Asia Now hee speaks of the Holy Ghost in the same number because that one and the same Holy Ghost is severally and intirely powred upon them all The Spirit of God was in Ephesus and the Spirit of God was in Smyrna and the Spirit of God was in Pergamos and so in Thyatira and so in Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea and therefore hee calls him the seven Spirits of God though hee bee but one and the same Spirit Thirdly hee calls him the seven Spirits of God by a common Metalepsis of putting the effects for the cause because there bee many and sundry gifts and graces of the holy Spirit of God the number seven being put to signifie the perfection of them and the universallnesse of them Now that the seven spirits of God are nothing else but that one and the same holy Spirit of God is plain out of Rev. 1. 4 5. John to the seven Churches in Asia Grace bee unto you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven Spirits which are before his Throne and from Jesus Christ which is the faithfull witnesse Which words are Saint Johns saluting of the seven Churches in Asia wherin hee wishes them all grace from the blessed Trinity q. d. Grace bee to you and peace from God the Father and from the holy Spirit of God and from the Lord Jesus Christ the faithfull and true witnesse Calling the Father which was which is which is to come and the Lord Jesus Christ the faithfull and true witnesse and the Holy Ghost the seven Spirits of God It is the very self same salutation that Paul uses in all his Epistles in effect saving that this is more full and more lofty and august Now then by the seven Spirits of God hee cannot mean any creature or creatures as Angels or so but hee must needs mean the Holy Ghost because hee prayes for grace from the seven Spirits of God which no creature is able to give Yee know God onely can give grace God onely is the Authour of all grace Hee onely can justifie and sanctifie and quicken and give a man eternall life as James Every good and perfect gift commeth from above Jam. 1. 17. It were Idolatry in John to wish to the Churches grace from the seven Spirits of God if hee meant by them any Angels or any other creatures Wee might worship the Angels if they were able to give us grace wee might pray to them and serve them and feare them and adore them if they could bee the Authours of grace to us Now this is Idolatry Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Matth. 4. 10. Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom bee glory for ever Amen Rom. 11. 36. Yee know it is the glory of God to bee the Cause of all grace Now what saies God I am the Lord that is my Name and my glory will I not give to another Isa 42. 8. Well then you see what is here meant by the seven Spirits of God even the holy Ghost himself that one the same holy Spirit of God These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God that is these things saith Christ that hath the holy Spirit of God to give him to whomsoever hee pleases Not as though that were all that Christ hath the holy Spirit of God for so Paul had the holy Spirit of God I suppose also that I have the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 7. 40. so Peter and David and all the Saints all the people of God have the holy Spirit of God nay a man is dead in trespasses and sins and is a meer carcasse like a dead body without a soule that hath not the holy Spirit of God therefore that is not all the meaning of it that Christ hath the holy Spirit of God for so all the children of God have him and are quickned by him up to all goodnesse But Christ hath the holy Spirit of God that is hee hath him to give to whomsoever hee pleases But it may be objected is it not God the Father that gives the holy spirit to all his poore children I Answer Yes it is very true Hee hath him to give to whomsoever hee is pleased to give him for the Holy Ghost is his Spirit as well as Christ hee flowes from them both And therefore saith our Saviour How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. so that the Father gives the holy spirit to whom hee will but it is in Christs name Christ is the store-house of this gift When the Father gives his holy spirit unto any man it is onely in Christs name as himself speaks The Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name Hee shall teach you all things Joh. 14. 26. Mark it is onely in Christs name Well now wee see the point That Christ onely hath the Holy Spirit of God to give to whom hee pleases If any poore creature would fain have the holy spirit of God to be in him hee must come to Christ for him Though the barrell bee never so full of good Wine yet when it is hoopt round about if one would have any hee must draw it at the tap so Beloved the Lord hath hoopt himself up from men hee hath closed himself up from all men by reason of mens sins hee hath shut himself up no man can have any of his holy spirit but hee must come and draw it at the tap hee must come to Jesus Christ the Lord vents himself onely in him as Christ saith hee that beleeveth on mee as the Scripture hath said Out of his belly shall slow rivers of living water What is that this spake hee of the spirit which they that beleeve on him should receive Joh. 7. 38 39. Mark Christ is the tap yee must come to him by true beleeving or yee cannot receive any of Gods holy Spirit Hee only hath him to give to them that doe imbrace him From him proceed all the graces of the Spirit that any men doe injoy This is his Roialty as being the only King and Head of the Church and the opened fountain that all that would bee saved must repaire unto Hee is the beginning of the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost proceedeth from him as hee is the Son of God and as hee is man hee is anointed with him The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee saith he Luk. 4. 18. Ho every one that would have him come unto mee for him Away with your sins and take mee abhorre all your own waies see what damnable creatures yee are in your selves whether your lusts and corruptions carrie you what will become of you if yee goe on in your own paths if yee would have grace and mercy and life and salvation come to mee The Spirit of the Lord is upon mee to powre him upon
you that yee may bee saved I say Christ is anointed with him the Lord hath given him his Spirit in abundance hee hath enough spirit to infuse into all that lay hold upon him as John saith God hath not given the Spirit by measure unto him Joh. 3. 34. No hee hath the holy Spirit without measure hee hath all store of spirituall graces to afford to them that lack a Treasurie of all heavenly blessings to inrich all his poore distressed Members The Reasons of this Point why Christ onely hath the holy Spirit of God to give where hee will are three First Because there is none but hee that God is well-pleased in God is out with all the sonnes of men by reason of sin and wickednesse they are all hatefull unto him they are odious in his sight and the whole world cannot make him and them friends again that ever hee should give them grace and favour much lesse his holy Spirit There is none in whom God is well-pleased but in his Son This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased Father and Holy Ghost Both came and rested upon him saying This is the onely Hee in whom I am well-pleased Mat. 3. 16 17. q. d. If yee get him to bee your Advocate take him and come unto mee with him then I will bee friends with you hee may help you with reconciliation with mee hee may get mee to give you my holy Spirit I am well-pleased in him and in none but him This is one Reason so that Christ onely can put his holy Spirit into thy heart and so send thee to his Father As Paul put a loving mediating letter in Onesimus his pocket and so sent him to his Master then hee will bee well-pleased with thee when thou haste Christs Letter of commendation about thee then thou mayest goe to God from day to day and bee accepted with him None can doe this for thee but onely Christ hee onely can put a mediating Letter in thy hand hee onely can give thee the intercessions of his holy Spirit Thousands goe to God in mans duties from day to day and because they are without this Christ hath not given them his holy Spirit therefore they are not accepted God is not pleased with them they pray without his spirit they cry God mercy without his spirit they seek to enter in without his spirit and so they are not admitted Now when a soule comes to Christ God is well-pleased with Christ and therefore Christ can give him this love-token Christ can give him the holy Spirit and so hee shall bee admitted into favour with God God is well-pleased in him As Pharaoh was in Joseph and therefore Joseph could present his Brethren unto Pharaoh Gen. 47. 2. If any bodie else had presented them they should never have found favour but Joseph could put acceptance upon them Pharaoh was well pleased in him So God is well pleased in his Son and therefore he can doe it and none but He. Secondly Another Reason is Because the Holy Spirit of God will never enter into man more except Gods Justice be satisfied God is resolved he will not put up those indignities that men offer unto him except they bring with them one in whom his wrath is appeased As Saint John sayes The Lambe slaine hath seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God Rev. 5. 6. That is hee hath satisfied Gods Justice and therefore he hath the Holy Spirit of God so given the Holy Spirit of God will goe to those men that he hath satisfied Gods justice for I say the Holy Spirit of God will not goe to any man without satisfaction if any one will shew him satisfaction then the Spirit of God will say I will goe where you will have mee onely let mee have satisfaction Now Beloved Christ onely can say to the Holy Spirit come a-long with me to this man here 's a satisfaction unto Justice Therefore he only hath the Spirit at his dispencing And therefore if any man would have Gods Holy Spirit he must bring the Lambe Divine slaine with him to God Lord here I have the Lamb slaine and now let me see thy face now let mee have thy Spirit as David said to Abner bring me Michol or never thinke to see my face 2 Sam. 3. 13. q. d. never come to me except thou bring mee my Michol with thee The bringing of Michol with him this might helpe him to see the Kings face So Beloved when a man getteth the Lord Jesus Christ and brings him with him to God this may helpe him to Gods Holy Spirit Bring him along with thee and thou shalt see my face thou shalt have my holy Spirit Neither will God send thee his Holy Spirit neither will the Holy Spirit come to thee otherwise Christ onely hath him to give Have Christ and have him Thirdly another Reason is why Christ hath the Holy Spirit to give Because he is flesh of our flesh and Bone of our Bone and wee may goe to him hee is the fittest to have him to give because he being man aswell as wee wee may make bold to goe to him My Brethren wee are not able to goe to God for any thing much lesse for his Spirit wee are not able to looke upon him immediately as a man is not able to looke upon the Sun-Beames in their strength specially if hee have sore eyes But let him get a Scarfe or a Cypresse and now hee may Now the Sun-beames will shine upon him through the Cypresse and not hurt him The Scarfe is able to convey unto him the Sunne-beames without dazling of him So beloved Christ is able to convey the Holy Spirit of God into any man our sore Consciences may look up to God through him he moderates Gods looke hee can make us looke God in the face in a comfortable manner Now we may aske any thing of him even his Holy Spirit and he will give him as the Apostle sayes By him we have boldnesse Eph. 3. 12. O beloved they are great things that we need We have need of such great matters that when the Conscience is awakened it can have no hope to obtaine that God should pardon such vile wrecthes as we that he should accept of such poore services as ours that he should love such filthy ones as wee are that he should give us a Kingdome and his owne Holy Spirit to enliven us to establish our hearts to be an earnest of Heaven to us how can we hope he will give us such infinite mercies Now the Lord hath put all these Blessings into the hands of his Sonne Jesus Christ that is flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones Now we may boldly goe to him for them As Moses when his face shone Aaron was afraid to come neare him Exod. 34. 30. Therefore hee put a vaile over his face Now Aaron and others were able to come nigh him so before none were able to come to God for any thing
need of excellent and rare gifts I and you have need that they should bee well-gifted that so they may be able to doe you good First for the interpreting of the Scriptures they are a sealed and a clasped booke they are shut up naturally to a man It is said of Christ that He opened the Scriptures Luc. 24. 32. So a Minister had need of gifts to open the Scriptures to give out the sense as the Priests in Nehemiah did St. John wept when no man could open the sealed book When a Parish hath a Minister that cannot open the sealed Book it is enough to make good people weep and lament Secondly they have need of gifts to teach He that would teach had need to be an able man as the Apostle sayes that are able to teach 2 Tim. 2. 2. The servant of the Lord must bee apt to teach 2 Tim. 2. 24. there is a gift of fitnesse and aptnesse without which a man cannot be a good teacher Thirdly they have need of gifts to be able to convince it requires a great art to speak irrefragably to mens mindes Many truthes the hearts of men doe not like and therefore they labour to put them off And therefore a Minister had need of a gift of convincing That he may be able by sound Doctrine to convince the gainsayers Tit. 1. 9. as it is said of Stephen they were not able to withstand the spirit and the wisdome by which he spake Act. 6. 10. Fourthly to move the affections a Minister is not onely to informe mens judgements but also to work on their affections as Peter sayes I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you up 2 Pet. 1. 13. a Minister is to stirre up his people to stirre their hearts and affections as Paul sayes Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11. that is wee labour to stirre your affections Christ sent a Seraphim with a live coale to touch Isaiah his lips Esa 6. 6. we had need of fire coales in our lips to heat your affections Religion consists in the will and affections of men more then in any other faculty of the soule Fifthly To speak Pro re natâ a Minister hath need of extemporary abilities to bee able upon short warning when Severus Augustines Brother failed him one day hee was faine to goe up extempore into the Pulpit himself and Preach A Minister may come into the company of his people now if hee bee not habitually furnisht how unprofitable will hee bee Saint Paul sayes when he came among his people he would impart unto them some spirituall gift Rom. 1. 11. Sixthly A Minister had need of abilities to observe seasons that Aarons bells may be wisely rung sometimes in one tune sometimes in another as occasion serves A word sitly spoken in due time is like apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 25. 11. The use of this was First here we see that a Minister had not need be a foole no he must bee a well-gifted man He that winneth soules is wise Pro. 11. 30. hee must bee one that may winne soules and therefore he must be a wise man when the heart hath so many wiles and so many put-offs and so many evasions and distinctions and excuses and strong-holds hee had need bee a wise man that will goe about to catch it There is some wisdome required to catch birdes and beasts and fishes and vermine because they are all subtill in their kinde how much more to catch the heart This is Onus humeris angelorum for midandum as Chrysost speaks Who is sufficient for these things sayes the Apostle 2 Cor. 2. 16. The best of us all may blush to thinke how unfit we are to bee Ministers and therefore how should wee blesse God if he fit any of us in any suitable measure Secondly another Use was Then they are none of Christs Ministers that are not gifted for this mighty worke Will he send a foole on such a weighty Message as this is Hee that sendeth a Message by the hand of a foole cutteth off the feet and drinketh dammage Prov. 26. 6. There is great dammage in the Church because so many fooles have the handling of Gods message But I let this passe Thirdly Hence we learn then whether to goe for gifts if we would be inabled to our callings let us goe to our Lord Jesus Christ that hath the seven Starres in his hands he can make our influences strong our light mighty he can give us a gift of boldnesse to fear no mans face Hee can untye our stammering tongues that they shall have liberty in speaking that words may flow in Hee can make our tongues a sharpe sword Hee can fire our hearts and lips While the Apostles were together in prayer Act. 1. 14. the Lord Jesus Christ sent down the Holy Ghost on them in fiery tongues Act. 2. 1. Fourthly This should teach us to stirre up the gifts that hee gives us we should strive to put them all forth as Paul sayes to Timothy Stirre up the gift that is in thee by the putting on of hands 2 Tim. 1. 6. we must stirre up the gift that is in us when father Isaac would Prophesie to his sons he stirred up his spirit with savoury meat when Elishah would Prophecy before the three Kings he called for a sacred Minstrell to stirre up the Spirit of Prophecy in him so Samp son used to goe and shake himself when he went against the Philistims as Deborah while she was at her work in Gods worship Awake awake Deborah sayes shee shee shook up her self wee should labour to use all our gifts to the full as the Apostle sayes Make full proof of thy Ministery 2 Tim. 4. 5. so wee should make full proof of every one of our gifts put them out to the utmost Ministers should be able to say as Paul does I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ Rom. 15. 19. to preach fully to convince fully to exhort fully fully to terrifie the hearts of the wicked not to use our gifts by halves O how shall wee answer it if we let our gifts rust for want of sound using of them Fifthly Wee should rely more on Christ we may trust too much to our notes but O that we could trust more in Christ that is warmest matter that comes down from Heaven in the speaking not that we should leave all without study till wee come into our Pulpits and then hope to have it given us in that moment No we must prepare as much as we can as Solomon sayes Prepare thy work without and make it fit for thy self in the field and afterwards build thy house Pro. 24. 27. So we must prepare our Sermons and make them fit for our people in our studies and then come and preach them Give attendance to reading to exhortation to Doctrine sayes the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 13. God gives
O be quickned the Lord will not endure a dead people get life if yee be wise it is but a folly to have a name to live except yee be alive indeed Now the way for us to quicken our people is First If we be good our selves When Jehosaphat would encourage the Levites to quicken up the people Sayes he The Lord shall be with the good 2 Chron. 19. 11. Hee will blesse your labours hee will strengthen your Sermons to doe good though not to all for the greatest part are not of God yet unto his people Nay if we were good indeed wee might have hope do too much good as it is said of Barnabas he was a good man and much people were added to the Lord. Act. 11. 24. Againe Secondly wee should bee earnest with God to quicken all our hearts that so we may the better quicken our Brethren as Christ sayes to Peter when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren so we should desire God to quicken us that we may quicken our Brethren that wee may wash our hands of our people What an excellent comfort was that unto Paul When hee could take his people to record that hee was pure from the bloud of all men Act. 20. 26. Thirdly We should marke which of our people are dead Ezek. 8. 6. And then thinke what are not we guiltie of his deadnesse Fourthly Let us lay about us soundly that we not may be guilty of their sinnes in any kinde Fifthly Another Use is to let us see What a great danger Ministers are in they may be guilty of all the evill in their Parish if they doe not their duty which is a great thing to doe they have all the sinnes of their Parish lying at their doore This should keepe us from security and from pride many grow proud that are Ministers but alas they know not what an Office they have that doe so Our very Calling should make our hearts tremble and quake to think what a charge is imposed upon us This made Moses and Aaron and many a good man more so fearfull to enter upon this function No man takes this honour unto himself saith the Apostle meaning no godly man no man in his right wits no man that is well-advised what hee does but hee that is called Heb. 5. 4. as our Saviour Christ saith Pray yee the Lord of the Harvest that hee would send forth labourers into his Harvest Matth. 9. 38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is in the Originall that hee would thrust forth labourers into his Harvest q. d. God will have no good labourers otherwise those that are good are not over-forward to enter into the Ministery as a Father sayes it is a burden that the very Angels shoulders would tremble under as the Apostle said Who is sufficient for these things If there were no other Argument but this in the Text it might sway all Ministers hearts in the world lest wee bee guilty of our own deadnesse and of others too Another Use should bee to the people that they would bee forward and willing to hear and greedy to drink in the word of life The want of this is the deading of many a Ministers heart I was in much bitternesse saith Ezekiel but the hand of the Lord was strong upon mee Ezek. 3. 14. that is I had had no heart at all to preach but that the hand of the Lord was exceedingly assistant unto mee whereas the forwardnesse of people is a great meanes to quicken up their Ministers When the whole City flocked in to heare Paul though the wicked were mad at it The Text saith Hee grew bold Act. 13. 44 45. When the people crowded in upon our Saviour that hee had not so much as time to eat bread Mark 3. 20. the Text shews that he so be-stirred himselfe there that his own Kinssolk thought hee had been mad Vers 21. Revel 3. 1. And unto the Angell of the Church in Sardis write these things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God c. WEE have done with the Inscription And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write Wee come now to the Subscription and that is in these words These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres Which words contain a description of the Lord Jesus Christ from whom this Epistle is sent unto the Church and hee is described very gloriously to the intent that what hee saies may bee the more reverently and seriously regarded The Description sets forth two admirable properties and royalties of our Lord Jesus Christ First That hee hath the seven Spirits of God that is hee hath the Holy Ghost to give to whomsoever hee please Secondly That he hath the seven Starres that is the Pastours and Ministers of the Church Christ hath them all in his hand to send them to gift them to assist them to preserve them to vouchsafe them to a people or to take them away as hee lists and the Ministers are called Stars because they are to shine in the firmament of the Church First then the first royalty of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is that hee hath the seven Spirits of God by the seven Spirits of God hee meanes the Holy Ghost you will say the Holy Ghost is but one Spirit By one Spirit wee are all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 13. There is one Body and one Spirit Ephes 4. 4. Through him wee both have an accesse by one Spirit unto the Father Ephes 2. 18. The Spirit of God is but one Yee know there is but one God in three persons one Father one Sonne one holy Spirit There bee three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one 1 Joh. 5. 7. there is but one Father and one Sonne whom the Apostle there calls the Word for so hee is often called in the Scripture The Word was made flesh that is the Son of God was made flesh so there is but one Holy Ghost one Holy Spirit Why then does the Text here say of Christ that hee hath the seven Spirits of God I Answer yee may know that the Revelation uses peculiar phrases august and mysticall Now the reason why John speaks thus in the plurall number is First because hee alludes to the manner of his Visions now in his Visions the holy Ghost was thus represented unto him as yee may see Rev. 4. 5. where he saw seven Lamps of fire burning before the Throne which are the seven Spirits of God So again Rev. 5. 6. where hee saw a Lamb as it had been slain having seven hornes and seven eyes which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth So that this is one reason why hee calls the Holy Ghost the seven Spirits of God because hee speaks after this manner of the Vision that hee saw Secondly another reason is because hee was to write to the seven Churches of
is upon mee saith hee Esa 61. 1. that is hee is powred upon mee that hee may run down upon all them that come to be my members If Christ indeed had not come if God had not made him Vehiculum Spiritus if God had not put his spirit upon Christ like water in a Fountain to run out upon all that will hold their hearts under him then wee might have some excuse Lord â— wee know not where to have the Spirit But the Lord hath told us where wee may have him Wee may have him in his Son Jesus Christ Thirdly Wee cannot plead wee cannot tell how to have him For as yee know where to have him so yee may know how to have him too and yee all doe know if wee had a heart wee may have him foure waies First By the hearing of the Word you will say yee have heard the Word many times yet yee never received the holy Spirit yet I answer that 's certain but it is because yee doe not come to it with a greedy yerning heart with an open eare and a willing minde to bee guided by it For if ye came thus with this minde yee would quickly have the spirit Lord tell mee any thing I doe unfeignedly desire for to doe it reprove any thing in mee I doe sincerely desire to leave it Come thus to the Word I dare say thou shalt not bee one quarter of an houre without the spirit as Christ saith Turn yee at my reproof behold I will powre out my spirit un to you Prov. 1. 23. You will say this is strange and have I heard so many Sermons and never got the spirit yet I you never heard Sermons with an honest heart You shall see Cornelius and his company got the spirit at the first Sermon that they heard when Peter Preached the Holy Ghost fell on all those that heard the Word Act. 10. 44. How so yee may read there in the Context O saies Cornelius Wee are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Ver. 33. Now if wee have the Word daily preached and wee get not the holy spirit of God wee are without excuse Secondly By Prayer if wee did pray faithfully unto God wee should have the holy spirit as Christ saies If ye that are evill can give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. You will say yee have prayed many a time and often and yet yee finde no such thing and no marvaile when a mans heart prayes onely by the by but if yee made it your businesse from day to day if yee would seek for him as for life and look upon it as more necessary then life it self then yee should quickly speed But when yee will give God the blinde and the lame and your hearts run a whoring after other things Heaven is not the main of all your care and study the Lord knows a hollow heart and can tell how to deny it none shall have his spirit that doe not desire him above all things and labour after him above all things and use all manner of meanes for him The Spirit of God is a great gift and wee must know its an infinite mercy to obtain him and therefore wee must seek him accordingly They that get him doe not goe dreamingly to work Thirdly By repentance this is another means to obtain the Holy Ghost as the Lord saith Rent your hearts and not your garments and turn to the Lord your God c. Joel 2. 13. what followes And after that I will powre my Spirit upon you saith hee ver 28. Never think to have Gods holy Spirit and live after the flesh or goe on in a forme or a carelesse way not onely drunkennesse and whoredome and capitall sins keep him out but any other lusts and corruptions that the heart clings unto Rent your hearts then let your drowzie doings pain you at the heart let all your security and unbeleef and luke warmnesse whereby yee part stakes with God let all these bee a burden unto you and you heavy laden with them this is the way-making for the Spirit of Gods comming in Fourthly Take no deniall let not ill-successe beat you off this is that which thrusteth back thousands They find little successe at the first and so they give over But Beloved this is it howsoever wee finde cold successe in our holy labours at the first yet wee must goe on though wee doe not finde our lusts die though wee doe not finde that speeding in Prayer that wee could wish that prevailing in our endevours that wee doe desire yet still wee are to goe on and still wait upon God in abounding in our care untill the Lord grant us better successe The hard successe that we have must not hinder us as the Apostle saith Let us not bee weary in well-doing for in due time wee shall reap if wee faint not Gal. 6. 9. That is let us not bee discouraged with hard successes or any other such like thing certainly if wee goe on wee shall speed When the Wisemen came seeking for Christ at Jerusalem they had no good successe there they did not finde him there yet they would not return back without him But they went down to Bethlehem and sought for him there When the Church had sought Christ in her bed shee had no successe for that time I sought him sayes shee but I found him not Cant. 3. 1. What would shee give over because of her bad successe at the first No shee trudged out into the Lanes and the streets she enquired of the watchmen and still shee had little or no successe But the Text saith shee would never give over till she litt upon him Beloved wee must take heed of this It is the impatience of mens hearts if they cannot finde a blessing at first dash they will seek no further then they strike into a former or a worse condition In the first of Haggai yee may read that when the Jews had been hindered by Cambyses from building of the Temple for a fit they gave over Because they had no successe they would build no more but fell a building their own houses ver 4. yee know it was their sin and the Lord plagued them for it Therefore Brethren it must bee our care although wee doe not speed at the first not to slacken or give in As Isaac would still bee building Wells hee built one and that had no successe hee built another and that had as bad still there fell out strife what then did he give over so No hee never would have done till the Lord gave him a Rehoboth a Well that there was no striving about Gen. 26. 22. so wee should never bee quiet untill the Lord give us his holy Spirit though wee doe not feele his workings in us at the first no bad successes though never so many should make
hee looks towards them in pity and calls them to repentance that they may finde favour with him and therefore if they doe evill now this provokes him more a thousand times A drunkard where the word is truely preached an adulterer there a muck-worm there a proud person there a profane wretch there I say this angers him more a thousand thousand times The times of ignorance God wincked at Act. 17. 30. If your sins were committed in blinde Parishes God would winck at you in a manner that is your damnation should bee lesse God would excuse you himself in some measure Alas poore creatures they know not what they doe let them have lesse hell they do not deserve so many plagues he wincks at the wicked that live without his Word But you that live under the word he cannot winck at you Hee will punish you to the full O! Beloved above all things the Lord cannot abide that people should bee wretched and vain under his Word But I will passe over this point Thus yee see they are seven Starres every Congregation had its Starre every Church had its Minister Now in the next place we see here that Christ hath these seven Starres These things saith hee that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres Christ hath the seven starres Christ is said to have the seven starres in five respects First in respect that they have their mission from him secondly in respect they have their Commission from him thirdly in respect they have their abilities from him fourthly in respect they have their successe from him fiftly in respect they have their Protection from him of these in their order First they have their Mission from him It is Christ that sends forth all true Ministers As my Father hath sent mee so send I you Joh. 20. 21. it is Christ that sends Ministers to the Church as hee told Jerusalem Behold I send unto you Prophets and Wisemen and Scribes Matth. 23. 34. Hee called the twelve and began to send them forth by two and two c. Mark 6. 5. So hee called the seventy and sent them also Luk. 10. 1. so it is Christ that sends Ministers to this day True the Church does ordain them I but if they be not sent by him too they are intruders Now when hee sends them they are his Ministers though it bee the Church that puts them into Orders As it is with a true Constable though the Parish choose him yet hee is the Kings Officer and does things in the Kings name so it is with every true Minister Christ hath the sending of him he is the Minister of Christ as the Apostle sayes Let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4. 1. and therefore look what wee doe in our Office wee doe it in his name As hee said in the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk So we say unto Gods Elect in the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walke In the name of Jesus Christ Repent of all your wicked wayes and Beleeve and though the world will not stirre at our speech yet they that are elected of God doe stirre they are none but the Reprobate that lie still in their sinnes sometime or other wee get all the Elect for to heare us The Use of this is first for comfort to us that are true Ministers Christ hath the sending of us therefore certainly hee will bee with us in all his errands the world may bee against us we may meet with many wolves Behold I send you as sheep among Wolves people may threaten and speak their words against us a foot and a half long what need wee care for all their great speeches as long as Christ sends us Christ will bee with us for the good of his Elect in all the course of our Ministery be it short or be it long Wee shall bee usefull to them what ever the world doe if there be any that belong to God wee shall finde them out no matter for others Christ will bee with us in the Pulpit in the prison in the dog-hole if yee would put us into it as Christ told his Ministers Goe and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost and lo I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 19 20. this is our comfort that Christ will bee with us and this is the Elects comfort they shall bee sure to finde him with us in our Ministery Secondly if Christ hath the sending of us wee must bee sure wee doe his message that we perform the work he sends us to doe every messenger should doe thus nay Christ himself did thus I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which hath sent mee Joh. 5. 30. If a Merchant should send a servant beyond Sea to bee a Factor for him if that servant should goe and trade for himself to get monies for himself and an estate for himself and neglect his Masters businesse hee may look for a cold welcome home so when Christ sends us to bee Factors for him to see what Soules wee can gain unto him if wee should now seek our selves how to be rich how to bee some-body in the world how to get preferment and so leave his businesse undone wee may look for a cold welcome home when wee shall bee brought before God Certainly if Christ sends us we should minde his work glorifie Christ labour to reveale Christ to win Soules to Christ this is our businesse to doe When David sent Hushai to Absalom to bee a factor for him wee see how well hee did the message hee turned the counsell of Achitophel into foolishnesse hee marred all that wicked wretches plots he did all for David so we should doe all for Christ wee should labour to turn the devils plots into foolishnesse to undermine Satan and where God hath any to save wee shall prevaile Thirdly If Christ hath the sending of us wee must give him account when wee have done When Christ had sent his Disciples to preach they returned again and gave him account of what they had done Luk. 10. 17. Lord even the Devils are subject unto us Lord I have done thus and thus I have declared all thy whole counsell I have kept nothing back I have done thy message and such and such have heard mee but such and such will not hear me A messenger is bound to give an account unto him that sends him nay the devill himself returned to give an account when the Lord sent him to tempt Job hee came again and told what hee had done Job 2. 1. when the children of Dan sent spies to search the land they came and gave up their account The very devill may teach us this lesson to goe and give Christ account of what wee have done Wee see there how they that had received the Talents how they came and gave in
and then the promise is to them in these words They shall walk with me in white that is I will give them the grace of repentance and I wil keep them unspotted unto my heavenly Kingdome and glory And he addes a reason in these words For they are worthy not as though they did merit repentance and glory no but they are worthy in Christ and Christ hath made them meet to be made partakers of this mercy Thus you see the matter of the Epistle The fourth and last thing is the conclusion of the Epistle and that is in the fifth and sixth verses He that overcometh shall be cloathed in white raiment c. In which words we have the conclusion of the Epistle and it consists of two parts First a promise to every one that overcometh He that overcomes c. Secondly a precept to command every gracious Saint to attend to these things The promise First it is to be considered to whom it is made it is made to him that overcometh that is ye know there is to be a holy warre against all manner of sin and all temptations and all the policies of Satan and all the alluring baits of the world and all the inclinations of the flesh Now he that overcomes all these which is no other but one that is born of God who alone is able to overcome He that overcomes this is the party to whom it is promised Secondly what it is that is promised Here bee three things that are promised to him that overcomes First White raiment He shall be clothed in white raiment that is he shall be preferred to everlasting blessednesse and hee shall walk in triumph in a conquerours robe Secondly a permanent and lasting name in the Booke of life I will not put out his name out of the Book of life that is there be many hundreds that are written in the book of life in the judgement of men and in the hope of men but in the end the Lord blots them out he makes it appeare that their names are not there But this man shall never bee blotted out thence As he hopes his name is enrolled there so it shall for a certain appeare to be enrolled there and it shall never be crossed out Thirdly Christs confessing of that mans name before his Father and his holy Angels And I will confesse his name before my Father and his holy Angels that is I will acknowledge him to be mine Thus you see the first thing the promise which is made to him that overcomes The second part of the conclusion is a precept to command every gracious Saint to attend to these things and that is in the sixth verse He that hath an eare to heare let him heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Of these in their order and first of the Inscription And to the Angel of the Church of Sardis write By the Angel he means not the Angels of Heaven no nor the Angels of the bottomlesse pit he does not mean the Angels of heaven because they are perfectly holy they have no sinne in them Now the Lord Jesus speakes of such an Angel here as hath much sinned for he reproves him exceedingly Neither does he mean any Angel of the bottomlesse pit because they are perfectly evill they have no spirituall goodnesse at all in them Now the Lord Jesus speaks of such an Angel here whom though he reproves for many things amisse yet he commends him too for some gracious things and therefore he can be Angell of the bottomlesse pit It remains then that a Metaphoricall Angel is here understood and that is the Minister of the Church Now as the Angels are called Ministers Blesse ye the Lord all ye his Hosts ye Ministers that doe his pleasure Psal 103. 21. So the Ministers are called Angels An Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim c. Judg. 2. 1. that iâ— a Minister Phinehas or some Prophet or other as it seems came and preached unto the people The point then is this That Ministers are to be Angels as it were They are Angels in some sense 1. Angels are Spirits yee know they are spiritual substances as the Psalmist speaks He maketh his Angels spirits Psal 104. 4. they are spirituall creatures their communion is spirituall their food is spirituall their delights are spirituall their affections minds are spirituall so a Minister though he be a Body as well as his people yet he should be a spiritual man I confess every true Christian is spiritual as the Apostle sayes If any man be overtaken in a fault ye that are spiritual restore such a man in the spirit of meeknes Gal. 6. he speakes to every true Christian he is a spirituall man But a Minister should more especially be spirituall nay our own phrases will rise up in judgement against us if we be not spirituall Doe not we call our selves the Spiritualty as though the people were carnall in comparison of us Now if we should be more carnall then they out of our own mouthes the Lord will condemne us The truth is many of us may be called spirituall men if we will but we are mad spirituall men as the Prophet Hosea speakes The spirituall man is mad Hosea 9. 7. Mad spirituall men indeed when we are nothing lesse then what we professe our selves to be when we are spirituall men in a mockery yee know what a mock is brought up upon this name people call a spirituall Pig that is the poorest of all the ten that hath no substance in it that is given to the Minister so many of us are spirituall in a mockery having no reason why we should be so tearmed but onely because there is no substance in us no goodnesse no holinesse at all in us whereas we should exceed others in it We should be spiritual in a special manner we should be like animae separatae like spirits sequestred from bodily things taken up with spirituall affaires holding forth the fruits of the spirit we should be as Angels in our Parishes labouring to draw people from all their carnal courses endeavouring to breed in them a savour and a relish of all the things of the spirit of God our Sermons should not be onely moral but spiritual our carriage should be a spiritual walking where we come our discourse should be spirituall we should be like a company of spirits for so the Apostle calls us Try the spirits whether they be of God 1 John 4. 1. that is try your Ministers whether they be of God yea or no whether their doctrine be the doctrine of life that wil make the soul live whether their conversation be after the spirit lest ye follow a false guide whether their Ministery be the Ministery of the spirit If any man think himselfe to be a Prophet or spirituall 1 Cor. 14. 37. We cannot think our selves Prophets except we be spiritual men When our courses are carnal we sin
but now the Lord hath put a vaile of flesh upon himselfe by incarnating his owne Son now we may make bold The use of this is First Is it so that Christ hath the seven Spirits of God Then what hath he not He is an all sufficient Saviour He is Gods Steward God hath put all his goods into his hands No man can be assured of any thing that is good but by comming unto him All things are delivered to me of my Father Mat. 11. 27. That is I have all my fathers goods in my hand Favour Pardon Mercy Grace Comfort Heaven it selfe yea and his holy Spirit and all I have the distributing of them all He is the store-house whither all needy soules are to goe He is full of all manner of good things as John saies Of his fulnesse have we al received Joh. 1. 1â— Looke what grace any of the Saints have they have it all of him he is Gods Conduit-pipe the Lord opens himselfe only in him he is the tap he lets out Gods Blessings and Graces and Spirit like a sluce Hee is the Lord Treasurer of Heaven and Earth As Joseph in Egypt if any one would have Corne they must goe to Joseph for it if they came to Pharaoh but for a pecke or a gallon presently he sent them to Joseph so the Lord sends all that will have any drop of mercy to his Sonne if yee will not goe to my Sonne yee shall not have one drop yee shall dye in your sinnes This is my welbeloved Sonne sayes hee looke yee heare him hearken to him obey him be ruled by him bow down unto him doe as he bids you if ye anger him and will not stoop unto him if your hearts will not burst if your minds will not off from the world and other things and be wholly intent unto him if yee slight him and suffer vain things to draw away your affections and thoughts and meditations from him there is no redemption for you No Salvation but onely by beleeving in his name he hath all the seven Spirits of God no Spirit of Grace at all can be had but onely of him he was the Rocke that Moses must stand on that the glory of Gods goodnesse might passe before him Secondly Another use is hath Christ the seven Spirits of God then wee are without excuse if wee be without the Holy Spirit of God Christ hath him to give and yet how few will seeke him of Jesus Christ as Christ sayes Yee will not come unto me that yee might have life Joh. 5. 40. That is if yee would come unto me I would make your dead hearts to live I would quicken you to all goodnesse I would powre my Holy Spirit upon you But you will not come unto me for it This makes us without excuse That Christ hath the Spirit in him for all that have a minde to him and wee have no minde How few among you to this very day have gotten yet Gods Holy Spirit Yee pray but yee have not the spirit of supplieation to pray by to lift up your hearts to enliven your desires to be able to wrestle with God to any purpose no Spirit of grace stirring in you When ye come to the house of God ye heare Sermons but the Holy Ghost does not fall upon you to make them effectuall and mightie in operation to convert you to God to knocke off your base lusts yee are dead in all holy duties voide of all Heavenly graces dull to every good thing even as the Body without the spirit is dead Nay the Spirit of the world dwelleth in most men tying and glving them to the things here below and will not let them savor and rellish the things of Heaven Whereby they cannot cease from sinne nor work the works of God Rare is that man now-a-dayes that hath the Holy Spirit of God remaining in him in any measure nay if people were asked whether they have the Spirit of God yea or no their owne Conscience could answer No they have not they never felt any such Divine ghuest their earthlinesse and lumpishnesse of heart in all the ordinances of God their unaquaintednesse with God their unsettlednesse and nakednesse and blindnesse in all the wayes of peace plainely does declare it and yet they will not come unto Christ that they might have life he hath the seven Spirits of God and yet they cannot finde in their hearts to be instant and earnest with him when Pharaoh appointed Joseph to distribute corne to all comers Goe to Joseph sayes he Gen. 41. 55. the Text sayes all Countries came to Joseph for Corne because the famine was sore in all lands But God hath appointed his own Sonne to be a dispencer of the Spirit and there is a sore want of the spirit every where in all Townes and Parishes and yet hardly any will come in Certainely this is the condemnation that men intend their pleasure and their profits and every outward thing and never seeke to Jesus to have the Holy Spirit of God For First many of us have hard hearts that cannot melt at our owne sinnes nor the publike provocations whereby God is provoked nor the generall calamities of the Church our hearts are like a stone and wee are not affected nor can be affected no relenting at the Word no bleeding in any other good dutie nothing moves us the spirit could soften yea and take the stone away and Christ saies hee would give him unto us if we did desire him I will put a new Spirit within you and take the stony heart out of the flesh Ezek. 11. 19. Hee hath spirit enough in him to doe it and yet we will not sue to him but in a feigned manner and so a hard heart possesseth us still which marres all our familie-duties and all that wee doe in the publike assemblies nothing comes of all that wee doe If our foolish hearts would come downe to be fervent after Christ this might be be remedied He hath the seven Spirits of God for the nonce But a spirit of slumber bewitches us and and nothing can awaken us to this very day Never was there a more hard-hearted time never more hard-hearted Christians nummed and past feeling wishing indeed the things mought be mended but never putting forth our hand to have them mended Secondly scarce any of us can pray but in a blunt-hearted-wise our prayers never stirre Heaven never give so much as a lift to any of our lusts neither are they any whit answerable to the miseries that are on us whether Personall or Nationall the spirit could helpe us and enlarge us as Paul saies of the good Romans Yee have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby yee cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. and Christ hath this Spirit in his hand to give But we would rather sit woulding and yawning then be downe on our knees before God Every one almost hath heavy things that he is consciencious of terrible guiltines horrible
us weary But still wee should goe on a seeking of the holy Spirit of God Thus as wee know where to have the Spirit of God namely in Christ so wee know how too and therefore wee are without excuse if wee suffer our selves to bee void of Gods holy and blessed Spirit this is the second use Thirdly another Use is to you that doe indeed complain of great want of the Spirit here you see where yee may have supplies even from our Lord Jesus Christ hee hath the seven Spirits of God They labour to know Christ more and more this is the way to have more and more of the Spirit as the Apostle saith That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdome and revelation in the knowledge of him Ephes 1. 17. Get the knowledge of Christ more and more and thus the spirit shall come to thee more and more It is said of the Indian Gymnosophists that they would lye all the day long looking upon the Sun in the firmament so should Christians doe they should lye looking upon Christ the more spirit still they shall have if they doe so First May be ye want spirit to make you know the Lords will you finde your selves backward from day to day little or no heart to Gods Commandements look up to Christ and say Lord there is enough spirit in Christ and hee hath it for all them that doe want and would have the same O give mee some together with him as hee sayes I will put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my statutes Ezek. 36. 27. q. d. look up to mee I will doe this for you Secondly May bee yee want strength yee have many temptations and you have no strength to resist them they come in upon you like the breaking in upon you may bee yee are tempted to deny all and to say yee have nothing in you sometimes yee are tempted to give over all saying it is but a folly I shall one day bee damned and I were as good give over now as to doe it afterwards when it will bee worse and yee have no strength to hold out sometimes yee cannot meditate yee cannot pray yee are fain to break off in the midst with base feares with security and vain hopes you are tempted to doe as the world does and yee have no strength to oppose them Look up to Christ yee know the Spirit of Christ is a spirit of power and strength 2 Tim. 1. 7. and hee hath him for you Look up to him then and cry for his strong spirit Who knowes may bee you may bee able to say in the end as Paul does I can doe all things through Christ that strengthens mee Thirdly May bee yee want boldnesse to call God your Father yee are in a quandary whether yee should call him so or no yee are afraid hee is none of your Father and that yee are none of his adopted ones yee shall but blaspheme him to call him your Father or to expect of him a childes portion Look up to Christ hee hath such a spirit in him whereby yee may cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. Fourthly May bee yee want life and quickning you finde your selves very dead even as the Church of Sardis in this place I know thy works that thou art dead Look up to Christ as here hee does bid thee hee hath the seven Spirits of God and hath that which will quicken thee Christ himself when hee was naturally dead hee was quickned by his own spirit 1 Pet. 3. 18. That very spirit can quicken thy spirituall deadnesse to every good word and work His spirit is life and that will make thee lively though thy heart bee little better then a Timber-logge in duties yet if that spirit get within thee it will make thee agile and active in every good thing It is a horrible thing to see how little Christians know of Jesus Christ though they have been thought to know Jesus Christ so long a time yet they doe not know him Christ takes this very ill as hee told Philip Have I been so long time with you and hast thou not known mee Philip Joh. 14. 9. Christ could bee even angry with him for learning him no better what little spirit is there in Christians now adaies a signe though they have been a long time a learning Christ yet they hardly know him For if wee knew him Brethren wee could not bee at enmity with the holy Spirit Wee doe not look up to Christ You will say what is it to look up to Christ in all your wayes I Answer It is to follow Christ as where John said Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world The Text sayes That two of his Disciples went away and followed after Jesus Joh. 1. 36 37. O thought they is hee the Lamb of God does hee take away the sins of the world wee will follow him then John bade them look at him and they followed after him that is they lookt at him indeed as a man looks at one whom hee follows when a man so looks up to Christ that hee follows him when a man sees him his onely meanes to bee happy and godly and in the favour of God the onely meanes to doe well and to bee well and desires indeed to follow after him this is to look up to Christ when a man labours sincerely to follow the counsell and direction of Christ in all his wayes Hee bids him to deny himself and that is the thing that hee labours for Hee bids him to repent of all his sins and to ply himself to all Gods holy paths and to rely upon him for strength and acceptance and mercy and pardon and every blessing What-ever thing hee looks for at the hands of God hee sets himself to follow Christs counsell and to expect it in him If hee see his sins hee looks up to Christ and there hee sees his death to defray them when hee sees what power they have over him hee looks up to Christ for his Spirit to subdue them in the use of all those meanes that hee hath appointed Prayer Meditation Watchfulnesse Striving Purposing Endevouring and Fighting against all the lusts of his flesh And wherein soever hee failes hee labours to bee humbled and yet to look still up to Christ for forgivenesse and more help against another time This is to see the Son of God Every one that sees the Son hath everlasting life Joh. 6. 40. This is to look up to Christ to beleeve in Christ to have Christ to bee in Christ to dwell in Christ and Christ in him But you will say I am afraid I never lookt up to Christ then I never yet had him for I have not his holy spirit how shall I know whether I have the holy spirit I Answer first I will tell thee what bee not signes and then secondly what bee signes First What bee
not signes there are foure signes that people take to bee signes and are not First a civill Life when a man is a mercifull man kind to the poore quiet and peaceable among his Neighbours gentle affable courteous well-conditioned These are no signes of having Gods holy Spirit True they are very commendable and they that have the Spirit of God must have them and better than them But a man may bee without the holy Spirit of God and yet have all these Paul shews that the very Barbarians shewed him no little kindnesse they kindled him a fire though they were meer naturall men Act. 28. 2. Our Saviour Christ shews that some are chaste by nature that are born so so many are temperate by nature and loving by nature and meek by nature patient by nature therefore these are no supernaturall graces these are no signes of the holy spirit Secondly the profession of Religion This is no signe of the Holy Spirit neither for many professe they know God and yee are reprobate to every good work Tit. 1. 16. that is many professe Religion they will heare the Word they will have prayers in their families they will be of the better side in their Parish where they are if there be any godly ones they will be of their Company if they can and seeme to to doe as they doe and yet they have a carnall heart they doe very good workes every day but they have a Reprobate and unapproved heart in them They doe not doe them right Thirdly Every kinde of repentance is not a signe neither we read that Pharaoh Confessed his sin and desired the prayers of Gods people Exod. 9. 27. Saul wept for his sinnes 1 Sam. 24. 16. Judas made restitution Esau bought repentance with teares The world think certainly these were times of Gods Spirit no no They were onely Common effects of the spirit The wicked may in a sort repent of their sinnes and beat them downe too but the truths is they doe not mortifie them Like as if a man should come into a garden and see how a mole hath cast up the earth and made a fowle stirre in the Alleyes and in the Garden knots if hee tread it onely downe with his foote and doe not kill the Mole anon after it will be as bad as before so many wicked men may doe they may beat downe their sinnes every day but they rise up still as bad as before now they beat them downe and so their lusts like the Mole cast up againe Thus the Mole is not killed This is no signe of the Spirit But a godly heart he kils the Mole he mortifies his sin indeed new Moles may breed and cast up again but he riddes his soule more and more Fourthly Every kind of faith neither is not a signe of Gods holy Spirit yee know the stony ground Believed Luk. 8. 13. Secondly Now for those signes that be First When a man is soundly convinced of his sinnes This is an act of Gods holy Spirit Joh. 16. 8. When a man hath the unction from the Holy one The Text sayes that abides for ever where it is The anointing which yee have received of him abideth in you 1 Joh. 2. 27. Secondly When a man hath had a sound prick for his sins this lets in the Holy Ghost as Peter told his hearers That were prickt in their hearts Act. 2. 37. he told them they should receive the Holy Ghost Thirdly When a man hath had an unsatisfiable desire of reconciliation with God as it is said of Paul that when hee was rightly toucht by the spirit indeed hee could neither eat nor drink Act. 9. 9. hee could not be quiet till Ananias came and told him hee was reconciled with God Fourthly When a man is another and a new creature Whosoever is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. the Spirit of God where ere Hee is Hee is a new spirit and Hee carries with him a new heart Ezek. 36. 26. Hee works a thorow change and hee renews minde will and affections inclinations memory appetite members and all Hee does not onely new-plaster them over but hee pulls a man quite down and builds him up a new habitation of God as Christ told the Centurion if I come I will heale thy servant so if Christ doe once come with his spirit into any mans heart hee heales it hee works a mighty mutation in that man into another man as Paul tels the Corinthians Yee were drunkards but now yee are washed yee were railers yee were adulterers yee were covetous yee were unrighteous But now yee are washed 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. As Paul sayes I was a blasphemer and I was a persecuter but blessed bee God now I have obtained mercy Now I am not the man that I was I was a lyer but now blessed bee God I have the lip of Truth I hated them that were godly but blessed bee God now they are the dearest people to mee in the world Fifthly when a man does supernaturall good things naturall good things a naturall man may doe without the holy spirit of grace when you see a man list up a hundred or two hundred pound weight you will say I this hee may do by nature But if you should see a man lift up five thousand pound weight you will say there is more then nature in him so beloved when you see a man loves sin and comes to bee vaine and cannot abide to bee strict if hee bee strict a little hee is soon weary of it and layes it aside you may know this man hath not the spirit of God in him but if yee see you love holinesse and hate every evill thing that nothing humbles you so much as sin nothing takes you up so much as how to please God now yee may know the spirit of God is in you Why This is above Nature This then is another Use Lastly Hath Christ the seven Spirits of God to give them to all that will come unto him then what may Christ say to them that are contented without him that have no care at all to come at him that like not his government that will not draw water at his Well Hee hath taken paines to procure a stock of grace for them to provide Merits enough for them a salve broad enough for all their sores spirit enough to powre into all their hearts and when hee hath done all this they regard other things more than him Truely he may say as David did when he was told of Nabals churlish answer Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the Wildernesse 1 Sam. 25. 21 Even so may Christ say surely in vain have I suffered for these men in vaine have I come out of my Fathers bosome for them in vain did I die upon the crosse They will have none of my ware they respect not my graces they will not come at mee for my holy Spirit c. Revel 3. 1. And
to you wretch that devise evill the Lord knowes your devilish intentions ye are thinking to be revenged but God will be revenged on you ye are minding to go by-and-by to such a piece of villany but the Lord will find you out This is preaching in season So when a soule cannot be cast downe but when he comes to a Sermon there he meets with his owne case his temptations are treated of wine and oyle is powred into his wounds this is to preach in due season O what gifts had a Minister need to have He had need of daily inflvence from God Daily instincts that God should guide his tongue and his heart Now Beloved it is Christ alone that gifts all his true Ministers I will be with thy mouth saies he to Moses The use of this is First here we see that a Minister had not need be a foole no no he that winneth soules is wise Pro. 11. 30. he must be a wise man that would be a Minister it requires more then humaine wisedome to catch soules when the heart hath so many put-offs so many deceits so many strongholds so loth to obey the word so subtill to invent excuses so crafty to thrust away the truth There is some wisdome required to catch fishes and birdes and vermine how much more to catch men who is sufficient for these things The best of us all may blush to thinke how unfit we are to be Ministers O how should we blesse God if he fit any of us in any suitable measure and when we have done our best we had need to goe home and downe on our knees and cry shame on our selves for not doing better Secondly Then they are none of Christs Ministers that are not gifted for this mighty worke Will he send a foole on such a waighty Message as this is He that sendeth a Message by the hand of a foole cutteth off the feet and drinketh dammage Pro. 26. 6. That is if a man have a businesse of any great importance He had not need to imploy a foole in it lest he suffer great dammage It is all one as if one should chop off ones feet then bid him go on our errand O Beloved preaching of the Gospell is a worke of infinit importance the humbling of mens hearts the convincing of consciences the converting of mens Soules these are great businesses doubtlesse they are no Fooles that Christ sends on such errands True all Christs Ministers are not alike gifted some have meaner gifts then othersome have but he that hath least he is fitted in some measure to dispence divine mysteries to call home Gods elect to build up the called to judge all his hearers to stop the mouthes of gainsayers to hew down the obstinate to shew unto men the things belonging to their peace to give the Saints their due and the wicked their due That a good man cannot come but he shall have heavenly meat to feed on Nor a wretch neither but his Ministery wil single him out give him his bit to chew upon He that cannot doe this in any measure he is none of Christs Ministers Surely he will not send such a Message by a fooles hand but either he makes him a wise able man or else he runs without his sending Thirdly then my Brethren hence we learn whether to go for gifts if we would be enabled to our calling let us goe to Jesus Christ that hath the seven stars in his hands he can make our inflvences strong and our light heate mighty he can give us a gift of boldnesse to feare no mens faces He can unty our stammering tongues that we shall have liberty in speaking He can make our tongues a sharpe sword He can make us sons of consolation unto some of thunder unto others If we want knowledge in the mysterie of Christ let us make our wants knowne unto him he will instill into us If we want words he can make them flow in unto us If we want affections he can purge away our iniquities fire our hearts lips While the Apostles were together at prayer Act. 1. 14. suddenly the Lord Jesus sent them the gift of the holy Ghost in fiery cloven tongues Act. 2. While Paul and Silas were praying in the prison the Lord backt them from Heaven made them instruments of turning the heart of the Goaler Let us pray then not only in our Pulpits before our Sermons but also in secret God giveth the greatest gifts in secret and like man revealeth himself apart as secret meales make a fat body so does secret prayer it makes a well-liking soule Again this should teach us to stirre up the gifts that hee gives us Wee should labour to put them forth a man may lose the benefit of Christs gifts for want of rouzing up himself and putting of them forth as Paul sayes to Timothy I put thee in remembrance that thou stirre up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of hands 2 Tim. 1. 6. wee must stir up the gift in us When Father Isaac would prophecy to his Sons hee stirred up his spirit with savoury meat When Elisha would Prophecy before the three Kings hee called for a Minstrell to stirre up the spirit of Prophecy in him Deborah cryes awake awake Deborah Awake O my soule sayes David When Christ would pray to his Father the Text shews how hee stirred up himself These things spake Jesus and lift up his eyes unto heaven Joh. 17. 1. He lift up his soule and his spirit as Sampson went and shook himself if his spirit had been in him it had been well but like a foole he had driven him away But it should seem when hee had the spirit in him this was his wont hee shooke himself as at other times hee used to stirre up the Spirit in him so wee should stirre up the Spirit in us wee should rouze up our gifts like sparks out of the ashes and bestirre our selves soundly remisse using of them lets them warpe and wane Again wee should labour to relye more upon Christ we trust too much to our notes but O if wee could trust more to Christ that 's warmest matter that comes down from heaven in the speaking not that wee should leave all without study till wee come into our Pulpits No prepare as much as wee can But then if we would trust in Christ for his present assistance and yearn up to him for prompting it would make our Ministery more lively When a Sermon is an effect of Faith that 's it that does most good then Christs Spirit Preaches and not wee as the Prophet David sayes The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee 2 Sam. 23. 2. Again this should teach the people of God if they would have their Ministers inabled indeed to doe their soules good that they should pray for them that Christ would mor furnish them How often does the Apostle tell the people that
should be so Fourthly we began to shew you the uses of this point First how wide then are they that are profanely wicked if they that are Christians and do the things contained in the Gospell are rejected because they doe them with a dead heart where shall they appeare that will not doe them at all Secondly another use was to condemne these times of ours wherein for the most part people are dead There be not many that doe live like Christians at all in outward appearance and yet how many of that little number are even dead and without life they draw neere unto God with their outward man but their hearts are farre from him Matth. 15. 8. Thirdly another use was to shew you the danger of being a dead Christian I shewed it in seven things But I will not name them againe In the fourth place we are come to shew you what it is to be alive Christian a Christian quickened up towards God and here I shewed you First who is the principall and prime cause of this life and quickening and that is God who quickeneth the dead God the Father quickens whom he will God the Son he quickens whom he will and God the Holy Ghost he is the spirit of life Secondly I shewed you what is the Instrument of this life and that is faith this faith when it is a true and a lively faith it makes a man adhere to the fountaine of life That thou maist cleave unto him for he is thy life Deut. 30. 20. Faith is the having of God for our God as the Apostle sayes He that hath the Sonne hath life Thirdly I shewed you the parts of this life and the parts of it I shewed you were three The first is the life of justification Rom. 5. 18. The second is the life of sanctification Eph. 2. 5. The third is the life of consolation or comfort Psal 85. 6. Now because the life of sanctification is here principally intended when a man is quickened up towards God and all his holy wayes therefore I descended downe to the branches of this life and quickening in all the powers of the soule The last day we began to search about the understanding what is the life and quickening of that towards God And first we shewed you that bare knowing is not it a man may know God all his ways contemplatively yet not be quickened up to them as Israel said my God we knowledge thee Hos 8. 2. and yet as it followes they were not quickened up for all that the Gentiles knew God Rom. 1. 21. I but they did not glorifie him as God it was dead knowledge nay we shewed you that bare knowledge is not so much as the light of the understanding much lesse the life of it as our Saviour Christ sayes if the light that is in thee be darknesse how great is the darknesse Matth. 6. 23. that is a man may have that light and yet be in darknesse and therefore much more in deadnesse Secondly I shewed you that approving of God and his wayes is not the quickening of the understanding neither Saint Paul shewes that a man may approve the best things and yet be dead Rom. 2. 18. The Devill approved admirably of Jesus Christ I know thee who thou art even the holy one of God Mark 1. 24. suppose thou provest and allowest of all goodnesse O sayes the Apostle Happy is the man that condemneth not himselfe in that which he alloweth Rom. 14. 22. so may I say thou mayest allow of strictnesse and of all the strictest orders of God and yet have a dead minde and condemne thy selfe I but I am not strict though Thirdly I shewed you that thinking of God and of heavenly things this is not the life of the minde neither a man may thinke of them all now and then and yet be dead to them all notwithstanding nay this may increase thy condemnation therefore when a sinner sins it may be he thinkes of Gods word at some time Gods word forbids this and yet he does it though this increases his condemnation Fourthly I shewed you that studying of God and of faith and all the Doctrine of life this is not the life of the minde neither and this is that which deceives indeed when a mans studying is practicall this is an argument of life the heart of the righteous studieth to answer Prov. 15. 28. Schollers because their minds are not of the world may be all the day long but from morning till night their mindes are about God and all Divinity And they think it may be they are heavenly minded alas no their mindes may be as dead towards God for all this as the worldlings that is musing on his pelfe as long a time Then I came to shew you affirmatively what the life of the minde is the life of the minde is when it is stirred up towards God and all his gracious wayes as Peter sayes I will stirre up your pure mindes 2 Pet. 3. 1. that is I would quicken up your mindes when the minde is stirring towards God it was stirring towards other things before but now it is stirring towards heaven towards repentance and amendment of life and Christ and how to please God and the like now it is quickened up towards him I shewed you there be six stirring acts of the minde The first is the applying of the minde when the minde does not onely know a thing but it applyes it to ones selfe this is a stirring Act of the minde looke where the minde of man is alive if it be alive towards the world if it know any way unto profit or preferment or the having of what it likes presently it will apply it so when a man is alive towards God now his minde hath a applying disposition looke what he knowes about God he applyes it to himselfe for his owne edification instruction humiliation direction and guide as Eliphaz sayes so this it is heare it and know it for thy good Job 5. 27. that is doe not onely know it but be quickened up to apply it to thy selfe hath thy minde an applying disposition doest thou apply the word of God to thy selfe to make it thine owne Thou knowest what God is I but hast thou a disposition in thy minde to apply him to thy selfe this is a quickened minde a man will not let his knowledge lye swimming in his minde but he turnes it upon himselfe and makes it his owne 2. The meditating of the mind the minding of the minde a naturall man may thinke of God and his commandements as ye heard I but doest thou minde them if thou doest minde them from day to day now thy minde is quickened indeed carnall men think it may be of heavenly things alas that is nothing but frigus socordia as Calvin speakes I sayes as Saint Paul but they minde earthly things looke what a man is alive unto his minde
him like a man in his wooing he is troubled to remember ought now when a man hath cleared up his Estate it 's strange to see how cleare he is in his Prayers how cleare in his conscience cleare in his apprehensions where as another man knows not where he is so that if we would remember God in all our wayes let us labour to cleare up our estates this will help us to remember him a thousand times better then ever we did before then we shall see his promises distinctly and every thing distinctly Fourthly a delight in good wayes this is a very admirable help of memory what 's the reason we are apt to forget any thing but because we do not regard it the more the mind regards any thing the more it remembers it as the Prophet sayes I will delight my selfe in thy Statutes I will not forget thy word Psal 119. 16. And so for hope too Ps 78. 7. Fifthly meditation is another cause of this remembring of God meditationes salvant memoriam sayes Aristotle the more a man thinkes of a thing it is the deeper in his minde when the good man had said he would remember Gods workes Psal 77. 11. O sayes he I will meditate of them verse 12. Sixthly the rubbing up of our memories The memory is a very lazie faculty if it be not every foot rubbed up it will be forgetfull therefore we should rub up our minds if we see them ready to let his word slip we must call it back againe as the Lord sayes remember this and shew your selves men bring it to mind O ye transgressors I sa 46. 8. our memories are naturally exceeding slippery they are apt to leake out that which is good and therefore we should take paines with our mindes as the Apostle speakes therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard least at any time we let them slip Heb. 2. 1. Seventhly and lastly which is the maine of all and that is the holy Ghost But the comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 14. 26. FINIS Some trāslate it so too Which have received the law by the disposition of Angels and have not kept it Acts 7. 53. And so 1 Cor 11. 10. Because of the Angels Observ 1. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Matth. 13. 3. 8. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Use 4. Use 5. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 5 6. 8 1. 2. 3. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Arist Metaph l. 1. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 5. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 5. Use 6. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 5. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 5. Use 6. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 4. Use 5. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Use 1. Use 2. Use 3. Doct. 1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 1. 2 3 4 5 Jeremy hath a very excellent saying let 11. 20. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. 4. Doct. 2. 1. 2 3 4. 5. Vse 1. Vse 2. 1 2 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 1. 2. 3 4 5 Use 1. 2 3 4. Reas 1. 2 3 4 4. Use 1. Vse 2. 1 2 3. 4 Doct. 1. Reas 1. 2 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine 3 4. 5 6. 1 2 7 8. Vse 1. Use 2. 1. 2. Use 3. Dect 2 3. 4. 5. Vse 1. Use 2. Use 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 6 Vse 4. 1. 2. 3. 4 5 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Vse 1. Use 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. 2. 3. 4 5 6 7. 1. 2. 3. 4 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1 3 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. Vse 1. 1. 2. 1. 2 3. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4 5. 6 7 Vse 1. 2. 1. 2 3. 4 3. 6 7 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 2 3. 4 1. 2. 3. 4 5. 6. 1. 2 3. 4. 5. 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. 1. 2 3 4 1. 2 3. 4. 5 1. 2 3. 1. 3 1. 2 1 2 3 4 5. 1. 2 3. 4 5 6. 7 8. 5. 1. 2 3 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5. 6. 7 1. 2. 3 4 5 6. 7 1 2 3. 4 5 1. 2 3 4 1 2. 3. 4 2 3 1. 2 3. 4 1 2 3 4 2. 1 2 3. 4 2 3. 2 3 1. 2 1 2 3 4 5 Use 1. 4 1. 2 2 3. 4. 2 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 1. 2 1 2 3. Vse 1. 2 3 4 2 1. 2 3. 4. 5 6. 7