we like this honorable Title we must have a care to be holy or else I say we are Devils Those Angels that are not holy are Devils Nay our very calling supposes us to
that Ministers should thus hang together in one that if one be a Boanerges a son of thunder another should be so too For Ministers may be different in different auditories Husband-men sow their seed according to the diversity of their ground the Physician tempers his Physick according to his patients constitution as long as people are of sundry dispositions so certainly the Ministers manner of preaching may be various And therefore I doe not mean such an unity neither that all Preachers should be moulded alike nay the same minister may and must differ from himselfe sometimes come with cordials sometimes with corrasives to sing of mercy and judgment to preach comfort to whom comfort and vengeance to whom vengeance belongs to some hee must give milk to others strong meat Heb. 13. 14. Paul had a rod as well as the spirit of meeknesse Zacharies Pastor was to have two staves the one called Beauty the other cal'd Bands so he was to feed the flock Zach. 11. 7. A Chirurgian hath aking tents as well as suppling oyle The Apostle Paul when he was to deale with Elymas the Sorcerer he set his eyes on him and called him the child of the Devil but when he was to deale with Sergius Paulus he was mild with him Our Saviour Christ preach't the acceptable yeare of the Lord to some and to other some as though he were not the same Preacher he had nothing but woes in his mouth There were two mountains in Canaan there was the blessing on mount Gerizim for some and the cursing on mount Ebal for others Again thirdly we doe not mean that all ministers should be the same in gifts and parts and measure of knowledge and sanctification for that can never bee looked for every Parish can never be provided for alike Starres are of different magnitudes some starres are greater some lesser The Angels are not all of one rank some are ordinary Angels some Arch-angels some are Principalities some are Dominions some are Thrones Coloss 1. 16. and may be those that are meanest so they be godly and sent of God may doe as much good as those that are more excellent nay more convert more awaken more settle more for it is not they that work but God by them who is not tied unto Organs unity is not hindred by disparity Paul calls Epaphraditus who was much inferior to him his brother and companion in labour and fellow souldier Phil. 2. 25. Though Clement were a minister much meaner then he yet he calls him his fellow-labourer Phil. 4. 3. Though Tychicus came never so much short of him yet he terms him his fellow-servant Col. 4. 7. So that there may be unity for all this and a gracious sympathy and agreement betweene ministers though of never so different parts so they be sincere and cordially minded to doe good You will say then What is that unity that must be among ministers I answer 1. They must be all competently endued with ability for the work of the ministery all must agree in this that they be able men in some measure Hee hath made us able Ministers of the new testament 2 Cor. 3. 6. able to preach to the conscience able to doe it with power and might able to divide the word aright able to give every one his portion in due season They are none of Gods ministers that are not able men that are not able to teach and to apply to be the mouth of God unto the people and the mouth of the people unto God that are not able to seek that which was lost to bring again that which is driven away to bind that which is broken to strengthen that which is sick Those that are not able to doe this they are blind guides Idol-shepheards and no ministers Paul sayes that a minister must be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers Tit. 1. 9. Faithfull men able to teach others 2 Tim. 2. 2. This was one of the ends that Christ ascended upon high that he might give gifts unto men for the ministery as one Apostle speakes Eph. 4. 8. and so as it followes He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers All Ministers should agree in this that they be able Secondly they must be all sent of God though a man be never so able yet if he be not sent of God he is not a Minister Private Christians many of them have excellent abilities as the text sayes I am perswaded of you my brethren that ye are full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge able to admonish one another Rom. 15. 14. he speakes of private Christians I say they are able many of them and there is very great use of their abilities too for the good of their families for the good of Christian communion and the like yea it is a shame that privat Christians living under good means of grace doe not grow able to teach When for time yee ought to be teachers yee have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5. 12. Mark he shames privat Christians that doe not grow able to teach But yet this is not enough to make ministers true ministers agree all in this that they are sent of God How shall they preach except they be sent Rom. 10. 15. I have not thrust in my selfe for a Pastor sayes Jeremy They are intruders and not ministers that cannot prove their commission from God as the authour to the Hebrews sayes No man takes this honour to himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5. 4. Christ himselfe alledged this to beare out his ministery He hath sent me to preach deliverance to Captives Woe be to those of whom the Lord shall say I have not sent these Prophets and yet they run It will be sayd to them one day as to the man without a wedding garment Friend how camest thou in hither The want of this is the reason that so many ministers make no more conscience of their duty they make no conscience of taking paines of strict preaching of pressing the word upon peoples hearts of using all manner of means to root out sin in their Parish because they have no dispensation from God committed unto them if their consciences were charged with this it would make them doe otherwise then they doe The want of this is the cause that the ministery of many is impotent they may preach all the dayes of their lives and not one soule turned unto God but themselves and their workes perish together whereas Ministers that are sent make the Devils roare and flesh and bloud chafe their Sermons are links of iron to bind Nobles and Princes and stubborn hearts The want of this is the reason why so many ministers are vile in the peoples eyes people care not a whit for them dare drink and be drunk in their
O be quickned the Lord will not endure a dead people get life if yee be wise it is but a folly to have a name to live except yee be alive indeed Now the way for us to quicken our people is First If we be good our selves When Jehosaphat would encourage the Levites to quicken up the people Sayes he The Lord shall be with the good 2 Chron. 19. 11. Hee will blesse your labours hee will strengthen your Sermons to doe good though not to all for the greatest part are not of God yet unto his people Nay if we were good indeed wee might have hope do too much good as it is said of Barnabas he was a good man and much people were added to the Lord. Act. 11. 24. Againe Secondly wee should bee earnest with God to quicken all our hearts that so we may the better quicken our Brethren as Christ sayes to Peter when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren so we should desire God to quicken us that we may quicken our Brethren that wee may wash our hands of our people What an excellent comfort was that unto Paul When hee could take his people to record that hee was pure from the bloud of all men Act. 20. 26. Thirdly We should marke which of our people are dead Ezek. 8. 6. And then thinke what are not we guiltie of his deadnesse Fourthly Let us lay about us soundly that we not may be guilty of their sinnes in any kinde Fifthly Another Use is to let us see What a great danger Ministers are in they may be guilty of all the evill in their Parish if they doe not their duty which is a great thing to doe they have all the sinnes of their Parish lying at their doore This should keepe us from security and from pride many grow proud that are Ministers but alas they know not what an Office they have that doe so Our very Calling should make our hearts tremble and quake to think what a charge is imposed upon us This made Moses and Aaron and many a good man more so fearfull to enter upon this function No man takes this honour unto himself saith the Apostle meaning no godly man no man in his right wits no man that is well-advised what hee does but hee that is called Heb. 5. 4. as our Saviour Christ saith Pray yee the Lord of the Harvest that hee would send forth labourers into his Harvest Matth. 9. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Originall that hee would thrust forth labourers into his Harvest q. d. God will have no good labourers otherwise those that are good are not over-forward to enter into the Ministery as a Father sayes it is a burden that the very Angels shoulders would tremble under as the Apostle said Who is sufficient for these things If there were no other Argument but this in the Text it might sway all Ministers hearts in the world lest wee bee guilty of our own deadnesse and of others too Another Use should bee to the people that they would bee forward and willing to hear and greedy to drink in the word of life The want of this is the deading of many a Ministers heart I was in much bitternesse saith Ezekiel but the hand of the Lord was strong upon mee Ezek. 3. 14. that is I had had no heart at all to preach but that the hand of the Lord was exceedingly assistant unto mee whereas the forwardnesse of people is a great meanes to quicken up their Ministers When the whole City flocked in to heare Paul though the wicked were mad at it The Text saith Hee grew bold Act. 13. 44 45. When the people crowded in upon our Saviour that hee had not so much as time to eat bread Mark 3. 20. the Text shews that he so be-stirred himselfe there that his own Kinssolk thought hee had been mad Vers 21. Revel 3. 1. And unto the Angell of the Church in Sardis write these things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God c. WEE have done with the Inscription And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write Wee come now to the Subscription and that is in these words These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres Which words contain a description of the Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent unto the Church and hee is described very gloriously to the intent that what hee saies may bee the more reverently and seriously regarded The Description sets forth two admirable properties and royalties of our Lord Jesus Christ First That hee hath the seven Spirits of God that is hee hath the Holy Ghost to give to whomsoever hee please Secondly That he hath the seven Starres that is the Pastours and Ministers of the Church Christ hath them all in his hand to send them to gift them to assist them to preserve them to vouchsafe them to a people or to take them away as hee lists and the Ministers are called Stars because they are to shine in the firmament of the Church First then the first royalty of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is that hee hath the seven Spirits of God by the seven Spirits of God hee meanes the Holy Ghost you will say the Holy Ghost is but one Spirit By one Spirit wee are all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. There is one Body and one Spirit Ephes 4. 4. Through him wee both have an accesse by one Spirit unto the Father Ephes 2. 18. The Spirit of God is but one Yee know there is but one God in three persons one Father one Sonne one holy Spirit There bee three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 Joh. 5. 7. there is but one Father and one Sonne whom the Apostle there calls the Word for so hee is often called in the Scripture The Word was made flesh that is the Son of God was made flesh so there is but one Holy Ghost one Holy Spirit Why then does the Text here say of Christ that hee hath the seven Spirits of God I Answer yee may know that the Revelation uses peculiar phrases august and mysticall Now the reason why John speaks thus in the plurall number is First because hee alludes to the manner of his Visions now in his Visions the holy Ghost was thus represented unto him as yee may see Rev. 4. 5. where he saw seven Lamps of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven Spirits of God So again Rev. 5. 6. where hee saw a Lamb as it had been slain having seven hornes and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth So that this is one reason why hee calls the Holy Ghost the seven Spirits of God because hee speaks after this manner of the Vision that hee saw Secondly another reason is because hee was to write to the seven Churches of
but now the Lord hath put a vaile of flesh upon himselfe by incarnating his owne Son now we may make bold The use of this is First Is it so that Christ hath the seven Spirits of God Then what hath he not He is an all sufficient Saviour He is Gods Steward God hath put all his goods into his hands No man can be assured of any thing that is good but by comming unto him All things are delivered to me of my Father Mat. 11. 27. That is I have all my fathers goods in my hand Favour Pardon Mercy Grace Comfort Heaven it selfe yea and his holy Spirit and all I have the distributing of them all He is the store-house whither all needy soules are to goe He is full of all manner of good things as John saies Of his fulnesse have we al received Joh. 1. 1â— Looke what grace any of the Saints have they have it all of him he is Gods Conduit-pipe the Lord opens himselfe only in him he is the tap he lets out Gods Blessings and Graces and Spirit like a sluce Hee is the Lord Treasurer of Heaven and Earth As Joseph in Egypt if any one would have Corne they must goe to Joseph for it if they came to Pharaoh but for a pecke or a gallon presently he sent them to Joseph so the Lord sends all that will have any drop of mercy to his Sonne if yee will not goe to my Sonne yee shall not have one drop yee shall dye in your sinnes This is my welbeloved Sonne sayes hee looke yee heare him hearken to him obey him be ruled by him bow down unto him doe as he bids you if ye anger him and will not stoop unto him if your hearts will not burst if your minds will not off from the world and other things and be wholly intent unto him if yee slight him and suffer vain things to draw away your affections and thoughts and meditations from him there is no redemption for you No Salvation but onely by beleeving in his name he hath all the seven Spirits of God no Spirit of Grace at all can be had but onely of him he was the Rocke that Moses must stand on that the glory of Gods goodnesse might passe before him Secondly Another use is hath Christ the seven Spirits of God then wee are without excuse if wee be without the Holy Spirit of God Christ hath him to give and yet how few will seeke him of Jesus Christ as Christ sayes Yee will not come unto me that yee might have life Joh. 5. 40. That is if yee would come unto me I would make your dead hearts to live I would quicken you to all goodnesse I would powre my Holy Spirit upon you But you will not come unto me for it This makes us without excuse That Christ hath the Spirit in him for all that have a minde to him and wee have no minde How few among you to this very day have gotten yet Gods Holy Spirit Yee pray but yee have not the spirit of supplieation to pray by to lift up your hearts to enliven your desires to be able to wrestle with God to any purpose no Spirit of grace stirring in you When ye come to the house of God ye heare Sermons but the Holy Ghost does not fall upon you to make them effectuall and mightie in operation to convert you to God to knocke off your base lusts yee are dead in all holy duties voide of all Heavenly graces dull to every good thing even as the Body without the spirit is dead Nay the Spirit of the world dwelleth in most men tying and glving them to the things here below and will not let them savor and rellish the things of Heaven Whereby they cannot cease from sinne nor work the works of God Rare is that man now-a-dayes that hath the Holy Spirit of God remaining in him in any measure nay if people were asked whether they have the Spirit of God yea or no their owne Conscience could answer No they have not they never felt any such Divine ghuest their earthlinesse and lumpishnesse of heart in all the ordinances of God their unaquaintednesse with God their unsettlednesse and nakednesse and blindnesse in all the wayes of peace plainely does declare it and yet they will not come unto Christ that they might have life he hath the seven Spirits of God and yet they cannot finde in their hearts to be instant and earnest with him when Pharaoh appointed Joseph to distribute corne to all comers Goe to Joseph sayes he Gen. 41. 55. the Text sayes all Countries came to Joseph for Corne because the famine was sore in all lands But God hath appointed his own Sonne to be a dispencer of the Spirit and there is a sore want of the spirit every where in all Townes and Parishes and yet hardly any will come in Certainely this is the condemnation that men intend their pleasure and their profits and every outward thing and never seeke to Jesus to have the Holy Spirit of God For First many of us have hard hearts that cannot melt at our owne sinnes nor the publike provocations whereby God is provoked nor the generall calamities of the Church our hearts are like a stone and wee are not affected nor can be affected no relenting at the Word no bleeding in any other good dutie nothing moves us the spirit could soften yea and take the stone away and Christ saies hee would give him unto us if we did desire him I will put a new Spirit within you and take the stony heart out of the flesh Ezek. 11. 19. Hee hath spirit enough in him to doe it and yet we will not sue to him but in a feigned manner and so a hard heart possesseth us still which marres all our familie-duties and all that wee doe in the publike assemblies nothing comes of all that wee doe If our foolish hearts would come downe to be fervent after Christ this might be be remedied He hath the seven Spirits of God for the nonce But a spirit of slumber bewitches us and and nothing can awaken us to this very day Never was there a more hard-hearted time never more hard-hearted Christians nummed and past feeling wishing indeed the things mought be mended but never putting forth our hand to have them mended Secondly scarce any of us can pray but in a blunt-hearted-wise our prayers never stirre Heaven never give so much as a lift to any of our lusts neither are they any whit answerable to the miseries that are on us whether Personall or Nationall the spirit could helpe us and enlarge us as Paul saies of the good Romans Yee have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby yee cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. and Christ hath this Spirit in his hand to give But we would rather sit woulding and yawning then be downe on our knees before God Every one almost hath heavy things that he is consciencious of terrible guiltines horrible
us weary But still wee should goe on a seeking of the holy Spirit of God Thus as wee know where to have the Spirit of God namely in Christ so wee know how too and therefore wee are without excuse if wee suffer our selves to bee void of Gods holy and blessed Spirit this is the second use Thirdly another Use is to you that doe indeed complain of great want of the Spirit here you see where yee may have supplies even from our Lord Jesus Christ hee hath the seven Spirits of God They labour to know Christ more and more this is the way to have more and more of the Spirit as the Apostle saith That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him Ephes 1. 17. Get the knowledge of Christ more and more and thus the spirit shall come to thee more and more It is said of the Indian Gymnosophists that they would lye all the day long looking upon the Sun in the firmament so should Christians doe they should lye looking upon Christ the more spirit still they shall have if they doe so First May be ye want spirit to make you know the Lords will you finde your selves backward from day to day little or no heart to Gods Commandements look up to Christ and say Lord there is enough spirit in Christ and hee hath it for all them that doe want and would have the same O give mee some together with him as hee sayes I will put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my statutes Ezek. 36. 27. q. d. look up to mee I will doe this for you Secondly May bee yee want strength yee have many temptations and you have no strength to resist them they come in upon you like the breaking in upon you may bee yee are tempted to deny all and to say yee have nothing in you sometimes yee are tempted to give over all saying it is but a folly I shall one day bee damned and I were as good give over now as to doe it afterwards when it will bee worse and yee have no strength to hold out sometimes yee cannot meditate yee cannot pray yee are fain to break off in the midst with base feares with security and vain hopes you are tempted to doe as the world does and yee have no strength to oppose them Look up to Christ yee know the Spirit of Christ is a spirit of power and strength 2 Tim. 1. 7. and hee hath him for you Look up to him then and cry for his strong spirit Who knowes may bee you may bee able to say in the end as Paul does I can doe all things through Christ that strengthens mee Thirdly May bee yee want boldnesse to call God your Father yee are in a quandary whether yee should call him so or no yee are afraid hee is none of your Father and that yee are none of his adopted ones yee shall but blaspheme him to call him your Father or to expect of him a childes portion Look up to Christ hee hath such a spirit in him whereby yee may cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. Fourthly May bee yee want life and quickning you finde your selves very dead even as the Church of Sardis in this place I know thy works that thou art dead Look up to Christ as here hee does bid thee hee hath the seven Spirits of God and hath that which will quicken thee Christ himself when hee was naturally dead hee was quickned by his own spirit 1 Pet. 3. 18. That very spirit can quicken thy spirituall deadnesse to every good word and work His spirit is life and that will make thee lively though thy heart bee little better then a Timber-logge in duties yet if that spirit get within thee it will make thee agile and active in every good thing It is a horrible thing to see how little Christians know of Jesus Christ though they have been thought to know Jesus Christ so long a time yet they doe not know him Christ takes this very ill as hee told Philip Have I been so long time with you and hast thou not known mee Philip Joh. 14. 9. Christ could bee even angry with him for learning him no better what little spirit is there in Christians now adaies a signe though they have been a long time a learning Christ yet they hardly know him For if wee knew him Brethren wee could not bee at enmity with the holy Spirit Wee doe not look up to Christ You will say what is it to look up to Christ in all your wayes I Answer It is to follow Christ as where John said Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world The Text sayes That two of his Disciples went away and followed after Jesus Joh. 1. 36 37. O thought they is hee the Lamb of God does hee take away the sins of the world wee will follow him then John bade them look at him and they followed after him that is they lookt at him indeed as a man looks at one whom hee follows when a man so looks up to Christ that hee follows him when a man sees him his onely meanes to bee happy and godly and in the favour of God the onely meanes to doe well and to bee well and desires indeed to follow after him this is to look up to Christ when a man labours sincerely to follow the counsell and direction of Christ in all his wayes Hee bids him to deny himself and that is the thing that hee labours for Hee bids him to repent of all his sins and to ply himself to all Gods holy paths and to rely upon him for strength and acceptance and mercy and pardon and every blessing What-ever thing hee looks for at the hands of God hee sets himself to follow Christs counsell and to expect it in him If hee see his sins hee looks up to Christ and there hee sees his death to defray them when hee sees what power they have over him hee looks up to Christ for his Spirit to subdue them in the use of all those meanes that hee hath appointed Prayer Meditation Watchfulnesse Striving Purposing Endevouring and Fighting against all the lusts of his flesh And wherein soever hee failes hee labours to bee humbled and yet to look still up to Christ for forgivenesse and more help against another time This is to see the Son of God Every one that sees the Son hath everlasting life Joh. 6. 40. This is to look up to Christ to beleeve in Christ to have Christ to bee in Christ to dwell in Christ and Christ in him But you will say I am afraid I never lookt up to Christ then I never yet had him for I have not his holy spirit how shall I know whether I have the holy spirit I Answer first I will tell thee what bee not signes and then secondly what bee signes First What bee
people that would not bee satisfied with what teaching they had in their own Synagogues Now I say if every Parish had its severall shining Starre this would not bee Fourthly When some Parishes have their Starres and many have not This casts in a bone of discord between Ministers for they that are idle and vain and scandalous will envy them that spend themselves in giving light Again the people of such Parishes have many times occasion of conversing together and falling into one anothers company Now how will this harden one anothers hearts when people shall say Gods blessing on our Ministers heart hee does not meddle or make with us wee may doe what wee will for all him who would dwell in such a Parish as yours is wee hear hee keeps a horrible stirre with you hee will not let you alone you cannot bee merry now and then but you are sure to heare of it hee is so strict forsooth and so precise you must have preaching forenoon and afternoon and there is such adoe to get precise Constables that you cannot bee quiet What a wofull thing is this how does this harden the Countries hearts The Use of this is first this shews what a miserable thing it is when a Land is darkened that hath but a few starres May bee here one and there one but most places are in darknesse and have none Beloved this is a sign of the wrath of God God is wroth with such a Land and powres his wrath upon such a people as the Prophet sayes Through the wrath of the Lord of Hoasts is the Land darkned Esa 9. 19. Again secondly you that have your stars shining among you how are you to blesse God when there are so many places in the world that have none Suppose the Harvest should bee comming and the earth hath great need of rain to plump up the eares the Corn is quite spoyled for want of rain if it doe not rain Alas our Corn will bee burnt up and prove little worth Now if God should rain upon your fields and not upon your Neighbours Your Closes and Leizes have raine but on the other side of the hedge there is none What a speciall mercy is this unto you As God sayes I have caused it to rain upon one City and caused it not to rain upon another one piece was rained upon and the piece whereupon it rained not withered Amos 4. 7. is not this a great mercy to the owner of that ground where the rain falls and does not fall else-where so my Brethren you that have the spirituall rain in your particular parishes what a mercy of God is it unto you when so many Parishes have not one drop of it Again thirdly let us take heed lest those few starres that yet bee set upon us and so wee bee all in darknesse wee have a little rain yet here and there some O let us repent and be more forward to bring forth more fruit if wee continue to provoke God with our unfruitfulnesse as wee doe that little shall be taken away from you When Gods Vineyard in Judah became barren and brought forth no grapes but wild ones What sayes God I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it Esa 5. 6. q. d. I will take away all the rainy clouds yee shall have clouds still but they shall be clouds without rain starres without light and heat Ministers that shall doe you no good this is a fearfull case and yet God will bring it upon us for a certain if wee doe not take heed There be six signs of all the starres vanishing away that God will take away those few starres those few godly Ministers away that are left First when people will not walk in the light while they have the light As our Saviour Christ sayes Yet a little while is the light with you walk while yee have the light lest darknesse come upon you Joh. 12. 35. q. d. yee have the light a little while the Lord lets you have it hee lets it stay with you a little while longer but if ye will not walk in the light the light shall bee gone and yee shall bee in darknesse this is an evident signe that the light will surely away from us what a deale of light is yet held before our faces and scarce any have a heart to walk in it When servants are idle and will not mend their cloathes in the day time at spare houres why should the Master allow them any candle so we have a day among us and people will not bestirre themselves they goe all rent and tottered in their garments they care not for doing of their businesse therefore the Lord will allow them no candle he will put out all the lights Secondly when people grow deader and deader when they forsake their first love they were once more earnest for heaven more tender in Conscience more eager for good things more lively in Prayer more zealous in holy duties but now they abate and slacken they are told of it and yet they doe not amend when it is once come to this passe the Lord will remove the faithfull Ministery of his Word To what end should he let it stay any longer as Christ sayes to Hphesus Remember from whence thou art falne and repent and doe the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candle-stick out of its place except thou repent Rev. 2. 5. this is another signe of the Ministeries departing away from us Candle and candle-stick will away for wee will not amend Wee have been told of our formality we have heard whole Sermons against our luke warmnesse and against our declinings and yet nothing wil fetch us up again Wee will not think soundly from whence wee are falne we will not bee perswaded to doe our first works our hearts are grown senselesse and nothing can pluck them up therefore how can wee hope but our candlestick will bee removed and quickly too Thirdly when people wax weary of Gods Ordinances they are even cloyed with them like the Israelites there in Amos when will the New Moon bee gone that wee may fell corn when will the Sabbath bee over that wee may set forth Wheat Amos 8. 5. q. d. here is such adoe with Lectures and Sermons wee can hardly have time for our Markets such adoe with the Sabbath it is so tedious so irksome wee are not able to hold out Prayers in the Family come so fast about and duties come so thick wee have hardly any space for our other businesses Ministers require so much of us Sermons are so strict Sacrifices are so often we can have no breathing thus people are cloyed they are full fed they care not much if they had lesse nay some will not stick to say it and others that in their hypocrisie will not say it yet they have no stomack no appetite there is so much Word that they are not able to
a threatning telling them the danger if they will not be awakened if therefore thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know c. Thus you see the remedy Then the next thing is the commemoration of some slain persons raw Birds that were not carryed away with the sins of the times and in the common deadnesse of the Congregation where they lived and these hee does commend very much And then an incouragement to give them an excellent promise The commendation is in these words Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments vers 4. That is there be some among you though they be but a few and he commends them for two things 1. From the place that they could be in Sardis and yet keepe their quickning Thou hast a few names even in Sardis Even in Sardis q. d. in dead Sardis even there be some lively Christians that are not dead 2. from the quality of their care expressed by a metaphor of keeping their garments cleane which have not defiled their garments that is they have been very carefull indeed that they are not sooted and soyled with so many ill examples though others be dead yet they will not be dead too for company And then their promise followes for their encouragement in these words They shall walke after me in white in the same verse that is I will give them the grace of presence and will keepe them unspotted unto my Heavenly Kingdome and Glory and hee addes a reason why hee makes them such a promise in these words For they are worthy not as though they did merit presence and glory no but they are worthy in Christ and Christ hath made them meet to be made partakers of this mercy Thus you see the matter of the example Well now to come to the reproofe and first in generall I know thy workes that is I know them all and I know them to be starke naught for the most part what ever they seeme they may seeme to be very good and godly but be it knowne unto you I know them all what they be q. d. generally they are starke naught The first point wee hence gather is that the Lord knowes every mans ill courses hee is privy to every mans sinnes though men carry them never so cleverly closely yet he knows them First he sees mens sinfull workes they can do nothing but hee sees it as Elihu speakes his eyes are upon the wayes of men and hee seeth all their goings There is no darknesse nor shadow of death where the workes of iniquity may hide themselves Job 34. 21 22. what ever evill men doe they cannot hide it from him they may go into a house and thinke to shut out all men from seeing of them but they cannot shut him out they cannot get out of his sight be they never so private and who sees them yet the Lord sees them Secondly hee knows every syllable that men speake at any time as David sayes There is not a word in my Tongue but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether Ps 13. 4. The Prophet Elisha could tell what the King of Aram spake in his privy chamber 2 Kings 6. 12. the Lord can tell what words people speake under the Rose what they say in their beds what they whisper in their close meetings what they belch out on their Alebenches Enoch sayes he wil have them all up at the day of judgment nay if a word be but at the Tongues end hee hears it Thirdly hee knowes every thought in mens hearts as Moses sayes and God saw that the wickednesse of man was great upon the Earth and the very imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onely evill continually Gen. 6. 5. Though mens thoughts be sly things and are out of mens eyes and Divells eyes and Angels eyes yet they are not out of his eye he sees what men think Fourthly he knowes all that ever a man hath done in times past he revealed unto Moses what Adam did in the Garden what Cain in the sield what bragges Lamech used before his Wives what villany Lots Daughters did in the night time many 100 years after they were done He knowes what was done yesterday and tother day and tother day seven hundred hundred yeares agoe Hee hath a Kalender of all the sinnes of men ever since the beginning of the World what people did in their childhood what in their youth what in their manhood though they themselves have forgotten yet he remembers Ther 's no time out of minde unto Him as Solomon sayes God requireth that whch is past Eccl. 3. 15. Fifthly he knowes what sinnes men will commit hereafter Christ told his Apostles before hand what wicked dealings they should meet with the Lord told Moses what Pharaoh would do before he went to him I know he will not let you go Exod. 3. 19. So likewise when the children of Israel were in the Wildernesse the Lord told them even then that he knew all the wickednesse that ever they would doe when they came into Canaan I know their imaginations even now sayes he before I have brought them into the Land which Isware Deut. 31. 21. Sixthly Hee knowes not onely what sinnes they have committed heretofore nor onely what they will commit hereafter but also he knowes what they would commit in such and such cases Hee knew Abimelech would have taken Sarah if hee had not hindred him He knew that the men of Keilah would betray David if hee should stay there 1 Sam. 23. 12. He knowes what a rich man would do if hee were poore what a poore man would do if he were rich He knowes that such a one would play the apostate rather then loose all his living Hee knowes that such a man would do mischiefe if hee had wherewithall hee sees what is in every mans heart what lies particularly in every mans nature It may be her 's one that dyes in his infancy the Lord knowes what hee would have done if hee had lived till hee was a man here 's one that dyes at 40 the Lord knowes what a wretch hee would have been if he had lived to twenty or thirty years longer here 's one that dwells now in a good family it may be now hee conformes to good duties he does not flye out but the Lord knowes how he would be a very rakeshame if hee lived in another place Seventhly the Lord knowes what men are and what they have beene and what they will be as he knowes all their thoughts words and works He knowes all their dispositions their persons their natures their qualities their affections and ends and aymes and motives and estates hee knowes how many are rotten though they professe never so much how many are unfound though they be never so well esteemed in the Church Hee knowes in what estate every man stands in He knowes vaine men he
omit any duty but hee does perceive it nor slubber over any good duty but hee stands by and lookes on may be when yee are among your selves yee can shoot out your Arrowes even bitter and malicious words may bee no body can tell what yee said tush it shall never come to such a ones Eare Who can tell that you did say so Who why God can Thus yee sayd and thus yee said sayes the Lord That have you sayd O house of Israel for I knew the things that came into your minde every one of them Ezek. 11. 5. Hee knowes thy adultery and with whom and in what Bed neither Curtaines nor Doores nor Lock and Key can hide from him Hee knowes how thy heart hath risen up against the Word Hee knowes how many times thou hast smothered thine owne conscience and gone against it and outwrestled it He knowes how thou lettest thy minde rove in Prayer how many times thou hast come to the Lords Table unworthily omitted Family duties or hudled them over without due regard Hee knowes what trickes thou hast to put off conviction what a base esteeme thou hast of the strictnesse that Gods Word doth require when thou hearest it layd open O I say this should make thee to feare God this should make thee to feare everywhere as the Psalmist sayes Thou compassest my paths and my lying downe and art acquainted with all my wayes Psal 139. 3. Thou hast beset mee behind and before within and without thou possessest all my reines O what an awe should this breede in us But I let this Use passe This Use will better come in the next Doctrine Well then the next Doctrine is this The knowing that God knowes all our workes is the powerfull meanes to all Gods elect to do them good and to quicken them and to make them take heede of all manner of sinne when the Lord would quicken his people here in Sardis hee uses this as his first meanes to doe it by I know thy workes wee may see this in David I have kept thy Precepts and thy Testimonies for all my wayes are before thee Psa 119. 168. when Solomon would confute a whorish heart hee uses this for his argument Why wilt thou my Son bee ravisht with a strange Woman and embrace the bosome of a stranger for the wayes of man are before the eyes of the Lord and hee ponders all his goings Prov. 5. 20. 21. why wilt thou doth us q. d. thou art madde thou art desperate if this argument will not prevale with thee The reasons of this point are First because the Lords knowing of our workes is not onely a meere knowing of them but also a marking and a pondering of them too Hee diligently observes what wee doe hee ponders and considers whence it proceeds and whether it tends as the Prophet sayes The Lords Throne is in Heaven his Eyes well consider his Eye-lides try the Children of men Psal 11. 4. And therefore when the Scripture would tell us that God knowes mens hearts it sometimes expresses it thus The Lord pondereth mens hearts Prov. 24. 12. if God did onely see what we doe it were another matter but when the soule shall heare that hee markes and that hee ponders and considers mens sinnes and weighes them how haynous they are what punishment they deserve and how horrible it is that they do how much it is against his glory it s a signe of a desperate heart when this will not work Secondly because when God sees all our sinnes it is with a most holy and pure Eye and such an Eye as cannot abide such an object before him as the Prophet Habakuk speakes Thou art of purer Eyes then to behold evill thou canst not looke on iniquity Hab. 1. 13. if God saw our sinnes with such an Eye as men see them now and then it were no such great thing for wee know that most men can endure to see our sinnes well enough and like us little the worse but they are infinitely offensive unto God he sees them with such an eye that if ever the conscience be a wake but to perceive how he lookes it will burst the very heart of a man Thirdly because when God sees our sinnes he records them he notes them in a booke that he may never forget them as he told the people of the Jewes behold it is written before me I will recompence and render it into your bosome Isay 65. 6. if God did see our sinnes and ther 's an end then indeed this doctrine of Gods seeing would doe little may be God would forget them againe yea but when he sees he registers too nay he layes it up in record to be in store by him against another day nay he seales them up in his treasure is not this laidup in store by me and sealed among my Treasures Deut. 32. 34. now when the Soule shall come to marke this this will wound it to the quicke this must needs doe a man good and strike an awe into him of God Fourthly because when Gods sees our sinnes it is even all one as if all the world should see them too as Origen notes for let our sinnes be never so secret our inward unsoundnesse never so unknowne yet if God know it it is as bad and worse then if all the world knew it for all the world shall know it one day God will lighten all things that are hid in darknesse and will make manifest the secret counsailes of mens hearts then shall every man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4. 5. that is whosoever have been godly God will bring all their godlinesse forth and every one of them shall have praise of God this shall be an honour to them before all the world so if a man have been evill then God will produce all his naughty courses forth then shall he have shame from God God will shame him before all the World There is nothing now covered that shall not then be revealed nothing hid that shall not then be laid open what a shame then will this be for thee that thou which hast gone so many yeares for an honest man and may be hast been some body here in this world when all the Saints shall see thee standing as a wretch as a hell-hound as a limme of the Divell on Christs left hand what a shame will it be if we that are now earnest Preachers if any of us shall then be found among the goats what a shame to any of you that would count it a sore disgrace to be called a wicked man to be led forth with evill doers and sholed among the damned well then if Gods seeing of mens sinnes be such a kind of seeing as this is no marvell it worke so effectually on them that are of God Fifthly an other argument may be taken from our disposition our disposition is such that we cannot abide that our wickednesses should be seen of any body
know all thy workes i I know them to be all starke naught Some thinke this is an allusion to the Minister of Sardis his name who they say was called Zosing that is Living Thou hast a name that thou livest but the truth is thou art dead whether that be so or no I know not but this is the meaning of the words that both the Minister and the Church seemed to be alive towards God hee to be a very good and godly Minister and they very good and godly hearers they were all professors they were all very devout and forward in all their duties of Religion to see to Thou hast a name that thou livest By name is meant a meere name as wee see by the clause following and art dead for when a man is dead the name to live must needs be a meere Name First a Name in regard of themselves they tooke themselves to be alive as Paul had a name to live before his conversion while yet hee was a Pharisee hee had then a name to live I was alive without the Law once Rom. 7. 9. That is I had a name to live then I taking my selfe to be alive I thought verily in those dayes that I had true Grace true Faith and true Hope and true Love and the true feare of God before my eyes So this Church had a name to live they thought themselves to be alive Secondly a name in regard of other godly Churches others in the judgement of Charity conceived they were alive as the Scribes the Pharisees our Saviour Christ told them they had a name to live Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for yee are like unto whited Sepulchers which indeed appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones Matthew 23. 27. that is yee seeme to be alive yee have a name to live but indeed yee are dead They had such a great name to live that our Saviour Christ had much a doe to keepe his owne Disciples from over-weening of them beware of them sayes hee q. d. what ever yee may thinke they have a meere Name to live Thirdly a name among poore ignorant and simple people yee know there be abundant of poore simple people that are led away with shewes that know not what true Religion is nay may be hate it but yet they are led away with the shew of it now they that seeme to be religious they are the onely Men and Women with such they are held for the only good people in a Country they are admired poore silly people take them for their Ghostly Fathers if they can have but their Prayers they thinke their Prayers can do much when they are sick they love a life to have such by their bedsides they give them a great deale of comfort like Absulom that comforted the people that came to him O your matters are good so the Apostle shewes that they that had a sorme of godlinesse had a name to live among a company of poore silly people 2 Tim. 3. 5. 6. Fourthly a name among the persecutors of Religion and so they are persecuted too among them that live indeed for mockers take them to be of the same number So Alexander the Coppersmith had a name a great while and the enemies of goodnesse persecuted him even as Paul so Demas for a time had a name and was persecuted as well as the Apostle till afterwards hee was weary and forsooke him This is one of your Precisians this is one of you purer people this is one of them that call themselves the people of God These are the people of the Lord Ezek. 36. 20. as a Bat hath a name to be a Mouse and so the Birds persecute it and cannot abide it Now the point of Doctrine is this that it is a horrible thing to rest in a meere name of being Religious it is the argument that Christ uses to prove that Sardis workes were all starke naught because they had a meere name to live so when the Lord would declare how the Jewes were growne to be starke naught hee layes this to their charge that they had onely a name to bee his people They call themselves of the holy City and stay themselves upon the God of Israel the Lord of Hosts is his name Isaiah 48. 2. that is they got themselves a name to bee his people and there was all they had not the thing it selfe but they tooke the name thus hee proved them to bee starke naught The reasons are first because this is to be farthest off from Religion religion is a reall thing and therefore he that rests in having the name of it is farthest off from it as Christ sayes of Nathaniel Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile Ioh. 1. 47. so when a man is religious indeed humble indeed feares God indeed this is religion when a man is freed indeed from his sinnes and from the power of them this is religion if the Sonne shall make you free ye shall be free indeed Joh. 8. 36. Now when a man hath only the name he is farthest off from this Religion is a reall solid and a substantiall thing as Iohn sayes my little children let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth 1 Joh. 3. 18. what though a man have the name to love God and goodnesse how farre is this off from doing of it indeed a man may goe for one that is converted but he is converted that is converted indeed so he is godly that is godly indeed the name is nothing where the thing is wanting all religion is in deed to believe indeed to deny a mans selfe every day indeed to be sensible of God indeed in all ones waies not to say ones prayers but to pray indeed to give God thankes indeed to worship him indeed as Paul sayes when a man can say God is in us indeede 1 Corinthians 14. 25. when a man hath onely the name this is a meere fancy and conceit Secondly it is a very blasphemy to get the name for good people when wee are not good people indeed the reason is this Religion hath an inward dependance upon God it unites a man to God it hath an internall relation unto God it puts a man in a propriety with God that God is his God that hee is borne of God it puts the very Name of God upon a man now if a man take the name with out the thing it must neede bee a very blasphemy as hee sayes I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Iewes and are not but are the Synagogue of Satan Revelations 2. 9. as if a man should say hee were of the blood royall yee know the blood royall hath such a dependance on the Crowne that that man that should say hee were of the blood royall and is not hee must needes blaspheme the King So beloved Religion hath a neere dependance on God
and therefore hee is a blasphemer of God that gets the name of it and lets the thing alone and therefore how shoud wee take heede how wee have the name for Religious people except wee bee Religious indeed and holy indeede and Heavenly indeede as Ambrose sayes nam â—it nomen inane crimen immane a bare name is a horrible blame unto any man whosoever he be Thirdly it is a flat lie when a man hath the name for a good Christian and hath not the thing signified by the Name this is a flat lie as God sayes Note it in a Booke that it may be for time to come for ever and ever that this is a rebellious people lying children children that will not heare the Law of the Lord Isaiah 30. 8. 9. that is they had the name of his children but they had not the thing signified by that name they would not doe as children should doe they would not bee ruled by their fathers Lawes therefore they are lying children they lie in bearing such a name the Lord notes it in a Booke that it might stand for ever and ever against them at the day of judgement this was nothing else but to lie before God you goe for my children what and will not doe as I bid you you lie in haveing the name of my children when a man shall have the name of a child of God or the name of a Minister of the Lord Jesus or the name of a Christian baptized into Christ hee had need to take heed what hee does for if he doe not answer this name hee does but play the Ananias to lie to the Holy Ghost Looke into thy generall calling looke into thy particular looke into thy carriage looke into thy manner of good duties whether thou doe behave thy selfe answerably to this holy name whereby thou art called knowing thou dost but lye to God if thou dost not Fourthly it is an unreasonable thing when a man hath not the thing there is no reason that hee should have the name when God gave Abram the name of Abraham hee told him there was a reason why hee should bee called by that name thy name shall bee called Abraham for a Father of many Nations have I made thee Genesis 17. 5. so it is an unreasonable thing why wee should have the name of Gods servants or Christians unlesse there bee some reason why wee should have the imposition of this name now when wee make it a bare title and doe not obey Christ nor make conscience of all his holy waies this is very unreasonable as Abigail reasoned about her Husbands name as his name is so is hee Nabal is his name and folly is with him 1 Samuel 25. 25. So my brethren as our name is so should we be if Christian be our name true Christianity should bee with us humility love meekenesse patience faith holinesse and all other parts of Christianity should be with us now if we have the name without these things intimated by the name this is a very unreasonable thing nay it is not onely unreasonable but also ridiculous who will not count the names that the Papists give to their blockish Friers ridiculous subtilissimus Doctor Doctor Angelicus Seraphicus these are ridiculous as a drunkard a Christian a whoremonger a Christian a worldling a Christian a vaine man a Christian what a ridiculous thing it is to call such the Saints of God strangers here on earth such as have their conversation in Heaven such as are buried together with Christ in his death such as are men of another World mortified justified sanctified crucified to themselves loving the things above and not the things that are here beneath If these things doe not agree with us what a ridiculous thing is it that wee should bee termed good Christians here bee Christians indeed this is a meere mockery Fifthly it is an impudent thing when we have a name to live and to be wrought upon by the word what an impudent thing is it if we doe not looke to it that wee be so indeed one would thinke wee should blush to thinke what a name wee have and how little wee make good our name between God and our owne soules When the men of Bethlehem said is not this Naomi O how she was ashamed of her selfe call me not Naomi call me Marah for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me Ruth 1. 20. so when wee are named Christians we should even blush call me not a Christian call me a wretch call me a vile creature a hell-hound a limme of the Devill a cursed sinner for the Almighty never yet turned my heart he never yet purified my Soule and life I never yet have resembled Christ to this very day I say the most of us should even be confounded to thinke what a name wee have I a Christian and doe no more good and live no better life I a Christian and not humbled not abased yet before God so dull to all goodnesse so carnall so dead to all Gods Ordinances so voide of all grace so sencelesse of my sinnes how can this be wee are impudent if wee have our name for naught our name may upbraide us the good opinions that others have of us may fill our faces with shame to thinke how short we come of it Sixthly it is an inexcusable thing if we have a name to be alive wee are without excuse if wee be not First because now out of our owne mouthes God will judge us wee said wee were his people wee tooke the name of his servants why then he will say why had I not your service why would you doe no more for me why were you coveteous why were you proud why were you hard-hearted why were you so carelesse of me you wore my livery you shrouded your selves under my name So the Lord did with the Jewes that had the name of his children and servants see how he judges them out of their owne mouth a Sonne honours his Father and a servant his Master if then I be a Father where is my honour and if I be a Master where is my feare Malachi 1. 6. q. d. you say I am your Father and I am your Master and I am your God well out of your owne mouthes I will judge you why then did you honour me no more why did yee regard mee no more yee cared not for mee yee did not looke after mee you had little or no heart after me your owne mouthes have even cast you Secondly ye can have no other excuse can you say you could not beleeve in my name ye could not forgoe such and such lusts at my command why then would you goe for my servants you should have said so plainely and not daily have come into my Courts as if you would obey me nor taken up the profession of my Worship as if you would goe through stitch with it why would you come to my Table
as though my promises belonged unto you if ye could not doe as I bade you you should not have borne me in hand as though you would now yee have played the Hypocrites and drawne neere to me with your lips and taken my name into your mouthes whereas yee would not be reformed by me What had you to doe with my Covenant that you must needs he medling with it Psalme 50. 16. if yee would not obey it yee should have let it alone so that ye see that to have a naked name to live is an inexcusable thing Seventhly it is an unprofitable thing a naked name will doe us no good when the Jewes trusted in the name that they had O they were the children of Abraham they were Gods onely people they had his Covenant and his Oracles and his Temple O the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord they hoped well haveing thus much to say for themselves but marke what God tels them behold you trust in lying words that cannot profit Jeremy 7. 8. this would not profit them one jot because they did not verifie the name they had So the Galathians they presumed mightily on this that they were Christians as for making good this holy name that they gave no heed to at all they would have the Ceremonies when Paul told them of their faults they would not listen unto him may they counted him their Enemy they would have the Ceremonies of the Law well the Apostle told them plainly that if they would not be ruled their name would doe them no good Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Galathians 5. 2 q. d. you beare your selves upon Christ and yet will not doe as he would have you doe yee will doe what yee list but let me tell you if yee will not reforme Jesus Christ shall profit you nothing you say you beleive in Jesus Christ I but it shall profit you nothing So when the people there in Isay rested in this they came to Gods house they gave him Sacrifice every morning and evening they did thus and thus and so they had a name for his peculiar people the Prophet assures them this should not profit them one whit I will declare thy righteousnesse and thy workes for they shall not profit thee Isaiah 57. 12. Thou prayest and doest many good duties and so thou getttest thy selfe a name yea but if thou dost not soundly and throughly answer that name God will declare all thy righteousnesse and all thy profession and all thy good duties and none of them all shall profit thee in that day he will declare what rotten things they have been how heartlesse how livelesse how dead-hearted all thy duties have been and they shall doe thee no good and indeed what good can a name doe a man true faith alone does justifie not the name of it true peace of conscience does comfort not the name of it true interest in God gives a man a chearefull accesse to God not the name of it Eighthly it is not onely unprofitable but also it is hurtfull It is hurtfull unto others a bare name I say without substance and truth is hurtfull unto others It is hurtfull unto them that are without for when they see how lazy such as goe for professors be how they have little else in them but talking and professing and prating and hearing otherwise they are as vaine and as covetous and as having as other men no strictnesse no purenesse no holinesse no humblenesse of minde no love no forgiving one another no forbearing one another no brotherly Kindnesse no Union nor Communion no power in their Prayers no gravity non authority in their speeches no Heavenlinesse in their conversation no brokennesse of heart this hardens the hearts of them that are without and makes them all thinke that Religion is a matter of nothing thus they doe a great deale of hurt unto others the professing Wife to the prophane Husband the professing servant to his profane Master the professing Neighbour to his prophane Neighbour whereas if they were godly indeed and humble indeed and as their name does import indeed they would doe a great deale of good but now they doe a great deale of hurt Againe they doe a great deale of hurt unto commers on many a man that is smitten at the Word that begins Reformation and amendement and gives good hopes that hee will come to something in the end when hee lights upon such Sardian Saints that are so in name but there is no life at all in them these put him backe againe and make him set up his staffe before hee sees halfe way like the dead body of Amasa that made the people stand still Againe they doe a great deale of hurt unto the Saints of God sometimes by deceiving of their hearts and cooling of their zeale and fervour or if they cannot doe that then they hate them and prove very shye of them and gird them behinde their backs and doe them much mischiefe as Paul complains hee was in perils among false Brethren 2 Corinthians 11. 26. that is those that had a name to be Brethren in Christ but were not so indeed hee was in perils many times and often by them againe they increase the disgraces and sufferings of Gods true Saints and Children for while they seeme to be Saints good enough themselves the other that are Saints indeede are rejected of all and thought to be besides their wits Againe they do a great deale of hurt to themselves for it had beene better for them they had never had a name then having a name not to be as the name does require The use of this is First let mee tell what use yee must not make of it namely to beate downe the having of a name for all the Lords people should be carefull of having of a name I will give them a name of Sonnes and Daughters nay a better name then so Isaiah 56. 5. yea and the people of God should make conscience of a name before men A good name is betier then pretious Oyntment Eccles 7. 1. and the servants of God have had a name Demetrius had a good report of all men yea of the truth it selfe too and therefore they are blacke mouths of Hell that object against good people that they are Hypocrites they doe thus and thus to have a name This is no newes for the World hath alwayes dealt thus with the Saints in all Ages Paul was counted the great imposter of the World O sayee hee wee are deceivers and yet true 2 Corinthians 6. 8. that is the World gives us a name for deceivers and yet wee are true Yee know what was sayd of Christ Jesus himselfe some sayd of him hee was a good man others sayd nay Hee was a deceiver of the people it was sayd of David that Hee was a subtle man a crafty Fox and that Hee was a meere Polititian it
was Sauls judgement of him Thus the Saints have a nick name put on them the World thinkes they are Hypocrites and that they have sinister ends in what they doe and whereas they make such a shew it is but in Hypocrisy that they may deceive and that they may have a Name for Religious people so that the World would faine put downe the having of a Name But that is a Devillish use wee must not make such a use of this point No the Lord does not finde fault with Sardis for having of a Name that they lived but that they had this Name when as they were dead if they had beene alive the Name to be alive had beene well well then what use must wee make of this point The First Use then is this to shew the misery of the Church of Rome which hath a Name to live and in their owne judgement and a great part of Christendome is the onely true Church but in the judgement of God it is dead and therefore starke naught some say its a body full of diseases and whose throat is cut but yet the heart pants and life is therein But the truth is it s starke dead and hath no manner of spirituall life What though they have the Sacrament of Baptisme so had Edom circumcision and yet they were never counted a Church of God And what 's a Seale to a blanke what though they have the Scriptures among them and the Articles of our Creede that does not make a Church for Ptolomy and all Aegypt had the Bible and yet that did not make them a Church if the Scriptures might have their owne sense it were another matter but they oterturne it with their exposition and make it in their sense to be a fardell of Doctrine of Divels and what though Antichrist bee said to sit in the Temple of God yet his Body is a Synagogue of Satan There is no life in that Church But to come neerer to our selves This may bee said of them of our Churches too and of our Congregations they have onely a Name to live though wee might live well enough for wee have the Doctrine of Life in many places yet in regard of our conversations for the most part wee may say it is but onely a Name For how does sinne reigne among us everywhere Coveteousnesse Profanesse fulnesse of Bread Lust Security as it were in Noahs time deadnesse of heart Formality now where such sinnes doe abound there the power of godlinesse must needs bee away generally our Assemblies content themselves with an outward profession if they goe so farre they have but a Name to live True wee are a Church so was Sardis though shee had hardly any thing but a Name yet shee was a Church as Saint John shewes washed in the Bloud of Jesus Christ Revelations 1. 4 5. for they had a few Names that were so but the body had onely a bare name so it is with us wee are not nullifyed from being a Church for God hath his chosen among us though they bee very few here one and there one that live indeede and in truth yet the Bodies and Bulkes of our Congregations have onely a Name if that no Discipline no good Order no thorough Reformation nay Cages of uncleane Birds nay such as professe better then the multitude little better then titular and morall Christians Nay are not all things almost growne to bee a sole Name What is the Preaching almost but the bare Name of Preaching For conversion of Soules where is it the pulling people out of the Kingdome of Satan where it it a thousand Sermons may be and hardly one wrought upon wee may be sayd to be fishermen but it is turned only into a name for when doe we catch any So for hearing of the Word True it is very common and yet not so common as it ought to bee for many care little whether they heare or no. But that that is there 's hardly ought left but the Name for who heares with trembling who mingles his hearing with faith who drinkes the Word as the Earth doth the Raine who does what hee heares without which all hearing is no better then an empty Name So for comming to the Sacrament is not that made a name too setting a side the Name of a Sacrament now and then what have wee else who feeds upon Jesus Christ who comes to the increasing of his Faith who hath Faith at all that it may bee increased Who comes to it with preparednesse who sits at the Lords Table with a Wedding Garment who goes away nourished up any more unto eternall Life without the which all our Sacraments are but naturall things So for holy Conference unlesse it bee the Name of it what is there of the thing it selfe left may bee a few cursory words of goodnesse before wee part but no quickning of one another up no exhorting of one another no comforting of one another or admonishing one another nay wee are growne to bee ashamed of these duties and for Prayer but that wee take Cushions and fall downe on our Knees and say a company of Confessions and Petitions there is little else done Come wee to the Graces of Gods Holy Spirit without the which a man is Dead in trespasses and in sins c. as Faith Repentance peace of Conscience and Love c. Secondly another use is of terror against us doe wee thinke that the Lord will endure this at our hands Hee hath endured it too too long but Hee will not suffer it alwayes Hee hath a Spirituall thunder-clappe that Hee lets slye against this sinne The vile person shall bee no more called liberall nor the Churle bee said to bee bountifull Isaiah 32. 5. That is the Lord will unmaske all such persons Hee will plucke of all their Names and they shall have a Name fit for their natures and Hee will doe this First in their owne Consciences if wee will not bee awakened to bee as wee have a Name to bee the LORD will make our owne Consciences to call us Reprobates as wee are and then what will our Name doe us good when our owne Consciences shall tell us wee are naught and condemne us in our Bosomes what shall wee bee the better for our Neighbours judging well of us Our Neighbours may bee thinke wee Pray well what a poore thing is this when Conscience shall say no our Neighbours may hope wee stand upon good ground when Conscience shall say no Men call us godly and Conscience shall say nay but yee are not What a shame was it to the Iewes when they were convicted by their owne Consciences Joh. 8. 9. It is not the Name of joy and holinesse that will give their Consciences true Peace no no Conscience knowes another name is sit for us Unbeliefe and Ungodlinesse and Hardnesse of Heart Secondly againe Hee will doe it in the judgement of others if wee rest in a Name the Lord will
how apt are people to forget any thing that is good to put off any thing that should pull them downe before God and therefore we should labour to help our poore people that if it be possible we may stop them from going downe into the pit Fifthly we should labour to make the things that we preach as if it were lively before peoples eyes as the Apostle preacht Christ crucified to the Galatians even as if he were crucified before their very eyes Gal. 3. 1. so Moses had a very lively Ministry the text sayes he set his points before their very eyes I call heaven and earth to record against you this day that I have set before you life and death blessing and crusing Deut. 30. 19. marke he set before their eyes life and death heaven and hell he preached so evidently that the people might see as it were with their eyes the things that he preached this is lively teaching as the Orator sayes Hypotyposis is an excellent meanes to perswade when the speaker does as it were point before the hearers eyes when he represents the things he speakes of this is preaching in the evidence and the demonstration of the spirit 1 Cor. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when a Minister demonstrates his points and this it is this is the sinne and this is the case and this is the misery and thus it stands with you when he labours to make people see it and they must needs see it unlesse they be wilfull and shut their eyes otherwise people heare a Sermon as if it did not concerne them there 's a man in the pulpit and they heare what he says but they never consider how deeply it concernes them Sixthly we should be truly affected with the word of God our selves laying nothing on our peoples shoulders but what we lift upon our owne we should speake the truth from the bottom of our hearts uttering the word of God with feeling and with a contrite heart we should be heavenly as the word is that lip and heart and word may be all a like O if we did drop downe our Sermons as dew downe from heaven on our people this would be a lively preaching indeed as the Prophet Ezekiel did He dropt the word of God on Ierusalem Ezek. 21. 2. if our Sermons did come dropping downe from us as if they dropt downe from heaven O how homely doe our Sermons come from our mouthes as though they never were higher then the pulpit we doe not preach as if the word came dropping down from heaven and therefore people doe not look up to heaven while they heare their mindes are no higher then our pulpits whereas if we had heavenlier hearts and lippes it would more quicken a thousand times or at least be a sitter instrument to quicken Seventhly and lastly we should get the Lord to goe along with our Ministry for it is not our preaching it selfe that hath any life nay it is but a dead letter as it issues from us if we were such men that had the Lord going along with us throughout all our Ministry what a deale of profit would there be in our Ministry as Micha sayes I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord Micha 3. 8. But I let this point passe thus ye have heard the words as they have relation to the Ministry of the Church in Sardis Thou art dead that is thy Ministry is dead Now I come to the words as they have relation to the Church it selfe Thou art dead Thou art a dead people though thou hast a name to live yet thou art dead that is thou art outwardly reformed thou hast goodly order'd congregations good sober civill and faire carriaged people all professing the true religion and frequenting the good Ordinances of God yet thou art dead that is thou art even as good as nothing the doctrine hence is a dead Christian is as no Christian at all Ye know we are all dead by nature in trespasses and in sins that is we are alive to the workes of the flesh and to the world but dead towards God And a true Christian is he that is made dead unto sinne and the world but alive unto God as the Apostle Paul sayes Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 11. this is a true Christian that so leaves his sinnes and so takes up the worship and service of God that he is dead to his sinnes and alive towards God now when a man it may be leaves his sinnes after a manner and takes up the profession of Gods Service and yet he is alive still unto the flesh and dead towards God this is just nothing By dead I meane things first deadnesse of guilt when a man is guilty of any offence that is death by the Law he is said to be a dead man therefore every man hath sinned against God which is death by Gods Law so that every man is dead by nature when a man is pardoned of God then he is alive again and therefore it is called justification of life Ro. 5. 18. now when a man is not pardoned of God he is dead though he have never so many hopes and conceits of forgivenesse thought to apprehend himselfe to be pardoned yet as long as God hath not pardoned him indeed he is a dead man Secondly deadnesse of minde when the minde is Ignorant of God in regard of saving knowledge when a mans minde is without saving understanding then his minde is said to be dead true saving understanding is the life of so many mindes as David sayes give me understanding and I shall live Psal 119. 144. then my minde shall be alive sayes he then I shall know thee aright now let a man have never so much knowledge and learning yet in divine things is otherwise and have nothing his minde is still dead he is a dead man to all the things of God he cannot see God in all his wayes no more then a dead man he cannot minde God he may minde earthly things but he cannot minde God nay though he can mind learning divinity learning learning about God yet he cannot minde God his minde is dead to such savoury knowledge even as dead as a dead man he knowes not how to pray to God as a childe to his Father he knowes not how to doe any duty in a godly gratious manner his minde is as dead to these things as a simple Country-mans is to Latin or Greeke or Hebrew Thirdly deadnesse of heart when the heart is not inclined towards God then we say it is dead towards God and all goodnesse though he goe to good duties every day yet as long as the heart is not inclined to them it goes about them in a dead manner when a mans heart is once inclined towards God now it begins to be alive towards him as David sayes the heart
shall be alive that seekes God Psal 69 32. that is you whose hearts are inclined to serve God your hearts are alive now when a man hath no divine inclinations to all heavenly duties and courses though he doe never so much professe the following of them he followes them with a dead heart Fourthly deadnesse of conscience when the conscience hath no force it may be it finds fault with such and such wayes but it hath no power over the man to make him to leave them perhaps it approves such and such holy performances yea but it hath no power over him to cause him to buckle to them indeed this is a dead conscience it hath no life at all in it when the conscience hath life in it once then it hath power it hath a mighty force over a man as the Church my soule made me like the Chariots of Aminadab Cant. 6. 12. that is my conscience was very forceable and powerfull in me it made me not onely to goe after God but it carryed me as it were in a Chariot very willingly But when the conscience can whisper onely and finde fault and hath no power at all with it to make one obey from day to day this is a dead conscience Fifthly deadnesse of affection when the affections are clumbzie and will not stirre towards God and all heavenly things when a man is like a block in good duties he hath no affections to them nor in them when the affections are all alive to earthly things when they are still out of order as the Apostle Paul sayes mortifie your inordinate affections Col. 3. 5. that is your affections must not be out of order if they be alive to other things ye must kill them that way that they may be alive towards all the things that are above now when the affections will not move that way at all then they are dead But I will speak no more of this well then let us come to the doctrine a dead Christian is even as good as no Christian at all goe through all Christianity and we shall see this to be true in every passage should a man have all Christianity in him and yet be dead and dull and without life it is even all one as if he had just nothing First for conversion should a man seeme to be converted O what a changed man is this he was a drunkard and now he is sober he was a whorer and now he is chaste he was a Prophane beast and now he is cleane another man this is well I but if thou beest dead to the wayes of God if thou beest not quickened up to them this is magnum nihil conversion is a quickning when we were dead in sinnes he hath quickened us together which Christ Eph. 2. 5. conversion is not onely a turning of a man from wicked wayes to good but to be quickened up in them conversion puts another life into a man a man may be converted from prophanesse to civility from not praying constantly to praying constantly from not hearing to hearing from not preaching to preaching from not professing to professing True this man shall have the lesse hell yea but this is nothing towards heaven except a new life be put into this man to be alive in all these good ways except he be quickened together with Christ Secondly faith should a man leane himselfe upon God and upon Christ should a man apply all the promises of the Gospell to his soule and beleeve all that 's contained in the covenant of grace alas what of all this if this man be dead still without such a faith as produces life it is little better then nothing as Christ sayes He that lives and beleeves in me Joh. 11. 26. true faith carries life with it wheresoever it is and therefore if a mans faith be without life it is but equivocall faith faith it may well be But true faith it cannot be for if thou wouldst be able to say thou beleevest in Jesus Christ thou must be able to say that thou livest too in him it 's impossible a man should rightly beleeve in Christ and be dead â—o he lives that beleeves in me sayes Christ Thirdly as ye heard heretofore to be a member of the visible Church of God to be a stone in Gods building were a man the finest and the most carved stone of all put in by Baptisme kept in by profession of the Christian faith this is a poor thing if this man now be not a lively stone ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house a holy Priest-hood c. 1 Pet. 2. 5. The right stone in Gods spirituall house are all lively stones if thou beest but a logge a heartlesse dull dead member thou art none of Gods spirituall house house no part of his holy Priest-hood thou art no more a Christian then a dead man is a man Thou art but a sit roome thou hast nothing but a name of a true Christian The body of Christ is all full of life derived from him the head all the branches that are in him have the life of the root in them if thou beest but a dead branch thou hast no communion with Christ at all though thou beest in the body Fourthly for hope it may be thou hast hope that thou art a good Christian that thou hast a part in the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ thou hast a hope of the heavenly inheritance that thou shalt be saved in that day now if thy hope be a dead hope if it doe not quicken thee up to trample on the world to beat down thy worldly lusts to scrue thee up to a gratious life more and more to carry thee on through thick and thin this is not a gratious hope no no the grace of hope is a lively hope as the Apostle speakes Blessed be God father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us againe to a lively hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. this grace of hope it quickens up all them that have it it is not a dead hope that lyes sluggishly and blockishly in the soule and does not stirre it up every day no it revives him towards God it makes him eager after the best things if thy hope be a dead hope that lies like a carcase in thy heart to little or no purpose it is no good hope through grace but a hope in a dreame Fifthly for repentance what ever thou hast to say for repentance canst thou plead a 1000 changes and reformations yet if thou hast not gotten out of a dead temper thou art yet under an impenitent heart That repentance that is the gate of heaven the Evangelist cals it repentance unto life Act. 11. 18. true repentance it rends the heart it shewes sinne to be the greatest evill and it rowzes a man up daily to take heed of it it makes us see what a God we have dishonoured
eare to heare before it be too late Consider first thou art farre from the Kingdome of God such as are sober and morall and frequenters of the ordinances of God professe godlines though they be not alive yet they are not farre from the Kingdome of God as Christ said of the discreet Scribe Mark 12. 34. But thou art a hundred hundred degrees farther off thou art so farre off that thou hast need to hasten quickly thou hast a 1000 degrees of reformation to passe over before thou canst get so neere as some of them that are short Secondly thou art altogether become unprofitable as the Apostle speakes Rom. 3. 12. thou art good for nothing but to doe mischief in a parish to infect to spoile youth to trouble thy wife and thy poore Children to corupt thy servants and thy neighbours to spill the good creatures of God to be a very slave to thy fleshly-lusts others that are well governed in their lives though they be dead yet they doe a great deale of good they help the Saints they are I say gotten to stand for good order but thou art a very burden to all well disposed people the very shame of the Towne the disgrace of the family where thou art what will people say yonder 's a drunkard yonder goes a fornicator a dissolute fellow though he be a gentleman yet he is fit for none but rogues and raseals and tinkerly companions a man that hath but a spark of honesty would be ashamed of him a Christian no he is a very beast he cannot govern himselfe But what doe I stand spending of time to speak against such wayes which the Apostle sayes should scarcely be named in Christians mouthes The very heathens shall judge thee the Lord open thine eyes to see what a cursed creature thou art that thou maist come out of the snare of the devill I have hindered my selfe from going on I should shew you first a reproof of those that are Christians and yet dead Secondly I should shew you the danger of being a dead Christian Thirdly what it is to be a lively Christian Fourthly how we may know whether we be dead Christians or no. Fifthly how farre forth a childe of God may be dead Sixthly what is the reason that so many are dead Seventhly how we should all come to be lively Eighthly what motives there be to induce us to labour for life in our Christian course But of these at another time REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead THe last doctrine that we gathered out of these words was this that a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all though a man be orthodoxly converted baptized reformed though a man professe the true faith towards God repentance and amendment of life and follow all manner of good and honest courses for the matter of them yet if he be dead to them he is even as good as nothing I told you what I meant by a dead Christian I shewed you this in five things First deadnesse of guilt when a man is guilty of any offence that is death by the Law he is said to be a dead man so every man hath sinned against God which is death by Gods Law and therefore every man is dead by nature when a man is pardoned of God then he is alive againe and therefore it is called Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. now when a man is not pardoned of God he is dead though he have never so many hopes and conceits of forgivenesse yet as long as he is not forgiven indeed he is but a dead man Let a man have never so much Christianity about him if he be not forgiven indeed he is a dead Christian Secondly deadnesse of minde when the understanding of man is dead my beloved ye must know it is not bare knowledge that quickens the minde a man may have the knowledge of all Christian divinity and yet have a dead understanding it is said of Christ every true Christian that he is of a quick understanding in the feare of the Lord Isa 11. 3. then is the understanding quick when it is quick in the feare of God when it feeles the weight of all divine truth we may see this in worldly minded men their understandings are quick in the things of the world if there be any booty to be had presently they feele it you may lead them any way so you doe but let them see profit and gaine there is weight in such reasons But now shew them divine reasons why they should beleeve the sacred writings of the holy Prophets and Apostles and yeeld obedience unto the form of wholsome words delivered in the Gospell though they understand well enough what we say yet they feele no weight in these reasons whole Sermons doe not stirre them their understanding is here dead so that this is a dead Christian who though he have never so much knowledge yet his understanding is dead he feeles not the weight of divine things he hath divine things in his speculative understanding and carnall in his practicall gracious truths in his fore dictats and carnall in his last when he knowes heavenly things but mindes earthly my meaning is this O sayes his understanding I should live thus and thus this is the rule this is the will of God But then his owne corrupt will suggests unto him for to doe otherwise and His understanding does not hinder Thirdly deadnesse of heart when the heart is not inclined towards God The life of the heart consists in the inclinations and bents of the heart as David sayes Incline mine heart to thy Testimonies Psal 119. 36. what followes quicken thou me in thy way This is the quicking of my heart to thy Testimonies when it is inclined unto them now though a man goe to good duties everyday yet as long as the heart is not inclined unto them it is dead to them all it goes about them in a dead manner as a Boy that is not inclined to his Book though he doe goe to Schoole it is with a dead heart This then is another expression of a dead Christian he is a man though he be a professour of Holinesse yet his heart is not inclined towards God and all goodnesse and therefore he goes on in good duties with a dead heart Fourthly deadnesse of conscience when the conscience hath no force it may be it finds fault with such and such wayes but it hath no power over a man to make him to leave them it approves such and such holy courses yea but it hath no power over him to make him to buckle to them indeed O sayes the conscience I should not doe thus I should be more mindfull of God I should not be so vaine I should not spend my time as I doe I should make another use of Gods warning then I doe I should be better But it hath no force over the man whose conscience it is this is a
no worke and no devise and no wisdome and no purpose in the grave whether thou goest that is when men are dead then they can doe nothing so it is here as long as we are dead we can doe nothing True because we have the life of sense and of nature and of a naturall conscience in us we may counterfeit good workes as a painter may make a man True he cannot make a living man so as long as we are dead-hearted we doe but paint out good duties before God all our Prayers are but painted prayers all the good workes we doe are but paint there 's none of them to the life as God sayes of the Jewes you will say they did very many good workes they fasted and prayed and sacrificed and many other things they did But what sayes God they are vanity their workes are nothing Isa 41. 29. as a dead Corps there be eyes and nostrils and eares and mouth But when the life is out they are as good as nothing so it is with a dead heart we may thinke we preach much and study much and heare much and professe much and doe much the truth is we doe nothing Secondly all that we doe with a dead heart it does not please God God sayes my Son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. ye know the heart that is primum vivens that's the first living thing in us now if we give God never so many performances yet if all our heart be not with them what cares he for them all when they are a company of heartlesse things when the Apostle had said that to be fleshly minded is death by and by he concludes so then sayes he they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. would that please any of us that one should come and rake up a dead stinking carcase and lay it before us no more can it please God to lay a dead duty before his heavenly Majesty ye know a dead carion it is loathsome as long as life remaines in it that 's a sweet thing and it preserves it from stinking and therefore the heathens called the soule the salt of every living thing because the life is a preserving thing it preserves a thing sweet but when the life is gone out presently it becomes odious so is all that we doe when we doe it with a dead heart it is odious with God it cannot be accepted of him as the Apostle Peter speakes Ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house a holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5. that is the Apostle had compared true Christians unto stones now he correcteth himselfe did I call true Christians stones I pray doe not mistake me I doe not meane for deadnesse but for firmenesse a stone is a dead livelesse thing O sayes he ye must be stones I but ye must take heed of deadnesse ye must be lively otherwise ye cannot offer acceptable sacrifices unto God this is even as if a Jew should have taken a dead sheep out of a dich and laid it on Gods Altar This is abomination to God even so are dead doings to Almighty God as Vinagar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes so is a sluggard to him that sends him Prov. 10. 26. that is when a Master sends a servant on his errand if he goe dully about it even as if he had no life nor heart in him at all to doe his Masters businesse this will not please him nay it will offend him as smoke does the eyes or as Vinegar does the teeth it will make him looke with a sowre looke upon such a servant so beloved when God bids us serve him in all our wayes may be we are not so grosse as not to goe about it at all But we goe about it with a dull and a dead heart this does not please God one whit nay he takes it ill that we should thinke he will accept it at our hands as when the Jews had no heart to Gods holy and pure worship it was too chargeable to them it put them to too much charges what a whole sheep and a whole lamb every morning besides many whole ones at other times whole Bullocks whole Oxen and whole Goates this was even as death to them they went up to Gods Temple with a dead heart nay they thought much to give him of the best they gave him the torne the maimed now mark what he says should I accept this at your hand saith the Lord Malac. 1. 13. He took it ill they should thinke he would accept it so when we thinke much to be so precise and so strict to pray so much to heare so much to minde him so much and to deny our selves so much to watch so much over our hearts to humble our selves so much what may we not keep one lust may we have no more liberty then so may be we doe some thing this way but God knowes how with a dead heart it is the Lord takes it ill that we should hope he will accept this at our hands Thirdly all that we doe with a dead heart it cannot yeeld us any comfort true if we were quickened up towards God if we served God with all our heart and soule and life this would comfort us indeed to seeke him daily in a lively manner to goe into his presence with all our minde if we went eagerly a dayes to the throne of grace if we were earnest in prayer earnest against sinne earnest for all goodnesse this were a signe of his favour and a Testimony of the true grace of life this would comfort our hearts exceedingly this would breed peace in our conscience as the Apostle speakes To be spiritually minded is life and Peace Rom. 8. 6. there 's life and therefore there is peace The reason is thus because lively works alone can truely pacifie conscience when a man hath beene a professour all his dayes and done never so many things yet if the conscience can say yea but all these are dead workes all this while I have gone on with a dead-heart this fowles the conscience it can never have true peace How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. it shall purge the conscience from dead workes dead workes foule the conscience whether they be dead for matter or manner sinne is a dead worke for matter and good duties heartlessely done are dead workes for manner now both fowle the conscience the conscience remaines under guilt continues without peace it is an ill conscience why because the conscience knowes it hath the living God to serve that will not like of such workes when a man payes in his rents onely by halves or by dribblets or with light money the Kings receiver will not give him an acquittance my brethren conscience is Gods receiver no wonder it does not
give you an acquittance when ye pay in onely wash duties clipt obedience if ye served God with life conscience would give you an acquittance when ye have prayed it would give you an acquittance when ye have done a dayes worke in his harvest it would acknowledge the receipt of it well done good and faithfull servant it is well done in some measure This made Paul full of life every day Herein doe I exercise my selfe to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men Act. 24. 16. that is I doe not onely goe on in good duties both towards God and towards men but this I doe always I do even exercise my selfe that I may have an acquittance from mine owne conscience when I have done that my conscience may give me a true discharge well done I have done well in some measure now as long as we are dead-hearted and hollow in Gods wayes our conscience can never give us a discharge no marvell that so few of us have Peace of conscience when we are so dead-hearted as we are if we would stirre up our selves to serve God with all heart and life we should have Peace but till this will be once we can never looke to have Peace and comfort Fourthly Though we have comfort in time of prosperity yet we cannot have comfort in affliction if we be of a dead heart how many are there that seeme to have comfort while they are well but when they come to be sick and at deaths doore then they are all to peeces then they see they have no grace no faith no good cards to shew then they are stript stark naked then their conscience sees what they are O I am a wretch how have I deceived my self so beloved though we have comfort in time of prosperity yet if we be dead-hearted we can have no comfort in affliction As David sayes this is my comfort in affliction thy word hath quickened me Psal 119. 50. when the word of God hath quickened our hearts and made us lively in all manner of goodnesse this will yeeld us comfort in affliction But if we be dead to all spirituall wayes though we scramble up hopes now they will not hold when affliction comes now what a fearefull thing is 't we shall all come to affliction ere long for man is borne to trouble as the sparks that fly upward as Job speakes nay we know not how soone man knoweth not his time as Solomon speakes but as the Fishes are caught in an evill Net so are the Sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly on them And God onely knowes what sore afflictions we may have the Cup of affliction is in Gods hand and he tempers it and powres it out as his pleasure is I say what a fearfull thing is it not to have comfort then then we have most need of comfort and if we have not comfort then we are utterly undone now my brethren it is not a dead dull profession will yeeld us comfort then Let us thinke of this as God sayes What will ye doe in your day of visitation to Whom will ye flye for helpe then Isa 10. 3. so may I say though ye can be quiet and comfortable enough now in the dayes of health and peace your deadnesse does not trouble you now but what will ye doe in the dayes of visitation doe but consider what a sorry comfort ye shall have then assuredly a dead heart will assord not a syllable of true comfort then Fifthly we can never blesse God with a dead heart a dead heart is not able to affirme upon any good ground that God is his or that the promise is his or that Christ is his the soule knowes Christ is a quickening spirit and they that have him are quickened up by him the promise is a promise of life and they cannot be dead that are the possessors of it we cannot blesse God either for love or mercy or grace or any thing else when we would blesse God for any of these things the deadnesse of heart it will be objected to us O I am so dead that how can I hope that these things belong unto me Let my soule live and it shall praise thee Psal 119. 175. when the soule is alive towards God then it can praise God then it knowes all the good it hath it hath it in mercy doubting and deadnesse doe ever goe together or it 's a great marvell And indeed what is deadnesse of heart towards Christ and all his holy Gospell but a secret doubting whether it have any part in it or no as when a poore man sees a rich treasure it does but dead him the more because he sees no interest he hath in it if he could see he had an interest in it this would quicken up his heart and put it out of it's dumps And is not this now a miserable condition when a man cannot praise God if he pray it is but in a sorry manner no life no heart at all But for blessing and praising of God that he cannot doe at all except he be in a fooles paradise and dreame of a false gift This is a dreadfull condition when we are hindred from that which God most delighteth in what is there that more delighteth God then to blesse him and praise him The Lord sayes we never honour him otherwise who so offereth me praise he glorifieth me Psal 50. 23. now we can never offer God praise except our heart live Sixthly Religion is a very irksome thing unto us as long as we are dead-hearted what is it that takes away the grievousnesse of it but a lively heart when the heart is dead it must needs be very tedious very tedious to be thinking of God to be meditating of death or the world to come to be imployed in prayer to be constant in the humbling of the soule or the abstaining from our naturall inclinations to be discoursing of repentance or studying of Gods heavenly Kingdome to be imployed in the word or to goe through dirty and frozen wayes to it to goe and repeate it in our Families or to urge it upon our hearts O what weary tedious duties are these when the heart is a dead heart This is the reason why the world lets them all generally alone and never troubles their hearts with them at all because they have no life in them and many that are better minded fend them very tedious because they are dead-hearted as Solomon sayes correction is grievous to him that forsaketh the way Prov. 15. 10. now as long as we are out of the way of life while we are dead-hearted we forsake the right way and therefore correction is grievous unto us nay all the commandements of God are grievous unto us does a dead heart rejoyce to goe to Prayer nay generally he is loth to goe to it is he glad that the Sermon Bell rings is he glad at an opportunity
Joh. 1. 4. in him we live and move and have our being and therefore it is a great sinne not to be thankfull to him for our naturall life David blesses God for his naturall life very often life is a very great blessing a poor thing that hath life a living dog is better then a dead Lyon A man will give skinne for skinne and all that he hath for his life I am sure many of us may be very glad of life for if it were gone now we should be in hell and therefore we had need to make much of our naturall life yea every houre of it least we dye before we be converted and brought home to God But this is not the life that we doe speake of we speak of spirituall life and God is the author of that more especially when a man is alive towards God he is the onely cause of it He spiritually moveth our hearts by the holy Ghost and begets us againe after a strange and an inessable manner by joyning his spirit to our spirits his minde to our mindes and his will to our willes he revives all the powers of the soule with his presence and therefore this life is called the life of God which the world are strangers to and aliens from being alienated from the life of God Eph. 4. 18. so likewise it is called the life of Iesus 2 Cor. 4. 11. He onely is the author of it Thus ye see the efficient cause of it Secondly the Instrumentall cause of this life is true faith this is the ligament that couples this life and a man together that now he is said to be a living man ye know God is the onely living God they that are not united unto him remaine in the congregation of the dead now faith unites a man unto him faith is the having of him He that hath the Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life 1 Joh 5. 12. when a man cleaves unto God by a true and lively faith this man hath life as Moses sayes That thou mayst love the Lord thy God and that thou mayst obey his voyce and that thou mayst cleave unto him for he is thy life Deut. 30. 20. Though a man hath not that strong faith that some have whereby he hath a cleare evidence of Gods love and favour in Jesus Christ though a man have not this faith yet if he have a faith of adherence and cleaving unto God this man is a living Christian this man is joyned unto the true life This is the true God and even life and therefore whosoever cleaves to him hath life if he will not away from him he will still seeke him still pray unto him still make him his refuge though he have no feelings that is not it if a man will never give over seeking of God He beleeves God is the fountaine of all life and peace and grace and comfort and Gods way is the onely way he beleeves himselfe is a cursed wretch in himselfe and that all hope is in Christ now if this man have such a faith whereby he adheres though with never so much weaknesse this man is a live This is the faith whereby a Christian lives as Paul sayes the life that I live I live by the faith of the Sonne of God Gal. 2. 20. Thus ye see the Instrumentall cause of it Thirdly now for the parts of it The parts of it are three The first part is the life of Justification ye know every man by nature is a dead man as a malefactour that hath committed an offence that is death by mans Law we say he is a dead man so we have all offended God from the womb which is death by Gods Law and therefore we are dead men now when God hath justified a man freely by his grace when God hath given him a pardon in Christ Jesus now he is a live man and therefore Justification as ye heard is called Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. now beloved this life is not in the man that does live but in Christ that he lives by this life supposeth no life in this party no it lookes upon him as a dead man in himself But God counts him alive in Jesus Christ as the Apostles sayes Christ is our life Col. 3. 4. q d this life is not in us but in Christ so that this life denominats aman alive as Christ denominated the demosel alive that was yet dead The Damosell is not dead sayes he Matth. 9. 24. ye know the Damosell was dead at that time when Christ said so and yet he said she was not dead because he had life for her she had life in him now when he raised her up then she had life in her too And so I come to the second part of this life and that is the life of Sanctification and this life is in him that doth live for though he were dead before to all goodnesse and holinesse and alive unto sinne yet now he is made dead unto sinne and alive unto God as the Apostle speakes likewise also reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. 11. this life is called the life of grace and new obedience when a man is quickened up to all the wayes of God you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1. and this is the quickening that I would faine open to you The third part of this life is the life of joy and comfort ye know when a mans eyes are opened to see his sinnes and his damned estate by reason of them the Law comes and that kils him his very heart dyeth in him now when God propounds to him a Saviour and causes him to beleeve in him this revives his heart againe this yeelds him some joy and comfort so that true joy is a life too we may see this in the Children of God let their joyes and comforts be all gone this makes them all amort this makes them very heavy and sad as if they had no life at all in them as the Church sayes Wilt thou not revive us againe that thy people may rejoyce in thee Psal 85. 6. Now my brethren all this is onely by way of preface to come then to the question what is it to be a quickened Christian a Christian that hath not onely a name to live but is dead dead towards God dead to all good duties no But is quickened up to them I answer that as death is taken in a metaphoricall sense when we say such a one is dead to God dead to the holy ordinances of God we doe not meane properly dead as if he were naturally dead and had no soule in his body but we take it in metaphoricall sense so is life here to be taken too namely for the activenesse of a thing when a thing is not active we use to say it is dead as
and the Starres which thou hast ordained then I say Lord what is man Psal 83 4. you see how stirring his minde was when he considered the heavens and the earth it wrought mightily on him it made him the more humble Others see the Heavens every day and it does not move them one whit to Humiliation before God But when the minde comes once to consider then it shakes off its dulnesse and remissnesse then it growes busie such a man will not goe to Prayer but he considers what he goes about what a great God he is to speake to what a vile creature himselfe is that is to pray to him he will consider how he may pray with faith and hope and feeling of his wants how he may rise up from his knees not without profit Now he will not goe to the word but he will consider what it is he repaires to now all his mind is how he may get good now he is busie in every duty when he is tempted to doe as others doe he considers what the issue will be and this makes him forbeare Beloved this is the life of our mindes when they consider things when we consider our latter end when we consider Gods promises when we consider his threatenings when we take his commandements into our deep consideration when we consider the danger of sinne we doe not onely know all these things but we consider them Though we know neere so much yet except we consider what we know our mindes are lumpish and dead consideration is the activity of the minde and therefore if we would prove our selves to be alive towards God let us put on consideration a dayes Fourthly the remembring of the minde when the minde forgets it selfe every day this is nothing but the deadnesse of the minde for if it be alive to a thing it will be sure to remember it selfe of that if it oan Can a maide forget her ornaments or a Bride her attire yet my people have forgotten me dayes without number Jer. 2. 32. that is my people are dead-minded to me if they regarded me they would remember themselves every day to serve me looke what a man is alive to the minde will be sure to remember us of that we can have no journey to take but our mindes remember us of it no businesse to doe to feed our Cattell to milke our kine every morning and evening to sheare our sheepe every Lammas if we forget any thing in this kinde presently it 's a 100. to one but we remember our selves now when a man is alive to the best things in some measure he will remember himselfe of them every day so David did I remembred thy name O Lord yea in the night too and so I kept thy Law Psal 119. 55. I remembred my selfe and I would be sure to doe what God bid me do it may be his heart began to arise but presently he remembred himselfe and beat it downe againe it may be some other lust began to be up but by and by he remembred him and checked his owne soule when the minde is alive towards God the knowledge of the word does not lie dead in that man but still he remembers it at every need when the Sabbath is coming then thinkes he I remember what God bade me doe Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy when the Sacrament comes then he remembers himselfe O thinkes he let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that Bread and drinke of that Cup now the minde thinkes I will labour to remember God continually what ever I forget I will not forget him when I rise up when I lie downe still I will set my selfe to remember him when I goe out when I come home what ever the Devill say what ever the flesh whisper I will labour still to remember God if I be tempted to wrath then I desire to remember what God sayes give not place to the Devill when I feel spirituall lazinesse then I will unfeignedly endeavour to remember what God speakes unto me cursed is he that does the worke of the Lord negligently c. Fifthly the inventings or the devisings of the heart where the minde is naturally bent and alive there it is witty if riches if preferment if pleasure if learning be a mans lust that he lives in there he is witty so when a man is a live unto God his wit will have that way it's vent as Christ sayes I finde out witty inventions Prov. 8. 12. he speakes not onely of himselfe But of his grace in every one that is this when the minde is alive set towards Christ it will finde out witty inventions nay it 's a strange thing though men have no parts yet if they be worldly how witty they are for such matters and so for good people whose mindes are turned towards God though they be of very weake parts yet how witty they will be in good things what pretty ways they will have to doe good to shunne offences to break occasions of sinne as a Minister in his preaching as Paul sayes I caught you with guile 2 Cor. 12. 16. so let man have a liberall minde the Prophet sayes he will devise liberall things Isa 32. 8. mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good Prov. 14. 22. whence comes the blockishnesse of our mindes but from this that our mindes are so dead if our mindes were more alive towards God it would make us more graciously witty we should devise good things finde out admirable inventions it would teach us plots against Satan plots against the flesh as the wicked their mindes are full of sinfull devises fetches stratagems policies a man would wonder to see how witty the devill is in them to carry them headlong to hell c. Sixthly and lastly the judging of the minde But I spake of this not long agoe and therefore I will let it alone now thus I have shewed you what a lively Christian is in regard of his minde Now the next is that we shew you what a live Christian is in regard of the heart c. And then in regard of the conscience c. and then in regard of the affections c. REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead THe point we are in is this That a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all First we have opened the meaning of this point and shewed you what is meant by a dead Christian Secondly we have shewed you that this is so by going over all the graces of Gods spirit a man hath near a one of them all that is dead againe by going over all the duties of Christian Religion ye heard a man does neare a one of them all as long as he does them onely in a dead hearted manner Thirdly I shewed you the reasons of this point why a dead Christian is even as no Christian at all there be many reasons of it it stands with good reason that it
runnes on that whether it be God or the creature if thy minde be quickened up towards God then thy minde runnes on him from day to day how thou mayest approve thy selfe unto him how thou mayest pertake of his favour how thou mayest eschew the temptations of Satan how thou mayest follow after Christ be sensible of thy sinnes be affected towards holy duties does thy minde runne on such things this is it Thirdly The considering of the minde when the minde lookes cursorily on things what 's this but the lookes and remissenesse of the minde now when the minde comes to consider seriously of them now it quickens up it selfe as Moses sayes Know and consider that God he is God Deut. 4. 39. that is doe not onely know that 's but a dead thing but stirre up thy selfe and consider wishly of it hath the Lord turned about thy minde that now thou hast begun to have a considering frame in thy minde to ponder thy wayes to weigh the Sermons that thou hearest as it is said of Mary she pondered Christs words in her heart now thou considerest how to pray how to come to Gods ordinances how to carry thy selfe in thy calling now thou doest not goe haire-brainely on his before but thou takest things into consideration Fourthly the remembring of the minde when the mind knowes how to doe well but the man does it not he forgets himselfe every day what 's this but the deadnesse of the minde if the minde be alive to a thing it will be sure to remember it selfe of that Can a maid forget her Ornaments but my people have forgotten me Jer. 2. 32. therefore they are dead-hearted towards me can a man forget to put on his clothes in the Morning Can the worlding forget to plough his fields in time to reape his Corne when it 's ripe to milk his kine at night nay certainely hee 'le be sure to remember such things why his minde is alive to them if he should chance to forget himselfe for a fit by and by he remembers himselfe so if the minde be alive towards God it hath a remembring disposition towards him O sayes David I will not forget thy word Psal 119. 16. Fifthly the inventing and devising and plotting and ploding and contriving of the minde if the minde be alive towards God these Acts goe towards God too as the Prophet sayes A liberall man will be devising liberall things Isa 32. 8. Let a man be of weake parts that 's all one yet when it is alive to the world it 's a strange thing to see how witty some are for the world to gather pelfe they have great reaches in these things so when a man is alive toward God though he be of weak parts yet how witty he will be for good things what pretty devises to do good to understand evill to shunne offences to balke occasions of sinne as Paul sayes I caught you with guile 2 Cor. 12. 16. whence comes the blockishnesse of our mindes towards the best things but meerly of deadnesse if our minds were more alive they would help us to preach help us to pray help us with matters for edifying discourse they would help us from a 1000 snares they would be the more active they would sooner smell a lust spy Satan observe the dealings of God Sixthly The judgement of the mind when the minds lust dictate is for God when a man is judicious this is it that leads men a days their judgements not all their knowledge nay learning you shall have many a learned man will use to play the foole and does every day very foolishly because his Judgement is foolish the reason is a mannever takes any course nor speakes any word nor thinkes any thought but first his judgement tels him it is best to doe so at that time never does the drunkard turne in at the Ale-house but his judgement sayes to his will choose to turne in you will say it may be he knowes he ought not to do so I but it is not mens knowledge that leads men but mens judgements when mens judgement sayes this is not for me this is most pleasant this is most profitable this is most honourable this is most delightfull now when the judgement of the minde is in some measure set towards God now the minde is quickened as David sayes I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Psal 119. 128. that is by the mercy of God I have good judgement be the way what it will be though never so pleasing to the flesh still my judgement sayes choose Gods way that 's ever more best Thus farre we proceeded the last day namely to learne or see what is the quickening of the minde that ye may know whether our understanding be dead or alive now what remaines but this that we all labour for such an understanding many of us understand much so much that if it were quickened up to us it would doe us a world of good if we did use to apply it and make it our owne if we would give our mindes to it if we would ponder it and seriously weigh it and remember it for our use in all our wayes if we had a devising minde for good a minde plotting for heaven and continuing how we may best glorifie God and secure our owne soules A judicious minde a practicall minde This is a good understanding indeed as the Prophet sayes a good understanding have they that doe thereafter Psal 111. 10. when what we understand does not lye dead in our heads but our mindes are quickened up to it this is a good understanding my brethren this understanding is not to be had in Books God onely can help us with it as David sayes O Lord give me understanding and I shall live Psal 119. 144 you will say what need he keep such a stirre for understanding had not he the Law before his eyes could not he read there and get understanding O but it will be all dead Lord unlesse thou give me understanding from above if thou wilt give me understanding then I shall live Now I come to the heart to search what the life of the heart is every Act of the heart is not an argument of life First there be outside Acts of the heart people thinke if they doe not dissemble before men then they are no Hypocrites O they are hearty they say as there is an outside of the outward man so there is an outside of the heart Thou mayest be hearty in some sort in good duties and yet be starke dead namely if it be onely the outside of thy heart my Sonne keepe my saying in the midst of thy heart Prov. 4. 21. not in the outside of thy heart no no. I would have the inside of thy heart too a man that is alive to the world the world hath not onely the heart but the very inside of the heart the word
is deep in the heart so if thou beest alive towards God God is in the deep of thy heart the word is deepe in thy heart nor like the salt water in the Sea onely on the Top. Ye know what became of the Seed that wanted depth of the earth Matth. 13. 5. so it is with the heart when the word does not get into the depth of it it never quickens in it The heart may be so farre towards goodnesse as to bring a man to good duties a dayes it may bring one to Sermon or to Prayer to others of the Ordinances of God and other good courses but what 's all this as long as it is dead the life lies in the bottome of the heart look what the bottome of the heart stands unto that 's a man alive unto then thou art alive towards God when the bottom of thy heart is unto him when thou labourest to obey him from the bottome of thy heart when thou callest upon him from the bottome of thy heart like Sugar at the bottome of the Cup stirre up the bottome the best is at bottome so thou must stirre up the bottome of thy heart the heart is a deep thing Psal 64. 6. though religion be on the top yet if the world be in the deepe thy heart is dead towards God as it is with a puddle it may be cleare at the top faire water at the top but there 's nothing but mudde at the bottome Secondly there be flitting Acts of the heart be they never so deep in the heart yet if they doe not stay there the heart is dead still Solomon sayes of his Father he said unto me let thy heart retaine my words keep my Commandements and live Prov. 4. 4. though the word does stirre neere so much for the present this is not life except thou retaine it and hold it fast a man may have many flashes of life in him but as long as the heart does not keep them it remaines dead they that seeke the Lord the heart shall live Psal 22. 26. that is when it is not a flash but it is an Act that abides by a man the heart is stedfastly set towards God now his heart lives now when people are moved onely by fits they are humbled by fits and startled by fits their righteousnesse is like a morning dew ye know there the dew is every morning but all the day it is gone may be when morning comes there it is againe but all the day it is gone It is true there may be horrible offs and on s in the Children of God to the confounding of their faces before God But I doe not speake to discourage them But let us take heed we may have admirable flashes of life fits of humblings fits of enlargements fits of selfe-denyall sits of great eagernesse after God the heart may be towards God for a sit a false heart as the Land of Israel their heart was firmely towards him for a sit they remembred that God was their rock and that the high God was their redeemer but their heart was not right with him they were not stedfast in his Covenant Psal 78. 37. mark it was but a fit like Esays crying for a fit This is a poore argument of life then no no the flitting acts of the heart may be no acts of life Thirdly there be wouldings and wishings in the heart and these cozen the world more then any other these they thinke verily are effects of true life First because these are not in the outside of the heart but lye or at least seeme to lye very deepe in the heart it is very certaine that many naturall men would give the whole world if they had it as they doe verily conceive that they had true grace that they were Saints that they could leave their sinnes that they were in a childe of Gods case they deeply wish it it is a profound would in their hearts and therefore now when they see such yearnings in their hearts they doe verily apprehend this is life certainly Hence it is that they will say they would from the bottome of their hearts serve God they have nere a lust but they would full faine have God deliver them from that indeed they confesse in their consciences if they might have a 1000 worlds they cannot give it over I but they would faine they could and thus they deceive themselves because this act seemes to be from the depth of their heart this fancy you may see to be in mens hearts out of Mich. 6. 6. 7. where ye see though they could not finde in their hearts to walke humbly before God to live justly and righteously yet they would give thousands they could O say they what would not we give for the sin of our soules no question but they thought they were alive but God told them they were not Secondly another reason why they thinke this is a token of life is because this is no flitting act neither But they have these wouldings every day nay you can never come to them but still they have these they would doe well nay they would doe as well as the best thus they hope they have a fountaine of living water in them that springeth up daily thus it was with them in the Prophets they seeke me daily sayes God Isa 58. 2. they thought it was their every dayes work to serve God and where they did faile they thought they could say they would doe better they sought the Lord daily Thirdly because they finde that this is attributed to the Saints as the Apostle sayes ye cannot doe the things that ye would Gal. 5. 17. nay the Apostle Paul himselfe speakes it of himselfe the good that I would doe that doe I not and the evill which I would not doe that doe I Rom. 7. 19. So that thus they argue now when they finde this same woulding in their hearts and cannot doe as they would O say they I may say with the Apostle the good which I would doe that doe I not I cannot doe as I would Thus they hoodwinke their owne soules It is very true these be the Saints groanes and a part of their sighing towards God that they cannot doe as they would this makes them a burthen to themselves and so againe when they finde themselves disturbed and limited and straightened by their flesh this is a comfort to their soules and an argument of Gods infinite goodnesse unto them that they can unfeignedly say they would doe better they doe please him in some measure through his grace and they would please him better they doe some good by his heavenly spirit and they would doe more they doe resist every sinne and they would resist it more This is very true But yet how many a thousands lul themselves asleep in security by the fancy of this thing The heart may put forth daily wouldings and be as dead as a carcasse to all the workes of
so eager to deny himselfe I count all drosse and dung the intentions of his heart were after Christ O sayes he that I might know him Phil. 3. 10. Thirdly the elections and choosings of the heart this is another part of the hearts life no man is dead to that which he chooses rather then any thing else now if we did still choose the wayes of God we could not be dead to them when we are dead to them at any time it is because we could even finde in our heart to make another choyce and therefore if we would know whether our heart is alive unto goodnesse whether doe we choose the way of goodnesse every day before any other way as David sayes I have chosen the way of truth Psal 119. 30. as the Lord sayes of the good eunuches they choose the things that please me Isa 56. 4. Beloved what ever we doe or thinke or speake still there be two wayes propounded to us one that is Gods way another that is our owne way now which doe we choose every day what thoughts doe we choose rather of the two to thinke what words doe we choose what actions what courses when we are together what conference doe we choose when alone what doe we choose there be two kinds of eating and drinking which choose we when we are provoked there be two wayes to take either to be impatient and suffer our passions to arise or to quell them and beat them down which doe we choose doe we say as that good man said Lord let thy han help me for I have choosen thy precepts Psal 119. 173. Fourthly the aversions of the heart ye know the heart it chooses what it likes so there is some thing that it shuns now if thou wouldst know whether thy heart be alive towards God doe but thinke with thy selfe what it uses to shun when thou art angry is it disgrace or sinne it ever shuns some thing or other either what God dislikes or what thou every day and houre something it puts off does it put off things that are offensive to thy flesh or things that are offensive to God Here lies thy hearts life if thy heart be alive towards God it is of this temper to put off those things that are displeasing to God I hate vaine thoughts sayes David Psal 119. 113. marke his heart was of this temper to put of all those things that were contrary to God it may be many of those thoughts his own heart would have rather kept I but when his heart was alive towards God he put them off though I have refrained my feet from every evill way that I may keep thy word Psal 119. 101. now when good things shall be put to a man every day by the word and by conscience and a man hath a refusing heart to them this is a dead heart as God put to Iudah to returne but they refused to returne Jer. 5. 3. God put shame before them for their sinnes but they refused to be ashamed Jer. 3. 3. now my brethren examine your bosonies how stand the refusals of your hearts doe you refuse good or evill every day if thou canst refuse temporall evill and not spirituall thou hase a dead heart Fifthly the savourings of the heart this is another peece of the hearts will something there is that every heart savours most and that it is which it is alive unto now then if thy heart be alive unto God it will savour the things of God most it will not onely doe good duties but savour them too not onely heare the word of God but it will have an admirable savour with the heart as the Apostle sayes it will have the savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2. 16. as the Church sayes to Christ because of the savour of thy good oyntments therefore the Virgins love thee Cant. 1. 3. Oh how it will savour a reproofe how it will relish but if holy things have no sweet savour in thy heart it may be thou canst not for shame of the world not seeme to stand for them thy conscience will not let thee but thou wilt give them a good word and seeme to approve them but there 's no more savour in them then in the white of an egge nay they are irksome and untoothsome they doe not goe merrily down with thee like sweet conserves assure thy selfe thy heart is a dead heart Sixthly the cares of the heart this is another show of the hearts will what the heart is alive to it carketh and careth for it and therefore if thy heart be alive towards God how carefull will it be that it may not offend him yea what care 2 Cor. 7. 11. As the Apostle sayes to Titus I will have thee affirme constantly that they which beleeve in God must be carefull to maintaine good works Tit. 8. 8. therefore if a Minister be alive towards God he will be full of care for his people how he may pull them from their sins how he may draw them to God how he may most doe them good as Paul sayes of Timothy he will naturally care for your Estute Phil. 2. 20. True a man hath many things to doe in the world many cares how to live how to pay rent at quarter day what may become of his poore Children c. I but if the heart be alive towards God it will labour to cast these cares upon God cast all your care upon him 1 Pet. 5. 7. But for heavenly things for the having and keeping of a good conscience it will be full of cares about these things yea it how may get to be more afraid of sinne how may I get a weaned heart from the earth it will be caring how he may be provided for evill times how he may stand in the wofull day Seventhly the appropriating of the heart the esteeming of the heart what 's the hearts jewell that 's the heart most alive to now thinke what does thy heart prize most of all if it be alive towards God he is dearest to thee his will dearer then thine his glory then thy credit his word then thy life as Paul sayes I doe not count my life deare so that I may finish my course with joy Act. 20. 24. this was the Jewell of his heart how he might doe the worke that God set him to doe that he might finish his course so likewise if thy heart be alive love will be like a precious oyntment Psal 133. 2. heavenly wisedome more precious then Rubies Prov. 3. 15. a promise will be precious to the heart 2 Pet. 1. 4. So also faith will be a precious thing 1 Pet. 1. 7. But above all Christ will be precious to the heart to you that beleeve he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. these are heart Jewels these it endeares most it will rather â—art with any thing then these nay it will morgage any thing to redeeme these againe These things are little
esteemed among men in their consciences indeed they say they are better then the whole world I but their heart does not greatly esteeme them nay it slights them and seekes them accordingly this is a dead heart Eighthly thus ye see what is the life of the heart it is the absolute will of the heart when the heart is inclined towards God when it intends God when it maks choice of his wayes and puts off whatsoever is contrary to them when it prizes and endeares every one of them all when it savours them and is full of care for them I might adde another the cleaving of the heart when the heart cleaves to the Lord as it is said of Hezekiah that he clave to the Lord 2 King 18. 6. when the heart closes in with God and will not let him goe no nor let his wayes goe it sticks to a Godly course all the world cannot pull him away not firenor faggot though it be never so much hindred and interrupted by the flesh yet now it hath a sticking quality in it as David sayes I have stuck to thy Testimonies Psal 119. 31. Now because when the heart is made willing on this fashion towards God there is left still an adverse unwillingnesse by reason of the flesh so that the heart can never put forth these acts without horrible clogges therefore now in a live heart towards God there be other acts that are not in a heart that is alive to the world And the reason is this Because when the heart is alive to the world the hearts of it own nature is willing unto that and there is no unwillingnesse mixed together with it never was it heard that the heart should be willing and unwilling to the same thing till saving grace came to divide asunder the will in two ye know the regenerate are two men apeice and they have two wills one towards God and another towards sinne and the world nay it 's the same will that hath both these branches in it and this does much puzzle the hearts when they finde such a deale of unwillingnesse in them towards God Therefore I say there be other acts of life in the heart towards God aud they are five The first is the preparing of the heart whereby the heart prepareth it selfe towards God 2 Chron. 30. 18. 19. 1 Sam. 7. 3. The second is the Combating of the heart Gal. 5. 17. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I beate downe my body 1 Cor. 9. 27. The third is the endeavouring of the heart it reaches forth it selfe Phil. 3. 13. it stirres up it selfe it awakens it selfe why art thou so sad O my soule Psal 42. 5. The fourth is the binding of it selfe by determinations and purposes so Paul bound his owne heart with a determination before he came unto Corinth 1 Cor. 2. 2. Daniel knowing how unwilling his heart would be to abstaine from the Kings meat though by grace he was willing therefore his heart bound it selfe with a purpose he purposed not to defile himselfe with the Kings meat Dan. 1. 8. So Act. 11. 23. The fifth is the groaning and sighing of the heart as David though he were willing yet feeling the unwillingnes of the flesh therewithall fetch a groane O that my wayes were so direct that I might keepe thy Statutes Psal 119. 5. So Paul groaned earnestly to be dissolved 2 Cor. 5. 2. This is the putting of the heart more forward These I have named you may name more it may be But thus if the heart be alive towards God it will doe because it feeles a great deale of unwillingnesse it gets what advantage it can of it selfe to make it selfe willing as the Church ere ever was aware my soule made me like the Chariots of Aminadab Cant. 6. 12. it sets it selfe right as the soule when it 's dead it neglecteth this act quite and cleane from day to day as the Psalmist sayes of dull Israel he calls them a generation that set not their heart aright Psal 78. 8. REVEL 3. 2. And art Dead WE are come to declare what it is to be a live Christian quickened up towards God and all his holy wayes and after sundry passages we came to enquire what is the life of the soul here I propounded five things First what is the life of the minde Secondly what is the life of the heart Thirdly what is the life of the conscience Fourthly what is the life of the memory And Fifthly what is the life of the affections We have spoken of the first what is the life of the mind ye know by nature the minde is alive to the things of the world and dead towards God and therefore we enquired what the life of the minde is it cannot be the bare knowing of things it may be dead to what it knowes it cannot be the bare thinking of things nor the bare approving of things nor the bare studying of things the minde may performe all these acts to a thing that it is dead to no no the life of the minde is First the applying of the minde Secondly the meditating and minding of the minde Thirdly the considering and weighing of the mind Fourthly the remembring of the minde Fifthly the devising and plotting and projecting and contriving of the minde Sixthly the Judgement of the minde The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the minde looke where the minde is alive there it puts forth these dispositions and therefore when the minde is alive towards God it lets out these towards him Then in the second place we came to enquire what is the life of the heart and this we spake of the last day we shewed you the heart may be somewhat towards a thing and yet be dead towards it for all that First there be shallow acts of the heart the outside acts of the heart there may be so much heart as to bring a man to good duties to constant preaching and hearing and praying and the like and civill carriage and the like and yet the heart dead to them all This is not the life of the heart The life of the heart lies at the bottome of the heart not in the outside no it lies deep within as Salomon sayes my Sonne keepe my sayings in the midst of thy heart Prov. 4. 21. Secondly there be flitting acts of the heart Though they be never so deep in the heart yet if they be such as doe not stay there the heart is dead still for if it were alive it would keep them Let thy heart retaine my words keepe my Commandements and live Prov. 4. 4. Though the word doe stirre one never so much for the present This is no life except thou retaine it and hold it fast a man may have many flashes of life in him but as long as the heart does not keep them it remaines dead when people are moved onely by sits humbled by fits startled by sits their righteousnesse is onely as a morning dew
a man may have sits of quickening sits of awakening sits of enlargements and sits of humiliation remaine in a dead state what a fine fit had Israel they remembred that God was their Rock and that the holy God was their redeemer Yet their heart was not right with him they were not stedfast in his Covenant Psal 78. 37. mark it was but a sit like Esaus crying for a fit Therefore this is not it Thirdly there be wouldings and wishings in the heart and these cozen the world more then any other these they thinke verily are effects of true life I told you reasons why people thinke verily these are arguments of life and then I shewed you reasons why they are not and then I shewed you the difference betweene the wouldings of a live heart and the wouldings of a dead heart But I let all these passe Then I proceeded to shew you what the life of the heart is namely when it puts forth an absolute will to a thing so that when the heart puts forth an absolute will towards God and all his holy wayes then it is alive towards God when a man is at this passe that he will beleeve come what can come of it he will beleeve and he will repent and he will hate every sinne love God above all feare God above all and he will set God before his eyes though it meet with never so many hinderances without and within pul backes rebellions yet it will doe it for all them now it 's alive as Paul sayes to will is present with me Rom. 7. 18. when a man can say from the bottome of his heart that to will is present with him I will be ruled by God I will deny my selfe though the flesh be never so violent and may be many times and often beares downe all before it yet he hath a will present within that will stand it out and that can never be borne downe the act may be borne downe and affections may be borne downe I but this will is still present I will be for God he is my chiefe good his Law is my rule his will is my will and I wil be at his dispose as the Author to the Hebrewes sayes His will was to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. As soone as ever the prodigall Son was come to this passe that he could unfeignedly speake it I will arise and I will goe to my Father Luk. 15. 18. you see the next newe ye heare of him was he was alive his Father said he was alive This my Sonne was dead but now he is a live you will say what if one had bound him hand and foot that is all one now he will goe he will bite the cord aforesaid if he can if one should hold he'ele wrastle he ele bite he will scratch he 'le spit in his face if he cannot get loose he 'le cry out O how they bind me here O my father my father I wil goe to my Father he cannot be quiet without his Father he will goe to his Father if they should cut off his Legges he will crawle to his Father I say when the will is absolute once towards God then it is alive towards God I gave you reasons of this why this must needs be the life of the heart First Because this is the perfectest operation of the heart when it absolutely willeth a thing There be many operations of the heart but none of them is perfect but this as David said to his Sonne my Sonne know thou the God of thy Fathers and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde 1 Chron. 28. 9. q d. this is a perfect heart when thy will is to serve him how ever things goe thou wilt serve him now thy heart is perfectly set towards him Secondly because this is the might and the strength of the heart ye know the heart is a very hard lusty thing where it is absolutely set and therefore when a man will goe on in sinne what ever come of it reprove him threaten say what you will he will still goe on we say he hath a hard heart nay the Scripture cals his heart a Rock or a Stone I say the resolute will is the strength of the heart now therefore when that is towards God his strength and might is to God as God sayes Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might Deut. 6. 5. a dead heart gives onely a few sick and weake acts towards God How weake is thy heart Ezek. 16. â—0 therefore that is not it an absolute will that onely is it for that 's the might of the heart Thirdly because this makes every thing possible naturally a man cannot beleeve he cannot habitually resist his owne flesh he cannot overcome the world he cannot live godly in all his wayes but now when the heart comes once to be willing towards God now every thing is possible I may say of this as Christ sayes of faith all things are possible to him that beleeveth Mark 9. 23. So all things are possible to him that willeth And therefore those that are godly in Christ Jesus are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3. 12. Fourthly this takes in the manner of good duties too as well as the matter it 's more a thousand times then the bare doing of them a dead heart will serve for to doe them But when the heart is made absolutely willing this is more then the naked deed as Paul sayes to the Corinthians about Almes ye have begun not onely to doe but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be willing a yeare agoe 2 Cor. 8. 10. as he sayes of his preaching if I did it willingly I have a reward but if against my will c. 1 Cor. 9. 17. q. d. I may preach I may have so much heart and so much will as to preach alas that is nothing But if I doe it willingly that is if my will be absolutely thereunto this is it Brethren This is the right manner too Fifthly this is an argument that the heart hath an inward principle what 's the life of the heart but an inward principle of acting looke where the heart is alive there it workes from within There needs no compulsion to a covetous heart to have regard of his profit no he regards it most willingly he hath an inward principle to regard it as a Stone hath an inward principle to tend down-wards therefore hee 's alive to it now when the heart puts forth its absolute will towards God now it hath an inward principle of agility it needs no complaint as Peter sayes to Ministers feed the flock of God not by constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5. 2. that is doe it very truly doe it with an inward principle not because ye see others feed not because ye see it 's a disgrace not to feed or because your conscience
may urge one to good things and no question but many of you that are yet in your sinnes have found this to be true how often have your consciences urged you to give over your sinnes to looke after the getting of Christ to lead a godly life how many heaves have your consciences given at you to hoyse you up out of the state ye wallow in to make you more earnest for heaven more strict in your walking to provide for your latter end when ye are at Prayer how often does it urge you to dwell longer at it As it is said of Doeg he was detained before the Lord 1 Sam. 21. 7. he was held there he would have gone away afore but he was held now what should that be but his conscience his conscience urged him to stay long so your consciences urge you to be more attentive in hearing more mindfull of preaching more humble in your mindes lesse worldly more heavenly you may thinke this is a lively conscience no no it is not the truth is the more your consciences doe urge you a dayes the greater is your sin if ye yeeld not But this is so farre from life that it argues you to be the more dead if ye doe not obey and urging conscience is a great blessing I if men have eyes to see what the Lord does for them to deliver their soules from the pit This is the taking of men by the shoulders now if thou pull away thy shoulder They refused to hearken and pull'd away their shoulder Zach. 7. 11. that is the Lord set conscience upon them and urged them to obey as if a man should take another by the shoulder so dragge him and hale him and yet they would not So when Paul spake to Agrippa he felt an urging in his conscience O let me be a Christian and he confest as much two Paul almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian it was almost done he had a great heave he was urged But it would not doe so that this is no argument of life neither Fifthly conscience somewhat awakened may be very eager in urging it may be very importunate every day digging in his sides every day whispering in his bosome O thinke of God O consider thy soule O remember death conscience may be earnest and wonderfull eager with a man O doe not live as thou doest O be not so carelesse of God what wilt thou dye and be damned wilt thou to hell wilt thou never have done away with thy sinnefull courses away with thy dreamings O be stirre thy selfe or thou wilt perish such a conscience had Pilat about Christ it was eager with him not to condemne him This conscience is an admirable blessing woe be to those that stand out against it it is like Iacob with the Angell He would not let the Angell goe till he blest him Gen. 32. 26. like the man that was importunate with his friend and knockt and knockt and would have no nay Luk. 11. 8. I am in bed never tell me of your being in bed I pray let me have three loaves my children are in bed I pray trouble me not that is all one still he knocks he will have him up so when conscience is thus awakened and is importunate and will not be answered c. many a wretch hath such an impudent conscience as this But this is so farre from an argument of life as that it is a signe of a greater death Sixthly conscience somewhat awakened may prevaile very farre by its eagernesse it made the King of Iury doe many things it made the Heathens doe the things contained in the Law Rom. 2. 14 15. when the Pharisees came to tempt Christ with the woman taken in adultery conscience made them cease and goe out one by one Joh. 8. 9. it made Paul live so unblameably as he did ye know concerning the righteousnesse that is in the Law he was blamelesse Phil. 3. 6. now if ye looke into the 23. of the Acts and the first you shall see it was his conscience that made him doe so men and Brethren I have lived in all good conscience before God to this day as since his conversion his sanctified conscience made him live godlily in Christ so before his conversion his naturall conscience holpen by good education made him live unblameably so that what with one and with the other he could say he had lived in a good conscience to that day that is either morally good or spiritually good And therefore it was conscience that made him doe all that he did people thinke I indeed if they did good duties for outward by respects then they should thinke they were unsound but conscience sets them a worke and therefore they gather they are sound and alive towards God no beloved conscience may make a carnall man goe against all outward by-respects and doe very good dutie this we see in Balaam he went against all outward selfe respects and followed conscience for a house full of Silver and Gold he would not goe beyond the word of the Lord to doe lesse or more Num. 22. 18. so Iudas went against his credit and his profit and all ye know when his conscience told him the money was unjustly taken he went and threw it downe so did Michah the man was an Idolater and had stollen 1100 Peeces of Silver from his Master yet when he heard his mother curse he restored all againe O thought he what shall I heare my mother curse his conscience rose up against that and made him make restitution why doe carnall men pray in secret no question but it is conscience that makes them may be when they are tempted to a sinne in secret they will not doe it and it is the conscience that with holds them in this sense they doe good duties out of conscience now is this Conscience alive no it does not follow ye see this may be in naturall men and women Seventhly conscience somewhat awakened may make one looke at God so farre as it prevailes you may see this in Laban the man was a wicked man yet he lookt at God in not hurting of Jacob though it were in the choyse of his hand yet he would not hurt Jacob and he lookt at God in the thing O sayes his conscience the God of your Father spake to me yesternight Gen. 31. 29. he abstained from hurting of Iacob and he lookt at God in the abstaining from it Because God had forbidden him therefore he will not hurt him so it was with King Cyrus he was a naturall man too yet when he tooke order for the building of the Temple at Ierusalem his conscience made him look at God in the thing O sayes he the Lord God of Heaven and earth hath charged me to build him a house Ezek. 1. 2. so when Jehu destroyed Ahabs house and Baals Priests he himselfe sayes how he lookt at God in the thing come see how zealous I am for
the Lord of Hoasts so when the Philistines sent home the Arke of the Lord they would send it home honourably with a very rich present and the Text sayes how they lookt at Gods glory in the thing O say they let us give glory to the Lord God of Israel 1 Sam. 6. 5. Thus you see how the world are deceived about the life of the conscience when people have these operations of conscience within them they thinke their conscience is alive and good towards God Now that these cannot be the life of conscience I prove it First because all may be in naturall men as ye have heard in Laban in Pharaoh in Balaam in Micah in Saul in Darius in Iudas which were dead in trespasses and sins what life can be in a dead man it is very true the conscience is least dead of all the powers of the soule the Pelagians say the will is a pure virgin that 's as false aâ— the devill is false if any faculty be a pure virgin it 's the conscience all the religion that is left in a naturall man God hath planted there there 's the effect of the Law there Rom. 2. 15. The whole nature of man is like a Countrey taken by the Enemy except one little Fort may be that 's batter'd too but it is not quite taken so is the conscience after the whole man is quite vanquish't by sinne except onely that and that 's batter'd too in a wofull manner But it is not quite taken the Lord will ever keepe a part in that to have the man at controll when he pleases and as farre as he pleases But yet it is so farre taken too that there is no spirituall life left at all in it man is dead in trespasses and sinnes and so is the conscience too Secondly the conscience notwithstanding all these may be deader then ever it was I confesse these are flashes of life that God sparkles into mens consciences but they use to goe out againe and leave the conscience as dead and deader then ever before they came we see it in Pharaoh that hardened his heart worse afterwards Exod. 9. 34. so did Balaam though his conscience were so quick for a spurt yet within a while he could goe and lay a stumbling block before the Children of Israel to make them sinne Rev. 2. 14. and we see it to this very day many smitten in conscience for a time afterwards their smitings cease and they grow more stiffe then ever they were like water that hath beene heated it freezes afterwards the more Thirdly the conscience notwithstanding all these is soon pleased though it seeme to be eager and earnest and zealous for God yet any little thing will content it if it were alive nothing would content it but meerely indeed the favour of God the Image of God sincere conforming to God But this conscience is soone pleased againe it is but angry a while if but halfe the Lords due be brought in this conscience is satisfied Like the unjust Steward that set downe 50 for a 100 Luk. 16. 6. When the man goes on praying and doing good duties may be the conscience is whist though it be but a forme when he hath reformed a little conscience thinkes it hath enough we may see this in Balaam when he had found that worke of conscience that he could deny Balac's house full of Silver and Gold to stand for God presently he concluded that God was his God if Balac would give me his house full of Silver and Gold I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God Num. 22. 18. Like the wretched Jewes they brought God the blinde and the lame and the torne and the sick and then they thought much that they should be called despisers of God Mal. 1. 6 7 8. Saul was commanded to destroy all the Amalekites now though he spared some his conscience was content I have done the will of the Lord sayes he such a conscience as this is soone pleased like little Children it cryes it takes on it sets up its Pipes but a little thing stills it may be a Rattle or an Apple or a Brasse Counter so my brethren though a mans conscience be thus as ye have heard yet it is a very childe it will be soone stilled let him but bestirre himselfe a little towards God and goe on in a pretty handsome way this conscience will quickly say it 's well Fourthly the conscience that hath but these stirrings is so farre from being alive that many times it will be a help unto ones lusts which if it were a live it could not be But thus it is though when these works are reall it will serve to help a mans lusts when a mans lusts would faigne have some thing or other don then steps in thy conscience and will help the lame dogge over the stile as we say Herod had a lust to make away Iohn the Baptist O but he 's a good man sayes his conscience and thou must not cut off his head Mark 6. 20. O but he was urged now to doe it by Herodius her daughter and he had sworne to grant her hearts request now see how his conscience helpt him to doe it Thou hast sworne an Oath and thou must make conscience of that therefore cut off his head So it was with the Iewes when they have a lust to crucifie Christ their conscience found out a trick for it we have a Law say they and by our Law he should dye because he mado himself the Sonne of God Iohn 19. 7. mark they made it a matter of conscience what they murder Christ they put him to death unjustly no God forbid we have a Law and are bound in conscience to keepe it so when a man hath a lust as to weare long haire by and by he makes it a matter of conscience to weare it forsooth his head will ake and he is bound in conscience to have a care of that so if a man have a lust of covetousnesse and not to give where is need forsooth his conscience findes a place in the Apostle to help it He is worse then an Infidell that provides not for his owne and so he will make conscience of that so when a man hath wronged him he hath a lust of revenge anon he findes out a trick O it may tend to the dishonour of the Gospell if he put it up the matter is not so But he is willing to thinke so and he will make conscience of that is he revengefull now no God forbid It was a disgrace to religion and he did it out of conscience of that Thus men will have what lust they please they can finde some Text or other which they wrest to make conscience of that O how common is this Fifthly this conscience is not all it cals out onely some particular sinnes to be violent against and lets alone others may be as bad like Ahabs for the Vineyard and
that it makes a man to doe his freely to accuse himselfe The just man first accuseth himselfe Prov. 18. 17. So it is in the Greek and the Latin Hast thou such a Conscience as this this is a lively Conscience when thy Conscience does not onely doe its duty to accuse thee for every sinne that thou dost but it makes thee to doe thine freely to accuse thy selfe before God a wicked Conscience may accuse I but it does not mak the man to do his duty he does not freely accuse himselfe it is onely forced in him it is with Coaction and Compulsion But it s free in Gods Children when Daniel went to confesse his sinnes before God the Text says he set himself to do it I set my face unto the Lord God Dan. 9. 3. that is his Conscience did not onely doe its duty in this thing but it made him to doe his Thirdly when it does not onely Condemne one for sinne for so the wicked have condemning Consciences as the Apostles says if our heart condemne us 1 John 3 20. that is if we be wicked as Paul sayes Knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himselfe Tit. 3. 11. that is he is a very wicked Creature so that a wicked mans Conscience does Condemne But I meane when the Conscience does not onely condemne one for sinne it does not onely doe its owne duty in this thing but it makes the man to doe his it makes him trample upon himselfe as a damned wretch in himselfe to save God a labour as the Apostles speakes if we would judge our selves we should not be judged 1 Cor. 11. 31. when Conscience makes a man freely to accept of damnation thou shalt accept of thy punishment then I will remember my Covenant Levit 26. 41. 42. when it makes thee lay thy Neck on the block Lord the worst place in hell is too good for me I have often told you a story in the acts and monuments of the Church when Edward the first one of the Kings of England was a hunting and one of the standers by had displeased him the King rid after him with a drawne sword for to stab him the man runne away for his life the King rid over hedge and ditch to overtake him and when the man saw he had no way to escape he fell downe and held up his throat to the King if it please your Majesty here is my throat The King melting towards him shewed him mercy So when Conscience makes thee say Lord here is my throat here is my soule if it please thee thou maist send Satan to take it and carry it to hell with him Thou hast no way to escape therefore offer thy selfe unto God may be thy Conscience does Condemne thee alas that is not it thy Conscience does not its duty with any life till it make thee doe thine doest thou freely Condemne thy selfe accept of thy punishment lay thy head on the block does thy soule lye groveling before God this is a live Conscience Fourthly when it does not onely pull a man a dayes from sinne and Iniquity so it may doe with the wicked and the ungodly they feele many pulles every day and may be their Conscience makes them leave many particular sinnes though that 's very rare as the times now be but when the Conscience pulles a man forth of every knowne sinne when it so does its duty in this kinde that it makes thee to doe thine when thou pullest thy selfe withall detestation and loathing out of pride out of security out of unbelief out of heardnesse of heart out of formality and all this is a lively Conscience as Iob sayes my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Job 27. 6. that is as my heart does its duty towards me so it shall make me doe mine I will yeeld to mine owne Conscience in every thing whatsoever sinne it tels me off I will be sure to set my selfe against it it shall not lie heaving at me and I never stirre then it would reproach me but it shall never reproach me so long as I live These are the lively acts of Conscience about sinne The lively effects whereof are foure The first is a penitent shame that ever a man should sin against God when Conscience does thus as ye have heard then it produces this effect that the man is ashamed before God as the Apostle sayes what fruit have you of those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 21. people are apt to be ashamed before men Diodorus Cronus when Stilpo askt him a ridiculous question and he could not answer him he was so ashamed that he fell downe starke dead he thought it was such a disgrace to be nonplust But if Conscience were alive and did doe its duty indeed it would make us ashamed for our sinnes before God Ezra was ashamed before God for the sinnes of the people I blush sayes he to lift up mine eyes unto thee when a man is Ignorant of God in Jesus Christ this should be a shame I speake this to your shame 1 Cor. 15. 34. that is if there be any grace in your hearts certainely ye will be ashamed that ye should have no more knowledge of God I say when the Conscience is alive against sinne it makes a man ashamed before God It shewes him his nakednesse before heaven it propounds God before his eyes seeing all his uncleanenesse and so it makes him ashamed before him doest thou Count it a disgrace to doe evill a disgrace to offend God a confusion of face to doe iniquity though it be never so secret Canst thou not looke upon thy unworthy dealings with God but it makes thee ashamed in his sight this is the effect of a living Conscience Secondly another effect is penitent griefe and compunction of heart ye may see this effect in the new converts they were prickt in their hearts Act. 2. 37. when their Conscience began to be alive to smite them for their sinnes to accuse them and Condemne them it grieved them exceedingly it went to the quick it was like a Dagger in their heart it prickt them it made them mourn for all that they had done True a naturall Conscience produces griefe ther 's nere a wretch but if his Conscience be awakened to Check him and accuse him and condemne him it will make him to grieve for his sinnes But this is onely legall and surly Now when the Conscience is alive to doe its duty as to make the man to doe his now it makes him grieve out of love to God out of love to grace and goodnesse now he grieves because he hath broken those Commandements that he loves he loves to obey God O it is the unfeigned desire of his soule to obey him and therefore he grieves that he hath done the Contrary Thirdly another effect is penitent feare It makes a man afraid to sin against God againe as the Apostle
pleasing in his eyes though it may be people doe not feele this same feare as long as they are well and lusty but let but conscience be awakened or let death seize upon them then a feare will appeare O how afraid are they to goe before God But let a man have such a living conscience as this this gives a man boldnesse The righteous are as bold as a Lyon Prov. 18. 1. thy conscience is an admirable thing without this all a mans boldnesse is nothing Thou maist hold up thy head very high and out face all the world for a time as bold as can be tush thou art well thought of among all thy neighbours but what sayes thy conscience if that cannot say thou art a gracious man I tell thee thou canst have no boldnesse But now if thou hast this same living conscience now thou maist be as bold as a Lyon though the world doe accuse thee yet what sayes thy conscience if that excuse thee thou maist shew thy face where thousands shall be confounded when Austin was accused by Secundinus to have come from the Maniehees for feare of losse and for hope of preferment he comforted himselfe with his conscience I esteeme not sayes he what Secundinus thinkes of me so long as my conscience approves me before God so also Paul when the false Apostles accused him O sayes he it is a very small thing with me that I should be judged of you 1 Cor. 4. 3. Thus ye see for good what is the livingnesse of conscience towards good This is the second thing Thirdly now about Poth both sinne and goodnesse when is the conscience alive about both namely when it does instruct a man and not onely so but it guides a man to shun the one and to imbrace the other This is a living conscience indeed when it is a mans privy counsell from day to day This is a Divine Counsell it s like a little privy Counseller in a Childe of Gods bosome that the Lord in mercy hath placed there to direct him as David sayes I will blesse the Lord for giving me Counsell my reines instruct me in the night seasons Psal 16. 7. By his reines he meaneth his conscience now that did instruct him not onely in the day time but also in the night if he were tempted to sinne his conscience instructed him nay I must not yeeld to that if he found himselfe backward to any good duty nay still his conscience advised him nay I must be forward to that I confesse a dead conscience may give admirable counsell and Instruction to the wicked I their conscience proves it unto them But it does not do its duty for it does not make them to doe theirs Thus ye see what a living conscience is when it so does its duty that it makes us to doe ours But it may be humbled conscience is paedagogus animae it is the soules Schoole Master as Origen cals it now a Schoole-Master may doe his duty though he doe not make his Scholler doe his for if he be diligent in teaching and doing of his office the Scholer may be a dunce for all him the best Schoole-Master may have a block head and a dunce in his Schoole I answer the reason is not alike First a Schoole-master teacheth another But conscience is a Schoole-Master not to another but to a mans selfe and therefore if the conscience doe its duty indeed it must needs make the man to doe his because his conscience is a Schoole-Master to himselfe Secondly againe a Schoole-Master is not alwayes by his Scholer sometimes his back is turned but conscience is ever by a man and therefore if it did alwayes doe its duty it might make the man to doe his Againe Thirdly a Schoole-Master it may be his Scholer is duller then himselfe and then though himselfe be never so learned yet he cannot put his learning into his Scholer But it is not so here here the Scholer and the Schoole-Master is all one one is no more dull then another for looke how dull the one so dull the other look how active the one is so active is the other because conscience and the man is all one it is very true the conscience by accusation is eagerer then the man for God may take a dead conscience and sur it exceedingly and he does so ordinarily in men but these stirrings of conscience are none of consciences stirring but Gods my spirit shall not alwayes strive with man Gen. 6. 3. they are his strivings with men But the consciences own quick enings and the mans are all one you will say how shall I know whether the quickening that is in my conscience be my consciences or onely the Lords stirring in my conscience I answer First when thou art glad that thy conscience is so busie with thee it is very welcome unto thee then the Lord hath made thy conscience alive then God does not onely strive in thy conscience but thy conscience it selfe is alive as we see there in David I will blesse the Lord for giving me counsell my reines doe instruct me Psal 16. 7. when his conscience did instruct him he was glad of it he blest the Lord for it his conscience was alive But now in a wicked heart the more his conscience accuses and condemnes and checks the more buisie it is with him the more unwelcome it is and therefore he labours to still it may be he will stop it with some thing may be some little reformation for the time may be with Prayer or some yeeldings thereunto nay there be some labour to drown it out right they will goe to the Ale-house or to Cards or among their boone companions and so shake of those dumps therefore my Brethren if ye would have a signe that your conscience is alive be glad at its dictates give them all their deare intertainement ye can Blesse the Lord for them and make very much of such they are the sweet motions of Gods holy spirit quench them not doe not stop the mouth of them by halfe payments let them have their full sway Secondly when thou callest upon thy conscience to be buisie when thou usest to stirre up conscience every day wind it up as a man does his Clock that it may be in continuall motion So the Prophet did Why art thou so heavy O my soule why art thou so disquieted within me hope thou in God Psal 42. 11. marke he took his conscience and stir'd up himselfe with it a wicked man does not thus his conscience comes before it is sent for it is like an unbidden guest And therefore if thou wouldst know whether thy conscience be alive doe but consider whether this be thy course if thou doest daily awaken thy conscience if thou doest set it a worke this is a signe of life in it as Paul did here in doe I exercise my selfe that I may have a good conscience voyd of offence Act. 24. 16. He laboured