be a great piece of wordly Felicity But alas What is such an interest in the greatest or mightiest King or Prince under the Heavens being compared with that interest which such a person as we have spoken of hath in God The gleanings of him that hath the Ear of the Great God of all the Earth open to his Prayer are better than the Vintage of him that hath the Ear of the greatest Monarch in the World open unto him They who have the Ear of God open upon such terms as persons filled with the Spirit have it are in a capacity hereby not only to provide or procure for themselves as oft as they desire all accommodations regularly necessary to render their lives full of peace comfort and contentment but likewise to Umpire and order the great Affairs of the World round about them yea and to give Laws unto Nations and to rule them with a Rod of Iron For such persons as we now speak of are a first fruits of that World to come which in Scriptures is called the new Heavens and the new Earth the Kingdom of Christ and of the Saints and is much discoursed amongst us under the name of the Fifth Monarchy a Name and Notion proper enough for it and have a first-fruit granted unto them by God of those glorious Priviledges of that Interest of Power and Grandeur which shall be vested in the great Body or whole Community of the Saints in that day of which we may have occasion ere long to speak more particularly So as this shall be the Priviledge and Prerogative of all the Saints in that day that they shall rule the Nations as it were with a Rod of Iron and break them in pieces like a Potters Vessel meaning that the whole Earth shall be given unto them as it is in Daniel Dan. 7.18.27 Even so shall the persons we speak of before the Dawning of that Day before the New Heaven and the New Earth taste of the great happiness and felicity of the Chosen of God in those daies and they shall Umpire and Rule and carry and sway the great Affairs of the World as we have it in Rev. 2.26 27. He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end that man that standeth it out in my Cause and fights it out unto death to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule with a Rod of Iron c. meaning that he shall have part in the great felicity of that day You know that passage in Jam. 5.17 where it is said that Elijah who was a man subject to the like passions and the like infirmities with other men I suppose he means not so much if at all sinful infirmities as corporal he was a man subject to sorrow and sickness and death as well as we or any of us are and yet he did thus by Prayer he prayed and he shut the Heavens and again he prayed and he opened the Heavens and provided rain for the Earth by his Prayer Now I suppose the Apostle inserts these words A man subject to like passions as we are to remove that great stumbling stone which might be in the minds and thoughts of ordinary Christians that are weak and poor that carry about with them a body of sickness and death and are despised in the World and not regarded and set by by the great men in the World How then should they expect that a God of that infinite Majesty which he is to whom they should pray and make their requests should regard them Especially in the gratifying of them upon any such terms that he should do any great or excellent thing more than ordinary for them Now to such the Holy Ghost here saith do not be troubled let no such thought as this arise within you upon such an occasion for I tell you that Elijah was a man as weak as you cloathed with the same flesh subject to sicknesses and pain and to be contemned and slighted by men as he was by Ahab and others yet this did not at all obstruct his interest with God his Prayer was potent and powerful with him for he did very great things as you know by his Prayer he shut the Heaven being highly offended with the wickedness of the People and their Idolatry He interceded as it were against them and sought to draw down Judgments upon them indeed he sought hereby to humble them and to bring them to the sight of their sins as it seems he did and accordingly when he saw that they did repent and were reformed in their waies he did by another Prayer turn the course of the Displeasure of God another way and drew down the love and favour of God out of Heaven upon them And Sect. 6 my Brethren doubtless the reason why the interest of Prayer is fallen so low and sunk as it were in the Christian World in comparison of what it was in the Primitive times in the daies of the Apostles and in the Ages next after them the reason I say why so little is done in the World by means of Prayer is because the Generation of those who in the Primitive times were wont to be filled with the Spirit and to be large hearted towards God is in a manner extinct and that heavenly vigour which possessed the hearts and reins and brake forth and shewed it self in the lives and waies of the First and Second Ages of Primitive Christians was not lookt after in the Generations afterwards but instead thereof many of them suffered a Spirit of ignorance and blind zeal to enter into them and to possess them which under a pretense of bestirring it self and acting for God and Jesus Christ made wrack and havock of their interest in the World And there is more than enough of this kind of spirit and vigour that is gotten into the the hearts and inward parts of many Professors amongst us who like to the Jews of old have a great zeal for God but not according to knowledge yea there is a great variety of several shapes and forms of this kind of zeal amongst us The Antinomian he laies out himself effectually for the advancement of his Opinion and waies and thinks he doth God and his Gospel the only service in the World A second sort of Professor he is as a flame of fire he is content to spend and to be spent in the Service of his way being full of confidence that even whilest he treads and tramples under foot the peace and comforts of the Children and dear Servants of Christ yet he is the only Benefactor to his Throne and Kingdom amongst men A third Party abominating the Zeal of the former riseth up early and goeth to bed late and eats the bread of much carefulness to mount upon the back of Secular Authority and if he get but his foot fast and sure upon this ground he makes account that by turning the edge of the Magistrates Sword against all that he conceipts
recovering my self again from my sins and receiving grace and favour from God restoring me to my former enjoyments I should teach transgressors his way This then is one reason to prove clearly that it lyeth upon every man and woman of us to be great and signal Benefactors to the World First Because we stand bound to believe in Jesus Christ Secondly To make the world know that we do really and indeed thus believe Secondly Sect. 3 There is yet another thing which is of some affinity with the former yet not the same which plainly evinceth the point in hand viz. That every person of mankind man and woman and more especially the Generation of Believers stand bound according to their several capacities means and opportunities to cast liberally into the treasury of the World that which is likely and proper to enrich and bless it This is the keeping the Commandments of Jesus the translating of all his Words of all his Sayings and Precepts into Actions and Practice before the World He that stands bound to do this without all Controversie standeth bound to be a most worthy Benefactor to the World by doing that which is of a most blessed accommodation to it Now that we all stand bound to keep the Commandments of Jesus and not to cast the least of them behind our backs or tread them under our feet is I presume voted long since by all our consciences with a Nemine Contradicente and therefore we shall not stand to prove this Now that the performance of this great and worthy engagement and the quitting our selves in it like men is of a most soveraign import and tendency to bless the World I shall nor need to go far nor make any long work to prove The World may be said to be blessed in two Considerations or in two different degrees First In the things of its present peace Secondly In the things of its future and eternal peace Now That he that diligently and faithfully keepeth the Commandments of Jesus is a worthy Benefactor unto it in both is a truth near at hand and prepared in a manner with its own evidence for every mans understanding and consent First That worthy thing we speak of the obeying Jesus Christ in what he hath commanded is matter of a rich and precious import to bless the World in the things of their present comfort and peace And this in two respects in the general may be made clearly to appear First By shewing that the very Acts themselves of Conformity and Obedience unto the Laws and Commands of Christ are simply and in themselves of a sweet and beneficent nature full of a spirit of goodness and comporting with the present peace and comfort of the World Secondly By shewing that the exemplariness of such Conformity though exhibited and given by one single person or a very few at first may in a short time turn to a very good account for the further accommodation and benefit of the World First The whole Systeme and Body of the Laws of Christ is composed with a most exquisite and clear proportion Sect. 4 to the present benefit and comfort of the World these have a beneficent nature in them they are full of a spirit of goodness insomuch that were they all observed and kept on all hands it would presently turn the Waters of the World into Wine it would change the Earth which is now as a roaring Wilderness into an Eden or Garden of God to the Inhabiters of it Whereas now the prospect of the World as it appeareth in the eyes of God and Angels and Men is as of men taking one another by the throat every man tearing out of anothers bowels or belly to put into their own Upon the supposition mentioned the prospect or face of it would be quite contrary For then the World would seem yea and really be quite another thing Every man would be found what Moses was unto Aaron Exod. 4.16 instead of God unto another There would be no Emulation or Contest between men but only who in giving honour and doing good should go before other Our Saviour Mat. 22 37 38. reduceth the Law of God to these two heads Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul with all thy strength c. And thy Neighbour as thy self Now if these two general Laws were in their due compass and extent observed in the World you would soon have a new Heaven and a new Earth If we could perswade those who have Silver and Gold in abundance to minister with these unto the necessities of the poor and needy and those that have other things though they want these wherewith they may bless the World otherwise to serve the occasions of it accordingly as Peter and John had neither Silver nor Gold Acts 3.6 yet they had wherewith they blessed men at a far better rate than those who had most of these I say if mens hearts were really and truly set within them to promote the welfare and prosperity of mankind with what they have available and conducing in any kind hereunto which is nothing but what the Royal Law of Christ requireth at their hand would not all tears be soon wiped away from the eyes of the world and men on all hands be as those that dream or as if the Kingdom of God had prevented them and come upon them unawares Charge them that be rich in this world that they be not high minded c. 1 Tim. 6.17 If this one Precept of Jesus Christ were but duly and conscienciously practiced and observed from time to time what a mighty change would there be made in the World by the means of it How would the faces shine which now through hunger and cold have gathered blackness How would the voice of joy and health and thanksgiving be heard in those Habitations which are now filled with sighings groanings and lamentations And so there is another Law of Christ which the Apostle calleth his namely Christ's in an especial manner This is to bear one anothers burthens Bear ye one anothers burthens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 This also would make a great and happy change and alteration in the World if persons would but bear the burthens one of another But what is it to bear the burthens one of another I answer When we do not make our selves strangers unto men nor draw back our helping hand from them nor refuse to do them any office or service of love because of such and such infirmities as because they are not so discreet or well-advised in some of their waies or doings as they might have been or because either in a Passion or through want of Consideration they have spake unkindly to us or unworthily of us or have acted somewhat to our prejudice in one kind or other or the like But men generally are so far from bearing the burthens of others that they throw them upon their necks and make them bear them
condition of comprehending what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge He doth not speak of a full or absolute comprehension of this love For this no Creature whatsoever how deeply and firmly soever rooted and grounded in love is capable of Yea the Apostle himself presently speaking of the love of Christ saith it passeth knowledge meaning that the compass or riches of this love are greater and more vast than to be fully estimated and computed by men yea or by any finite or created understanding whatsoever but he speaketh of such a comprehension or apprehension rather which the nature of man may by means and helps be advanced and carried up unto which is a comprehension comparatively I mean in respect of that narrow imperfect and obscure knowledge hereof which is generally found amongst the Saints themselves because the hearts of so few of them serve them to be at the costs and charges of that which is more raised and would do double the service of the other But first What doth he mean by being rooted and grounded in love Sect. 4 Secondly Why doth he require such a qualification as this a being rooted and grounded in love to put them into a capacity of comprehending the heights and depths and lengths and breadths thereof of the love of Christ I suppose these dimensions here spoken of do denote four special things considerable in the mystery of the love of Christ First The breadth of it I conceive imports the extent of the love of Christ as it is held forth and declared in the Gospel in reference to the Persons to whom it is vouchsafed and born As concerning this dimension the breadth or extent of it he had a little before viz. in the former part of this Chapter and all along the second taught them that it was Commensurable unto the World and that it did not contain it self within the bounds of the Jewish Nation but dilated and spread it self over the whole World and rejoyced over all the Nations of the Earth Secondly The length of it seems to note the duration of it which reacheth from Eternity to Eternity or in the Scripture expression from Everlasting to Everlasting It was conceived in his breast of old before the Foundations of the World were laid from thence it brake forth and discovered itself in time and now it runs along and hath continued in and with the World and will continue together with the glorious fruits and effects of it to Eternity Thirdly The depth of this love may point at either the great and most profound Condescention whereunto Christ was drawn by it for the benefit of men as when he stooped from the height of all glory in the highest Heavens to seek for a lost World in the heart or lower parts of the Earth having undergone by the way a most dolorous painful and ignominious death or else at the peculiar manner of the efficacy or working of this love in that it wrought downwards even to the depth and bottom as it were of that misery wherein the World lay plunged and out of which there had been no redemption for it had not the love of Christ we speak of by its most adorable virtue strength and vigour made its way to it and wrought the Cure Fourthly and lastly By the height of this love the Apostle questionless signifieth either the lifting up and magnifying of it self over and above the high misdemeanours and provocations of the World by which it was not turned out of its way nor so much as put to the least stand Or else the efficacious and successful tendency of it to raise the blessedness of those that should reap the fruits of it exceeding high Now to put you into a capacity to comprehend these dimensions of the love of Christ to comprehend them I say as they may be comprehended by you to your unspeakable comfort and joy you must be rooted and grounded in love But what is it to be rooted and grounded in love For this was the former question propounded I answer Some by the love here spoken of wherein the Apostle requests of God that they might be rooted and grounded understand the love of God that is that love which God beareth unto mankind and expresseth in the Gospel But though it be good to be rooted and grounded in this love yet is not this the meaning of the Holy Ghost here As for other reasons so more especially for this That this love is upon the matter and for substance the same thing which he would have them to be in a capacity of comprehending For the love of God and of Christ are in effect the same Now to be rooted and grounded in any love whatsoever cannot be said to be a means to make us able to comprehend in the sense lately declared the same love Because it must thus be comprehended before we can be rooted and grounded in it Therefore doubtless the love here spoken of is that affection of love which is or ought to be in men whether towards God or towards man or both though I judge it best to understand it of both But what is it to be rooted in this love Rooting in a tree implies a kind of conveying working or infinuating it self into the Earth by those parts of it which we call the root which are given unto it by God in Nature for that end and purpose By this means it comes to have a kind of firm footing and standing in the earth where also being once rooted it grows Now to be rooted in love seems to import some such thing as this Namely that a man hath by the use of his Reason Judgment Understanding and Conscience faculties and powers given unto him for this and such like purposes as it were conveyed himself into the midst of such Reasons Motives and Arguments whereof there are plenty in the Scriptures yea and many in the book of Nature and Conscience also which are effectual and proper to fill him heart and soul with these affections of love to God and men Many there are that may be said in a sense and that according to truth to love God and to love men that yet are not rooted and grounded in this affection Either they have conceived or taken hold of some light thoughts perswading them to the love of God and men or convincing them of their duty in this kind Or it may be there being in men a kind of natural love to God as in Children to their Parents they are under some impressions of this affection But then a person man or woman may properly be said to be rooted and grounded in love when they have considered over and over and throughly beaten their hearts and souls and consciences with such considerations and motives which are as natural and proper not only to provoke and ingage them to love both God and men but also to continue resolute and firm in
search and dive into the deep things of God in the Gospel which deep things are very emphatically and significantly expressed by what the eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor have entred into the heart of man c. meaning that they are things so transcendently wonderful for the excellency and ravishing import of them that nothing like unto them in such a consideration ever came within the apprehension either of any of the senses or of the understanding or imagination or discoveries of men Amongst the deep things of God there are none deeper or more profoundly wonderful none more remote from the ordinary thoughts and apprehensions of men than the dimensions of the love of Christ specified the breadth and length and depth and height of this love Now as God is said to have prepared things of so mysterious and glorious an import to impart in a way of friendship or friendly retribution unto those that love him so doubtless he is more free and large-hearted in these Communications unto those that are rooted and grounded in this affection that is who have expressed most love to him and hereupon are most likely to continue herein unto the end Thus then we see that men are not like ever to know what the rich and glorious Consolations of the Gospel mean unless they take a regular and due course to interess themselves in so high a priviledge and more particularly unless they shall be rooted and grounded in love as hath been shewed The third and last particular of the three mentioned Sect. 6 was this that they who are not children of the richest and highest Consolations of the Gospel are not in any competent posture or worthy capacity for shewing forth the vertues or lovely things of God which yet is every man's duty to do as hath been declared For the proof of this it is to be considered First That a competent posture as I call it or richness of capacity for any worthy service or employment especially relating unto God requireth these two things First That a mans heart be full of the work that he hath a strong propension to be active in it Secondly This is required also that he hath skill or strength dexterity and abilities otherwise for the worthy and due performance of it For if either of these be wanting viz. either a good will to the service or else skill and dexterity to manage it the work will suffer either in the performance or by the non-performance of it First It is clear that no man's heart will be full of the service we speak of unless the strength of the Gospel-Consolations hath taken his heart kindly and made it in a sense like unto the heart of God himself Secondly As evident likewise it is that he that hath not been made drunk with the New Wine of the Gospel that hath not drank deep of the sweet and rich Consolations of it must needs be defective in point of dexterity and skill how to manage such a work For first That the heart of a man will never be full of the excellency of the work or service unless it hath had intimate and familiar converse with those rich Consolations of the Gospel we may conceive upon this account Such a frame and temper of heart and soul as we now speak of that is carried out with strength of desire to be shewing forth the vertues of God in the World cannot reasonably but be supposed and judged such a frame and complexion of soul which is morally distant by many degrees from that which we call though not so truly or properly the natural frame of it or that frame which at first commonly it worketh or reduceth it self unto For take the heart of a man in the natural frame and temper of it that is wherein it was found before the Gospel came at it and made an alteration in it and compare it with the frame of the heart we now speak of the distance between them will be found as great as that betwixt Heaven and Earth the heart before the Gospel touched it was a dull heart full of it self of its own thoughts of its own interest of its own lusts no thought stirring or moving in it of the least contriving or intendment to bestead the name of the great God of Heaven and Earth upon such terms not the least impulse or inclination to bring forth the vertues and heavenly things of God into the World The Soul until it be Evangelically inspired is at as great a distance from such a constitution or frame wherein it should be active for God and zealously addicted to the declaring of his Name unto the World as lightly can be imagined Now then consider that as the Heavens and the Earth being at so great a distance the one from the other and so fixed to their respective Centers as they are can never greet or kiss one another nor touch one another nor ever change places or situation but it must be by a strong and mighty and out-stretched arm So likewise in case we shall suppose so great and wonderful an alteration in the heart and spirit of a man that whereas it was full of it self and no place found in it for any thought concerning God for the magnifying of him or for the doing any great thing for him it is now altered and changed in such a strange manner that it comes to be filled to the brim with zeal for the glory of God and with a desire to have him great in the World and to have his Name exalted upon a high Throne amongst men this change I say must needs be supposed to be brought to pass by the intervening of some means or other of an admirable and transcendent vertue of such an efficiency which is proper and likely to effect it This must of necessity be supposed For Reason will not endure to think of Effects brought to pass without proportionable Causes great Effects without great and weighty Causes answerable unto them Now the change of the heart mentioned being so wonderful and incredible a change it is next to that which is impossible to conceive or for the understanding of Men or Angels to imagine how such a Change as this should be brought to pass as namely that a man should be wholly driven out of himself and out of his own heart and soul that all his foolish and unworthy desires to advance and seek himself should be cast out of him And that desires of glorifying God in the World like unto himself should spring up in their stead Nothing I say lightly imaginable that should alter the property of the heart of a man upon such terms as these but the soul-ravishing Consolations of the Gospel and that joy in the Holy Ghost which is unspeakable and full of glory These being all spirit and life and of an heavenly activity are a means rationally promising even as great and strange a turn in the soul of a man as this As
not rooted and grounded in this knowledge of the truth they are not like to walk in the practice of it long a little occasion will turn them aside they will soon lose their goodness So then this is the case of those lustings against the flesh which sometimes appear in heathen men they are powerless seldom victorious or long liv'd Reason and Conscience are soon bribed to keep silence It is likely we may have such cases and instances among many Professors of Christianity amongst us that may at times have lustings against the flesh and yet these soon vanish and wither because they have not any great root in themselves as our Saviour speaks they did not make a business of it to consider the weight and worth and important concernment unto them to have their corruption and deeds of the flesh more and more mortified Now the truth is there is no good action nothing that doth concern men there is no good disposition no good principle in the soul no lusting against the flesh at any time in any man but that if men would take a course accordingly they might reduce the matter to such a pass that these good things should never forsake them but that they should take possession of them and enjoy them continually For weak and faint they commonly are at first in the best of men but the reason why in good men they gather strength remain and hold out to the end is because they have much earth in such men and consequently they have good rooting They have many serious thoughts bestowed upon them they are again and again considered and weighed in their minds such men digest businesses of this nature between God and themselves contemplating and feeding heartily upon the worth and high consequents of abounding in such and such holy dispositions and practices and continuing in them When such a practical resolution as this comes to be incorporated in the heart then it continues and abides in men now they will not regard any voice behind them from the flesh to gratifie themselves in any sinful or unworthy kind But this by the way Now the lustings against the flesh which the Spirit of God is wont to stir up in holy men that are filled with him are potent and strong they will not ordinarily admit of parties nor stand to dispute with temptations No but will set them on fire to prosecute the flesh and to pursue and follow the victory against it until it be brought low and shall have little list or heart to stir or move or be any further troublesome unto them It is true there are very few that attain to any such lustings against the flesh as these few whose lustings are so strong and potent and glorious The reason is because there is not one of a thousand that grows up to the state or stature of a perfect man in Christ I speak of that perfection which the Scripture often ascribes unto men and of which we are all capable But alas my Brethren we are voluntary Dwarfs and love to keep our selves babes in Christ we are loath to go to the price to be at the cost and charges of any thing that is spiritual excellent and glorious Indeed it is an unworthy principle and it is to be feared that there is a touch and tincture if not the whole body and element of it in the hearts of far the greater part of us viz. that if we can but possess our selves of so much Grace and such a Faith which will be sufficient at last to save us we need care for no more as if herein lay the high strain and excellency of wisdom in men not to do more to be saved than is of absolute necessity to be done or to enjoy as much of the pleasures or profits of sin as is possible to be enjoyed without being damned and so to order rank and couple both Worlds together as to drive them both before them esteeming those who trouble themselves and labour more than they themselves do for the meat that endureth to eternal life no whit wiser than those who over-by their Commodities and to whom in that respect men are wont to apply that Proverb of disparagement A fool and his money are soon parted But my Brethren as it was said to the Jews in another case If you will not believe you shall not be established Isa 7.9 So if men will not weigh and consider and believe that it is better for them that both their feet stand upon the World to come that their hearts affections and desires were wholy removed from the Earth and from this present World they will never be able to do any great things for God or for their own souls their hands will never be steady in their liftings up unto those Commandments of God in the keeping whereof there is the greatest reward Some pretend and plead that whilst they are men they must be subject to infirmities and there will be miscarriages and therefore since it will be so they care not how many they be They think it not worth the while to strive to reduce themselves into as narrow a compass of sinning as flesh is able to keep or move in but without much regret or care divide themselves between Christ and Belial between righteousness and unrighteousness between things present and things that are to come And so the truth is they do enjoy only a kind of compounded life living in an estate wherein Heaven and Earth are as it were mingled together and many times they are stung and pierced through with troubles and sorrows in respect of both For first they can attain unto no stability or well-grounded comfort or hope in God because their hearts are not entire and perfect with him And secondly many times that which they do or desire to do in matters relating to Salvation is troublesome unto them and incumbers them because of their concernments in this present World And so between the one and the other they enjoy themselves in neither Whereas if they would discharge their hearts from all inordinate and impertinent lustings after the things of this present World and remove their joy and delight into the World which is to come then they would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle James speaketh Jam. 1.4 they would have as it were their possession entire they would have their inheritance round about them on every side and would be compleatly happy Neither would they complain in the least of any loss they sustained by withdrawing themselves from their carnal interest from the importune delights and pleasures and great things of this present World Thus you see upon a rational debate of the matter that it is impossible without the Spirit of God yea without being filled with this Spirit that men should ever rise to any capacity of being filled with the rich and lively Consolations of the Gospel CHAP. VI. The fifth and last Reason of the Doctrine argued Men
to have come down upon Christ upon his being baptized may be clearly evinced First the opening renting or cleaving of the Heavens expresly mentioned in all these places plainly prove the Holy Ghost that is said to have come down upon Christ to be no Creature no created Angel but true God Let the Scriptures be searched from first to last we shall no where find the rending cleaving opening or bowing of the Heavens to be mentioned upon occasion of any created Angel coming down but very frequently upon any solemn or more than ordinary appearance or coming down of God himself unto men Bow the Heavens O Lord and come down Psal 144.5 2 Sam. 22.10 saith David in his affectionate addressment of himself by Prayer unto God Bow the heavens and come down i. e. Shew some Majestick and Godlike token or sign of thy Presence shew thy self like unto thy self like a God indeed in Umpiring the Affairs of the World between upright and wicked men In like manner the Prophet Isaiah or the Church of God personated by him Isa 64.1 O that thou wouldest rent the Heavens and come down Doubtless his meaning was not to desire of God that he would display the Ensign of an Angel before him and so come down to help his Church and People no but as was said before that he would appear in his appropriate and God-like Majesty It came to pass saith the Prophet Ezekiel that the Heavens were opened and I saw Visions of God Ezek. 1.1 The Heavens are never said to open or be opened but upon the account of some immediate or extraordinary appearance of God as Steven is said to have seen the Heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God Acts 7.56 As for that of our Saviour in John Verily verily I say unto you that hereafter you shall see Heaven open and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man Joh. 1.51 Whether we understand the place Metaphorically with some concerning more full and manifest discoveries of his Divinity that should shortly be made in the World by a more clear preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles or more literally with others of the Day of the general Judgment of the World when the Angels shall accompany him from Heaven and minister unto him during the continuance of the Judgment it no waies contradicts that Principle of truth on which we build viz. That the Heavens are never said to be opened rent or bowed down but upon some extraordinary appearance of God This is one consideration from the place cited to evince and prove the Holy Ghost coming down upon Christ to have been truly God viz. That the Heavens are said to have been opened rent or cleft at or immediately before his coming down 2. Another thing in the same passage evidently evincing the same Truth is that this Spirit of God is said to have descended and lighted upon him John adds that this Spirit abode upon him I saw saith John the Spirit descending from Heaven like a Dove and it abode on him Joh. 1.32 33. First if this Spirit were but a meer Creature a created Angel he must be supposed to have been locally and essentially absent from or out of the World some space at least before his coming down upon Christ for John saith as we heard expresly that he saw him not simply descending but descending 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from or our of Heaven therefore he was in Heaven some while at least immediately before his coming down If then he were a created Angel he could not be at the same instant of time in Heaven and in Earth too and consequently the World must needs Universally and in all and every the members of it have been utterly destitute of the Holy Ghost some while before Christ was baptized yea the Lord Christ himself must be supposed to have been wholly without the Holy Ghost untill now whereas the Scriptures make it an unquestionable Character of an ungodly man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to have the Spirit Jude v. 19. So that it clearly follows that in case the Spirit of God which descended on Christ upon his baptism was but a meer Creature or a created Angel that there was never a holy and good man in the World for some time before no nor that the Lord Christ himself was such which I know not how any man that desireth to be counted a Christian can own without trembling 2. This Spirit is not only said to have descended or come down upon Christ but also as we beard from John to have continued or remained on him Now no created Angel whatsoever is said or reasonably can be said to remain upon him Created Angels are said to minister unto him to stand by him to ascend and descend upon him are commanded to worship him c. but are no where said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to remain in him By the way this expression of the Holy Ghost's remaining on Christ signifies his uniform and equitable presence with him in the fullest or highest measure that he was capable of and that he was not subject to ebbing and flowing to rising or falling as he is in the best of men and besides it may import that this Spirit is not communicable unto any other person of mankind but only from through or by means of Christ Sed hoc obiter Again Were this Spirit of God a finite or created Angel in case he shall rest or abide upon Christ the rest of the World and all mankind besides must needs perpetually want him For nothing that is finite or that hath bounds and limits of essence and being can be or abide with one person in one place and yet be present with another person though at never such a distance form him 3. When the Evangelists report that Christ soon after his Baptism was led of the Spirit to be tempted of the devil in the wilderness they speak doubtless of the same Spirit which came down from Heaven upon him immediately upon his Baptizing Now it is marvellous improbable at least that He whom all the Angels of God are streightly commanded to worship should be acted and led by one of them into the Wilderness and this for such an end and purpose as to be tempted by the devil That Jesus Christ is God is I suppose evident enough from hence not only that one or some few but that all the Angels of God without exception of any are commanded to worship him Heb. 1.6 Certainly God would not command one Creature to worship another no not the Inferiour to worship the Superiour much less the Superiour to worship the Inseriour Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Luke 4.8 Now then if Jesus Christ be the Lord of all the Angels it is not like that he should be led or acted or prevailed with by any of them one or more especially into an engagement or undertaking of such a
for us with God and then what kind of help should we receive from him But then Secondly The Spirit is said to make intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered Now though we should grant that groaning may in a metaphorical sense and unproperly be attributed unto the Spirit yet how any groans or groaning of his should be unutterable unto him who is the Lord of all Language and Speech is not easie to conceive Thirdly Whereas the Argument insisteth so rigidly upon these words in the end of ver 27. The Spirit it self maketh intercession for us according to the will of God As if they argued a distinct will of the Spirit from the will of God I reply that the words do not signifie according to the Will of God here is no word which signifieth Will But according unto God and they answer these words by way of Antithesis in the former verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we ought Thus the Apostle had there granted that the Saints did not indeed of themselves know how to pray as they ought here he tells them for their comfort that the Spirit will enable them to pray as they ought i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according unto God or the mind or will of God i. e. as they ought and as it becometh them to pray And here is a direct answer relating to those infirmities which our Apostle had expresly affirmed to be in the Saints Fourthly That the work of the Spirit on the behalf of the Saints doth not lie in this to pray for the Saints a part in heaven which is the sense of the Author of this Argument is evident from Joh. 14.16 where our Saviour saith that when he should go away he would pray the Father and he will give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth c. So that the work which the Spirit hath to do for the Saints is not in heaven since the Ascension of Christ into Heaven Heaven is not the Stage or Theatre where the Holy Ghost acteth and bestirs himself on the behalf of the Saints but now he is come down upon the earth and his great business which he hath to do lieth in the earth even with the hearts minds understandings and wills of men stirring and moving there But Fifthly and lastly Remember the Rule that we delivered unto you in the former Argument which will fully give you the sense wherein the Holy Ghost is said to intercede with groans we gave you many instances when we delivered this for a Rule that in many places Actions are ascribed unto him that doth assist and direct and help men in the performance of them and not unto him that is the formal and immediate Agent So here the Holy Ghost doth intercede with groans because he doth fill the Saints with his Wisdom and Power and so putteth them into a posture to conceive inward groans and secret motions and desires in the Soul which the Creature indeed is not able to utter or come to God withal in his lips the Creature cannot utter it self when the heart is full of the Spirit of God yet such persons are acted beyond their own ability and very well may be because the Spirit is directing guiding and strengthening unto this work And this is the property of an Intercessor To intercede doth not alwaies signifie to plead for us but sometimes to plead with us against any Enemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this word in the rigour of the Grammatical signification of it is not alwaies used for interceding for another which he seemeth to catch at as I judge from the Latine word which signifieth to go between two but sometimes to go in opposition to an Enemy and sometimes it signifieth to expostulate and debate things with another Acts 25. So that all things being considered it is a clear case that this Argument is wholly defective And it may be seen further Rom. 8.15 it is expresly said that by means of the Spirit we cry Abba Father meaning that by the assistance and impulse of the Spirit we are able to call God Father which implieth the whole duty and management of this great service of Prayer and Invocation on the name of God And in the last place Jam. 16. speaking of the Prayer of the righteous man we translate it the effectual Prayer but the word properly signifieth that which is acted within a person by a power which is superiour to that which is natural in it We call those persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who are acted by an unclean Spirit as when any person is made to speak a Language which he never understood we use to say such a person is inspired acted and carried out by a power superiour to his own And so that Prayer which can do so much with God The effectual fervent prayer of the Righteous it properly signifieth such a Prayer which is full of the Holy Ghost which is inspired into man or whereunto a man is carried out and thrust forward by a Divine Power greater than his own So that these things considered it is a clear case that the true sense and meaning of the place is only this That the Spirit of God relieveth our infirmities in Prayer that when as we know not how to pray as we ought and when the flesh sometimes cometh in and directeth and leadeth into such a method of Prayer which we ought not the Spirit now interposing and directing and leading us to such a method and way that now we pray according to the mind and will of God Now concerning the business it self Sect. 19 I mean the Controversie I would only say this before I leave it that if you mind it or shall please to go round about the matters in Controversie and weigh both these Doctrines First that which denieth the Holy Ghost to be God go I say round it and take all the Arguments and grounds which the Maintainers thereof are pleased to bring forth and weigh and consider their tendencies and operations upon the hearts and consciences of men and you shall find them altogether barren and flat and no waies calculated for the nourishment of men neither is there any thing in it that is any waies apt to quicken the hearts of men to the Service of God comparable to that Doctrine which doth oppose it viz. That the Holy Ghost is God truly God In this Doctrine and in the Arguments by which it is proved there is spirit and life there is as it were great strength which cometh forth from it which bears upon the Judgments and Consciences of men It rules like a King upon his Throne Whereas those other Doctrines viz. that deny the Spirit and so likewise Christ to be God are but of a dull and flat import there is no manner of spiritual power and vigour in them It may possibly be the sense of some that the time wherein we have been
being saved it is so full that we are already saved by it And so Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance or rather the subsistence for so Hypostasis signifies of things hoped for Faith is said to be the subsistence or existence of things hoped for because the belief of those grounds or of those Promises of God or declarations that come from Heaven That These and these things shall be given to those that believe this I say doth give a kind of existency and presentiality unto the things themselves in the minds and spirits and souls of men For it is Faith that is the ground work or that which giveth a subsistence to these things in the soul for Hope floweth from Faith and by it the heart is carried out to the expectation of them Hope doth dilate and open the heart as a man doth his hand to receive that which is ready to be given unto him But that which giveth life breath and being unto Hope that is Faith It is Faith that giveth Being unto the Truth and Faithfulness of God in his Promises and Declarations by which they are settled and secured that they are all valid and that God will make them good unto his Sons and Daughters those who shall believe And in this respect the Language or manner of the Scripture speaking is very remarkable That they who are enabled by God by being anointed with a Spirit of Revelation to put men into a steady and substantial hope of possessing and enjoying such and such things are said to give them the things themselves So Isa 61.1 2 3. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted c. So again ver 3. To give them beauty for ashes the Oyl of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness c. So that according to this manner of Scripture speaking because the Prophet offered by a spirit of Prophecy to fill theis hearts with the hope and expectations of these things he is said to give them the things themselves So again he that shall be an instrument in the hand of God to preach the Word of God with such evidence of truth and demonstration as that he fills the hearts of men full of the hope of Salvation is said actually to save them Take heed unto thy self saith Paul to Timothy and unto the Doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee 1 Tim. 4.16 Fourthly Sect. 14 Your being filled with the Spirit will cause God to take a holy pleasure and delight in you and to imploy you about many actions and services of his which will be very honourable unto you and turn to a bleffed account in due time in his Kingdom Wherefore saith the Apostle to the Church at Jerusalem look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost c. Which doth imply that the men that God seeketh for the acting and doing his business here in the World are such who are full of the Holy Ghost such who have a rich anointing of the Spirit of God Men that are filled with the Spirit will be vigorous active and free in their work they will do what they do with all their might As men delight to be served by such Servants who are diligent and will go through stitch with their business that will not be baffled or turned out of their way by every toy or trivial occasion that shall present it self but will go on with their business not with trifling Even so it is a special Principle in the living God to desire servants that will be faithful and fervent in their business This indeed is the very Nature and Being of God and therefore he putteth that Character of his Being upon men which he judgeth meet to be chosen as instruments to serve him and which are as I may say made for him fitly qualified for any work or employment that shall be put into their hands Who counted me faithful saith Paul putting me into the Ministry If Paul had not been the man he was a man of mettle courage and resolution God would not have delighted in his service so as to have put him into the Ministry Now where we do not see men that are in the Ministry of the same Spirit it is a sign they are not put here by God for God taketh no delight or pleasure but only in such who are fitted for his work We read 2 Tim. 2.21 of Vessels prepared and made fit for the Masters use so that there is a certain fitness as well in Persons as in Vessels which maketh them meet for such or such respective uses Now that Generation of men in the World that are filled with the Spirit are only meet for the Masters use viz. the Great Master of the World the Lord of Hosts Such men as these men who are through-hearted zealous and lovers of his Work and that take delight in being employed in his Service are Vessels of pleasure and delight unto him Seest thou a man saith Solomon diligent in his business he shall stand before Kings Prov. 22.29 Shall stand before Kings namely to minister unto them Men of this Character are only meet for their Service Even so none are fit for the Service of the Great God of Heaven and Earth but such men who are of active and vigorous spirits and that know how to manage his Affairs with diligence and faithfulness for his interest in the World These men shall not stand idle but God will take delight to make use of them in his Service Whereas men that are unqualified for his Service to any confiderable degree as all men are who art not filled with the Spirit who have no activity nor edge in them are unto God as a bottle in the smoak And as men do not love to put what they drink into bottles that are smoaky because that will destroy all the goodness and pleasantness of the taste of that which shall be put into them Even so as was but now hinted men that are unqualified that have no dexterity for his business these are persons in whom God taketh no pleasure but are unto him as a bottle in the smoak because the management of his Affairs by such men as these will rather be a disparagement unto him than any matter of glory by rendring his Sacred Things common and consequently rendring them despicable in the eyes of men But on the contrary men that are richly anointed and filled with his Spirit these are Agents and Instruments for him as the Sword of Goliah was unto David there was none like unto it There is no Generation of men under Heaven that he taketh such pleasure in to commit and intrust his Affairs withal as with these who are filled with the Spirit Who maketh his Angels Spirits or wind
Servant plowing or feeding Cattel will say to him by and by when he is came from the Field go and sit down to meat and will not rather say unto him make ready wherewith I may sup and gird thy self and serve me till I have eaten and drunken and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink Doth he thank that Servant because he did the things that were commanded him I trow not So likewise Ye when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable Servants Now compare that which was delivered and taught in the former Parable how the Lord Christ will gird himself and come forth and serve them with that which is promised here namely that when they had girded themselves and administred unto him the Master while he shall eat and drink then they shall sit down and eat and drink And withal Doth he thank such a Servant because he hath done thus I trow not saith he I suppose his meaning is that it is not the manner of men when Servants do but that which commanded them to do the Master doth not think himself beholding to them neither doth he thank them by the bestowing any signal or particular reward upon them But now there is a kind of Servant upon whom the Master doth intend to bestow very great and worthy things For it is said in the other Parable expresly he will gird himself and come forth and serve them He will do it in the sight of Heaven and Earth all the World shall take notice that he will account those Servants there spoken of worthy of double honour he himself will honour them But if the Question be But what is it that maketh the difference between these two kinds of services in point of Reward both of them were good Servants and typifies such persons who should be saved The business is this if you will but consider the nature of these Commands you will find a difference of these Servants They that do the things in the latter Parable which are commanded them that is which are properly and positively and strictly commanded them viz. when God shall pitch determinately that either they must do them or else suffer for it and be destroyed with the vengeance of Eternal fire Now they that go forth in their obedience in this kind so far as that they may escape these dangers they shall sit down when their Lord and Master hath eat and drank that is they shall receive the common reward of Salvation But there are another kind of Servants in another consideration very proper and passable too that serve not as Servants but rather as Sons namely those that shall set themselves and stir up their hearts to obedience unto God in these high Commands of his which are not things commanded after such a manner or with such a kind of Command as was mentioned formerly with threatnings of hell fire unto those who shall disobey them They who shall perform these high services and commands of his which are calculated on purpose for the spirits of those men who are Children who are of a filial spirit and ingenuous temper and who desire to communicate in the greatest and highest of the affairs and blessings of God they who shall not content themselves with the observation of the former kind of Laws but shall rise up in their obedience to the observation of the other these are they whom their great Lord and Master Jesus will gird himself and come forth and serve them That is will shew them signal and special grace and favour by themselves But that by the way The truth is that the performance of the latter kind of services viz. those that be not drawn out by the means of threatning of damnation are of the most noble and genuine kind and of highest acceptation with God yet notwithstanding there is no Law made against such persons who shall not be holy and exact as Noah Daniel and Job that shall not be as worthy excellent and heavenly as these were or as serviceable in their Generation but yet these are they whom their Lord and Master will gird himself and come forth and serve but will not do so by the other So that the Servants or Believers which are expressed in the Parable that shall eat and drink when their Lord and Master hath eaten and drank are these who do only the things which are expresly and particularly enjoyned and that upon such terms that except they do them they shall neither eat nor drink That is they shall never be saved And these compared with the others may well be termed unprofitable Servants Mat. 25.30 or rather as the word signifieth and so is translated ver 26. slothful or undiligent Servants Servants that will do no more nor stir one Inch beyond their prescribed task Now such kind of Servants the Holy Ghost calls idle or sluggish who will not bestir themselves in their Masters business as they ought to do This is that which I was saying unto you that it is the observation of this latter kind of Commands which are not threatned with destruction this is that which doth beget in men that Child-like Spirit and that confidence and boldness towards God whereas the observation of that inferiour kind of Commands doth rise no higher than deliverance from destruction but doth not advance them to use it to any special interest in the favour and love of God it riseth no higher nor begetteth nothing else in them but a kind of fear or servile spirit full of doubts and diffidence and distrustfulness and these are the proper and different effects of the obedience unto these two kinds of Commands To clear this a little further there are Instances in the Scriptures where we may observe both the one and the other and likewise the mind and intent of God in them Such Precepts without conformity unto which men cannot be saved either they are such which the Law of Nature doth impose upon men and condemn and judge them if they break and transgress them or else they are such Commands which by reason of some circumstances of time and place and some necessity do so bear upon the Consciences of men that a man cannot neglect them without a manifest contempt of the Divine Authority and Majesty of God As for example when God spake to Abraham and commanded him to go out of his own Country and so to Moses to go to Pharaoh or to Paul to go to preach the Gospel now disobedience in this kind would argue a great affront to the Majesty of God But there are other Commands though perperly enough Commands wherein men are much left at liberty and freedom viz. after what manner and with what hearts and affections they do perform these when men shall not only do simply and barely the thing that is expresly commanded but likewise shall give out their hearts to it and shall observe this after the best manner This is that
notice before-hand that he was a man full of the Holy Ghost Acts 6.5 And they chose Stephen a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost lâ—st otherwise the greatness of the Actions might prejudice the belief of them in those that should read them Whereas the Reader taking notice that Stephen was a man endued with more than ordinary Power and Wisdom from on High full of the Holy Ghost they might upon this account look upon it as a thing no waies incredible that Stephen should do and speak and suffer for both 〈◊〉 did So likewise when Paul Acts 13.9 in the Condition of a stranger undertook the bold and high Contest against Elimas the Sorcerer as he is called a false Prophet being a great Favourite as it seemeth to Sergiue Paulus the chief Ruler of the Country in the Isle of Cyprus there is express mention made before-hand of his being full of the Holy Ghost Then Saul who also is called Paul filled with the Holy Ghost set his eyes upon him and said c. Implying that such a thing as this would hardly have been undertaken by Paul unless he had been carried on by the Spirit of God within him and that by some considerable fulness of him And this Paul we now speak of laboured we know in the work of the Lord more abundantly than they all he was as we may say the Lord Christ's right hand upon the Earth he drove Sathan the God of this World before him from place to place and triumphed over him every where where he came he was too hard for him and cast him down from heaven like lightning and turned the affairs of his Kingdom upside down and laid wast his power made havock and desolation in all the Territories which he had amongst the generality of men But how came it about what was the reason why this Apostle so much and to such an high degree over acted the Line of the Labours Zeal and Faithfulness of all his Follows Questionless the reason was he had a richer and fuller anointing of the Spirit than they the Sails of his soul were filled with a stronger gale of the Spirit of God than theirs himself doth in effect give this account of his heroick and high Actings for Jesus Christ in the World Col. 1.28 29. Whom we preach saith he warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily he laboured for this very purpose to present every man perfect in Christ and he did it according to his working namely the Spirit of Christ which did work in him mightily or with power Where observe by the way that the Apostle saith that he did labour in conformity unto the mighty working of the grace of God or of the Spirit of God in him the meaning seems to be this that the Spirit of God that put him on and Paul were both agreed Paul as ready to go as the Spirit was to send By this means Paul went on in all those Heroick Actions which he did and made great havock and desolation among the powers of sin and darkness and unbelief in the World By means I say of the Spirit Paul submitting himself unto him and receiving his impressions and going along with them he was enabled to many great atchievements and to labour more abundantly in the Gospel and for the interest of God and his glory in the World and the good of men also than any nay all the rest of the Apostles though they were men who were also very serviceable in their Generation To instance no father the Lord Christ himself who was the Worthy of all Worthies that ever the great God of Heaven and Earth imployed in any service upon Earth who was the first-born Servant of God and Elder Brother to Paul himself who kindled a fire that never was yet quenched nor ever shall be until it hath consumed all his Enemies and laid a foundation in his own bloud to build up the Name of God in the greatest glory amongst Angels and Men to the daies of Eternity He I say was a man of these high and most transcendent Atchievements by the advantage he had of all other men in being filled with the Spirit above them all according to that of Joh. 3.34 where it is said that God gave him the Spirit without measure he was not only filled with the Spirit but had the over flowing of the Spirit never did any man attain unto his pitch of zeal and faithfulness to the service of God So that there is no question but that he that is filled with the Spirit is in a capacity to Act and cannot lightly but Act at a very high rate for God if be do but follow the motions of the Spirit of God and will go along with them then he cannot I say but be great in the sight of God great in the services of Christ and of his Saints If you desire to know the reason hereof it is because as the higher the wind bloweth that Ship whose Sails are duly trimmed runneth so much the faster and riddeth the more way upon the Seas Even so when the heart and soul of a man shall be full of the Spirit of God such a person must needs be acted and carried on with more power and vigour in a swifter manner or course and be enabled to do twice as much as another in the same compass of time who hath but a scanty presence of the Spirit of God with him You know it is our Saviours Expression Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit I suppose he maketh mention of being born of the flesh only to shew and make things more passable to the understanding of Nicodomus to make way for that which he spake in the latter Now saith he that which is born of the flesh is flesh that thou and every man knows as the Parent that begetteth a Child is of a fleshly nature so that which is born must needs be flesh also And dost thou not know how a man shall be born again of the Spirit It is even as it is with those that be born of the flesh they partake of the same nature and receive the impressions of the flesh So it is with the Spirit that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Such as is the nature of the Spirit of God such also is that which is born or begotten of it that is those Principles whatsoever they are that he who is born of the Spirit doth receive by means of the Spirit of God must answer and be like unto those which the Spirit of God himself hath of which he is born or begotten Now you know that the Spirit of God is full of the Love of God and full of Zeal for God and set upon the magnifying of him in the World and promoting his Interest in the
changed from glory to glory and be made as like unto him in felicity as far as their nature will bear in order to the rendring them capable of enriching the World with the saving knowledge of the truth where ever they shall become this being one property of felicity and true greatness and nobleness of Spirit where ever it is to dilate and utter it self for the real good benefit and comfort of all that are round about it and within its reach Of these things thou hast a large account in the ensuing Treatise both as to the provision that is made by God in the Gospel for his Saints and those that serve him as likewise the nature of him that is the chief Agent the Holy Ghost to manage and to be their Assistant in all their spiritual Works and Services which by virtue of the abundant grace of God in the Gospel they are called unto and might be partakers of he being none other than him that hath all Power in his hand both in Heaven and in Earth Not a Creature lest any man should despair of ever being strengthened with might in the inner man or should fear of ever being able to arrive unto that blessedness which is prepared for those that love God and wait for the appearance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ But this Holy Spirit which thou art advised to be filled withall is no less no other than the increated Spirit God blessed for ever Which in case thou hast but such a sense of thy Salvation as to be found working of it out with fear and trembling thou mayest assure thy self that it is none other than God himself who is both able and willing yea is already at work within thee and will enable thee not only to will but also to do and that according to his good pleasure whose will and good pleasure concerning the manner of his coworking in men is largely opened in this Discourse And likewise his Godhead argued and with clearness proved both by Scriptures and sound Reason As also those Grounds and Arguments that are commonly brought to prove him to be of a created and finite extraction punctually sedately and faithfully answered and the Scriptures that are brought to serve in that Warfare are dismissed and discharged from that Service And we look upon this part of the Discourse as so much the more seasonable and we hope a good hand of Divine Providence in bringing of it forth at this time inasmuch as that Spirit of Error is now stirring more effectually than of latter times to the endangering of the Everlasting Welfare of the precious Souls of Men rendering the Gospel and the Grace of God which hath appeared to all Men by Jesus Christ and that unspeakable Gift of the Holy Ghost or Spirit of God which is to remain with the Saints until his coming again as very inconsiderable Thereby making the neglect of this Grace of God and his good Spirit a thousand times more tolerable than indeed it is or is like to be unto those who shall be found to neglect so great a salvation that is brought so near unto them and that by God himself with the gracious offer of himself and his own help and assistance herein Thou hast likewise an account given thee by what means it is that the Spirit of God himself if thou shalt submit unto his most gracious Counsels herein will advance his Presence in thee whereby thou mayest have as much of his assistance as thy heart can desire Together with some Rules laid down whereby to judge whether a mans self or others be filled with the Spirit or with some other Spirit which only pretends to be the Spirit of God but is not but a Spirit of Error and Delusion very useful at all times but more especially now when Sathan that lying Spirit is playing his Last Game upon the World his time being very short he is put upon it more than ever to mingle his spiritual wickednesses with heavenly things which are his most dangerous Weapons and thereby doth greater execution than Men generally are aware of There are many Wiles and subtil Devices by which Men are taken off from attending upon the Ministry of the Gospel which is called the Ministry of the Spirit which are very mischievous and destructive it is to be feared to many and endangering more that are here detected and their nakedness laid open As also the great business of the Saints Communion with God both as to the freeness and fulness or largeness thereof discussed together with the great advantage of a large interest in God by Prayer discovered In all which there are many Scriptures clearly opened We question not but that persons who have the use and exercise of their Spiritual Senses and are to any considerable degree able to discern things that differ will find their precious time well spent in the reading hereof and will find the discourse pleasant to their Spiritual Palate and receive nourishment thereby in their inner man Good Reader We have only two Requests to make unto thee before we leave thee First â—hat if there be not in all and every passage of this Work the same height of Stile and Elegancy of Expression as is in other his Writings thou wilt excuse the Author inasmuch as it seemed good to Divine Providence to finish the daies of his mortal Pilgrimage and to gather him unto his Fathers before this Work could be made fit for Publick View And we nothing doubt but that thy Christian Candor and Ingenuity will take this for a sufficient excuse on the behalf of those things for which we Apologize Our Second Request is if thou expect to receive good by this Discourse That if at any time thou hast been prejudiced against the Author thou wilt lay all things of that nature aside as thou lovest thine own Peace and Eternal Welfare and engage with an honest heart and sincere mind in the reading hereof For although possibly there may have been some difference between him and thee and some others in some Doctrinal Points yet this being mainly Practical he and all other good men more generally agree in matters of this nature Nâ—w that the God of all Grace may fill thee with a rich Presence of his Spirit that so thou mayest be rendered most acceptable to him in all thy waies and be put into the best capacity to serve thy Generation and in the end be made partaker of the highest Glory with the Saints in light is the Desire and shall be the Prayer of The Publishers To all that desire to be filled WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT THere is a great Ambition in the Sons of Men after Fulness and so there is in the Sons of God also but the Fulness which the Sons of the latter and better Denomination do most mind and covet is of another nature and kind than that which the Sons of the other and lower Denomination are ambitious of There is an Earthly
viz. Whether he be an increated Spirit even God blessed for ever or whether a created Spirit Several Scriptures opened and argued both from the Old and New Testament proving that the Spirit spoken of in the Text is none other than Johovah or the most High God The several Pleas brought against these Scriptures by persons contrary minded taken off and rendered invalid As also some Grounds in Reason propounded and argued to prove that the Holy Ghost is very God Page 142 CHAP. VIII The most material Arguments that are generally insisted on by those who deny the Divinity of the Holy Ghost are weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary Wherein also those Scriptures which are generally insisted on by those who perswade themselves and would also perswade others that he that is the Searcher of hearts is but of a finite extraction or the Holy Spirit of God is but a Creature are all discharged from bearing that burthen which is laid upon them As also the great profitableness yea the great necessity of this Discourse though somewhat large is asserted Page 196 CHAP. IX The Second Question propounded namely How or by what meanâ— a Believer or any other Person may be filled with the Spirit of God Some difficulties removed with one Direction propounded and largely discoursed whereby men and women may understand the intent of the Exhortation and what it is that is required of them when they are commanded to be filled with the Spirit Wherein also the Grace of God and the free working of his Spirit is clearly vindicated and asserted Page 239 CHAP. X. The Resolution of the Second Question further prosecuted And six Directions more given to shew how men and women may come to be filled with the Spirit of God and what is to be done by them in order hereunto Page 279 CHAP. XI A third Question propounded viz. How a man or woman may know whether himself or others are filled with the Spirit of God or will some other Spirit that pretendeth to be the Spirit of God but is indeed a Spirit contrary to it Wherein are several Rules laid down in order to a clear understanding thereof Pro. 6.9 10. 1 Cor. 12.8 9 10. Jam. 3.17 Prov. 2.22 Chap. 9.6 Rom. 8.13 Psa 145.17 1 Cor. 2.10 11. in part opened p. 316 CHAP. XII The first Vse of the Doctrine by way of Instruction in four main Points First Shewing how comely a thing it is for men and women to be found obedient to the Commands of God in general and particularly how beautiful and honourable a thing it is for men and women to be filled with the Spirit of God and to be found acting accordingly Secondly An account given what strangers the Saints themselves are unto many great Duties and more especially unto this great Duty of being filled with the Spirit insomuch that even this Generation are as it were asleep thereunto Thirdly That this great blessedness of being filled with the Spirit is no impossible thing but is attainable by the endeavours and engagements of men Fourthly and lastly That it is the Will and Design of God that Believers should be a Royal Generation of Kings and Priests unto himself and that they should live accordingly p. 345 CHAP. XIII A Second Vse of the Doctrine being a Vse of Reproof unto all those who are Enemies unto this heavenly Exhortation and Counsel of the Holy Ghost administred unto men namely to be filled with the Spirit and who by any means obstruct the course of it A first sort are such who scoff at such a thing as a being filled with the Spirit of God A second sort of Offenders are such who perswade men that the Spirit which they are exhorted to be filled with is but a finite Spirit an Angel and not God Wherein many things are further argued proving the Holy Ghost to be the most High God Page 358 CHAP. XIV A third sort of Offenders reproved are such who instead of following the Exhortation of being filled with the Spirit take a course to be emptied of the Spirit of God Who make it matter of Conscience to turn their backs upon the Ministry of the Gospel which is called the Ministry of the Spirit Wherein the several Scriptures and Reasons by which they strengthen themselves in their evil way are examined and found bent against them And likewise the necessity of the Ministry of the Gospel and the great benefit thereof largely asserted and vindicated Page 387 CHAP. XV. Five sorts of Offenders more under the Second Head reproved First Such who are chill and cool in their respects unto the Ministry of the Gospel An account of the Causes thereof The danger of false Notions concerning God A second sort reproved for withdrawing from a lively and powerful Ministry Reasons of such miscarriages Legal and Evangelical Ministry distinguished What renders Persons duly fitted for the Ministry of the Gospel The third sort justly reprovable are such who neglect to be led by the Spirit of God How and when the Spirit of God is neglected A fourth sort justly reprovable also are such that do resist the Holy Ghost or Spirit of God The fifth and last sort of Offenders are such who refuse to sow unto the Spirit of God Page 419 CHAP. XVI The fourth and last Vse of the Doctrine being an Exhortation to use all means we are capable of in order to a being filled with the Spirit of God Three Motives propounded The first More generally taken from the nature of the Commandments of God That this Duty is one of the holy and righteous Retinue of Duties enjoyned us by God Neglect of his Commands provoketh him to Jealousie The second Motive This being known to be a Duty enjoyned by God neglected hinders the Soul from prospering in the things of its own peace The vast difference and great danger of an habitual Omission of known Duties in comparison of Duties a man is ignorant of A third Motive This is a Duty enjoyned by the Lord Christ who speaks now from Heaven The difference between God's speaking on the Earth and now speaking from Heaven Neglect of Evangelical Duties much more provoking than the neglect under the Law Heb. 12.25 in part opened A being filled with the Spirit purely Evangelical Page 452 CHAP. XVII Four Considerations more to enforce the Exhortation The fourth Motive the great benefit accruing unto men and women by a serious engagement in a course likely to issue in a being filled with the Spirit It will free men and women from foolish unclean and noysome lusts somewhat peculiar in this engagement differing from others though worthy in their kind A fifth Motive proving that in case men do what God hath and doth enable them to do in order to a being filled with the Spirit of God this their enterprize shall assuredly prosper in their hand Hope of obtaining great encouragement unto Endeavours Some more of the great Priviledges that accompany a being filled with the Spirit A
the Faith of the greatest and best resolved Believers amongst the Children of men The second thing was this to display manage and act this Faith before the World that they may see it as it were face to face and that the fruit evidence testimony and account of it may be fully adaequate and Commensurable to the truth and all the degrees of the reality of it The third and last thing whereunto all men stand bound and by the performance whereof they must needs bless the World was the keeping of the Commands of God How and in what respects the performance of all these must needs stand the World in eminent stead was shewed formerly We have now only to shew how they cannot be performed without their being filled with the Spirit of God who shall perform them First Sect. 8 For that notable strain and generous kind of believing we spake of As no Faith no kind or degree of believing can be attained or raised in the soul but by the Holy Ghost so much less can any excellent or worthy strain hereof be raised or exerted in men but by the glorious might of the same Holy Ghost Doubtless there is no man believeth upon any other terms than those did who are said Acts 18.27 to have believed through grace that is through the gracious operation and assistance of the Holy Ghost So likewise 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing you have purified your hearts or souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit c. implying that neither had they obeyed the truth meaning the Gospel that is believed it the Gospel being there under the notion of truth as elsewhere made the Object of Faith had not the Spirit of God done very graciously by them in awaking and exciting them hereunto They would never in any serious manner have so much as though upon this believing had not the Holy Ghost put them upon it The Gospel and mens hearts are commonly strangers the World and their sensuality and folly make them so They have little knowledge one of another and doubtless would never have been brought together but by the mediation of that most gracious and blessed Spirit Now the Spirit of God bringeth the hearts of men and the Gospel together by causing a kind of enterview to be between them for a while upon which if there be not an extream frowardness and desperateness of folly in the hearts of men the glory and beauty of the things to be believed being presented unto them by the Holy Ghost will overcome them and so there will follow a blessed union and agreement between them Now as the first and lowest greeting between the Souls and consciences of men and the Gospel was procured by the simple interposure of the Spirit of God so must that glorious and more near interview between them which we call face to face viz. such a Faith which giveth presentiality or real subsistence unto the great things of the Gospel in the spirits and souls of men which alone is the Faith that will bless the World by amazing it with its glory breaking forth in semblable actions this say we must be obtained not simply by the Holy Ghost but by him in his more sublime and raised actings Eph. 3.14 16. For this cause faith the Apostle bow I my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inward man c. The Apostle travelling in birth with a great matter of grace and spiritual blessing for this people and Church of God he telleth them he bowed his knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named c. meaning by this Character and Consideration that he is the Root of all that Family that is worthy to be put into account that is of all that are holy and righteous where ever they be and that they take their denomination as well as their spiritual and happy being from him But for what did he bow his knees to the Father of c It was That he would grant them according to the riches of his glory see how he laboureth and toyleth to be delivered of what he had conceived to ask of God for them to be strengthened with might by his Spirit c. But why doth he insert this clause according to the riches of his glory Doubtless his meaning is to inform them that though the request which he was now making unto God for them was exceeding great viz. that they might be strengthened with might by his Spirit c. yet there was good ground of hope that he should obtain it because the grant of it was but according to the riches of his glory that is proportionable or sutable to that glorious abundance of Grace Love Bounty Power c. which reside in him and are his Glory So that he knew that God could very well afford it notwithstanding the greatness of it being so richly furnished with all things necessary for the performance of it So that it is as if he had said I know it were in vain for me to how my knees to God for any such benefit for you as your strengthening with might by his Spirit did not I know he is exceeding rich in Glory in Bounty in Grace in Love c. Therefore in this you may be comforted that I do not beg this heavenly bread for you out of any desolate place or at such a hand where it was not to be had or from any such heart which is shut up against you no but from him who is both able and willing to give unto all that ask Good measure heaped up pressed down and running over Luke 6.8 Yea and this in things of greatest consequence and value well knowing that it is his glory thus to do Now to be strengthened with might in the inner man signifies more than simply to believe Yea more than simply to be strengthened in or by believing it imports a powerful strengthening or an excellent and high degree of corroboration or stoutness in their spirits hearts and souls by means whereof they should be able both to do and to suffer and this without much regret or trouble greater things for God and for the Gospel than the common sort of Believers can But why doth pray that this mighty strengthening in the inner man might be wrought by the Spirit I answer Because it is the appropriate work of the Spirit thus to elevate and raise the hearts and spirits of men above fears and doubtings God never conferring this high Priviledge upon Believers themselves without his interposure And besides it is considerable that it is the manner of the Saints throughout the Scriptures and so it was observed by Christ himself in his Prayer Joh. 17.11 17 19 20. that whenever they make any great request unto
which at one and the same time is to be expedited and put in execution in all the four winds of the Heaven in places without number and these very far distant one from another and to provide that the work should be done regularly and effectually in all these places at once must in reason upon a diligent consideration of the business be judged to be greater than any Creature to have an arm far more out stretched than any Angel in Heaven therefore cercainly our Saviours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Comforter here said to be the Holy Ghost must needs be greater than a finite Angel and consequently God himself even the most High God Nor is it pertinent or much to the purpose here to pretend that the business of temptation of tempting men and women unto sin is managed and that very effectually and with too much success all the World over at one and the same time and yet he that presideth in chief over the World is but a finite Creature and is styled in the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tempter Mat. 4.3 1 Thes 3.5 therefore why may not the work of Consolation be managed and carried on all the World over by an Angel or finite Spirit c. To this I answer 1. That there are many tempted and drawn away unto sin who are not tempted of the Devil Let no man saith James say when he is tempted I am tempted by God no let not every man when he is tempted say I am tempted of the Devil For God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man Nor doth the Devil tempt every man especially as oft as he committeth sin But every man i.e. the generality or far greater part of men is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Jam. 1.13 14. And we know the Devil himself was tempted and drawn away with his own lust and enticed to the greatest impiety whilst yet there was no Tempter much more may men be tempted and drawn away by their own lusts So that the tempting of men all the World over at one and the same time doth not prove that therefore the Devil tempteth all the World over at the same time And the Devil himself confesseth in the Scriptures Job 1.7 that he compasseth the earth two and fre and walketh up and down in it And elsewhere it is said of him that he goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 Therefore the Devil is not present all the World over at the same time doing one thing or other either by himself or by inferiour Devils his subservient instruments But now the Holy Ghost whom our Saviour calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he must of necessity be present all the World over where there is any comfort administred because no inferiour Comforter whether men themselves Ministers of God or others whether Angels or men can perform the work with effect or success without the presence and interposure of him that comforteth in chief Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is God that giveth the encrease So then neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the encrease 1 Cor. 3.6 7. Neither man nor Angel is any thing i. e. comparatively or able to effect any thing of any Evangelical import without the immediate or actual presence or interposure of God therefore if the Holy Ghost were not God he could not render the Word of God effectual in the hearts of men as to matter of spiritual Consolation and that he should be termed the Comforter and not be able to comfort authoritatively of and by himself or any otherwise than as men commissionated or delegated from God ministerially to comfort is most irrational and no waies worthy to be believed But some that are otherwise minded in the business in hand except against the English Translation for translating the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Comforter when as they should have translated it the Advoeate as they have done 1 Joh. 2.1 I reply 1. That to him that is weak the Grashopper is a burthen and he that is afraid of falling is apt to catch hold of every twig in his way though it hath little or nothing in it to keep him from falling For what will be gained to the adverse cause in case the learning and judgment of the Translators should be made to bow down at the feet of him who thus excepteth And if we should condemn the Comforter to justifie and set up the Advocate will the Advocate plead his cause who stands so much for him with more strength than the Comforter Doubtless not at all For if the Holy Ghost be an Advocate in such a sense of the word Advocate as Christ is which it seems is the sense contended for he must mediate and plead the cause of all the Saints on earth as he doth with God the Father and so must know the estates and conditions of all the Saints on earth respectively and particularly and consequently must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knower or searcher of the heart Acts 1.24 Chap. 15.8 which is the incommunicable property of God Or if he doth not know the hearts of the Saints perfectly how shall he be able to perform the part of a worthy Advocate He that is a man's Advocate had need understand his cause perfectly Or 2. If he that excepteth against the said Translation would have the Holy Ghost an Advocate in some other sense of the word viz. because he pleads the cause of the Saints at the Tribunal of their own hearts and consciences and informs these Judges I mean the consciences of the Saints respectively such things relating to his Clients upon the account of which they ought to justifie and absolve them or else because he pleads the cause of the truth and innocency of their Christian Profession before the World and the Rulers thereof when they are called before them or questioned by them according to that of our Saviour It is not you that speak but the Holy Ghost that speaketh in you Mar. 10.20 Mar. 13.11 Luke 12.12 namely by way of Apology for the Christian Profession which you make Take I say the word Advocate in either of these significations and I think there is hardly a third imaginable except that of Christ his being an Advocate the Godhead of the Holy Ghost will be every whit as much countenanced and asserted either by the one or by the other applied to him as by being styled the Comforter Yea the truth is that is cannot well be conceived how or in what respect other than in one or both of these the Holy Chost should be called or understood a Comforter Therefore the Exceptor against the said Translation in seeking the change thereof is but like a sick man who conceits if he changes either his Chamber or his Bed he shall be better and find ease whereas the
furnished and endued them with such properties and qualities as now he hath done That so there might be fit resemblances to train and nurture up the Minds Understandings and Reasons of men in the knowledge and apprehension of the mysteries of Christ and the great things of Eternity And I make no question but that God in Nature hath contrived and ordered the matter so with that Creature which we call the Wind that it poseth and troubles all the Philosophers that though they hear the sound of it yet not any one of them can give an account of it what it should be and whence it should come and when once it is up in motion why it should Fall Nay God hath so ordered the original of the wind and things appertaining to it at least to the Vnderstandings of men that they should not be able to give so steady an account of the rising and falling of it as they are to do of the rising and setting of the Sun that so there might be a kind of rising advantage administred unto men to conceive the better of the Holy Ghost or Spirit of God and of his Transactions and manner in doing matters with the Creatures So that now we see the Holy Ghost himself is resembled with the wind and very aptly so may be but the gifts of the Holy Ghost neither are in Scripture nor with any commodiousness of resemblance can be resembled by breathing or by wind therefore by the Holy Ghost in the place in hand cannot be meant the Gifts of the Holy Ghost but the Person of the Holy Ghost himself Again this might be made to appear further by comparing herewith several other places of Scripture by which it is evident that it was the Holy Ghost himself that was to be given unto the Apostles and to be and to abide with them Mar. 13.11 Joh. 14.16 17. So grieve not the Spirit quench not the Spirit Eph. 4.30 1 Thes 5.19 besides other places Now then if Christ said unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost there is no question but they did receive him they I mean all those to whom he thusspake Now if he were a created Angel or meer Creature how could more than one receive him at once Especially how could he be in and remain with many at the same time when these shall be dispersed and scattered up and down the World in Nations and places far distant as the Apostles we know soon after were We never read nor heard of any more than one Holy Ghost as was observed therefore the Argument in hand cannot be put off with common Evasions viz. That the Holy Ghost might be in the Apostles though never so remote at one and the same time by his Deputies or Vicegerents other inferiour Angels under his command or the like For 1. we have no ground in Scripture to conceive any such power given unto one Angel over another as that any one should be at the command or disposal of his Fellows Besides when Christ said to his Disciples Receive ye the Holy Ghost if it be supposed that there is but only one Holy Ghost and certain I am that the Scripture supposeth no more and that this Holy Ghost could be but only in one of them at the precise time of Christ's so speaking unto them which must likewise be supposed if the Holy Ghost be a finite and created Angel then it undeniably follows that though Christ indifferently said to all his Disciples Receive ye the Holy Ghost and indifferently breathed upon them all yet that he gave him unto one only and that the rest had some other Angel given unto them not the Holy Ghost We might likewise reinforce it from the words following touching the power of remitting and retaining sin conferred at the same time upon the Disciples when they received the Holy Ghost from hence I say we might re-assert our former Argument for the Divinity of the Holy Ghost viz. His power to forgive sins For the power of forgiving and retaining sins being given unto the Apostles upon their receiving of the Holy Ghost plainly sheweth that Primarily and Authoritatively it resideth in the Holy Ghost himself and that it was derived unto them only in a Ministerial way and as they were to be acted and guided by him in the administration and exercise of it And if the case were so with the Holy Ghost as our Adversaries conceit it to be viz. The Holy Ghost himself should only have a power by way of Commission from God and ministerially to forgive sins and that he is or must be regulated and bound up in the exercise of this power by his Commission as well as the Disciples were by theirs Then why might not they baptize in their own Names as well as his Besides if the Holy Ghost were Commissionated by God to forgive sins he had no power to give Commission either to the Apostles or any other to transact the same work it being a general and known Rule and this very equitable that he that is Deputed or Commissionated by another having a lawful Authority so to depute to transact any business hath no power to depute or substitute others in his stead for the transacting the business committed unto him Another Scripture or pair of Scriptures evincing the same great Truth with the former that without controversie the Holy Ghost is truly God is Acts 1.16 compared with Acts 4.24 In the former place Peter speakech thus Men and Brethren this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas c. In the latter place the Disciples express themselves thus And when they heard that they life up their voice to God with one accord and said Lord thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all that in them is Who by the mouth of thy Servant David hast said Why did the Heathen rage c He who in the former place is termed the Holy Ghost is styled in the latter Lord and God who made Heaven and Earth and the Sea c To say that God may be said to speak by the mouth of David because he gave order unto the Holy Ghost to move David so or so to speak is to oppose the direct and clear Letter of the Scripture with a man 's own thoughts and these weak and groundless If it had been said that God by the mediate or intervening motions of the Holy Ghost spake so or so by the mouth of David it had been somewhat colourable for our Adversaries purpose and indeed no more or if there were any such expression to be found in all the Scripture that God spake so or so one thing or other to any person by the mediation of the Holy Ghost this had been somewhat though less than the other But now the constant tenour of the Scripture speaking as to the point in hand being either that God spake or the Lord spake or
and cut off their Garments to the middle and so sent them away That which Hanun did in this case reflected upon David and was an affront put upon him but the particular things done unto his Messengers cannot be truly said to be done unto David Hanun cannot be said to have shaved off the one half of David's beard or to have cut off David's Garment in the middle Take one instance more Paul styles himself 2 Cor. 6.4 and those who preach the Gospel the Ministers of God and elsewhere 2 Cor. 5.20 Embassadours meaning of God for Christ i. e. for Christ's sake to procure acceptance for him with men Now in case these Ministers or Embassadours of God be evil intreated by men in the World in one kind or other the evil that is done unto them God accounts as done to himself But however not in respect of the specifical or particular nature of the evils done to them but in the general as being highly affronted When men killed the Apostles as our Saviour foretold they would God doth not look upon himself as killed by them but highly injured and despised In like manner in case the Holy Ghost in Peter or other holy men were only a Messenger sent from God and men should lye unto him yet they cannot in this respect with any tolerable congruity or truth of speech be said to lye unto God but only in lying unto his Messenger to have dealt wickedly and unworthily by him So that what our Adversary layeth in by way of answer or reply to these passages of Scripture yet before us when it comes to be fifted and narrowly searched into vanisheth into smoke Another Text of Scripture Sect. 14 evincing above all contradiction the Deity of the Holy Ghost is 1 Joh. 5.7 For there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You see it is expresly said that these three the Father together with the Son and the Holy Ghost are one If they be one then one in Nature one in Essence one in Subsistence otherwise there could not be that unity in any sense Now this could not be expressed in more emphaticalness of words and which better bear such a Notion as this Here again we have an evasion as indeed there is no end of these things Satan is an old Fox and hath his devices to keep men from the knowledge of all truths but more especially such which lie any whit remote from the common and ordinary thoughts of men such that men must take a long journey to come at such are these which we are now treating of Now Satan takes the slightest occasion to colour over and bedawb them knowing that there is not one man among many that will be willing to take the pains or undergo any hard travel to wipe off the colours that Satan puts on them And as in long journeys there are many bottoms and hills and Wood-sides and there you are in danger of Thieves and Robbers So there are some Doctrines some matters in the Christian Religion where you are to expect and hear of this great Destroyer of the Souls of men lying in wait to rob them of their spiritual Treasure by labouring to confound the World according to the state of things there for he well knows the state of it and how it goes from day to day But Now as to the business in hand several exceptions there are which being searched into vanish into nothing but air As one while the Adversary pretends that these words are wanting in some Greek Copies Now for that when there was no Printing in the World and consequently Copies of Books especially such great Books as the Scripture when it was written and translated they were but few in comparison of what they are now and if there were any Sect or any great Faction of men As for instance of the Arians when they spread the whole Christian World in a manner over like a Deluge Now during such a time the men of this Notion being very many they very well might and in all probability they did corrupt and falsifie Copies and that is the ground that you hear sometimes that one Copy reads it thus and a second thus and a third thus and a fourth different from all the former And it is not likely but that there should be such difference and variety of Copies We know that the Papists now have a great deal of the Christian World under their Jurisdiction and how they are wont and that of latter times the fruit is fresh in memory to take and to throw out what they thought good out of the Notes and Copies of the Fathers wherein we may see the very footsteps of the Pope There are Books extant which they call Indices expurgatorii which are Indexes or Tables of what Sentences are left out and what are put in and these are great Books and there are two or three several kinds of them Even so it might very well be that men of this Opinion I mean the Arians whilst it spread it self might expunge and put out such passages and such Texts of Scripture as these which they saw did bear so hard and with so mighty and strong hand upon their opinion but this Clause is found in one of the ancientest of all Writers that we know of in Cyprian who lived about two hundred and forty years after Christ Now then seeing we find that in his writings which are more ancient than all those Copies where it is wanting it is at least a very probable Argument that it was in the original Copies Again another Pretext he hath against this viz. in that the Apostle saith in ver 8. that these three agree in one meaning only that they did testifie and assert the same truth Not that they are one in Essence but as I said that they agree namely in their Testimony they avouch one and the same truth So now saith the Adversary the other three which bear record in Heaven are only one in their Testimony joyning together in asserting one and the same thing but it doth not follow from hence that these three are one and the same in Nature and Essence For answer to this we must know that the Apostle John doth make a very apparent and express difference in the expressing the one and the other As in the former verse where he speaks of three that bear Record in Heaven He doth not say that these three agree in one but that these are one but when he speaks of the three that bear witness on Earth He doth not say that they are one but that they agree in one So that as I said here is a signal and manifest difference between the expression of that unity or Oneness which is attributed to the three former and that which is ascribed unto the three latter Neither can the former union be understood of agreement and consent only unless
which produceth the same effects in and about and with relation unto all men viz. their sustentation or continuation of their Beings but where he worketh variously or differently we hold a proportional difference of his personal presence with men so that our Adversary is quite besides his business at this turn also His Eighth Argument appears in the World with this face Sect. 14 He that changeth place is not God the Holy Spirit changeth place therefore he is not God To prove this he sendeth us to the third of Luke where it is said that the Holy Ghost descended like a Dove upon Christ at the time of his Baptism From this motion or descending ascribed unto the Holy Ghost he would needs infer and conclude that certainly the Holy Ghost cannot be God And why Because saith he God cannot change his place by reason of his Immensity which the Adversaries themselves do hold though the truth is he himself doth not hold it Now who can be said to change and alter his place saith he such a person whoever he be or such a thing cannot be God The Breviate of his Argument cometh only to this That the Holy Ghost changeth his place I suppose he would have said that he is capable of changing his place and therefore cannot be God because changing of place is repugnant to the Omnipresence of God which is God himself To this therefore we briefly reply That the Holy Ghost changeth not his place nor is capable of changing it nor doth his proof from Luke 3.21 22. hold out with his Conclusion For the descending of the Holy Ghost upon Christ in a bodily shape like a Dove doth no waies prove any local motion or shifting of place by the Holy Ghost but only the Doves changing place by the visible symbole whereof the Holy Ghost gave Testimony unto Christ or sealed him for the great Office of Mediatorship which he was now ready to enter upon even as God the Father gave testimony unto him of being his beloved Son by a voice from Heaven But whereas he saith that in the place cited We have the Holy Spirit in a bodily shape descending from heaven which is termiâ—â—â— a quo he affirms that which is not Here is no mention made of the Holy Ghost's descending from heaven in a bodily shape but only of the Holy Ghost descending upon Christ in a bodily shape like unto a Dove without any terminus a quo at all of which he speaketh It is indeed said concerning the voice that was now heard that this came from Heaven but as this Phrase of coming from heaven spoken of the voice doth not suppose the voice was first in the Heaven and then by a change of place came so near the earth as where it was heard but only as if he that spake it had been in the air above those who heard it In like manner if it had been said that the Holy Ghost had descended from heaven in the visible shape of a Dove it would not have implied that therefore the Holy Ghost was in heaven before and now by a local motion or remove came unto Christ but only that the Dove in which he is said to have descended came for some space down through the air And as touching the Metaphor of the Holy Ghost descending it imports nothing but what the Scriptures very frequently speak concerning God himself expressing this variation or change of dispensation or acting by such Phrases which in the Letter of them import change of place Nor do those Texts of Scripture which he citeth to prove that it was not God himself but an Angel who is said Gen. 18.21 to have gone down either divisim or conjunctim prove any such thing As for the rest of those places Acts 7.53 Gal. 3.19 Heb. 2.2 3. Heb. 2.13 these have not so much as a colour of such proof nor indeed have these Texts themselves which are likeliest to serve his turn of all other Acts 7.30 35 38. much more For what though he that appeared in the Bush unto Moses be termed sometimes an Angel or the Angel of the Lord or otherwise the Lord God himself Yet First Neither followeth it that therefore he was a created Angel as because Angels are sometimes termed men as Gen. 18.22 besides other places without number it doth not follow that therefore they were natural and true men But only that they then appeared in the shapes of men they were men by dispensation and for a time only Neither Secondly Doth it follow That in case it be granted that an Angel in one place is therefore termed Jehovah Lord or God because he sustaines the Person or speaks in the name of God that therefore where any thing is attributed unto God as spoken in the name of God it must needs be meant of an Angel these are wild kind of Inferences or Proofs By the way I do not conceive that any Angel properly so called i.e. any created Angel ever stiled himself by the name Jehovah or God but that when he that thus stileth himself is any where called an Angel it is meant of that increated Angel who is called Angelus foederis the Angel of the Covenant and in respect of his frequent appearances unto men and transactings of things aftter the manner of Angels may properly enough be termed the Angel of the Lord. But suppose we should cast in that Text Gen. 18.21 into the Treasury of our Adversaries demands and grant that the Lord who then said that he would go down signifies a created Angel and not Jehovah himself yet this would not much enrich him For there are other places of Scripture where local motion and change of place is upon the account mentioned ascribed unto God see 2 Chron. 30.6 Jer. 12.15 Joel 2.14 Mal. 3.7 Acts 15.16 Zach. 1.16 8.3 and possibly in many other places besides all these God is said to return which as plainly imports local motion as descending doth Yea who knows not that coming and coming forth coming out of his place are frequently attributed unth God see Isa 26.21 Mic. 1.3 where the very expression now contended about viz. descending or coming down is expresly affirmed of God as it is likewise Exod. 19.20 Num. 11.25 Psal 18 9. And who knoweth how oft besides So that from the Holy Ghost's descending an Argument levied against his Godhead is but a vapour or smoak His Ninth Argument is not made of much better materials Sect. 15 however the form and matter of it together produceth this He that prayeth unto Christ to come to Judgment is not God the Holy Spirit doth so Ergo c. The Fabrick of this Argument is built as you may see upon this foundation that the Spirit of God cannot be God because saith he that he prayeth unto Christ to come to Judgment which he proveth from Rev. 22.17 I reply That Text Rev. 22.17 doth no way prove that the Holy Ghost prayeth unto Christ to come to Judgment
a greater presence of God and where he filleth the hearts and souls of men with his presence there he riseth and advanceth in a more excellent manner with greater accommodations teaching them how to pray meaning the manner how they should pray Now in that he is said to relieve our infirmities and to help our ignorances when we pray and so to teach the Saints to pray as they ought by making Intercession for them the meaning is that he teacheth them a prayer of a more excellent and of a more spiritual import and teacheth them how to present this Prayer of theirs upon terms of a richer and more high acceptation unto God And Gal. 4.6 it is said God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Alba Father This is a Phrase or Figure of speakking wherein Actions are ascribed unto those who are the means or cause of them and not to the Actors themselves As for instance Charity is said to believe all things and to hope all things because it doth qualifie and dispose the Person where it is found thus to believe all things and to hope all things So here the Spirit is said to cry Abba Father and so to make intercession for the Saints because he doth teach enable and dispose them both to the one and to the other You had a taste of that formerly in Jude ver 20. praying in the Holy Ghost that is by or through the help and assistance of the Holy Ghost According to the same figure our Saviour's Saying unto his Apostles is to be understood Mar. 10.20 For it is not ye that speak but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you When they should come before Rulers and Governours he saith it was not they that should speak but the Holy Ghost that was within them his meaning is not that the Holy Ghost did speak the words but only because the Holy Ghost did furnish them with such and such things which they should speak So now they that be filled with the Spirit of God there is as it were a characteristical difference between the same kind of actions in them and that which proceedeth from other men who have not the same edge of spirit and life in them these are full of power and authority and heavenly lustre and beauty in their actions and doings whereas the like actions and performances of persons that do them without the Spirit have nothing of excellency in them Now of how great and blessed a consequence is it unto you to be enabled to pray effectually to carry things in Heaven richly and upon terms of highest acceptation If we could but weigh this one priviledge or advantage alone in the balance we should find it to weigh more than all the Silver and Gold in the World What To be able to pray yea to pray unto God with acceptation to pray so as to be able to prevail with God and that about great matters for States and Kingdoms as they may that have an interest in Heaven as such persons we speak of have Such men might carry the World before them they might pluck up States and Kingdoms they might be as great in Heaven as Nâ—buchadnezzar was here upon Earth whom he would he set up and whom he would he pulled down so had we interest in Heaven as we might have we might do likewise It is like we are at such a pass as the Disciples were at when it is said that they believed not for joy when Christ came first amongst them the consideration of his being rose again from the dead was a business of such a mighty consequence such a matter of joy that it became a stumbling-block in the way of their faith They believed not for joy i. e. they were not capable of the most demonstrative Arguments and Convictions as when he shewed them his hands and his feet and talked with them This is the case of this great Priviledge I speak of viz. of carrying matters in Heaven we are conscious to our selves that we are poor and weak men and women whom the men of this World are generally ready to to be treading and trampling under foot and to despise Oh my Brethren the things we speak of How incredible above measure are they Yet it is a most certain and an undoubted truth that if we be filled with the Spirit of God we might pray at such a rate and after such a manner that we might carry our Petitions in Heaven and even whatsoever we should ask in the Name of Jesus Christ according to the will of God And we need have no larger Rule than this we need not desire a larger Commission than the compass of the Will of God For all things are according to the Will of God which are necessary for the comforts and accommodation of men and women in the World round about Jâ—m 5.16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as all Greek Authors give out the proper signification of it is this It noteth a Person that is possessed or acted by a supernatural power whether it be of an holy or an unclean Spirit above their Sphere so now that prayer viz. the effectual fervent prayer c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is acted wrought and raised by a Spirit which is greater than the spirit of man and therefore of necessity by no other than the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost himself who thus raised and lifted up himself in might and power to enable them hereunto Eighthly and lastly By being filled with the Spirit of God Sect. 18 you shall by the mediation of the fruit and consequence of the particular last mentioned consult to your selves so much the better Resurrection and consequently the better Eternity I allude to that place in the latter end of Heb. 11. where the Author speaking of the Servants of God saith that they might obtain a better Resurrection where the Antecedent is put for the Consequent a better Resurrection for a better State in the Resurrection There are other waies and practices or at least may be upon which men may obtain the fatness of Heaven the best of the glory and great things of the World to come But there is none so certain or regular none within the reach of the Wisdom or Providence of men that a man may rely and reckon upon whereby to consult to himself a better Heaven but only that we speak of A being filled with the Spirit of God If you be made great in the Kingdom of Heaven in any other way or by any other means than that we speak of you must as well be beholding to the sin and wickedness of other men as to your own worth grace or faithfulness and there must be more than an ordinary hand in the Providence of God to bring it to pass For what other waies or means are there of obtaining a greater preeminence in glory than the
and Exhortations teach the Sons and Daughters of men such a deportment and demeanour of themselves in all cases and under all circumstances that will set them off with the best and highest acceptation with men for every Command and Precept of his hath a kind of pleasant correspondence with the frame and condition of man and when men and women neglect the performance of any of them in their season or shall do any thing contrary unto them they render themselves so much the less lovely and desirable No man ever neglected any of the Commands of God but that by every such neglect ipso facto they stain and spot the dignity and excellency of their glory whereas if they had been true to themselves and to their own interest in yielding obedience to those Commands of God they would have been more lovely comely and pleasant and more highly accepted both with God and amongst men The Holy Ghost himself very frequently commends obedience and subjection unto the Laws of God under this very Notion we now speak of unto men My Son saith Solomon Prov. 1.8 9. hear the Instruction of thy Father and forsake not the Law of thy Mother For they shall be an Ornament of grace upon thy head and Chains upon thy neck meaning that Instructions from the Word of God administred unto us by our Parents and those that be over us being regarded and submitted unto by us will render us lovely and respected both of God and men So again Prov. 3.22 So shall she meaning Wisdom submitted unto be life unto thy soul and grace unto thy neck She shall be an Ornament of Grace unto thy head c. So again 1 Tim. 2.9 10. The Apostle in this Contexture of Scripture sheweth how women professing Godliness ought to behave themselves in all Modesty Shamefac'dness and Sobriety accompanied with good works these namely good works are comely Ornaments as well for men as for women And it is the property of good works and all manner of conforming to the Will of God to make a kind of noise in the World and to provoke men to look upon them who are found fruitful in them Even as rich Jewels do make and beget by their Lustre a kind of high esteem and reverence in men to persons who wear them In like manner they who shall adorn themselves with works of righteousness by submitting to the Commands of God shall by such waies be known to be the Sons of God even by the richness of those Ornaments and Jewels which hang about their necks Mat. 3.15 It becometh us saith our Lord Christ to fulfill all Righteousness as who should say This is the way that would advance and adorn him and make him more comely in the sight of God his Father and of Angels and of Men. And so Rom. 16.2 That ye receive her in the Lord speaking of Phebe as becometh Saints and that ye assist her c. My Brethren there is no occasion no business nothing to be done either abroad or at home when a man is sitting in his house or speaking to his Servants or any other persons but there is an opportunity for such a kind of behaviour which will well become us and which will set us off with a kind of comliness or loveliness in the eyes of those which are about us This then is the first thing which we commend unto you by way of Instruction That if it be a Duty imposed by God upon all men especially Believers to be filled with the Spirit then is it a comly and honourable thing for men and women to be filled with the Spirit and to walk accordingly by means whereof they shall find acceptation both in Heaven and in Earth Secondly Sect. 2 If it be the Will and Command of God that all Believers especially should be filled with the Spirit of God take we further knowledge from hence that there are some Duties and these of most worthy consequence and concernment unto men unto which the minds and consciences of men even of Professours themselves are generally asleep taking little notice of them or of yielding obedience unto them they do not put them into their Roll or Catalogue of Duties or things commanded or enjoyned For first That this Precept of God which enjoyns a being filled with the Spirit of God directed more particularly unto the Saints is a Precept of very high concernment unto them hath been made to appear formerly and particularly when we gave directions how to raise an ardent desire in your souls unto it by setting before you the various and most rich accommodations which do alwaies accompany such a fulness Secondly That this Precept notwithstanding the excellency of it is little in the thoughts of Believers themselves and that their Consciences are little better than dead unto it is too too evident from the general neglect that is found amongst them of the use of the means which are proper to fill them accordingly without the diligent use whereof it is impossible they should be obedient unto the Precept as we have heretofore opened the business unto you and besides the little regard of this Precept even amongst Believers themselves is apparent more than enough from the general tenour of their actions and waies which are nothing like the actions and waies of men filled with the Spirit And as it is with this Precept of being filled with the Spirit in being so generally neglected and forgotten by Believers So is it with several other also which share in the same disrespect at the hand of Believers with it viz. as That of walking circumspectly or exactly as the word signifies That of redeeming the time in respect of the evil of the daies wherein we live That of bearing one anothers burthens That of not respecting persons for their wealth and costly cloaths That which enjoyns rich men to be rich in good works These with some others as generally all such which grate hard upon the flesh and require a spiritual Heroickness and true greatness of spirit to submit unto them and which are not sanctioned or back'd with an express threatning of exclusion from the Kingdom of God and of Salvation in case of disobedience Most of the Precepts of any of these Characters are like some absolute and antiquated Laws or Statutes in a State or Commonwealth which through a long customary and general disuse and neglect are no more minded or regarded than if they were not nor persons any waies challenged charged or thought the worse of for not conforming themselves unto them So are such Precepts of Christianity which respect excellency of walking and have not the vengeance of hell fire attending them to awaken the Consciences of men to the observance They seem to be no otherwise looked upon by Professours than as if they were given by the Lord Christ only to be gazed on and looked at and not with any intent that they should be obeyed by men or with any expectation
on the one hand and on the other that they are at a loss within themselves and troubled in their spirits because they cannot reach or attain that fulness of assurance in Judgment or Understanding in the case which they desire Now it may the question of some such person what is best to be done in the case Whether it be better and safer to Neutralize between these two Opinions and hang in suspense like a Meteor in the air between Heaven and Earth or else to fall in and close in his Judgment either with the one Opinion or with the other To this I reply First Though there be some kind of Opinions and Tenents in matters appertaining to Religion wherein a modesty and tenderness in Judgment do well become the gravest and best-grown Christians viz. such wherein either the Arguments on both sides have much probability and strength of reason at least seeming strength of reason in them or else where there is little can be produced on either side for the satisfying of the Judgment or eviction of the truth Although I say in doubts and questions of this nature a modest tenderness of Judgment is not unworthy a sober and sound Christian yet an absolute Scepticism or meer Neutrality of Judgment in these or any other questions doth not answer the state and dignity of a Christian one who desires to be thought a man in understanding The Reason is because there are hardly any Positions or Opinions whether truth or error but have somewhat either in themselves in their own constitution and frame or else in some consideration or other relating to them and this accessible enough which is sufficient to found or build some lighter estimate at least upon their agreement either with errour or with truth Now to be ignorant in this case or not apprehensive of such things the knowledge of which is proper to encline at least the Judgment and withal may with competent search and consideration be obtained is not honourable for him who is esteemed spiritual or skilful in the word of Righteousness But Secondly Concerning the Question before us viz. about the Deity or Godhead of the Holy Ghost the nature and condition of it is such that there is no place or possibility for a meer Neutrality or suspension of Judgment about it Men and women must of necessity take either the right hand or the left and go along with the one Opinion or the other The reason is because the Question as well in the Affirmative part of it as in the Negative relates unto Practice yea it relates unto two such Practices which in the Language of Logicians are contraria immediata such contraries which admit no Mediums between them He that denies the Deity of the Holy Ghost and holds that he is not God cannot honour him with that honour which is proper unto God only but at most with such a kind of honour which is competent to an excellent Creature As on the other hand he that believeth the Holy Ghost to be very God cannot but worship him as God Now it is impossible but that a man or woman must either honour the Holy Ghost as God or not as God for if he judgeth him to be a Creature or created Spirit now he doth not honour him as God If he judgeth him to be an increated Spirit and God himself now he honoureth him at least in this his Judgment of him as God So that if a man or woman shall think to say and hold thus I will neither judge or think him to be either a finite and created Spirit on the one hand nor yet an infinite or increated Spirit on the other hand This is a kind of inconsistency and it plainly enough supposeth that such a person doth not judge or think him to be God and refuseth or neglecteth to exhibite divine honour unto him which being interpreted is a denial of his Godhead So that evident it is that in the Question about the Holy Ghost's being God there is no place nor possibility for a neutrality of judgment or Opinion but we must of necessity at least in our practice or behaviour towards him conclude him either to be God or not God Well then this being supposed Sect. 12 it may haply be some mans question The case being so with us that we are intangled and perplexed in our Judgments and Consciences between the Arguments on the one hand and the Arguments on the other hand and are not able clearly to satisfie our selves either touching the sufficiency or insufficiency of the Scriptures and other grounds insisted on by men of the one Opinion and the other What is best and safest and most Christian like to be done in such a case as this I reply There being two kinds of Arguments or Reasons as Logicians distinguish them whereby Positions or Tenents are wont to be proved Artificial and Inartificial by Artificial the meaning is those that are levied and wrought out by the light and strength of the understanding from general Principles By Inartificial the testimony or consent of Judgment amongst men about a matter when a man can make no earnings of the former those that are Artificial but these on both sides seem to balance the one the other or it may be are demonstrative or satisfactory on neither hand then the best and safest way is to have recourse unto the latter the Authority Testimony or Consent of Judgment amongst men especially men who are most competent to be heard and regarded in such cases When satisfaction I say cannot be had touching the mind of God or the true sense and meaning of such and such Texts of Scripture which are wont to be insisted on for the proof of such or such a Doctrine or Tenent one or more neither from other Scriptures nor yet from any clear or undoubted Principle in Reason The safest course in this case especially where there is no place for a Neutrality in Judgment which we have shewed to be the case in the Point in hand is to have recourse to the sense and Judgment of the Churches of Christ in all Ages or to the Judgments of those whom God hath raised up from time to time to be Teachers and Instructers of his People We find that the Apostle Paul himself did attribute much to the Authority and Judgment of the Churches of Christ in such cases wherein a clear and satisfactory issue was hard to come at either by Scriptures or Argument otherwise As in the Question about mens Prophesying with their heads uncovered But saith he if any man seem contentious we have no such custome neither the Churches of God 1 Cor. 11.16 Meaning that if any person remained yet unsatisfied or unconvinced touching the meetness of such an habit both for men and women in the Church during the time of the publick Worship of God whether by Prayer or by Prophesying as he had now commended unto them and pleaded for but would still pretend
Birth Holiness of Life Miracles Death Resurrection ascension with all the Ends and great Purposes and Intentions of God in this whole Dispensation of him c. Now our Saviours meaning is that the Holy Ghost should take all these and shew them unto them i.e. should declare open and interpret them unto them and cause them to understand and consider the weight worth and beneficial tendencies of them unto men and women And indeed this is the proper work of the Holy Ghost to shew unto men and women the things that are Jesus Christ's and to cause them to understand them to draw out the hearts and Judgments of men and raise in them holy Purposes and Resolutions and so likewise to draw out from them holy Practices and Actions for this is the gracious and heavenly work of the Holy Ghost too so that where he is not furnished with these things of Jesus Christ where he hath no opportunity of shewing these things unto men he hath little to do he taketh no pleasure to abide there as Artificers or Workmen care not to be or dwell in such places where their proper materials are either scarce or not at all to be had If it be here said Sect. 3 But the Holy Ghost needs not to be furnished by the Ministry of the Gospel with there things because he hath the perfect knowledge of all these things of and in himself and so can take and bring them forth out of his own Treasury and shew them unto men or else he can take out of the Writings themselves out of the Records of the Gospel and shew them unto men in private he knoweth how to have the things of Jesus Christ at another hand than at the Ministers of the Gospel so that there seems to be no necessity of mens waiting and attending upon the Ministry of the Gospel To this I reply First By way of Concession It is true if we speak of his absolute power he is able to do either the one or the other either to take the things of Christ out of his own Treasury and bring them forth and shew them unto men or else he can take the Letter of the Gospel and teach them and hereby make discoveries of Jesus Christ and draw out mens hearts by means of it But Secondly I reply further by way of Exception It is one thing what God and so what the Holy Ghost is able to do by the absoluteness and unlimitedness of his power and another thing what he judgeth agreeable to his Wisdom and the other Attributes of his Nature and Being The Rule of Gods Will or what he doth or purposeth to do is not his power at least his power alone but his Wisdom principally and then his Goodness and Righteousness and all his other Attributes He doth not do nor intend to do the thousandth part of what he is able by his power absolutely and apart considered to do but only what in wisdom he judgeth meet and convenient for him to do Now then the Wisdom of God hath judged it meet and the meetness of the thing in it self is discernable enough by the minds and reasons of men if they were impartially and narrowly engaged in the consideration of it that men who desire the gracious presence and assistance of the Holy Ghost in shewing opening interpreting and applying the things of Jesus Christ unto them shall receive the things themselves from such Persons and by such Messengers who are fit for such a purpose viz. to build them up in grace and make them meet for glory It would occasion too large a digression and perhaps unseasonable to enter upon a thorough demonstration of the Wisdom of God in ordering the Contents of the Gospel the things of Jesus Christ to be communicated and imparted unto the generality of men by men like unto themselves not by the immediate and sole interposure and acting of the Holy Ghost nor yet of the written Records of the Gospel it self and therefore we shall forbear it only these considerations in reference to the business are near at hand First By the course we speak of God multiplies the dependencies of men upon himself which is a kindly and proper nurture to train them up in humility As he doth also by multiplying their dependencies upon himself in so many means for the preservation of their healths and lives and well-being in the World as he hath made requisite hereunto as by imposing on them a necessity to eat and drink and consequently to make use of the skill and labour and faithfulness of those who must prepare these necessaries for them and so upon the earth which must yield the matter whereof their meat and drink must be made And so upon the seasons and temperature of the year c. Look how many Creatures and means we are debtors unto or dependent upon for our health and strength and well-being in the World our condition is so much the more servile and encumbred and consequently is just matter of a proportionable humility unto us for if any of these necessaries should miscarry in that which is proper for them to do or contribute towards the life health and preservation of men then are they in danger of trouble sickness c. Now the proper tendencies of these things are apt to humble the proud hearts of men and women and to keep low and underfoot their haughtiness and they that do not consider it do not understand the design of God nor are they acquainted with his mind herein For as the Scriptures speak The Borrower is Servant to the Lender Prov. 22.7 For men and women then to borrow things from such poor Creatures and to go to this Servant and that Servant and to this Trade and to that Trade this sheweth that our life is very servile and as it is the saying That he that hath the greatest body is the fairest mark to shoot at So he that hath the greatest number of helpers and multiplicity of dependencies to maintain and make good his comfort and well-being this man certainly is exposed so much the more to miscarry and to be interrupted in his comforts Therefore when God intends to perfect the state and condition of man and to exalt him unto the highest felicity and pitch of blessedness of which he is capable he will disâ—â—â—umber his estate and condition from all and all manner of dependencies whatsoever as far as is possible and make him like unto him as is possible for a Creature to be made in his independency i. e. he will make him dependent only and solely upon himself according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.28 which we have heretofore I remember upon occasion opened more at large unto you that when Christ hath delivered up his Kingdom unto his Father then God shall be all in all God doth now veil or cover himself he is now in meats and in drinks in cloaths in sleep in every thing wherein there is any
truth upon their error whether from the Scriptures or otherwise we have answered at large heretofore For Sathan when he perswadeth any man to be mad he furnisheth him with reasons such as they are to maintain it under the veil of soberness and truth yea never was there any Error in matters appertaining to Christian Religion how senseless uncouth or pernicious soever set on foot but that it pretended Divine Authority for it self and confirmation by the Scriptures so doth the Error we now speak of which saith unto men Despise ye Prophesying never regard the Preaching of the Gospel especially of those that are the Ministers thereof For wherein is it to be esteemed This fond and most destructive Error I say claims acquaintance and confederacy with the Scriptures as if it were a strain of that Wisdom which is revealed from heaven to make men wise unto Salvation whereas indeed and in truth it is as opposite to it as the East is to the West as the Heaven is to the Earth Two Scriptures especially there are which are presumed to countenance that most unchristian and prophane practice The former is Heb. 8.10 11. The latter is 1 Joh. 2.27 Both these places we formerly I remember examined somewhat at large though now some while since and found nothing at all in either of them complying with such a practice but somewhat in both strongly opposing it For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel c. First It is evident that this passage containeth a promise appropriate unto the Nation of the Jews which doth not appertain unto the Gentiles this is evident from these words The house of Israel This is the Covenant I will make with the House of Israel Now though the word Israel put alone may sometimes be found to signifie the whole Church as consisting of Jews and Gentiles who together are called The Israel of God Gal. 6.16 yet the house of Israel is never found but to signifie this Nation and People by themselves and as distinct from others It is needless to cite all the Texts in the Old Testament where the Phrase is used in that appropriate sense we speak of Ezek. 3. only it is used four or five times in this sense viz. 1.4 5 7 17. besides that in the place in hand it is to be understood in that peculiar sense is evident from the Context all along from ver 6 7 c. So that by these words in the passage And they shall not teach every man his Neighbour it is evident that God speaks to this people touching this Covenant with whom he had made the former Covenant which must be the Jews and containeth no promise made unto the Gentiles If it be objected Sect. 6 but when this Promise shall be performed and made good unto the Jews Shall not Believers among the Gentiles partake of it I Reply If by partaking of this Promise be meant receiving benefit and spiritual accommodation by it it may be granted that they shall be made partakers of it viz. in such a sense as the World did partake of the extraordinary gifts of the Apostles these gifts were not formally or in the Letter of them granted unto any but unto the Apostles themselves though thousands did reap benefit or blessings by them In like manner I suppose the words we speak of are to be taken literally and shall literally and according to the preciseness of their signification be made good unto the Jews and that things shall be at that pass amongst this people that no man shall need to teach his Neighbour yet it doth not follow that therefore things shall be at the same pass amongst the Gentiles though it shall be much better for the Gentiles that knowledge shall thus abound among the Jews they shall drink of the over-flowings of their Cup for the Scriptures seem to hold forth such an high Prerogative to the Jewish Nation to be conferred upon them in the latter times which are yet to come viz. That the knowledge of God should so wonderfully abound amongst them that the Nations of the Earth should repair unto them by their Agents and Ministers to learn of them and to receive encrease of light in the things of God from them As the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon to see and learn from him So shall the Nations of the Gentiles repair unto Jerusalem to receive knowledge of God and to encrease in the understanding of the Truth The Scriptures of the Old Testament are full of such Predictions as these wherein such a grace as this is peculiarly intended by God for the first-born Nation that their Mountain shall be lifted up above all the Mountains of the Earth and that all Nations shall repair to them for knowledge Not to insist on many more places at present but leaving them to your own observation in reading only that of Zech. 8.20 21 22. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts it shall yet come to pass that there shall come People and Inhabitants of many Cities and the Inhabitants of one City shall go to another saying Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also yea many People and strong Nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. It is principally I conceive in respect of that advance in the knowledge of God which the Gentiles shall gain by the Jews when that Day we speak of shall dawn upon them that the Nations shall whet on and stir up one another to go to Jerusalem to enquire So Isa 60.3 The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising ten men shall take hold out of all Languages of the Nations of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying we will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Zech. 8.23 He was known in Jury other Nations had not the like knowledge of him But this will be also after a more rich and glorious manner He shall put on more beautiful Apparel to visit that Nation of the Jews when the day cometh than ever he was seen and enjoyed by any Nation under heaven before And we know that their receiving and entertainment by God into grace and favour is by the Apostle styled Rom. 11.15 In reference to the Gentiles A Resurrection from the dead and that which somewhat more particularly answereth those words in the Scripture before us which have the most appearance in them for the practice under reproof is that Jer. 31.33 And they shall not teach every man his Neighbour and every one his Brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the greatest to the least As to the clearing I say of this Passage it is to be considered that the Scripture doth not Predict that the knowledge of God shall simply or in the general abound amongst the Jews when the time of their
the World by making of the Stones of the Earth Children unto Abraham This needs no other proof but only the Testimony of so many thousands that do acknowledge themselves to be brought into Captivity unto Jesus Christ by the Ministry The Trophies of the Gospel are hung up in the sight of the World in all the parts and quarters of it it hath cast down in men and women many a strong hold many high thoughts have been thrown down by the efficacy and power of it it is of an undermining nature and of the Wisdom of the Flesh and of the World which are the Enemies that it meeteth with and hath to encounter in the course of it alas it maketh straw and stubble and rotten wood it doth detect and demonstrate the vanity and emptiness of this Wisdom and maketh it evident to the Consciences of men that if they will follow such and such Principles Notions and Apprehensions as they bring with them to the Gospel they are lost men they mistake the way of life and peace and shall most certainly come to the Chambers of death and Eternal destruction in the end And as for such things which it commendeth for truth it doth so fortifie the truth of them upon such terms of excellent demonstration conviction and power that except men be desperately bent and set upon their own ruine and destruction they cannot but give place to it and fall down before it and say of a truth this is indeed no other but the wisdom of God Thirdly That it might have been or yet may be as effectual unto the men we speak of if they would but remove that which obstructeth the efficacy and power of it is evident from many places Joh. 5.44 How can ye believe which receive honour one of another As if he had said that if they had not resolved that they would retain and not cast out from them that wicked and crooked humour and disposition of theirs viz. to seek honour one of another to seek the great things of this World and so to strengthen themselves in thier fleshly interest this way they might have believed as others did This therefore was the only thing that stood in the way of these people and was as walls and bars in the way of believing they did divide and give out their strength in seeking after honour and wealth c. and as Theives use to do divide parts amongst themselves Now so long as they were thus resolved to stick together they kept one another in their way and course upon such terms that they could not believe For by this means as the Artificers said of their Craft they had their living much of their wealth and honour came in upon the account of the credit and opinion men had of them Now when Jesus Christ did preach Doctrines contrary to the waies and policies of these men which did detect their nakedness and discover their wickedness and unworthiness they resolved to stand one by another and defend one another so that it was all one what he should say unto them they were bent upon their course For there is nothing but if men will be wilful they may withstand even the efficacy of the Gospel it self If it be here demanded Sect. 19 But is the Ministry you speak of no more efficacious or powerful than to be obnoxious unto the resistance of men Are men able by one means or other to hinder the efficacy and power of it Or is it not reasonable to conceive that the efficacy of the Ministry should consist as well in removing that out of the hearts and minds of men whatsoever it be that obstructs the efficacy of it otherwise the saving efficacy of it as in any other vertue property and power of it whatsoever Or if it be not efficacious enough to remove that out of mens waies which hindereth the saving efficacy of it wherein is it to be esteemed for any efficacy in it at all If it be not effectual to save men all the efficacy otherwise is not to be regarded I reply First That the Ministry of the Gospel cannot be conceived to be more effectual than the Holy Ghost or Spirit of God now that the Holy Ghost may be and is resisted by men appeareth Acts 7.51 where it is said that they had alwaies resisted the Holy Ghost therefore it is very clear that the Ministry of the Gospel may be resisted we know that the Arm of Christ was the mighty Arm of God his out-stretched Arm yet the Scripture saith that the unworthiness of the people was such that he could do there namely in his own Country no mighty works Mat. 13.58 Mar. 6.5 And the reason of this again was because they did not set their hearts upon the consideration of such things as he did nor upon the words which he spake therefore he could do no great works that is he had no mind or will to do them Now when a man is unwilling to do a thing he may according to Scripture Dialect and manner of speaking Gen. 39.9 2 Cor. 13.8 1 Joh. 3.9 be said to be unable to do it That Christ could not do any great work there was because it did circumstances being as they were not stand with the Wisdom by which his Will was steered nor with those Rules of Righteousness Holiness Justice and Mercy by which he was acted in his whole course So it is in the Ministry of the Gospel if men shall behave themselves at any such desperate rate of unworthiness or of slothfulness and oscitancy or especially stubbornness and stoutness of spirit that they still take hold of any pretense to oppose the truth that is coming upon them like an Armed man if men I say do suffer themselves in any such strain of Impiety and opposition against God the Ministry of the Gospel is not like to have its effect upon them in respect of the beneficial end of it it is true the Holy Ghost even when he was resisted was full of power and did vindicate himself very gloriously in the Consciences of those that did resist him and yet it is said he was resisted because he was put by from that blessed work those saving effects which otherwise he was purposed to have done and to have accomplished Even so the Ministry of the Gospel let men oppose it and let men seek Pleas and Pretenses to decline it yet nevertheless it is full of power and authority even over those who shall rebel with the highest hand against it it doth act with terrible power and conviction even upon the hearts and souls and consciences of them and leaves deep impressions of the power and glory of it Secondly The efficacy of the Ministry of the Gospel doth not stand in the actual conversion of men or in the actual edification of men nor in making of men actually willing to be converted or turned unto God for if it were to be estimated or measured by this Rule it might
to the Spirit when they shall find their hearts carried out from time to time to do some excellent thing to go beyond the line of ordinary men If any in this case shall say there is no need of such waies that we should strain so high or go so far to be Wiser or more Righteous or fuller of Faith or good Works than other men are and shall put off the Spirit of God with such kind of Answers and Replies as these and shall refuse to sow unto him this must needs likewise tend to the grieving of the Spirit of God within them and consequently they are not like afterwards to find those suggestions and impulses in their hearts and consciences as formerly they were wont to have So much for this Use being a Use of Reproof CHAP. XVI The fourth and last Vse of the Doctrine being an Exhortation to use all means we are capable of in order to a being filled with the Spirit of God Three Motives propounded The first More generally taken from the nature of the Commandments of God That this Duty is one of the holy and righteous Retinue of Duties enjoyned us by God Neglect of his Commands provoketh him to Jealousie The second Motive This being known to be a Duty enjoyned by God neglected hinders the Soul from prospering in the things of its own peace The vast difference and great danger of an habitual Omission of known Duties in comparison of Duties a man is ignorant of A third Motive This is a Duty enjoyned by the Lord Christ who speaks now from Heaven The difference between God's speaking on the Earth and now speaking from Heaven Neglect of Evangelical Duties much more provoking than the neglect under the Law Heb. 12.25 in part opened A being filled with the Spirit purely Evangelical THe Fourth and last Use is of Exhortation Sect. 1 if it be a Duty imposed by God upon all Flesh especially upon those who believe to be filled with the Spirit then let us all in the fear of God and reverence of his Grace and Wisdom by which he commendeth unto us things that are excellent which make with an high hand both for our present and Eternal peace Let us I say quit our selves like men and hearken unto the voice of this Exhortation and arm our selves with this Resolution that if there be any thing to be done by us if there be any course or means of which we are capable whereby to be filled with the Spirit that we will not come short of this blessedness that we will cast in our Lots with those which are faithful and filled with the Spirit and will be filled also Let us not I beseech you be found amongst those who set at naught the Counsels of their God and value his Words but as Wind but let us rather consider how to provoke every man of us his own soul and every man the soul of another to set about the Duty now mentioned and enjoyned in the Text and to lift up both heart and hand unto it There are many Considerations some of a more general some of a more special and near relation to the Exhortation and Duty now commended unto you that are full of spirit and life to quicken and stir you up to the performance of it First in the general you shall do well to consider that the Duty whereunto you have been exhorted is one of that holy and righteous Retinue of Duties commanded unto us and enjoyned upon us by God and so the Exhortation by which it is enjoyned is one of the Counsels and Precepts of God of the most High God it is no foreiner or stranger amongst them it is none of the Tares which the Enemy hath introduced amongst the Counsels of God The complection of it shews it to be a Precept of that heavenly Parentage and Race the goodness and loveliness of it sheweth it to be from none other but God alone It is too spiritual and holy and too full of beauty to be of humane extraction much less of a Diabolical Therefore as Christ said unto his Disciples in another case I say unto you my friends fear not c. Even so may God say unto you I say unto you my Friends be filled with my Spirit Though the residue of the World round about you will not stir their hearts and consciences will not budge at this Exhortation they know not the worth of it Yet you oh my Friends you that love me you that are in a more peculiar manner beloved by me be ye filled with my Spirit My Brethren this being one of the Royal Commands of God Sect. 2 it therefore stands us in hand to look about us and to bethink our selves with the whole strength and might of our Consciences what we have to do in reference unto it Sin and Disobedience unto God or rather a neglect to obey the great Counsels of God is that which makes his Jealousie smoke against the World from time to time which makes the Foundations of the Earth to quake and tremble which maketh havock and desolation of the glory thereof It is a fearful thing as the Apostle is our Remembrancer Heb. 10.31 to fall into the hands of the living God i. e. to come under his revenging hand as is to be gathered from the former Verse Now What is it that causeth men to fall into the avenging hand of God but the despising his Counsels and neglecting the Words of his Mouth without being reclaimed Our simple not obeying the Commands of God is not so much as our neglecting or despising his Commands As on the other hand our simple keeping or obeying them as our reverence and respects shewed unto them A man though he may receive many indignities from his Child or others yet if he do not apprehend that there is any neglect or contempt in the person who offereth these indignities he can bear it much the better But if he apprehend that it proceeds from neglect and contempt this is highly provoking This is the case my Brethren for men and women to trespass upon the Commandments of God at unawares there being otherwise a reverential esteem of these Commandments in the Soul is not so provoking in the sight of God But it is the despising or neglecting the Commandments of God And therefore the Prophet Nathan coming by Commission immediately from God 2 Sam. 12.9 10. did not charge the sin which David had committed so much upon the Acts of Murther and Adultery as upon his despising the Commandment of God Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight David did not maintain that high and reverend esteem in his heart and soul of these Commands of God which he had violated So in Isa 5.24 Therefore as the fire devoureth the Stubble and the flame consumeth the Chaff So shall their Root be rottenness c. Because they have cast away the Law of the Lord of Hosts and despised the
Word of the Holy One of Israel See also Psal 119.60 And the Philosopher in his definition of anger makes it the off-spring of neglect or contempt implying that it is never conceived or kindled in any mans breast by any other coal but that of contempt at least so apprehended My Brethren God is a God of great patience he beareth much from the Sons and Daughters of men and can pass by a thousand infirmities He can bear with his Sons and Daughters under mighty Provocations But if men shall go on from day to day in their neglect and contempt of him and his Counsels and will not repent when he giveth them space and admonisheth them accordingly if yet they will walk on in the stubbornness of their hearts then he will make his Jealousie to smoke against them and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God We heard but now what it is that causeth a man to fall into the hands of the Living God and that not meerly the committing of sin but the despising of the Commands of God the undervaluing of them and casting them behind their backs This is that which causeth the breach between men and that God whose name is Jealous And therefore if the words of this Counsel and blessed Advice shall be flighted by us and looked upon as a common word and not be entertained as the Word of the Living God this must needs provoke the Spirit of God and cause the Great God of Heaven and Earth to break forth as a Lion out of a Thicket upon those who have neglected and despised this Word of his Indeed many men make but as it were a pastime as Solomon's Expression is Fools make a pastime of sin So many make it but a matter of course to pass by and to give the Counsels of God a hearing they enter in at one ear and there being none to entertain them and keep them by the way out they go at the other But now my Brethren though the Counsels and Precepts of God make so little adoe in the World make no noise there Like unto Jesus Christ who in the daies of his flesh made no clamour nor lifted up his voice in the Streets but when he shall come from heaven the Second time then he will roar like a Lion and turn the World upside down with such a turn as it was never turned before Even so will this Word and this Counsel and Exhortation and other the Commands of God though now they do not cry nor lift up their voice make no noise in the World but Silver and Gold and Pleasures and Honours these are they that engage the World and cause tumults in the minds and thoughts of men these are they that set the World together by the ears whilest the Words and Counsels of God come not near the hearts of men and have little to do there Yet these Words are they that will judge the World at last and find out the despisers of them and will place them at the left hand of Jesus Christ to whom it shall be said Depart from me ye cursed I know you not My Brethren we know not how soon that day will come upon us the Fig-trees and other Trees begin to put forth and we cannot but think the Summer is near at hand But suppose we should despise this and other the Precepts of God and set them at naught it may be we may see some daies of pleasure and ease and contentment in the World yet alas What will it profit a man saith our Saviour who was the best Estimator concerning matters of profit to gain the whole World and lose his Soul Much less will it profit a man to enjoy a few daies of ease and contentment under the neglect and contempt of the Word of God if at last he must lose his Soul or incur thereby Eternal Condemnation Yea if it should be but the quenching the Spirit of our present joy if it should rise no higher than so this is such a loss as that they who understand the true worth and value of it will think and conclude it to be a thousand times better rather to honour and to reverence and highly to esteem all the Words Counsels and Exhortations of God beginning at the first and so carrying them on unto the last and taking this along with them in their way Be ye filled with the Spirit than to lose the present comfort of it by turning their backs upon this or any other of the Commands of God And therefore Secondly To strengthen your heart and your hand Sect. 3 that they may be lifted up together to the Exhortation now commended unto you you may further consider that it being one of the Precepts of God and having now been made known in this relation unto you your souls will never prosper you will never be filled with that peace of God which passeth all understanding you will never rejoyce that signal kind of joy which the Apostle Peter calleth unspeakable and glorious if you shall from henceforth neglect it or cast it behind your backs For look as a crack or leake in a Vessel will not suffer it to fill with water or other liquor at least not remain full for any time though much water be from time to time put into it In like manner though we should be great doers in our own eyes and though others may seem but as Grashoppers in comparison of us yet nevertheless that peace and that joy and that inward comfort that you should have if there were no neglect of any the Commands of God will suffer loss If this be the case if any Command of God be despised or neglected this will be as a dead Fly in your Box of Oyntment and keep it from making that sweet smell and savour and from coming up into your Nostrils you will in effect lose the present lustre and beauty if not the future reward of all these choise services if you do otherwise Now I say who would run the hazard of the loss of the great benefits and blessings of such great works through the neglect or non-performance of one Who would lose all the joy peace and comfore of many other services and of much obedience otherwise exhibited unto God and unto Jesus Christ only to please the flesh in the neglect of one Commandment As it is with the natural health of the body though a man should use many means for his health and strength yet if he should neglect one thing that is necessary for him to do as suppose a man should eat and drink such things only as would keep the body in good habit yet if he should never sleep or if any other things as necessary as these be not used in their places and seasons health and good habit and state of body will never be any mans portion So in this case a man shall never find his soul in a comfortable habit he shall never
lose all your other services for God Have you suffered so many things for God in vain Gal. 3.4 What have you done so many things in vain as to your peace Have you served God in a first and second Command and will you lose so great a recompense of reward that fulness of peace and height of rejoycing in the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Joh. 8. Look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward You know the young man that had kept so many of the Commands of God Mar. 10.21 22. that there was only one thing wanting How sad was it with him upon our Saviours discourse For it doth appear that his state and condition Godward was very deplorable notwithstanding he had been so exact and observant of the Commands of God So that if you desire your hearts and souls should be like Jordan overflowing their banks if you desire they should be readily prepared to carry you up to Heaven in joy and gladness then you must be careful to number this amongst the Precepts of God you must see to it that you endeavour to be filled with the Spirit of God Thirdly Sect. 4 The Exhortation now recommended unto you is an Evangelical Exhortation brought by Jesus Christ from heaven and in this respect ought to be more highly reverenced than if it had been delivered over unto you upon other terms For this is to be considered that what is delivered unto the World in the New Testament by the mouth of Jesus Christ himself or upon the account of his coming from Heaven unto the World as all that which the Holy Ghost hath further revealed by the Apostles is is more obliging and binding upon the Consciences of men and more severely punishable by God when neglected or despised than things delivered in the Old Testament or before Christ's coming into the World were or are This I conceive is evident from that of the Apostle Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall we not escape if we refuse him that speaketh from heaven To open this passage a little and so to give somewhat the more efficacy and weight to the Motive in hand First It is to be considered that the opposition here made between him that spake on Earth and him that now speaketh from Heaven doth not imply a plurality of Speakers or persons speaking but only a difference between the manner and terms of speaking at several times by one and the same Speaker viz. God or rather Christ for it was he that spake both on earth by Moses and that now speaketh from Heaven It is not unusual in Emphatical Discourses to speak of one and the same person in different considerations as of two as the Woman that came to make a suit to King Philip He being drowsie and giving her an unpleasing answer she told him She appealed from King Philip when he was sleepy to King Philip when waking and more attentive Now there were not two King Philips but one only as two in different considerations We might bring several instances wherein one and the same person is represented under two different considerations Secondly When God or Christ spake by Moses he is said to have spoken on Earth not because Moses was on Earth when Christ spake by him but because he spake by a man who was from the Earth or earthly as it is said the first man Adam was for otherwise the Lord Christ himself spake on the Earth being on the Earth as well as Moses and so the opposition would fall But Christ who now speaketh in the New Testament is said to be from Heaven or which is the same to speak from heaven though the word speak is not in the Original but inserted by the Translators as the different Character implieth but Christ I say is said to be from Heaven because he was of a miraculous of an heavenly Parentage and propagation being conceived by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost in the Wombe of a Virgin and not after the manner of men according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.47 The second man is the Lord from Heaven meaning of an heavenly Parentage or royal Descent as hath been said wherein he had no Brother amongst all the Children of men Thirdly It is to be considered that whatsoever is dispensed unto the World and conteined within the compass of the New Testament as well in the Writings of the Apostles as of the Evangelists is to be looked upon as the Dispensation of him who is from Heaven as that which Christ himself speaketh unto the World And for this reason he is said to be the Mediator of the New Testament Heb. 9.15 And elsewhere The Surety of a better Testament Cha. 7.22 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both these places and elsewhere translated Testament signifieth as well a Covenant and is so translated Gal. 3.17 Acts 3.25 and in many places besides and properly enough in the ordinary Grammatical sense of it it signifieth in the general and indefinitely any ordering or disposing of things so that when Christ is said to be the Mediator of the New Testament or of a New Covenant the meaning is that he is the Dispenser or Promulgator or Minister of God unto the World of a new spiritual Oeconomy of another spiritual Charter Settlement or Establishment of matters relating unto the eternal peace and blessedness of the World differing from that which God had formerly settled for a time by Moses This new Oeconomy Covenant or disposition of things by the Lord Christ is called a better Covenant or Testament First Because it is settled upon better Promises wherein God doth bring forth more of the blessed fruits of his Grace and rich Bounty unto the World here life and immortality are brought to light they are unvailed and a glorious representation made of them that the World may look upon and see them face to face Then secondly It is called a better Covenant because here is a better discovery of the mind of God concerning his Ordinances which are of a more excellent and spiritual nature and of higher acceptation with him here are many things to be found which were not to be found under the Law And Christ in one of the places mentioned is said to be the Surety of this New Covenant i. e. One that is the great Avoucher or Assertor of it One who undertakes with Power and Authority to secure the World of the truth and of the certainty of this Covenant and that it is from God Now whatsoever is comprehended within the virge and limits of that part of the Scriptures which is commenly called and known by the name of the New Testament appertains to the New Covenant which Christ hath brought with him into the World and hath published settled and established here In which respect he may
take another course namely to desert and to retract that course and practice which he is in and to betake himself to such waies whereof he can give a reasonable and worthy and a sound account both unto God and men Jer. 2.12 13. Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be ye horribly affraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. Such a passionate expressing of himself as this is doth bespeak something notable and strange somewhat that is quite besides the course of nature But What is that the Holy Ghost doth usher in by such a Preface as this What hath the Lord to say that should put the Heavens to such an astonishment This is it For my People have committed two evils they have forsaken me the Fountain of living waters and hewed them out Cisterns breken Cisterns that will hold no water For my People have committed two evils c. They have turned themselves aside from waâ—es and things that are honourable that are holy that are spiritual and heavenly from waies that would bless them and make them happy for ever and have turned themselves unto such things which have nothing of worth in them such things which could not give them any true content or satisfaction therefore called Cisterns broken Cisterns c. This is a deportment of the Creature man towards God in the consideration of which the Prophets call the Heavens and the Earth to an Extasie of admiration and astonishment hereby giving us to understand and to consider that there is nothing so monstrous and so far beside the course of nature as that men should forsake God the Fountain of living waters who leadeth them in the way of salvation and blessedness and to go unto the empty and perishing Vanities of this present World Implying that the Reason and Conscience of man when first given unto him were directed unto God that every mans understanding tendeth Godward Now that men should forsake this Object and those waies and engagements which are natural and should turn aside and call off their mâ—nds and thoughts from such excellent things as these and turn themselves to things that are meerly vain light and empty This is that which God himself holdeth as the most horrible and monstrous thing in the World enough to cause the Heavens to forget their Natures and Motions Once more Mat. 16.26 For what will it profit a man if he should gain the whole World and lose his own soul c. Now every man seeketh for profit and it is but rational and natural so to do and God doth not only give men frâ—e leave to look after their profit but hath imposed it by way of duty upon them and counteth it their folly not to do it therefore much 〈◊〉 God offended at any way or engagement which will be for your advantage Our Saviour saith What will it profit a man to gain the World and lose his own soul Now how can men gain the World but by engaging the faculties and power of their Souls in order hereunto It is impossible for men to get Wealth if they do not take some course about it Our Saviour would know of every man and woman of us what it will profit us when we have cast up the Account and he would have you cast it up Suppose that it were possible for you to gain the whole World and in the mean time you should lose your own souls as All they will certainly do who are so intent to gain the World that they have no reason no understanding no vigour of spirit to look after and to mind the great things of Eternity or such as this a being filled with the Spirit What will it profit you in case you have gotten the whole World It implyeth not only the invaluable disproportion between the gaining the whole World and losing their Souls but also that mens laying out themselves to gain the World is the stumbling stone upon which they stumble and lose their own Souls You have the World before you and have Reasons and understandings now weigh and consider it with your selves there is the loss of your souls Do you know what this will amount unto Do you know that the endeavouring to win the whole World will expose you to the losing or at least the danger of losing your own Souls So that we may plainly see that in these and many such like places in the Scriptures the Holy Ghost maketh it matter of shame and great reproach unto men to take off their Minds and Judgments from things that are of a most excellent and glorious import that will stand by them for ever and set them upon things of no value nor continuance Let us now ponder and weigh the Motive last insisted upon and so dismiss it if we know how to contrive how to dispose of our time of our reasons and understandings which must indeed be thoroughly engaged about this great Design of being filled with the Spirit if we intend to effect this Design If we know I say how to dispose them otherwise to a better purpose to more profit and advantage to our selves then might we more reasonably neglect yea and despise the Exhortation which with so much importunity hath been urged upon us or if we knew any other prize to run for which were in any degree worthy to stand in competition with that recommended in the Exhortation we might reasonably stick and demur and take into consideration what we had best to do in the case whether to lay our selves out about a being filled with Spirit or upon some other account inconsistent with this But if neither of these Lions be in our way if there be nothing disputably better than nay if there be nothing disputably equal with a being filled with the Spirit about which we can set the intellectual Faculties of our souls on work how shall we not fall down before the voice of the Exhortation which exhorteth us to be filled with the Spirit without any more ado and go forth with all our thoughts made and resolved in the highest that whatsoever shall be required of us in a due order to a being thus filled we will to the utmost of our power so do When we may have Bread for our money will we give it for Stones or for that which will not profit or nourish When we may with the same labour and travel both of soul and body invest our selves with Priviledges and Possessions that are excellent and glorious which will stand by us to Eternity shall we accept of things of little or no value Is not this for those that are come to be men to resume Childishness again My Brethren these are matters of very vast yea prodigious concernment unto you The word that now hath been spoken in your ears will judge you in the last day Let him therefore that hath an heart consider what hath been now propounded unto him Seventhly Sect. 9 To work your hearts to close with the
our cares we should ease our selves of much trouble For this is that by which men and women spoile themselves in that they take up the care of many daies at once Men will care for to morrow and for forty daies together whereas the care of one day the evil and trouble that doth attend it is sufficient unto it but the effect of this care for the time to come is to fill with trouble and feare There is indeed a fear of which Solomon speaks Prov. 28.14 when he saith Happy is the man that feareth alwaies and it is rather an evil or a misery to be freed from this fear than any matter of profit But this we say a being filled with the Spirit of God a rich anointing with this oyl will reduce the heart and soul of a man to such a pass to such a temper and frame that it shall be impenetrable invulnerable by such Arrows of cares and fears which are wont to pierce and strike thorough the hearts of other men and to slay all their comforts and peace As there are some kinds of Oyls or Oyntments as some have affirmed which are so sovereign against the impressions of hot boyling Lead or the like that they will secure men from receiving any harm by them if timely applied Whether this be true or not yet in the business before us the Scripture it self taketh notice of that great and marvellous effect of a rich anointing of the Spirit of God we speak of Psal 27.1 2 3. compared with Psal 46.1 2 3. And Psal 112.6 7 8. The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I be afraid When the wicked even mine Enemies and my Foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell Psal 46. God is my refuge and strength a very present help in time of trouble therefore will we not fear though the earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea c. And so again Though an host of men should compass me about yet herein will I be confident Now we may easily perceive that these are very high expressions of a fearless and dreadless spirit though the Earth be moved out of its place The moving of the Earth and tossing to and fro of Mountains represent unto us things that are of a most terrible and formidable nature and very astonishing to the World We know the shaking of Mount Sinai was so terrible that Moses himself is said to fear exceedingly And so an Host of men is a thing which is most terrible yet saith he in this case though an host of men shall come marching against me yet herein will I be confident And Psal 112.6 7 8. Surely he shall not be removed for ever The Righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance he shall not be afraid of evil tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord c. That which will cause the hearts of other men to fear namely evil tydings and cause them to shake and tremble like the Trees of the Forrest when they are shaken with a mighty wind will have no operation at least comparatively upon the men and women of this Character which we are now speaking of viz. which are filled with the Spirit Now the Reason why a rich anointing with the Spirit of God must fortifie the spirit and soul of a man Sect. 2 to make it inaccessible unto troublesome cares and fears is because it is a kind of spiritual intoxication answering a drunkenness with Wine to which it is opposed Be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess but be ye filled with the Spirit I conceive that by the opposition in this Comparison the Apostles intent is to shew that there is a likeness between a being filled with the Spirit and being drunk with Wine For as Drunkenness doth stupifie the natural senses doth bereave a man of the use and exercise of them so that for the time he is not capable of minding his own Concernments he is not affected with any thing that doth concern his state or health or any thing that is before him Even so or after such a manner a being filled with the Spirit doth as it were bereave a man of his carnal senses it doth reduce a man in his mind and understanding to such a state that the Flesh and the things thereof have little or no place in him it casteth him into a kind of heavenly extasie in which he is taken up with matters of another nature of a more high and excellent concernment so that the things which concern him here in the World either matters of trouble or sorrow or any other thing or concernment whatsoever little move or affect him whilest he is as it were in this heavenly extasie it doth as I said bereave him of those senses principles and thoughts which other men abound withal who are accounted sober men and wise in their Generation in the matters of this present World If we be besides our selves saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.13 it is to God There is no man that is filled with the Spirit of God but he is apt to do as one that is besides himself he doth not take knowledge doth not mind is not so much affected with such kind of things as relate to himself which other men as it were make their All in All and according to the giving out of which whether on the right hand or on the left they stand or fall they live or die they live if the World stand by them if their Silver and Gold their Health and Strength and other enjoyments continue with them but if these fail them they are dead in the Nest But it is not so with him that is filled with the Spirit of God For as it was with Lot in his fit of Drunkenness he neither perceived when his Daughters lay down by him nor yet when they rose up from him so when a man is in his heavenly rapture of a fulness of the Spirit of God he doth not much mind nor is much affected when the World lieth down by him and beareth him company nor when it riseth up and taketh its leave and departeth from him in one kind of enjoyment or other Now this being the proper nature and tendency of being filled with the Spirit to stupifie and turn the edge of natural affections which occasion trouble and sorrow in the World it must needs follow that they who are in this state must needs be under an heavenly security and their hearts like unto the upper Region where there is no impressions of any fiery Meteors but a constant and uniform serenity and tranquillity In like manner is it with the heart and inward part of a man that is filled with the Spirit of God there is no impression of any sadness or cares or tormenting fears I speak only of the usual habitual and standing frame and
in our Attonement with God there is another thing included and is inseparable from it viz. special interest in the love and favour of God Indeed with men as I said the case may be otherwise when there hath been an Attonement and Reconciliation made between two persons at a distance yet they may remain as strangers one unto another there is no necessity that upon the making up of the breach there must be intimate love and friendship But it is otherwise with God he never comes to be reconciled unto any but presently he opens his heart and soul and doth entreat them graciously upon their attonement made Now then if men for whose sins God hath accepted the Attonement made by Christ be not only delivered from all danger of suffering by his displeasure but further be received and entertained into the greatest respects of love and friendship Evident it is that they who are possessed of and do enjoy these two Priviledges especially being assured of their possession in this kind are in a good capacity of enjoying free Communion with God What should there be to hinder And he that is filled with the Spirit as he must of necessity be in the possession of both cannot but know that his Attonement is made with God and so as we have lately shewed he must needs have assurance also that he stands thus possessed of them Yet Secondly Sect. 18 There was another thing mentioned as proper to compleat that capacity we speak so much of I mean of enjoying free Communion with God This was the testimony of a man's Conscience upon good grounds that he walketh not nor alloweth himself in any known sin either of Commission or Omission whatsoever no not in the sin of neglecting to enquire after the good and holy and perfect will of God concerning him He that is armed with this Brestplate of Righteousness may stand like a Prince before the great God of Heaven and Earth for he hath the greatest security that Heaven lightly can give him that he is in favour with God 1 Joh. 3.21 If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God if our hearts i.e. our Consciences condemn us not i.e. by a Metonymie of the Effect put for the Cause if our Consciences do not charge sin upon us do not upbraid us with voluntary and habitual neglect of or disobedience unto the Command of Christ then have we confidence or boldness or liberty of face or of speech as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more properly signifieth towards God By the way the Apostle is here to be understood of such persons whose hearts or consciences are in some measure enlightned with the knowledge of the waies and Precepts of God and more particularly with the knowledge of his Precept or Command of believing in his Son Jesus Christ as it followeth in ver 23. And this is his Commandment that we should believe in his Son Jesus Christ For otherwise many mens hearts may not condemn them yea may possibly commend and justifie them who yet have not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any confidence at least not any right or ground of confidence as some expound the word towards God The hearts of those I formerly instanced who thought they should do God good service in putting the Disciples of Christ to death did not condemn them at least in this and if not in so great and broad a sin as this possibly not in any other yet had they no right or ground of boldness or confidence towards God So likewise they of whom the Apostle speaks Col. 2.18 in this Chapter and gives this Character that they were vainly puft up in their fleshly minds whose hearts were established as he speaks elsewhere not by grace but by meats it is like their hearts did not condemn them yet had they not ground of confidence towards God So also Paul himself had confidence enough in himself when he had no ground when he thought he ought to do many things against the name of Christ Therefore we must needs limit the Apostle John in the passage before us to persons who have some competent knowledge of the Gospel and of the great things contained in it And indeed if we look narrowly to it he seems to speak appropriately unto such and of such only Beloved if our hearts condemn us not c. And whereas being understood of such he saith Then have they confidence towards God his meaning is not that all such actually and de facto have this confidence but that they have a right to it and ground for it and upon consideration and enquiry may have it As many things in Scriptures are said to be done by men when it is meet they should do them or have a good ground or reason for the doing of them Thus Rom. 6.8 If we be dead with him we believe that we shall live with him We believe i.e. we have ground or reason sufficient to believe that we shall live with him So 1 Joh. 2.29 If ye know that he is righteous ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of him i.e. of God i.e. ye may know there are means in abundance whereby ye may know that he who doth righteousness and he only is born of God meaning that he proceeds from him according to this new capacity or new birth which is nothing else but a participation of the Divine Nature As Children have Communion with their Parents in their nature so he that doth Righteousness is partaker of the same Nature with God and Jesus Christ And so when God saith speaking of Abraham Gen. 18.19 That he will command his Children and his House after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord he doth not suppose that they would certainly keep the way of the Lord for we know many of them did otherwise and were cast out of his sight therefore this is not spoken by way of strict Prophesie as if God had foretold what Abraham's House and Family and Posterity after him should do it and therefore the meaning must be that they had ground in abundance to have done what Abraham commanded them viz. to keep the way of the Lord. Now then when he saith If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God he clearly implies that where the heart of a man or woman doth in the sense declared condemn them i.e. charge them with the customary and willing practice of any known sin or neglect of any Command of God there can be no place for any boldness or confidence towards God The reason is because fear and dread of Divine Displeasure follows the consciousness of sin as the shadow follows or attends the body in the Sun It doth not indeed alwaies follow sin because sin many times is committed where it is not known but wherever it is committed with knowledge or against knowledge for these are the same in the case we speak of there it is alwaies accompanied
bloud to be able to stand with an untroubled and undaunted spirit before the great and mighty God of Heaven and Earth to come freely and boldly into his Presence So again to be able to stand and contemplate the inestimable and incomprehensible Majesty of the great God of Heaven and Earth to be able I say to bear the weight of this Majesty and Glory without any trouble or burthen to the mind or spirit of a man how great and how rich a glory must this needs be It was the Saying of another Philosopher who was greatly taken with that Creature the Sun he professed that if he might be permitted to stand near the Sun were it but for one day so as that he might but understand what nature the Sun was of he would be content to die at Evening so much did he prize the knowledge and contemplation of this glorious Creature We read of a whole Sect of Philosophers 〈◊〉 would fix their eye upon the Sun when it appeared and so stand looking upon it and never give over looking till it went down out of their sight My Brethen all created things are but slight resemblances and shadows What is the glory of them all if we shall but compare them with the glorious loveliness and splendour that is in God What is the beauty of the Sun in comparison of him and his beauty c. We all saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.18 as in a glass behold the glory of the Lord. The Angels do not see nor behold any other glory but that which is presented unto us in the glass of the Gospel they indeed see it more clearly even face to face we more darkly and yet notwithstanding that Glass of the Gospel wherein we behold the glory of the Lord is so clear and transparent that there is little difference between beholding his glory face to face and the beholding of it there every Lineament of his face being here represented to the eyes of our minds or understandings so that we can sustain little loss hereby So that if men and women would but draw near unto this Glass wherein the Face of Jesus Christ is thus represented or to be seen they might behold any thing that the Angels in heaven do and live in the same contemplation with them For here is the Power and here is the Glory and here is every thing in this Glass This doth contain the whole extent of the Face of Christ if I may so speak It holds out all the perfections of him whose face it representeth By the way As men are known by their faces so all which God is known by is called the face of God As the Mercy of God the Power of God and the Goodness of God they all make the Face of God Now then to be able to bear the weight of all this blessedness and glory without losing the use of a mans understanding without being confounded or troubled in his Intellectuals without being like a dead man cannot but be an exceeding great Priviledge I beseech you consider what other exercise or engagement of your selves or of the noble powers of your Souls can you imagine should produce any thing of a like filling and satisfying nature One thing have I desired of the Lord saith David Psal 27.4 that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his holy Temple He thought this not only a thing desirable but he was resolved to seek after it he would first commend this his desire unto the Lord and then seek after it he would try this way and that and any way that would do This one thing which he had singled out amongst all his other requests was that he might dwell in the House of the Lord all the daies of his life to behold the beauty of the Lord. My Brethren we generally are but dull Spectators of his glory it may be many of us are more taken with other objects which seem to be of a more desirable import unto us but if we did but see with David's eyes if we had judgment within us to estimate beauty indeed this would be our One thing the thing which we would chiefly desire to behold the beauty of the Lord especially inasmuch as we have liberty to behold it without being dismayed So again that was another thing in our large and free Communion with God to pray unto God with assurance that we shall be heard They that are large in the knowledge of God that understand much of his Will they that have a large Communion with God in Prayer they can pray with assurance that they shall be accepted and that their request shall be granted unto them Now then if we shall weigh this Royal Priviledge also in the balance of the Sanctuary we shall find it to weigh down Silver and Gold all these things will be but as the Dust in the Balance in comparison of it To call upon the Majesty of the great God of Heaven and Earth and to have an opportunity to make your request unto him for all things you desire not only all that at present you desire but all things that can come into your hearts to desire and that you may upon occasion or emergency from day to day desire of him and to be supplied accordingly by the hand of your Angel I mean by your Prayer If this great Priviledge be but considered and laid to heart and measured by the measure of God it will be found to amount to as considerable a matter as any that we have presented you with And thus we have done with the third particular which we formerly signified unto you must needs in conjunction with the other three render the Life and Estate of a man in this World desirable in the highest as desirable I mean as this World will afford desirableness of condition unto the Sons and Daughters of men CHAP. XIX The Eighth Motive further opened in the fourth particular a being filled with the Spirit doth interest men with a rich and large Interest in God How this Interest doth arise by being filled with the Spirit of God Reasons why so little is done by Prayer now in comparison of what was done in the Primitive times Without being filled with the Spirit none of the great blessings formerly mentioned and which render a mans Condition so desirable in this World are to be obtained The Reasons whence it comes to pass And the equitableness of God's proceeding with men therein The difference between a fearless and dreadless frame of spirit that is counterfeit and that which is raised upon good Grounds A being filled with the Spirit is the only way to cause the Crown of glory to flourish on the head of a man And that with a greater measure of glory in the World which is to come THe Fourth and last particular was this Sect. 1 They that are
shews â—hat the reward of a Prophet is great And so again He that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous mens reward Now here he makes a difference between the reward of a righteous man and of a Prophet And so in 1 Cor. 3 12. the Apostle speaking of the different managing of the Ministry of the Gospel in the preaching thereof expresseth himself thus If any man bâ—ild Hay and Stubble c upon the foundation Jesus Christ he shall suffer loss namely in his reward though he may be saved And so on the other hand he that shall build Silver and Gold and Precious stones shall not only be saved but shall sustain no loss or detriment in his reward which the other shall certainly do Other foundation saith the Apostle ver 11. can no man lay i. e. upon any reasonable terms or grounds Men indeed may build upon this foundation either Silver or Gold or Precious Stones or Hay and Stubble and rotten Wood I mean men may build such kind of Doctrines which do hold a natural correspondency with the foundation or they may build such Doctrines as are unsutable and are so expressed by the terms of Hay and Stubble and Wood that is such Doctrines Notions and Imaginations which are altogether inconsistent with that precious foundation Jesus Christ Now speaking of these things saith he Every mans work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it and if any mans work shall abide the trial he shall receive the full reward of it but if any mans work shall be burnt meaning in part not that the foundation shall burn if any mans superstructure shall be Hay Stubble c. he shall suffer loss his reward shall not be so large so rich and so great as it would have been in case he had neither built Hay nor Stubble nor Wood but only Gold Silver and Precious Stones Therefore it is clear that there shall be some difference even amongst those that are Preachers and Teachers of the Gospel which together shall be saved in respect of the reward of their labours Besides this place there are several other expressions to this purpose that of our Saviour in his answer to the Sons of Zebedeus Mat. 20.23 clearly doth suppose that there are such places in his Kingdom places at his right hand and at his left hand we know it is not only the common interpretation of the place but it is likewise according to the manner of all Nations of Kings and supreme Governours that those that are nearest unto them in place and highest in their favour do sit next unto them at the right hand and at the left And so again 2 Joh. v. 8. he adviseth them not to lose those things which they had gained meaning that they had done much good that they had held forth the name of Jesus Christ now take heed saith he that you do not lose the things which you have wrought that you may receive a fall reward Now such men who shall hold on their way not only when there shall be no interruption in their way of well-doing but also when troubles and temptations shall attend them for righteousness sake these are they that shall not lose what they have wrought But for others that shall abate in their zeal and faithfulness to God though they do not decline to that degree but that they may be saved at the last yet will they not receive so full a reward there will not be so many blessings for them as there might have been in case that they had pursued without making any digression Mat. 5.10 11 12. Our Saviour pronounceth blessedness to them who are persecuted for righteousness sake Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my names sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad the word signifies leap or dance for joy for great is your reward in heaven Sect. 16 But besides the general vergency and leaning of the Scriptures on that hand we speak of there are several reasons and grounds agreeable to the Scriptures and to the nature of the thing it self that perswade very much that way First If God should make those of his Saints or believers that are most remiss and negligent in his service here on earth equal in reward of blessedness and glory unto those who have been eminently zealous and signally faithfull and have been content to spend and be spent as the Apostle speaks upon his interest and service and especially if he shall be supposed to declare his mind accordingly unto the World he shall not only want one of the greatest Arguments and Motives to perswade men and women unto waies that are excellent but also overture such a thing which would be a snare and temptation to fight low and to move drowsily heavily and slowly in the course of Christianity For when men shall know and consider that whatsoever they shall do more than others of their Brethren shall turn to no account at all unto them unless it be haply to somewhat that is less considerable in this present World as matter of credit reputation c. though in such respects it is much more like to work a quite contrary way viz. to matter of envy hatred c. When men I say shall understand that all their high acting for God and the interest of his glory in the World shall produce nothing of a more desirable consequence or import unto them than seven times less would have done must not their hand hereby be much weakned as to the things that are excellent Secondly If they who shall excell in righteousness shall be but equal in reward unto those who shall act but at an under rate therein then it follows that God should not love Holiness and Righteousness at least that there should be some Holiness or which is the same some degree of Holiness which he doth not love or at least that he should love something in the Creature which yet he should not reward or which is the same with all these that God should not love him more who is more holy and righteous and consequently more like unto himself than another who is less righteous less holy and so less like himself But all these things are repugnant to the Nature of God For certain it is that if God loves righteousness and holiness simply and in respect of their nature absolutely considered then he proportionably loves them more where they are found in any further or more eminent degree As it was in Christ Because he loved Righteousness and hated Iniquity viz. with a more perfect hatred than any other of the Saints therefore he anointed him with the oyl of gladness above his Fellows Heb. 1.9 Thirdly and lastly it is evident that God doth consider the eminent services of some men in this World and doth eminently and above the rate of the ordinary wages of
will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you Page 164 Abide in me Ver. 15.4 5. and I in you he that abideth in me and I in him bringeth forth much fruit Page 197 198 But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father Ver. 15.26 even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me Page 164 c. He shall receive of mine and shew it unto you Ver. 16.14 Page 216 217 218 And now Father Ver. 17.5 glorifie thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was Page 136 c. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me Ver. 8. and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee and they believed that thou didst send me Page 516 c. And when he had said this Ver. 20.22 23. he breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Page 173 c. Men and Brethren Acts 1.16 this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas Page 176 And when they heard that Acts 4.24 they lift up their voice to God with one accord and said Lord thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all that in them is who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said Why did the Heathen rage c. Page 176 Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost Acts 5.3 Page 42 177 Why have ye agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord Ver. 9. Page 177 For in him we live Ver. 17.28 and move and have our being Page 86 We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost Ver. 19.2 Page 228 Behold I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem Ver. 20.22 Page 43. c Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God Rom. 1.21 Page 68 Who against hope believed in hope that he might become the Father of many Nations Rom. 4.18 Page 105 Giving glory to God Ver. 20. Page 105 c. For I know that in me Ver. 7.18 that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Page 299 But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind Ver. 23. and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members Page 299 For as many as are led by the Spirit Ver. 8.14 c. Page 295 We have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Ver. 15. Abba Father Page 505 c. The Spirit it self bearing witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God Ver. 16. Page 504 c. And of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came Ver. 9.5 who is over all God blessed for ever Page 189 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Ver. 10.9 c. Page 48 But fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Ver. 12.11 Page 14 Rulers are not a terror to good works Ver. 13.3 but to evil Page 68 Attending continually upon this very thing Ver. 6. Page 68 For the Spirit of God searcheth the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 Page 171 231 232 233 For what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of a man which is in him 1 Cor. 2.11 Page 171 For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of 1 Cor. 9.16 for necessity is laid upon me yea woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel Page 353 354 Wherefore Tongues are for a sign not to them that believe 1 Cor. 14.22 but to them that believe not but Prophesying serveth not for them that believe not but for them that believe Page 406 c. Therefore 1 Cor. 15.38 my Beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmovable alwaies abounding in the Work of the Lord for asmuch as you know your labour is not in vain in the Lord Page 112 113 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 but our sufficiency is of God Page 242 For whether we be besides our selves it is to God 2 Cor. 5.13 or whether we be sober it is for your cause Page 43 44 Having therefore these Promises 2 Cor. 7.1 let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord Page 133 134 Your Zeal hath provoked very many 2 Cor. 9.2 Page 47 He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly 2 Cor. 9.6 and he that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully Page 544 For the Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal 2 Cor. 10.4 but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong Holds Page 430 431 There was given to me a thorn in the flesh 2 Cor. 12.7 the Messenger of Sathan Page 492 For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 c. so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Page 252 269 Bear ye on anothers burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 Page 50 51 For he that soweth to the Spirit Gal. 6.8 c. Page 290 Which is his body Eph. 1.23 the fulness of him that filleth all in all Page 131 For this cause I bow my knee to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Eph. 3.14 15 16. Of whom the whole Family of Heaven and Earth is named That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man Page 58 59 60 That ye might being rooted and grounded in love Ver. 17 18. may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the length and breadth and depth and height c. Page 71 72 73 Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your mouth Ver. 4.29 30. c. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God Page 12 13 304 305 Knowing whatsoever good thing any man doth Ver. 6.8 the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free Page 112 Many waxed confident by my bonds Phil. 1.14 Page 47 Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 13. for it is God that worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure Page 158 Who shall change our vile body Phil. 3.21 c. Page 122 123 That in all things he might have the preeminence Col. 1.18 Page 122 Quench not the Spirit 1 Thes 5.19 Page 10 11 12 God who counted me faithful 1 Tim. 1.12 putting me into the Ministry Page 35 36 I obtained mercy 1 Tim. 1.16 that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern Page 33 For the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine 2 Tim. 4.3 but will heap up Teachers according to their own lusts