from the next of supplications because prayer or supplication is one special grace of the Spirit which if wee take the first the Spirit of Grace that is so called because it begets grace then the latter viz. Supplications which is one special grace begotten by the Spirit in the hearts of Saints is included in it unless we shall take the first of grace for the habits of grace which are first wrought in the Soule by the Spirit and the latter or Supplications for the actings of those graces one Spiritual work wherein much grace is exercised being put for the exercise of all grace 4 When hee pours this though it bee out of the text yet it is a necessary question and it is answered in the fore-going verse where the time in which God will doe this is called that day It is a phrase which is much used in the Prophets no lesse than forty times as I take it in Isaiah and near twenty in this Prophet and it is called that day for eminency sake because this time when it shall come it shall be a very eminent and remarkable time such a time for peace joy plenty and prosperity glory and liberty to the Saints and bondage and captivity to the enemies of Gods people as the World never saw and therefore it is called that day 1 Noting an eminent glorious day farre excelling all daies that ever had gone before it and when it is called a day we are not to understand it a Natural day i. e. consisting of twenty four hours nor of an ordinary Prophetical day that is a day for a year but of an extraordinary day such a day as Peter speaks of 2 Epist 3. One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day Now the time which is set forth in Scripture by this phrase of speech that day is sometimes taken for a larger sometimes for a stricter time sometimes it is taken so strictly that it may containe not much more time if so much as a meer Natural day and so we have the day of that great Battel of Armageddon often called where it is spoken of that day Rev. 16.14 and Ioel 3. and other places sometimes it is taken strictly but not so strictly and then it is put for the whole time of Christs Kingdome here on earth from the time that he sets up his Kingdome to the end and this is so frequently spoken of in the Prophets that I need name no place only I will turne you to one because not farre from the text Zach. 14.6 7 8 9. And it shall come to passe in that day that the light shall not be clear nor dark But it shall be one day which shall bee known to the Lord not day nor night but it shall come to passe that at evening time it shall be light and it shall be in that day that living waters shall goe out from Jerusalem halfe of them toward the former Sea and half of them toward the hinder Sea in summer and in winter shall it be and the Lord shall be King over all the earth in that day shall there bee one Lord and his name one Here we have Christs Kingdome set up and the whole time of it is but one day and that one day is all along called that day sometimes it is taken more largely not only for the time of Christs Kingdome after hee sets the same up but for the last dayes also the dayes immediately before that time wherein many glorious things as the spreading of the Gospel the ruine of Antichrist and the call of the Iewes which if it be not before yet it shall be just upon Christs setting up of his Kingdome and so may have reference to the time before or after the last dayes or the time of Christs Kingdome and in this sense it is here to be taken as I conceive for the time just upon Christs setting up his Kingdome when Gods peoples enemies shall be ruined the Iewes called and mourn as here we read of 2 A glorious effect following this effusion or pouring forth of the Spirit which is twofold 1 Upon the Senses They shall look upon mee whom they have peirced which words litterally are spoken of the Iewes who at the time of their Call shall behold that Jesus Christ whom their Nation have peirced Spiritually it is true of all Beleevers looking upon that Christ by faith whom their sins have peirced 2 Upon the Affections They shall mourn which mourning is set forth by the greatnesse of it it shall be such a mourning as when a man mourns for his only Son no grief or sorrow goes so near as grief for losse of an only Childe Ah! will a man say had I lost of my estate it would never have troubled mee but it is my Son my only Son I have never another and then it shall be bitternesse you know the nature of bitter things things which are bitter the taste of them will remaine a great while it sticks by a man but now bitternesse that is more and denotes a higher degree than bitter as the abstract is more than the concret so that this expression shewes that it shall bee an exceeding great mourning and that so too as it shall stick by them it shall not lightly passe off their spirits and glide away and so be forgotten and there is no more of it as other sorrow doth but it shall bee an exceeding great and a remaining mourning of which more is spoken in the next verses The words thus opened yeeld us several useful observations Obs 1. That the pouring out of the Spirit upon any soul is the proper and peculiar work of God it is not Men nor means nor Ordinances that can effect this but God alone and therefore it is still attributed to him Ioel 2.28 And it shall come to passe afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh c. Isa 32.15 until the Spirit bee poured upon us from on high c. Christ himself as a Man had the Spirit poured upon him by the Father Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my Spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles How many poor Souls are there that have good education godly friends and Parents sit under means and Ordinances and yet are strangers to the Spirit many there are who all the year long come hither and hear the Word and there is no change in them they were Drunkards Swearers c. at the beginning of the year and so they are still God hath not poured down of his Spirit upon them O poor Souls would you ever have the Spirit begge it of God Obs 2. In the last dayes the pouring out of the Spirit shall be very general on the house of David inhabitants of Ierusalem high and low Ioel saith all flesh chap. 2. end Sons Daughters Young men Old men In the
done of such who having transgressed against any of the aforesaid commands would have attonement made for them and their sin forgiven them joyning herewithall repentance for their offence and reformation of it Under these two Heads viz. the blessings of the Old Covenant and the grace of it is comprehended the whole of the Old Covenant and therefore I shall treat of each severally Concerning both which I may say as the Apostle when he was about to treat of the Melchisedaical Priesthood Of which we have many things to say and hard to be uttered First for the Blessings of the Old Covenant they were of two sorts 1 Blessings outward and Temporal 2 Blessings Spiritual and Eternal but both upon condition First for those Blessings that were outward and temporary they were also of two sorts either First Blessings more common by which I understand such Blessings as though Israel with whom this Old Covenant was made did enjoy them by vertue of the Old Covenant yet were they not peculiar to the Children of the Old Covenant for even others besides them did oftentimes enjoy them by vertue of common providence As they were Blessings given by Covenant they were peculiar to them but as Blessings they were common and of such a nature that others who stood not under this Old Covenant as they did did yet notwithstanding through the meer bounty of common providence oftentimes partake of them Now these were 1 Long life in the Land of Canaan This was given upon condition of obedience and therefore wheresoever we have it promised the condition of obedience is also annexed Exod. 20.12 Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may bee prolonged in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee i. e. in so doing thou â—ait have long life in Canaan Deut. 5.33 33. Yee shall observe to doe therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you you shall not turne aside to the right hand or to the left you shall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you that yee may live and that it may bee well with you and that yee may prolong your dayes in the Land which yee shall possesse chap. 11.8 9. Therefore shall yee keep all the Commandements which I command you this day that yee may bee strong and goe in to possesse the Land whither yee goe to possesse it and that yee may prolong your dayes in the Land c. vers 21. That your dayes may bee multiplied and the dayes of your children in the Land which the Lord sware unto your Fathers to give them as the dayes of heaven upon the earth Chap. 25. 15. chap. 30.20 chap. 32.47 Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie among you this day which yee shall command your children to observe to doe all the words of this law for it is not a vaine thing for you because it is your life and through this thing yee shall prolong your dayes in the Land which yee goe over Jordan to possesse This Blessing was forfeited upon their disobedience Deut. 4.25 26. When thou shalt beget children and childrens children and shalt have remained long in the Land and shall corrupt your selves and make a graven Image or the likenesse of any thing and shall doe evil in the sight of the Lord thy God to provoke him to anger I call heaven and earth to witnesse against you this day that yee shall soone utterly perish from off the land whereunto to yee goe over Jordan to possesse it yee shall not prolong your dayes upon it but shall utterly bee destroyed Hence also on the contrary wee have those phrases Yee shall dye the man that doth so and so shall surely dye so frequently denounced in the Bookes of Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy against the disobedient which we are not to understand of death eternal because a man might make forfeiture of his life through breach of this outward Covenant as did Moses and Aaron and many others of those who fell in the Wildernesse and yet be a person saved from Wrath eternal nor are we alwayes and in all cases to understand it of Death as a punishment inflicted by the Civil Magistrate upon Offenders deserving it but we are to understand the phrase the man doing thus and thus shall dye very frequently if not most frequently of Death inflicted by the hand of God for breach of that Covenant which kept and observed would cause that their dayes should be prolonged but broken and violated did cut them short 2 Multiplying of them as a Nation Deut. 6.3 Hear therefore O Israel and observe to doe it that it may bee well with thee and that yee may encrease mightily c. chap. 8.1 All the Commandements which I command thee this day shall yee observe to doe that yee may live and multiply c. Deut. 30.16 I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God to walk in his wayes and to keep his Commandoments and his Statutes and his Judgements that thou mayest live and multiply c. So chap. 11.21 Chap. 13.17 with others Now as this promise of multiplication was conditional upon condition of their keeping the Covenant so no sooner did they breake Covenant but presently they fell under the contrary Curse Deut. 28. vers 15. compared with 62. But it shall come to passe if thou wilt not hearken to the voyce of the Lord thy God to observe to doe all his Commandements c. yee shall bee left few in number whereas yee were as the stars of Heaven for multitude because thou wouldest not obey the voyce of the Lord thy God So Chapter 4. vers 27. 3 Advancing them above all other Nations yet still upon condition of their obedience Deut. 28.1 And it shall come to passe if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voyce of the Lord thy God to observe and to doe all his Commandements which I command thee this day that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all the Nations of the earth vers 13. And the Lord will make thee the head and not the tayl and thou shalt bee above only and shalt not be beneath if that thou hearken unto the Commandements of the Lord thy God which I commanded this day to observe and doe them So chap. 26.19 Hence whensoever they became disobedient immediatly they did forfeit this mercy and came under the contrary curse Deut. 28.15 But it shall come to passe if thou wilt not hearken to the voyce of the Lord thy God to observe to doe all his Commandements c. What then see vers 37.43 44. Thou shalt become an astonishment a proverb and a by-word among all Nations whither the Lord shall lead thee the stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high and thou shalt come downe very low hee shall lend to thee and thou shalt not lend to him hee shall bee the head and thou shalt bee the tayl They are
against them c. but when we have done so to submit to his will who will have them remaine in us this I say is the way to come up to it the looking to Christs victory over them It is granted that the sight of Corruptions yet stirring in the soul is matter of very bitter mourning but not of despairing he that comes into the Field and seeth an Army of Enemies if some bee slaine some breathing out their last some bleeding c. hath not cause to despair though to mourn so here 5 In the Gospel we have a sight of Christ as engaged by way of standing Office to look to the keeping peace between God and his Children 1 Joh. 2.2 6 We have a discovery of the Saints being seized of all the riches of heaven and earth by being seized of Christ the great Gift of God and Gospel blessing Ephes 1.3 Hee that hath given us his Son how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8 3â— and they have Gods Bond for performance yea all things put into their best Friends hand for them He is head over all things for them Ephes 1.22 that they may look over all things and persons in heaven and earth with comfort so long as Gods security is good Christ remaines Lord of all things they shall never want what is good for them here nor misse of glory hereafter Psal 84. Hee shall give grace and glory The love of Christ in his blessed Gospel which this choyse Servant of the Lord had tasted abundantly of and the Spirit of Christ who doth take of Christs and shew it to his Saints and so glorifie Christ had made so great an impression on him that as a dear friend of the heavenly Bridegroome he was carried out exceedingly with Saul when converted Lord what wilt thou have me to doe and did much in drawing poor Sinners to Christ whereof there is good proof where hee lived and also in labouring to unite Saints and furthermore in studying and holding forth the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus not only in his Churches but over the Nations This being the designe of Christ at this day to possesse his owne right to take to himself his great Power and Reign to cause the Kingdoms of this World to become his owne Rev. 11.15.18 to set up in them his owne Administrations and Lawes instead of those Heathenish and Antichristian Laws c. that have been and are yet in a great measure in the Nations and appoint his owne Officers over them It is dangerous to hinder it in the least you know what a rebuke Peter met with from Christ when hee would speaking according to Carnal reason have hindred the present work and designe our Lord Jesus was about Get thee behind me Satan thou savourest not the things that be of God but the things that be of men How sad a thing is it then when the Lord doth so rebuke us as at this day speaking very plainly and knocking aloud at our door by various Judgements by extraordinary Droughts and immediately upon the removal of them by general Sickness all the Land over by taking away many precious Saints from among us in this Nation of late c. his hand being yet stretched out that notwithstanding all these things when the Lord doth hearken and hear there is not a returne to him that smiteth but a revolting more and more in all sorts of persons from the highest to the lowest a going back againe by those very steps the Lord in a more than ordinary way brought us up to in this poor Nation appearing for us while wee were following him in some measure of sincerity and singleness of heart with such successes as made the very Heathen and Anti-christian World about us astonished I say a going back by those very steps we had gained towards Aegypt again c. Instead of following the Lord fully as Caleb and Joshua did behold a consulting with flesh and bloud and humane wisdome more than with the Word of God let us mourn before the Lord for these things and labour to live by faith and prepare for further sufferings And in order hereto with plaineness of heart read these things and read with an intention that they may bee read upon your conversation The Author writ and preached and walked the truth look not after Notions so much as the power of the truth which the Lord give thee and all of us grace to doe Peasen Hall 29th of the 9th Month. 1657. John Manning To the Reader Reader IT is an Argument of unspeakable favour and matchlesse condescention that the God of glory would vouchsafe to enter into the band of a Covenant with any of the Race of sorry Man and therefore the clearing up the Nature of the New Covenant made with Beleevers in Christ which is a great designe of one of these Treatises must needs be of choyse advantage to the Saints As estrangement from the Covenant is a depth of misery Ephes 2.12 so a special experimental acquaintance with it is a height of happiness When the Ark a signe of the Covenant was taken it was said of old The glory is departed from Israel but when men have this Ark of the Covenant with them there are the approachings of the greatest glory to them He that is owned within the verge of the Covenant hath an everlasting hold of God himself to such a Soul it may bee said thy God thy glory Tossed tempted Souls may finde support and succour here fainting sinking Souls reviving drooping dejected Soules refreshment yea when they have drawne and suckt the largest draughts out of these brests of Consolation yet they are still as full as ever It addeth abundance of sweetnesse to any even the lowest or least injoyments if they can bee discerned to have their conveyance in the way of the New Covenant to him that hath them yea a froward disquieted discontented heart will bee sweetly bowed into a submission unto the Will of God in the worst conditions if it can but descry the face of a reconciled God through a free promise therein And to help forward submission to the Will of God which another of these Treatises calleth for give us leave to adde a few words by way of direction 1 Keep a fixed eye upon God under the sharpest Dispensations if thou eyest the Rod more than the hand that useth it thou wilt manifest thy self a froward Childe under the gentlest fatherly Chastisements but if thy eye be ehiefly upon a Divine hand which smiteth thou wilt more quietly stoop unto it when it carrieth with it the greatest shew of enmity Good old Eli when such sad newes was sent unto him as should make the ears of all that heard of it tingle yet he keeping his eye upon God 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord hee freely submitteth Let him doe what seemeth him good 2 Keep affections unto Christ very high and to Creatures very low heart engagements
of by others The case is still the same The solution is that I am to walke in that way do that thing in doing which my action shall become most beautiful and bee best reported of by others This therefore is the application of our Rule that when I stand betwixt two such things as the case supposeth if there bee good report following mee if I move this way but evill if I move in that then am I to shun that way and move in this Thus much for General Rules But here again that wee may not intangle conscience and bring it into bonds whilst wee would set it free minde it That wee are in making up our judgement to look as well at the action in it self as at the comely aspect and report made thereof by others because the viciousness of men is such that thereby an evill action hath sometimes a good name and is set forth in a good dresse and a good unblameable action an evill name and set forth in a deformed dresse As therefore an action when it is apparently evill may not bee ventured upon because it hath a good report and comely dresse so on the other side an action which is apparently good and justifiable may not bee shunned because of an evill report or ill-favoured dresse For mark it there are two wayes by which that thing which simply considered is good may have an ill report and an unhandsome dresse put upon it 1 Through the common abuse of that thing by such as meddle in it and with it in the work of Christ As for instance Suppose a man moves out of one station into another or one place into another and this his moving as the case may bee stands with his outward advantage also as well as with his work because most men that thus move have carnall ends and designes in so doing aiming more at serving themselves than Christ Hence it comes to passe that there is an ill report and an ill favoured dresse commonly put upon the thing it self yet may the action notwithstanding bee good and such as a man may have a clear call from God to do it 2 Through forged accusation that may bee laid against this or that thing As for instance Suppose a company of Saints meet together often at such a house to pray a shameful report as it hath been so with the meetings of Saints in time past goes about the Country as touching this meeting Shall I therefore suppose I now stood between these two things either to go to my calling or such a meeting and I may without breach of any particular and positive precept do either For though I am commanded to frequent the assembling of Saints yet no command binds mee up as to this or that time I say in such a case shall I say to my selfe there goes an ill report abroad of that meeting therefore I will go to my calling no why because though there is an ill report of the thing yet the thing in it selfe is a thing good lovely and commendable But now when the case is such that I stand betwixt two things that are not by any particular Rule in the word determined to bee good or evill in themselves I am then to minde this General rule of good and bad report and thereby to chuse or refuse As for example for a Professor when his business calls him into an Alehouse c. which a man upon his necessary occasions sometimes must do the word hath no where determined how long hee should stay there as that its lawfull to stay so long but sinful if longer this the word saith nothing to therefore the thing is not in case hee abuse not himselfe there by any particular Rule good or evill But now because it is of an ill report for a Professor especially when perhaps hee hath little to do there to sit two or three houres in an Alehouse therefore by this General rule his act is evill and hee is to avoid such a thing Put case I do clearly see the will of God in a thing but there are great difficulties in the way by which I finde my self disheartned from going up to that thing which I am convinced is Gods will How shall I in this case bring up my will to Gods Answ It is most certain where Gods will is clear wee are to venture all to get up to it but the Question is how when discouraging difficulties lye in our way our wills may bee brought to make this venture Take these few Rules for answer 1 Consult more what thy duty is than what the difficulty is So did Abraham Gen. 12.1 2 3. Now the Lord said unto Abram Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred and from thy Fathers house unto a land that I will shew thee and I will make of thee a great Nation and I will bless thee and make thy name great and thou shalt bee a blessing and I will bless them that bless thee and curse him that curseth thee and in thee shall all families of the earth bee blessed So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him and Lot went with him and Abram was seventy five years old when hee departed out of Haran And Paul Gal. 1.16 17. To reveal his Son in mee that I might preach him among the Heathen immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were Apostles before mee but I went into Arabia 2 Cast away all that of the difficulty which is but supposed We suppose when we are called to a duty ten times as many difficulties as there are How many supposed difficulties did Moses set before himself when God was sending him into Egypt yet when hee comes there hee meets with never a one of them according as hee imagined Did wee but throw away all our supposed difficulties which perhaps when it comes to we shall never meet with and take up such onely as are real the burden of difficulties would not bee half so heavy as ordinarily it is 3 Convert thy discouragement into an incouragement Thy difficulties before thee are thy discouragement why now convert them into an incouragement thus say to thy self Surely in yonder thing is either some great mercy for mee or some great work for mee to do that there are so many difficulties in the way Temptations and difficulties are the constant attendants of opportunities of mercy or of doing service 1 Cor. 16.9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto mee and there are many adversaries 2 Cor. 2.12 Furthermore when I came to Troas to preach Christs Gospel and a door was opened to mee of the Lord. 4. Consider that the quitting Gods way and will to shift difficulties is the very way to plunge thy self into the depth of difficulties Jonah is brought into the uttermost danger whilst to shun danger hee flyes from the Will of God 5 Make not the difficulty whatsoever it bee
of his care and love towards his sheep expressed in his knowing owning of them preserving them bringing them to his fold and laying down his life for them concludes all with this This commandement have I received of my Father As if hee should say It is my Fathers Commandement that I should take care of own my sheep bring them into the fold dye for them Now this will and command of the Father it cannot but have special influence upon Jesus Christ to make him willing to save sinners especially it we do but consider two things 1 That this command of the Father it was a special command given to Christ as hee was Mediator or as he was our second Adam As the first Adam had one special command over and above the Moral Law which was written in his heart in his first Creation viz. of not eating the forbidden fruit which was given him as godly men speak over and besides all the ten Commandements to bee a trial a signe or symbole of his obedience to all the rest so as that by his eating or not eating of the forbidden fruit God would judge of all his other obedience So this command of dying to save sinners it was a special Law given to Christ as second Adam over and above the Moral Law which is common to him and us to be as a sign or symbole of his obedience to all Gods other commands so that had Christ failed here God would have accounted him obedient in nothing Yea God the Father layes this upon Christ that look as hee did expect his love hee should bee mindful to perform this his command and therefore from his obedience hereunto hee comforts himself in his Fathers love that hee did love him Joh. 10.17 18. Therefore doth my Father love mee because I lay down my life that I might take it again No man taketh it from mee but I lay it down of my selfe have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again This Commandement have I received of my Father 2 That this will or command of the Father it remains and is infull force even to the last day so long as there are any poor sinners whom the Father hath given to Christ unsaved as Joh. 6.39 40. And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which hee hath given mee I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And this is the will of him that sent mee that every one which seeth the Son and beleeveth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Christ cannot quit himself of this command untill the last day till such time as hee hath brought all those souls whom the Father will have to bee saved into Heaven 2 Because not onely his Fathers command but his own interest is much ingaged in the salvation of sinners and therefore hee must needs bee willing Every one is willing with that wherein his own interest lyes 1 The interest of his honour and advancement hee should lose much of his honour should not sinners bee saved It is a dishonour to take a work in hand and not go through with it it argues either want of ability or unfaithfulness Christ hath taken the work in hand There is a twofold glory that Christ hath a Personal glory and a Mediatory glory which undoubtedly is and shall bee a very great addition to Christs personal glory of which Christ speaks Joh. 17.10 And all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them As a Prince may have a twofold glory by noble birth and noble atchievements and the latter is a great addition to the former Now though Christ should have his personal glory though sinners should never bee saved yet his glory as Mediator that should bee lost 2 Of his Pleasure Christ takes abundance of pleasure in the salvation of sinners as Prov. 8.30 31. Then was I by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoycing alwayes before him rejoycing in the habitable part of his earth and my delights were with the sons of men Joh. 4.34 Jesus saith unto them My meat is to do the will of him that sent mee and to finish his worke Luke 10.21 In that houre Jesus rejoyced in Spirit and said I thanke thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight compared with 17. and 18. verses And the seventy returned again with joy saying Lord even the Devils are subject unto us through thy Name and hee said unto them I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven Now should hee not bee willing to save them all this should bee lost 3 Of his gain this should bee lost should hee not bee willing to save sinners because Christ can put his death to no other use For a man to give much for a thing which can bee put but to one use and when hee hath it not to put it to that use but resolve the contrary is to throw his mony on the Dung-hill Now Christ can put his blood to no other use it cannot bee laid out for the use of Angels because it was a sacrifice offered up in anothers nature and not in theirs Heb. 2.16 For verily hee tooke not on him the nature of Angels but hee took on him the seed of Abraham yea the good Angels though they are confirmed by Christ yet is it not by Christ as Mediator but by Christs personal mediation Christ is head of Principalities and Powers but not as hee is Mediator so onely hee is head of the Church but as hee is the second person should Christ bee head to them as Mediator there would bee no difference betwixt Christ being a head to Angels and men And as for the bad Angels they are excluded from it so that Christs blood can bee put to no other use 4 Of his Fathers love for his Fathers love seems to bee linked to his obedience in this particular as Joh. 10.17 18. Therefore doth my Father love mee because I lay down my life that I might take it again c. This Commandement have I received of my Father These four things wherein chiefly mens interesses do lye viz. their credit honour or advancement their pleasure profit and love of friends Christ should lose all these should hee not bee willing that sinners should bee saved 3 Because the several offices of Christ would bee in a great part frustrated should not Christ bee willing to have poor sinners saved As for the Prophetical office what use would there bee of his teaching either outwardly by sending forth Messengers and Ambassadors or inwardly by his Spirit were hee not willing sinners should bee saved except it were to aggravate mens condemnation onely For the Priestly office what use would there bee of Christs
remedy get thy heart exercised in and taken up with spiritual things I need say no more by way of motive than to repeat over the Doctrine viz. That the way for a Saint to bee delivered from the errors and evils of the times hee lives in is to have his heart as much as may bee taken up with and his spirit exercised about high and spiritual things Yet because our hearts are so dull of hearing that a great deal said moves them but a little I shall therefore besides the Doctrine lay some few other motives before you to stir up to this to have our hearts more exercised in and taken up with spiritual things 1 Consider This is the way a special way to maintain peace in thine own soul Were a mans abode in the upper region of the aire hee should neither bee troubled with storms or cloudings because hee should bee above all So soul were thy heart and minde alwayes taken up with spiritual things in a spiritual manner wee should bee more free from stormes within more free from the cloudings of Gods face than now wee are wee should have more inward calme and Sun-shine of Gods love in a day than now perhaps wee have in a month 2 This also is the way to end divisions amongst Saints The way to cure a disease is to take away the cause What is the cause of divisions amongst Saints but the not exercising of our hearts about spiritual things The root of our divisions is our carnality 1 Cor. 3.3 4. For yee are yet carnal For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are yee not carnal and walke as men For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are yee not carnal When Christians who should bee one divide themselves and make parties one party setting themselves might and maine against the other it is a signe that they are carnal but now as Saints come to bee more spiritual and more taken up with spiritual things they come to see their own folly and childishness in these things they come to look upon and have fellowship with Saints as they are Saints as they have the Image of God upon them Christ in them The spiritual Christian loves what God loves and where God loves now God loves his own Image in all and all as they have this Image upon them Thus the spiritual Christian who is taken up with spiritual things loves and hath fellowship with Saints as they are Saints whoever they are which hee sees to bee such if there bee not some eminent blot either upon their conversations or judgements which after admonitions remaining so as that the glory of God and the honour of the Gospel calls aloud for withdrawing communion from them hee dares not but to love them own them and have fellowship with them as God doth and as hee himself hereafter in heaven shall do Now this exceedingly heals and makes up breaches amongst the Saints 3 The exercising of the heart about spiritual things is the way to dis-enamour a mans heart of the world The way to dis-enamour a man of a base and vulgar person is to have his heart enamoured with a person of great worth and excellency So the way to dis-enamour our hearts of low carnal and earthly things is to have them enamoured with high spiritual and heavenly things Paul saith Col. 3.1 If you bee risen with Christ seeke things above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Christs sitting at the right hand of God is a motive to us to seek things above as if hee should say Would you have your hearts spiritual bee much in cogitation of this Christ is above hee is at the right hand of God and say What is my head above my husband above my Saviour my all above and shall I minde things here below O Christians were you busied in spiritual things you would bee lesse busie with the world Were your hearts and thoughts more taken up about your union with Christ your justification your inheritance you are called to c. you would not root in the world as yee doe Moles root themselves in the earth but Birds do not because they flye aloft they are much above and take no delight to root in the earth Bee as the Bird but not as the Mole Christians 4 The exercising of the heart about spiritual things begets a sweet disposednesse of spirit both to in and after every duty It disposeth the heart to a duty such a heart is in a frame to pray at any time to speak a spiritual word at any time when hee sees a call thereto other Christians they have a heart to a spiritual work to day it may bee but finde not a heart for a week together at another time When they are to go to a duty they have a great deal ado to get their hearts up to what they are going about their hearts are in the world in their profits and pleasures and as their duty calls on one hand these call on the other and not without much ado do they bring their hearts from these to their duty whereas this heart that is taken up with spiritual things is ready for the duty when ever it calls And as to a duty so also it doth sweetly dispose the heart in a duty It is said of Mr. Bradford that hee never came off from a duty without enjoying somewhat of God therein A spiritual heart injoyes more of God many times in one duty than another doth in twenty And so after a duty a spiritual heart walks sweetly and bravely after a duty You shall have others come and get up a little comfort in a duty and when they have got a little comfort they will walk basely they will run themselves head and ears into the world untill they have quite lost all that comfort and communion that they had with God in the duty But now a spiritual heart if yours and mine were such after hee hath been at a duty and met with God there his conversation is like Moses face when hee came off the Mount it shines his behaviour speeches actions his carriage towards Saints and sinners shines there is a lustre a beauty a glory upon them as it was said of Peter and John seeing their boldness and undauntedness and considering they were unlearned and ignorant men they took notice of them that they had been with Jesus So the carriage and words and behaviour of a spiritual heart after hee comes off from a duty where hee hath met with God is such that by speaking with him and hearing of him you may say there is a man a woman that hath been with Jesus hee walks hee talks as one that hath met with Jesus 5 By exercising the heart about spiritual things a man shall be brought up to a blessed composednesse and stayednesse of heart upon God in all the alterations changes and turnes of things here below turnes in the