heart I am the poorest vilest basest and blindest creature that ever lived If thou doest not thus feele thy selfe poore thou never camest out of thy duties For when the Lord bringeth any man to Christ he bringeth him empty that so he may make him be holding to Christ for every farthing token Fourthly those that gaine no Evangelicall righteousnesse by duties reâ—t in duties I say Evangelicall righteousnes that is more prizing of acquaintance with desire after loving delighting in union with the Lord Jesus Christ for a morall man may grow in legall righteousnesse as the stony and thorny ground seede sprang up and increased much and came neere unto maturitie and yet rest in duties all this while For as it is with tradesmen they rest in their buying and selling though they make no gaine of their trading now Jesus Christ is a Christians gaine Phil. 1. 21. and hence a childe of God askes himselfe after Sermon after prayer after Sacrament what have I gained of Christ have I got more knowledge of Christ more admiring of the Lord Iesus Now a carnall heart that rests in his duties asketh onely what he hath done as the Pharisee I thanke God I am not as other men I fast twice a weeke I give almes and the like and thinkes verily he shall be saved because he prayes and because he heares and because he reformes and because he sorrowes for his sinnes that is not because of the gaining of Christ in a dutie but because of his naked performance of the duty and so they are like that man that I have heard of that thought verily he should be rich because he had got a wallet to beg so men because they performe duties thinke verily they shall be saved No such matter let a man have a bucket made of gold doth he thinke to get water because he hath a bucket No no he must let it downe into the well draw up water with it so must thou let downe all thy duties into Christ draw life and light from his fulnesse else though thy duties be golden duties thou shalt perish without Christ. When a man hath bread in his wallet and got water in his bucket he may boldly say so long as these last I shall not â—amish so mayst thou say when thou hast found and got Christ in the performance of any duty so long as Christs life lasteth I shall live as long as he hath any wisdome or power so long shall I be directed and enabled in well doing Fifthly if thy duties make thee sin more boldly thou dost then rest in duties for these duties which carry a man out of himselfe unto Christ ever fetch power against sinne but duties that a man rests in arme him and fence him in his sinne Isa. 1. 14. A cart that hath no wheeles to rest on can hardly be drawne into the dirt but one that hath wheeles commeth loaded through it so a child of God that hath no wheeles no duties to rest upon cannot willingly be drawne into sinne but another man though he be loaden with sinne even sometimes against his conscience yet having duties to beare him up goeth merrily on in a sinfull course makes no bones of sinne when we see a base man revile a great Prince strike him we say surely he durst not doe it unlesse he had some body to beare him out in it that he rests and trusts unto so when wee see men sinne against the great God we conceive certainly they durst not doe it if they had not some duties to beare them out in it and to encourage them in their way that they trust unto For take a prophane man what makes him drink sweare cozen game whore Is there no God to punish Is there no hell hot enough to torment are there no plagues to confound him yes why â—inneth he then so Oh! he prayeth to God for forgivenesse and sorroweth and repents in secret as he â—aith and this beares him out in his lewd pranks Take a morall man he knowes he hath his failings and his sinnes as the best have and is overtaken sometimes as the best are why doth he not remove these sinnes then He confesseth them to God every morning when he riseth why is he not more humbled under his sinne then the reason is he constantly observeth morning and evening prayer then he craves forgivenesse for his failings by which course he hopes he makes his peace with God and hence he sinneth without seare and riseth out of his falls into sinne without sorrow And thus they see and maintaine their sinnes by their duties and therefore rest in duties Sixthly those that see little of their vile hearts by duties rest in their duties For if a man be brought nearer to Christ and to the light by duties he will spy out more moats for the more a man participates of Christ his health and life the more he feeleth the vilenesse and sicknesse of sinne As Paul when he rested in his duties before his conversion before that the Law had humbled him he was alive that is he thought himselfe a sound man because his duties covered his sinnes like fig-leaves Therefore ask thine own heart if it be troubled sometimes for sinne and if after thy praying and sorrowing thou doest grow well and thinkest thy selfe safe and feelest not thy selfe more vile If it be thus I tell thee thy duties be but fig-leaves to cover thy nakednesse and the Lord will find thee out and unmaske thee one day and woe to thee if thou dost perish here Secondly Therefore behold the insufficiency of all duties to save us Which will appeare in these three things which I speake that you may learne hereafter never to rest in duties First Consider thy best duties are tainted poysoned and mingled with some sinne and therefore are most odious in the eyes of an holy God nakedly barely considered in themselves for if the best actions of Gods people be filthy as they come from them then to be sure all wicked mens actions are much more filthy polluted with sin but the first is true All our righteousnesses are as filthy ragges for as the fountaine is so is the streame but the fountaine of all good actions that is the heart is mingled partly with sin partly with grace therfore every action participates of some sin which sins are daggers at Gods heart even when a man is praying and begging for his life therefore there is no hope to be saved by duties Secondly Suppose thou couldest performe them without sinne yet thou couldest not hold out in doing so I say 40. 6. All flesh and the glory thereof is but grasse So thy best actions would soone wither if they were not perfect and if thou canst not persevere in performing all duties perfectly thou art for ever undone though thou shouldest doe so for a time live like an Angel shine like a Sunne and at thy last
gaspe have but an idle thought commit the least sin that one rocke will sinke thee downe even in the haven though never so richly loaden one sin like a pen-knife at the heart will stab thee one sinne like a little fire-stick in the thatch will burne thee one act of treason will hang thee though thou hast lived never so devoutly before Ezek. 18. 24. For it 's a crooked life when all the parts of the line of thy life be not straight before almighty God Thirdly suppose thou shouldest persevere yet it 's cleare thou hast sinned grievously already and dost thou think thine obedience for the time to come can satisfie the Lord for all those Rents behind for all those sinnes past as can a man that payes his Rent honestly every yeare satisfie hereby for the old rent not payed in twenty yeares all thy obedience is a new debt which cannot satisfie for debts past Indeed men may forgive wrong and debts because they be but finite but the least sin is an infinite evill and therefore God must be satisfied for it Men may remit debts and yet remaine men but the Lord having said the soule that sinneth shall die and his truth being himselfe he cannot remaine God if he forgive it without satisfaction Therfore duties are but rotten crutches for a soule to rest upon But to what end should we use any duties cannot a man be saved by his good prayers nor sorrowes nor repentings what should wee pray any more then Let us cast off all duties if all are to no purpose to save us As good play for nothing as worke for nothing Though thy good duties cannot save thee yet thy bad workes will damne thee Thou art therefore not to cast off the duties but thy resting in these duties Thou art not to cast them away but to cast them downe at the feet of Jesus Christ as they did their crownes Rev. 4. 10 11. Saying if there be any good or graces in these duties it 's thine Lord for it is the Princes favour that exalts a man not his owne gifts they came from his good pleasure But thou wilt say to what end should I performe duties if I cannot be saved by them For these three ends 1. 1. To carry thee to the Lord Jesus the onely Saviour Heb. 7. 25. he onely is able to save not duties all that come unto God that is in the use of means by him heare a Sermon to carry thee to Jesus Christ Fast and pray and get a full tide of affections in them to carry thee to the Lord Jesus Christ that is to get a more love to him more acquaintance with him more union with him so sorrow for thy sins that thou mayest be more fitted for Christ that thou mayest prize Christ the more use thy duties as Noah's dove did her wings to carry thee to the Arke of the Lord Jesus Christ where onely there is rest If shee had never used her wings shee had fallen in the waters so if thou shalt use no duties but cast them all off thou art sure to perish Or as it is with a poore man that is to goe over a great water for a treasure on the other side though he cannot fetch the boate he calls for it and though there be no treasure in the boate yet he useth the boate to carry him over to the treasure so Christ is in heaven and thou on earth he doth not come to thee and thou canst not goe to him now call for a boate though there is no grace no good no salvation in a pithlesse dutie yet use it to carry thee over to the treasure the Lord Jesus Christ. When thou comest to heare say Have over Lord by this Sermon When thou comest to pray say Have over Lord by this prayer to a Saviour But this is the misery of people like foolish lovers when they are to woe for the Lady they fall in love with her handmaid that is onely to leade them to her so men fall in love with and doate upon their owne duties and rest contented with the naked performance of them which are onely handmaids to leade the soule unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly use duties as evidences of Gods everlasting love to you when you be in Christ for the graces and duties of Gods people although they be not causes yet they be tokens and pledges of salvation to one in Christ they doe not save a man but onely accompany follow such a man as shall be saved Heb. 6. 9. Let a man boast of his Ioyes feelings gifts spirit grace if he walks in the commission of any one sin or the omâ—ssion of any one knowne duty or in the slovenly ill favoured performance of duties this man I say can have no assurance without flattering of himselfe 2 Pet. 1. 8 9 10. Duties therefore being evidences and pledges of salvation use them to that end and make much of them therefore as a man that hath faire evidence for his Lordship because he did not purchase his Lordship will he therefore cast it away no no because it is an evidence to assure him that it is his owne and so to defend him against all such as seeke to take it from him he will carefully preserve the same so because duties do not save thee wilt thou cast away good duties No for they are evidences if thou art in Christ that the Lord and mercy is thine owne Women will not cast away their love-tokens although they are such things as did not purchase or merit the love of their husbaÌ„ds but because they are tokens of his love therfore they will keep them safe That God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may be honoured by the performance of these duties therefore use them Christ shed his bloud that he might purchase unto himselfe a people zealous of good workes Tit. 2. 14. not to save our soules by them but to honour him Oh! let not the bloud of Christ be shed in vaine Grace good duties are a Christians Crowne it is sin onely makes a man base now shall a King cast away his Crowne because he bought not his Kingdome by it No because it is his Ornament and glory to weare it when he is made a King so I say unto thee it 's better that Christ should be honoured than thy soule saved and therefore performe duties because they honour the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus use thy duties but rest not in duties nay goe out of duties match thy soule to the Lord Jesus take him for better for worse so live in him and upon him all thy dayes Fourthly By reason of mans head-strong Presumption or false faith whereby men seeke to save themselves by catching hold on Christ when they see an insufficiency in all duties to helpe them and themselves unworthy of mercy For this is the last most dangerous rock that these times are split upon
prayer hearing reading observing the Sabbath and thus the Pharisees lived and hence they are called the strict sect of the Pharisees Take heede you mistake me not I speake not against strictnesse but against resting in it for except your righteousnesse exceed theirs you shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven You shall finde these men fly from base persons and places like the Pesthouses commend the best bookes cry downe the sinnes of the time and cry against civill or morall men the eye sees not it selfe and cry up zeale and forwardnesse Talke with him about many morall duties that are to be done towards God or man he will speak well about the excellency and necessity of it because his trade and skill whereby he hopes to get his living and earne eternall life lieth there but speake about Christ and living by faith in him and from him bottoming the soule upon the Promises peeces of Evangelicall righteousnesse he that is very skilfull in any point of controversie is as ignorant almost as a beast when he is examined here hence if Ministers preach against the sinnes of the time they coÌ„mend it for a speciall Sermon as it happily deserves too but let him speake of any spirituall inward soule-working point they goe away and say he was in their judgement confused and obscure for their parts they understood them not Beloved pictures are pretty things to look on and that 's all the goodnesse of them so these men are as Christ looked on and loved the naturall yong man in the Gospel and that 's all their excellency You know in Noah's floud all that were not in the Arke though they did climbe and get to the top of the tallest mountaines they were drowned so labour to climbe never so high in moralitie and the duties of both Tables if thou goest not into Gods Arke the Lord Jesus Christ thou art sure to perish eternally 7. If they have no rest here in their moralitie they grow hot within and turne marvellous zealous for good causes and courses and there they stay and warme themselves at their owne fire thus Paul Philip. 3. 6. was zealous and there rested They will not live as many doe like snailes in their shells but rather than they will be damned for want of doing they are content to give away their estate children any thing almost to get pardon for the sinne of their soule Mich. 6. 7. 8. If they find no helpe from hence but are forced to see and say when they have done all they are unprofitable servantsâ— and they sinne in all that which they doe then they rest in that which is like unto Evangelicall Obedience they thinke to please God by mourning for their failings in their good duties dâ—siring to be better and promising for the time to come to be so and therein rest Deut. 5. 29. 9. If they feele a want of all these then they dig within themselves for power to leave sinne power to be more holy and humble and so thinke to worke out themselves in time out of this estate and so they digge for pearles in their owne dunghills and will not be beholding to the Lord Jesus to live on him in the want of all they thinke to set up themselves out of their owne stock without Jesus Christ and so as the Prophet Hosea speakes 14. 3 4. thinke to save themselves by their riding on Horses that is by their owne abilities 10. If they feele no helpe here then they goe unto Christ for grace and power to leave sinne and doe better whereby they may save themselves and so they live upon Châ—ist that they may live of themselves they goe unto Christ they get not into Christ Psal. 8. 34 35. like hirelings that goe for power to doe their worke that they may earne their wages A child of God contenâ—s himselfe with and lives upon the inheritance it selfe the Lord in his free mercy hath given him But now wee shall see many poore Christians that runne in the very roade the Papists devoutly goe to Hâ—ll in First the Papist will confesse his misery that he is and all men are by nature a child of wrath and under the power of sinne and Satan Secondly they hold Christ is the onely Saviour Thirdly that this Salvation is not by any Righteousnesse in a Christ but Righteousnesse from a Christ onely by giving a man power to doe and then dipping mens doings in his bloud he merits their life Thus the wisest and devoutest of them professe as I am able to manifest just so doe many Christians live First They feele themselves full of sinne and are sometimes tyred and weary of their lives for their vile hearts and they finde no power to helpe themselves Secondly Hereupon hearing that onely Christ can save them they goe unto Christ to remove these sinnes that tyre them and load them that hee would enable them to doe better than formerly Thirdly If they get these sinnes subdued and removed and if they finde power to doe better than they hope they shall be saved Whereas thou mayest be damned and goe to the devill at last although thou dost escape all the pollutions of the world that not from they selfe and strength but from the knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 2. 20. I say woe to you for ever if you die in this estate it is with our Christians in this case as it is with the Ivy which claspes and groweth about the tree and draws sap from the tree but it growes not one with the tree because it is not ingrafted into the tree so many a soule commeth to Christ to suck juice from Christ to maintaine his owne berries his owne stocke of grace alas he is but Ivy he is no member or branch of this tree and hence he never groweth to be one with Christ. 2. Now the reasons why men rest in their duties are these First because it 's naturall to a man out of Christ to doe so Adam and all his posterity was to be saved by his doing Doe this and live worke and here is the wages winne life and weare it Hence all his posteritie seekes to this day to be saved by doing like father like sonne Now to come out of all duties truely to a Christ hath not so much as a coate in innocent much lesse corrupted nature hence men seek to themselves now as it is with a bankrupt when his stocke is spent and his estate crackt before he will turne Prentice or live upon another hee will turne Pedler of small wares and so follow his old trade with a lesse stocke so men naturally follow their old trade of doing and hope to get their living that way and hence men having no experience of trading with Christ by faith live of themselves Sampson when all his strength was lost would goe to shake himselfe as at other times so when mens strength is lost and God and grace is lost yet
his glory If men did see him they would speak of him who speakes of God Nay men cannot speake to God but as beggers have learned to cant so many a man to pray Oh men see not God in prayer therefore they cannot speake to God by prayer Men sin and God frownes which makes the devils to quake yet mens hearts shake not because they see him not Vse 3. Oh make choice of this God as thy God What though there bee a God if it be not thy God what art thou the better Downe with all thy Idoll gods and set up this God If there be any creature that ever did thee any good that God fet not a work for thy good love that think on that as thy God If there be any thing that can give thee any succour on thy death-bed or when thou art departed from this world take that to be thy God Thou mightest have beene borne in Iâ—dea and never have heard of this true Goâ— but worshipped the Devill for thy God O therefore make choyce of him alone to be thy God give away thy selfe wholly and for ever to him and he will give away his whole selfe everlastingly unto thee Seeke him weeping and thou shalt find him Binde thy selfe by the Strongest oathes and bonds in covenant to be his and hee will enter into covenant with thee and so be thine Ier. 40. 5. The fourth use is an use of comfort to them that forsake all for this God thou hast not lost all for nought thou hast not cast away substance for shadowes but shadowes for somewhat Proverbs 8. 18. When all comfort is gone there is a GOD to comfort thee When thou hast no rest here there is a God to rest in when thou art dead hee can quicken thee when thou art weak he is strong and when friends are gone he will bee a sure one to thee Thus much of the first part of this Doctrine or Divine truth that there is a God Now it followeth to shew you that this God is a most glorious God and that in foure things hee is glorious 1. In his ESSENCE 2. In his ATTRIEUTES 3. In his PERSONS 4. In his WORKES 1. Hee is Glorious in his Essence Now what this Glory is no man or Angell hath doth or ever shall know their cockle-shell can never comprehend this sea he must have the wisedome of God and so bee a God that comprehendeth the Essence of God but though it cannot be comprehenâ—ed what it is yet it may be apprehended that it is incomprehensible and glorious which makes his glory to be the more admired as wee admire the lustre of the Sunne the more in that is is so great we cannot behold it 2. God is Glorious in his Attributes which are those Divine perfections wherby he makes himselfe knowne unto us Which Attributes are not qualities in God but natures Gods Wisedome is GOD Himselfe and GODs Power is GOD Himselfe c. Neither are they diverse things in God but they are divers onely in regard of our understanding and in regard of their different effects on different objects GOD punishing the wicked is the justice of GOD God compassionating the miserable is the mercy of God Now the Attributes of God omitting curious divisions are these 1. He is a Spirit or a spirituall God Iohn 4. 24. therefore abhorres all worship and all duties performed without the influence of the spirit as to confesse thy sins without shame or sorrow and to say the Lords Prayer without understanding to heare the word that thou mayest onely know more and not that thou mayest bee affected more oh these carkasses of holy duties are most odious sacrifices before God 2. He is a living God whereby he liveth of himselfe and gives life to all other things Away then with thy dead heart to this principle of life to quicken thee that his Almighty power may pluck thee out of thy Sepulchre unloose thy grave-lockes that so thou mayest live 3. Hee is an infinite God whereby he is without limits of being 2 Chron. 6. 18. Horrible then is the least sinne that strikes an infinite great God and lamentable is the estate of all those with whom this God is angry thou hast infinite goodnesse to forsake thee and infinite power and wrath to set against thee 4. Hee is an Eternall God without beginning or end of being Psal. 80. 1. Great therefore is the folly of those men that preferre a little short pleasure before this eternall God that like Esau sell away an everlasting inheritance for a little pottage for a base lust and the pleasure of it 5. He is an all-sufficient God Genesis 17. 1. what lacke you therefore you that would faine have this GOD and the love of this God but you are loath to take the paines to finde him or to bee at cost to purchase him with the losse of all Heerâ—s infinite Eternall present sweetnesse goodnesse grace glory and mercy to bee found in this GOD. Why post you from mountaine to hill why spend you your money your thoughts time endeavours on things that satisfie not Here is thy resting place Thy cloathes may warme thee but they cannot feede thee thy meate may feede thee but cannot heale thee thy Physicke may heale thee but cannot maintaine thee thy money may maintaine thee but cannot comfort thee when distresses of Conscience and anguish of heart come upon thee this GOD is joy in sadnesse light in darknesse life in death Heaven in Hell Here is all thine eye ever saw thine heart ever desired thy tongue ever asked thy minde ever conceived Here is all light in this Sunne and all Water in this Sea out of whom as out of a Christall fountaine thou shalt drinke downe all the refined sweetnesse of all Creatures in heaven and earth for ever and ever All the world is now seeking and tyring out themselves for rest here only it can be found 6. He is an omnipotent God whereby he can doe what ever he will yeeld therefore and stand not out in the sinfull or subtile close maintenance of any one sinne against this God so powerfull who can crush thee at his pleasure 7. Hee is an all-seeing God Hee knowes what possibly can bee or may bee knowne approve thy selfe therefore to this God only in all thy wayes It 's no matter what men say censure or thinke of thee It 's no matter what thy fellow Actors on this stage of the world imagine GOD is the great Spectator that beholds thee in every place God is thy spye and takes compleate notice of all the actions of thy life and they are in print in heaven which that great spectator and Judge will open at the great day and â—â—â—de alowed in the eares of all the World Feare to sinne therefore in secret unlesse thou canst find out some darke hole where the eye of God cannot discerne thee Mourne for thy secret neglect of holy duties mourn for thy
every swine hath his swill and every wicked man his lust for no unregenerate man hath fruition of God to content him and there is no mans heart but it must have some good to coÌ„tent it which good is to be found onely in the Fountaine of all good and that is God or in the cisterne and that is in the creatures hence a man having lost full content in God he seekes for and feeds upoÌ„ contentment in the creature which he makes a God to him and here lyes his lust or sinne which he must needs live in Hence aske those men that goe very farre and take their penny for good silver and commend themselves for their good desires I say aske them if they have no sinne Yes say they who can live without sinne and so they give way to sinne and therefore live in sinne Nay commonly all the duties prayers care and zeale of the best Hypocrites are to hide a lust as the whore in the Proverbes that wipes her mouth and goes to the Temple and payes her vowes or to feed their lusts as Iehu his zeale against Baal was to get a Kingdome There remaines a root of bitternesse in the best Hypocrites which howsoever it be lopt off sometimes by sicknesse or horrour of conscience and a man hath purposes never to commit it againe yet there it secretly lurkes and though it seemeth to be bound and conquered by the Word or by prayer or by outward crosses or while the hand of God is upon a man yet the inward strength and power of it remains still and therefore when Temptations like strong Philistines are upon this man againe he breakes all vowes promises bonds of God and will save the life of his sinne Secondly no unregenerate man or woman ever came to be poore in spirit and so to be carried out of all duties unto Christ if it were possible for them to forsake and breake loose for ever from all sinne yet here they sticke as the Scribes and Pharisees and so like zealous Paul before his conversion they fasted and prayed and kept the Sabbath but they rested in their legall righteousnesse and in the performance of these and the like duties Take the best Hypocâ—ite that hath â—he most strong perswasions of Gods love to him and aske him why he hopes to be saved He will answer I pray reade heare love good men cry out of the sinnes of the time And tell him againe that an Hypocrite may climbe these staires and goe as farre Hee will reply True indeed but they doe not what they doe with a sound heart but to be seene of men Marke now how these men feele a good heart in themselves and in all things they doe and therefore feele not a want of all good which is poverty of spirit and therefore here they fall short Isa. 66. 2. there were divers Hypocrites forward for the worship of God in the Temple but God loathes these because not poore in Spirit to them onely it is said the Lord will looke I have seene many Professors very forward for all good duties but as ignorant of Christ when they are sifted as blocks And if a man as few doe know not Christ he must rest in his duties because he knowes not Christ to whom he must goe and be carried if ever he be saved I have heard of a man that being condemned to dye thought to be saved from the Gallowes and to save himselfe from hanging by a certaine gift he said he had of whisâ—ling so men seeke to save themselves by their gifts of knowledge gifts of memory gifts of prayer and when they see they must dye for their sinnes this is the ruine of many a soule that though he forsake Aegypt and his sinnes and flesh-pots there and will never be so as he hath beene yet he never commeth into Canaan but loseth himselfe and his soule in a wildernesse of many duties and there perisheth Thirdly if any unrâ—generate man come unto Christ he never gets into Christ that is never takes up his eternall rest and lodging in any thing else but Jesus Christ Heb. 4 4. Iudas followed Christ for the bagge he would have the bagge and Christ too The Young man came unto Christ to be his Disciple but he would have Christ aâ—d the world too they will not content themselves with Christ alone nor with the world alone but make their markets out of both like whorish wives that will please their husbands and others too Men in distresse of conscience if they have comfort from Christ they are contented if they have salvation from hell by Christ they are contented but Christ himselfe contents them not Thus farre an Hypocrite goes not So much for the first Doctrine observed out of the Text. I come now to the second Doct. 2. That those that are saved are saved with much difficulty or it is a wonderfull hard thing to be saved The gate is straight and therefore a man must sweat and strive to enter both the entrance is difficult and the progresse of salvation too Jesus Christ is not got with a wet finger It is not wishing and desiring to be saved will bring men to heaven hells mouth is full of good wishes It is not shedding a teare at a Sermon or blubbering now and then in a corner and saying over thy prayers and crying God mercy for thy sinnes will save thee It is not Lord have mercy upon us will doe thee good It is not comming constantly to Church these are easie matters But it is a tough work a wonderfull hard matter to be saved 1 Pet. 4. 18. Hence the way to Heaven is compared to a race where a man must put forth all his strength and streâ—ch every limbe and all to get forward Hence a Christians life is compared to wrastling Ephe. 6. 12. All the policy and power of hell buckle together against a Christian therefore he must looke to himselfe or else he falls Hence it is compared to fighting 2 Tim. 4. 7. a man must fight against the Devill the world himselfe who shoot poysoned bullets in the soule where a man must kill or be killed God hath not lined the way to Christ with velvet noâ— strewed it with rushes He will never feed a slothâ—ull humour in man who will be saved if Christ and Heaven would drop in their mouthes and if any would beare their chaâ—ges thither If Christ might be bought for a few cold wishes and lazy dâ—sires he would be of small reckoning amongst men who would say lightly come lightly goe Indeed Christs yoke is easie in it selfe and when a man is got into Christ nothing is so sweet but for a carnall dull heart it is hard to draw in it for There are foure straight gates which every one must passe through before he can enter into Heaven There is 1. the straight gate of Humiliation God saveth none but first he humbleth them now it is hard to passe through the gates
and flames of hell for a heart as stiffe as a stake to bow as hard as stone to bleed for the least prick not to mourne for one sin but all sinnes and not for a sit but all a mans life time Oh it is hard for a man to suffâ—r himselfe to be loaden with sin and prest to death for sinne so as never to love sinne mâ—re but to spit in the face of that which he once loved as dearely as his life It is easie to drop a teare or two and be sermon sick but to have a heart rent for sinne and from sinne 〈◊〉 is is true humiliation and this is hard 2. The straight gate of Faith Eph. 1. 19. its an easie matter to presume but hard to beleeve in Christ. It is easie for a man that was never humbled to beleeve and say 't is but beleeving but it is an hard matter for a man humbled when he seeth all his sinnes in order before him the devill and conscience roaring upon him and crying out against him and God â—rowning upon him now to call God Fathâ—r is an hard worke Iudas had rather be hanged than bâ—leeve It is hard to see a Christ as a rocke to stand upon when wee are overwhelmed with sorrow of heart for sin It is hard to prize Christ above ten thousand worlds of pearle 't is hard to desire Christ and nothing but Christ hard to follow Christ all the day long and never to be quiet till he is got in thine armes and then with Simeon to say Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace 3. The straight gate of Repentance It is an easie matter for a man to confesse a mans selfe to be a sinner and to cry God forgivenesse untill next time but to have a bitter sorrow and so to turne from all sinne and to returne to God and all the wayes of God which is true repentance indeed this is hard 4. The straight gate of opposition of Devills the world and a mans owne selfe who knock a man downe when he begins to looke towards Christ and Heaven Hence learne that every easie way to Heaven is a false way although Ministers should preâ—ch it out of their Pulpits and Angels should publish it out of Heaven Now there are nine easie waies to Heave as men thinke all which leade to Hell 1. The common broad way wherein a whole parish may all goe a breadth in it tell these people they shall bee damned their answer is then woe to many more besides me 2. The way of civill education whereby many wilde natures are by little and little tamed and like wolves are chained up easily while they are young 3. Balams way of good wishes whereby many people will confesse their ignorance forgetfulnesse and that they cannot make such shews as others doe but they thanke God their hearts are as good and God for his part accepts they say the will for the deed And My sonne give me thine heart the heart is all in all and so long they hope to doe well enough Poore deluded creatures thus thinke to breake through armies of sinnes devils temptations and to breake open the very gates of Heaven with a few good wishes they think to come to their journeys end without legs because their hearts are good to God 4. The way of formalitie whereby men rest in the performance of most or of all externall duties without inward life Mark 1. 14. Every man must have some Religion some fig-leaves to hide their nakednesse Now this Religion must be either true Religion or the false one if the true he must either take up the power of it but that hee will not because it is burdensome or the forme of it and this being easie men embrace it as their God and will rather lose their lives than their Religion thus taken up This forme of Religion is the easiest Religion in the world partly because it easeth men of trouble of conscience quieting that Thou hast sinned saith conscience and God is offended take a book and pray keepe thy conscience better and bring thy Bible with thee Now conscience is silent being charmed downe with the forme of Religion as the devill is driven away as they say with holy water partly also because the forme of Religion credits a man partly because it is easie in it selfe it 's of a light carriage being but the shadow and picture of the substance of Religion as now what an easie matter is it to come to Church They heare at least out wardly very attentively an houre and more and then to turne to a proofe and to turne downe a leafe here 's the forme But now to spend saturday at night and all the whole Sabbath day morning in trimming the Lampe and in getting oyle in the heart to meete the bridegroome the next day and so meete him in the word and there to tremble at the voice of God and suck the brest while it is open and when the word is done to goe aside privately and there to chew upon the word there to lament with teares all the vaine thoughts in duties deadnesse in hearing this is hard because this is the power of godlinesse and this men will not take up so for private prayer what an easie matter it is for a man to say over a few prayers out of some devout booke or to repeate some old prayer got by heart since a childe or to have two or three short-winded wishes for GODS mercy in the morning and at night this forme is easie but now to prepare the heart by serious meditation of God and mans selfe before he prayes then to come to God with a bleeding hunger-starved heart not only with a desire but with a warrant I must hâ—ve such or such a mercy and thereto wrastle with God although it be an houre or two together for a blessing this is too hard men thinke none doe thus and therefore they will not Fifthly the way of presumption whereby men having seene their sins catch hold easily upon Gods mercy and snatch comforts before they are reached out unto them There is no word of comfort in the Booke of God intended for such as regard iniquitie in their hearts though they doe not act it in their lives Their onely comfort is that the sentence of damnation is not yet executed upon them Sixthly the way of sloth whereby men lye still and say God must doe all If the Lord would set up a Pulpit at the Ale-house doore it may be they would heare oftner If God will alwaies thunder they will alwaies pray if strike them now and then with sicknesse God shall be payed with good words and promises enow that they will be better if they live but as long as peace lasts they will run to Hell as fast as they can and if God will not catch them they care not they will not returne Seventhly The way of carelesnesse when men feeling many difficulties passe
to all the truthes delivered in a Sermon and commend it too but goe a way and shake off all truthes that serve to convince them And hence many men when they examine themselves in generall whether they have grace or no whether they love Christ or no they think yes that they doe withall their hearts yet they neither have this grace or any other what ever they thinke because they want a reflecting light to judge of generalls by their owne particular courses For tell these men that he that loves another truely will often thinke of him speake of him rejoyce in his company will not wrong him willingly in the least thing Now aske them if they love Christ thus If they have any reflecting of light they will see where they have one thought of Christ they have 1000. on other things Rejoyce nay they are weary of his company in word in prayer And that they doe not onely wrong him but make a light matter of it when it is done all are sinners and no man can live without sin Like a sleepy man fire burning in his bed-straw he cryes not out when others haply lament his estate that see a farre off but cannot helpe him Isay 42. 25. A man that is to be hanged the next day may dreame overnight hee shall be a King why because hee is asleepe hee reflects not on himselfe Thou mayest goe to the Devill and be damned and yet ever thinke and dreame that all is well with thee Thou hast no reflecting light to judge of thy selfe Pray pray therefore that the Lord would turne your eyes inward and doe not let the Devill and delusion shut you out of your owne house from seeing what Court is kept there every day Fiftly the understandings impiety whereby it lessens and vilifies the glorious grace of God in another whence it comes to passe that this deluded soule seeing none much better then himselfe concludes if any be saved â— shall no doubt be one Isay 26. 10 11. Men will not behold the Majesty of God in the lives of his people many a man being too light yet desirous to goe and passe for current weighs himselfe with the best people and thinkes what have they that J have not what doe they that J doe not and if he see they goe beyond him he then turnes his owne ballance with his finger and makes them too light that so he himselfe may passe for weight And this vilifying of them and their grace judging them to be of no other mettall then other men appeares in three particulars First they raise up false reports of Gods people and nourish a kennell of evill suspitions of them if they know any sin committed by them they will conclude they be all such if they see no offensive sinne in any of them they are then reputed a pack of Hypocrites If they are not so uncharitable having no grounds they prophesy they will hereafter be as bad as others though they carry a faire flourish now Secondly if they judge well of them then they compare themselves to them by taking a scantling onely by their outside and by what they see in them and so like children seeing stars a great way off think them no bigger nor brighter then winking candles They stand a far off from seeing the inside of a child of God they see not the glory of God filling that temple they see not the sweet influence they receive from heaven and that fellowship they have with their God and hence they judge but meanly of them because the out side of a Christian is the worst part of him and his glory shines chiefly within Thirdly if they see Gods people doe excell them that they have better lives and better hearts better knowledge yet they will not conclude that they have no grace because it hath not that stamp that honest mens money hath But this prank they play they think such and such good men have a greater measure and a higher degree of grace then themselves yet they dare be bold to thinke and say their hearts are as upright though they be not so perfect as others are And so vilifie the grace that shines in the best men by making this gold to differ from their owne copper not essentially but gradually and hence they deceive themselves miserably not but that one starre or sincere Christian differs from another in glory I speake of those men onely that never were fixt in so high a sphere as true honesty dwells yet falsely father this bad conclusion that they are upright for their measure that they have not the like measure of grace received as others have Sixthly the understandings idolatry whereby the mind sets up and bowes down to a false image of grace that is the minde being ignorant of the height and excellence of true grace takes a false scantling of it and so imagins and fancies within it selfe such a measure of common grace to be true grace which the soule easily having attained unto conceives it is in the state of grace and so deceives it selfe miserably Rom. 10. 3. And the minde comes to set up her image thus First the minde is haunted and pursued with troublesome feares of Hell Conscience tells him hee hath sinned and the Law tells him he shall die and Death appeares and tells him he must shortly meere with him And if he be taken away in his sinnes then comes a black day of reckoning for all his privie prankes a day of bloud horrour judgement and fire where no creature can comfort him Hence saith hee Lord keepe my soule from these miseries hee hopeth it shall not prove so evill with him but feares it will Secondly Hereupon hee desireth peace and ease and some assurance of freedome from these evils For it is an Hell above ground ever to be on the wrack of tormenting feares Thirdly That he may have ease he will not swagger his trouble away nor drowne it in the bottome of the cup nor throw it away with his Dice nor play it away at Cards but desires some grace and commonly it 's the least measure of it too Hereupon he desires to heare such Sermons and read such Bookes as may best satisfie him concerning the least measure of grace for sinne onely troubling him grace onely can comfort him soundly And so Grace which is meate and drinke to an holy heart is but Physicke to this kinde of men to ease them of their feares and troubles Hereupon being ignorant of the height of true grace he fancieth to himselfe such a measure of common grace to be true grace As if he feeles himselfe ignorant of that which troubles him so much knowledge will I then get saith he â—f some foule sinnes in his practise trouble him these he will cast away and so reformes If omission of good duties molests him he will heare better and buy some good Prayer-booke and pray oftner And if he be perswaded such a man is a very
men will goe and try how they can live by shifts and working for themselves still Secondly because men are ignorant of Jesus Christ and his righteousnesse hence men cannot goe unto him because they see him not hence they shift as well as they can for themselves by their duties Iohn 4. 14. men seeke to save thēselves by their own swimming when they see no cable cast out to helpe them Thirdly because this is the easiest way to comfort the heart and pacifie conscience and to please God as the soule thinkes because by this meanes a man goes no further than himselfe Now in forsaking all duties a soule goeth to heaven quite out of himselfe and there he must waite many a yeare and that for a little it may be Now if a fainting man have Aquavitae at his beds head he will not knocke up the shopkeeper for it Men that have a Balsome of their owne to heale them will not goe to the Physitian Fourthly because by vertue of these duties a man may hide his sin and live quietly in his sin yet be accounted an honest man as the whore in the Pro. 7. 15 16. having performed her vowes can intice without suspition of men or check of conscience so the Scribes and Pharisees were horribly covetous but their long prayers covered their deformities Matth. 23. 14. and hence men set their duties at a higher rate than they are worth thinking they shall save them because they are so usefull to them Good duties like new apparrell on a man pursued with Hue and cry of conscience keepe him from being knowne Take heede of resting in duties Good duties are mens money without which they thinke themselves poore and miserable but take heed that you and your money perish not together Gal. 5. 3. The paths to Hell be but two The first is the path of sinne which is a dirty way Secondly the path of Duties which rested in is but a clearer way When the Israelites were in distresse Iudg. 10. 14. The Lord bids them goe to the Gods they served so when thou shalt lie howling on thy death-bed the Lord will say Goe unto the good prayers and performances you have made and the teares you have shed Oh they will be miserable comforters at that day Object But I thinke thou wilt say no true Christian man hopes to be saved by his good workes and duties but onely by the mercy of God and merits of Christ. Answ. It is one thing to trust to be saved by duties another thing to rest in duties A man trusts unto them when he is of this opinion that onely good duties can save him A man rests in duties when he is of this opinion that onely Christ can save him but in his practise he goeth about to save himselfe The wisest of the Papists are so at this day and so are our common Protestants And this is a great subtilty of the heart that is when a man thinkes he cannot be saved by his good works and duties but onely by Christ he then hopeth because he is of this opinion that when he hath done all he is an unprofitable servant which is onely an act or worke of the Judgement informed aright that therfore because he is of this opinion he shall be saved But because it is hard for to know when a man rests in duties few men finde themselves guiltie of this sinne which ruines so many I will shew two things 1. The signes of a man resting in duties 2. The insufficiency of all duties to save men That so those that be found guilty of this sin may not goe on in it First for the signes whereby a man may certainly know when he rests in his duties which if he doe as few professors especially but they doe he perisheth eternally First Those that never yet saw they rested in them they that never found it an hard matter to come out of their duties For it 's most naturall for a man to sticke in them because nature sets men upon duties hence it is a hard matter to come out of resting in duties For two things keepe a man from Christ. 1. Sinne 2. Selfe Now as a man is broken off from sinne by seeing and feeling it and groaning under the power of it so is a man broken from himselfe For men had rather doe any thing than come unto Christ there is such a deale of selfe in them therefore if thou canst not tell the time when thou didst rest in thy duties and then diddest groane to be delivered from these intanglements I meane not from the doing of them this is familisme and prophanenesse but from resting in the bare performance of them thou dost relye upon thy duties to this day These rest in duties that prize the bare performance of Duties wonderfully for those duties that carry thee out of thy selfe unto Christ make thee to prize Christ. Now tell me dost thou glory in thy selfe now I am some-body I was ignorant forgetfull hard-hearted now I understand and remember better and can sorrow for my sinnes if thou dost rest here thy duties never carried thee further than thy selfe Dost thou thinke after that thou hast prayed with some life now I have done very well and now thou dost verily thinke meaning for thy duties the Lord will save thee though thou never come to Christ sayest as he in another case now I hope the Lord will doe good to me seeing I have got a Priest into mine house Iudg. 17. 13. Dost thou inhance the price of duties thus that thou dost doate on them then I doe pronounce from God thou dost rest in them these things saith Paul I accounted gaine that is before his conversion to Christ he prized them exceedingly but now I account them losse and this is the reason why a childe of God commonly after all his prayers teares and confessions doubts much of Gods love towards him whereas another man that falleth short of him never questioneth his estate the first seeth much rottennesse and vilenesse in his best duties and so judgeth meanly of himselfe the other ignorant of the vilenesse of them prizeth them and esteemeth highly of them and setting his corne at so high a price he may keepe them to himselfe the Lord never accepteth them nor buyeth them at so high a rate Thirdly those that never came to be sensible of their poverty utter emptinesse of all good for so long as a man hath a penny in his purse that is feeles any good in himselfe he will never come a begging unto Jesus Christ and therefore rests in himselfe Now didst thou never feele thy selfe in this manner poore viz. I am as ignorant as any beast as vile as any devill O Lord what a neast and litter of sin and rebellion lurks in my heart I once thought at least mine heart and desires were good but now I feele no spirituall life Oh! dead
blind Alehouses others belching out their oathes their mouthes ever casting out like raging Seas filthy frothy speeches others like Ismaels scoffing at the best men yet these are confident they shall be saved Why they say they are no Papists hang them they will die for their Religion and rather burne than turne againe by the grace of God Thus the Jewes boasted they were Abrahams seede so our carnall people boast Am not I a good Protestant am I not baptized doe I not live in the Church and therefore resting here hope to be saved I remember a Judge when one pleaded once with him for his life that hee might not be hanged because he was a Gentleman he told him that therefore hee should have the Gallowes made higher for him so when thou pleadest I am a Christian and a good Protestant yet thou wilt drinke and sweare and whore neglect prayer and breake Gods Sabbath and therefore thou hopest to be saved I tell thee thy condemnation shall be greater and thy plagues in hell the heavier 3. If men have no peace here then they fly to and rest in the goodnesse of their insides you shall have many a man whom if you follow to his chamber you shall finde very devout and they pray heartily for the mercy of God and forgivenesse of sinnes but follow them out of their Chambers watch their discourses you shall finde it frothy and vaine and now and then powdered with faith and troth and obscene speeches Watch them when they are crost you shall see them as angry as Waspes and swell like Turkies and so spit out their venome like Dragons Watch them in their journeyes and you shall see them shoot into an Alehouse and there swillâ— and swagger and be familiar with the scumme of the countrey for prophanenesse and halfe drunke too sometimes Watch them on the Lords day take them out of the Church once and set aside their best clothes they are the same then as at another time and because they must not worke nor sport that day they thinke they may with a good conscience sleepe the longer on the morning Aske now such men how they hope to be saved seeing their lives are so bad they say though they make not such shews they know what good prayers they make in private their hearts they say are good I tell ye brethren he that trusteth to his owne heart and his good desires and so resteth in them is a foole I have heard of a man that would haunt the Tavernes and Theaters and whore-houses at London all day but he durst not goe forth without private prayer in the morning and then would say at his departure now devill doe thy worst and so used his prayers as many doe only as charmes and spels against the poore weake cowardly devill that they thinke dares not hurt them so long as they have good hearts within them and good prayers in the chamber and hence they will goe neare to raile against the Preacher as an harsh Master if he doe not comfort them with this that God accepts of their good desires 4. If their good hearts cannot quiet them but conscience tells them they are unsound without and rotten at core within then men fall upon reformation they will leave their whoâ—ing drinking cozening gaming company-keeping swearing and such like roaring sinnes and now all the Countrey saith he is become a new man and he himselfe thinkes he shall be saved 2 Pet. 2. 20. they escape the pollutions of the world as swine that are escaped and washed from outward filth yet the swinish nature remaines still like Mariners that are going to some dangerous place ignorantly if they meet with stormes they goe not backward but cast out their goods that indanger tâ—eir ship and so goe forward still so many a man going towards hell is forced to cast out his lusts and sinnes but he goeth on in the same way still for all that The wildest beasts as Staggs if they be kept waking from sleepe long will grow tame so conscience giving a man no rest for some sinnes he liveth in he groweth tame He that was a wild Gentleman before remaines the same man still onely he is made tame now that is civill and smooth in his whole course and hence they rest in reformation which reformation is commonly but of some troublesome sinne and it is because they thinke it is better following their trade of sinne at another market and hence some men will leave their drinking and whoring and turne covetous because there is more gaine at that market sometimes it is because sinne hath left them as an old man 5. If they can have no rest here they get into another starting hole they goe to their Humiliations Repentings Teares Sorrowes and Confessions They heare a man cannot be saved by reforming his life unlesse he come to afflict his soule too he must sorrow and weepe here or else cry out in hell hereafter Hereupon they betake themselves to their sorrowes teares confession of sinnes and now the winde is downe and the tempest is over and they make themselves safe Matth. 11. 21. They would have repented that is the Heathen as Beza speakes when any wrath was kindled from Heaven they would goe to their sackcloth and sorrowes and so thought to pacifie Gods anger againe and here they rested so it is with many a man many people have sicke fits and qualmes of conscience and then they doe as Crowes that give themselves a vomit by swallowing downe some stone when they are sicke and then they are well againe so when men are troubled for their sinnes they will give themselves a vomit of prayer a vomit of confession and humiliation Isa. 58. 5. Hence many when they can get no good by this physicke by their sorrowes and teares cast off all againe for making these things their God and their Christ they forsake them when they cannot save them Mat. 3. 14. more are driven to Christ by the sense of the burden of an hard dead blind filthy heart than by the sense of sorrowes because a man rests in the one viz. in sorrowes most commonly but trâ—mbles and flyes out of himselfe when he feeles the other thus men rest in their repentance and therefore Austin hath a pretty speech which sounds haâ—sh that Repentance damneth more than sin meaning that thousands did perish by resting in it and hence wee see among many people if they have large affections they thinke they are in good favour if they want them they thinke then they are cast-awayes when they cannot mourne nor be affected as once they were because they rest in them 6. If they have no rest here then they turne morall men that is strict in all the duties of the morall law which is a greater matter than reformation or humiliation that is they grow very just and square in their dealings with men and exceeding strict in the duties of the first Table towards God as fasting