to our uttermost so far as it import's our calling 2. Resolvedness to cleav to God in the power of practice A solemn cours used by all the Saints both in ordinarie and by occasion Joshua cap. ult tell 's Israel That hee and his hous would serv the Lord. David did not onely resolv Psal 119. 57. and vow Psal 116. to keep the Word of God but also sware to keep his righteous judgments It was the sum of Barnabas his Sermon Act. 11. That they of Antioch would with full purpose cleav to the Lord. The people in Ezra came to the Oath and Covenant sealing thereto to binde themselvs to God the more strongly for starting Oh that in these staggering degenerate times wherein daily so many fall at our right hand and so many at our left wee might bee sustein'd with this resolution of heart to bee the Lord 's for ever II. Watchfulness is not onely given the Saints to awake out of their dead sleep but when the Lord hath given them light and grace in stead thereof and purged them from their filthiness Then doth this grace preserv them clean and keep them from defileing again It is like both to the eie and the eie-lid The one is the spie of the bodie to look before and to mark the occasions and opportunities offered by God of all dutie and service that wee may do it The other is the keeper of the eie from the least dust or mote which might fall into the same to annoy it Concerning the former the Christian soul must keep the watch of God Num. 9. 18. They must observ the Cloud and Pillar of fire constantly to pitch or remoov according to the mooving or resting thereof That is look what work the Lord hath for us to do whether in the round and cours of our life or in our particular Calling in which God hath set us that must wee watch unto yea wee must watch against all enemies and annoyances from without or within us And this work wee must do with the best spirit wee are able The Word first must bee the light by which wee must watch in a world of such darkness as wee live in There must be a voice behinde us saying This is the way Then secondly there must bee a marveilous active spirit in us attent to the word of God Thirdly there must bee a sensible tenderness and circumspection in the soul not to suffer any such dutie or occasion of it to escape as God afford's but to bee awake and aware of it to welcom and observ it Fourthly there must bee a special difference put between such occasions as are more safe and such as as are more dangerously beset as all lawful liberties are which lie open to much abuse Fifthly there must bee a very wakefull heart against the most secret affronts of a good cours not to stay till Satan appear in his foulest hue but even to watch the least appearances of danger which require's a marveilous jealous and scrupulous heart and yet ruled by knowledg not to bee a fool to believ every thing but wise to discern both of persons things and occasions Sixthly there must bee an heart watchful as as well to the grounds manner and measure intent and meaning of our Action as to their nature and unlawfulness Seventhly there must bee the Companions of watching fruitfulness unweariedness chearfulness and fulness in dutie redeeming our season and filling up the time with plentie abhorring emptiness and barrenness And lastly such a watching heart to a constant cours will breed a watchfulness for the coming of Christ III. Experience which is the life of a Christian's observation of the whole cours of God's government towards him both in his patience blessings corrections also exemples of others good and bad liveing and dying together with all his threats and promises against evill and to goodness with the performances thereof and especially the watch-words and warnings of Conscience out of the Word teaching us what waies to shun and what to embrace This experience teacheth the people of God to bee every one an Ecclesiastes to another a Preacher telling others what they have observed in the cours of things teach them what is vanitie and froth and what is substance The issue of which is That the whole dutie of man is this To fear God and keep his Commandements Holy experience is out of the Element of a naturall man hee is hedged out from it But it is the most blessed help to the godlie to order their life a true mistress not as to fools Vse I. And first seeing the chain of these holy helps is so precious and profitable to a godly life first wee confute all that break the links thereof and unsavorily make comparisons between one and other to the overthrow of all Son between preaching and praier som between Word and Sacraments as the Papists do Wheras wee hold that they have a sweet harmonie and neither without other to bee set up Let the solemness of the publick the familiaritie of the private and the need of all affect us with exceeding thankfulness especially for our libertie in the use thereof which Poperie had debarred us of in each kinde by a strange tongue of Scripture a Sacrifice for a Sacrament yea a confusion of many for a few Vse II. Secondly how precious and adored should the wisdom of our God bee in appointing so many and neither more of these nor less then the need of his Church required neither pampering nor sterving them but nourishing them Oh I say how should these list us up to God! As once an holy man rideing by the medows in the Spring seeing and smelling such varieties of flowers said Oh sweet Creatures but how sweet then is your Creator If this foot-stool bee so set forth what is his throne So let us say Oh sweet Ordinances oh beautiful Assemblies oh useful varieties but then how sweet is your Ordainer Vse III. Thirdly let this bee exhortation to all believers first to use secondly to live by faith in the use of means First to use them all closely constantly wisely despise not the filliness simplicitie of them judg them not by man or outsides of appearance sever not the things which God hath united hee hath ordained both their coherence and use seek him in all if by any means Phil. 3. 11. wee may attain our desire Forget wee not the scope of the whole Article to bee this That in the use of means under God the whole bodie of godly life is to bee preserved Use all not knowing in what box our chief health consisteth let not one eclips and stain the other affect not private to exclude publick honor not publick to weaken the esteem of private extraordinarie to despise ordinarie or ordinarie to exclude them And lastly let this teach us to live by faith in the use of Ordinances And by Faith let us crie out as the Church in the Canticles Arise O North winde and
the example of the Lord Jesus in all the whole conversation of his affections 3. Learn to take a right mark of the right objects of our affections and that will shame us when by loosing or mistakeing our right mark wee do fasten them bafely and indirectly Our anger is too good to bee set on carnal revenge our love too good for base lusts c. 4. Get the soul setled in peace and this will rule our spirits that neither fear nor hope shall much unsettle us but wee shall possess our souls with patience in the mid'st of all distempers III. Actions Touching which observ four rules 1 Rule They must bee warranted by the Word either in doing not doing or suspending Without knowledg the heart is not good Pro. 19. 3. 2 Rule They must bee don in a right manner or els wee sin And this manner of doing require's two things First that they bee don in the state of wel-pleasing Secondly welpleasingly The former is an assurance that the person please's God The later is a cleaving to the qualitie of performance that it bee pure 3 Rule They must bee don in a right measure The Lord must bee served with the best of us Within by the best of our souls Without by the best extent of our abilities And that wee keep no fals measure within us 4 Rule They must bee don to a right end viz. The glorie of God good of his brethren and peace of his own heart â— 3. The Object of our conversation which is two-fold 1. Spiritual with God himself 2. With man in common life 1. With God himself Godly conversation is that communion which a renued soul hath with God And it is twofold Inward Outward Inward stand's in two things 1. Either the life of faith 2. The exercise of the graces of the spirit within the soul I. In the life of faith which is soul's enjoying of God Christ our sanctification by all his promises concerning life and godliness The particular objects of the life of faith are reduced to four heads 1. Estates viz. 1. Prosperitie The soul cleav's to God in the promise of his All-sufficiencie Gen. 17. 1. and 1 Cor. 3. end All things are yours c. 2. Adversitie The soul cleav's to God in the promise of his protection redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2. Means-useing The soul cleav's unto God by the promise for the power and blessing of and upon all his ordinances 3. Duties The soul cleav's to God by a promise for strength to give us the grace to do what hee commandeth 4. Graces The soul cleav's to God in the promise and the grace of the Lord Jesus for a supplie of grace convenient for it self both for number and measure Joh. 1. 17. From his fountain wee receiv grace for grace like for like so many for so many II. In the exercise of the graces of his spirit For as Merchants and chapmen have the policie and traffique for wares and money so the godly have their commerce with the Lord for Grace Phil. 3. 19. And this stand's in these three things 1. In the increas of their Graces 2. In the rejoicing in the growth and increas they have had 3. And especialiy their tradeing is in heaven by that precious hope which is an earnest-pennie of their inheritance and therefore they never think of it but it glad's their hearts So much of the inward convers with God Outward convers of the soul with God is that holie correspondencie which it hold's with God in outward services These are of two sorts 1. Ordinarie 2. Occasional 1. Ordinarie viz. 1. First a satisfying of the soul with the Lord's image at our awakeing with a saluteing of his promise for renewed pardon and grace 2. A seeking of his face as oft in the day as may bee for renewed humiliation for pardon of renewed â—ins grace to purge and season the soul thanks for renewed compassions 3. A reviveing of covenant with him for closer purpose and bent of heart towards him 4. A daily recording of God's peculiar administrations and providence to us in patience c. 5. A finishing of each day so as wee viewing it over may bee humbled or comforted and so lie down in peace 2. Occasional is the service of the time Act. 13. 36. by which wee rest not onely in our ordinarie service of God but reach our souls to the condition of the times wee live in accordingly carrying ourselvs either in affliction or thanksgiveing as occasion require's II. Branch viz. our conversation with men in common life This the Psalmist call's the ordering of conversation aright and it is the wise accommodation of a Christian to the several passages that befall us unavoidably in this our common cours of life as marriage companie or solitariness liberties earthlie business calling familie-government common talk c. Generul rules for all Generally touching all note this That God abhorr's all common prophane usages of the world in these things and will have his people carrie about them the cognizance of new creatures and holy ones that they may not make religion odious by their corrupt behavior and makeing use of each other therein for their own ends but that the graces of God may break out and shine in the order of their conversation to the glorie of our profession Special rules for Marriage Beeing married first in the Lord they loath to make it a common thing for the use of each other but first improoving it chiefly for God and the mutual good of their souls worshipping God together makeing him umpire of all their differences nourishing matrimonial love as a sacred knot and to that end observing each others graces for the strengthening thereof Cutting off all jars in the begining and yet not agreeing together for base ends but for holy If these rules and the like were observed how might the order of this one part set in order all other parts of our cours Whereas the disorder of this wheel cause 's all other to bee distempered children unrulie servants ungoverned and all out of frame Rules for mens Callings First beware of an unlawful Calling Then of picking quarrels with your callings Change not your Calling at your pleasure but cling to thy Calling to keep thee from noisom lusts eas sloath and lewd companie which nothing but a Calling will prevent As that Martyr blessed God for holy wedlock so do thou for an honest Calling Secondly use it not for base ends of gain money and the like but to serv providence mortifie thy lust and prepare thee for duties of worship Thirdly let an order bee set in thy Calling that it hinder not Religion in thy Familie neither let Religion hinder thy Calling but both know and keep their bounds Fourthly Neglect not thy Calling suddenly to attend upon needless pleasure travels companies drinkings to leav thy familie in a distemper without either provision or government but instead of these abide diligently in the Calling in which
Baptism received with holy confidence go to the Lord for her due nourishment by and in him saying thus Oh Lord I am thine save mee Psal 119. 94. Of thee I am who art made unto mee not onely Righteousness but sanctification with growth and increas in it I com therefore to plead my right in all humilitie If I had never came to birth or to the light I had so been at an end but seeing thou hast not denied mee the life of a childe of thine do not leav mee to shift but Lord bring mee up at thy cost and let mee have my portion from thy Table and my daily bread from thy hand My Baptism I alreadie enjoy in the death and life of Christ to make mee thine O Lord let also his blood grace and spirit run in the veins of my soul to strengthen mee in the inner man with all long-suffering and wel-pleasing and joyfulness all grace of thy new creature let it bee mine 2. Prepare thy soul to this feast of the mountains Esay 25. as oft as thou comest which must bee oft 1 Cor. 11. 29 30. and com not without thy feast-Apparel And let this bee one rule unto thee Do not catch up this Robe on the sudden but wear it daily between Sacrament and Sacrament That faith in the Lord Jesus thou walkest or would'st com with to the Supper live by it daily Christ is the same in the promise and the seal That repentance thou walkest with to the Sacrament practice it daily hee that in a great frost would keep the ice thin must keep it broken every day so thou thy soul-issues lest thine heart harden 3. Beeing thus com to the Supper set thy faith on work say thus I know no Divel in hell can sever Jesus EMMANUEL my meat and drink from the Elements but this Word hath united them for ever That by sacramentall union with them as sensible hee might unite himself with mee spiritually and really in this seal of his 4. Seeing him there thine take him eat and drink him and enjoy him let thy soul applie him to thee for that thou lackest and hee serveth that is to applie thy wants where the hedg is lowest with the to pare off thy superfluous part to fill up and supplie thy decayes and voidness I mean such gifts or graces as concern thee either in thy particular Calling or in thy general 5. Least thou should'st stagger about thy right and part herein remember the end of the Sacrament is to rid thee of this fear For why it is God's seal to the covenant of his Grace to make thee his Son and Daughter and to sanctifie thee it 's his uttermost securitie for any outward one nay it 's his instrument of conveying the greatest measure of his Spirit unto thee 6. Haveing so received it live by him depart as one well satisfied enlarge him both for number and measure of growth to all parts of thy life all estates graces duties VI. Rules concerning Praier 1. Retain this heavenly Ordinance of God in that due esteem which the Lord hath graced it with for all ends both of humiliation and supplication The Lord and thy soul by experience do know it to bee the key of all the coffers of God and that High-priest's liveing way made by the blood of Christ whereby thou hast access daily yesterday to day and ever the oftner the welcomer to the Holie of Holies to the seat of Mercie 2. God in the Lord Jesus by a promise having thy wants in a readiness and thy faith on wing let not thy cours in praying issue from a formal plat-form but a lively feeling and humble pinching of soul for thy necessities 3. Shake off all extremities of a corrupt heart by faith which must hold thine eie fixed upon thy Mediator against all thy presumption commonness dulness deadness coldness and beseech the Lord to stir thee up to pray as hee shall suggest unto thee by the present occasion well digested either for the Church others or thy self If thou would'st bee heavenly in praier first abase thy self as a worm dust and ashes yea as Mr. Bradford hell and the sink-hole before the Lord who is heaven and holiness 4. Add these meet qualities of praier viz. fervent importunitie as one whom God cannot bee rid of till thou speed and frequencie as haveing sped well already 5. And above all com not to pray with any tainted known sin I say not onely gross but even secret and close through a lazie heart loath to cast them off or a loos heart loveing them better then the things thou praiest for least the Lord justly leave thee to bee wearisom to him and thy self VII Rules concerning Meditation 1. It take's away letts either giddiness of minde or unsavoriness of spirit the former like a sieve out of the water looseth all it get's suffer's nothing either truthes heard or works seen to abide long in the heart but Meditation set's them in the heart that they leak not out Heb. 2. 1. In stead of the later it season 's the heart with the sap the life the savor of good things 2. It make's the meaning view scope and order both of particular doctrine and the whole scope of Religion to becom our own 3. Wee com hereby to the eas of practice the fruit whereof experience so that if once wee have found crosses to do us good wee fear not when new ones approach if wee have felt the gain of a Sabbath get a delight therein in a word whatsoever is easie it becom's sweet and therefore if this bee worth somwhat to finde the yoke of God easie and his burthen light as to say the truth it is the upshot of goodness well may wee then say Meditation is a divine help to a good cours To these may bee added three other means of Godliness viz. 1. Resolvedness 2. Watchfulness 3. Experience I. Resolvedness is a grace of the Spirit standing in an holy firmness of minde and heart to keep fast the truth of God both in judgment and the power of practice Truth if it bee once lost in the judgment will not long hold in the practice therefore wee must bee well principled and grounded in the Truth love it for it self and embrace it with our best affections Not beeing wheeled and hurried about with the new tricks and devices of men of unsound judgment nor yet put on som truthes for a time with great zeal and heat and suddenly when a greater heat of opposition arise's out of a giddie minde and fearful heart recant as fast and betray the truth of God to time-servers and Enemies Therefore wee are bidden Buy the truth whatsoever wee give for it but sell it not whatsoever wee might have for it Contend wee for the faith Jud. 2 yea unto blood To this end let us wisely and strongly observ resist and reject all novelties and schisms starting up among us and abhor them bearing witness to the Truth of God
blow upon these flowers and spices that they may com into my nostrils Els thou maiest bee in the midst of the Garden and savor nothing ARTIC V. The conversion of a new Creature is beset with manie Letts SEe Texts Heb. 12. 1. Cast off every weight and clog 1 Pet. 5. 8. 1 Joh. 2. 16. As it was with Christ after his Baptism and anointing instantly Satan set upon him Matth. 4. 1. So here These Lets are of three sorts 1. Sin 2. Satan 3. The World I. Sin is a Lett to us two waies 1. In respect of it self viz. Native corruption or Actual lusts within Actual evil without 1 Way Sin is a Lett in our unrenewed nature abiding still That is a woful clog and back-byas retarding our motion to heaven and slowing of our race Heb. 12. 1. Also a most tedious contrarietie in us and perpetual enemie Gal. 5. 17. lust 's against the spirit as a continual dropping In the former respect I might liken it to that unnaturall setting of the Sun ten degrees back in the second to that Peninna 1 Sam. 1. 7. which vexed Hanna day by day and upbraided her as her enemie or those daughters of Heth to Rebecca that were eie-sores that shee could never bee quiet for them her life was made wearisom to her Dead flies caus the ointment of the Apothecarie to stink so this cause's grace to bee unsavorie As the furnace send 's out infinite sparkles so doth this corruption minister fewel to all our cours what wofull deadness distemper distaste weariness loggishness doth it bring upon our cours how doth it cast wilde-fire into the thoughts and affections and the spirit of a man 2. In respect of our inward actual lusts and passions which as Saint James saith fight in our members Jam. 4. but as Peter addeth fight against our souls These lusts do snib and kill the growth of goodness in the soul and over-drip the grace of God as a sowre shadow and the bows of a Walnut-tree do keep under som tender Plant or as the blasting of the East-winde the blossoms 3. In the actual breakings out in open offences and excesses as oathes blasphemies impietie to God and open contempt of his Word Sabbath patience crosses blessings open coosenage uncleanness intemperance idleness wrath rage unmercifulness revenge worldliness and the like If these waste families and states of men then how do they much more waste and devour the conscience what horror what woo repentance complaints do they caus 2 Way by the Penalties of it Sin at the at the first did and still doth scourge her self Shee bring 's God against her both by spirituall desertions and outward crosses beeing stinging things to grace and to our nature How unsavorie doth a lust make our hearts how dead defiled how doth the heart wax polluted thereby as a sink-hole how is it first deceived then defiled then habited to ill Custom then growing to a nature riveted and confirmed then how sullen dead and dark do wee grow by it how endless an appetite of adding drunkenness to thirst doth it procure How avers doth it make us to close with hearing Sacraments or to perform dutie praier to God mercie love to men patience under the Cross II. Lett of a Believer is Satan who although hee could not do us hurt but by our sin yet by that tunnell let 's in a woful deal of his own into us wors then our own enflameing and exasperateing sin in us by the adding of his own malice to our sin as more waters make the flood greater Two things here to bee noted 1. The properties of the Tempter 2. The Substance of the Temptation The Properties are these First Malice ever set's him on work against the bodie and soul of the Creature Secondly Vigilancie and attention alway do assist his Temptations Thirdly Mischief and wo is ever in the end thereof to pull the soul from Union and Communion with God Fourthly the Method and manner of his tempting which is to bee weighed according to the parties tempted If weak and unable to resist hee tread's down the low hedg never troubling himself further needlesly And thus hee is himself a Lyon First to anticipate the counsel of the heart in preventing sin by the suddenness of injection Secondly to assault judgment and conscience both at once in blindeing the one and in bindeing the other Thus hee blinded Eve in that speech God knoweth that your eies shall bee open and yee made as Gods Secondly By his bindeing the will in point of her resistance and that by the excessiue sweet of the bait Thus to David in Bathsheba Thirdly by putting on the person of one unsuspected as somtimes pursuers of a man will prais him to get others to betray him And Jäel to deceiv Sisera brought him Cream in a Lordlie dish And thus hee becom's an Angel of light as holy as a Preacher Thus hee tempt's Christ to leap down and to make stones bread out of a godly end forsooth that God's power might bee glorisied in a miracle Avoid Devil God need 's not my sin to honor himself I sin too much unavoidably I need not add sin to sin willingly Thirdly By the delusions and the deceits which hee beguile's silly souls by that hee may circumvent them and bring them into his snare Hee hath fine names to set upon odious crimes that with the names the things might enter easily Adulterie or fornication are but tricks of youth prodigalitie but good fellowship fashions but handsomness mizerliness but providence pride of heart and life but good courage and liveing in good sort These are his dice-play and cunning Ephes 4. The Harlot entise's the young man by her spices Carpets and perfumes her Husband 's absence These delude the heart and blear the eie till like a fool his heart bee darted through The Temptations themselvs concern the Godlie two waies 1. Either in the point of their calling to bee the Lord's 2. Or in the point of their estate beeing called 1. Temptations about their first Calling are either in God's preventing Call assisting Call perfecting Call Touching his preventing thus No sooner doth hee see any sinner make toward the voice of GOD to look into his old cours or hearken after a new but presently hee set's upon them even in their entrance First By presenting old sins with all their circumstances order of them number hainousness continuance long contempt c. to dismay them from possibilitie of conversion Or hee assault's them with their weakness of capacitie or memorie gifts or parts that they shall never compass such great things Or hee discourage's them with their husband's ill will the loss of father's love and land Or that the things they must forego both in liberties and laws are more then they can bear But O Satan avant The Lord hath prevented mee and drawn mee out of darkness shall hee suffer mee to perish in light Touching his assisting thus Especially in the first works
Mediator to stand between wrath and us not by arbitrement as in humane sequesterships but by paiment for us Lo therefore hee take's our person upon him becom's piacular that is first seazed with our sin by imputation that by his righteousness hee might deface it and fulfil the Law broken by us and secondly seazed with our curs that by his suffring death hee might quit us of the fear and punishment thereof His Suffering or Passion hath two parts the Sacrifice it self or Passion and the Conquest or Victorie ensuing it whereby hee gave the Passion a full power to becom or rather to bee declared satisfactory The Applying part is the act of his intercedeing Mediation here on earth and especially in heaven serveth to settle the merit of Redemption upon all the Elect in the due season thereof These are called well-springs of salvation Esay 12. 3. becaus they are so many grounds of justifying faith Their number is seaven 1. Incarnation 2. Divinitie 3. Personal union with anointing attending it 4. Actual obedience 5. Passive 6. Conquest 7. Applying all to the Elect. I Branch Incarnation By the power of the holy Ghost sanctifying the flesh of the Virgin the Lord Jesus beeing conceived in and born of the poor Virgin did submit himself to such unspeakable abasement as to take upon him the nature of man that in and by it hee might obey and suffer those things which the divine nature could not beee capable off Touching this point observ further three things 1. The realness of the flesh of the Lord Jesus hee took verie flesh of verie flesh and not as som Hereticks thought a similitude and shadow of it 2. The differences of his incarnnation I. In respect of his father hee was not ordinarily begotten by man but by the holie Ghost who fulfilled the work of a father 2. In regard of his mother a Virgin before and in and after his Incarnation Divines make the Four differences of Generation I. When man is made man without father or mother as Adam in his creätion 2. When man is made without a woman as Eve was 3. When man is made both by man and woman and so are all her posteritie made 4. The last when man is made without either man or woman and so was the flesh of Christ made Thirdly hee took our nature the seed of Adam and caused it to subsist in the second person of Godhead 3. Resolution of som doubts about it as I. Why was it necessarie that our Saviour Jesus should bee flesh That hee might thereby bee fitted and accommodated for the work of suffering The Godhead could not suffer the manhood could not merit infinitely the Godhead therefore must merit by a flesh that could suffer 2. Why must the flesh of a man and his nature bee taken to satisfie The flesh of a person could have reached onely to a personal satisfaction but the flesh of our nature might satisfie for natue it self and all persons contained under it 3. Why must the second person in Trinitie take flesh 1. becaus the word of creätion and first subsisting in creäted goodness must also bee the instrument of the uncreäted 2. It behooved that as Christ is the engraven form of his fathe'rs likeness and the brightness of his person therefore so hee should bee the instument to bring us to partake the same image after wee had lost it 3 It was fit that the righteous servant and naturural son of God should make us his servants and obedient children Vse 1. To confute Hereticks and Papists who destroy the realness and truth of the bodie of our satisfier by their Ubiquitie which destroye's the properties of the true bodie and so the bodie it self Vse 11. Of instruction teaching us to magnifie this mysterie of Godliness Jesus incarnate It 's a modell of the unspeakable justice love wisedom of God in one a far greater excellencie is in it then in the creation It was and is the song and wonderment of Angels it was then and still is that which bring 's glorie to God peace to the earth good will to men It caused Mary to exult and to magnifie God the Shepheards to report it the Wise-men to travail after it Herod and Jerusalem to tremble Simeon and Anna to rejoice and all the Church of God to triumph and and shall wee hold our peace and want affections and admirations Again it should teach us to cast off all base carnal reasons and distrusts either touching our salvation or protection Hereafter judg not God by outward apparences in the fulness of 4000 yeers flesh came If the bodie of all promises bee com how shall the branches bee performed Hee that hath given us this deliverance what can hee denie us Vse 111. Let us learn whither to go when wee want any preferment in priveledges or any grace to to furnish our hearts or lives or to fill us for our places duties and callings or for use of odinances especially when wee are under streights and bitter enemies Let us bee perswaded that our flesh glorified in heaven bear 's such stroak with the Father that hee will hear him in all his requests yea let us remember that hee therefore took flesh and felt all our ailes and infirmities that hee might pitie us and bee afflicted with us in all our affictions and temptations as Esay 63. 9. and will not let us lie under any streights which hee can rid us off For hee count's ours his and our selvs his and will do for us in this as in all other things as for his own flesh Vse IV. To exhort us to sundrie duties 1 In the difficultie which wee finde in the life of our faith let us draw neer to the flesh of our Mediator for influence and succor oh how far off do promises seem to bee unto us Christ is our peace in guilt of conscience strength to sustein us with patience in our crosses libertie from all bondage sufficiencie to enable us to walk with God to crucifie corruption to persevere to attain the resurrection of the dead 2. Again it should encourage our faint timorous hearts so many as are loden with our burden to com to the flesh of this Mediator for eas For first in this flesh of Christ there is a general fitness in him to receiv every one whose nature hee beareth for in that nature each person is enclosed Secondly it should help our weakness in coming to God the father by coming by this flesh of the Lord Jesus Thirdly let us com and plead our part in the Lord Jesus for our portion of forgiveness and mercie Fourthly by faith com and draw waters from this well-spring of salvation II Branch the Divinitie of Christ The Lord Jesus our Mediator was true God also It was not onely the second Person and no other who took flesh but a Divinitie which enabled an Humanitie to obey and suffer that God's justtce might except against neither as insufficient The Acts and sufferings
God and they Scriptures what enemies have they to darken and dull them their sences understandings and heart what enemies of the wicked have they without them III Husbands Wives to dismay them telling them that they cannot bee assured in this life of their salvation How do enemies affright them with malice threats big-looks disclain and scorn putting them in fear they shall never escape out of their claws In this varietie of affliction what is there to sustain them What is it which teacheth to kiss the rod take up their cross and bear the indignation of the Lord till hee plead their caus and bring forth their light Surely the strength of their Captain and Conqueror the Lord JESUS who hath told them In the world they shall have affliction but bee of good comfort I have overcom the world It 's hee that tell 's them till God's season of their suffering bee com so much so long and that very cross God hath ordeined for them no enemie shall do them hurt And when they do hee will make it tolerable and easie unto them do them good for their sakes that hurt them But above all they are made Conquerors and their chin is kept above water they fight under hope of victorie and say with the Church Micah 7. 8. Rejoice not over mee Oh mine enemie for when I am down I shall rise and when thou art fallen thy wound shall bee incurable Lastly it comfort 's them by faith in the conquest of our Lord Jesus against the power of death and the grave For as it was with their head hee could not bee held in it so with them their flesh rest's in hope of that triumph This conquest make's us happie in all our miserie For why Even by that verie death which is the last enemie and the gate of utter miserie to the wicked the Lord open's a door of full and final redemption to the faithful Their lowest ebb is the next step to the highest tide of their soul's happiness and final freedom from all sin sorrow and enemies Wee shall bee as much out of Gun-shot of them as the Lord Jesus himself was after his Conquest VII Branch Applying of Christ's Merit The Applying work of Christ's merit is that solemn part of his Mediation for the sake whereof hee forsook the earth and was exalted above all principalities and sitteth at the right hand of God his Father that by his intercession alwaies made for his Church hee might applie to all the members the power of this satsfaction that it might work faith in those that want it and confirm it in those that have it Therefore hee is called Advocate that the Church may enjoy the fruit of his death continually And as the ends hereof are many to wit to present the prayers of his people unto God to hold them close to his Father and keep them in his love to cover their dailie offences and continue their justification and acceptance to unite them one to another and to protect them from enemies so especially to bless the Ministerie of the Gospel for the breeding Faith in the souls of the Elect by the preaching of this his Blood and Death So that when wee see the prevailing power of the Word and Sacraments in the weak ministerie of flesh what shall wee asscribe unto it but the power of this applying work of our Advocate who convey's favor of life of brokenness of heart faith and regeneration thereby into the souls of his and in this respect hee is the key of his Fathers bosom and fountain to unlock and set it open beeing sealed before for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in Vse I. As it is singular for all uses to the Church in general and all the lively members thereof in all concernments of it whatsoever as acceptance of their praiers beeing perfumed with the sweet incens thereof protection of their persons safeguard against enemies sustentation of their souls in grace perseverance and the like so especially seeing by the blood of Jesus wee have a liveing way made unto us by his flesh let us draw neer with a pure heart in assurance of faith Oh! it should bee as a wel-spring of salvation for everie drie soul to com unto even in the greatest barrenness deadness and fear of heart that the merit of Christ should not belong unto it Therefore go not to the Word and Sacraments any more with a dead and sad heart as if there were nothing in them save an out-side of man's voice and efficacie to perswade behold Christ in them who by his applying power convey's into them strength savor persuasion and grace that his poor people may not hear his Word as a dead letter or receiv the Seals as dumb elements but as divine ordinances assisted with the Spirit of Christ and therefore able to breed faith in the soul and truly to carrie it into the stream of his satiafaction Deceiv not thy self in the condition of faith and assure thy self the Lord Jesus will give thee both meat and appetite the object of his righteousness and faith to believ it also Vse II. Let us bee exhorted to denie our own strength conceits hopes or fears and and as oft as wee go to the Word remember it is a word of reconciliation Vse III. Let all the faithful Ministers of God comfort themselvs in their weakness and defects of preaching in the little success of their labors of woful hardness of heart in their people The Lord Jesus by his spirit of intercession hold's them as his candle-sticks in his right hand hand and hee will uphold gospel ministerie and the power of both in the mid'st of their enemies and although they bee never so furious yet Mic. 2. 7. his spirit shall not bee streightned but his word shall still bee good to such as walk uprightly ARTIC III. GOD'S imputation of the merits of CHRIST'S righteousness to a sinful Soul is the formal caus of our justification IMputation doth import such an act of GOD the Father satisfied as doth take this righteousness and reckon it to the needing Soul as her own although it bee inherent in another to cast upon it an estate of as full and perfect freedom and acceptance as if it had never sinned or had fully satisfied for look how he dealt with our Suretie hee made him sin for us that is imputed it to him as his so doth hee take his righteousness and count it ours that it might bee really ours indeed This doctine of imputation is expressed by divers phrases in the Scripture By the tearm of not-imputeing sin and imputeing righteousness hee intimate's in how many respects Christ hath holpen us to wit both to forgiveness in the one beeing made sin for us and to acceptation in the other by cloatheing us with his righteousness yet so as by both Active and Passive righteousness jointly not severally considered By imputeing righteousness and imputeing faith for righneousness is mean't one thing Not that faith in
these two things 1. First it receiv's the way of this life into the soul which is the putting away of guilt and curs which Adam's sin contracted and that is pardon forgiveness Secondly it receiv's therewith and at once the actual and reall properties and nature of God to inhere and dwell in the soul Now the spirit of Regeneration by this promise work 's three distinct Acts and steps in the soul First Conception Secondly Quickning Thirdly Birth By conception I mean the least step to this life by which the soul retain's and keep 's this seed of life suffer's it not to pass away and bee spilt as in hypocrites but digest's and hold's the promise to it self till it have bred its longings after this life Conceptions provoke longings of the appetite lusting after a kinde of alteration of spiritual appetite and a desire after this life This is that Esay meane's Cap. 55. 4. Incline your hearts and hearken unto mee That is Bee so affected with this promise of life that yee do incline toward it and make to it that yee walk in God's way appointed to bring you to it Bee affected seriously with the excellencie of this life and the happie change which God offer 's you that your souls do diligently ensue it in the means That it stirr's the soul to mourn for so long liveing a dead life and resisting the offer 's of life and resting in a shew of a fals conception It doth long after this exceeding great priveledg to bee partaker of the nature and life of God It use's all means which God hath appaointed with all earnestness of soul restless till it obtain it The second work is the quickning power of the Spirit of promise whereby the Lord infuseth this life of God into the Soul which is nothing els save the soul 's breaking through the manifold struglings and strifes which self and unbelief do work within her self doth obey the voice and command of the promise that so it may live The third work of the Spirit is the birth of this speritual life When the Soul com's out of the womb into the light that is discover's her self to be alive and apprehend's as I may say her own life and that God hath begotten her to himself which is the highest step and decree of life which is bred in her The poor soul haveing received the life of God into her by her weak and poor faith scarce felt and perceived yet by the secret power of the Spirit growe's from degree to degree That although shee hath no other life at the birth than in the quickning Yet this life is more apparent and sensible every day then other till at last the Spirit fall in travel and bring forth Christ formed in the Soul so that the soul appear's to herself and to others to live and to believ becaus now shee is in the light perfected and brought forth So that appear's in the operations and works of the new Creature Vse I. Let it bee a terror to all such as being void of this life of God as unregenerate ones are Eph. 4 yet walk as alive merrie and jollie in the death of their corruption Thus was Paul Rom. 7. alive to sin ere the Law came and who but hee till the killing letter came and slew him and made him pull in his horns To all Counterfeits who adorn their dead carcasses with the ornaments of religion Duties of life and worship of God they will bee full of but the life of duties faith to apprehend the Lord Jesus for restoring of themselvs to the life of duties and of obedience they care not for Oh! rest not in any iuferior base life when the Lord offer 's thee true spiritual life Abhor all fals colors of life duties and performances when there is no substance Vse II. Learn here the price of faith It 's that whereby the soul live's here the life of God a life better then a Princes without it Vse III. Pray for the Spirit of the Lord Jesus his Resurrection by which the soul is regenerated to his new birth 1 Pet. 1. 5. and never lin till by the Word and Baptism hee hath inspired thy soul with this life of Regeneration Vse IV. Trie thy self about this birth and bee not cozened by Satan Bee content to resign up the best hopes thou hast of life heer so that the Lord would give thee sound marks of true life True life is a life of hope of Eternal life yea lively hope it rejoiceth under the hope of it It is a clensing life and purifie's the soul It is a noble precious life and will not pollute it self with dead carrion It is a waitting patient life under crosses because the upshot of it is hid with Christ in God IV. Is Justification which is contrarie to the state of guilt and curs by sin And by this benefit the soul obtain's an estate of quietness and peace towards God And that by a cleering and acquitting her at his Tribunal as if shee had never offended fully and perfectly Which I add for a difference between justificaton and sanctification the former is an whole purging us from all our sins as Saint John Ep. 1. Cap. 1. 7. speak's The other a purging us in part of which read Heb. 9. 14. For purging is from guilt and curs and that must bee perfect by imputation for els how should sinful flesh stand before a perfect God The latter is from the Dominion and Rule of it which in this life is imperfect The issue and effect of justification is peace and quiet of soul a most peculiar blessing contrarie to those garboils and horrors which the conscience felt being under wrath as also to that rotten peace which the unconvinced conscience walked with through error Either one or other of these is the estate of all injustified ones Hence the holie Ghost never cease's to magnifie this benefit as Esay 57. I create the fruit of the lips peace to him that is neer and afar off It 's a work onely belonging to God and above the first Creation for heer peace is made of a contrarie even war The Lord is the onely former of the conscience and therefore it 's a work equal to God's power to create peace in it and to restore it being lost is far greater hee was anointed Esay 61. to that purpose to preach glad tideiugs of peace Rom. 10. 15. to the meek For look how one sufficient witness in a Court may by his verdict settle a man's whole estate upon him and recover his right So the Lord Jesus by his blood bear's witness that our sin and curs is gone settleing Pardon and Salvation upon us decideing the question and making peace And in this sens wee read Heb. 12. That the blood of the Covenant speak's better things then the blood of Abel That cried in Cain's conscience nothing save revenge and horror but this crieth peace The like is that which I Pet. 3. 20.
still mai'st hear the word which is a favor for an Angel but that thou breathest in the aire or treadest upon the earth Thou objectest If thy hard heart were not so hideous upon thee thou couldst hope But I answer What hath caused it save thy self that wofull hardner which would get out of her fears by her own way and so hath dallied out the time and hardned thee But the promise tell 's thee if thou would'st trade with it thou should'st finde a contrarie effect Thou wilt say True if I were elected I might but I feel that I am not The promise will shew thee God's cords in thy dungeon and the robes which hee offer 's thee and will ask thee Dost thou not see mercie at the bottom At which end of the ladder would'st thou go up What hast thou to do with Election when the cords are so near thee or why would'st thou to heaven when the word is thy heart Thou wilt say Thou art most unworthie sinful and cursed and thy sin is ever before thee Yea it is so But why elsâ— should mercie offer it self save to the miserable Yea but then thou hast long continued a wretch and saped thy self in sin The promise will tell thee This objection from self-deceit as if thou might'st plead mercie if thy sins were smaller or thy self better whereas thy plea must bee the greatness of grace not the smalness of sin But my heart hath been hardned against mercie it self and dallied with it The promise will tell thee The Lord JESUS died for them that slew the Lord of life and for sins against the Gospel also Yea but thou saiest many have been converted since I began The Word will replie God hath all the hours in the day to work in if thou wilt attend him the eleventh as well as the seventh Thou wilt object If God had mean't mee good I should have felt it long since The Lord will tell thee so thou hast if thou wert not unthankful for it and rather delightest in descanting than believing Bee encouraged to hearken to the promise if thou would'st see all distempers drowned in the sea A second motive to believ may bee the heavie doom of unbelievers Their condemnation is of all others deservedly the fearfullest wors then the furnace of Nebuchadnezzar heat thrice hotter They had the Son of God in the mid'st of it with them therefore felt it not these contemn the Son of God they tread the blood of the Covenant under foot and count it a vain thing and count eternal life unworthy of them Therefore it shall consume them without consumption for ever If our Gospel bee hid it is so to them that perish The condemnation of the world is That they hated light that is not the light of the Law but of the Gospel the promise Hee that hath surfeited his bodie by intemperancie may die but hee that throw's the potion sent him the onely one which can cure him against the walls must needs die If they who despised Moses Law died how far greater judgment are those worthie of who sin and that finally against this Remedie can they resist the force of this Rock falling upon them and grindeing them to powder I deny not but even moral sins standing in relation to infidelitie either as causes Joh. 3. 19. or as effects 1 Tim 1. 13. are in themselvs damnable How much more unbelieving it self which make's them so Do not think this still stream is safe it 's the most deep and deadly gulf It oppose's the wisdom the counsel of God the depth of his riches of love the second love of mercie above the first creätion the providence of God's dispensation appointing this as the best way for redemption the direct way for the magnifyiug of his bottomless grace who could finde in his heart to love enmitie it felf and hate holiness in a sort that hee might love sinful enemies it resist's the omnipotent power of God in creäting man The second time of wors then nothing it disannul's his attributes his offer truth and faithfulness make 's God a lier chuse's a wors choice then Eve and Adam did hell before heaven and therefore deserv's to die that death which it hath chosen Oh! therefore judg of this sin by the spiritualness of it and prevent a treble hell by humble accepting and believing promise Lastly to conclude this doctrine should teach all God's people to keep their eies upon this Mirror of the Promise so closely till it transform them from glorie to glorie The least glimpse of mercie in the promise is glorious yet the Lord is not idle in his peoples hearts but that hee can reveal himself more clearly and gloriously to them day by day if they bee not in fault and lay barrs in his way For as the day from the dawning to noon-tide so the promise encreaseth in light where once the day-Star is risen The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith there is a spirit of the promise whereby God sealeth his people after they have once believed so that as Rom. 8. The Spirit fellow-witnesseth with us about our adoption our redemption our reconciliation all are ours wee are the Lord 's Many haveing got som flashes of hope by the Woâ—d rest there go no further wax waily wanton frothie thinking any of their own humors may well complie with the glad tidings of Heaven and so shake off their fears and turn grace into wantonness But if the true Spirit of the Promise were in them their Covenant would draw them to seek more assurance evidence and hold then before Therefore let us look to this work of the Spirit And to this end trie it by these few marks First such an heart growe's lower and lower in it self daily by how much grace growe's higher and the reproach of God in his fulness cause 's the soul to crie Depart from mee a sinful wretch It work 's not lightness Secondly such an heart hath much busied it self in and about the faithfulness of the promises that so the Lord may as by an earnest 2 Cor. 1. 22. give her his seal to assure her Thirdly shee feel's the priviledges accompanying pardon to bee hers and out-grow's her fears bondage doubts assaults temptations by the spirit of libertie peace joy thanks admiration c. Fourthly shee grow's in the seal of holiness as well as of assurance beeing more zealous fruitful upright hereby Fifthly shee covet's the use of Baptism appointed to seal her Sixthly shee grow's more real savorie setled more confident in praier and more lively in hope more readie to die more mortified in lusts more cheerfull and fruitful in communion of Saints THE THIRD PART ARTIC I. That hee who is in CHRIST is a new Creature THe Scripture expresseth this sundrie waies all tending to the same end all may bee reserred to these heads for either they look at the main principle of the Spirit of sanctification as when the tearms of renovation
God hath set thee without weariness Rules of conversation in common life The answer of that good woman to the Prophet is excelleut 2 King 4. 14. I live among my people meaning humbly courteously loving and beloved usefully and peaceably First in our neighborhood wee are to practice innocencie and harmlesness to maintain civil offices of lending and borrowing necessaries Secondly in Towns-matters not aiming at over-ruling others treading our inferiors under-feet saveing our own purses and over-burdening others but carrying equal mindes and doing as wee would bee don to not pragmatical and busie-bodies in matters not concerning us but attending our own and keeping our bounds Thirdly in Arbitratorships not stickling for parties but for a peaceable agreement upon equal condition between them Rules for Solitariness Touching solitariness Heathens may teach us who were never less alone or idle then when private and solitarie Make solitariness a threshold for meditation Rules for Companie No man is sooner bewraied by any thing then by Companie and by the Tongue Wherefore seeing it is a great part of the wheel of our life let us first beware of a loos heart readie for all commers none amiss a sign of exceeding emptiness Then discern of our companie wisely Count it secondly a singular favor to bee rid of bad or doubtful companie Thirdly bee armed in bad Companie reproov not scorners cast not pearls before swine bee dumb before such wicked ones Among the formal sort who may sooner bee swaied them seasoned bee sure to cut off evil speech and carriage Draw on the Companie by amiable behavior and courtesie and then applie our selvs to do them good To which end first bee seasoned with good matter Secondly bring it out seasonablie Thirdly have a set aim and bent at som special object Fourthly seek truly the good of such as thou conversest with and God's glorie Lastly let not thy minde bee sickle and easily put off from good speech Rules for Libertie There are many sorts of liberties as travellings from our own homes companionship with such as pleas us recreations and pastimes feastings and the like all which are lawful in their kinde yet must bee watched too least too much precious time cost and heart bee spent upon them Rules for Familie Touching the Familie wee are to set it in order not when wee die onely but much more in our life Let Governors bee the life of order themselvs Prov. 27. 23. Let God rule your children and servants and wives and set up his throne in their conscience and then a twined thread will draw more then a cable Let thy eie bee chiefly fixed on the righteous and encourage them that they may bee guides to the rest Touching Inferiors bee wholy for the good of the Familie not your own ends Children down-right in subjection and not insolent awfull diligent Servants first seek to serv the Lord hrist that neither yee may obey men against Christ nor yet neglect the obedience to men for Christ's sake Bee earnest in business yet redeeming time to serv the Lord in secret to bee sure not unsetling the seasons of familie-worship Plead not for more libertie in gadding then is meet Rule for the Tongue It 's the chief Agent and Chapman of conversation and by it conversation utter's it self Get a wel-staied heart and ballanced with grace and this will first keep in our tongues from excess and then good matter good heart and good occasions will set them on work for good for God for our brethren Vse I. Terror 1. To all prophane persons who cross with God and turn day into night a conversation of the new creature into a conversation of wickedness 2. To all hypocrites and time-servers who make Religion a cover for their hollowness and bearing the world in hand that they believ love God fear him are verie renewed ones and new creatures yet cast dung in the face of God and religion liveing still unreformed in their conversation If yee bee such new creatures if yee have slain the Agag of old Adam what mean the bleating of the sheep and lowing of the oxen how is it that your tongues your marriages families liberties companies have shaken off God's yoke where is your inward and outward conversation with God haveing a form of godliness but hateing to bee reformed Vse II. Instruction to all God's new creatures to bethink them of their work and to stir up the grace of God in their renewing Cast off thine old mixtures do not pull back thy shoulder desire no more eas then others of God's people have felt It 's God's way the way that Abraham Isaac and Jacob David Peter Paul himself walked the way wch Jesus Christ hath chalked out if it bee tedious it is to thy old man to whom thou art a debtor Thou art redeem'd from him and his old conversation thy thoughts affections members tongue feet senses are not thine own but his that thou mightst now serv in the newness of the spirit not in the oldness of the letter Vse III. Let it provoke each good heart to seek to excell in this fruit of a new creature Vse IV. Admonition Look to those Graces which serv to prop up and strengthen the wheel of conversation here one grace is requisite there another in a cross self-denial and meekness in a blessing cheerfulness and fruitfulness in each part of life faith somtimes the armor somtimes wisdom and discerning But let no naked man com into this field nor any bare-foot to this walk for they will never hold out Secondly look to thy conscience and keep it sound and tender if thou wouldst hold a good conversation or order it well ARTIC III. The Plat-form of holie conversation is the Moral law SEe 1 Tim. 1. 5. The end of the law is love what mean's hee surely not the end of the lawe's begetting power for Christ doth that but of the directing power of it Thus Saint James call's it a royall Law Jam. 2. 8. as being the scepter whereby Christ our king rule 's us And hee tearm's it a glass of Libertie meaning to all believers in that it shewe's forth the will of God fully in the point of Moral obedience as a glass represent's the face For the Law in God's purpose served for two ends One for transgressions to convince the wicked to scare them out of their self-conceit the other to guide such as are com to Christ how to live under his government And to such the Law ceased to bee a killing letter and began to bee a direction for life Now Christ hath taken away that heavie yoke of the Law and made it easie and light to us 1. As a Priest 2. As a King 3. As a Prophet I. As our Priest five waies 1. By dischargeing us from that old fence of the Law the yoke of superfluous Cerimonies of the old cerimonial and judicial Law Col. 2. 14. 2. Hee hath freed us from the rigor of moral Laws especially the whole burthen of the
of the Law hee corrupt's the minde and spirit both in the enlightning part and the terrifying The former hee abuseth to multiplie the fearful view of sin The later to make terror intolerable Touching his perfecting thus Here hee labors's to hold them under especially by the irksom bondage Oh saith hee faith only is of the Elect and thou art none it 's the free gift of God and hee may denie it as well as grant it Somtimes hec make's it less then it is to puff up up the heart with presumption Or hee hide 's the virtuous savor and strength of the Promise the simplicitie the faithfulness of the Promiser and the offer Touching his Temptations of them that are called thus These concern them either in point of their faith and as touching the former hee tempteth two waies 1. Either about the beeing or the life of Faith 2. Or their Obedience I. About the Beeing Hee take's advantage of the weak setling at the first and by that unrenewedness of nature which oppose's this spiritual grace hee seek's to overthrow them in the holding of their confidence 2. About the life By the small Life of faith hee seek's to destroy the beeing of faith II. In point of their Obedience hee tempt's two waies Either about it Or against it 1. About it thus Hee buffet's them in their comfort therein For whereas it's God's will that hee that walk's uprightly should walk safely and sweetly lo Satan separat's the end from the means An hypocrite separate's the means from the end looking for peace where there is no uprightness But here the stratagem of the Devil is contrarie and therefore either hee hide 's that from his eie which should bee his main comfort in all failings or els take's vantage by that which should bee his humiliation to bee his utter discouragement And although hee cannot rob it of the truth of grace yet hee rob's it of the comfort thereof chuseing to play at any game rather then sit out 2. Against it thus Sundrie waies hee labor 's to bring the soul under sin to renounce a good cours to bee slack remiss loos common prophane unprofitable even by consent And this is his most natural temptation For as hee is exceedingly wicked so it 's little to him that comfort bee stopped except the conscience bee wasted Oh what a May-game was it think wee to see David foiled by Adulterie Noah by Drunkenness Lot by Incest Hezekiah by Pride Peter by Revolt First Hee mark 's his season and time when the heart is most naked unarmed at eas as Absalom and Amnon lying most open and being swept and garnish't which perhaps another time would have been armed jealous and fearful Hee concur's not onely with the corruption of the heart as before but secondly with the constiution and complexion of the spirit of nature in a man Is hee propens to lust to uncleanness to jovialness to ambition Oh saith hee hee is mine I will tempt him with meet baits Thirdly Hee watche's the accommodation of occasions as when excess of chearfulness or of sadness of praises or disgraces of wel-fare and success or defeat or the like and when the spirits are open then is his opportunitie to work the heart to wanton speech to riot to wrath and discontent to swelling pride to ostentation of gifts to the makeing away of a man's self and the like Fourthly Hee will make use of their best Graces and Priviledges all men know you well enough to bee one that make conscience you may do such or such a thing and no man suspect you therefore bee not so nice in trifles defeat an Orphan oppress the fatherless falsifie the trust reposed in you c. Fifthly Somtime of secrecie of time and place who shall ever finde it out Sixthly by fine colors of pretensed meaning So by color of justice my pains have been such and such in business for others why may not I pay my self so and so they beeing never the wiser and perhaps never the wors as the case may stand Seventhly By their falls to drive them to sin for somwhat rather then to bee punished for a little over-shooes over-knees So by comparing themselvs with wors then themselvs to bee bold and presumptuous in libertie-takeing By the oft shunning of sinful occasions to venture beyond their Calling and so bee snared Nay by truthes of God both in examples of the Saints falls why maiest not thou do so and repent and in rules that the best men have their infirmities and therefore why should I bee free III General Lett the World This is a most dangerous Lett it defile's the mindes the wills and courses of men both in doctrine and manners See Eph. 4. 14. Rom. 12. 2. 1 Joh. 2. 16. It both contain's in it all evil and setteth it forth and is it self set on fire by the Devil who is the chapman of it to set the gloss upon them and to vend the wares of it For the first of which see that in John All that is in the world is the lust of the heart lust of the eie pride of life Hee speak's of these not onely as the appetites of bad men but as worldly objects For the second shee is careful not onely to keep in her ware-hous but to lay forth upon the open stall and to set out these wares in the most busie manner that can bee For the third the Devil the god of this World and the lord of this Staple and Common-wealth to whose bank and exchequer all this custom and tribute goe's I mean hell is not wanting both to suppress all means which might mar this mraket of mischief and is at hand to unite to acquaint to accommodate wares to all customers The whole world of evil may bee called either the dead World or liveing World By the Dead world wee understand thus much not onely that the world is dead in sins but this that the world though shee doth not actually speak out yet her very guise doth defile and delude and that in two particulars 1. Examples 2. Errors I. By Examples in these respects 1. By imitateing of them No way to defile and scatter sin so easily as this rules would not so soon do it Inward lust tickle's but examples do much more perfect sin when Ministers Magistrates learned ones ancient ones and the greater part of these bee ring-leaders people subjects simple young easily follow Hence that phrase Rom. 12. 2. Bee not fashioned according to this world the world hath a fashioning qualitie in it and one Ape will follow another 2. By exchangeing them no sooner hath one lick't up a bad example but presently hee relate's it and gain 's thereby If one teach theft another will teach sacriledg As one said of a decaying world Wee are dwarfs and our children will bee gnats so I of the encreasing wee are strong men and the next will bee gyants wee commit it they will bee hardned and naturaliz'd into a custom
of it defend extenuate and maintain it 3. By the stream of it the violence and the irresistibleness of it for sin in the two former will soon amount to a torrent or stream of universalitie Thus wee see this piece of the dead world hath yet an objective life in it self II. By Errors of 1. Tradition 2. Scandal 3. Base-custom 4. Conceit 5. Cosenage 1. By tradition which is when sin prevail's by succession from man to man thus the errors of Poperie and old ones new minted pleading antiquitie 2. By Scandal when the world glad to rivet herself in evil delude's herself with the offences of hypocrites and by their scandals laie's blocks in men's waies that they might stumble at the truth 3. By Custom which deceiv's by prescription of long use 4. Conceit and opinion which is an error against goodness by prejudice See Act. ult Wee know that this sect is every where evil spoken of Thus wicked men to confirm themselvs in evil take up base trivial conceits and errors against the way servants and ordinances of Christ which beeing once given out proov irrevocable 5. By Cosenage whereby fals teachers schismaticks and hereticks blanch their conceipts wresting their wits to abuse the Scriptures to set fals colors on thir opinions Jezebel fast's to cover her murder The Defilements of the liveing World consist's in Words Deeds 1. In Words which are the open corrupt counsel of sinners or their secret insinuations Pro. 7. 18. Pro. 1. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 17. 2. In Deeds alll their wicked malicious and cruel intents threats and pursuits of the godlie to quash them and to uphold their own kingdom As those Scribes and Pharises had a Law to crucifie Christ though they made it for the nonce And Dan. 6. those enemies of his Vse I. Of Instruction to bee humbled to bee comforted and to long after a full redemption For the first it 's humiliation to the best of God's children for their self-love and for this miserie that lie's upon them At home begin's our woo in our bosoms are those evils of pride prophaneness hypocrisie and self-love which bane us and what they cannot do of themselvs they do by others setting the door open and letting in devil and world to rifle and rob us of all without which no enemie could hurt us 2. Let it comfort them for the present that it is no otherwise with them in their sorrow then that wise God their good father hath allotted them so that if they feel their burden they may cheer themselvs with this It 's their pilgrimage their way home their Baca their warefare the Lord will work them triumph out of these battels and combats Hee will purge and conform them to his dear Son by them 3. Wait for that with longing as Paul did Rom. 7. Who will deliver mee Here is my pilgrimage when shall I com to my father's hous How long Lord holy and true how long Vse II. Exhortation to resist all these woful enemies of our peace viz. I. Our own corruption which wee must resist three Waies 1. By a spiritual combat against before sin bee brought into act let this bee perpetually maintained the spirit lusteth against the flesh Gal 5. 17. 2. By watching continually to observ and prevent occasions offered when wee cannot foil inward motions Cut off her provision and starv sin The welcoming of objects is as casting oyl into the fire As Job for his Sons so do thou for thy self sacrifice daily for mercie of prevention remooving of vanities which might annoy thee 3. By wisdom after wee are fallen Not to bee kept in bondage by Satan in point of our recoverie out of our falls if wee bee slip't into any but speedily to gather up our selvs ere wee bee hardned Let thine heart smite thee and say I will do so no more Job 40. 4. and so lay hold upon thy promise repent and do thy former works bee zealous and amend II. Satan III. The World Against these put on the compleat armor appointed thee by the Lord in this case and keep it close to thee wear it and walk in it as the armor of a childe of Light as the harness of the militant Church and each member of Christ blessed by him to that purpose Bee armed wisely and constantly and watch to it with praier and the Lord shall bee with thy endeavors and teach thy hands to fight and prevail Take the whole armor of God Eph 6. But seeing our selvs are our greatest enemies and those lusts within us defile us most therefore observ these Counsels against them 1. Mark well thine own spirit and those secret lusts which bubble up in thee knowing that they tend to defile and harden thee and to blinde-fold thy judgment so that neither thou should'st retein any true fight much less sens of the mischief of them Weigh and beleev this thorowly Rest not in this that thou knowest this or that corruption by thy self or canst complain of it or can'st keep thy self from the open outrage of it except withall thou bee quickned up in thy spirit to abhor such scurf as hell and start at the motions of it at the first assaults A dead faint and still giveing way to any lust entring is the next way to make the heart a thorow-fair for it 2. If they bee such as cleav to thy spirit and do salute thee again after long intermission and seeming to bee cast out oppose strongly that mercie of God that hath forgiven thee even when thou delightest in them without check how much more when they return as intruders 3. Consider there is no sweet lust or strong object offered to thee but the Lord is in it to trie the love loyaltie and power of grace wch is in thee that thou maiest know all which is in thine heart Thus the Lord hath used his people whose lot it hath been to receiv much from God David was tried by the Lust of his eie by the object of Revenge to kill Saul in the cave Hezekiah by an object of pride of life those embassadors of the Emperor Say then now my soul the Lord is at work to trie and refine thee to make thee as gold to humble thee deeply if thou bee foiled as Hezekiah or to honor thee highly as Abraham Beware now thou stick to thy tackling and discover not thy self to bee as dross of no worth Here then distrust thine own armor as David did Saul's cleav to the Lord's Say thus If I now fail the Lord as Adam in the triall hee may justly suspect mee henceforth and let loos my lusts against mee Often Lord thou hast saved mee from beeing tempted thou canst also give mee strength in the trial lead mee not into temptation fail not thy servant and I shall not fail thee in the triall of these my sweet objects and lusts 4ly Get thee som bosom-friend to impart thine estateunto thy temptations and buffetings such an one Minister or other as