Riolanus Anatomy 6 Veslinguâ— Anatomy of the Body of Man 7 A Translation of the New Dispensatory made by the Colledg of Physitians of London Wherein is added The Key to Galens Method of Physick 8 The English Physitian Enlarged 9 A Directory for Midwives or a Guide for Women 10 Galens Art of Physick 11 New Method both of studying and practising Physick 12 A Treatise of the Rickets 13 Medicaments for the Poor Or Physick for the Common People 14 Health for the Rich and Poor by Diet without Physick The London Dispensatory in Folio of a large Character in Latin The London Dispensatory in twelves a smal Pocket Book in Latin To the Physical Reader THe greatest Reason that I could ever observe why the Medicines prescribed in these Books above mentioned and in many other Physick Books do not perform the Cures promised is the unskilfulness of those that make up the Medicines I therefore advise all those that have occasion to use any Medicines to go or send to Mr. Ralph Clarke Apothecary at the sign of the three Crowns on Ludgate-Hill in London where they shall be sure to have such as are skilfully and honestly made The Printer to the Reader I Have in my hands divers other works of Mr. Stephen Marshals which for their excellency and variety of matter are highly esteemed by all that heard them preach'd Or have read them in writing I intend to print them in several smal Books that they may not be above the reach of a poor man's purse The Subjects on which they treat are Chiefly these that follow VIZ. 1. Of the Covenant of Grace And the great priviledges the Saints have therby 2. Formal Professors seldom become sincere 3. Reformation and turning to God the only means to prevent Ruine 4. Christ the Prince of Peace 5. The Excellency of Christ's Kingdom 6. How Freedom come by Christ. 7. The Vnion between Christ and Beleevers 8. The Riches of the Saints through the Poverty of Christ 9. How Christ is the Head of the Church 10. Christ and his Seed have sufficient strength to destroy their Enemies 11. Christ the Bridegroom Beleevers are his Bride 12. No Participation of Christ but by Faith 13. Faith so precious a Grace that Christ is glad of any thing that may further it 14. An Humble Spirit Infinitly acceptable to God 15. Great Joy to all that Mourn in Zion 16. The double Recompence the Godly shall have after their affliction 17. The Happiness of the Saints under the Cross 18. The untimely Death of good men a Ground of Great Lamentation 19. The Magistrates Dignity Duty and Vsefulness 20. The Churches Danger Deliverance and Duty 21. The Churches praise unto God for their Deliverance 22. A great Mercy in God to prevent his Peoples ingageing one against another in Blood 23. Gods Chosen Ones are the Preventors of destruction 24. Mens Misery is only from themselves Their Deliverance is only from the Lord. 25. The Pearl of the Gospel 26. How the Gospel is the Power of God to Salvation 27. It 's impossible for true Beleevers totally and finally to fall away 28. Parents Duty to their Children 29. Provision for the Poor 30. The Great Judgment of Famine 31. Of the Sacrament The CONTENTS of the first Book of Mr. Stephen Marshals Works VIZ. Of Christs Intercession or Sins of Infirmity SERMON I. On 1 John 2.1 And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous THe scope of the Epistle Opened Page 1 2 3. The words of the Text explained Page 3 4. Doct. That the Lord Jesus Christs Intercession in Heaven is the great dayly Relief that all the Saints diligentest their watchfulest work in the world to keep their hearts in a good frame when once the Lord in mercy hath put them into a good frame Page 132 133 Reasons of the Point Reas. 1. Because the Heart is beyond all comparisons the best part of Man it is the Head Quarter Page 142 Reas. 2. Because the Heart is not only the best part of Man but it is the Treasury wherein better things are laid up than it self Quest. What are the Treasures laid up in the heart of a gracious Man Answer 1. The great God chooses the Heart of every Godly man for his Privy and Presence Chamber 2. Christ Jesus dwels there Emmanuel dwels there in whom are bid all the Treasures of God 3. The Holy Ghost dwels there too the Heart of every Godly man is his Temple 4. All the Graces of the Spirit of God are laid up there 5. The Word that is the the rule of our life is laid up there Reas. 3. Because the Lord whom we profess to serve looks only at the Heart in al the Sacrifices we perform to him Reas. 4. The Devil makes all his Assaults and Batteries against the Heart and counts all his labor lost if he get not into the Heart Reas. 5. Because the Heart is not to be trusted but is deceitfull false cosening even the Heart of the best man in the world 139 Reas. 6. Because out of it are the Issues of Life thy whol Conversation wil be as thy Heart is kept Use 1. Serves to reprove thousands with a bitter reproof who would fain go for Children of God and yet 1 They are exact in keeping their Houses c but neglect their Hearts Page 143 144 2. Others are curious about their Bodies to Feed Physick Adorn them but neglect their Hearts Others are careful also of their manners and Conversation to avoid scandal and yet neglect their Hearts 4 Others keep indeed their Hearts but sleightly they do not keep them above all keepings Page 146 Use 2. This is a Doctrine of wonderful consolation though it carry just rebuke with it to al whose Consciences witness that their greatest care is to purge and keep their Hearts Page 147 Use 3. To exhort all men for the time to come to make this their study to keep their Hearts Before this can be done I. The Lord must break the Heart to pieces and new mold it And then you must 1. Keep it pure from Sin 2. Keep it fit for Duty The Life of Christ or the great Mystery of Spiritual Life SERMON I. THe Text Opened Page 1 2 3 Doctrine 1. Every Soul that hath Interest in Christ while he is in this world it is in Christ that lives in him Doctrine 2. The manner of their living this Life in this world it is by Faith For Explication consider that There is a twofold life 1. A Natural life which we have from Adam 2. A Spiritual Life which flows from the second Adam Quest. What is this spiritual life Answ. It is a Participation of Christs Righteousness upon the Souls union with him Use 1. Shews how necessary it is that we should all try and examin our Souls whether we are partakers of this Life or No. Page 20 Considerations to stir up to this examination 1. That in Truth this alone is
they by virtue of their fellowship should walk in the light And then Secondly Explains this more particularly in the subsequent discourse and shews that by walking in the light he mainly intends walking in holiness that is to abominate and abandon the waies of sin and to live as becomes those that are born of God in holiness and righteousness and this is the plot of the whol Epistle And then he begins with the first branch of it and that is to depart from the waies of sin and sets down this conclusion That if any man do pretend Communion with Jesus Christ and walk in sin he is a meer Dissembler he hath not one dram of Communion with God and Jesus Christ That is a certain rule no man that hath Communion with Jesus Christ can walk in a sinful life but every branch of the great things that Christ bestows upon his people the purport and intent of them all is to make them leave sinning that they wholly overthrow the very tenour of the Gospel who talk of believing in Christ and walk in a Godless life Now this first Branch the Apostle prosecutes at large both in the first Chapter in this second Chapter and begins the second Chapter thus Now all these things do I write to you that you sin not and presently at the 3d verse takes it up again saith he If any man know him he must walk as he walketh and so proves it by many Arguments Now Brethren you shal see the intent of my Text The Apostle knowing what an uncomfortable Doctrine this would be if it were not explained how uncomfortable it would be even to the best of Gods Saints and people he prevents the sad objection that every gracious heart would be ready to make for when he hath set down this for his Conclusion He that is in Christ cannot sin he cannot sin he deceives himself if he talks of Christ and sins Why A poor Soul would presently come out and say Then am I utterly undone I have then no interest in Christ for I sin I sin dayly I cannot live without it I cannot perform one Duty but my corruption is intermingling it self with it wo be to me if that Doctrine go for currant that he hath nothing to do with Christ that sins Now by way of Prolepsis the Apostle anticipates this objection and cleers the mind of God about it and then proceeds further to prosecute his Doctrine and it is laid down in these words But if any man sin let him know that we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous who is the Propitiation for all our sins and not only ours that are Jews but throughout all the world if they be Beleevers This he laies down to stay the hearts of Gods people in reference to that sadness that they would be ready to be overwhelmed with Now Brethren because there is but one main Doctrine that I intend to insist upon I wil but briefly explain the words to you and then I wil propound the Doctrine First When the Apostle saith If any man do sin he thereby plainly implies that there are certain sorts of sins that even Gods Children though they dare not commit sin nor walk in sin yet even Gods own Children for them he speaks to my little Children I write this to you I say there are sins that Gods own people are overtaken with even after they have fellowship and Communion with Jesus Christ that is the first thing that he takes for granted Then Secondly To that he adds But saith he if any man sin that is when we do thus sin when Gods people do thus sin What then We have an Advocate that you all know the meaning of one that pleadeth our cause that is the office of an Advocate to appear in behalf of another in his cause We have an Advocate with the Father above in Heaven at his right hand that is Jesus Christ our Lord who died for us and loved us and gave himself for us he appears in Heaven for us yea he is Jesus Christ the righteous that is though he be so righteous that he wil never plead an ill cause yet this is a part of his righteousness to intercede and appear in the behalf of his own people even when they sin against him Jesus Christ the righteous who is the Propitiation for our sins that is who once upon earth offered himself up a Sacrifice to satisfie for them and now in Heaven pleads the benefit and virtue of it for ever in the behalf of his people And not for ours only that is we that are Jews but for the sins of the whol world supposing stil he speaks of the same matter of those that believe in Christ that have Communion with him throughout the world Rich and Poor Yong and Old Jew and Gentile this is a truth to them all When Gods people sin Jesus Christ the righteous at Gods right hand maketh mediation for them So the words thus briefly paraphrased upon do afford us this Doctrine which is the only Lesson that I intend to handle this day namely Doct. That the Lord Jesus Christs intercession in Heaven is the great dayly relief that al the Saints have upon Earth against their dayly sins A Doctrine which at the very first propounding Promiseth not only comfort to Believers but carnal men they wil be ready to promise themselves liberty though I hope without cause by that time I have done with it but Jesus Christs mediation in Heaven is the great relief to all Gods Saints upon earth against the dayly sins that they are overtaken with Now Beloved that I may handle this Doctrine for your profit there are two questions which God willing I shal endeavor to cleer and that wil be the sum of all my work the discussing of them First Quest. 1. What sins the Lords Children and People are liable to while they are in this world what those sins are that the Children of God may be overtaken with while they live in this world Secondly Quest. 2. I wil shew you how the Intercession of Jesus Christ is the great relief to Gods Children against these sins For the first First What are those sins which the Lords people his own Children are liable to while they live in this world And to make you the more attentive to it be pleased to note that there are two Conclusions about sin laid down so cleerly in the Scripture yea in this very Epistle that they almost seem to contradict one another and therefore it is of great weight to have that cleared First 1. Nothing clearer then this That he that is born of God doth not sin nor cannot sin and if a man say he hath communion with Jesus Christ and walkes in sin he is a Liar and deceives his own Soul Nothing clearer then this in this Epistle So likewise in Romans 6. How can we that are dead to sin Live any longer therein Sin cannot
are of the Lords own teaching ever study that Lesson for as for others they love and like their hearts wel that when they are convinced of every thing else in the world they will boast of their heart that that is right but when a man can say as Hezekiah said to God Oh Lord remember I pray thee that I have with an upright heart sought thee as if he should have said If I could have done thee more service I would I would have prayed better and beleeved better and been more active but thou hast had my heart the Soul that can say so the Lord would answer it even as David said to the Lord in 1 Chron. 29. Oh! Lord saith he I know that thou lovest the heart when he had offered up an Oblation he and his People Oh Lord saith he I know thou regardest the heart and hast pleasuere in uprightness as for me in the uprightness of my heart I have sought thee So when thou shalt say Father my memory is weak my utterance bad my temptations strong and my corruptions great I can deny none of these but the Lord knows he hath my heart could I get it in a better frame I had rather see it in a better frame than have the estate of an Emperor Where there is a willing mind it is an excellent Speech of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 8. in the point of Alms and I wil give you an instance in that that you may make of it in a hundred other things when he would stir them up to contribute he saith where there is a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not as if he should have said The Lord hath given me a heart I like this cause so wel I would willingly give twenty shillings to this cause but I am not able to give above a penny Hast thou a willing mind to give more thou art accepted according to what thou hast The liberal gift is but the work of Gods Providence the willing mind is the work of Gods Grace The same wil run throughout all duties go to prayer one man hath such an utterance conception working fancy can speak admirably to the affecting of all but these are but gifts and parts and if he hath an humble broken heart goes with it there is Spirit too but it may be another poor Soul that joyneth in the Duty that can hardly speak a few words of sense together but God knows if they could pray if they could pour out their souls if they could wrastle with God they had rather do it than any thing else in the world that is the work of prayer the other is but the work of common gifts that is for the edification of others therefore know this all of you we poor creatures deal with men and it is almost impossible but we value men according to their parts a man whom God enableth with parts and gifts to edifie others especially if there be Grace in his Heart too he is measured by the value of his parts by all men God goes not by that value No that Soul that takes most care about his Heart give me a Woman a handmaid that wrestles more in secret that she may bring her wil to Gods wil and may love and hate nothing but what God loves and hates find such an one out they are Gods choice ones and his Jewels therfore be not discouraged for the want of any thing while you can say The great God that knows al knows my great study is about my Heart I will conclude this use with a speech I have often heard of one Mr. Banes a man that was indeed an excellent emminent Man for any thing that was good and not long before he died some friends were with him in his Library it was an excellent one and they fel a commending of it I saith he There they stand but the Lord knows that for many years last past I have studied my Heart more then my Books Oh! There was a study give me a Scholler that can say I study my Heart more then my Book I study my Heart more then my Shop-book I study my Heart more then my Counting-House I study my Heart more then a Bargain that it may be pure and Holy this Man is a blessed Man and Woman that hath but attained this and then Lastly the last Use that I would make and I wil but even name it is this USE 3. I beseech you therefore for the time to come will you all make this your study You have heard it is a dangerous Heart you bear about you whatsoever you are that think you may be most secure of your heart you are but Fools to trust it and your Conversation wil be as your heart is remember all the Arguments I gave you and let it prevail with you for the time to come to enter into this serious study how you may keep it in a good frame continually and this now would have been an Introduction to the second Question for this is sufficient to prove that it ought to be so But now the next is Quest. Wherein stands the keeping of the heart in a good frame It is true I confess it is comfortable to hear of the general endeavor of it but what are the rules and directions the Servants of God should attend to when they would keep their hearts in so good a frame that it may be such a Temple of the Holy Ghost for the Lord to delight in Answ. That is too great a Question in truth to handle in a little time only these two or three things I would say in general before I dismiss you As First 1. There is no talking it is not for any man living ever to talk of keeping his heart in a good frame until first the Lord have broken it to pieces and new molded it that is for certain while the heart is as we come into the world as we are in a state of nature the wildest Beast under Heaven will be easilier tamed than the heart of a man wil ever be ordered It is just as a Bel that hath a crack throughout al the Bel-founders in the Town Country they may hew it and chip it and scurfe it and I know not what they wil never make it sound right til it be choped a pieces and new cast So I say the heart of man is by nature so forlorn so ful of wickedness so utterly destitute of all good that if all the Teachers and Tutors under Heaven had it to work to bring a man up and make him right til God take away the heart of stone and regenerate him and give him a new heart there is no talking of ever keeping it in a good frame Therefore if you be not throughly grounded in it get your heart knocked in pieces the first thing you do pray God Almighty to break it through break it down break it up
Christianity there is nothing Christianity but the Life of Christ. 2 Aboundance of things go for this Life which are not this Life Quest. How shall we know this Life Answ. By these two Characters 1 Wheresoever the Lord gives Life to any Creature in a Natural way the life is the Preciousest thing in the world to that Creature and so among al that live the life of Christ there is nothing in this world so dear to them as their Spiritual Life is Which valuation of the said Life appears in these three things Page 22 1 In a Natural propensity and inclination and appetite towards those things that are the nourishment of this Life 2 In a most vehement declining of what they know to be destructive to this life 3 In a willingness to part with any thing to save this spiritual Life Page 24 The second Character of this Spiritual Life 2 Consists in some things that are the proper beatings of the pulse as it were of the Soul Arguments of this spiritual Life Aâ— 1 The Natural motion of this spiritual Life is to enjoy God in Jesus Christ as their chiefest good this is the great thing wherin the souls pulse beates 2 There is a Natural making out of the Heart towards holiness righteousness love kindness mercy pitty Page 27 3 The Soul that is alive unto Christ is guided by the word it is his Card his compass his Square his Meet-wand his Eye Looking to the word as his only Guide Who are strangers to the Life of Christ 1 All that know not Christ 2 All that live to their Lusts. 3 All that live to the World 4 All that live to their Pleasures Use 2. This serves to comfort those that live this life considering that 1 This is the highest noblest most excellent Life that ever any Creature did partake of 2 This is the sweetest of all Lives for in all other lives men tast but the sweetness of the Creature but in this the sweetness of God and Christ. 3 It is the greatest pledge of Gods love he gives to any 4 Christ being the fountain of this life you may be bold to rely upon him for the preservation of it Page 32 Use 3. To perswade all men to study and seek after this life SERMON II. DOCT. 2. That life of Christ which all Gods people live in this world they live it by Faith The DOCTRIN is 1 Demonstrated from scripture that it is so that the whol Life of a Christian is led by Faith 2 It is opened by shewing what the Holy Ghost means by this and what it is for a Soul to live the life of Christ by Faith Page 35 Use 1. Hence we may safely and sadly conclude that amongst the great multitudes of those that challenge the Name of Chrstians there are very few that are really Christians For 1 Many are Ignorent of Christ. 2 Many never trouble themselves at the very Doctrine of Faith 3 Many live to their lusts 4 Multitudes live to the world 5 Many live to their own wills Use 2. Real Christians ought to lament nothing so much as their unbelife Quest. Do you think that the people of God are so much guilty of it Judge by these Signs 1 Our not studying of the Word 2 Our little Valueing of the Word 3 Our unevenness in our whol course 4 Our deviations and use of unlawful means SERMON III. Use 3. This shewes what kind of Christians they must needs be who can live in the Flesh above Word and Ordinances having no use of them and as they think nothing to do with them but live in an immediate communion with God and enjoyment of him Use 4. To make this living by Faith better known to the Lords people and more exactly practised then it hath been hitherto For encouragement to study this art of living by Faith consider 1 If you wil be Christians you have no other Mistery to maintaine your lives but Faith 2 All other waies of life that any man pitches upon wil shortly appear to be but a poor thing 3 This Mystery of living by Faith is the best Life the most desirable Life that any Man or Woman can live til they come to enjoy God immediately The Excellency of this Life opened in Particulars 1 It is the life which the Lord hath chosen out to be the life of those that he loved from all Eternity 2 It is most honorable to us 3 In this world it is the easiest Life To live by Faith is the easiest Life under Heaven 4 It is the best Life because it is the surest Life Page 64 Question How shall we do to live this Life Answer 1 The Grace of Faith is the principal of his Life 2 If you would live the Life of Faith labor to be well acqainted with God especially with God in Christ. 68 3 Study to be acquainted with the word 4 Faithfully and Conscientiously serve the Lord in the use of means Page 73 Two Cautions to be taken in with these directions When it is said we must use means and thus live by Faith the meaning is 1 That when we have done we must not limit God God limits you and limits me but Faith must not limit him as to the way how or time when be shall makeâ— good Page 74 2 When you are directed thus to live the life of Faith you must take heed of some other Principles viz. your own Reason and your own sense The Premises considered it is sad to think 1 How the common People of the world live amongst us being wholly Ignorant of these things and setting their Hearts upon wealth and Pleasure and Honor and such perishing things Page 76 2 It is sad to think how many Souls that are Godly and study the Scriptures and attend upon the word yet had rather study nice controversies and things that engender strife then this great comprehensive Duty of living to Christ and living by Faith Page 77 FINIS CHRIST'S INTERCESSION OR Sins of Infirmity Opened in a Sermon at Pauls Novemb. 19. 1654 1 John 2.1 2. My little Children these things write I unto you that you sin not now follows my Text And if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And he is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whol world THe whol scope of the blessed Apostle in this Letter of his is as himself teacheth us to confirm the people of God to build them up in that great Article of their Faith and their great priviledge which is the Communion of Saints He tels you in the beginning he writes to them that they might have Communion with himself and the rest of the Apostles whose Communion is with God the Father and is Son Jesus Christ presently he proceeds to shew wherein this Communion stands which he doth express First More generally It is to walk in the light when all the world walks in darkness
have dominion over you you are not under it you are under Grace This is a clear proposition A Child of God cannot sin 2. Yet on the other side it is as clear that if any man that calls himself the Child of God say he hath no sin he is a Liar it is rather an Argument he hath no grace In many things we sin all Nothing clearer then that the people of God his dearest Children do sin Paul in the name of them all talketh of being sold under sin carrying a body of sin about him now these two must of necessity have such an interpretation as to justifie the truth of God in it Be pleased then to know thus much that when the Scripture speakes so positivly and clearly of the Children of God not sinning that they cannot commit sin the meaning is this That whereas the way of sin mark it the way of sin is the only way that al men walk in before they come to Christ as conceive it thus when men first fel from God while he stood in his integrity God was his end God was his portion God was his rule but when man fel from God the whol corruption of mans nature stood in these two things That now he was turned away from God and fallen into the Creature and there he continues til a new life be communicated let him do what he will let him pray let him read let him hear let him walk in workes of justice and righteousness and stil he is but within the compass of injoying the creature and living to the creature making himself and the good that he can find in the creature his portion which is a turning off from God and this is one way of sin and thus all the men in the world walk that although it be true yet some of their sins are greater then others and aggrauated by some circumstances yet look as it is with a man that is in prison though the prison may be very large and he may somtimes walk East West North and South and do some things more clean and some things more gross yet they are al done within that compass of the prison So take a man not in the state of Grace the end he aimes at is himself the rule he walks by is somwhat that may yeild contentment to him from the creature and beyond al this no living man goes til God give him a new life Now when the Lord vouchsafeth to cal a man home to Jesus Christ and planteth in him a new principle of a new life then the Soul returns home to God now for time to come God is his portion and the way that may lead him to the injoyment and knowledg of God is his only way to which he resignes up himself and makes it his daylie study and trade to walk in it now here is his way that as to an unconverted man the creature is his way and al things that may make him injoy the creature or setled in the creature is his way but the new man he hath no way but approaching to God aspiring up to him drawing nigher to him being made more like to him this is his way but now while he intendeth this way mark it he being converted but in part he knows his way but in part and therefore somtimes misseth it for want of light he somtimes likewise stumbles in the right way for want of strength somtimes a violent temptation takes him and turnes him a little out of the way for want of good take-heed these kind of sins Gods Children are liable to while they live in this world So that the sume of it is this no reigning sin a sin that shal have dominion over him to carry him from God and settle him upon the creature can be compatible with the state of a converted man but yet frailties and weaknesses for want of strength those are his sins and they and no other are the sins that Gods Children are liable unto So that the thing I have brought you to is to shew you that the Saints while they live in this world are compassed with infirmities and only with infirmities concerning which because it is a great Doctrine I intend the Lord assisting me to open these three things and that wil be the sume of this first Question What the sins are Three things I will open to you about the sins of infirmities wherewith Gods people are compassed while they live The first is First I wil shew you the nature of them the nature of a sin of infirmity Secondly I wil shew you the kinds of them what kinds of sins of infirmities Gods people may be overtaken with And Thirdly Thirdly I wil shew you how these may be known to be such that no man may deceive his heart about them and these must needs be opened because the latter part of our Question of Christs being a relief to them is so ful of Consolation that I would have no body have it that have not right to it and therefore I would not have them flatter themselves about it For the first First To open to you the nature of an Infirmity Take it thus To enable a Soul to walk in the waies of God as all Gods people do in measure but to enable a Soul to do it there is required a twofold strength the one is I. An habitual strength The other is II. An actual strength 1. The habitual strength that all Gods Saints have it is nothing but the inclination and disposition of their hearts to the waies of God and against the waies of sin which is wrought in them by 〈◊〉 Holy Ghost in the time of their first conversion 〈◊〉 which hour the quickning Grace communicateâ—â—o the Soul doth once for ever make the bent of the heart stand to the waies of God that now there is a complacency a delight a suitableness to them in the waies of God and a displacency and aversion in reference to the waies of sin This now is habitual strength once given to Gods people never taken away from them But now though this habitual strength do give them a good wil as the Apostle cals it a good mind to the waies of God yet 2. To enable them either to forbear any sin or to perform any duty there must be communicated an actual strength and that actual strength is nothing but the immediate assistance of the Holy Ghost who dwels in them drawing out their Graces to work and strengthening them in their working and when this actual strength is communicated to them by the Holy Ghost then if a temptation to a sin be propounded the Saint is too strong for it he overcomes the temptation if a holy Duty be propounded to be done by the help of this God if need be he can leap over a wall Give a Child of God the inward inclination of his heart wrought by Grace and the actual assistance of the Spirit of God when he is called out to
particulars then he walketh as becomes a Saint in holiness and righteousness but when at any time the Spirit of God for reasons best known to himself doth withold his immediate assistance from that Soul then their habitual inclination is never able to make them do any thing that is good If a temptation to a sin be propounded and a corruption of their nature be a little excited and Satan backing it and the Spirit of God not joyning down they tumble in every temptation and sin against God though never so fouly and if a holy Duty be to be performed pressed with all the moral Arguments in the world if the Lords spirit afford them not assistance and strength immediately they are not able they are unfit unable to do that which they are required and from hence ariseth all the infirmities of Gods people and herein you may see there is a corrupt nature in part remaining There are likwise external objects that would stir up this corrupt nature temptations from the Devil that would inflame it when these stir and Gods spirit doth not assist then are all the Lords people so weak and feeble that infallibly they sin against him and this is the nature of the sins of infirmity that is the first The second thing I would cleer is this Secondly What kinds there are of them because that will further acquaint you for indeed my aim is that all the Saints of God may see the frame of their own spirits as it were in a Glass that so afterwards you may learn how needful the Lord Jesus Christ is to us then the second question is What kinds of infirmities are the people of God subject to To that I answer They may all be brought to these two Heads they are either First Such as are not common to all the Saints No nor to any of Gods Children except upon special desertion or else Secondly They are such as all Gods people while they live in this world are dayly compassed about with For the first of them I. There are Infirmities I say which are not common to all Gods people No nor to any of them unless when very extraordinarily deserted of God and they are such as when the Servants of God do seem to pour their hearts out into wicked waies and commit those sins that are publickly to the dishonor of the Lords Gospel to the wasting of their own Consciences to the defiling of their own holy waies to the scandal of Gods people as suppose to live in Adultery in Uncleanness in wantonness Cursing Swearing Drunkenness false dealing and the like Now two things I would say about this 1. That somtimes Gods own Children for a season are left under such a condition David you know even when he was the Child of God took his neighbors Wife into his bosome and most wickedly plotted to take away her Husbands life and did take it away Peter Cursed and Banned and Swore and counterfeited himselâ— to be a prophane person that he might not be thought to be a follower of Christ So that such things many other instances I might give you that in the greatest the most flagitious way wherein a man may seem to be turned from Christ and betake himself into the Tents of his enemies to fight against him as if he would be a Ranter against him such a thing may befal a Child of God But then I adde 2. But this is not the Lot of all No nor of any but when extraordinarily deserted and that is cleer by this because throughout all the tennor of the Gospel it is sufficiently declared that these are not the spots of Gods Children these are not the waies of the Saints these are the waies in which whosoever walks cannot be saved and therefore what their condition is I shal tel you by and by God willing when I come to cleer it But that is one sort that it is possible the corruption may be so strong the assistance of Gods spirit so wholly withdrawn and the temptation so mighty as that a Child of God for want of strength may fall into the foulest mire and filth in the world That is one sort II. There are other sorts of Infirmities which all the Saints are compassed about with every day that they live and it is rare that any of them spend a day either without al of them or some of those infirmities and if you wil know what they are I answer There are three kinds of them and I think all the infirmities of the Saints wil fal under one of them and I purposely open them that you might have a Glass to see your faces in 1. Some and very many of the infirmities of the Saints of God they are meerly the infirmities of their understandings that is sins of ignorance that they do the things that are contray to God contrary to his will but do not know Gods mind about them and from this sort no man upon earth is free Who knows the errors of his life and I think verily under this head fals those sins of the Patriarchs of the holiest men that walked with God whose hearts were perfect with God they had their many Wives they had their Concubins too not knowing that this was against the Institution of God And so likwise in the sin of omission as you shal see there was from Joshuah's time to Nehemiah's time one of the great solemn Feasts that is the Feast of Tabernacles was never kept according to Gods institution for a thousand years together that they were by Gods institution to keep it not in their own houses but to go to live in Booths in the Fields for that time it is said expresly from Joshua to Nehemiah that that Feast had never been so kept that either they had forgotten it or the generations were unacquainted But now when Gods people do any of them in their speeches or actions do the things that are indeed contrary to Gods wil but especially not knowing it to be so and yet their hearts prepared that if the Lord would but discover his mind to them they would follow him in all things and yet this is one sort that all Gods people are liable to in the world But I tel you by the way that were but this one thing understood it would go a great way to make the Servants of God less harsh than they are one to another The Lord give them so much light to own it he sees such a thing as cleer as the Sun to be the institution of God or the mind of God or the way of God in this or that Duty of the first or second Table and then because he sees it he is ready to condemn all the world as rebelling against God for not being of his practice because the Lord it may be lets not them see it But that is one sort sins in the understanding when Gods wil is not known 2. Another sort of these infirmities when the
himself there he reckons up Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Lands and all that he hath This is a third Branch of Self Fourthly 4. There is another that is as much Self as any of these and that is that that we cal religious Self and by that you are to understand our performance of holy Duties our Vertues our Righteousness any thing that seems to be spiritual and good and moral in us this you shal find a notable passage about in Phillip 3. where the Apostle there saith of true Beleevers saith he We are the Circumcision that do worship God in the spirit but we put no confidence in the flesh we regard nothing of the flesh and saith he if there be any man that might have any confidence in the flesh I as much as any mark his words I much more than any What flesh doth he mean mark what follows I was an Hebrew of the Hebrews of the Tribe of Benjamin by my Religion a Pharisee touching the righteousness of the Law I was altogether unblameable here was his self Now this was his flesh so that the Religion the Honesty the Conversation agreeable to the Law that Paul makes a part of himself and cals it his flesh Now concerning these four for yet I have not done explaining this first part what I mean by Self concerning all these four both our Lusts and our natural endowments and our worldly interest and our Religion you must take these three corrollaries to understand them all three things that I would add The first is 1. That al these are but one and the same self pray mark me all these are but one self only As the Sea which is but one yet it is called the Brittish Sea as it toucheth upon England or Scotland It is called the German Sea as it washeth the German shoar and a great way off it is called the Ethiopique Sea as it washeth there but all is but one Sea so all is but one wretched self though we call it a sinful self as self applies it self to Lusts cal it worldly self as self applies it self to wealth or riches or honor and cal it religious self as self applies it self to the Law of God or to God in any such like but all is but one self all is but one and the same man in all these And Secondly Another thing that I would have you know about them all four is this 2. That though all these are in every natural man yet commonly there is but one of them that is predominant and all the other are subordinate unto it As for example Some men make their Lusts their known Lusts their predominant self and unto that Reason and Wil and Father and Mother and Children and Law and Duties and all shal be subordinate because this is the Lord paramount In some others it may be the world is the paramount Oh! and then unto that all their other Lusts and all their Religion likewise shal be subordinate It may be in another his Religion is the predominant his Honesty his righteousness his holy performances that is his great predominant and then unto that all the other shal be subordinate Commonly there is but some one of them that carries the Chair that sits upon the Throne and al the rest are underlings to that Thirdly and that which I most of all would have you mark and weigh concerning them all is this and I beseech you weigh my words 3. That in all these the heart is equally wicked in every one of them the heart is as bad and as far from God in the one as it is in the other I mean plainly thus That man that sets up his Lusts suppose his Whore suppose his Pride suppose any known wickedness sets up that to be the great good that pleaseth him that man is no more wicked his heart is no more wicked in that than another man that maketh Mammon his God the gathering of wealth or the maintaining of his honor and neither of these are more wicked than he that maketh his righteousness his own religious performances his God because for though these may seem strange yet if you wil wait you will find it to be good Divinity though in all these self is the end and all these are used but as means in the one of them I make use of the Devil to serve my self in another I make use of the world to serve my self in another I make use of God to serve my Self but whosoever I make use of it is my self that I set in the Throne my own Ease my own Wil my own Good my own Happiness Now then here is the result whatsoever a poor lost sinner doth make his portion before he come to be reconciled to God in Christ whatsoever it is that he maketh his portion or placeth his happiness in that our Lord means by self and there you have the first thing explained that I intended to handle What is meant by our Self that must be denied all that we make our portion be it our Lusts be they our natural abilities be they our worldly interests be they our religious Vertues Duties Righteousnesses they are all alike when the heart sodders with them or rests in them all these make up that self that must be denied That is the first Secondly The second thing that is to be explained is 2. What it is to deny a mans self he that will follow Christ must deny himself What is that I answer First 1. In general as I hinted before it must be a total denyal it is such a denial of a mans self as must be a total abrenunciation it must not be to put off the skin the Serpents skin and leave the Body or to cut off a Joynt and leave the Trunk but the whole man all the comprehension of this must be abhominated and renounced by that self-denial that the Lord here means But what is it you wil say Wherein stands it That I shal labor to cleer to you as wel as I can 1. Negatively I wil shew what it is not And then 2. Positively I wil shew you what it is 1. What it is not First 1. By denying a mans self the Lord means not that we should counterfeit our selves to be other than we are as Jeroboam's Wife denied her self to be Jeroboam's Wife by faining her self to be another Woman than she was The Lord means not that he that is a proud man should say I am not a proud man or he that is a rich man should say I am not a rich man or he that is a proper man should say I am not a proper man or he whose name is John or Thomas should say I am not that man that is not the meaning that he should counterfeit or feign himself to be another than he is Nor Secondly which it may be you think most probable by denying a mans self is this meant 2. That a man must wholly be
how the time is gone nor how burdensom I may be to you and although this was all the use I intended when I prepared this Sermon for this place yet since I finished it there is brought somwhat to my hands that doth enable me to make another use of it at least of one branch of it and I beseech you give attention to it and I have done I am informed that it is one of the ends of this grave honorable and solemn meeting of the Magistracy of the City and of this holy service to promote a work of Mercy and Charity towards the poor of the several Hospitals to let the wel affected be acquainted how things are and what may be expected or desired from them and that I may do it in a few words have patience but while I read this short paper to you and then I shal spend a little more of my Theam about it and then I have done Here is a true report c Thus Beloved I have read over this paper and I think I shal not need to tell you how it fals within my Theam I told you that one special branch of Self denial is to resign up all that we have of Wealth Lands Mony Trades Parts Abilities to resign them up to Christ to serve him with them to lay them out in the way that he wil appoint Now your hearts could not wish for a way more cleer and evident for the testifying your being good Stewards for Christ than in owning the present business that hath been read to you and to make it good I wil say but these two things in a few words First 1. That of al the Services of al kind of Services that ever we can do for Christ next to the saving our souls the work of Mercy and Compassion to People is most accepted with him that that himself wil most own in the great day when there shal not a cup of cold water go unrewarded that ever hath been given for his sake I am confident you so frequently hear of the excellency of the work of mercy and bounty to the poor that I shal not need to spend any more time to commend it to you only I pray you to think of it 2. But the other thing that I would commend to you is this and I beseech you beleeve I would not willingly flatter but according to the best information that ever I could obtain There is no such Treasury in the Christian world no such Banck where a man might promise what he doth to be faithfully and wisely and most advantagiously laid out as in this Treasury of the honorable City of London and the Governors of these Hospitals I have often heard for I am but an ignorant man my self in the affairs of this City Godly men and wise men often say that had they any Hospitals to erect any sums of mony were it a hundred thousand pounds that they would promise themselves to be laid out so that it should not go into private mens purses or be given to Vagrants and Knaves but to the halt and the lame that have need of it they have professed they would put it into the hands of those that are the Governors of the Hospitals about London where things are done in such a way that setting aside such frailties as al humane affairs are suhject to in the generality they are above making personal gains but desire only to be faithful Stewards and therefore if God do put it in any of your hearts that you would shew your self-denial and would indeed make Christ beholding to you as he will be pleased to cal himself your Debtor know that such things as these are very fit objects for your thoughts And the Lord of Heaven direct you about it I dare stay you no longer FINIS THE SAINTS DUTY To keep their HEARTS In a GOOD FRAME Opened in a Sermon at Olaves Silverstreet November 9. 1654. PROVERBS 4.23 Keep thy Heart with all Dilligence or as it is chiefly read Keep thy Heart with all keepings for out of it are the Issues of Life IN most of the Chapters of this Book of the Proverbs there is no connection of one verse with another that one should give light or help to clear the other but they are as a multitude of excellent Pearls put into a large Box whereof every one singly is of a very great price and it is thought by many that they were but so many sentences that King Solomon did utter usually when he sate in judicature according as the cause or condition was that was heard before him so there was a divine sentence in the Lips of the King and the Lord in his good providence and love to his Church hath recorded them to be for instruction for his People to the end of the world and amongst them al if you go from one end of the book to the other if it be lawful to make comparisons I may freely say there is not one Pearl of greater price one sentence of more divine use than this that I have read to you and shal endeavor God willing to open as far as I can within the compass of an hour and in it there are these two things plainly laid down Here is first 1. A Duty enjoyned to all the Lords Children in these words Keep thy heart above al keeings Secondly 2. Here is an Argument to enforce to this Duty in these words for out of it are the issues of life 1. And in the Duty there are likewise two things First 1. Here is the subject matter the thing that is to be done and that is Keep thy heart Secondly 2. Here is the manner how it must be done and that is as we translate it with al diligence Keep thy heart with all diligence or above all keepings keep thy heart Now give me leave briefly to interpret the meaning of the words and then I will put it all into one instruction which I will endeavor to handle in this hour First 1. What is meant by the heart And 2. Keeping the heart And 3. Keeping it above all Keepings And so 4. Of the issues of life that flow from it Let me give you a brief interpretation of each of them 1. What doth Solomon mean by the heart here that must be kept No doubt it is not meant of the heart made of flesh that is in the midst of our bodies it is spiritually meant that no man doubts of Now take the heart spiritually and somtimes in the holy Scripture the heart is put for the whol soul somtimes it is put for the understanding faculty somtimes it is put for the memory somtimes it is put for the Conscience sometimes it is put for the Wil sometimes for one or two Affections it were endless to give you the instances of all these but here is a Key in the Text which will tel you what is meant here for without question that is meant by the Heart here that is
the spring of life from whence the issues of life do flow Keep thy heart for out of it are the issues of life now as I shal shew you by and by the issues of life are nothing but our whol conversation so that what 's within is the Fountain of our conversation without that is meant by the Heart here and so consequently it must be meant chiefly of the Wil and Affections not excluding the understanding by the Heart then is meant the understanding faculty especially the Wil and the Affections Then 2. Keep thy heart Keep it What is that The word that is here translated Keep I find it in other Texts of Scripture variously applied somtimes it is applied unto those that are the Keepers of a Prison where dangerous Fellons or Malefactors are to be looked to that they do not break away Joseph was made the Keeper of the Prison The same word that is here somtimes it is applied to keeping the Sanctuary of God and all the holy things that belonged to Gods Temple so it is several times used in Ezekiel Somtimes it is used to signifie the keeping of Treasures Jewels c. so that it is such a keeping as doth argue a great deal of care and watchfulness and diligence c. All this is meant by Keep thy heart keep it as thou wouldst keep a dangerous Fellon a Traytor keep it as thou wouldst keep a holy Sanctuary and Temple of the Holy Ghost keep it as you would keep the richest Treasures keep thy heart And then 3 Keep it above al keepings with al diligence or above all keepings that plainly needs the least interpretation of all because that it is clear that there are abundance of things that God gives men in charge to keep that if God commit to any man a Flock he must take heed to his Flock if he bestow any Talent upon him of outward goods he must keep it and occupy it for Gods Glory every thing that is received from God must be kept according to the rules he hath given but above all thy keepings when you have put them all together all the keepings that must be kept for Wife Children Estate Name or whatsoever is dear let thy heart be kept above all keepings beyond them al above al keepings keep thy heart And then 4. Here is added thy Heart keep thy heart that signifies these two things The one is 1. That Solomon who was a Son of wisdom for it is judged by many that these were not Solomons own words but they were a part of the Catechism that his Father taught him for so in the beginning of the Chapter he tels you that he was his Fathers dearly beloved Son and he taught him instructed him said so and so to him and so they think that all these were Davids words to Solomon but if it be not if you take them for Solomons words it is all one for a little before he saith My Son that is when he saith my Son he means one that is a Son of wisdom a Child of God Keep thy heart that is a good heart that is a reformed heart that hath Grace planted in it yet he that hath it so must be careful to keep it so And then it signifies further 2. Thy heart that is above al other mens hearts look to the hearts of thy Children if thou beest a Pastor look to the frame of thy People so far as thy relation and duty reacheth look to them all and get what good may be but let thy heart be looked to above them all That is the meaning of the first branch Keep thy heart above all keepings 2. Now a word of the other For out of it are the Issues of life Here are two things to be interpreted First 1. The Issues of life What is that The word that is translated Issue it sometimes signifies a Bud that grows out from a Tree somtimes a Child that is born of a Father sometimes and very often the waters that spring or issue out of a Fountain and so by the issues of life he plainly means all that comes out in our Conversation that is the fruit of the heart Words Actions Relations Duties Sufferings whatsoever you wil they are all the issues of life Al these are issues of life And then 2. All these are out of it What is that out of it may signifie two things and both come to the same purpose Out of it that is 1. Out of the heart it is out of our heart that cometh all the issues of life or I think life must be added out of it that is 2. Out of keeping of thy heart though it be a good one though it be reformed yet when I exhort thee to keep it diligently I would have thee to know that according as thou keepest thy heart so wil the issues of thy life be Now out of these words thus opened I observe this Instruction Doct. 1. That the greatest Duty that lies upon all the Sons of God the Sons of wisdom in this world is to keep their hearts To explain it a little more before I come to a further proof of it be pleased to know that there are two great works about our hearts in this spiritual sense The one is 1. To get it into a good spiritual Frame which no mans heart in the world is til the Lord break it in pieces and make it new The other work is 2. When God hath put this Instrument into tune that we keep it so that when God hath put it into a good frame our work must be to keep it in a good frame The second of these is the Duty of this Text for this is here applied unto the Sons of wisdom in whom Grace is planted and so my Doctrine then is this Doct. 2. That all the Servants of God must make it their busiest their diligentest their watchfullest work in the world to keep their hearts in a good frame when once the Lord in mercy hath put them into a good frame Now to make this good to you I wil not because an hour wil quickly be gone and I have many things that I would fain give you turn you to many Texts that should particularly prove it I think any of you that do but read the Scriptures where the Lord Christ enjoyneth us to look to our hearts because out of the heart and out of the treasury of the heart comes every thing out but to convince you of it I would open six grounds to you and all of them out of the Scripture which may satisfie you that the greatest work that all the servants of God have to do in this world as to themselves is To keep their hearts in a good frame and I hope I shal shew it you cleerly that the things are so and then I wil make some Application of it as the Lord shall enable me within the compass of the time I say there are six Conclusions that I would
you shal find this That when all their infirmities as many of them had many gross ones and grievous ones when they were all reckoned up if this were but added but his heart was with God his heart was upright with God that was a Salvo for all the other he never broke with any of them or cast them off if so be their hearts were but with him in the midst of al other weaknesses and infirmities if they could but say as Hezekiah Lord remember that amongst all my weaknesses my heart hath been with thee there was Gods content And on the other side Let the performances be never so glorious or in things never so much commended or never so much delighted by the Lord the duties of his Worship and Ordinances if God did but say of them This they did but their hearts were not with God Nevertheless his heart was not upright with God that signified the Lord threw it all away as rubbish stuf that he took no pleasure in the wnrld in So then because that it is the Lord that looks at the heart and if he have that he hath all he hath so much as contents him and never breaks for the want of any thing else as you shal see further anon because where the heart is the best they have wil be brought out therefore above all we should keep that That is a third ground The Lord looks at that above all others therefore we should keep it above all others Then Fourthly which I need but name 4. The Devil who is our Adversary and the Lords Adversary and goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking how he may devour all his assaults and batteries are at the heart and he counts all his labor lost if he do not get into the heart if he gets that he gets the Cittadel that wil command all the rest and if he be kept out or cast out there he himself counts he hath nothing therfore he saith he wil enter into Judas's heart he wil fil Annanias's heart he labors to set up his Throne and his Dominion in the heart of the Children of disobedience that is his great endeavor Now then when we are called home to the Lord we give our selves up to him to fight his battels and where we know the Enemy wil most assault certainly our care should be most to watch If the good man of the house knew at what hour the thief would come he would watch if he knew what part of the house he would assault he would watch that most of all Now Satans whol endeavor though I confess that by his good wil he would not let the Lord have a good word out of the mouth of any of his People nor of any People in the world nor the bending of a knee if it lay in his power but he wil afford that so he may have but the heart and if he can but any waies batter the heart or discompose the heart or bring it out of frame he wil not greatly be troubled at all other formalities they give to God Now because Satan doth so extreamly lay his battery there surely the servants of God should above all keepings with all diligence keep that That is a Fourth ground Fiftly Another that is of equal force is this 5. The Heart even the heart of a Godly man it must be kept above Keepings with all diligence because in truth it is not to be trusted No not the heart of the best man living in the world it is deceitful it is false it is cozenig it is treacherous not that the new heart is so but our heart is renewed but in part and though it be made a Garison for Jesus Christ where our Treasures are kept yet that Garison hath a great many false enemies that lodg within it It were endless for me to explain this sufficiently in so short a time as is fit for me now to speak you know where the Scripture saith that the heart of man of an unconverted man in Jerem. 17.9 It is deceitful above all things it is desperately wicked so desperately wicked and deceitful that none but the God of Heaven can search into the bottome of it the deceitfulness of a mans heart goes as deep as Hel that no plum-line wil go to the bottom of it Now when the Lord plants Grace in any of his Children and brings in some integrity some sincerity yet there remains a woful tang of their former falshood and treachery that was in it before any Grace was brought in and if it be not wel kept and wel looked too the old deceits wil quickly so get up again that all wil be put most wofully out of temper upon a sudden Should I but give you the instances that the Scripture hath left upon record of some of the choycest Servants of God how they have been lamentably befoyled when they have but a little trusted their own hearts and not had a sâ—ickt watch and ward going along with it you would hardly beleeve it That holy Apostle Peter how did he trust his heart when our Lord and Savior asked him whether he would stick to him when he was in danger Lord saith he I wil die with thee and hang with thee if thou beest in danger and he beleeved it and little knew what danger lay in the bottom and David he would not countenance any one that was wicked but when he trusted his heart it led him to Murther and Adultery and Dissembling And abundance of others that when they have but a little beleeved their own hearts the best of Gods Children have found so much that I may say of all the Saints living what Solomon saith in Prov. 28. He is a Fool that trusteth his heart he that trusteth his heart that wil beleeve it No if it be not throughly searched and throughly looked too as Solomon saith of an enemy Beleeve him not though he give the fair words there are seven abominations in his heart So I may say to a Child of God that hath set Christ and Grace and Gods Glory the highest in his heart Beleeve not thy heart there are seven abominations lie in it that if it be not very wel looked to it wil lay thee in the ditch it will bring thee into woful inconveniences Now then as you know in a Garison if so be that we would keep a Garison if there be impetuous enemies without if the Rampires and Wals be strong the Guard may be a little secure but when they know there are a hundred false enemies within their wals that watch for any opportunity to open some postern Gate or other to set fire upon the City to make way for the enemy to come in they are mad that think that it wil be kept without al diligence So that because of the deceitfulness and treachery of our hearts we must therefore keep them with all diligence in the world Lastly to give one more and that is that which my
a Soul I have given thee a Soul and if thou beest mine Graces that one of them are more worth than all the Kingdomes of the world and what paines dost thou bestow upon the keeping them The Lord help you to ask your Souls the question whether this will not rise up sadly against you one day 2. Go to others and rise higher because the Body is higher than all these things Oh! what curiosity shal you find in many about keeping their bodies Alas I must keep my body saith one I am subject to colds and distempers and if once they be but bitten a little you shal hardly make them drink a Cup it wil hurt their Bodies yea they wil have their Cordials by them that shal cheer up their hearts O! how shal I live if I look not to it and this care I condemn not simply because it is an Utensil we should use for Gods Glory but I fear the bodies of most of you wil be a sad condemnation to the souls of most of you You shal never meet any of you in a Congregation but the body of you shal be tricked up as fine as you can which it ought to be But what have you done for your hearts Have you not left them at home Nay to go a little higher 3. How many are there that keep their very lives not only their bodies but their moral Conversations that look that they may be Sine crimine that nothing may turn as a reproach to them God forbid that my language should be otherwise than becomes a Servant of God God forbid that my Recreations should be such but what may be honorable to God and come to them and ask them seriously Are you the Servants of God Pray tel me Why can any body detect me No there is your care the issues of it shal be kept as far as thou canst keep it but what doth thy heart do Thy Tongue talketh righteouly thy Ears hear good discourse thy Eyes are in a comly deportment and so thy actions with men Justice Honesty Sobriety and other things shal not be found against thee and perhaps in the mean time thy very heart left to be a Cage for unclean Beasts and Birds The good Lord pitty us these things are very sad where did you ever read that the Lord said Keep your Shops above all keepings or your Bodies a-above all keepings or your Conversations above all keepings though I told you how far it is comely but for you to keep all these things and never look to your hearts is sad Nay there is one more that goes beyond all these 4. It is true you say true We were Wretches if we should look to our Goods and Bodies and not look to our Hearts I look to that every day I but Friend Do you look to it above all keepings And bestow more pains about it than about all things in the World besides pray deal faithfully in it for you must give an account to one that knows all things in the world but have you more studies desires and endeavors about that than about all things in the world No no Alas most of the people I converse with they do as some poor Tradesmen do wretched men that think that they have got a servant that they leave all to and now and then because they wil not let all run at randome look into the Shop and ask him Come What Do you keep your Cash right and is all right and so rest in him when all this while he is a Wretch and runs out of all and so is my heart wel is all wel there I I saith the heart and we beleeve it and put our trust in it and it is the arrantest Lyar in all the world I remember Solomon hath a notable Speech in the latter end of the Prov. Chap. 30. where he saith There are three things that are wonderful that I could never find out the way of them yea there are four of them the one is The way of the Ship in the Sea and that is hard to find for it leaves nothing that you may say here a Ship hath gone And another is The way of an Eagle in the Air and that hath many windings and turnings And another is The way of a Serpent upon a Stone and that leaves neither slime nor excrement that you cannot find which way it goes And the fourth is The way of a man with a maid which he interprets afterwards to be a lascivious maid who hath a wanton heart within that would deceive a hundred People you may add the heart of a man too for that wil tel you I have been at Prayer when it never prayed a word and I heard the word very wel and his heart was dead and asleep all the while Oh! Brethren it is hard for you to think with a few words thus to charm this deceitful wild Beast and you to have no care about it but God knows and man knows that you are real in your other keepings and slight in this I fear there is little in your heart that your self judg worth the keeping that you are so extream slight and loose about it Wel that is one I dare not stay longer upon it let it be a matter of rebuke and to help you to try and judg how things stand between God and you for if your hearts be as they ought to be you wil bestow more pains about them than about any thing in this world Secondly Another Use that I wil make of it which is a Use that Gods Children wil rejoyce in and that is USE 2. It is a Doctrine that affords abundance of Comfort I this very Doctrine though it may seem and doth carry just rebuke I beleeve to the best of all Gods Children in some degree to be humbled but withall it is a Doctrine of wonderful Consolation to all those whom God witnesseth with that their greatest care and study is to purge their hearts to have their hearts mended to have their hearts guarded and are most humbled and afflicted when it is not wel with the inward man though all other things go smooth with them yet it is not comfortable with them except they find the heart set right Godward this Doctrine speaks a world of Consolation to such poor Souls I am confident it is the Lot of the generation of Gods People that hear me at this time though it may be under a temptation they may lay all aside yet otherwise God knows their dayly work their greatest work their work of prayer and mourning is most about their hearts If you ask them How doth your Body better than my heart How do you perform your Duties wel outwardly but my heart is wretched I have a vile heart and there they make their study there they make their search there they make the matter of their mourning Now I would say to such Souls and dare affirm it with much boldness none but the Schollars that
it self unto the Word the Word of Promise for matters of Comfort the Word of Precept for matters of Duty the Word of Direction in matters of means and Ordinances the applying of the soul to the Word in all these things the Lord according to his goodness making these things good to the soul that thus applies it self to the Word this is to live by faith So that now to come a little neerer to the business for I have not yet explained it so far as I hope by and by I shall but I say now to live by faith First It is not only for a soul to beleeve in Jesus Christ for salvation or to beleeve all our life time that we shal be saved by Jesus Christ when we go out of the world it is not only that that is but a piece of it But To live by Faith it is in our course to enjoy the whol revealed will of Christ to us as our life thereby fetching all our consolations that are fit for our life from promises thereby fetching all our practices from the declaration of what he makes our duty and applying our selves in the use of those means which the Lord hath appointed us to attend upon for the accomplishment of these this conversation of the soul is the living by faith To live by faith it is this I am not only made partaker of the Righteousness of Christ which is imputed for my justification and is inherent for my new quickening I have not only these principles in me but by the grace of faith al the comfort of my life is fetched from a promise al the rule of my conversation is from the Precepts and all the means I use for the accomplishment of one or other they are those that are prescribed there so that be it to undergo affliction to conflict with a temptation to go through my Calling be it to comfort my heart against temptations when the soul looks to the Word of Christ and there takes the Word for its guide both for comfort and duty until the Lord of his meer grace have accomplished in us all the good that he intendeth to us which wil never be til he takes us out of this world when faith ceaseth but in the mean time this and this only is that which the Scripture cals living by faith But now because I would yet make it a little plainer to you be pleased to know That although there are acts of faith applicable to every particular condition we are in which would require a Volumn to mention yet for the present purpose you must know that there are five things faith doth in this general living by faith that every one that is said to live by faith his faith doth five things in his ordinary course which are applicable to every thing that you can think upon which I shall not need to stand to prove though I will give a touch as I go along because I would spare a little time for the Application before I break off But there are five things applicable First The grace of faith looks at the Word as that which is most sure that is it yields a firm assent to the truth of all that Jesus Christ hath revealed concerning him in his Word The Promises that are made faith assures the soul they are al true they are not whimsies nor fancies The Duties and Directions there prescribed faith assures the soul they are things the Lord looks for so that the Apostle saith in Acts 20. when he lived as a Christian he did exercise himself to beleeve al that was spoken by the Lord in his Law and David saith Thy Word Lord is from everlasting It makes not any scruple or doubt but gives a firm assent to what the Lord hath set down in his Word That is one and that indeed is the Basis and Foundation of the rest The Second It not only assents that all these are true but faith acquiesses that these are the magazine the store house the comprehension of al excellencies that the soul shall ever be made partaker of he desires to be satisfied in the goodness of them he desires no other course of Life to order him but what is set down in the Word he thinks not there are any Councels nor Directions to be regarded nor compared to those set down in the Word he rests in them there his Treasure lies in that great iron Chest and the Word is not only true but his livelihood he knows God hath declared this in his Word and there his soul is satisfied That is the Second And then the third is this The Lord laies al our happiness up in his Word the happiness of our comfort the happiness of our holy conversation therefore faith directs the soul to attend to the Word as to its only guide and comfort that look as a man that is satisfied I am to travel in a dark night and to go through a dangerous place but I am sure I have a mighty guide not a Will of the Wisp as they cal it and an Ignis fatuus to miss-lead me and therefore as I love my life and happiness I will look to the Word by the Word I am guided by the Word I am directed as the Apostle expresseth it It is a thing you do wel to take heed to as to a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawn until the day of Heaven come and you be brought to glory The soul looks to the Word as its only card and compass as the Marriner at Sea looks at his Card and Compass they are his guide so the Beleever he only looks at the Word as his guide There is the third And then the fourth thing that faith doth in al that live the life of faith is this That they make the things revealed in the Word the matters of their prayers they dare not beg a thing of God until they know it is Gods wil that they find a warrant to beg it either absolutely or conditionally they make the Word the matter of their prayers and endeavors and if they go about any thing or be under distress and affliction they labor to get rid of it by making the word their direction in that And Fiftly and lastly Doing al these things as well as it can it staies it self upon the truth and faithfulness and power and wisdom and goodness of God and the Lord Jesus who hath revealed these things to him he staies himself upon him for the accomplishment of these things in his own time and in his own way And he now that doth these five things he truly lives by faith The Lord hath turned the bent of his heart to it and he is assured his Word is true and that there lies his happiness he looks at it as his only guide he makes this the matter of his prayer and endeavors and when he hath done knows all his poor endeavors are nothing but waits upon the Lord to
but what they signifie what doth a Promise signifie that God in his Gospel maketh to souls for a man may have Promises and truly from a great many able and great men good Promises signifie very little from many great men and mighty men but to know what Gods Promises are and what they signifie it would be a great comfort and I wil tel you briefly what they signifie and it may be a key to unlock all the Locks in the House that is al the Promises in the Bible First of all The Promises of God they do for the present at the instant of their making signifie That God loves us for all the Promises come from his heart his Providences come from his hands the Promises come from his heart and when the Lord makes a Gospel Promise to a soul he doth as if he should say to that soul I love thee dearly at the present before the thing be accomplished thou mayest say it signifies thus to me If the Lord make such a Promise to me he loves me And Secondly A Promise signifies thus much at present That God wil never hurt me God gives in a way of Providence those things to many men whom he wil hurt and destroy nay he will destroy them even by the things that he gives them but to the souls to whom his Promises belong they signifie not only Gods good will but nothing in the world that can betide them shal ever hurt them because they are all Branches of that Covenant of grace in which Covenant of grace there is no evil shal light upon the soul that is under it therefore God wil one day make thee to know that he intendeth thy good in it this is signified for the present And For the future A Promise is a certain infallible pledg of a seasonable performance His Covenant he wil never break he will not alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth All the Promises of the new Covenant are all backed with an Oath of him that is unchangeable Here is a Promise for my poverty for my temptation it comes from the God that first loves me and will do me no hurt and wil accomplish it Brethren Do you beleeve this As Jesus Christ said to Martha He that beleeveth in me though he were dead he shall live and if he live he shall never die Doest thou beleeve this I Lord I beleeve it So say I Do you beleeve this Do you not think you shall live comfortably And Secondly when I said in this third Direction about being acquainted with the Word I mean Be acquainted with the Duties held out in the Word as wel as the Promises for it cals to holiness as well as to comfortableness therefore in the Word learn your Duty and I the rather tell it you because many a poor soul takes a great deal of care and pains in some things that God never required and they afflict themselves and make their lives uncomfortable in things that God hath not appointed as not to tel you of many poor creatures in Popery that would thrust themselves into Monasteries God never required it but my meaning is study the Word you can never study any thing that so much concerns you therefore there learn your Duties the Duties that belong to your relations and particular places where God hath set you for to know the will of God concerning me argues an honest heart more than to know the will of God concerning others but study to know the Word in the Promises and in the Duties That is the Third Fourthly which must not be neglected When you have done all this faithfully and conscienciously serve the Lord in the use of means serve the Promises and Commandements serve them faithfully in the use of the means without distraction but out of conscience resigning up your selves For for me to go to labor for an enlarged faith and to know the all sufficiency of God and to have the Promises as familiarly as my Pater noster as they use to say for me when I have done this to neglect the means the Lord hath appointed this is not good But look as an Husband-man What rational Husband-man is there especially if he know God but he knows that the Corn upon the ground cannot yield him a Crop unless rain from Heaven water it and it cannot fall from Heaven unless God send it and notwithstanding all this unless God give the Corn a new body but because he hath likewise learned that ploughing sowing and harrowing and dungcarting c. are all duties belonging to Husbandry he serveth the Providence of God and God blesseth him accordingly Do thus with your souls God hath given you Promises for some things Commandements for other things serve him diligently in the use of the means but remember what I taught you before that by the use of the means I mean means only of his own appointment for faith dare not go out of his own line Lawful means that are agreeable to a particular calling to reason c. I have often thought and I speak it to you from the Lord that when a people walk with a Word in one hand and the use of the means in the other hand we fairly leave the business at Gods feet whatsoever the success shall be we will be his Servants when such a thing hath betided me I find this is my duty by the best Counsel I can get and so we leave it at his door and whatsoever will come fall back fall edg we may have peace and comfort These are the great Directions only with these I must put in two Cautions and when I have done them I think I may have said that which may be helpful to them that would walk by Faith The one is When I say we must use means and thus live by faith my meaning is First That when you have done you must never limit God God limits you and limits me but for himself Faith must not limit him My meaning is Do not limit him to the way how he shal make it good for he often works by contraries do not limit him for time when he shal make it good for it is good to wait patiently the Lords leisure though it be al the daies of our appointed season and we injure God and our faith doth not work up to its true height when we will come and say do it to day Lord or else I will question it to morrow no limit him not chalk him not out his way I may Lawfully expect from God that such a thing shall do me good but I may not Lawfully tell God which way it shall do me good I may Lawfully say from such a temptation God wil deliver me but I may not Lawfully say he wil deliver me from it within this week or fortnight but quietly wait upon the Lord as one that infallibly wil do what he hath spoken and is not here enough It may be some will add now
by way of Objection But what if my difficulty be such an one that I can find nothing in the Word about it What can my Faith do then Where is your circumscribing Faith within the compass of the Word It may be my difficulty is such as I find no Promise for it in all the Word I dare confidently then say it is a matter of no great consequence it may be in thy fancy some great thing as the fancy of man can blow up a Molehil to a Mountain but beleeve it if it be such a trouble as hath not a Promise it is not worth the taking notice of for all things that concern the Lords Glory and good of his People there are Promises in abundance That is my first Caution And the other Caution is When I direct you in all this to endeavor thus to live the life of Faith you must take heed of some other principles which will put the wisest of you all to the utmost of your graces and that is your own reason and your sence I mean not sanctified reason nor your holy experience but I mean carnal reason and carnal sence which in spight of our teethes will have an Oar in every Boat it will be putting in in all things that concern our whol Conversation If a Duty be propounded of a sudden I am called out to it it may be my Reason puts in twenty things against it You wil lose your Credit in it and your Labor and it will come to nothing it may be our Sence will oppose it You do but water a dead Plant a dead Stock nothing will come of it and I will tell you all the experiences that the People of God hitherto have found of our carnal Sence and Reason in all things that belong to the Waies of God they are but like a Sophister in the Schools a Sophister that hath a wrangling head will blur and blind and slur the clearest Positions in any Art in Logick Grammer Rhetorick Phylosophy or what you will when a Conclusion is made and proved a Sophister riseth up and he shal slur it all especially with weak people So it is with carnal men whereas a Promise and a Direction of the Word looked upon by Faith appears like the Sun in its strength look upon the very same with carnal Reason and carnal Sence and it looks like the Moon in Ecclipse a dark Body it hath no light at all in it Oh therefore watch against it and the rather because we are men and from our Mothers Womb we are corrupt men and therefore these things are bred in the bone and will not easily out but while we carry flesh about us they will never be subdued And therefore one handsomly expresseth it as Abraham did when God called him to that Duty it was cleer that God made it his Duty when he had called to it he never goes to call his Wife for she would have said Husband it is impossible this is but a delusion it is not possible the Child that must be the Heir of all Nations and in him they must all be blessed What! for you to kill him it is not from God never talk of it Friends I the rather desire to open these things because in truth to a great many the Life of Christ is not known and many holy souls do want plain Directions how they should order their Conversation as becometh Christians and in our uncertain daies wherein we are every day looking what new Confusions shall break out Oh! it were a sweet thing for a man to be stablished that he might possess his soul in quietness in the midst of all the Changes in the World and really it many times grieves my heart to think First How the common People of the World live amongst us they are totally ignorant of these things but they set their hearts upon Wealth and Honor and Pleasure and these perishing things these men are carried after when God knows these things are not worth the while I wil briefly shew you one instance in Dan. 8. you shal reade of a Goat that came with one Horn and he ran and killed all other Beasts that were in his way and that Goat was Alexander and this same Alexander in ten years space did conquer one of the greatest Empires I mean he brought into his own hands one of the greatest Empires that ever were in the World in all the four Quarters of the World except America had he a great part within ten years there was an end of him and not one of his posterity had one foot of it and yet he left a Son and Heir but al was carried away to others And so will al Earthly things we may struggle and strive and weary our selves in a vain shadow and when we have done no man knows for whom he have labored it may be we expose our Posterity to the greater malice envy and hatred and they wil be the sooner ruined What a pity is it that such beggerly things as these should be so looked after and Faith so little thought of I in the Second place It grieves me to think how many souls that are Godly and study the Scripture and attend upon the Word yet they rather study nice controversies and things that gender strife and help it may be to maintain a Party on this side or the other side and this great comprehensive Duty of living to Christ and living by Faith preached by many studied by few little regarded these are common Dunstable Truths that the old Puritans did preach a long time ago but we have a more Seraphick vein and Spirit and so God suffers us to be gulled of our Religion which is the sweetest Portion that can be enjoyed in the world we make it a matter of brangling and little comes of it either to the Honor of God or Comfort of our souls And upon such thoughts as these while the Lord shews me that mercy that I may preach any thing unto you I would fain acquaint Gods People with these things that they may know wherein their life lies and how they may lead it to the glory of God and comfort of their own souls I presumed upon your Patience if God please to lay these things to your hearts it wil not offend I hope FINIS Doct. 1. Doct. 2. Doct. 1. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. Quest. Answ. Vse 2. Vse 3. At Mary Magdalens Milkstreet Octob. 30. 1653. Doct. 2. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. Vse 2. Quest. Answ. At Mary le Bow Octob. 30. 1653. afternoon Vse 3. Object Answ. Vse 4. Object Answ.