sustaine and keep it from relapsing into its former fits it would soon be reduced into its former station and be visited with its old disease wherein it was seated and wherewith it was infected before grace entered into it and the ground is because of the abundance of strong corruptions inherent and accompanying the best regenerate for the flesh is still warring against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for there was ever a strong antipathy between these two Now Christ who is the Captain of our Salvation make his graces powerful in his Saints that so they may not give ground but stand fast in that condition whereunto he hath called them for the Saints are kept through faith unto salvation by that power of grace which is given unto them of God the Father and and our Lord Jesus Christ otherwise were it not powerful all the grace the Saints had received was but in vain and so Christs death and resurrection had been to little purpose for one end of Christs death was to kill sin and so of his resurrection to raise us up to newness of life and so to keep us there that we should never be surprised and conquered by the old man but contiue in the new and walk as a people ransomed by the Lord. Reas 8 That by this power the soul might act for God for Christ the Gospel and the Saints in the performance of its duty to all that it might honor the Father with that honor that is due unto his name that it might suffer with and for Christ and that it might love embrace and defend the Gospel and the Saints against all oppositions whatsoever for had not the graces of the Spirit of Christ come into the soul with power the soul could never have performed any duty acceptable to God for God accepts of nothing unless it come first from his Spirit for its the voice of his own spirit whereby the Saints cry Abba Father for as on the one hand every good and perfect gift cometh from God who is the Father of lights so on the other hand no man of himself without this power is able to think a good thought or speak a good word much less do any good action man through his lost ability in Adam is spiritually dead but carnally living nothing that he can own or lay claim unto as his act but sin but when godliness comes into a soul with power O then the faculties of the soul are resuscitated and made alive again and the members of the body are regulated brought into conformity unto the spirit and made by it to act for God who before acted against God that before were the weapons of unrighteousness unto sin are now become the weapons of righteousness unto the glory of that God who by his power cast into the soul did change that vile and sinful body and made it glorious and instrumental for his praise hereby the understanding is unvailed it s now brought unto new discoveries its carnal foolishness is sanctified wisdom it 's now able to discern and know the wonderful mysteries of godliness this power of godliness is the Eye-salve of the soul which takes off the condense film of ignorance and works a sensible illumination in that faculty of the understanding also this is the restorer of the will it brings it from nature to grace from willing the things of the flesh to will the things of God it disingageth the affections it stops their pursuit after the world and causeth them to run after God and the things of God nay further this power of God is a new Heaven created in the soul it s the new birth it s the regneration it s the new nature it s the death of the first and the life of the second Adam it s the extirpation of nature and sin and the renovation and transplanting of grace and life in the soul hereby the eyes can see for God the ears hear for God the tongue speak for God and the feet walk for God in a word the whole man by vertue of this power is made serviceable for God which it could never have been had not this godliness come into the soul with power Reas 9 That the Saints might be made fit for a suffering condition Phil. 1.29 for it s not onely given to Saints to beleeve but also to suffer for his names sake The Saints they are Christs witnesses on earth against the world Act. 5.32 Rev. 11.3 how have the people of God stood as a wall of brass in witnessing for the truth of Christ in the times of those ten persecutions what wicked cruel and barbarous dealing did they finde and receive from this world was not all maner of cruelty exercised against them that hell and men could invent and yet by this power of godliness they were enabled to indure all yea and with rejoycing also that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ O ineffable support O glorious conquest the sense of pain was swallowed up of the sense of joy the torments of hell vanquished and slighted by the thoughts of Heaven whilest burning burnishing while extinguishing reviving whilest crucifying enjoying Paradise Do but look into the book of Martyrs and see what sawing asunder roasting ailve putting into boiling oil eyes burning out and what not and yet by this power God made them stand strong and oppose his and their enemies to their own shame and confusion so that the Saints slaughterings at length became their persecutors sufferings they were wearyed and tired out with afflicting and butchering of the Saints and as God by his Power did then make them couragiously to stand so is he still the same God nor is his hand shortned that he cannot help but still will continue this power unto his people that they shall stand for Christ and undergo any kinde of suffering with joy for we fight against principalities and powers yea against spirituall wickedness in high places and this is another end why godliness comes into the soul with power That it might make the Saints live above the world that is might elevate their affections and make them live in Heaven where Christ their head is that it might dispossess worldliness and enthrone heavenly-mindedness that it might glorifie the soul and take it off from poring on this dunghil the world and the seeming glory thereof and fix it upon a Kingdom Pecuniam quae permaneat ac continuo duret gloriam quae semper floreat Basil and the real and permanent glory thereof to be enamored of the ravishing beauties of God the King of that glory that so the temptations allurements of the world being slighted and the glory and excellency thereof counted as dirt and dung the eternal glory of God may be advanced and onely aimed at in that soul for it is the glory of the Church here to have the Sun upon her head and to be crowned with a crown of
l. 13. dele will p. 84. l. 11. r. he is incomprehensible p. 97. l. 2. dele of p. 108. l. 11. dele and p. ibid. l. 20. r. continue p. 111. l. 22. r. alive p. 131. l. 21. r. the poor in spirit p. 139. l. 10. r. walks p. 140. l. 18. r. the. p. 143. l. 26. r. got p. 143. l. 26. r. especial p. 147. l. 3. r. own p. 180. l. 6. r. adultery p. 189. l. 8. r. your p. 196. l. 7. r. and. p. 212. l. 21. r. it p. 213. l. 3. r. suffered p. 224. l. 21. r. wicked p. 233. l. 28. r. Tables p. 234. l. 1. r. not Pilula ad expurgandam Hypocrisin A PILL to Purge FORMALITY 2 Tim. 3.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habentes formam pictatis sed qui vim ejus abnegarint Istos igitur vel etiam istos aversare Having a forme of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away THis glorious Apostle of the Gentiles by the Spirit of prophesie foreseeing those evils that would abound in the last times writes unto Timothy that it might be made known to the Churches as a warning peece to future ages vers 1 The words have their precedency beginning at the first verse A Catalogue of sinners In the last dayes shall be perillous times soul-dangering and soul-damning times souls shall be in peril of being lost and lost eternally not lost to be found but found to be lost vers 2 They shall be lovers of themselves but properly termed haters of themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Self-love is soul-hatred he that will come to Christ must first deny himself condemn himself yea hate himself self-seeking stands in opposition to soul-saving in a lofty self-admiring soul dwels no love of God vers 3 Yea these men shall be so far from grace as that they shall be void of natural affection besides all the abominations that they are guilty of vers 4 They shall be traitors to God to man and to their own souls in stead of loving the Lord of life and the people of God they shall embrace and fall in love with the pleasures of death that is those pleasures which lead unto eternal death These things by way of explication premised we shall return unto the words which as they stand in reference unto the precedent are the Epitome of the ninteenth abomination and though they are the last in number yet not the least in nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having a forme of godliness Obser 1 That men notoriously wicked many times take upon them a shew of godliness or form of godliness what greater sinners and sins then these enumerated by the Apostle viz. Pride blasphemy covetousness disobedience to parents traitors heady high minded c and yet at this time when they lie under the guilt of these soul-destroying abominations even then are they said to have a forme of godliness Absalom when he was a traitor to his fathers crown and sought his fathers life even then he craved leave of the King to pay his vowe unto the Lord in Hebron And Absalom said unto the King 2 Sam. 15.7 8. I pray thee let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed unto the Lord in Hebron For thy servant vowed a vow while he abode in Geshur in Sira saying if the Lord shall bring me indeed to Jerusalem then I will serve the Lord. In the next words observe how he sent spies thorow out all Israel saying When ye hear the trumpets blow then say that Absalom reigns in Hebron You may see his pretence was to serve the Lord but his intent was to serve himself by depriving his father of his Crown and life 2 Sam. 17 1 2. for when Ahitophell said that he would go out against David with twelve thousand men and smite the King this saying pleased Absalom well O bloody Absalom that under shew of paying a vow to the Lord would kill his own father one that loved him as his own life Thus the Jews sent forth some faining themselves to be just men Luk. 20.20 that they might intrap Christ himself And they sent forth spies which should feign themselves to be just men that they might take hold of his words and deliver him to the Governor O wicked form of godliness that would betray the Lord of life you see traitors can insinuate and feigne themselves to be Saints Judas betrayes Christ with a kiss Luk. 23.48 Judas betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss Yet how smoothly and seeming innocently did he carry it all the time that he walked with the Disciples in so much that none did suspect him for when Christ said One of you shall betray me Mark 14 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one began to question and search into his own heart questioning amongst themselves Is it I is it I so that they did more suspect themselves then Judas here was a glorious forme when he went to sell and destroy the power and glory of Heaven and earth this was a white seeming Saint Rom. 2.20 21 22 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a black devil see saith Paul Thou art confident that thou art a teacher of babes an instructer of the foolish who hast a forme of knowledge of the law thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that teachest a man should not committ adultery dost thou commit adultery Thou that art a Minister in a parish that teachest men should not be proud art thou proud thou that teachest a man should not be covetous art thou covetous thou that teachest that men should be of peaceable humble meek and lowly spirits art thou a kindle-coal and an incendiary art thou he that studies mischief art thou he that teachest men should walk in love and wilt thou make division dost thou teach that men should follow their own callings and wilt thou entermeddle with State affaires and labor to fire a Kingdom thou that wouldest not that any should bear rule and Lordship over thy conscience and yet wilt thou lord it over the conscience of thy brother and have all men undone that see not with thy eyes though otherwise godly O what a shame is this This is the meer forme of godliness but I must take heed of raking too deep into this dunghil least I meet with some ominous Basiliske I shall therefore lay aside this coal and with another pencil shew you what is meant by these words forma c. The next thing is to inquire what is here meant by the words forma pietas forme and godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word forme signifies the shape the outside the fashion the beauty the likeness or maner of any thing the bark of the tree cannot be properly called the tree the shadow of a man in the Sun is not the real man so the habit or forme of godliness is not godliness indeed but you must know that
Saints do so often fall and slip is because they trust to their own strength and rest not on this power which they receive from Jesus Christ for he that hath this power in his soul and doth make use of it by Faith it may contend against Sin Corruption Death and Hell it self yea and overcome all as the Apostle saith I am able to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me In him we are more then conquerors and certainly did we but know what comforts we lose and what foiles we receive in not making use of this power it would put us upon our Watch and Guard and make us careful to keep Centinel by this power in our souls Had David and others made use of this power and stood upon their Watch he had not committed Adultery Peter had not denied his Master Jacob got the Blessing by a lye Abraham denied his wife for fear of Pharoah and so divers others which I could wish might be as Landmarks unto us whilst we sail through the sea of this world Reas 3 Why godliness comes with power into the souls of the Saints is that it might put another frame of spirit into them then they had before as the Lord spake of Caleb Because he had another spirit with him therefore he shall see the Land yea I will bring him into it and his seed shall possess it Yea he followed me fully saith the Text now this Spirit was nothing else but the Spirit of Faith so he fulfilled after me as the Hebrew Word signifieth that is He was constant in obedience to Me or to my Commands Certainly where Grace raigns in the soul sin doth not onely decay but die the man is become another man as Paul when he was converted he was another man then he was before he was of a new mould a new temper before he persecuted the Saints but now he embraceth them and preacheth to them before he knew not who Christ was Who art thou Lord but now he doth not onely know Christ Ego non sum ego but preacheth Christ and suffereth for him yea now he is willing to die for him yea the Saints know this by experience that there is a certain vis a power infused into the soul from God which was not before in them otherwise they could never have had any dominion oversin never have been made new creatures but should have still remained under the power of darkness and in their natural estate they should never have known any difference betwixt themselves and the wickedest man on the earth but should have committed the same abominations with them they should never have been translated from death to life neither should their spot have been differenced or known from the spot of the wicked had not God made them experimentally to know and feel a mighty overawing and sin-conquering power sent and let in unto their souls from the Almighty Spirit of God which doth divide between the marrow and the bone between the Flesh and the Spirit Reas 4 That it may make us to carry on Gods great design in the advancing of the Lord Jesus for in such souls where this power comes Christ is greatly exalted in his Kingdom in his person and in his offices for he that believeth glorifieth the Father who hath sent his Son into the world and the Son who is the glory of the father these souls put to their seals that God is true such a soul gives a testimony unto the world that whatsoever God hath said of his Son in the word is the very truth of God yea it can freely adventure all and lay all upon Christ for life and salvation yea had it ten thousand souls it would cast them all into Christs arms it s resolved there to live and there to die its faith is surely fixt that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it come what will come he is confident that neither life nor death principalities nor powers shall be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord thus is the soul sustained and upheld by the power of grace and acts couragiously to and for Christ and the exaltation of his glory Reas 5 That such a soul where this power comes may strongly hold its communion with Christ that as Christ gives out of himself and fulness unto the soul by a direct act so the soul may be somewhat enabled to retribute unto Christ of what he hath received by a reflect act as the beams of the Sun are made reflective by the earth unto us which is the cause of the heat we feel so the beams of the Sun of righteousness descending and coming into the soul make it warm vigorous and communicative to and for God and as it hath received mercies so it will be alwayes returning praises whereunto it would be altogether dead for by nature we are dead to every good work had it not first been enlivened and quickened with a power from above for we cannot stir nor move for God until he stirs and moves in us we are altogether senseless till made sensible by him t is in him we live we move and have our being we could not love God had not he loved us first nor could we give out our selves unto Christ did not Christ first breathe into our souls the spirit and power of grace and therefore we may well say that none can hold communion with Christ but those and those onely to whom Christ sends the power of godliness Reas 6 That godliness may predominate and bear rule and sway in the soul that it may be the Queen Regent and sole governess thereof that as sin hath formerly raigned to Gods dishonor so now grace may raigne to Christs glory That as sin hath raigned unto death Rom. 5.21 even so might grace raign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord so that as sin hath mastered and over-powred all the faculties of the soul and members of the body in bringing of them in subjection to Satan so now godliness sitting upon the throne exerciseth them for Christ and brings them into subjection unto him now grace and godliness stand Centinel in the soul and command all so that when any cavalering lust or corruption appears it may take them off or if they should prevaile through frequent assailings that then the soul may flee to Christ for more forces to incounter and cast them out for Christ he hath promised to assist his people against all their enemies who by the power of his death will bury all his and his Saints enemies in his grave so as they shall never prevaile against them here nor hereafter Reas 7 That it may continue a soul in that new nature whereunto it hath been begotten again unto Christ for were it not that there were a certain power in godliness to keep the soul from falling into its old natural condition and a spiritual physick to