spiritual capacities but for drops of grace Christ is disposed to give grace as a river it s too little to seek corn wine oyl from God he is more willing to give great things then small things to ask a feather a penny from a mighty Prince when he saith Ask what thou wilt to the half of my Kingdom and it shal be granted to thee is the undervaluing of the greatnesse of his Royal magnificence Ask what ye wil saith Christ of my Father in my name and it shall be granted Mens desires run upon removall of the Sword Peace Protection Plenty Traffiquing peaceable Seas Liberties of Parliament Subjects Peers Cities Little are mens desires improved in seeking Christ to dwel in the land and that the Temple of the Lord be builded all these suits are below both the goodnesse of the Lord and spirituall capacity of sanctified affections And God giveth to Carnall men that which their soul lusteth after but in his wrath SERMON XXVII Mar. 7.30 And when she was come to her house she found the Devil gone out and her daughter laid upon the bed BEcause I hast to an end and shall not now refute the dream of Papists from this collecting the lawfulnesse of their bastard confirmation and of confirming children by the unhallowed blessing of the Prelate only observe the case of the child Mark saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cast in a violent manner in a bed for this is not to be a bed of rest and security as some Papists collect but to expresse how violent Satan is in his last farewell as when he is to be cast out Mark 9.20 When the possessed childe is brought to Jesus and when he saw him straightway the spirit tare him and he fell on the ground and wallowed foaming The Devil and the unclean spirits are not thrown out of a person or Land but they must rage and foam 1. The Lord saith Zach. 13.2 I will cut off the names of Idols out of the land and they shal be no more remembred and I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirits to passe out of the land But this cannot be done but with great violence vers 3. The father and the mother shall thrust through with a sword the false Prophet even their own son ere he be put out of the land The Devil will not be removed without blood sweating and great violence when the unclean spirits of men given to curious Arts and the Idoll Diana is preached down in Ephesus Acts 19.18 That whole great City was full of wrath and they cry out Great is Diana of the Ephesians 19. And the whole City was filled with confusion When Christ cometh to the Crown and the Throne Jews and Gentiles the Kings and Rulers of the earth Herod and Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel are gathered together Act. 4.25 26 27. The word Psal. 2.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rageshu it is to make a great tumult as a furious multitude gathered together that maketh a noise as the noise of a troubled sea therefore some not without reason say the sons of Zebedeus are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benairegesci Sons of Thunder Luke Acts 2. useth the word after the 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which Budeus expoundeth of fierce and wilde horse and certainlie Christ is Crowned upon Mount Zion with garments rowled in blood this is a spoiling of and a triumphing over principalities and powers Christ dyed the black Crosse with red blood when he performed this noble act of Redemption Col. 2.14 15. So when Christ entreth in any soul to dwell there he must first binde the Devil And then spoyle his house Mat 12.29 What wonder is it that multitudes of heresies and sects and many blasphemous and false ways arise now when the Lord is to build up Sion Satan when Christ is to saile and his Kingdom a coming Kingdom as we pray raiseth up storms and winds in the broad Lake of Brimstone to drown the Church of God Christ hath not fair weather when he goeth to Sea Mat. 8.23 24. Yet his journey is lawfull When Christ is upon Acts of his Priesthood and standeth at the great high Altar with his Censer of gold to offer up the prayers of the Saints to God he casteth fire with the same Censer down upon the earth and there be then Thundrings Lightnings and Earthquakes and hence followeth terrible judgements upon the earth as hail fire mingled with blood and a mountain burning with fire and the third part of the Sea becomes blood and a clear burning star like a Lampe called Worm-wood making the third part of the Waters bitter doth fall from Heaven which is as much as when Christ is upon Acts of mercy toward his people pestilent Heresies of the Popish Clergy and others darkneth the third part of the Sun and Moon that is of the light of the Gospel Rev. 8.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. Even as when our Lord Jesus standeth to intercede for the people and to pray for fallen Ierusalem which is as a firebrand plukt out of the fire Satan standeth at his right hand his working hand to hinder him Zach. 2.1.2.3 2. This resolveth to many their state Many are free of the Devil I thank God saith one I know not Satan nor any of his works I have peace Satan did never tare me nor cause me to fall to the earth nor doth he torment me But this is a fearful condition 1. It is an Argument of a false peace When the strong man is within the house is in peace not to be tempted of the Devil is the greatest temptation out of Hell and if there be any choise of Devils a raging and a roaring Devil is better then the calme and sleeping Devill when the Devil is within he sleepeth and is silent and the house or soul he is in is silent and there is a Covenant with death and Hell Isa. 28.15 Now Hell keepeth true to a naturall man for a time Cessation of Armes between the soul and Satan is security for a time but it s not peace The Devils warre is better then the Devils peace Carnall hypocrisie is a dumbe and silent thing but its terrible to be carried to Hell without any noise of feet The wheels of Satans chariot are oiled with carnall rest and they go without ratling and noise the Devil carrieth few to hell with shouting and crying suspect dumb holines when the Dog is kept out of doors he howles to be in again the Covenant of Satan to Eve sin and you shall not die standeth with all men by nature till Jesus Christ break peace between us and Satan 2. Contraries meeting such as hot and dry fire and cold and moist water they conflict one with another and where Satan findeth a sanctified heart he tempteth with much importunity as at one time Christ findeth three mighty temptations and he departeth from him onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Christ the fountain of Heaven and though ye should know Moses David Paul in glory you shall be so taken with beholding the face of the Lamb for evermore in an immediate vision that you find no â—easure to look over your shoulder to Moses or any other For the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it it must be sweeter when the sweet immediate hand of Jesus Christ shal pluk the soul-delighting Roses of the high Garden and hold them to your senses with an immediate touch so as you shall see behold smell and touch his hand with the rose and when he shall put immediately in your mouth the Apples of the Tree of life and the King himself shal make himself as it were your Cup-bearer for there shall be neither need of Pastor Prophet or of any Christian brother but only Christ himself to hold to your head A Cup of the water of life Rev. 22.1 2. And he shewed me a pure River of water of life clear as Christal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb be shewed me which He The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb c. 2â— 22. He that talked with me who had a golden reed to measure the City v. 15. v. 10. He who carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and shewed me the great City the holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God no created Angel could shew to John The Bride the Lambs Wife and what is that He shewed me He made me see Is that but a naked cast of the eye or a speculation No it is more He himself who only reveals all the secrets of God And measures the Temple with a golden Reed He only gave me a drink of the water of life immediatly for to see in the holy language is to injoy Heb. 12.14 Rev. 22.4 Jer. 17.6 Psal. 34.12 Iob 19.26 And then he shewed me must be this in good sense He He the increated King himself made me or caused me to injoy Messengers carry love-Letters now there 's no need of love-Letters betweene the Lord Jesus and the Bride the Lambs wife in this condition certain it is a draught of such water at the Wel-head must be sweetest Then immediate comforts in a heavy condition must be sweetest also as in heavy desertions Word Ministery Pastors Prayer and Ordinances cannot raise up the Spirit What doth the Lord else speak in this No lesse then that mediation of means is but mediation of means and Christ is Christ means in a soul sicknesse yea Apostles Angels Watchmen fail But Christ himself with his immediate action faileth not Cant. 3.1.2.3 vers 4. Joh. 20.8.9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17 Christ himself immediately by himself will do in a moment that which all means all Ordinances all sweatings all indeavours cannot do I do not now cry down means and extol immediate inspirations the latter I deny not in some cases but I only compare means and Christ and is not this an experience of some who are broght to the Margin and black borders of Hel and dispairing all Creature comforts having failed them and they having received the Sentence of the second death yet Christ cometh with an immediate glimpse like a fire flaught in the air which letteth the lost and bewildered Traveller in an extream dark night see a lodging at hand whereas otherwise he should have fallen in a pit and lost himself and in a moment in the twinkling of an eye the Lord having rebuked the winds and the stormy Tempests in the soul there is a calm and peace Ps. 31.22 Jona 2.4 Christ is speedy and swift as a Roe his leap is but a stride over a whole mountain at once over many mountains hils Can. 2.8 Especially in his immediats when he coÌ„forts by himself he then maketh no use of a deputy-Sun to shine or of borrowed light the Sun himself riseth with his own immediate salvation and his own immediate wings and we see it was Christs immediate love yea comfort because immediate carrieth with it the heat and smel of Christs own hand it hath the immediate warmnesse of Christs bosom-consolation it was an act of tender mercy that came hot and smoking from the heart of Christ the immediate coal of love smelling of the perfume of the hearth it came last from and that was heaven and the bowels of Christ waters carried from a precious fountain in a vessel many hundred miles are not so sweet as at the well head because they are separated from the fountain they lose much of their vertue sometimes it is so long since the Rose was plucked that the colour and smell which it had while it grew on its own stalk is quite gone Look how inferiour Art which is but medicine for sick nature is to nature in its beauty and strength as painted Physick can neither purge nor cure so far are all means and Ordinances being but the deputies of Christ below Christ himself What is Paul What is Apollo Put all the Prophets all the Apostles all the Patriarchs all the chiefest of Saints in one floor I confesse they should cast forth an excellent smell like the utter borders of the garden of the high Paradise but all their excellency should be mediate excellency and but somewhat of Christ but alas as low as very nothing to Christ as the smallest drop of dew that sense can apprehend to ten thousand worlds of seas fountains floods We defraud our spirits of much sweetnesse because we go no further in our desires then to creature-excellency we rest on mediate comforts because mediate painted things do work but objectively only a painted meadow casteth no smell a painted tree bringeth forth no Apples the comforts and sweetnesse of the creatures have somewhat of paintry in them in comparison of Jesus Christ all reality and truth of excellency is in him and we know God marreth the borrowed influence of means Armies Parliaments Learning and all miscarry Therefore there was never a Reformation nor a great work wrought on earth but Omnipotency put forth many immediate Acts in it The Lord would not be beholding to Moses he himself divided the red Sea he would not ingage himself to fountains and vine trees but he gave them water out of the Rock he would not borrow from the earth and sowing reaping and plowing bread for his peoples food he would give them the bread of Angels from heaven immediately he would have no Engines at the taking of Jericho the blowing of Rams horns was a signe not a cause God immediately cast down the walls he would not have a sword drawn nor a drop of blood shed in the peoples return from Babylon but the Lord putteth an immediate impulsion upon the Spirit of Cyrus as if he had been in a dead sleep and he being awaked by God only sendeth the people away and the Temple must be builded again But how Neither by King nor Parliament nor Armies
sins so as uncleannesse is but a generall Epithet of all the Devils I professe my ignorance how ever all devils have this general name unclean spirits because of their spirituall uncleannesse It s certain Devils are 1. Black now they being fallen in a smoky Hell and kept under the power and chains of darknesse they are but lumps of black Hell and darknesse whereas they are created fair Angels 1. Truth is the fairest thing that is obedience to God is truth Ioh. 3.21 Sin is the most ugly and deformed thing in the world and therefore sinners can have no communion with God while they be washed 2. Devils were once pure and clean spirits their understandings were made clear to see God and his beauty now these fair spirits are darkned for their fellow-Angels who sinned not are yet Seraphims and Lamps of light and these Angels saith Christ Mat. 18.10 Do alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven Then the more Grace of Christ the more clearnesse of saving knowledge and sound reason Grace maketh more solid wisdom then Art or Learning by this David excelled all his Teachers and the Ancient ones In Satans fools the right principle of wisdom is extinguished the Prophet spake it of States-men or rather State fools Jer. 8.9 Lo they have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdome is in them As there be pollutions of the flesh so are there pollutions of the minde and spirit 2 Tim. 3.8 Men of corrupt minde are men of rotten mindes false opinions of God are rottennesse in the understanding 1 Tim. 1.7 The spirit of a sound minde vers 13. Hold fast the form of sound words There are some words that come from a sick minde as Tit. 1.13 The Apostle holdeth forth that there be some sick of the Faith as there be some sound of the Faith Prov. 2.7 The Lord giveth sound wisdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 its Essence and being Tushija Pagnin Substantiam R. Levi reservabit rectis id quod est Ra. David saith Because wisdom and the Law of God is an abiding and as Aben Ezra saith A living thing that endureth to eternity whereas indeed humane wisdome and false opinions of God are passing-away things the lye liveth not a long age wisdom is a Tree of Life Psal 119.80 Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfect wanting nothing a fool wanteth the best part of his heart State-wisdom not lying levell to Christs ends but commensurated with carnall projects is but folly Hearing of him What had she heard that Jesus was the Son of God the Messiah of Israel and could and was willing to heal her daughter two things are here observable hearing of Christ drew her to Christ 2. It s good to border with Christ and to be near hand to him There is a necessity that we hear of Christ before we come to him This is Gods way Rom. 10. Faith cometh by hearing Christ is not in us from the womb Faith is not a flower that groweth out of such a sowre and cold ground as nature it s a stem and a birth of heaven 2. None can come to Christ except they heer a good report of him How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard Those who come aright to Christ must have noble high long deep and broad thoughts of Iesus and know the Gospel Now what is the Gospel Nothing but a good report of Christ you must hear a Gospel-report of Christ ere you come to him Ill principled thoughts of Christ keepeth many from him 1 Kin. 8.42 Strangers shall hear of thy great name and of thy strong hand Christ was to be heard by the deaf Gentiles Is. 29.18 In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book We hear and we hear not because the Lord wakeneth not the ear morning by morning that we may hear as the learned Many hear but they have not the learned ear nor the ear of such as have heard and learned of the Father Many hear of Christ a voice and no more but a voice they know not that Prophesie Isa. 30.21 Thine ears shall hear a word behinde thee saying This is the way walk ye in it There 's another vice in our hearing men do not hear that they may hear Isa. 42.18 Hear ye deaf and behold ye blinde that ye may see That is hear that ye may hear see that ye may see the Lord giveth Grace that he may give Grace and we are to receive Grace that we may receive Grace Grace is the only reward of Grace 3. We hear and we hear not we see but we have no reflect-act upon our seeing Many open their ears to Christ but they hear not they want a spirituall faculty of observing Esa. 42.20 Seeing many things but thou observest not opening the ear but he heareth not 4. Many put Christ in an ear without a bottome or in ear with a hole in its bottom we hear of Christ Heb. 2. but we are as leaking and running-out vessels Esa. 42.23 Who among you will give ear to this and hear for the time to come Physicians give their three causes of Deafnesse 1. When there 's a carnosity on the Tympanum auris the drum this is Extrinsicall the world is another lover and the care of it and that hindereth hearing 2. When the organ of hearing is hurt and distempered as a lame hand cannot apprehend now when there be false fancies principles contrary to the Gospel in the heart the ear cannot hear 3. When there is abundance of humors in the brain and they raise a noise and tumult in tympano in the drum and hinder sounds to be heard When Pride and Principles of Sensuality and vain pleasures make a noise within that neither Christ knocking nor his voice without can be heard men are deaf But why do we not hear and see Christ revealing himself in his wayes and works Reason would say If Hell and Judgement were before our eyes we should hear and come to Christ Suppose we saw with our eyes for twenty or thirty yeers together a great furnace of fire of the quantity of the whole earth and saw there Cain Judas Ahitophel Saul and all the damned as lumps of red fire and they boyling and louping for pain in a dungeon of everlasting brimstone and the black and terrible devils with long and sharp-tooth'd whips of Scorpions lashing out scourges on them and if we saw there our Neighbours Brethren Sisters yea our dear Children Wives Fathers and Mothers swimming and sinking in that black Lake and heard the yelling shouting crying of our young ones and fathers blaspheming the spotlesse Justice of God if we saw this while we are living here on Earth we should not dare to offend the Majesty of God but should hear come to Christ and believe and be saved But the truth is If we believe not Moses and the Prophets
delicious Roses Flowers Gardens Medows Forrests Seas Mountains Birds all the excellent Sons of Adam as they should have been in the world of innocency and let them all stand in their highest excellency before Jesus Christ the matchlesse and transcendent glory of that great All should turn the worlds all into pure Nothing what wonder then that this same Lord Jesus be the delight heaven of all in it Rev. 7.17 The Lamb hath his Throne in the midst thereof Rev. 22.4 And they shall see his face They do nothing else but stare gaze behold his face for ages are never satisfied with beholding suppose they could wear out their eyes at the eye-holes in beholding God they should still desire to see more To see him face to face hath a great deal more in it then is expressed words are short garments to the thing it self Your now sinfull face to his holy face your piece clay-face to his uncreated soul-delighting face is admirable We do not praise Christ and hold out his vertues to Men and Angels The creatures as the Heaven Sun Moon are Gods debtors and they owe him glory but men who have understanding and tongues are Gods Factors and Chamberlains to gather in the rent of glory and praise to God the heavens do indeed declare the glory of God Ps. 19.1 but they are but dumb Musitians they are the Harp which of it self can make no Musick the creatures borrow mans mouth and tongue to speak what they have been thinking of God and his excellency these five thousand years now all the glory of God and the glory of the creatures are made new by Christ Rev. 21.5 And made friends with God Col 1.20 and are in a speciall manner in the Mediator Christ he is Heb. 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the irradiation or brightnesse of the glory and the character or expresse image of his person All creatures by Adams sin lost their golden luster and are now vanity-sick like a woman travelling in birth Rom. 8.22 All the creatures by sin did lesse objectively glorifie God then they should have done if sin had never been in the world and so they were at a sort of variance and division with God And it pleased Col. 1.20 the Father in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make friendship between God and all things that is to confirme Angels to reconcile man to restore the creatures to be more illustrious objects of his glory now the in-come of the rents of glory is more due to Christ and the debt the greater in that Christ hath made all things new and why should we not in the name of Sun Moon Earth Heaven which are all loosed from the arrestment of vanity by Christ and in the name of Angels and of Saints redeemed hold forth the praises the glory of God in Christ Pa◠pay what you owe to Christ O all creatures but especially you redeemed ones 3. Vse If Christ the Mediator be so excellent a person we are to seek our life the Gospel-way in Christ we often conceive Legall or Law-thoughts of Christ when we conceive the Father just severe and Christ his Son to be more meek and mercifull but the Text calleth him Lord and so that same God with the Father nor hath Christ more of Law by dying to satisfie the Law nor is he more mercifull then the Father because he and the Father are one there are not two infinite wills two infinite mercies one in the Father another in the Son but one will one mercy in both and we owe alike love and honour to both though there be an order in loving God and serving him through Christ. 4. Vse Infinite love and infinite majesty concur both in Christ love and majesty in men are often contrary to one another and the one lesseneth the other In Christ the infinite God breatheth love in our flesh 1. And we see but little of Christ we know not well the Gospel-spirit we rest much on duties to go civill Saints to Heaven but the truth is there be no Morall men and Civilians in Heaven they be all deep in Christ who are there we are strangers to Christ and believing 2. The spirit of a redeemed one can hardly hate a redeemed one or be bitter against them Christ in one Saint cannot be cruell to Christ in another Saint 3. Christ cannot lose his love or cast it away the love of Christ is much for conquering hearts his chariot is bottomed and paved with love duties bottomed on Christs love are spirituall as the Father accepteth not duties but in Christ so cannot we perform them aright when the principall and fountain cause is not the love of Christ Ioh. 21.15 5. Vse The Ancient of dayes the Father of Ages taketh a stile from his new House The Son of Man he hath an old House from whence he is named The Son of God he must affect us and his delight be with the sons of men when he taketh a name from us we should affect him and affect a communion with him and strive to have Christs new name as he taketh our new name The Son of man of David Son of David have mercy on me The second Article of her prayer is conceived under the name of Mercy Why Gods mercy is a spirituall favour deliverance to her daughter is but a temporary favour that may befall a Reprobate The Devil may be cast out of the Daughters body and not out of the Mothers soul. Yea but to the Believer all temporall favours are spiritualized and watered with mercy 1. They are given as dipped in Christs bowels and mercy wrapt about the temporary favour Mar. 1.41 Jesus cured the Leper but how Jesus moved with compassion put forth his hand and touched him So is the building of the Temple given but oyled with mercies Zach. 1.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies my House shall be builded in it Epaphroditus recovered health but with it some of Gods heart and bowels also Phil. 1.27 For indeed he was sick neer to death but God had mercy on him 2. The ground of it is Gods mercy the two blinde men Mat. 20.30 put this in their Bill they cry Have mercy on us O Lord thou Son of David They will not have seeing eyes but under the notion of mercy David pained with sore sicknesse as some think or under some other rod of God desireth to be healed upon this ground Psal. 6.2 Have mercy on me O Lord for I am weak 3. Faith looketh to temporall favours as Faith with a spirituall eye as Christ and his merits goeth about them Heb. 11.22 By faith Joseph when he dyed made mention of the children of Israels departure 23. By faith Moses come to age refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter Why and that was but a civill Honour Moses his faith lookt at it in a spirituall manner 4. That same ground that
moveth God to give Christ is enough to move him to give all other things with Christ as by what right even the right of a Son a Father giveth the Inheritance to his Son by that same he giveth him food rayment protection physick there be not two Parents here but by one and the same covenant Ezech. 36.25 26. The Lord giveth to his people remission of sins and v. 30. He multiplieth the fruit of the Trees and removeth Famine In the same spirituall capacity of sons we pray that Our father would forgive us our sins and give us our daily bread Get Christ first the great ship and then all other things the cock-boat saileth after him with the same motion and wind they be not two tides and two winds that carry on the Ship and the Boat Christ injoyed by Faith traileth after him death life the world things present and things to come if God give you Christ in the same Charter all things are yours because yee are Christs and Christ Gods 1 Corinth 3.21 Christ watereth with his blessing all things if all that a Saint hath be blessed and every thing to speak so mercied and christianed even his basket his dough Deut. 28.5 His inheritance must be blessed much more all Christs inheritance must be blessed because he is the seed the Spring abstract of blessings Now Christ Heb. 1.2 is appointed the heir of all things then he is the heir of a draught of water of brown bread of a straw-bed on the earth and hard stones to be the pillow to the Saints to the children of God hell to speak so is heaven'd sorrow joyed poverty riched death inlivened dust and the grave animated and quickned with life and resurrection God save me from a draught of water without Christ peace and deliverance from the sword without Christ and the Gospel are linked and chained to the curse of God alas if men have the single creature they make no account how other things go Give us Peace upon any terms say they you may have the earth peace and the creature and the Devil to salt them to you with the curse of God Judas had the bag at his girdle but withall the Devil in his heart the creature wanteth life and blood without Christ. 2. All mercy that is graced mercy is to be sought in Iesus Christ every mercy is mercy because it s in Christ every stream is water because it s of the element of water every thing in its own element and nature is most copious water is no where so abundant as in the sea so in Christ the great treasure of heaven there is fulnesse Ioh. 1.16 but Col. 1.18 There 's a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fulnesse in Christ but 2. A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fulnesse that fulnesse that all fulnes And 3. that all fulnesse is not in Christ as a stranger in an Inne coming in and going out but it pleased the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it should dwell and remain in him The grace and mercy that is in Christ must be sought and no other upon these grounds 1. It s a speciall choice mercy that is in Christ For 1. No person could serve Gods ends in such a way as Christ did being so compleat as he is ◠God out of the deep of his wisdom found out such a Mediator and so graced Isaac should have been undutifull if he had refused a wife of his fathers choosing for both out of love and much wisdom he choosed her now when God out of infinite love and deep wisdom hath chosen to us an husband an head such a head such a Captaine and Leader in whom there is such fulnesse shall we refuse him and shall we not seek the best things in him Now Christ is a husband of Gods choosing Isa. 42.1 Behold my chosen one in whom my soul delighteth 2. It s not from God that we now receive mercy immediately but from Christ God in the Mediator though Grace and Mercy be every way free yet now mercy is a flower that groweth in our land in him who is our blood-friend so now we have mercy by nature as well as by good will we must have it by an act of the man Christs will and when our Writs are waxen old why seek we not that which God hath laid by for us Grace is more connaturall to us now in that it is in the bosome of our brother and ours by derivation 3. There 's a difference between mercy and purchased mercy it s payed for mercy that we receive and so more excellent then Angel mercy As some waters that run through mettals hath a more excellent vertue then those that spring from pure earth mercy is so much the more desirable that its a River issuing through that more then golden and precious Redeemer and so to us it s twice mercy to the Angels it s but once mercy Even as the Bee gathers sweetnesse out of various and diverse flowers yet it s so composed that the liquor resulting out of them all hath not any particular taste from the sundry flowers the Violet the Pink the Rose the Woodbine the Claver but it tastes of hony only so we all have meeting in Christ Wife Children Houses Lands honour to the Saints have not their own naturall taste but out of all there 's in them a spirituall resultance of some heavenly composure of Christs sweetnesse and are so sprinkled and dipt in Grace and Mercy that as fresh Rivers do borrow a new taste from the Sea when they flow in to its bosome so all earthly favours borrow a new smell and relish from the fountain Christ What doe they say then that teach that a man may have all Graces yea and poverty of spirit and yet want Christ As if these could be separated he that believeth hath the son Grace and Christ cannot be separated Ephesians 1.2 Galatians 1.3 Iohn 1.11 These by-ways sunder souls and the foundation Christ. SERMON X. MY daughter is grievously vexed with a Devill Children especially to mothers whose affections are more weak and soft are taking lovers especially being parts and substantiall shadows of our self yet four things are considerable in us to them 1. So to hold as we are willingly to let go love them as creatures only often the childe is the mothers daughter and the mothers God 2. We are to strive to have them freed from under the power of the Devill as this woman doth for they come into the world fuell for Hell Parents make more accompt all their life to make gold rather then grace their childrens Patrimony and Legacy 3. Look at them as May-flowres as born to come and appear for a space in the element of death so they sport laugh run eat drink and glister like Comets in the Air or flying Meteors in the Spheare of the Clouds and often go down to the grave before their Parents 4. Beware of selfinesse for
That temptations are measured by grans and scruples to the Saints there 's a seed of comfort and hope in Christs glowning and frownings he would say when the children are filled with bread first then you that are dogs shall also have your portion of the childrens bread there is a kisse and bowels of compassion under the lap of that covering and cloak of wrath with which he is covered for in wrath he remembers mercy and moderateth anger Fury is not in me Is. 27.4 2. Gospel trials and temptations are for a mercifull end that Paul may not be puffed up or as he saith 2 Cor. 12.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lest I should be like a Meteor lifted up in the air above measure 2 Corinth 1.9 But wee had the sentence of death in our selves as condemned malefactors that we should not trust in our selves 3. God will not have them above our strength but the burden and the back are proportioned 1 Cor. 10 13. It s good that we know Christ breweth or mixeth our cup he can Sugar the salt and bitter wine with mercy there is no desertion of the Saints that we read of but there 's as much of Christ in it as giveth it some taste and smell of heaven Heaven is stamped upon the hell of the Saints life is written on their death their grave and dead corps are hot and doth breath out life and glory their ashes and dust smell of immortality and resurrection to life Even when Christ is gone from the Church he leaveth a pawn or a pledge behinde him as love-sicknesse for the want of him Cant. 3. and 5. When Christ is nothing but an empty grave and he himself is away yet weeping for the want of him without care of Angels or Apostles when the beloved himself is gone is somewhat of Christ yea he sendeth before a Messenger to tell that the King himself is comming as in a great summer drouth little drops goeth before the great shower to make good report that the earth shall be refreshed 1. longings for him 2. waiting after him 3. Christ in you seeking after Christ are Messengers of heaven sent before to dresse and adorne the lodging for the Prince who is on his journey comming to thee SERMON XVII 27. And she saith truth Lord yet the whelps eat of the crums that fall from the Masters table OBserve 1. The womans witty answer by retortion in great quickness by concession of the conclusion and granting she was a Dog she borroweth the Argument taketh it from Christs mouth to prove her question She Argueth from the temptation Let me be a Dog so I be a Dog under Christs feet at his Table Wisedoms Schollers are not fools Grace is a witty and understanding Spirit ripe and sharp so it s said of Christ Isa. 11.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vatablus Odorari facit illum Forerius respirare ejus erit in timore Domini Grace has a sagacity to smell things excellently so Prov. 1.4 The wisdom of God in the Proverbs giveth subtilty to the simple Vatablus ductilibus calliditatem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Petaim à Rad. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as may easily be milked and flattered and perswaded in young ones reason sleepeth affection ruleth all and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnarma the 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quicknesse in all things and the other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendered Discretion its Thoughtfulnesse grace furnisheth the soul with quick sharp deep thoughts to know a Divel an Angel Heaven hell and that stollen waters are not sweet Heb. 5.14 They have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their spirituall senses are as wrestlers experienced or as learned Scholers in Universities acquainted with the knowledge of good and ill 2. Faith is thus pregnant as to draw saving conclusions from hard principles and to exstract the spirit of the promises Christ came to save sinners then saith Paul to save me for 1 Tim. 1.15 I am the chief of these sinners and though a temptations language be the language of hell and unbelief as thus Thou art a sinner a lost and a condemned one and therefore hast nothing to do with Christ Faith argueth the language of Heaven and the Gospell from this I am a sinner and a lost one but one of Christs sinners and one of Christs lost ones and for that same very cause I belong to Christ. 3. Faith doth here contradict the temptation and modestly refute Christ if Christ say Thou art a transgressor from the womb Ans. I confesse Lord But Christ died for transgressors 2. If he say Thou art under a curse Ans. With a distinction It s too true Lord So I am by nature But Christ was made a curse for me 3. If he say Thou hast holden me at the door I confesse Lord it is so But if Christ say I came not for thee thou art a Dog to such belongeth not Christ the bread of children you may then Answer O Lord with all reverence to thy holy Majesty It s not so I am thine thou didst come for me the bread belongeth to me When a sinner dare not dispute his actions with Christ yet he may dispute his estate The state of Son-ship is not sin and therefore we must adhere to this as Christ did when he was tempted If thou be the Son of God c. He refused to yeeld that if then Christ himself should say Thou art a Reprobate expound it as a temptation far more if Satan if conscience if the world say it you are not to acknowledge these to be Heralds sent to proclaime Gods secrets Job would not believe his friends in this Then to be tempted to deny your son-ship and claim in Christ may be your temptation not your sin injections of coals to try may come immediately from God as well as from Satan 2. It is good say Antinomians To lay the Saints under a Covenant of works because it doth this good to make us make sure our evidences that Christ is ours yea some desire a wakened conscience that the terrors of God may chase them to Christ But 1. that is a murmuring at Gods dispensation Let Christ tutour me as he thinketh good he hath seven eyes I have but one and that too dimme 2. We are not to make sad whom God hath not made sad Eze. 13.22 Nor to make a lie of Grace Nor 3. To usurpe the Devils office to accuse a brother far lesse your self Truth Lord the Dogs Behold where humility sitteth 1. Christ cannot put humility lower it sitteth in the dust Luk. 15.19 I am not worthy to be called thy son O great Paul What is lesse then nothing and lesse then the least of all Eph. 3.8 Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a persecuter a blasphemer 1 Cor. 15.9 I am the least of the Apostles
dream so the justification of the Saints is like the free acquitting of a broken man that hath borrowed thousands and is unable to pay the cancelling of his Bill freeth him in Law from paying the sums but doth in no case make him a man that never borrowed mony nor doth it free him from that inherent blot of unjustice in regard of which he is a broken man who hath wasted his neighbours goods but perfected sanctification expelleth sin in his essence being root and branch in its dominion Lordly power indwelling so that it is no more and this is like the expelling of night-darknesse out of the whole body of the Air by the presence of the Sun diffusing its beams and light from East to West and North and South I grant the habit of sanctification perfected in glory doth not make it a false proposition that such a pardoned and washed Saint never sinned for Factum infectum fieri non potest What is done can never be undone that were a speaking contradiction but it putteth the man in that State that he is as free of the indwelling of the body of sin and perfectly holy as the body of the Aire at Noon-day is free of darknesse and qualified with inherent light now Antinomians cannot endure especially Master Eaton their chiefe leader that we say that sanctification is unperfect in this life or that the indwelling of sin can consist with free justification and remission of sins in Christs blood But let us turn our eyes a little toward the wisdom of Gods free dispensation to scan the reasons why our Lord will have justified Saints to go halting to heaven 1. He can at our first conversion make us Glorified and perfected Saints but it s his wisdom to take a time and succession to perfect his Saints he took about thirty and three years on earth for the work of our Redemption and would for three dayes lodge in the grave as it were a neighbour to our Father corruption and the worm our brother and sister Job 17.14 Though he saw no corruption Psal. 16.10 He hath been dressing up the high Palace of Glory his Fathers house these sixteen hundred years if he be pleased to take moneths and years to the work of the applying of purchased Redemption whereas he might and could have done it in one instant as he created light out of darknesse with one word we are to be silent his wisedom in so doing is sufficient for us the second heaven and the new light in the redeemed soul is done by continuing acts of omnipotency the first heaven was sooner made shall it seem hard to us that our midnight and our full noon-day-light of grace are not existant in one instant together We are to wait on in patience and not to fret that we cannot at our first conversion pray out of us the indwelling body of sin and sigh out the weight and sin that doth so hardly beset us Heb. 12.1 God is wise who will have our day to break and dawn by degrees and our shadows to flee away and our Sun to arise to Noon-day-light through length of time if a creature yea the most excellent of created Angels should but sit at the helme of this great world to Rule Govern all things but for forty and eight hours the Sun should not rise in due time the wals and covering of the great building of the world should fall the Globe of the world and of the whole earth should reele to and fro and stagger like a drunken man all should go to confusion and so if we had a world of Grace of our own carving and had it in our wise choise to go from the first moment of our New-birth to heaven without sin we should lose our selves by the way and take on new debt that should require the new and fresh crucifying of the Lord of Glory we should be no better Tutors Governours and Lords to our selves then Adam and the Angels that fell The weight of a Saints Heaven and Hell upon his own clay-shoulders is a Heaven put to a great hazard or rather to a remedilesse losse I shall easily grant that its sure that my heaven be upon Christs shoulders 2. Grace worketh suitably to the nature of the Patients the Vessell would be prepared with the frequent sense of Grace before Christ powre in it the habite of Glory its fit we see and feel the shaping and sewing of every piece of the wedding garment and the framing moulding and fitting of the Crown of Glory for the head of the Citizen of Heaven yea the repeated sense and frequent experiences of Grace in the ups and downs in the way the falls and risings again of the Traveller the Revolutions and changes of the spirituall condition the new Moon the darkned Moon the full Moon in the spirits ebbing and flowing raiseth in the heart of Saints in their way to the Country a rank smell of that fairest Rose and Lillie of Sharon Jesus Christ the delight of men and Angels that as Travellers at night talk of their foul way and of the praises of their Guide and Battell being ended Souldiers number their wounds extoll the valour skill and courage of their Leader and Captain so the Glorified Souldiers may take loads of experiences of free-Grace to Heaven with them and there speak of their way and their country and of the praises of him who hath Redeemed them out of all Nations Tongues and Languages The half drowned man shaketh his head and dryeth his garments before the Sun in the Shoare with joy and comfort The impressions of the kisses of the face of him that sitteth on the Throne are the deeper that the frequent experiences of Grace have been many much dirty and dangerous way and the lively and hearty welcome of Glory suiteth well together 3. As there is much yea an exceeding weight of Glory in heaven so its convenient that the way to Heaven be strewed and covered with Roses of renewed acts of free-grace and Christs repeated expressions of new pardon one expression coming after another that since the Saints pray dayly forgive us our sins it is in the wisdom of God fitting that as Glory in heaven is one continued act of happinesse for all eternity so the Grace that maketh the old and sinfull man a new creature should be one continued act of Grace and as many streams and rivers are one water and one spring in the fountain and many lines one in the center and thousands of generations of men are but one man in the first father Adam so multiplied acts of Grace in the Saints from the first moment of their conversion to the period and first hour of their glorification are but one fountain Grace in God revealed in the Mediator Christ and there can be no reason why our first conversion should be free Grace and the perseverance of the Saints in Grace and all their steps in the way should not also
be grace Grace is not only singly in the Saints but Grace and peace must be multiplyed on them 4. The standing and prorogated intercession and advocation of Jesus Christ every day upon occasion of new committed sins 1 Joh. 2.1 2. and the golden Altar that hath been hot these 1600. yeers Rev. 8.3 4. with the fresh prayers of the Saints must have a daily use so long as Christ is in the Office of the great true and exalted high Priest now passed into the holy of Holiest and better it is that Christ act Grace again and again in heaven as we sin again and again on earth then that the act of our high Priests intercession had been all but one act on the Cross and the way to heaven was made long and falls there must be in the way to the end that I might lodge many nights and moneths by the way with my guide Christ and my expences and charges in the way might be free-Grace 5. Faith hath its work in our graduall mortification wee beleeve that Christ shall perfect what he hath begun so it was needfull that Winter and moneths of Spring and Summer go before our harvest and reaping of the fruits of the tree of life 6. Christ works in the lower kingdom as making the higher kingdom the copy and samplar of his working now it s most sutable for flowers and roses that must be transplanted to grow up in the high garden beside the tree of life and to blossome out glory for all eternity that they grow for a time in the land of Grace that they may take kindly with the soil so the lower and higher gardens of Glory and Grace differ not in nature what groweth in the one can wel grow in the other they cannot suit with the happinesse of that land except they have experienced the holinesse of continued Grace in this land and Christ maketh storms of sin to blow upon his young heirs for their Winter God keeping life at the root that they may be fitter for an eternally green flourishing Summer of Glorie and when Christ consecrated himself through many afflictions that he might be an heir suitable for Glory he being brought through fire and water hot and cold and many changes to heaven and so came to eternall happinesse through many yeers continued holinesse it was not fit that Christ who was to make heirs like his rule and samplar should bring them to glory with a leap and a step from a justified condition to a glorified estate without an intervening progresse in sanctification and holinesse Christ understandeth well the fundamentall Laws of the higher City the new Jerusalem the frame of the government of that kingdom is that none be received as free Citizens of Glory but such as have served Apprentices Minors little children under Tutors to Grace and the way of holinesse he is of too short standing who cometh hot and smoking out from his lusts a justified sinner to step immediatly into Glory and so here is a stranger welcomed to heaven from hell a childe of Satan playing at the Devils fire side yesterday or the last hour now this day this same very hour must be inrolled amongst those who walketh with the Lamb in white Some Souldiers I grant are advanced to be high Commanders Per saltum by a leap but it s for some piece of rare service to the Prince and State and its like the repenting Theef in few hours space had been in three severall Kingdoms in the state of Nature the Kingdom of Darknesse and the Kingdome of Grace and that day with Christ in Paradise But this is I conceive rare and give me leave to say Princes at their Coronation do some extraordinary acts of Grace by priviledge of the new Crown that they may hansell the new Throne with acts of Mercy Christ was now in an act of pure unmixed Grace actually and formally redeeming the lost world on the Crosse and was now this day crowned by his Mother the Church and installed King-Redeemer of Saints and therefore would hansell Paradise with a sinner by a priviledge of matchlesse Grace there is but one example of it in all the Scripture 7. The way to heaven is sweeter that it should be here Nulla dies sine Linea that every day and hour that we sin as every hour we contract new debt Christs free Grace might have its daily flux the fountain opened to the house of David daily running renewed forgiveness going along with this day our daily bread hence these noble acts of Grace 1. Every sin the least omission by Law is hell Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.10 two sins must be two hells seven sins seven hells then multiplied sins to the number of the hairs of Davids head Psal. 40.12 and not sins only but innumerable iniquities must cause the account of Christs free Grace to swell and arise to a deliverance from two from seven from innumerable hells O Grace every day every hour So then the Rebell brought nine times a day twenty times a day for the space of fourty yeers by his Princes Grace from under the ax how fair and sweet are the multiplied pardons and reprivals of Grace to speak so Here is multitudes of multiplied redemptions here is plenteous redemption I defile every hour Christ washeth I fal Grace raiseth me I come this day this morning under the reverence of Justice Grace pardoneth me and so along while Grace put me into heaven The Lambs Book of life containeth not onely the names of those who are ordained for that blessed end of eternall life but also the means leading to the end then here are written all the sins alâ—â—he pardons of free Grace since the first Adam sinned O but the Book of life must be a huge Volume O how large and broad and long must the Accompts of the Grace of Christ be 2 We are not saved compleatly because justified but Rom. 8.23 We are expectants of the Divinity of immediate vision groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption the Redemption of our body v. 24. and are saved by hope In regard of Title we are saved compleatly but in another sense we are but Lords and Kings in Title only we are far from the Lands Rents Crown and our fathers house and so are not saved while our feet stand within the streets of the new Jerusalem 3. In this consideration we sigh in our fetters and bolts and sin remaineth in us for our exercise and humiliation that we may have an habituall ingagement to Iesus Christ and his Grace that soul loveth much to whom much is forgiven and especially when in sense and frequent experiences much and multiplied backslidings are forgiven Obj. 1. But justification is one indivisible act of Grace pardoning all sins past present and to come and is not a successive and continued act in progresse alwayes such as is sanctification for we are but once justified I answer by these following Assertions Asser. 1. There is a
defile his precious sinlesse Royall and Princely blood by dipping in such a loathsome foul and deformed creature as a sinner is Rev. 1.5 Dogs eat the crums Here be degrees of persons and things in our Fathers house Children and dogs yet dogs which the Lord of the house owneth here is a high table and bread and a by-board or an after-table and crums for dogs here be persons of honour Kings sons cloathed in Scarlet and sitting with the King at dinner when his Spikenard sendeth forth a smell and here be some under the table at the feet of Christ waiting to receive the little drops of the great honey-comb of rich grace that falleth from him Follow Christ and grace shall fall from him his steps drop fatnesse especially in his Palace 1 Joh. 2.12.13.14 There be in our Lords house little children babes there be in it also experienced ancient Fathers for Grace hath gray haires for wisedom not for weaknesse there be strong men also Christ was once a little stone but he grew a great mountain that filled the whole earth yea and the heaven too Christ is a growing childe In Christs lower firmament there be stars of the first and second magnitude and in his house vessels of great and of small quantity cups and flagons Isa. 22.24 yet all are fastened upon the Golden-nail Jesus Christ. 2. All are in the way the plants all growing but one is a grain of mustard seed and a rose not broken out to the flower and another is a great tree its morning and but the glimmering of the rayes of the day-star in one and its high Sun perfect day near the noon-day with another Strong father Abraham mighty in believing was once a babe on the breasts that could neither creep nor stand nor walk The love of Christ in its first rise is a drop of dew that came out of the womb of the morning the mother in one night brought forth an hoste an innumerable millions of such babes and covered the face of the earth with them But this drop of dew groweth to a Sea that swelleth up above hell and the grave Cant. 8.6 7. It is more then all the floods and seas of the earth and floateth up to the Heaven of Heavens and up and in it must be upon Christ 1 Pet. 1.8 Ye see not Christ yet ye love him It overfloweth Christ and taketh him and ravisheth his heart It is a strong chain that bindeth Christ when the grave sin death devils could not bind him Can. 4.9 Act. 2.24 3. Christs way of administration is a growing way his Kingdom is not a standing nor a sitting nor a sleeping Kingdome But its walking and posting Thy Kingdome come An increasing Kingdom a growing peace Isa. 9.7 Of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end In regard of duration even in heaven there shall be a growing of his Kingdom There 's not yesterday and to morrow and the next year in heaven yet there 's a negative increase glory and peace shal ascend in continuance and never come to an height the Sun never decline the long day of Christs glory and peace shall never end Christ is saying even now Father I must have all my children up with me that where I am there they may be also And therefore the head draws up to him now a finger then a toe now an arm then a leg he hath been these sixteen hundred years since his Ascension drawing up by death whole Churches the Saints at Corinth at Româ— at Philippi The seven Candlesticks and the seven Stars of Asia are long ago up above Orion and the seven Stars and are now shining up before the Throne This consecrated Captain of our Salvation will not sleep till his Fathers house be filled till all the numerous ofspring and the Generations of the first born be up under on roof with their Father Heaven is a growing Family the Lord of the house hath been gathering his flocks into the fair fields of the Land of Praises ever since the first Abel died and all down along the believers were gathered to their Fathers 1. Vse is that we despise not the day of smal things Gods beginning of great works is smal What could be said of a poor womans throwing of a stool at the man who did first read the new Service Book in Edenburgh It was not looked at as any eminent passage of Divine Providence yet it grew till it came up to Armies of men the shaking of three Kingdomes the sound of the Trumpet the voice of the Alarm the lifting up of the Lords Standart destruction upon destruction garments rowled in blood and goeth on in strength that the vengeance of the Lord and the vengeance of his Temple may pursue the Land of Graven Images and awake the Kings of the Earth to rise in Battle against the great Whore Babylon that the Jews may return to their Messiah and Israel and Judah ask the way to Zioâ— with their faces thitherward weeping as they go that the Forces of the Gentiles and the Kingdoms of the world may become the Kingdoms of God and of his Son Jesus Christ. And this act of a despised woman was one of the first steps of Omnipotencie God then began to open the mouth of the Viall of his wrath to let out a little drop of vengeance upon the seat of the Beast and ever since the right arme of the Lord awaking hath been in action and in a growing Battle against all that Worshipped the Beast and received his mark on their right hand and their forehead and who knoweth but Christ is in an act of conquering to create a new thing on the earth and subdue the people to himself Omnipotencie can derive a Sea a world of noble and glorious works from as smal a Fountain as a straw a ram-horn yea Jaw-bone of a dead Asse God can put forth omnipotencie in all its flowers and golden branches of over-powering and incomparable excellencies upon meer Nothing the winde is an empty unsolid thing the Sea a fluid and soft and ebbing creature yet the wind is Gods chariot he rideth on it and the Sea his walk his paths are in the great waters 2. Vse A crum that falleth from Christs Table hath in it the nature of bread some weak ones complain O I have not the heart of God like David nor the strong faith of Abraham to offer my son to death for Christ nor the burning fire of the zeal of Moses to wish my name may be razed out of the Book of life that the Lord may be glorified nor the high esteem of Christ to judge all but losse dung for Jesus Christ as Paul did But what if Christ set the whole loafe before the children is it not well If thou lie but under Christs feet to have the crums of mercy that slippeth through the fingers of Christ The lowest room in heaven even behinde the door is heaven 1. There 's a
do act in Faith a float especially because a strong faith is a great vessel and therefore more of Christs tide is required for weighing Anchor and lancing forth The wings of a Sparrow should not raise an Eagle off the earth the limbs of a Pismire could not suit with a Horse or an Eliphant there is need of a strong winged soul to believe especially against hope 4. To believe Christ when midnight speaketh blacknesse of wrath requireth eyes and light of miracles yea it s a greater work then the very miracles of Christ Iohn 14.12 But especially when Christ is absent it s with the soul as with a clock in which the wheels are broken the passes or weights are fallen down Obj. 1. But I aim and endeavour to believe but can do nothing and without his grace my violence to heaven is without fruit Ans. 1. It s true the Semipelagians halfing of the work of believing and the glory of it between co operating grace and will as if nature could divide the spoil with the grace of Christ is damnable pride but its Gods way to half the work between Christ within in regard of the habit of grace and Christ without in regard of the assisting grace of God Luke 15.20 While he was yet a great way off his father saw him and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Christ rewardeth not natures aims with grace nor doth he make gifts the work and grace the hire or natures labour the race and grace the Garland but he rewardeth grace with grace and that of meer grace Joh. 15.3 He hath in his Decree and Promise marshalled such and such acts of grace to stand beside others and that by Covenant and therefore believe that you may believe pray that you may pray Obj. 2. But who can act saving grace without the blowing of saving grace I can no more do it then I can command the West wind to blow when I list Ans. I grant all nor do I speak this to insinuate that Free-will sitteth at the helm or that Grace sleepeth and Will waketh the contrary is an evident truth yet give me leave to say there 's ods between blowing of the winde and making ready the sails Though Sea-men cannot make wind nor is it their fault to want wind yet can they prepare the Sailes and hoise them up to welcome the wind we cannot create the breathings of the spirit yet are we to misse these breathings and this is a fitting of the Sails and we are to join with the spirits breathings Christ bindeth up the winds in his garment so as if one look of faith or halfe a spirituall groane should ransom me from hell I have it not in stock therefore hath God ordered such a dispensation that in all stirrings of grace the first spring Principium motus the fountain-rise of calling Jesus Lord shall be up in Heaven at the right hand of the Father and the farre end of any gracious thought is as far above me as the heart of Christ who is in the Heaven of Heavens is above the earth though ye think nothing of it and better Christ be my Steward and that the Gospel be at the end of all acts of grace as that Christ be Free wills debtor More reason Christ be Creditor then debtor to his Redeemed ones 2. I know the childe of God may be so far forth lazie as that its his fault that the winde bloweth not if we speak of a morall cause 3. It s his part to joyne with the working of assisting grace Col. 1.29 Whereunto I also labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily The Lord hath by free promise laid holy bands on himself to give predeterminating grace to his own children to persevere to the end and to prevent Apostacy and hainous sins inconsistent with saving faith 1 Cor. 1.8 Jude v. 24. Ier. 32.39 40 41. Isa. 54.10 Isa. 59.21.22 Luk. 2◠32 1 Ioh. 2.1.2 Yet so as he hath reserved a liberty to himself to co-operate with them in particular acts as it shall be their sin not his withdrawing of Grace that maketh them guilty to the end we may know we are in Graces debt in all good and supernaturall Acts so 2 Chron. 32.31 Ezechiah was tried of God in the businesse of the King of Babylons Ambassadors that the King might see that he could not walk to heaven on clay legs or by his own strength and the reason is clear God cannot make a Promise of contributing this bowing and predeterminating Grace but in a way suitable to Free-grace For God cannot change Grace unto naturall debt it remaining grace for so it should be Grace no Grace which is a contradiction 2. The Lord hath reserved liberty to himself in this promise that in this or this particular Act the omission whereof may consist with perseverance in Grace he may contribute his influence of Grace or not contribute it so David hath not actuall Grace at his will and nod to eschew adultery and murther as he pleaseth nor Peter to decline an evill hour when he shall be tempted to forswear his Saviour Christ nor hath Heman in his hand Psal. 88. nor the deserted Church power Psal. 77. to pray and believe and rejoice in the salvation of God at the disposition of Free-will But the key is up in the hands of the Kingly Intercessor At the right hand of the Father that must open the heart it s far to fetch as far as the Heaven of heavens to make winde and sailing to Christ-ward therefore 3. Seasons of Acts of Grace to believe to walk in any warmnesse of love to Christ and his members are fruits of Royall Liberty and Free-Grace who hath the key of the house of wine to stay the soul with the Flaggons and Apples of love Certainly it is the King himself that taketh the Spouse into His banqueting House Cant 2.4 And yet so as the omission of all supernaturall duties yea our lazinesse in the manner of doing our failings and sins are imputed to our selves and not to the not blowing of the wind of the holy spirit nor to the want of the efficacious motion of the spirit as Libertines teach with Arminians For we so sin through the want of the motions of efficacious Grace as through the want of a Physicall not of a morall cause and so as we are most willing to want that influence and so are guilty before the Lord God hath reasons strong and convincing why he worketh thus 1. It setteth not Grace to work by ingagement the spirit of the living creatures is within every wheel of Christ that it must move from an inward principle the motion of saving Grace is Christs heart wheeled about by it self and by no forraigne cause without it self Love worketh as Love without bud or bribe from Men or Angels Grace is both wages and work the race and the gold to it self 2.
not walk with God then the sun can leave off to give light or fire to cast heat or a fountain to send out streams in regard that the spirit acteth them to walk with God by such a necessary impulsion that destroyeth all freedom of will and if they sin they are not to be blamed because the spirit moveth them not to abstinence from sin and to holy walking But Paul a chosen vessel and a strong believer Rom. 7.14 15 16 17 c. Complaineth of the in-dwelling of sin of his carnality and the fleshes lusting against the spirit and of his captivity under sin which must argue his imperfect Faith liable to the distemper of sinfull doubtings It is also a great errour to say that to call in question whether God be my Father after or upon the commission of some hainous sins as murther incest c. Doth prove a man to be in the covenant of works Now there be sundry sorts of doubtings opposite to Faith In the renewed There 's 1. A naturall doubting and as all Popery is naturall and carnall so this strangenesse of affection by which men are unkind to Christ and never perswaded of Gods favour in Jesus Christ argueth the party to be under the law and not in Christ. This doubting may and doth in carnall men consist with presumption and a morall false perswasion that naturall men have all of them while their conscience be wakened that they shall be saved Why I am not a Murtherer a Sorcerer c. Why Or how can God throw me into Hell So it s made up of reall lies and contradictions Yet they have no divine certainty of Salvation For ask a naturall man Have you a full assurance of salvation as you say that you alwayes believe and doubt not he shall be there at a stand and answer Who can have a full assurance But I hope well I believe well night and day And so doubt Papists also and they have a lie in their right hand it cannot stand with Gods mercy or justice since I am not this and this to throw me into hell So is unbelief a lie Esa. 57.11 And of whom hast thou been afraid and feared that thou hast lied and hast not remembered me 2. There 's an occasionall doubting that riseth by starts upon wicked men out of an evill conscience of sin but it vanisheth as a cloud as in Pharaohs confession I and my people have sinned This argueth a law-spirit rising and falling a sleep again 3. There 's a finall doubting of despair like the doom past on the condemned malefactor as in Cain Gen. 4.13.14 In Saul 1 Sam. 28.15 16. All these conclude men under the law and the curse of it But there 's 4. A doubting in the believers which though a sin yet if I might have leave to borrow the expression is a godly sin Not because it is not a sin indeed and so opposit to grace and godlinesse but a gracious sin Ratione subjecti in regard of the person and adjuncts it being a neighbour to saving Grace and no reprobate can be capable of this sin no more then Pagans or flagitious and extreamly wicked men can be capable of the sinne against the Holy Ghost So beggars are remotest from high and personall treason because they have never that honour to come near the Kings Person So Davids bones not Sauls bones were broken Ps. 51.10 Humbled bones For a humbled heart is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nidcheh Broken and bruised with a fear of Gods wrath for sin And the converted souls moisture is turned to the drought of summer Psal. 32.3 4. And his bones waxen old with roaring all the day God withholding the joy of his salvation This doubting befalleth never any reprobate under the law or covenant of works and so though it be an ill thing yet it s a good sign as out-breakings of boils in the body are in themselves diseases infirmities distempers and contrary to perfect health yet they are often good signs and arguments of strength of life and much vitall heat and healthinesse of constitution That affections of the childe of God under incest murther or other hainous sins be stirred that sorrow be wakened and rise when our Father is offended and when our Lord frowneth and standeth behind the wall and goeth away is lawfull yea it speaketh tendernesse of love softnesse of heart but that they be so far wakened as to doubt and fear that the Lord be changed that he hath forgotten to be mercifull that is sinfull doubting but doth no wayes conclude that the person is under the Covenant of Works but the contrary rather that Grace sitteth and bordereth with this doubting And so that the person is under Grace not under the Law Even where Faith is strong it is not ever in the same temper Health most vigorou◠will vary in its degrees and decrease at times of 〈…〉 and yet be strong and have much of life in it Take the strong and experienced Christians life in its whole continued frame and for the most part he hath the better of all temptations but take him in a certain stage or nick of providence when he is not himself and he is below his ordinary strength even in that wherein he excelleth If a gracious temper of meeknesse like Christ was not the predominant element of grace in Moses yet it was in a great measure in him he bearing the name with him who best knoweth names and things of the meekest man in the earth Yet in that which was his flour he proved weaker then himself and spake unadvisedly with his lips Our highest Graces may meet with an ill hour Job by the testimony of the Holy Ghost is patient Ye have heard of the patience of Job And Chap. 3. We have heard of the cursing passion of Job also Believing is like sailing which is not alwayes equall often strength of wind will blow the ship twenty miles backward 2. The smallest measure of Faith The minimum quod sic is sincere adherence to Christ. Not that negative adherence simply by which some one may say I dare not for a world quit my part in Christ or give up with him Naturall spirits may have a naturall tendernesse by which they dare not quit Christ and give up with him Yet there 's no saving faith in naturall spirits but there 's in the beleever some positive adherence under or with the negative by which there 's a power of love and kindnesse making the soul to cleave to Christ There may be great weaknesse with this and great failings and yet faith unfained We have need of much charity to these that are weak in Faith A reed a broken reed may grow and Christ will not break it A buried believer is a believer if Christ have a neer relation of blood to a peece of blew clay and the dead corps of a believer seeing in his flesh there 's the seed and hope of
a resurrection as the seed and hope of harvest is in rotting and dying grains of Wheat sown in the cold earth as is cleer Psal. 16.9 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. Much more the relation of mercy remaineth in Christ toward the wrestling deserted and self dead believer Now this smallest measure of Faith may consist 1. With much ignorance of God as it was with the believing Disciples who continued with Christ in his temptations confessed him believed and adhered to him when many went back and departed from him Luk. 22.28 29. Mat. 16.16 17. Joh. 6.66 67 68 69. And yet were ignorant of great points of Faith as of his death Mat. 16.21.22 Of his resurrection Joh. 20.9 2. So there be great faintings and doubtings when a storm ariseth and the soul is a sinking Mat. 8. v. 25 26 27. Mat. 14.3 Yet a little Faith is Faith As touching a fainting Faith it s not alwayes a weak Faith that fainteth strong and healthy bodies may have fevers and deliquies For the causes of fainting are 1. The want of the influence of mercy and of stirring or exciting Grace causeth fainting 2 Cor. 4.1 As we are mercied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we faint not we degenerate not It is in the bosome of Christ and lieth about the bowels of our mercifull high Priest that keepeth from fainting If our Intercessor pray not we faint Luke 22.32 I have prayed that thy Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may not be ecclipsed The moon is in a certain death and soon in an ecclipse So is Faith under fainting 2. Fear of wrath may cause distraction and hanging of minde and uncertainty where there is strong Faith Ps. 88.14.15 Compared with v. 8 9. As apprehensions report of God so are we affected in believing Yet may it be collected from Mat. 10.19 In that hour it shall be given you that Christ holdeth the head of a fainting believer 3. The dependence of Faith will faint when Christ withdraweth love though he inflict no anger The ingenuity of Grace gathereth fear from a cloud though there be no storm 3. A soul dead in himself and that cannot put out Faith in acts for want of light and comfort is a weak Faith A tree in winter is a living tree There may be life where there 's little stirring or motion 4. That Faith that seemed smallest to the man himself is sometime in it self greatest 1. In sad desertions there 's most of Faith and least of sense of Faith Psal. 22.1 2. A suffering Faith may be small to the sufferer Many of the Martyrs in their own sense were in a dead and unbelieving condition Yet Christ is more commended for a suffering-faith then any Heb. 12.1 2 3. In that he did run indure the crosse for the glory that was before him He saw heaven And his Faith went through Hell to be at Heaven There is a high commendation put on the suffering Faith of these who were tryed with hands imprisonment sawn asunder mocked slain with the sword Heb. 11.37 38. Of whom the world was not worthy This is not put upon the active and doing Faith which is put upon the passive Faith nor is so much said of these who by Faith pulled down the walls of Jericho of Gideon Baruch Sampson and such as by Faith subdued Kingdoms The reason is suffering is a losse of being and welbeing These who by doing give away their evil being for Christ and crucifie their lusts for him are dear to him but such as die for Christ they give away both being and welbeing Moses Paul who in a manner were content to go to hel with believing that Gods glory in saving the people of God was to be prefered to their eternal being and well-being behoved to have great Faith 3. The Faith that is weak in regard of intension of degrees may be a great faith in regard of extension the Children of God whose life is the walk of Faith 2 Cor. 5.7 May have but a small measure of Faith Yet it s a constant and well breathed Faith good at the long race that carrieth a soul through In 1. His naturall capacity to believe God will feed him And 2. In his civill relations as a father son servant magistrate 3. In his spirituall condition in the duties of the first table in all which capacities we are to walk by Faith Yea to eat drink sleep to laugh to weep as concerning the ordering of all these Heaven-ward by Faith All the Saints that go to Heaven believing and ordering all these conditions by Faith have not alwayes a Faith as great as Abraham as Moses Weak leggs carry some through the earth many thousand miles A sorry and small vessell in comparison of others may sail about the Globe of the whole earth The wings of a Sparrow or a Dove can carry these little birds through as much Sea and Land as the wings of an Eagle doth carry the Eagle But ere I go from this point I crave leave to adde somewhat of the least and smallest measure of Faith 2. Of the condition of the childe of God under it Touching the former I onely say There is a degree of fire and a coal so small that lesse cannot be the thing remaining Fire having the nature essence and properties of fire And when any is in a deliquium or swoun the man hath life but it is kept in narrow bounds there is breathing onely 2. Some vitall heat 3. Some internall motion in the heart and vitall and animall spirits but no more to prove life almost then the man is a dead corps yet somewhat there is to difference him from dead clay For friends will not bury a sounding man willingly and knowingly So at the lowest condition of the weakest Faith that the believer is in some fire and coal of love and Faith there is and some smoaking though little fire and possibly we cannot give it a name Yet if the just live by Faith there must be some measure of Faith 2. Some smoaking of love to Christ. 3. Some discerning of an ill condition No man on earth in a sleep hath a reflect act to know that he sleepeth no dead corps knoweth it self to be dead Never sleeping man could say nay not Adam in his first sleep when God formed the woman out of a rib of his side Now I am sleeping No man naturally dead can say Now am I dead and I lie amongst the worms and corruption Death maketh no report of death but the believer can say at his lowest condition Cant. 5.1 I sleep but my heart waketh and he who saith Psal. 119. Lord quicken me must say Lord I am dead yet to say Lord quicken me and to feel and know deadnesse are acts of the life of Grace A Saint in this condition may love Christ through half a dream and half sleeping half waking retain honourable thoughts of Christ Job 13.15 Job 19.25 26 27. Some have said in hell they should
oppressour and delivered them from pressures of conscience under Episcopacy a Masse-service and burdensome ceremonies and for the sins of the King Queen Court Prelats and Prophets the persecuting and killing the witnesses of Christ in Queen Maries days and in the late Prelats time and the present unjustice carelesse and remisse minding Religion and their labouring to spoile the Kingdome of Christ of that power that Christ hath given to his people of Church-discipline and translating it to their Parliament to make Church-discipline Parliament-discipline confounding so the two kingdoms their tolerating of blasphemous sects some denying the Godhead of Christ some his Kingly Office to sanctifie govern his people some his Priestly some his Propheticall Office and many other sins of Prophets and people not repented of and most of these sins and many others and especially the breach of the Covenant in Scotland these two Kingdomes are to fear heavy judgements and that their calamity is not yet at an end But rather one wo is passed but another cometh Except these lands be humbled and lie in the dust before the Lord Yet in all this the dispensation of God though bloody is but the Lord saying as of old so now to Britain Isa. 1.25 And I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tin 26. And I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy counsellors as at the beginning afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousnes the faithfull city 27. Zion shall be redeemed with judgement and her converts with righteousnesse 2. A rough dispensation of Christ cannot abide long rough to the Saints he must answer and ease the pain of the womans broken spirit it s a nights pain to Christ to cause the tears run down the cheeks of his Church all the night he cannot but bring a day light of joy before the Suns ordinary time to rise Ps. 30.5 Christ smiteth and weepeth for compassion both at once Tender mercy in Christ moveth as much if not more within then without The mothers bowels are as much on work within when the childe is but upon her breasts and he is not capable to know a mother as a mother and love as love as ever when the deserted is but new and hot come out of the second womb and a babe born over again yet in a spirituall Feaver he is as much as ever in the bowels of Christ though he be not in that case capable of the sense and actuall apprehension of Christ as Christ and of the sense of Christs love as his love Ier. 31.20 Since the time that I sufficiently talked with him in correcting him or since the time of my sufficiency of speaking against him in remembring him I do remember him I spake much in mine anger against him and half against my will I did chide him and scourge him but my moved bowels the stirrings of a compassionating heart did contradict in a manner my rough correcting my heart came out of me with every rough word and stroke The Sun and nature worketh long and many years under earth in the generation of Gold and Silver ere we see gold and silver God and his servant nature did us a pleasure a great favour in that kind in secret down in the bowels of the earth to make unseen and concealed provision for our purses this secret love to us acted down in the dark is no love to us while we find it and see it yet is nature in a mystery under a vail sweating under earth to bring forth for us Mettals Trees Herbs Flowers corn for our service but we see no harvest at that time Christs bowels are sweating and as much labouring in childe-birth paine of compassion and love and tender mercy toward us when we are in an Ague and a fit of desertion as at any time but we are loved of Christ and pittied and we know no such thing All Christs answers and words to this woman till now were but interpretations and Proclamations of wrath and rejecting of her as not one of the lost sheep of the house of Israel a Dog under the Table not a child of the house love came never above ground till now yet did Christs affection and love yern upon her all the time Out of all this we collect Christ may love persons yet his dispensation may be so rough as that to their sense there is no ground of being assured that Christ loveth them til he shall be pleased to manifest it Hence we may gather these Propositions considerable for the Times 1. Propos. Gods free and unhired love is the cause of our Redemption Vocation Sanctification and eternall salvation he loved us in our blood and while we were polluted in our blood Ezech. 16.6.8 When we were the lost world Joh. 3.16 ungodly Rom. 5.6 Enemies ver 10. He quickned us called us when dead in sinnes Eph. 2.1 Without works 2 Tim. 1.9 The bil of Grace is Christs welcome and pay nothing 2. Our Divines say God loveth the persons of the Elect but hateth their sins M. Denne offendeth at this and so doth the Arminians with the same reason if God hate the works of iniquity he cannot but hate the persons and workers of iniquity also It s true the Lord hateth so the persons of the Elect for their sins as he taketh vengeance of their sins on their Surety Christ but this consisteth with the Lords loving of their persons to eternall salvation The truth is Gods affection ad intra of hatred and displeasure never so passeth on the persons of the Elect as on the persons of the Reprobate he had thoughts of love and peace in secret from eternity to his own Elect he did frame a Heaven a Saviour for them before all time 3. Propos. Our Divines do rightly teach that there is a twofold love in God Amor benevolentiae A love of wel willing which he did bear to them before the world was it is called the love of Election Of this love Rom. 9.13 Paul speaketh I have loved Jacob and hated Esau this is fountain love the wel-head of all our salvation There is another love called Amor complacentiae A love of complacency a love of justification so M. Denne termeth it which presupposeth faith Without which its unpossible to please God Heb. 11.6 of this Christ speaketh Joh. 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him ver 23. If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him so Christ the wisdom of God saith I love them that love me Pro. 8.17 And so Christ speaketh of his love to his redeemed and sanctified Spouse Can. 4.9 Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thy eyes with one
he enter a subject of the Kingdom of Grace Nay not any such condition can go before mans reconciliation to God Propos. 8. Christ can love dearly and tempt â—oughly both at once 1. His love consisteth â—ot in a taking his Church into his bosome and 〈◊〉 continuall and never interrupted laying of her â—etween his breasts yea tempting floweth from the love of God nor is it any act of Justice yea to take vengeance on the inventions of his people satisfying Justice he cannot exerce toward his Elect yet a punishing and correcting Justice he may and doth put forth on them but it hath its rise from love all the wheels of Gods dispensation sweet or sower are rowled upon this Axle ttee of Free-love the bowels of Christ act move and breath all dispensations to the Saints through no other Pipe and Channel but free and tender compassion so as mercy is an immediate Actor when the Lord is wasting his Church with bloody wars And which is wonderful mercy is Christs armour-bearer Mercy immediatly killeth even when death climbeth in at the windows and enters into the house of the believer either in a pestilence known to come from no creature or second cause or in the raging sword when the carcasses of men fal as dung in the open field as the handful after the harvest men and there be none to bury them Jer. 9.21 22. 2. Tempting mercy is wise mercy it were not atempting mercy if we saw all the secrets of love the reasons why the Lord buildeth Zion with blood even the Elect and beloved of God though they be in Christs court they are not always upon his counsel Joh. 13.7 Many are within the walls of the Palace that are not in the Kings Parlour and taken into his house of wine The love of Christ hath its own mysteries and unknown secrets as why one Saint is led to heaven and to mens eye The Candlestick of the Almighty shineth on his Tabernacle and he washeth his steps in oyl he is rich holy prosperous and another no lesse dear to Christ never laugheth while he be within the gates of heaven but eateth the bread of sorrow all his dayes his face never dryeth while he be in glory is a secret of heaven The love of Christ is often vailed and covered and we know not what he meaneth but he hasteth to shew mercy Vse This should make us very charitable of Christ when he frowneth and covereth himself with a cloud and very inclinable to pardon if I may so speak rough and bloody dispensations in Christ He loveth and he bloodeth scourgeth and giveth his own child a cup of gall and wormwood Could we in silence believe its Christ with two garments on him at once Christ clothed with love wrapped in the unseen mystery of tendernes of compassion and yet his upper garment is vengeance and rowled in blood we should kisse the edge of Christs bloody sword so we are to believe for Isa. 63.1 Christ at one time travelleth in the greatnesse of his strength and speaketh in rigteousnesse and is mighty to save and at the same time his upper garment is blood It is true it is the blood of his enemies but it is often the blood of the children of his own house and Sanctuary Ezek. 9.6 1 Pet. 4.17 And what more concerneth us then to keep our first love to Christ When he multiplieth our widows in the three Kingdoms as the sand of the sea and bringeth against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noon-day Jer. 15.8 This woman stayed on her watch-tower and now the vision speaketh mercy to her Say they were injuries that Christ inflicteth which is a blasphemous impossibility yet it is Christ it is the Lord let him doe what seemeth good to you The absolute liberty of the Potter closeth the mouth of the clay-vessell if it could speak Rom. 9. That unbelief hath no reason to stomack and dispute against hells fire coming from him who hath absolute dominion over us As Devils and wicked men burn in hell with eternall fretting against God for their pain so if it were possible that the Elect and Regenerate were thrown into hell they are to have eternall charity and love to the holy and just Lord and to beleeve his eternall love SERMON XXV BE it unto thee as thou wilt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Itâ— a word of Omnipotency to create Being it s spoken of Satan and to Satan Mark 9 25. Luk. 4.35 2. None can speak to Leprosie buâ— Christ Mat. 8.3 Luk. 4.39 Be thou clean 3â— Christ can speak to stark death Joh. 11.43 anâ— Joh. 5.28 Jesus cryed with a loud voice Lazaâ—rus come forth 4. He can speak to life In abâ—stracto Ezek. 37.9 Come from the four Winds 〈◊〉 breath and breathe upon these slain that they may live 5. God can speak to Mother-nothing as if Nothing had ears and reason could hear Rom. 4.17 He calleth things that are not as though they were He did but nod upon Nothing and out of Nothing there compeared before him The great Hoste of heaven and earth and all things in them Psa. 33.9 6. There is a Language of Providence by which every Being as Being hath a power-obedientiall to hear what God saith and do it Ion. 2.10 The Lord spake to the Fish and it vomited out Ionah on the dry land Mar. 4.39 And he arose and rebuked the wind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and said unto the sea Peace be still and the wind ceased and there was a great calm What wise man can boast the Sea What ears hath the sensless and â—ifelesse waters Yet they hear Christs language they speak Yonder standeth our Creator boaâ—ting us and therefore we will obey Isa. 50.2 Hear himself speak Behold at my rebuke I dry up the Sea Psa. 114. There is a question put upon the creatures that they can well answer ver 5. What aileth thee O thou Sea that thou fleddest Thou Iordan that thou wast driven backward vers 6. What ailed you ye mountains that ye skipâ—ed like Rams and ye little hills like Lambs Good reason saith the Spirit vers 7. Tremble thou â—arth at the presence of the Lord at the presence of the God of Iacob This obedientiall power is not any quality created in the creature different from their being for God may use any creature to infinite effects of omnipotency and so there should be infinite created qualities in every finite creature 2. This obedientiall power was in that Mother-nothing out of which God by an omnipotent act of creation extracted all the hosts of creatures that now are and it s in that other Mother-nothing yet objected to omnipotency according to which God may create infinite moe worlds then now are so it please him it s then nothing but a non-repugnancy to hear and obey God in these particulars As 1. Omnipotency of strong grace can speak to sin which none can do but God Ezek.
over Satan I do not mean as Arminians do that free-will by order of nature beginneth first to resist Satan then Gods grace followeth as a hand-maide but I intend this that because Peter is self-strong his flesh saith to Christ that Christ is mistaken and looketh beside the spirit of prophesie for Mat. 26.35 He saith Though I should die with thee yet will I not deny thee Belike if he had been diffident of his own strength and watched and trusted in the strength of an intercessor he should not have been deserted so as to deny his Lord we put not Christ to it to put forth his omnipotency in every act to save us that wee yeeld not I deny not but there is a necessity in regard of Gods wise providence that the Saints must sin and that they be passive vessels to carry the lustre hold forth the rayes and beams of pardoning Grace Yet certain it is there be hypotheticall connexions of supernaturall Providence in Gods eternall Decree never put forth in action because of our lazinesse As if God shal suffer Iob to be tempted and he by grace sin not as Job 1.22 The Lord shall also strengthen him when he is tempted the second time not to sin and if Abraham be tempted to effer up his only Son for God and if he yeeld obedience God shall surely blesse him with the blessing of sanctification promised in the Covenant as is clear Gen. 22.16.17 Heb. 6.12.13.14 For we see these connexions some times put forth in Asts But other connexions are not put forth in Acts Math. 11.21 Luke 16.31 1 Sam. 23.12 Such as these if David be tempted by Satan he shall not resist but shall number the people if Peter be tempted he shall not stand out in confessing his Master Certain it is that as we come short of these comforts of a communion with God which we might injoy by our loose walking so upon the same reason we fall short of many victories over Satan which we might have if we should improve the dominion and Kingly power of Christ over that restles spirit As thou wilt As thou desirest God maketh of his free dispensation a sanctified will and affection in prayer the measure of his gifts to us a word then 1. Of a sanctified will and affections 2. How these are â—he measure of Gods goodnesse toward us in these Positions Posit 1. The soul is never renewed while the will be renewed for the will is the heart of the heart and the new heart is the new man Ezek. 36.26 Deut. 30.6 For the heart is the King and Soveraign of obedience Deut. 30.19 Posit 2. All sanctified affections are threded upon the will saving Grace can lodge no where but in the center of the heart and that 's the renewed will presupposing new light in the mind Grace taketh this first Castle Posit 3. Hence how many grains of sanctified will as many grains of new obedience so love is the fire of our obedience and willingnesse the faâ— of obedience which is set on fire by love Posit 4. A civil will is not a sanctified wil in some men the will is more Morall lesse raging then the motions of it being lesse tumultuous as in some carnal spirits the wheels go with lesse noise all rivers make not alike action and stirring on their Banks but that taketh nothing from either their nature or deepnesse or occasionall over-swelling Posit 5. The speciall mark of a sanctified wil is that its a broken thing as it were fallen in the midst in two pieces and yeelding to God and saving light there was a sea of grace and saving light in Christ no created will stooped to the light of a revealed Decree in such a submissive measure in a Hel of fear sorrow and anguish for an evil of punishment more then any creature was able to bear as he did Neverthelesse not my wil but thy wil be done Far more in other things of lesse pain should we suffer especially in these the wil is to stoop 1. In opposing our lusts as we would testifie that the proudest piece in us the will hath felt the influence of Christs death on it That we no longer should live the rest of our time to the lusts of men 1 Pet. 4.2 But to the will of God 1 Pet. 2.24 Rom. 6.6 The dominion of wil is the dominion of sin 2. In that the soul speaketh out of the dust and is put to silence before God and sitteth alone as Melancholicks do Lam. 3.28 29. A tamed man is broken in his will in which the Pride of opposing God consisteth Then Isa. 11.6 The wolfe dwelleth with the Lamb. 3. The subordination of the will to God is a great signe of a subdued spirit nothing affecteth Independency more then the vain will Psal. 37.7 Rest on the Lord Heb. Be silent toward the Lord Vatablus Be quiet Repine not as disobedient neither answer again Isa. 61.1 Christ is sent to bind up those that are broken in will or heart the Hebrew will include both Prov. 15.31 He that hearkeneth to reproof getteth a heart possesseth his heart so Vatablus The meek spirit which in obedience submitteth to rebukes possesseth his heart and possesseth his own will now the contrary must bee in the undaunted man his will and heart must have dominion over him and his will must possesse him as Prov. 17.18 The unconverted man is a man wanting a heart and a will a will not broken to God is as good as no will and no heart at all the broken heart is the heart to God and the broken wil the wil. Posit 6. The affections in their naturals beâ—ng corrupt grace only maketh them pure and when they are purest they are strongest it s most of the Element of the earth that is all earth and wanteth all mixture of other Elements that is most fire that hath least of earth in it that is finest gold that hath in it least of other mettals least drosse least oare When affections are most steeled with Grace they have the least mixture in them love having much of Grace hath least of lust zeal with much grace hath least of the wild-fire of carnall wrath and these are known by the swiftnesse of their motion toward their kindly objects the more of earth in the body the swifter is the motion downward toward the earth fire worketh most as fire when it carrieth up in the Air nothing but it self or fiery sparks like it self but when it ascendeth and carrieth up with it houses mountains and great loads of earth the motion is the slower Grace being essentiall to gracious affections they run and move kindly and swiftly therefore is supernaturall love strong as death hard as the grave In the Martyrs it was stronger then burning quick then the wheels racks and the most exquisite torments and Christs love was stronger then Hell of all loves that is the strongest that bringeth sicknes