but seldome that he envyeth such a man because this denoteth a thought that such a man is Superiour to him and that is against the natural pride in every man Secondly Those are subject to this sin of envy who are in a similitude of condition estate trad or profession or where there is any competition for one thing and both cannot have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One tradesman envyeth another of the same trade or profit thus one Scholler one Gentleman one Favourite another one Co-partner in Government another The reason why Lycinius grew so desperately mad against the Christians whom he had formerly defended was because Christians in their meetings prayed for Constantine and not him the ground of Saul's envy and hatred to David was because the women sang Saul slew his thousands and David his ten thousands Phil. 1.19 Some preach Christ out of envy These were teachers that out of envy to Paul who had all the glory took the occasion now he was imprisoned and could not preach to set forth Christ and they thought Paul like themselves ambitious of glory and esteem and therefore that this would grieve and vex Paul but such was his grace that he could rejoyce in it Thirdly Such are subject to Envy who because they cannot abide the good of others they therefore study all the wayes to disparage and obscure the name and excellency of such If they have any failings if there be any weaknesses they rake in them talk of them neglecting the good as the Kite that flyeth over the pleasant meadows and delights upon the dunghills and Carrion therefore an envious man discovers himself by his talk his words though such a man hath never so much worth and excellency in him yet that he will never mention or if he do it 's only craftily that others may not think he doth it out of envy Thus where charity covereth a multitude of sinne envy covereth a multitude of graces Vse 1. Of all envyings take heed of that which is against men because they are godly because they live more holily then thou dost their lives condemne thy life their purity thy uncleanness their pure worship of God thy superstition and this makes theâ— as full of poyson as a Serpent Oh if there were an opportunity Never did Paul once or Bonner or any persecuter more greedily destroy those that fear God then thou couldst Never comfort thy self that thou dost not envy or hate them for their godliness but thou condemnest them for this fault and that fault for the Pharisees that were so moved with envy against Christ they said it was not for his good works they pretended he spake blasphemy he broke the Sabbath you see they had religious pretexts Take heed of this sinne that bordereth so near upon the unpardonable sinne it's too rife it 's too common amongst men if God give thee not grace to be godly thy self if God give thee not a heart to be holy yet let not the Devil so farre fill thy heart as to make thee envy rage and blaspheme at godliness in other Oh there is a great deal of difference between that sinner whom carnal pleasures or love to the world doth keep from godliness and that sinner whom envy and a secret rancour against godliness makes keep off from the practise of it Vse 2. You that are godly especially take heed of this How contrary is this spirit of envy to that love Christ hath put into you He prayed most earnestly as the great thing before his death that the godly might be one How then comes envyings and bitter thoughts among you you that ought to have one heart one mind yea to lay down your lives for one another How comes this divelish sinne to be in you How come doves to have gall Christ that thought it no robbery to be equall to God yet became in the forme of a contemptible man for the godlyes sake and hast thou so much glory or honour to deny thy self in as he had Grudge not one against another or sigh not as the Greek is no godly man should have the least bitterness or inward sighs and discontentedness against another Jam 5 9. Let us in the next place consider the aggravation of this sinne and howsoever the heathenish Poets have described it in such an ugly loathsome and deformed shape that all may see the unloveliness of it yet they being matter only of fancy and witty invention we shall draw the pourtraiture of it from the Word of God which is a two-edged sword and every arrow from this quiver may justly strike to the heart of it First The wickedness of this sinne may be excellently illustrated by that admirable good it is opposite to for this is a rule That privation is the worst whose habit is the best that is the greatest evil which is opposite to the greatest good Now there is a three-fold good that envy doth oppose as fire water and darkness light 1. The infinite goodness in God 2. The inestimable goodness in Christ 3. The admirable goodness in the grace of love or charity So that if you would know how great an evil envy is say it is as great an evil as God is good as Christ is good it opposeth Gods goodness so that phrase implyeth Is thy eye evil because God is good Mat. 20 15. that is not intensively but privatively for envy doth take God and Christ from me my neighbour from me and my self from my self it maketh Gods goodness and thy neighbours goodness to be his evil who envyeth this bitterness upon thy heart is because God is such a fountain of goodness that he communicates his mercies freely Were envy able to fall upon that pure and spotless Majesty of God he would not have created the world nor made such glorious Angels nor give such excellent perfections to some in the world for many times God loseth his glory by this meanes when they do not praise him but dishonour him yet for all this behold the goodness of God that doth so liberally diffuse it self though his glory be obscured thereby Oh! if it lay in an envious man to make men great or admired or despicable and contemptible how quickly would he make the world a poor Hospital that he might have all the glory Behold then the venemous poison of this sinne of envy which doth grudge and repine at the glorious Attribute of God his bounty and liberality that which David is so ravished with himself and calls upon Angels and other creatures to praise God for viz. His mercy which endureth for ever this the envious man is vexed at There was a seed of this bitter wormwood in Jonah how discontented and grieved was he that God did not destroy that populous City of Ninevâ—h on a suddain and how patiently did God expostulate with him and confute him by his own Gourd that he was troubled at because consumed by a worme on a suddain Jon. 4.10 Oh if an
heart melting and bleeding He makes the rough and violent tame and mild Oh then in all our Preaching and soul-Administrations look up higher still cast your eyes upon God! Man doth not live by natural bread but by the Word of Gods mouth So neither by the Spiritual Bread O Lord make our hearts other hearts our affections other affections Thirdly God giveth the increase when he makes the Word preached to take root and setling in mens hearts Our Saviour purposely takes notice of this in his Parable of the Sower that went out to sow and the miscarriage of the most hopefull crop was because it had no rooting Mat. 13. While the Word is in the ear or floating only in the affections it 's like seed on the grounds Surface there will be no good of it till it take inward rooting This is called dwelling in a man Let the Word dwell in your hearts Col. 3.16 Let not our Sermons be as you your selves are pilgrims and strangers God many times threatneth the people of Israel to root them out of the Land as men do Trees and Plants which is an irrecoverable destruction when the root is pulled up there is no hope And one main cause was because the Word of God did not take any deep rooting in them Think it not then enough to hear it no nor to write it or repeat it or conferre of it but let it be rooted in thy vital parts If the ground you till and sow should yeild no more increase then thy heart doth to God thou wouldst give over thy labour as a vain thing And one main reason of this barrenness is those things go not home to your hearts they reach not to the inward parts Fourthly God giveth increase when he makes this rooted Word to grow For as there is in Corn first the blade and then the eare it comes to perfection by degrees So it is here the Word carrieth a man up by degrees towards Heaven he is first a dwarf then a gyant first a babe then a man first carnal then spiritual Oh! it 's much that thy profiting should no more appear But we see God even when he hath planted a Vinyeard hedged it in made the Clouds to drop on it yet it may bring forth wild grapes for grapes Isa 5.4 Oh! how angry is God with our Assemblies that doth not give this increase The Church sadly complained Why Gods angâ—r did smoak against the Sheep of his Pasture because of temporal dâ—solation Psal 74.1 But this is more terrible Now this growth that God giveâ—h it may be either Intensive or Extensive Intensive so God giveth increase when those graces that are already planted in the soul are made more lively and fervent This may be called a particular personal Increase Men are not only to enquire how God giveth increase in the general but how in particular to their souls Art thou made more believing more holy more humble then before The Children of God do not with that fear and trembling consider Whether God gives the Ministry such increase to their particular or no. Oh it 's a sad thing to see the decayes and abatements that are even of godly mens graces When God is the same God the Word is the same Word there is as much cause to grow as ever Consider lest thou live in such sinnes that make God cause the Ministry to be barren to thee Or else it may grow extensively and so God giveth increase when the Word spreads it self further to moe persons or Nations Those that do not mind or regard heavenly things do now lay them deeply to heart and the people that sate in darknesse have now light shining on them Thus our Saviour compared the Gospel to a grain of mustard-seed Mat. 13.13 the least of all seeds which yet in time grow very great and Gods power and goodnesse hath been very remarkable herein making the Word to thrive and prosper in those parts and amongst that people where the earthly or material sword could make no entrance In these respects God giveth the increase The work may be of men but the successe is of God Now the Grounds Why God onely giveth increase may be First Because even in natural blessings and outward mercies successe is attributed to God not to men much more in spirituals Thus the Psalmist attributes to God That the ridges are full of corn that cattel are fruitfull and do not miscarry God he keeps the key of Heaven and gives earthly blessings as he pleaseth Thus the blessing of the Lord that makes rich Prov. 10.22 And the battel is not many times to the strong or the race to swift or wealth to the wise Eccl. 12.9 but all is as God orders it If then these ordinary mercies which are wholy natural are only by God he gives life he gives wealth he gives strength how much more doth this hold in supernaturals Secondly God only can give increase Because he onely hath the supream power and dominion over mens hearts We are teachers to the ear God is a teacher of the heart God is the onely searcher of the heart he knoweth the thoughts and inward affections of men and so God only maketh and fashioneth the hearts of men Let us then look up with more earnest prayer to God that his Spirit would move upon these waters Not only the Law but the Gospel is but the letter meerly and the administration of death if the Spirit of God doth not enliven it Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died saith she to Christ So Lord if thou art in the Sermon thy power and thy presence then it had not so often miscarried Object But you may say If God give the increase Why then doth not the Word bear fruit in every place Are any hearts too strong for the Lord Cannot he turn a wildernesse into a Paradise Hath not he the key to open the hearts of men and none can shut them Answ I answer A people by their sinnes may provoke God to depart from his Ordinances The Temple in Jerusalem was dedicated unto God and he made a gracious promise to be there present yet the Jews did so long rebel against him that he wholly left the Temple and would no more answer them by Vrim oâ— Thummim Lay then the blame where it is say not If we had lived in the Apostles dayes had seen their miracles certainly we should have increased in all grace but we have not such preaching as then was we have not such miracles we have not Apostles Oh it was not those great things that wrought grace but God by them and the same God can do it by weak and unlikely means Conclude then If the Word then be not a Word of life a soul-saving Word to thee t is for some sinne or other upon thee Thou hast grieved the Spirit of God God is angry with thee and therefore thou art like the mountains of Gilboa upon
so that the King be safe Thus let honours creatures self and all perish so that God and Christ be exalted Every man even he that seemeth to be the best hath cause to search whether he be yet above creatures as well as sinne The Demonstrations of this Truth that no man Vnregenerate can ascend any higher then to some earthly content and Happinesse And first This will palpably evidence it that every man by nature hath lost the Image of God which only did elevate man and made him qualified for the enjoyment of God as his suitable Object God made man after his Image which was righteousnesse and true holinesse so that as he made a woman like man for man to delight in so man was made like God to delight in him Then Adam desired no other good but God While he continued he was above the creatures in his affection as well as in dominion He that had power given him to rule over all creatures could also rule over all his affections He did not over-love any creature or delight in it but subordinately to God Oh glorious and blessed estate But now we have lost all this this Image is defaced Now Sampson hath lost his hair Now the Bird is deprived of her wings Now we are not able to lift up our hearts to him Hence is that expression of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17.6 His heart was lift up in the waies of the Lord. You see even a regenerate man hath much adoe to raise up his dull frozen and earthly heart to enjoy God in Christ He doth like the Artificer that with some Engine and great drawing gets a peice of timber up to the top of that House he is a building such heaving and pulling and tugging is a godly man forced to use to get his heart up to God An unregenerate man then who hath nothing of this Image of God repaired in him no wonder if he hath an heart like Nabal's even a very stone that sinketh down heavily within him This losse of Gods Image is that which beateth downward and makes the earth to swallow us up as it did Dathan and Abiram As the body deprived of the soul presently falls flat to the ground and there it lyeth thus doth every man destitute of Gods Image Secondly This Image of God being thus lost in the room thereof succeeds Original pollution For this light cometh an universal darknesse and confusion Now this native pollution that is a depravation of the whole power and all the faculties of the soul puts the soul off its hinges it takes off the Charriot Wheeles It makes man love where he should hate rest where he should move It makes Princes go on foot and Servants ride In a word the soul is now turned upside down God the Object whom he should with all his soul and might delight in now he loveth not at all and what he is allowed to love in measure and subordination that he doth over-love So that who so doth duely consider what disorder and confussion Original sinne hath put the heart into he will see it cannot be that God should be duely honoured and esteemed by a natural man This curious Watch is now broken all in pieces And as you see a Paralitical hand is weak and quaking not able to fasten upon any thing so is now the soul of man towards God Insomuch that Ambrose complained of it as our great misery that Cor nostrum non est in nostrâ poâ—estate our heart is not in our own power but is carried hither and thither up and down as the force of original corruption doth drive it How abominable then are those Doctrines that advance the power of nature Some determining that a man is able by nature to love God above all things and that it 's as easie to do things in reference to God as the creature If saith Molina no mean Jesuit I have power to throw my money into the Sea why cannot I as well give it to a poor man out of love to God Such presumptuous Doctrines as these arise from the ignorance of that horrible confussion and disorder which is now upon all by nature Thirdly If a godly man though regenerated and partaking of the Divine Nature do yet grapple and conflict with this sinne of creature affection above God then certainly an unregenerate man is over-mastered with it For this we may conclude on that what all the regenerate men are combating with that is victorious and predominant over all natural men It 's true the regenerate men differ in their fightings and conflicts some do find it a greater difficulty to loose and wean their affections from one thing more then from another and so the natural man one is more easily captivated to one earthly good then another yet in the general As â—here is no unsanctifyed man but one creature or other reigneth or ruleth in his heart so there is no godly man but something or other it is that he can hardly mortâ—fie some secret and subtile motions of soul he hath So that did not grace check and withâ—tand that creature that object would damn him at last If Eve though in a state of Integrity could be tempted by an object alluring sense how easily then may we be ensnared You read when our Saviour spake that amazing sentence That a Cammel might as well go through the eye of a needle as a rich man be saved they made this unversal exclamation Who then can be saved What rich man might have been a proper consequence but they say in the general Who then implying there is no man no not a godly man but if God should not keep down that Cammels bunch he would have some creature or other to be as affectionately and prejudicially to his salvation carried out unto as the rich man to his wealth I then the godly man can so hardly say Whom have I in Heaven but thee and in earth in comparison of thee no wonder if the earthly man fall down to the ground as the Aegyptians like a stone into the Sea That which is fighting and active in a regenerate man must needs be conquering in an unregenerate Fourthly That sinfulnesse which cannot be rooted out and conquered by those things that are above nature and are in the next degree to grace that certainly will abide prevalent till grace it self come That which Elisha's Servant nor his Staff will do but Elâ—sha must come himself that is hardly cured Now thus it is an unregenerate man may have great abilities may have the common gifts and graces of Gods Spirit he may be admirable in the whole way of Religion and yet this man who hath God and Christ so often in his mouth may have the world and creatures more in his heart So that he may in his heart say Who will shâ—w me any good when yet at that time he may say Lord lift up the light of thy countenance For this latter is not
desired heartly nor is he indeed weaned and set loose from other things The New-Testament is full of such sad Instances Take Judas a famous Apostle eminent in Gifts and Miracles often in communion with Christ yet he never got his heart above the bagge all the Sermons all the Prayers all the conference with Christ did not make him ascend higher So that a mans duties and expressions may be high even when his heart is as low as the earth yea when corrupt ends may put a man upon zeal and fervency It 's a creature that gives fire to all this heat Thus the third kind of hearers that received the word with joy it was the deceivablenesse of the creature that undid them Demas cleaveth to the present world and that makes him forsake Paul either totally or in some special service If then an immoderate heart to the creatures may consist with duties gifts and many inlargements and much asistance in holy duties if these are not able to cast out these Jebusites no wonder the natural man cannot Fifthly That a natural man cannot set his heart higher then upon some creature appeareth in the true nature of Conversion For that is not only turning from sinne but the creature also Excessive love to lawfull things otherwise is no more consistent with grace then to unlawfull things For if any thing have thy heart but God let it be what it will be thou art yet a natural man When the Apostle Col. 3. discovered that the godly are risen with Christ he makes these Inferences First Set your affections on things above and not on things below And then Mortify your members which are upon the earth reckoning up several sinnes No man then is converted till he goeth out of all sinnes yea and all creatures and cleaveth to God himself Therefore the Command is to turn to God even to God he only is the terminus ad quem of our Conversion If a man leave off his grosse sinnes take upon him a religious Profession yet if he be not lifted above the world as well as his former sinnes he is not Converted It 's not to God even to God So that a man must be undone not only in respect of his sinne but all worldly hopes he must with the Prodigall begin to account the whole world but an husk as that which will do him no good if God be not his Father Therefore those in the Parable though invited to the Feast yet refused to come it was not any grosse sinne hindred them it was not unlawfull lusts that did outwardly entangle them but those creatures which might have been lawfully enjoyed and yet they have gone to the Feast also I have bought a Farm I have married a Wife These were not inconsistent with godlinesse but in the immoderate desire after them Oh is not this the Millstone about many a mans neck I have a Shop I have a Trade and I cannot come Oh then set this home upon thy self Hath thy Conversion taken thee off from all creatures as well as thy sinnes thou darest not love Husband Wife Houses or life it self more then God Thou doest esteem the favour of God and the light of his countenance above all these things Thou canst truly say with David as it followeth Thou hast put more gladnesse in my heart then they have had when their best things encreased Many a man steppeth from his sinnes but into the world and so falls short of Heaven The right understanding of true Conversion makes it plain that no natural man can go beyond the creature Sixthly It may be demonstrated from the restlesse and unquiet heart of every natual man that doth like the Bee fly from flower to flower to get some Honey but stayeth not long on one place So that these in the text will every day complain Who will shew us any good Should God grant them their desire and give them the good they would have yet that would not satifie still they would be craving still they desire something more As you see Haman though he had never so much honour yet the want of something still he desired made him tormented within himself Solomon writeth an whole Book to shew that all these things are vanity and vexation of spirit and though he set himself on purpose to find out happinesse in the creatures yet he grew weary of all Now certainly if a natural man could center his heart upon God could put into that Haven he would never suffer himself to be tossed up and down in tempests and stormes as he is never having any rest There is no natural man that is contented with any creature he enjoyeth Let him propound to himself such and such a condition if he had such and such advantages when he hath them he is as far from solid contentment as at first Zacheus his shooe can never fit Goliah's foot As a man would think that the Heavens seem to touch the earth at such a distance and if he should ascend such high mountains he could go no further but when he cometh there he seeth the Heavens as far from him as before And therefore the godly man whose heart is united and hath taken God for his Portion for his Shepherd for his all as David professeth he can lie down and sleep he can take his rest fearing nothing in the world So that godlinesse drawing the heart to God is the best Antidote against all discontents whatsoever He that can say God is better then ten Husbands then ten thousand creatures he is not disquieted but is the same in all conditions because his God his Father his Portion is alwaies the same As he in the Ecclesiastical Histiory when one brought him word his Father was dead he said Desine blasphemias loqui Pater enim meus immortalis est So thy Husband thy Wealth thy Friend thy Portion is the immorâ—al God who cannot die but it 's not thus with the ungodly He is like a tree in the wildernesse and like the dust blown with every wind So that the troublesome restlesse and discontented thoughts of every natural man argueth that he doth not and cannot ascend up to God Seventhly It 's demonstrated thus that if at any time natural men make their applications to God those very approaches do declare that they love something more then God For it might be an Objection Why cannot a natural man be above the creature Do they not in distresses in times of calamity seek unto God May they not fast and humble themselves It 's granted but even these duties demonstrate they have only a natural carnal heart making use of God only to satisfie their earthly desires Hos 7.14 God there by the Prophet complaineth that they did not cry unto him when they howled on their beds They assemble themselves for their corn and wine You see they were as carnal and as earthly in their Fast-daies and publique Humiliations as in their worldly affairs and
sheep run into bryers that consume more then shelter 1 Cor. 7. the Apostle calleth it The fashion of the world not the substance and he saith it passeth away Whereas God is said to be alwaies the same and to abide from everlasting to everlasting Therefore if thy heart were wise thou wouldest see the vanity of these things Seventhly This must needs be an hainous sinne because it 's a breach of the first Commandement it 's direct Idolatry Worse then when we worship the true God after a false and unlawfull manner yet how severely doth God punish this kind of Idolatry How often do the Prophets threaten because of this But now thou who givest thy heart licence to delight in these things below thou sinnest against the first Commandement Thou errest in the Object of thy worship and not in the manner And is God only zealous of outward worship not of inward Is he angry only when men bow the body to wood and stones and not when the soul is prostituted to the creature Maiest thou not justly expect that as God said to those Idolaters They should call and see if their Idol gods would hear and deliver them So the Lord may bid thee call to those creatures to see if they will save thee if they will deliver thee from Hell Do not then wonder at the folly of Micha who cryed They have taken away my gods If gods Why did they not save themselves And thus here it is death takes away thy gods The fire may take away thy gods Oh that men would at last be awakened out of there blindnesse and folly herein Eighthly This creature affâ—ction is a wofull condition because it 's a debasing of a mans self and making of him a slave to that which he should rule over All the creatures they are made for his use God out of his rich abundance hath provided theâ—e things liberally for thee but they are given thee only to use As the belly is for meates and meates for the belly but God will destroy both the one and the other So all these creatures that are corruptible they are for thee who art also corruptible but God will destroy both the one and the other Therefore thou sinnest against that noble End why God made thee It was to enjoy him He did not give a reasonable immortal soul and made thee the master piece of his visible creatures that thou shouldst crawle on the dust Say rather with Austin Feâ—â—sti domine cor nostrum irrequietum est Thou madest our heart and it is restlesse till it come to thee again Vse of Admonition to every unregenerate man to inform himself throughly of his wretched and undone estate Thou canst not go beyond a creature and therefore shalt never partake of that infinite eternal happinesse which is in God himself Dost thou not plainly see the vanity and uncertainty of all other things Can any creature say I will justifie thee I will glorifie thee Consider how greately it is to thy losse to leave the Sun and go to the Starres To forsake the Ocean and take up a drop Oh will these things be ever as good as a God to thee And then in the next place Consider how dearly the enjoying of these things will cost thee Doth not our Saviour say What will it profit a man to winne the whole world and loose his soul Mat. 16.26 If now the whole world thou gainest would be no advantage thou wouldest be a wretched looser for all that Oh think I get a finite good and loose an infinite I loose an eternal good for a temporary a particular for an universal This will be thy complaint in Hell to all eternity for thy madnesse herein Antidotes and Meanes against this creature-Creature-Affection I shall now conclude this first Doctrine with giving severall directive Antidotes and meanes against this creature-creature-affection that so being loosened from the world our hearts may be fixed on God And First Let this consideration move you That you cannot addresse your selves unto God in Prayer while thy heart is not above the world Doth not our Saviour in that direction of his to Prayer give God that description of a Father in Heaven And why so but that we should lift up our hearts and affections thither So that as in Antiquity the Deacon cryed Sursum corda that they should not rest upon the element in the Sacrament but look up to Christ himself Thus also in every duty and performance a Sursum corda a lift up your hearts is necessary Therefore upon this ground it it that we may truly say No natural man did ever pray in his whole life did ever perform any one holy duty since he was born because he could never truly lift up his heart to God Prayer is called Ascensio mentis ad Deum Now a natual man can no more ascend upwards towards God then the earth can have an ascending motion Every creature that did creep upon the earth it was unclean And thus all thy duties and religious performances which creep and crawle upon the ground which soar not up high they make thee unclean and abominable before God Now should not this Argument be like a sword in thy bowels What live such a life wherein thou canst not pray no Prayer will do any good Continue in such an estate wherein thou art not able to draw nigh to God but art the Bird tyed by the snare that would fain fly up but is pulled back again Thus thou hast some sighes and some desires but presently thou art pulled down again with those clogs of creatures that are upon thee Secondly Consider Thy heartâ— it is the choicest and chiefest Treasure about thee It is too noble for any creature Thou doest dishonour thy self in making it serve the creature We see God himself calls for the heart of a man as the best Sacrifice My sonne give me thy heart Prov 23.26 And Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence So that as the heart naturally considered is the principle of all life and nature hath placed a wonderfull defence about it Thus the heart spiritually also considered is the chief fountain of all our happinesse and misery Therefore it 's sure destruction to let thy heart runne out upon the creature that is to make the chiefest of thy soul subordinate to that which is farre inferiour It 's as if thou shoudest let swine or such unclean creatures come into thy choicest Chamber It was a sad calamity to Pharaoh when the frogs and lice crept up into his Chamber and he could not be quiet in his most retired room no lesse yea farre greater an evil it is when thou sufferest these fading creatures to get into the heart Keep that for God alone Nothing is to possesse that place but God himself He that filleth Heaven and earth and makes that his dwelling place doth also require thy heart Hence it is that the Apostle James calleth those who love
filled with God Thirdly Those can only desire the light of Gods countenance that do renounce their own righteousnesse That do not justifie themselves or put confidence in their own righteousnesse Commonly there are none more ignorâ—nt and stupid about this glorious priviledge then the civil pharisaical and formal men who placeth all their trust in the good works they do Those affections and that hope which should be placed on God they are apt to put upon their own seeming righteousnesse Hence Mat. 5.3 our Saviour pronounceth those blessed that are poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven And the Virgin Mary magnifieth God in her Song Luk. 1.53 He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away Not only the prophane man who trampleth this Pearl under his feet but even the formall civil man is a great stranger to this petition This favour is wholly a strange thing to him and all because he is full of himself He makes his good heart his good workes a god a saviour to him and so no wonder if he seek not up to Heaven and desire light from thence Yea in godly men it is thus that the more debased and self emptyed they are the more is their fellowship with God The more do they place their happinesse in beholding of him As you see it was with Paul Who laboured more then he yet Who undervaluing all his graces more then â—e And all this was that Christ might be wholly exalted Oh then know that there is nothing doth so much bolt out this glorious light from shining into thee as self-confidence as self-righteousnesse And this is the reason why God doth so many times withdraw his gracious presence from his own Children that they are in the dark and cannot see any grace and the least spark of heavenly fire within themselves and all because they are apt to be lifted up They must have these thornes in the flesh else they would depend too much upon their own strength and their own graces And when they have been thus humbled then at last they come to esteem Gods favour more then ever as Paul's passengers after a stormy black time rejoyced to see the Sun more then ever Fourthly Such only can esteem the light of Gods countenance who are a spiritual and an heavenly people who have the holy Image of God repaired in them He that is of the earth is earthly and speaks earthly things Joh. 3. but he that is of Heaven is heavenly Such as we are in respect of our spiritual constitution such are our operations and our inclinations No wonder then the natural man desireth not the favour of God for he is in a corrupt and sinfull estate and so can desire nothing but what is suitable thereunto Whereas on the otherside he that is made heavenly he that hath an holy frame of heart the motions of his soul ascend upwards still As you see by David How often doth he professe the breathings the longings and thirstings of his soul after God He cryeth aloud that he hath nothing in Heaven and Earth but God He makes God his Portion his Shepherd his Refuge his Hope his all things unto him Whence is David thus carried out to the favour of God but because of an heavenly heart within There could not come such sweet fragrant smells but because his heart was like a spiritual Garden You see all like desireth and delights in that which is like And if a godly man love to see the face and have the company of another godly man how much more must he desire God himself Oh then complain of that heavy lumpish earthly heart of thine that doth not often say My heart breaketh for the longing after God at all times As the Hart desireth the waters so pants my soul after thee O God If thou complainest that thou hast affections for every thing but God thy heart is taken with every comfort but him Oh bewail this dull and sinfull frame Thou wantest heavenlynesse Thy heart and conversation is not in Heaven Fifthly Such only pray for the light of Gods countenance as live by Faith and are affected with things as revealed by the Scripture It 's as impossible for a man living wholly by sense and upon worldly Principles to rejoyce in the favour of God as a worm that crawleth on the ground to delight in the Sunne Faith is that noble grace which is like Wings to the soul to make it fly up to Heaven We see it in Paul What was that which so raised up his heart to Christ What is that which made him to sit with Christ in heavenly places What is that which is the substance of things hoped for to every Believer but Faith We are all lame cripples till Faith heal us And this is the reason why all worldly men have no more sense of this divine Benefit then the very bruit beasts because they are wholly strangers to the life of Faith For it 's not the bodily eye that can see the face of God neither hath God any bodily face or eyes but these things are wholly spiritual And therefore as the deaf ear cannot be affected with melodious musick so neither can a natural heart discern of this light of Gods favour Oh then acquaint thy self with Faith This is a Prospective-Glasse that will discover such Objects to thee that of thy self thou couldst not apprehend Faith makes us to behold the glory of Gods favour We are starke blind till Faith open our eyes Sixthly Such onlâ— can esteem the favour of God who have had the experience of the sweetnesse and excellency of it A man that hath not tasted Honey knoweth not how sweet it is Therefore David calls upon the men of the world to taste and see how good God is If the natural man ever had any experimentall feeling of Gods favour and his love then he would quickly have another heart be of another mind Then he would sell all to get this Pearl But all the while men are unregenerate they know no other good then that of the creature It hath never entred into their hearts to conceive what it is to have the face of God shine upon his people Insomuch that all the invitations and allurements are in vain untill God be pleased to come into the soul and discover his sweetnesse and consolations to him The experienced Christian that hath often drank of this Wine still remains thirsty and desirous after more For whereas the having of earthly things doth satiate and at last nauseate a mans heart so that he hath enough in this heavenly enjoyment of God he never hath enough but the more he hath tasted of it the more hungery he is still Alwaies praying with David Oh when will he come to me When those in the Canticles asked the Church which was so ravished with Christ preferring him above ten thousand What is thy beloved more then others it was an Argument they
deceive himself if any man seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise 229 Observ Thut humane and earthly wisdome is a great enemy to all the heavenly things of Christ 230 A man having no more than natural humane wisdome is an enemy to 1. The supernatural Matter and Doctrine to be believed 2. The manner of promulgation of it in Scripture 3. The holy and spiritual duties required of us ibid. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world 239 Observ That all humane and earthly wisdome cometh farre short and is but a meer shadow and appearance in respest of Scripture-wisdome ibid. Wisdome of the world Speculative and Political ib. That the Scripture way of believing exceeds their contemplative Science And That the Scripture motive of doing surpasses all their morality 237 Let him become a fool that he may be wise 239 Observ That true Christian wisdome is nothing but folly in the worlds account ibid The seeming follies that are in things to be believed ibid. Let him become a fool that he may be wise 243 Observ That onely in the Church of God or in Christianity is true wisdome ibid. The point evidenced by ten Arguments ibid. Verse 19. For the wisdome of this world is foolishness with God 246 Observ That all the admired wisdome of a meer worldly man is nothing but contemptible folly before God 247 Their folly manifested both Active and Passive iâ—id What humane wisdome it is that is here intended 253 For it is written He taketh the wise in their own craftiness ibid Observ That God delights to take the earthly wise men of the world in their own craft 254 How many wayes God takes the wise men of the world in their own craft ibid. And why he doth it 256 Verse 20. And again The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain 257 Observ That the choisest and best thoughts of the wisest men are vain ibid. In what sense the Scripture useth the word vain or vanity ibid. Verse 21. Therefore let none glory in men for all things are yours 260 Observ That it 's a great sinne to glory in men 261 How many wayes we may be said to glory in men ibid. For all things are yours 264 Observ That all things are for the spiritual good and advantage of the godly man 265 In what respect all things may be said to be the Saints ibid. Why God made all things for them 266 Vers 22. Whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas 270 Observ That all Offices and Gifts howsoever diversified are for the Churches of God 271 In what sense Ministers are not Servants of the Church against the Brownists ibid. And in what sense they are the Churches Servants ibid. The end for which both Offices and Gifts are the Churches 273 Or the World 274 How the word world is to be here taken ibid. Observ That the whole world with all things therein is for the spiritual advantage of a godly man 275 In what sense the world is said to be a godly mans 275 Or Life 278 Observ That godly men do only live or The godly only make a spiritual use of their life 279 In what respects it is true that the godly man only lives ibid. And in what respects it's true that the wâ—cked man doth not live 281 Or Death 282 Observ That even death which in it self is so terrible yet is for a godly mans advantage ibid. Some Propositions about death ibid. In how many respects death is a godly mans 283 Or things present 286 Observ That whatsoever falls out for the present to a godly man it is for his good ibid. A division of all Events into happy and prosperous and adverse and afflicting ones ibid. In how many respects both the one and the other are for the good of Gods people ibid. Or things to come all are yours 290 Observ That all things which are to come or may fall out hereafter are a godly mans mercy and advantage ibid. This is proved by Instances and Promises 291 How on the contrary it is with a wicked man in respect of things to come 293 Vers 23. And ye are Christs 294 Observ That a godly man in all that he is or can do is wholly Christs ibid. In what respects a godly man is Christs ibid. Characters or Properties of such as are Christs 296 And Christ is Gods 298 In what sense Christ can be said to be Gods ibid. Observ That Christ as Man and as a Mediatour is wholly Gods ibid. Of the Nature and Person of Christ and of the Hypostatical Union ibid. How Christ as a Man and as Mediatour is Gods 299 And how admirable these Truths are ibid. THE CONTENTS OF THIS TREATISE OF THE GODLY MANS CHOICE THat no Natural or Unregenerate man can lift up his heart any higher then unto a worldly happinesse and content in the Creature 1 The sinfullnesse and wofull Aggravations of such an Estate 10 Antidotes and Meanes against setting the heart upon the Creature 14 That a gracious heart doth more esteem the favour of God and the light of his Countenance then any earthly thing whatsoever 19 The Qualifications or Characters of those who do value and desire Gods favour above all things else 23 A Consideration of some false Grounds of a Perswasion of Gods Love 27 Of the Joy of Saints in God and Heavenly things as one Effect of the light of Gods Countenance The Nature of it and the Preeminences of it comparatively to all other Pleasures whatsoever 32 Of the godly Mans holy Security and Admirable quietnesse of spirit as another Effect of the light of Gods Counnance 40 How the vigorous Actings of Faith doth quiet the heart 46 The difference between Carnal and Gracious Confidence 49 The Reason of the Saints confidence viz. That God alone is their Preserver Shewing also the Wayes and Meanes by which God doth Preserve them 53 The Bookseller to the Reader I Hope there will not be found in the Reading of this Book any considerable Faults some lesser Errata's there may notwithstanding the great care that was used in the absence of the Author which of course must be pardoned The Contents noted in the Margin with the Table were done by a Friend for the pleasure of the Reader which is mentioned to clear the Author from what weakness may possibly be observed in the doing of them Tho. Underhill AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations ON THE Third Chapter of the first Epistle of St Paul TO THE CORINTHIANS 1 COR. 3.1 And I Brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal as unto babes in Christ FOr the Apostles method observe this you have his Complaint and the Cause of his complaint His Complaint I Brethren could not speak unto you as spiritual but as carnal Where First There is the Compellation Brethren He reproveth yet keeps up his love This mollifieth and suppleth the wound Dilige
envious man would think thus would I have God no better to me then to such an one Should I be willing to have the Lord deal with me as I desire to others this might change him It 's related of Nero an envious cruel man That he would sometimes bewail there were none of those terrible judgements in his time as in former ages That there were no suddain earthquakes no violent plagues and such sore demonstrations of Gods wrath well might be called clay and blood mingled together 2. It opposeth that admirable goodness in Christ Oh come with admiration and read and consider the life of Christ and his death and you will see envy is as direct contrary to him as the Serpent to the Dove Consider what he was and yet how debasing himself for our sakes He thought it no robbery to be equall with God Phil. 2. for it was his due being of the same essence with him so that he might alwayes have declared that infinite Majesty but he willingly doth obscure this Sunne in a cloud this Divinity in a vail of flesh and when he doth not take the nature of Angels but man even then he doth act the condition of the great and mighty and honoured men of the world but of the most contemptible a worme and no man yea see how good to us to those that hated him envied him how destitute of a place to lay his head in that supported all the world by his power at his death how abused scorned reproached and handled in the most ignominious and scurrilous manner Oh admire all this you that hear and believe Had there been any gall in this Dove any envy in Christ would he have emptied himself thus to make thee full Would he have become poor to make thee rich Oh then if envy at any time stirre in thy heart say Did Christ do thus Was he of this temper and it must need fill thee with confusion 3. The grace of love and charity is often prayed for and that by Christ himself that his people might have it he prayeth for nothing so earnestly as that It is made the sign and symptome of Christs Disciples not by miracles not by prophesies but by love shall all men know Christs Disciples It is a duty enjoyned also for faith hath the preeminence in the upper region of justification so love in the lower of sanctification now the nature of the grace of love is to have idem velle and idem nolle to make all good things and all bad things common yea the soul of the lover is not where it animateth so much as where it loveth Love seeketh not her own love envieth not love is not puffed up 1 Cor. 13.4 5. Oh then if as in the Temple every thing was covered with gold so among Christians every word and action should be covered with love Let all your things be done with charity 1 Cor. 16.14 Then what a damnable sinne is envy which breaks these silken cords when these hellish motions of envy stirre in thee cry out for the Spirit of love Oh say this is none of Christs Spirit this is not a Gospel Spirit As love is the fullfilling of the law so envy is the dissolution of it and as Moses and the Prophets hang upon love so they do all fall to the ground where envy is if then there were but these three objects to look on God Christ and Charity it might make a man to abhorre to take this toad of envy in his breast But Secondly There is still further abomination in this sinne for it 's the very lively image of the Devil There is nothing so like the Devil as an envious man with his hornes to push at every one and his cloven foot to make divisions and wranglings This you heard this wisdome viz. whereby men make strifes and envyings is said to be divelish Jam. 3.15 Oh then What accord hath Christ with Belial Why art not thou ashamed to look God or good men in the face that hast this divelish temper in thee As the Bafilisk doth so hate man that they say he will take the very picture of him if he can Thus the envy and malice of the Devil is so great against God that because he cannot vent himself upon God therefore he doth upon man made after Gods image and although it be no profit to him yea an encrease of his torment to tempt man to sinne and to damne him yet he delights to do it Other sinnes of Drunkeness and Uncleanness turn men into Beasts but this of envy doth into Devils insomuch that an envious man in the constant full power of it I speak not of motions and temptations is farther off from godliness then a beastly prophane man Thirdly This sinne of Envy is a mother-sinne a fountaine-sinne There is no wickedness in the world but this sinne will conceive it and bring it forth Through envy they stoned Paul through envy they murdered Christ all the persecutors of Christians did burn with envy themselves before they burnt the Martyrs at the stake Hence Jam. 4.5 the Apostle alledgeth that place The spirit within us lusteth to envy aiming at that Gen. 6.5 The imagination of the thoughts of the heart are only evil and that continually Now he nameth not the general but particularizeth in envy as that which is the cheif cause of many sinnes For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Jam 3 16. Nay not only personal private evils are in the womb of this but all publique miseries commonly begin from this spark of envy A Commonwealth is made a field of bloud through the envy of ambitious men the Church is cut inpeices like the Levites wife through envy of ecclesiastical persons insomuch that we may say all Kingdomes and Churches in some respects have died of this disease this hath cut all the nerves whereby any society is compacted together Oh therefore pray we that God would have out this incendiary and Boutefeu from all Churches and States The Devil is called the enemy Mat. 13.15 and therefore the envious one that came and sowed tares so that all the tares of discord dissensions and different opinions are sowed by the envious one that grudgeth at our peace and unity Fourthly This sinne is a just torment to him that commits it When a sinne is a sinne and a punishment it 's the more deadly sinne now this of envy it 's a very gibbett a very rack to him that is moved with it he is like one possessed with the Devil that formeth that is thrown into fire and water his heart is a very hell he hath a torturing within him as if so many Devils were pulling of him The Heathen observed it saying That the greatest Tyrants that ever were never found out a greater torment And certainly if the motions and stirrings of envy in the godly be like so many Scorpions stings in them what are they to wicked men where envy
is in its full power Fifthly This sinne of Envy doth deprive Christians of all exercise and comfort of common graces The people of God are as building and lively stones compacted together at the first beginning of the Gospel they were with one heart and one mind The duties of communion and relation to one another are frequently spoken of such as exhorting one another reproving comforting whetting and encouraging one another compared therefore to members of the body all which have need of another Now if one member should envy the good of another how quickly would the whole be consumed Thou hast faith to help anothers unbelief thou art strong to support the weak thou art quick to raise up him that is duâ—l grace is not only for thy self but to profit others with as coals of fire together do enflame one another Now envy that sets all at distance obstructeth the nourishment that is to go to every part and instead of helping and drawing out anothers graces it draweth out their corruptions this makes strangeness suspicions uncharitable censures so that Lambs become Tygers to one another and Myrtle-trees Brambles Lastly It 's a tenacious inbred sinne You see even in the regenerate these sparkes of Hell are alive These worms will breed in the sweetest Roses These mothes in the finest Garments So that the more contumacious and inherent this sinne is the greater cause to be afraid of it Well If it be so dangerous a sinne what Remedies may be used against it If this Viper will stick on us how may we at least order it so that it shall not stay on so as to make us fall down dead by the poison of it And First Turn Envy into Pity and this is an excellent cure Nothing breaketh Envy so soon as Pity Now their is no good thou enviest at in others but it affords meditation of Pity and Prayer for them that have it rather then Envy For if they be wicked men whose prosperity thou enviest David tels you they stand in slippery places and they are fatted to destruction Does any envy the Garlands and Crowns that were put on Beasts when they went to be sacrificed The godly who are so apt to look with an ill eye at the great abundance success and outward happiness of wicked men should remember this Their great Honours are but like oyl poured into the fire to make it burn hotter And if he be godly that hath outward mercies then he hath the greater account to give He hath received more Talents and so greater increase is expected So that he is more to be prayed for He having a greater Treasure is more obnoxious to theifts and dangers Secondly Consider That if instead of Envy thou wouldst bless and praise God for the Gifts and Graces bestowed upon others they would thereby be made thine When thou canst glorify God for the great abilities given to others and rejoyce in the success they have though thy glory be obscured this makes it accountable to thee For as he that wils and consents and delights in other mens wickedness makes theirs his so it is in good things Lastly Be contented with thy condition Envy commonly comes from discontent at what is ours If therefore thou canst bless and praise God with joyfulness of heart for what thou hast this will kill that snake of Envy in thy breast But thou maist say How shall I know a just zeal against others especially when they have applause and followers in the world though in an evil way from Envy For this may seem very hard As for Instances Numb 11. There some prophesied as well as Moses and others envied it for Moses his sake They would have him have all the glory For which they were blamed Yet when Corah and his company said Moses and Aaron took too much upon them and that all the people of God were holy as well as they Moses was enraged against them Not from Envy but Zeal In the New Testament The Pharisees were hot against Christ because all the people followed him And it 's plain Envy moved them Yet there were false Apostles that led captive silly women and had many followers Now Paul is severe against them and it is not Envy but Zeal Thus the Ministers of God may preach against false Teachers that have many followers and yet it be no Envy Now I may afterwards be larger upon this when I come to speak of the particular Factions in this Church only the difference briefly between Envy and Zeal may be First In the matter They are affected in a good thing the cause of God The others many times in a false thing Secondly True Zeal seeketh to gain followers and esteem not for themselves but to present them to Christ Thirdly True Zeal can reign in debasements and though they be accounted as nothing if the Work of God go on So cannot Envy Vse To abandon this red Dragan from your societies Let not Envy enter into your Families Let Envy be no more between neighbours especially that is most horrible when a rich man shall Envy a poor man if he get any thing Oh fear lest God bring such desolating judgments that this shall be nothing but object of pity and wo For whereas there is among you Strife We are come to the second sign specified This thorne argued them to be brambles not figs In a great measure carnal not spiritual This sinne we told you might be considered as a further degree of evil then the former Envy was a bitter affection in the heart Strife comes to words and many actions of enmity and malice Now there could not be a greater reproach and uncomeliness then to see those that were Brethren by Profession and Christianity to have that brand upon them which Paul gives to others Hating and hated of one another If the Psalmist in vehement affection cryed out How good and comely a thing is it to see Brethren live together in Vnity Psal 133.1 2. comparing it to that precious oyntment poured upon Aarons head On the contrary How bitter and wofull a thing is it to see those that are called Christians through malice uncharitableness and contentions made so many Tygars to one another Observe That Strifes and quarrelling Contentions amongst Christians argue them to be so farre Carnal It 's not from God nor his Spirit It 's not from Christ and his Word that they are given to such froward malicious and turbulent dispositions This Doctrine hath its great use For what inward rank or hath neighbour to neighbour What detraction and back-bitings have men one of another Insomuch as humanity which hath been taken for courtesie kindness and civility may be put for malice hatred and all violent unjust dealings one with another For opening this Point Consider First That the true ground of all Love and Peace all Concord and Agreement can only be upon a Motive of Godliness and honesty Only godly men can
together were spent in libelling and in accusations of one another till Constantine took all the papers and burnt them We might tell you of the other great Council of Constantinople against Nestorius with what factions carnal policies and sinfull animosities Nestorius and his party did strive against the Orthodox But of this enough We see how prone these worms are to breed in the sweetest roses Satan is busie in this way God put enmity between the Serpent and the womans seed and he labours to put enmity between the womans seed among themselves Now let all these divisions be what they will publique or personal Civil or Religious they come from sin and tend to confusion Now God he is the God of order and of peace not of confusion 1 Cor. 14.33 In the next place What makes division or faction And 1. That is when men promote any false or wicked way against truth and godlinâ—sse We see all parties brand one another with divisions and factions The Papist cals the Protestant a Sectary and that though a Metropolitane and saith The leaving of their Church that had so much Antiquity and Vniversality was a schisme The Metropolitane he maketh all those guilty of schisme whether Bishops or Presbyters that recede from obedience to him as appeareth in a late Book Hammond of Schisme But it 's not the calling or the branding of any with the name of schisme that makes the thing so but you must consider the cause and the matter If Elijah and some few with him will not bow their knees to Baal nor will not go with the multitude of Idolaters this is no sinfull division or faction When Arianisme like a deluge did overflow the Church the Orthodox who were called Eustathiani from Eustathius the President in the Council of Nice and a valiant Champion for the Truth had their private and secret meetings not daring to communicate in the publick worship with the Arians yet no sound man in judgement will brand these with schisme If the people of God come out from Babylon and separate from their uncleannesses this is no schisme or faction but a duty God commanded them So that before we charge any with this crime we must alwayes consider the Cause and the Matter who hath the truth who hath Gods Cause otherwise men are hereticks and schismaticks to one another and so they judge by partiality not by the Rule Neither is it enough for men to say they have Scripture or to alledg Scripture for that may be wrested to their destruction but the true sense and meaning of it which is attained by those that walk humbly in Gods way and use those means God hath appointed in his Church If therefore a man plead against the Idolatries the impieties and falshoods of other men This is no faction if so Paul himself who condemneth these had been the most factious man in the world For who more zealous than he in Christs way against the superstitious Pharisees and those who pleaded the Law for Justification Secondly Faction and division is seen when though the matter be true or good they strive for yet they do it not in a godly orderly way He that striveth is not crowned unlesse he strive lawfully 2 Tim. 2.5 A good intention even in a good matter without good order is not warrantable The Disciples that would have fire come down from Heaven knew not what spirit they were of Vzzahs sudden punishment for the touching of the Ark should make us look not only to a duty but to the order of a duty The Apostle layeth down this injunction We must not do evil that good may come on it Rom. 3.8 And he saith of those teachers that would make such constructions from his Doctrine That their damnation was just The Apostle by the similitude of members in the body doth shew how every member should keep to his own office A third thing in Division is When men do not keep to their proper places to their Offices If the foot will be the eye if the hand will be the head here is a monster not a comely body The Apostle Paul is very large in this and oh that this age would observe it To teach every member in the body to keep to its own Office and to its own Calling not to take one anothers operations but to convey their mutual nourishment one to another in their proper way In what a blessed Unity and comely Order would the Church of God be if every member would do its proper work The Apostle calling so much for humility and modesty and not to think of our selves above what we ought to do fore-saw how hard a matter it would be for Christians to keep up Unity and Concord among themselves Fourthly Thus it 's division and faction when the affections and passions of men are scured and imbittered with any carnal distâ—mpers so that this sinne doth affect the heart and spirit of a man and then it breaks out into actions Though men should be in a good way and are for the truth and glory of God yet if they do this in anger and passion and frowardnesse of heart here is a sinfull division upon them though for the matter and way it self they be right Gods righteousnesse and truth needeth not our passions So that all these or any of these is enough to make the divisions in the Text here forbidden In the next place What are the Causes that make these the efficient causeâ— First The ignorance of men as long as men know but in part have not perfection in the understanding and this breedeth difference of opinions and difference of opinions difference of affections The Apostle chargeth the wresting of the Scripture to mens destruction upon their ignorance In which Epistle are many things hard to be understood which the ignorant or unlearned wrest 2 Pet. 3.16 Thus our Saviour told them They erred about the resurrection because they knew not the Scripture Mat. 2.29 So that those who have but a slighty flatry-knowledge in matters of Religion they presently runne into wayes of division These are children easily seduced Secondly Self-confidence and arrogancy When men think those abilities or that worth is in them which indeed is not This makes them bold and distracting of the Church Thus Corah Dathan and Abiram they said Num. 16.3 All the Congregation is holy They thought there was as much in every person as in the Priests whom God had set apart for that office Oh what an excellent patern is that to all which David giveth O Lord I have not lifted up my self too high or to things above me Psal 131.1 It was an excellent speech of Ambrose Heretiques with Scripture are like David in Sauls armour they are too heavy too weighty for them in stead of defending themselves they are wounded with it Hence the Apostle commands us not to mind high things Rom. 12.16 viz. which are above our power or capacity We are all
them therefore he concludes The rest will I set in order when I come 1 Cor. 11. ult So that herein also is a great work the labouring to instruct and bring people to a full conformity to all that heavenly order and godly course of life which Christ hath commanded We see men have quickly submitted to the doctrine of Christ who yet do not in their lives to the Laws of Christ men may have a sound faith but a rotten and unsound conversation Oh this is the blemish and reproach of Christianity to this very day Herein is great work still for the Ministerial employment Though we are planted gardens yet they are so full of noisome weeds and poisonous herbs that there must be daily inspection Hath God planted thee and watered thee for this only to become a weed or a bramble The work of the Ministery is necessary as long as there is one bitter root growing up amongst us Esau a prophane man is called a bitter root Heb. 12.15 And so indeed every wicked man is a bitter root bitter in himself he is in the state of gall and wormwood he is not a Naomi but a Marah though he doth not feel it yet his soul is full of all misery and then he is bitter to others both actively and passively actively in grieving and troubling the soules of those that are godly and passively in being grieved at the godly their doings their actions make heavy the hearts of the godly as it was in Lot by the Sodomites Now then what care is here required that there may be nothing in our Assemblies that may offend the pure eies of Gods glory Fourthly This watering lieth in the stirring up of men to fruitfullness in their places and relations The end of watering is to make fruitfull and thus all the spiritual plants in Gods garden though they have deep root yet need this outward watering Barrenness is a great sinne even amongst the godly they may all fear God hath a controversie with them Oh the decayes and consumptions that are upon Christians graces Now how may these withered plants be restored to health and strength again but by the daily watering of the Ministery these spiritual clouds are to drop fatness upon them the barren heart under these waterings is made like the tree planted by the rivers side Here are fountaines to refresh the thirsty soul How distastfull unto God unfruitfullness and unprofitableness is appeareth partly by those terrible curses Never fruit grow on thee more and at another time Cut it down why cumbers it the ground And partly by that enraged anger against that servant who hid his talent in a napkin Mat. 25. Consider then it 's not enough to receive the Truths of God it is not enough to be once planted by him but there must be fruit and still more fruit brought forth by thee Therefore God as he hath appointed watering so he hath an hook also to cut out all the weeds to prune off all the branches and these are afflictions and chastisements so great a matter is it to have people fruitfull and profitable in their places to make the best they can for God and the advancing of his Kingdome At the day of Judgement it is not commission of sinnes but omission of duties for which they hear that dreadfull sentence of departure into everlasting torments In these things mainly doth consist this duty of watering Let us consider Why there is such daily need of those quickening means of grace And First It doth arise from the heart which is an unnatural soil to grace and supernatural things The temporal curse to the ground to bring forth nothing but thornes and thistles is likewise spiritually true in us of it self there come nothing but evil thoughts corrupt affections distempered lusts it 's like an hell from whence are unquenchable sparkes of lusts Were it not therefore for this daily watering and spiritual inspection the soul would immediately degenerate into a barren heath Oh therefore call often for these waterpots thy graces will quickly wither thy heart is no kindly soil As some grounds will bring cockle instead of wheat such is thy heart if not daily dropt upon unless it be alwayes fenced it will bear no crop Secondly The temptations that are so frequent and many do likewise wonderfully destroy and wither all if this constant watering be not As there are Pauls to plant and Apolloes to water so there are also the Devils to plant and his instruments to water men in wickedness Seeing therefore thou art in a daily expence of thy oil thy lamp will quickly go out if there be not daily supply you had therefore need of quickening need of thriving when there be so many obstructions so many hinderances all is little enough to put thee forward the Devil the world thy own heart draweth thee back therefore thou needest daily drawing forward Thirdly There needs watering because of that indispensable duty to grow to grow both in light and heat to grow in head and heart grow in the knowledge of God and in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 It being then a great sinne to stand at a stay to be dwarfes alwayes to be Babes alwayes God having appointed this as the way to grow it behooveth thee the more diligently to wait on this watering Vse of Exhortation To try whether you grow up into more knowledge and grace or no Are ye more acquainted in the wayes of Religion and Piety Know it 's your duty not only to be planted but to grow up exceedingly Oh it 's to be feared that many are dead at the very root at the very heart all the watering the preaching the exhorting makes them not stirre forward If a man water a plant dead at the root or a dead stump of the tree though he do it a thousand times over yet no leaves or fruit will ever grow on it so when you see a people after much preaching many exhortations to be as ignorant as prophane as ever Oh say these are dead at the very root something would sprout forth if there were life Vse of Admonition To the children of God to prize the Ministery and means of grace Be you as the thirsty land and the Ordinances like streames of water fruitfulness and flourishing in godliness is expressed for this end We preach and you are to hear Let the things that are dying be strengthened Let thy decaying love be revived Oh how will formality and deadness trouble thee at thy last hour the barrenness of thy life will be terrible to thee But God gave the encrease The Apostle as you heard doth excellently joyn these two things togeher which the world is so apt to sever The Ministry and Gods efficacy therby We may not rest upon the Ministery so as not to depend on Gods efficacy we may not expect Gods efficacy but in the Ministery Here may be a sweet subordination mans corruption makes the opposition so that this Text as it
and affections perswade their Hearers for it was about Civil and Moral matters about which men had understandings naturally able to perceive and wils naturally able to choose the things perswaded But Preaching is about those things to which man hath no understanding to believe nor no heart to receive But God must give the hearing ear and the seeing eye else we miscarry So you are not to come to Sermons as to humane Orations Your own understanding your own natural Parts are enemies and Adversaries to good and holy things of God There are two Parts of wisdome said Lactantius The former to understand what things are false 2. The second to know what things are true We are to be untaught undeceived before we come to know heavenly things So that all is of God both the Word to be heard and the Ear to hear Both the Word to be believed and the heart to believe In the next place Let us consider the Ends Why all increase must be of God only And that is To preach Humility both to the Preacher and to the People The Apostle carrieth it wholly for this end That he that glorieth may glory in the Lord. And That no flesh should glory in his presence First The Minister That Peter who had so many thousands converted by his Sermon that Paul who was so exalted by God that he might not be lifted up above measure For alas What have they done It 's God that gives the increase It hath been the rock upon which many have splitted themselves that they have had followers and admirers The Manichees said their Master did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pour out Manna The Donatists would swear By the head of Donatus as people do solemnly By God to shew how they reverenced him Now that man though greatly exalted by God may be humble he hath reserved all success to himself It 's not thou that hath made the blind to see or the lame to go It 's God that teacheth to profit And it 's said They shall be all taught of God Joh. 45. viz. Converted because man he gives the Ministry and outward service only Hence it is that God makes many eminent Preachers as he did some eminent Women go barren They see not the fruit of their labours they have spent themselves in vain They go Childless to the grave They cannot say Behold me and the Children whom thou hast given me Again Secondly It teacheth the People also to glorify God not to rest in the parts and gifts of men As Michal said Now God will bless me because I have a Levite in the house So we are apt to say Now we shall go to Heaven Now we shall have salvation because we have such Preaching It is not enough to be affected with and admire the gifts of Ministers They may ravish you they may greatly move you but you resting on these meerly find no success at all As it is said We do not know Christ after the flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 After humane considerations So neither are we to know the Ministry or preaching after such carnal respects That is admirable preaching that is an excellent Sermon which God makes spiritually to prosper in thy soul Thirdly Therefore God only gives the success that so we may seek and pray to him and do all those things that God may be pleased with We may easily provoke God to turn Bread into Stones and a pleasant Poole into a Wilderness Now that God may give increase do these things First Bewail by-past unthankfulness and unfruitfulness O Lord How often have I been an hearer How long have I gone to Sermons Yet What a barren wilderness is my heart I say bewail this For nothing provokes God more to curse the Ministry unto thee then unfruitfulness The ground that often receiveth rain and bringeth no fruit is nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.7 Why is Isaiah sent with that dreadfull Message Isa 6. To make mens eyes blind and their hearts fat that they might not be converted but because seeing they did not see and hearing they did not understand Secondly Love that Preaching which will more discover thy self to thy self Which will acquaint thee with thy own deformities As sore eyes are afraid of the light so many men have so much guilt within and live in so many secret corruptions that they dare not have the Word come with all its might upon them No wonder then if God bless it not with increase when thou lovest it not and bringest it not home to thee Can the plaister cure if thou art afraid to lay it to the sore They that are delivered up to Antechrist were so punished because they did not receive the truth in the love of it 2 Thes 2.10 Yea the very Heathens were delivered up to those unnatural lusts because they detained the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1. How then will God punish thee who hatest and kickest at those things that would convert thee Am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth saith Paul Gal. 4.16 Those things that have the best operation have many times the unpleasant taste Oh say then let the Sermon smite me let it tell me of all that ever I did I shall love it the better Thirdly If thou wouldst have God give the increase come not prâ—possessed with thy own righteousness with thy own good heart Our Saviours preaching had no success though in him were the Treasures of all wisdome because his Hearers were those that justified themselves The humble he will teach his way Laodicea that thought she wanted nothing was furthest from cure Do not think I am well enough already I need no change Say oh my soul What art thou come hither for to day Is it not to see that evil and folly in thy flesh thou never perceivedst Art thou not yet to lay the very foundation of godliness It makes all out of order Use 1. Is it God that giveth the increase Then we Ministers are not to be inordinately cast down if people receive no diuine stamp on them If we water not If we plant not then wo be to us But when both is done yet if there be no increase that is our misery not our sinne God will give to every Minister according to his work not according to his success I have laboured more aboundantly saith Paul He doth not say he had success more then all others Did not the Prophets yea Christ himself complain for want of this spiritual increase It cannot but grieve us to see people damn themselves Yet How can we hinder a wilfull people from destruction Vse 2. To the people Sigh and mourn unto God in earnest Prayers for this increase How terrible will it be if the want of profiting be in your selves You do not what God would have you If the Patient distemper himself wilfully all the Physick in the world cannot cure him Know there is some heavy curse why after all the planting and watering yet God gives
it 's not seeking Gods face in vain 1 Cor. 15.58 Alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know your labour is not in vain Oh it 's comfortable to be found alwayes doing Gods work for we are sure that will have a good end there will come eternal profit by it To clear this Consider First That there are no persons be they never so mean so poor so contemptible but they are in their way and calling to do Gods work Do not think that onely Ministers and men in publique place Onely rich men and great men they have the Lords work to do Thou deceivest thy self herein For the service of God is required of a poor man of a coâ—tager as well as those in great places Matth. 20. and Matth. 25. you have two excellent Parables to this purpose to shew That God gives to every one more or lesse Talents none are to stand idle but to labour in Gods vineyard God at the day of Judgement will call these labourers together and see how they have improved all things and the idle servant or unprofitable hath a dreadfull sentence upon him To be cut in pieces and to have his portion with hypocrites All idlenesse is a kind of hypocrisie because it deceiveth the expectation as it were of God who looked for fruitfulnesse and behold barrennesse Know then whosoever thou art thou art called to labour in Gods vineyard thou hast thy peculiar service whether married or single bond or free rich or poor and thou must abound in this work Secondly There is a two fold doing of Gods work either the work of his providence as passive instruments or the work of his commands as active instruments This is a necessary distinction God hath raised up many men as instruments to bring about the works of his providence but because they did not know God or propound godly ends in doing so therfore though they did the work of the Lord yet they shall meet with no reward in Heaven You have a notable instance for this Isa 10.5 6 7. where the King of Assyria is called a rod or a staff in Gods hand God did use him as an instrument to scourge the Israelite howbeit he meaneth not so he thinketh it not in his heart here he was a passive instrument he did Gods work without any heart or love to God and therefore vers 12. When I have performed my whole work saith God against Jerusalem I will punish him Here you see a man may do Gods work and yet be punished for it So Jehu he was immediately raised up by God to destroy Ahab and his whole family and God tels him He had done all that was in his heart a great expression yet Hos 1.4 God saith he will be avâ—nged upon the house of Jehu for all that blood he had shed For though he did the work of Gods providence yet because he did it upon ambitious and sinfull grounds not keeping close to Gods way therefore was he punished Thus you see there is a great difference between doing the work of Gods providence and the work of his command out of faith and obedience to him For this later is when we do not only the matter God commands but out of love and obedience to him with that godly frame of heart that is acceptable unto him In the next place therefore let us consider What is the acceptable doing of Gods work which will be rewarded And First That onely is Gods work which is commanded and willed by him We are often commanded to understand the good and acceptable will of God Many think they are doing Gods work when it 's the Devils because they look not for warrant of it in Scripture By the knowledge of Scripture a man is made perfect or prepared for every good work 2 Tim. 3.17 So then that is Gods work which is appointed by him approved and commanded by him of which a man can bring Scripture and say Thus saith the Lord. All that superstitious worship which the Pharisees so multiplied and for which they thought to be more accepted with God than others It was none of Gods work It was not acceptable coin it had none of Gods superscription upon it And our Saviour speaks of cruel persecutors that they would think they did God service in killing his own sheep John 16.2 This is an heavy and a dreadfull delusion for men to take the works of the flesh and the works of the Devil for Gods work If therefore thou wouldst not be deprived of a reward be sure out of the Scripture that it be Gods work for the matter of it Secondly It 's acceptable labouring when it is done in such a manner For God doth not accept of any labour for him meerly from the painfulnesse of it For if a man give his body to be burnt and have not love to God it 's nothing worth Not I say from the painfulnesse or length of time but from other quaâ—iâ—â—cations and they are these 1. It 's profitable working when the persons are first made the Lords when they are justified and sanctified Make the tree good and then the fruit will be good The person must be first sanctified ere any work can be acceptable He is an unclean person till then and all things are unclean To the defiled all things become defiled Tit. 1.15 Oh that people would attend to this They only look to the good matter of the work they pray they give alms they live soberly but they have no knowledge about the root thereof Are their persons justified their natures sanctified without which no work of God can be done acceptably 2. A Reward is due to that work only which is done for Gods sake out of love to him The Pharisees praying and other acts of Religion have a terrible verdict by Christ upon them Verily I say unto you they have their reward Mat. 6.2 O words of terrour and horrour They did all those acts to be seen of men to be applauded by men and they have their reward this is all they shall have our Saviour useth that affirmation Verily I say unto you when he speaks earnestly and would have men diligently mind what he saith Verily they have their reward Oh what will the praise and glory of men avail thee when thou and thy duties shall be cast away Know then this worm will devour thy gourd vain glory carâ—al ends and designs upon Gods works will make all to be thrown away When the Devil cannot keep thee in the works of darknesse and of wickednesse that thou wilt do them then he indeavours to marre thy good works by throwing some dead flie in this box of ointment vain-glory and self-advantage 3. That work will onely have a reward which is done with that measure and degree of love and fervency that it ought to be Every Sacrifice was to be offered up with fire and every duty is to be performed with much zeal and
God when it may be thou art further off than ever 2. The truths of Christ are profitable to sanctification and holinesse Sanctifie them by thy truth John 17. By the Word we come to take heed of sin Psal 19. to order our lives whereas errour that is wholly instrumental to wickednesse and impiety A corrupt mind and a corrupt life go together Faith and a good conscience are kept together and lost together When a man fals off from the truth he will also fall off from that power of godlinesse and degree of holinesse â—e once seemed to have Truth is the eye and if the eye be dark the whole body will be dark Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 these go together If therefore thou wouldst keep up the whole way of godlinesse all that accuratenesse and strictnesse thou hast been exercised in take heed of erroneous Doctrines they loosen the reins they corrupt good manners Though some Heretiques have been of a seeming religious life yet even they were but as glistering Serpents full of inward poison for all their fair out-side viz. of inward pride and hypocrisiâ— And indeed it is commonly Gods judgement to punish the abuse of knowledge with an ungodly life The Heathens did not glorifie God according to their knowledge and therefore God gave them up to strong delusiâ—ns and vilâ— affections Rom. 1. It 's good to have the heart established with grace and not with meats Heb. 13 9. Loosnesse of opinions is apt to beget loosnesse of lâ—fe as ill distâ—llations from the head breed the consumption of the vitals 3. They are unprofitable for any sound comfort and joy That we through the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15.4 The truths of Christ will only be owned by him and to such as suffer for it he administers much consolation and comfort As the Martyrs felt unspeakable joy and assurance It cannot be denied but Heretiques and erroneous persons may find much sensible comfort in their false way Thâ—refore no man must conclude the truth of a Doctrine from comfort but he must try his comfort by his Doctrine yet even that comfoâ—t men have in a false way is not like the true joy Godâ— truth brings To give differences between them is not here my purpose no more than between the patience of a true Martyr and the quietnesse of an Heretique in their sufferings 4. They are not profitable for duration or continuance This straw will not keep off the rain of Gods tempests Hence God will purge his people from this drosse The Disciples were many times in great errours but Christ did recover them And truly such is the goodnesse of God to his elect people that they shall never totally and finally be deceived you see here they shall be saved by fire and the fire will try it God will by some severe affliction or other means bring his people back again The sheep that wandered will come home again acknowledging their folly and that they did only lose their wool in the briars of needlesse disputes Vse of Instructâ—on To shew the vanity and folly either of such teachers or hearers that dote on errours that admire hay and stubble as if it were gold and precious stones Oh try and prove things first by the Word ere you rejoyce or boast in them 2. What makes a Church truly glorious even when it 's pure from errours and heresies A Church imbracing the truth is like a goodly Edifice of all beautifull excellencies but where errors and falshoods are there is a disgrace and dishonour to it Vse of Exhortation In all the matters of Religion see what solidity and profit there is in the thing thou believest If they be full of divine Authority if they make for godlinesse for exactnesse in life for true and sound peace then it 's something but if they do intoxicate mens brains make them spiritually drunk they stagger and reel if they make them straws an empty reed shaken with every wind then fear these things Verse 13. Every mans work shall be made manifest IN the twelfth verse you had a Description of a two-fold Builder Now in this verse and the other following the Apostle proceeds to shew a two-fold event And 1. He generally declareth that there will be a Manifestation of every mans work And then 2. The Consequent Effectâ— upon that Manifestation that there will be a discovery at last though for a while men may carry on their purposes with much subtilty you have in the first part of the verse Peter said of Pauls Epistles That there were in them many things hard to be understood And Austin he thought as you heard this Text was one of them I shall therefore explain it by degrees And First I shall at this time consider the Proposition laid down by the Apostle as a ground work Every mans work shall be made manifest Consider the Subject the Note of Vniversality and the Attribute 1. The Subject Every mâ—ns work work Here the Apostle calleth erroneous Doctrines as also the publishing and propagating of them works which overthroweth that nice distinction of some who pressed with that place Rom. 13. The Magistrate is a terrour to evil works Works say they not opinions or false Doctrines for though the opinion simply as so is hidden in the heart yet the professing and publication of it is a work therefore here they are made all one So vers 8. it 's called a mans labour And John epist 2. we must not bid God speed to a man that brings a false Doctrine lest thereby we be partaker of his evil deeds 2. Here is the Note of Vniversality Every mans work that is every Doctors every builders work Lastly Here is the Attribute Shall be made manifest Which implieth that all errours and falshoods have a glittering out-side they are maintained with much subtilty and specious pretences so that he who looks only to the seeming out-side and appearances of false wayes will easily be deceived But as the painted face when it comes near the fire will melt so these painted errours when God bringeth his fire will dissolve away So that there is much in that phrase Shall be made manifest Now although this Proposition is to be taken in a limitted sense to the false subtil and crafty wayes of errours and the authours thereof yet I shall first handle it as a general truth and so as the Apostle may take it as a general and then apply it to the particular of foolish builders Observe That all the wayes and works of wickedness though acted in never so hidden and secret a manner shall be made manifest When and how I shall not yet enquire All that I have now to do is That such works though creeping under the ground will be brought to light So Chap. 5.10 Eccles ult ult First We will shew What kind of hidden wickednesse shall be made manifest And then The
Aggravation of hidden and covered wickednesse First All the secret and hidden thoughts affections and purposes of the heart God will one day make manifest to the whole world The heart of a man that is the womb wherein all those serpentine and venemous lusts of mens hearts are begotten and bedded and for want of a Summers warm day these snakes many times do not creep out Men do not accomplish the wickednesse of their hearts because they want opportunities for shame or fear of men but God hath a time when all that heart-malice heart-adultery heart-murder shall no longer be kept close So in that place mentioned He will make manifest the counsels of the hearts 2 Cor 5.10 That as there are a world of flies and motes in the air which we never see till the Sunne-beams arise so there are thousands and thousands of proud unclean covetous and malicious thoughts and purposes lodging in mens hearts which the world never knows but God will one day have Heaven and Earth take notice of them Oh then what a curb should this be to thy heart to thy thoughts Thou thinkest they are free you may think what you will No God will manifest and jâ—dge thee for these things Good Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart 2 Chron. 22.23 It 's the property of a godly man though he commit no outward wickednesse yet to mourn and humble himself for his secret thoughts Oh what a beast what a Devil was I for thinking so What if God should discover those imaginations to all the world When Gehezâ— had taken gifts of Naaman Elisha discovering it rebukes him sharply saying Is this a time to buy fields and orchards 2 King 5.26 Why saith he thus to Gehezi Because it was in Gehezi's thought and purpoâ—e to enrich himself And Christ doâ—h often reprove the Pharisees for their wicked thoughts they had when yet they did not manifest them Oh then remember your thoughts are the first-born of your soul and your soul is much as they are they shall noâ— alwaâ—s be hid Every mans brest shall be according to that mans wish to have a glasse there that all may see and read what is therein Secondly All the impure and unclean works of the flesh committed in secret these also shall be made manifest The Scripture speaks of the hidden things of dishonesty 2 Cor 4.2 And the adulterous waiting for the twi-light As also the whores wiping her lips pretending even Religion paying her vows when she hath been committing her leudnesse And again the Scripture saith That it was a shame to speak of what was dâ—ne by some in secret Ephes 5.12 Oh how greatly doth the Land mourn to bear such unclean persons Thou walkest abroad boldly in the day time thou comest to Church and performest the duties of Religion But Oh the secret hidden wayes of uncleannesse thou runnest into The wals of the chamber the timber in the house will bear witnesse against thy wanton and lascivious carriages Thou doest these things secretly but God will reward them openly Hence he saith Whoremâ—ngers and adulterers God will judge Heb. 13.4 Why God Will not men judge them in this world And will not God judge other sinners as well as these But therefore he saith God will judge them because such sinnes are carried so closely so craftily that none but God can find them out Oh therefore let all such tremble who have been or are guilty this way let them judge themselves that God may not judge them All things are open and naked to the eyes of God and shall one day be to the whole world then it will no longer be smothered up yea in thâ—s world God many times doth so terrifie the hearts the consciences of unclean persons that they themselves out of very horrour and to have ease are forced to confesse it Prov. 5.14 Oh know that heart of thine that now burneth with hot lusts will if not timely converted burn like hell with tormenting flames and be consumed with gnawing worms Thirdly The hidden works of thieving and stealing and unjustly taking away of other mens goods will one day be manifest Stollen things though sweet in the mouth will prove gravel in the belly yea thou wilt be forced to vomit all up again Onesimus ran away from his master Philemon and stole some of his goods from him now the Apostle writeth an Epistle on purpose to him concerning this matter and the holy Ghost thought it good to have it recorded as part of the Canonical Scripture though he would think the matter were but light for it is to assure Philemon of Onesimus his repentance for what he had done and that he would be indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hereafter though he had not been so before and that wherein he had wronged him he would forgive it and set it upon Pauls score Achan stole a wedge of gold Josh 7.21 and God would not let all Israel alone till it was discovered for a wedge of gold is a tongue of gold as it is in the original and indeed it did speak and cry aloud against Achan and so all the things thou hast craftily and falsly taken from others thâ—y have a tongue with them they many times talk to thee in thy conscience and cry to God to be delivered to their true owners This is a secret work of wickednesse that God will manifest Fourthly There is a hidden work of unrighteousnesse which is not plain stealing but it 's crafty and artificial cosening in thy trading and commerce with others You shall not find them grosly cosen you but they have mysteries in their trade and crafty over-reachings These are secret works of iniquity which God will also manifest You know a notable place Hos 12.7 8. The balance of deceit was in his hand and he was become rich yet he should find no iniquâ—ty in him that was sinne they should not discover he dealt unrighteously they could not prove he dealt falsly Oh then let such who trade who buy and sell in the world take heed that for worldly gain they do not circumvent or go beyond their brother This be assured of that in such sinnes of injustice there can be no pardon till there be restitution or a prepared heart for it The first thing that troubled Zacheus when he was converted was his wronging of others If I wronged any saith he I restore him fourfold Luke 19.8 God is a righteous God and he loveth righteousnesse Oh then take heed of over-reaching this way Thou bringest such money or goods home and thou thinkest this will help my wife my family this will enrich me and thou doest as the Eagle that catching flesh from the altar had a live coal cleaving to it which when she came to her nest set nest and young ones on fire The curse of God is like a secret moth eating into such things Fifthly Carnal and worldly policy to have earthly greatnesse and power and honour in the world
his nakednesse And 2. It shall be manifest to others to the whole world that they shall see a difference between truth and errour Even as you see the Magicians did such things as Moses and for a while there seemed to be no difference but at last there was a plain discovery which was of God and which was not Observe That all the hidden and secret wayes of false Doctrines God will one day make manifest God will raise a fire to consume hay and stubble it will be put to a touchstone whether gold or counterfeit This certainly should make us tremble about what we teach or preach it will all be examined again God will discover all the Errata's and that by a sharp fiâ—e if we build hay we shall suffer losse All that time labour and study will be wholly lost To open this let us consider What concerning errours will be made manifest And 1. The Causes and Ends of them 2. The Nature of them 3. The cunning Artifiâ—e in divulging of them And First God will manifest all those hidden causes and ends of thy false Doctrines Now the Scripture gives these causes 1. Pride and self-conceit or overweening of thy own abilities and sufficiency such a man is in the high way to all errours For the humble and meek God will teach Psal 25. The valleys are fruitfull when the high mountains are barren Therefore the Apostle in this Epistle and in many others beateth down pride and vain-glory Hâ— that thinketh he knoweth any thing knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 Oh this is a golden truth A man must have that modestie that humility as to think himself a Disciple rather than a Teacher Paul that had such extraordinary Revelations God gave him a thorn in the flesh some extraordinary heavy tempâ—ation to humble him that he might not be lifted up 2 Cor. 12. Consider that God will make manifest all those secret works of thy heart Thou thinkest it zeal thou thinkest thou hast received greater abilities than others but God wil make it known whether it be noâ— thy self-confidence thy self-conceit or no. As in the Apostles times they had miracles to confirm their Doctrine and that they were of God they did heal the sick and raise the dead So I may now say humility is that miracle which may confirm our Doctrine If thou art of God if thy wayes are of God thou hast no glory no boasting in thy self above others Christs symbol was a Lamb and the Spirit of God appeared in the form of a Dove If thou hast the Spirit of God and Christ thou wilt be of a Lamb-like Dove-like disposition Take heed then of heart-pride and pride of gifts it 's worse than pride in cloaths or wealth This carrieth thee to the pinacle of a Temple sets thee on high and throweth thee headlong Vnlesse a man become as a little child he cannot be my Disciple Matth. 18 4. Here is a copy of humility and modesty to write after Many Heretiques have bâ—en bold self-conceited men the first that ever were almost in the Church called themselves Gâ—ostici The knowing men as if none had knowledge or understanding but they but God will raise a tempest that shall discover this root under ground 2. Ignorance and weaknesse of judgement And truly this is the most innocent cause of errours when men through ignorance and weaknesse go in a false way yet this doth not excuse For Peter saith Even ignorant men wrest the Scripture to their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Though ignorant or unlearned men yet that will not excuse them Thus the Disciples through weaknesse of â—heir faith and knowledge manifested very grosse errours about Christ and his Office till they were endowed with the Spirit of God from above And where there is a cordial and plain desire to know the truth they sâ—udy they reade they pray they do conscientiously make use of all means God hath appointed for tâ—at is a great matter to make use of all means what one opinion saith as well as another what one Texâ— saith as well as another such I say as those are to be tenderly handled Rom. 15. Him that is weak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receive him lovingly In this case Saeviant illi qui nesciunt quantis gemitibus vel tantillum datur intelligere de vero as Austin of old When it 's not obstinacy perversnesse but meer ignorance and thou doest instantly day and night pray to God using all means this doth greatly extenuate though not totally excuse thy blindnesse may make thee fall in the ditch and God will have all this ignorance manifested to thee sometime or other it may be 3. Hypocrisie The Scripture brandeth that for a heavy cause sometimes of the errours and falshoods in Religion This indeed is a work that God only can manifest who knoweth the hearts and trieth the reins yet that this is the bitter root of many bitter errours the Scripture giveth pregnant instances The Pharisees were famous for building hay and stubble What trash and trumpery superstition and false worship did they introduce And now Christ who knew their hearts tels them it was nothing but hypocrisie It was not God nor a love to his truth or glory but their own credit and glory They do all things to be seen of men Woe be to you hypocrites said he often Maâ—th 23.14 And Paul tels of men that taught lies in hypocrisie 1 Tim 4.2 Oh it 's a matter to be trembled at that such hypocrisie should ever fill a mans heart that we should scatter errours propagate falshoods to get our selves a name As they went to build Babel that they might have a name Search thy heart what moveth thee to hold any opinion if it be this hypocrisie God will bring hidden things to light and to have our portion with hypocrites is the highest condemnation Mat. 24 51. 4. Ambition and affectation of high places in the Church of God and to be above others This hath made men build hay and stubble This indeed is a daughter of pride and so is of the same nature yet it 's a distinct head for more bitter fruit hath grown on this root than upon most sinnes which made the Apostle James give that excellent Antidote Not to be many Masters James 3.1 Do not ambitiously affect places of trust and rule in the Church of God and thereupon he makes a large digression to shew the several wicked wayes of the tongue that is the unruly member that setteth all on fire If thou once hast a pronenesse to offend there look to it set a watch before thy mouth nature hath hedged it in by teeth and lips The Scripture also hath put many muzzles on thy mouth especially that My Brethren be swift to hear and slow to speak Jam. 1.13 You ought to be farre more desirous to hear than to speak If ambition and affectation to be above others provoke
first from the Angels God spared not them but did cast them down into Hell and bound them in chaines of darknesse The Angels sinnes were sinnes of the mind they were intellectual substances and so heresies and their sinnes are much alike Do not then say Heresie is no drunkennesse no whoredome no bodily prophanenesse no more was the Angels sinne it was an intellectual sinne and yet for that they are perpetually condemned 2. The second instance of Gods Judgment is The Old World which God drowned with water All mankind had perverted its waies and even defiled the world and God washeth it with the waters of his Judgments So that the overflowing of heresies is like the corruption of the Old World Lastly He compareth them to the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrha whose sinnes were so great that God did rain Hell out of Heaven to be avenged on them Who then can excuse or plead for such defilements the sinners wherein are compared to those three who received the greatest expressions of Gods wrath most signally upon themselves Thus this Chapter is a Comment upon my Text. To open this Truth viz. God will destroy such a defiler First This is to be understood Conditionally unlesse that man see and bewail his errours and forsake them No doubt but Luther and many of the first Reformers who came out of Popery were great defilers of the Temple of God but when God did open their eyes and discover the truth then none were more zealous then they to make the Church that was a den of thieves an House of Prayer How often did Luther bewail that blindnesse and that damnable errour which was upon him in the time of his Popery and Melanâ—thoâ— also yet recovered from it So that this threatning is to be interpreted as all other places against any wicked man Ezek. 18.21 If the unrighteous or wicked man leave his sinnes he shall live God will not remember his former iâ—iquities Yea God many times taketh those who were once plunged into damnable waies and maketh them great Instruments to publish his truths As Paul once a blasphemous persecutor of Christianity afterwards a zealous prosecutor of it Austin once a damnable Manichâ—e afterwards escaping their snares was greatly instrumental to the Conversion of others from those damnable Opinions So that all those who lye in damnable heresies are not therefore desperate and hopelesse for the great Shepherd may reduce these wandering sheep Secondly It cannot be denied but that even a godly man may fall into ae damnable heresie and some time continue in it They may not believe some fundamentals in Religion for a while Thus the Resurrection of Christ is a main Pillar of Religion take this away and our resurrection and all our comforts fall to the ground yet many of the Apostles did not for a while believe it and generally they erred in this fundamental they took Christs Kingdom for a temporal one and looked for a temporal Restauration but yet the godly though at any time thus plunged into a damnable way have this difference from wicked men who are turned aside First There is a seed of grace within them which though for a while it lieth asleep yet at last will put forth it self He cannot sinne because the seed abideth in him 1 Joh. 3. As the spirits of Wine will at last work out all poison So that as a man who hath reason in him may be taught what he knew not when a bruit beast cannot because there is the seed of Reason upon which the teacher doth work So it 's here in a godly man there is the principle of grace and this spark will at last take fire though for the present it be much overwhelmed Secondly The godly though plunged into some damnable errour yet are under a Promise to recover them which will certainly take effect As Moses exposed to the water had his Mothers eye upon him to see he should not be drowned so though a godly man be plunged deep in evil waies yet there is Gods eye and Gods hand ready to deliver him If it were possible they should deceive the very Elect Mat. 24. If it were possible now what makes it impossible not the godly man himself Alas he hath so much ignorance pride and corrupt affections that by what reason they are plunged into any foul errour by the same they would alwaies continue therein and be for ever suffocated It 's only Gods gracious Promise He will leade them into the truth he will give them the spiritual Vnction Thirdly The godly mans heart is not commonly so obstinate and seared as the wicked mans is Those that brought in the doctrines of Devils into the Church are said to have a seared conscience 1 Tim 4.2 They felt nothing they did not doubt or suspect What if this be a damnable errour that thou maintainest What if thou art a means not only to damn thy self but many others No they are commonly men of a reprobate mind But the godly though grievously seduced yet sometimes they have struglings they have an holy jealousie over themselves they bewail their pronenesse to erre Even as it is in grosse sinnes the godly man sinneth not with that hearty and full consent that others doe A third thing to open this point is to consider a difference between the defilements of the Temple by false Doctrines Some are only in accessory and lesse prinpall things and such were those who built bay and stubble their errours were consistent with salvation He shall be saved but so as by fire But others are Fundamental destroying the very soul and essence of true Faith and true Piety Now the latter are such whom God will certainly destroy I know it is that Question which hath kept so many learned men like Abrahams Ramme in the thickets what are Fundamentals what points are necessary to Salvation and what not but though it be hard to parcell out the number yet that there are such the Scripture is plain in that it cals them first Principles and tels us of a Foundation which must be laid Of which formerly Fourthly In defiling the Temple of God here is great difference to be made between those that are the Seducers and the Seduced There was a vast difference between the rebellion of Absolom the head of it and such as followed him in the simplicity of their hearts Lyrinensis said That the Authours of many Heresies were damned whose Disciples or followers might be saved The Apostle Jude doth evidently make a distinction of persons that erre Of some have compassion making a difference Jude vers 22. Fifthly Church defilements make men further off or nearer to perdition as they enjoy the meanes and as they have opportunity to know better The Pharisees sins were so inexcusable because they had light insomuch that our Saviour saith If he had not come they had not had sinne Joh. 15.24 Therefore an Heretique after the first or second Admonition is to be
this point Or like the blinde Sodomites went groping up and down for the door and could not find it they knew not where or what blessednesse was but the Scripture doth plentifully teach us wherein all true happinesse doth consist and that is in the injoying God himself his favour and love It 's not riches honours pleasures no nor virtue it self but only God and a propriety in him that maketh happy He is the ocean other things are but a drop He is the Sunne all creatures are but starres deriving all light from him Seeing then a great part of wisdome lieth in the propounding of the true and right end then only by godlinesse do we come to have true wisdom Fourthly In Christianity we have not only the true end propounded but the right means also whereby we may attain it For prudence lieth in the chusing of fit and conducible means to such an end So that as in any art no man can by his art produce artificial operations without fit tools So neither can we in our actions as rational men arrive to the true end viz. happinesse without those fit means appointed thereunto and this is only by Christ as the meritorious cause and by faith as the instrumental by Christ we have peace with God and by faith we are partakers of Christ Now this whole order and dispensation the world is altogether ignorant of all the wisdom of man would not pitch upon such a way as this by Christ and through faith in Christ But when Paul is made wise in an heavenly manner He desireth to know nothing but Christ crucified and He accounts all things dung and drosse for the righteousnesse which is by faith Phil. 3.9 Fifthly By Christianity we are onely taught to avoid that which causeth repentance and grief of mind after it 's done David said by the Word of God he was forewarned from sinne Psal 19. And Then shall I not be confounded when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Psal 119.6 Well doth the Scripture say Psal 111.10 They have a good understanding who do Gods Commandments because all wickednesse though sweet in the mouth yet will prove wormwood in the belly We have done foolishly say they who repent of their sins Insipientis est dicere non putâram fools use to say I did not think such a thing Oh I did not believe the guilt of sinne was so terrible I did not think the fury of God had been so overwhelming I did not believe the sting of sinne had been so grievous Thus all wicked men they buy repentance and eternal torments it may be in Hell at a dear rate for the pleasures of sinne which last for a moment Oh then what happy wisdome is it so to live and so to do that a man afterwards shall have no cause to roar out for the guilt upon him that in the time of sicknesse and hour of death thou mayest not cry out Oh foolish and wretched man that I am Oh that I had been wiser but now I fear it is too late Sixthly Christianity teacheth this wisdome not so much to regard the present as to provide for the future to remember our later end to provide for eternity Prudens they say is quasi porro videns seeing afarre off whereas wicked men are said to be like bruit beasts that are carried away with sensible objects such as they Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die Such as Dives as would have his goods in the life and therefore he is called a fool because he did not consider what would be after Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee ' Luke 12.20 But our Religion teacheth us better wisdome Oh that they were wise said God that they would consider their later end Deut. 32.29 And certainly this wisdome is of admirable consequence For what worlds of gold would the damned give that they had had such wisdome while they lived in this world David prayeth for this Teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart to wisdome Psal 90.12 Seventhly Herein doth Christianity teach us true wisdome because thereby we are inabled to improve the seasons and opportunities of grace It 's accounted a great peece of worldly wisdome to know the fit seasons of buying and selling Now Paul directs us in heavenly things Walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time Ephes 5.15 16. What is a circumspect wise thing Even to redeem the time we have spent much of our strength of our time in the service of sinne we have lost many an happy hour and opportunity Oh then this is wisdome to redeem it for the future to be more active and that because the dayes are evil There are many hinderances and oppositions to what is good The Ant though a little creature is commended for natural wisdome That it layeth up in Summer it knoweth the seasons to hoord up its corn And this will be our heavenly wisdome to take the day of grace before the night come wherein none can work John 9.4 Our Saviour himself used this Argument to shew why he would not let slip that occasion of doing good on the Sabbath day Eighthly Christian wisdome is seen in caution and circumspection to refuse all the snares and temptations of sinne and to find out all the Devils methods and subtilties For there are the depths of Satan and the devices of Satan and sinne hath its pleasant baits and charms So that unlesse a man have wisdome given him from above he cannot but give up all his strength into some Dalilahs hands then there is also the enmity of the world we must be wise as Serpents against that Ninthly Herein Christianity giveth wisdome because it helps to conquer and overcome all unruly passions which while they rage bereave us of all wisdom Anger is a short madnesse Difficile est amare sapere Any affection prevailing throweth dust into the eye of the soul Therefore Solomon saith He that ruleth his own heart is greater than he that conquereth a City Prov. 16.32 It teacheth also a moderate use of all earthly comforts to marry to buy as if we did it not Lastly It is excellent to instruct us to bear afflictions and how to abound Only by that we can tell how to be rich and how to be poor as Paul I know how to abound and how to want I am instructed saith he as in a great mystery he useth that word which the Heathens did of their religious secrets Phil. 4.12 Vse 1. Of Exhortation Think you hear wisdome in the Scripture and by the Ministers crying aloud to you as in the Proverbs Oh ye simple love understanding O ye foolish why will ye passe by and go on in sinne Though thou hadst the knowledge and parts of an Angel though thou hadst as much political wisdom as Solomon yet if thou hast not this heavenly wisdome thou art still a fool What though thou art wiser for
the whole world is for a godly man What wealth what honours what health is necessary and needfull he is sure to have He that dwelleth by the Ocean he hath all the water in the Sea for his use though it 's not necessary he should make use of it all He that hath the use of any thing hath the thing Again if a man have never so many things and do not use them he hath them not As the great rich men of the world Habent ne fruantur non ut fruantur The having of them keeps them from enjoying of them as he said In opem me copia fecit and they are not theirs for use because they are theirs in possession Thirdly The world is a godly mans as his shop and place of service It 's that wherein he works and labours for God It 's the great shop for mankind to do that work God hath appointed them It 's the great vineyard in which God hath set every man to work This is the via the other is patria This world is for doing the world to come for receiving And our Saviour spake many Parables to this purpose that he giveth all talents he be ruâ—â—eth every man with several oportunities and they must improve them they must be merchants in making the best for God And we are the more to attend to this because we have but a day the night cometh and none can work Oh that this were considered by us The world is a working place for Heaven all that is to be done must be done here when thou art taken out of this world all thy work is done for Heaven Then thou art to receive a reward Take heed either of speâ—â—ing thy talent upon sinne and in the service of Satan or hiding it in a napkin to do nothing with it We see what toil and labour men take for the things of this world But labour for the meat saith our Saviour which perisheth not John 6.27 There are eternal riches and treasures Oh that our hearts were more upon these things One thing is necessary they chuse the better part who neglect all things to enjoy God Fourthly The world is a godly mans Inne or lodging place It 's a provision God makes for a season till they are ripe for Heaven Thus the godly are often compared to pilgrims and strangers and Abraham Heb. 11. with the Patriarchs though they had the promise of the world yet they were as pilgrims and declared it by all they did That they sought for a City of Gods own making which abideth for ever So that the whole world is but a with-drawing room for the godly They are as travellers in an Inne who are not inordinately affected with the good things there neither will they spend all they have there but still look to their homes And truly this sheweth the excellent frame of godly men though they are in the world yet not of the world John 17. As we see the vapours though they arise out of the earth yet they ascend and follow the motions of the Heavens Thus it is here though the godly are in the world yet their affections desires and motions of heart are according to heavenly directions The wicked are in the world as their proper place their center they would never goe out of it but the godly seek for another Countrey Fifthly The godly have the world as the Stage or Artillary-yard a place of Exercise wherein all their graces are to be drawn out by the opposition therein Even as Paul 2 Cor. 12. said There was given him a thorn in the flesh and it 's given to the godly to suffer How is that Because these exercises and oppositions they are to discover and draw out the godlinesse and power of believers As some among the Romans were put to many fights and exercises to prove their valour Thus the godly is in the world as a souldier in the camp or in the battel Our Saviour John 15.18 tels his Disciples of the hatred and opposition they shall meet with in the world if they were such as the world would have the world would love them but because they do not conform to their wayes therefore they are persecuted and driven up and down Look upon the world as a place of Exercise do not think to find it otherwise than an Aegypt to thee It will therefore be thy wisdome to get the rich spoils of it as from an enemy To be quickned to the height of all thy graces by how much more the combaâ—e and conflict thou hast is exceeding great The greatnesse of the tempest will discover the great art of the Pilot. Sixthly The world is a godly mans Because all things therein are sanctified and made clean to his use When Adam tell we lost our dominion and being our selves unclean every thing becometh unclean to us Tit. 1.15 To the pure all things are pure but to the unbelieving all things are defiled You see then that to wicked men nothing is pure though they have great estates great honours yet nothing is clean to them Though they have a civil right to such things yet wanting the sanctified use of them every thing becomes defiled to them So that every thing they touch is pitch every thing they eat is poison there is a spiritual leprosie upon them Because without faith it 's impossible to please God Oh if there were no other sense then this that all things to the godly are sanctified and clean in their use this were admirable Having faith thou art reconciled to God and so thy eating thy drinking thy buying thy selling all thy actions are accepted of Thus you see how the world is a godly mans The Objection then is Why have the godly the least possession of it if they have the sanctified use of it Doth not David complain That wicked men have the fatnesse of the earth Did not Christ tell those who profered their service That the Foxes had holes and the Birds nests but the Sonne of man hath not where to lay his head Matth. 8.20 And can the Disciple be above his Master Doth not Paul tell us of his hunger nakednesse and all kind of straits How are these promises any thing but golden delusions To answer this you must know That even those wicked men who are said to have the world at their will yet they have not the world indeed they have it not as the godly men The little that the righteous hath is better than great treasures of the wicked Psal 37.16 For First Whatsoever the wicked man hath he hath it in wrath it cometh from Gods anger God is angry with the wicked all the day long And Heb. 11. Without faith it 's impossible to please God Those that are heirs of the world have it by walking in the faith of Abraham Think you Dives that fared so deliciously every day had all his wealth in a mercy No it was for his punishment it
to come in this life they are of two sorts Either 1. Mercifull and good things Or 2. Grievous and sad things For God can quickly turn a fair day into thunder and tempest Job felt a suddain alteration upon himself which was from the richest in the East to become the poorest in a moment Now both these kinds are the godly mans mercy No evil that is truly so can befall him But I shall not pursue these particulars for that will coincide with the former matter I shall therefore treat of it in a more general way Observe That all things which are to come or may fall out hereafter are a godly mans mercy and advantage This Doctrine speaketh the height of happinesse and comfort to the godly for there is no greater temptation we are subject unto then to be tormented about what may fall out hereafter Though for the present it be never so well yet we forethink our possible miseries as David One day I shall fall by the hand of Saul 1 Sam. 27.1 So that many times needlesse troubles about what is to come takes away the enjoyment of the present mercies we have But here we see the Text giving such a cordial to the godly that he may go and take his rest wholly relying upon the Lord for come what can come or will come nothing can come amisse it will be a mercy an advantage to him Now that this Doctrine is true I may prove à posteriori from such signes and effects that do evidently demonstrate the people of God are quietly to sit down with this conclusion Though the Lord only knoweth what will come upon me yet I know it will be only for my good For First It appeareth by this The Scripture commands the godly to avoid all distrustfull and distracting cares about what will be that he should quietly compose himself committing all to his heavenly Father who knoweth all he hath need of So that as little children are cheerfull and play never troubling themselves how they shall subsist and what if such miseries arise Thus ought the godly Matth. 6.34 Take no thought for to morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it self q.d. God will then provide when other conditions other exercises come Do not thou distract thy self God will then upon any new trial or exercise come in upon thee to help and deliver See here then the blessed estate of a godly man he is commanded to shut out all distrustfull cares for the future he is to cast his burden upon the Lord whatsoever shall befall it will be well with him Secondly They are to perswade themselves that nothing shall fall out that can separate from Gods love And what a support is this Rom. 8. Paul there is triumphing and that not for himself but for all the people of God who are justified What shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Shall things present shall things to come vers 38. Is not this to bring the people of God up into the Mount of transfiguration Whatsoever shall befall thee before thou diest yet nothing shall separate between Gods love and thee Though it should come about that no friend love thee none in the world will own thee yet God will own thee Certainly this may rejoyce the heart of the godly if any thing hereafter might divide between God and thee might deprive thee of God and part thee from him then thou mightest tremble and quake fearing the worst is not past but when all is thus provided afore-hand that thou art sure to be in Gods love be thy estate never so disconsolate this may keep up thy heart Thirdly The godly concerning all future things may thus also conclude That there is no evil no temptation that shall fall upon them but he will give strength to bear and give a way to escape You have a Text more precious than the gold of Ophir to this purpose 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but with the temptation will make a way to escape Doth not this Text speak to the heart of some godly people Oh they lie under sad temptations heavy exercises are upon them such as the world knoweth not and they are afraid these will overwhelm them they shall never get out it will undo them But what saith the Text God will not suffer you to be tempted above measure and he will make a way to escape See then thy fears thy unbelief makes thee go contrary to the Text. Thou sayest thou shalt never be able to bear it God saith I will lay no more upon thee then thou art able Fear saith I shall never escape this never overcome this Faith saith he will make a way to escape Now whether wilt thou believe God or thy own fearfull heart Oh then let the godly that are tempted and lie in deep waters that are like Jonas swallowed up in the whales belly take this Text and hide it in their heart so they will not fear what will be to come Fourthly For things to come they have this promise That in all outward things God will never leave them nor forsake them Thus things to come are theirs for they have this promise And Heb. 13.5 the Apostle urgeth this against covetousnesse and to be content with what they have God will never leave thee nor forsake thee Now this temptation many times troubleth at least some godly persons they are afraid they or their posterity may be brought to wants they fear poverty may come upon them as an armed man especially they know not what they shall do in old age if God should let them live till they should lose their sight or their limbs or their parts what should become of them To live a burden to themselves or others Aristotle hath a wicked Position That all decrepit old men should be thrown down a steep hill headlong and be killed as being a burden to a Commonwealth Old people are many times a burden to wicked young people Therefore God commands us Not to despise our mother when she is old Prov. 23.22 Now we shall see David himself tempted about his old age Psal 71.19 When I am old and gray headed forsake me not Thus you see what wants or straits especially what decayes of grace the godly may fear they shall not have the same vigour and strength not the same memory and judgement But the Scripture gives a good promise Psal 92.14 They shall bring forth fruit in old age So Isa 46.4 To your old age I am he and even to hoary hairs I will carry thee He will have as much care of thee as a mother of a child in her arms Well then you see in that God hath said he will never leave or forsake us we need not fear poverty want the diseases and miseries of old age for these things are ours Fifthly The people of God may be perswaded of their
which have brought them thither Do they not curse and blaspheme the day they were born and that ever they hearkened to Satans temptations Verse 23. And ye are Christs VVE shall now come down from this Text this Mount of Transfiguration concerning which every believer might say It is good to be here and pursue the other matter that is behind Where we may observe the Apostle in a Climax rising higher All things are yours you are Christs and Christ is Gods So that the highest round in this ladder reacheth to Heaven as Jacobs did and the lowest one is in the earth So that you may observe the Apostle now changing his speech before all things are yours all in the Church and in the world is yours Now he doth not also say Christ is yours but you are Christs whereby we see that as the former things spoken of were not for themselves but the godly so neither are the godly for themselves but Christ Thus we have the Apostle mixing water with wine lest it should be too much drunk off and so make giddy All things are yours there is your Priviledge but you are Christs there is your Duty even to see that what ever you are or can doe it be in reference to him Even as at the first God created all the world with the creatures therein for man but man for himself so all things are for the godly and the godly is for Christ We may then observe the difference in this expression and sense between the former and the later First When he said All these things were the godly mans he meant it of spiritual use only not of dominion and power but when he saith We are Christs the meaning is We are wholly his creatures he hath absolute dominion and sovereignty over us And then Secondly All the things are a godly mans he is the end of them but he is finis indigentiae he needs them and wants them he could not tell what to do without them but Christ is Finis assimilationis they are for him not that he needs them but that he might make them more perfect in communicating his grace and holinesse unto them Observe then That a godly man in all that he is or can doe is wholly Christs Ye are Christs The Apostle driveth it to this that therefore they should glory onely in him They are not Pauls or Apolloes but Christs and therefore in him onely must they glory and judge themselves compleat To understand this Let us consider in what respects the godly man is Christs And First He is bought and purchased by his bloud so that he oweth all his being comforts and priviledges onely to Christ 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price So then well may the godly man be said to be Christs for he cometh to be his at a dear rate Never did King yet subject or master a servant at so dear a prize as Christ obtained thee He did undergoe all that agony and shamefull death to free thee from the bondage thou wert in and to make thee his For you must know the clean contrary was true of the godly before made Christs they were the Devils they were wholly his Of him and through him and to him they lived from him all their thoughts affections and actions were from him who ruled in their hearts and they were to him because they wholly did his work and advanced his kingdome But now Oh wonderfull and happy change they are brought out of the dark prison they were in all the chains and fetters upon them are taken off and now they have the robes of Christ put upon them and are made free indeed Consider then how the godly become Christs it is by shedding his bloud we were Satans captives before and now made Christs Oh then why should the godly live to sinne or Satan or the world any more Were they crucified for thee Have they obtained thee at so dear a price as Christ hath Secondly The godly they are Christs Because by his Spirit they are made new Creatures They have a new being For it cannot be that any should be Christs who live in the flesh and are carnally minded Therefore the Spirit of Christ communicateth unto them a new being gives them an heavenly nature enables them to mortifie sinne in all the lusts thereof For this is a true Rule Christs merit and Christs Spirit goe together Where his death is effectual his Spirit is efficacious None can say they are Christs by his death for them that may not say they are Christs by his Spirit forming and fashioning of them Hence they are said To have his Spirit to be in the Spirit to walke in the Spirit to be led by the Spirit Oh then let carnal and earthly men stand aloof off This matter as it doth not belong to them so they understand it not If thou art Christs his Spirit dwels in thee leades thee guides thee enables thee quickens thee So that there are very few who can challenge an interest in Christ after this manner Are not most men destitute of Christs Spirit For the Apostle Romans 18. saith That if the Spirit of Christ be in us then as that raised up Christ from the grave so it would raise us from sinne Thirdly They are Christs Because he is the Alpha and Omega the first and the last the beginning and the end He is the Alpha he is the AVTHOVR and FOVNTAIN of all the spiritual good we have compared theerefore to the Head that gives of its fulnesse to every Member and to the Vine from which every Branch deriveth its nourishment And the Apostle cals him The Authour and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 It 's he that giveth life and motion and all spiritual strength to us Now every effect is more the causes then it is its owne Seeing therefore thou hast no good but what thou hast received from Christ thou art wholly to depend on him as the streame is on the fountain as the light is on the Sunne for take them away and these immediately perish Thus he is the Alpha and he is also the Omega and end We are not to live to our selves but to him Paul saith Gal. 3.20 He doth not live but Christ in him All our graces are to carry us out of our selves to Christ our faith in Christ our love and affections to be pitched on Christ If we preach it is to set up Christ if we eat or drinke it is thereby to strengthen us that we may the better serve him if what ever we doe or what ever we suffer it is to promote the glory and honour of Christ Fourthly We are Christs in that all our Christian compleatnesse is in him Colos 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell And again Ye are compleat in him Colos 2.10 So Christ is said To be made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and
our own will our own advantage It should shame us to follow such a Christ to be called by the name of this Christ How ill do such an Head and such members agree together Think of Christ when pride vain-glory self-will stirreth in thee If Christ had been thus there had been no pardon no salvation for me FINIS THE GODLY MANS CHOICE COMPARED WITH The Natural Mans AND Found to be Incomparably the Best Preached from Psalme 4th Vers 6 7 8. and now published By Anthony Burgesse Pastour of the Church of Sutton-Coldfield LONDON Printed by Abraham Miller for Thomas Underhill at the Signe of the Anchor and Bible in Pauls Church-yard M. DC LIX TO THE READER THe Psalms are noted to have this peculiar Excellency in them that they are the experimental breathings of a gracious heart exercised under various temptations so that what is doctrinally and in the Idea delivered in other places of the Scripture is here practically and in Subjecto visibly expressed so that none can understand them unless he bring the same spirit with him that breathed in David while he composed them This is Davids spiritual Harp driving away all the evil and malignant affections that may at any times rise up in us That Poetical one of Orpheus though said to tame Beasts is not comparable to this Now as face answereth face so doth the heart of a godly man answer Davids in his respective agonies of his soul when grace worketh when corruption worketh he doth observe by the like transactions in his own soul Among other particulars I have selected this 4th Psalm in the three last verses to discourse upon because therein is declared what is the choice of a natural man what is his summum bonum and what of a godly man wherein I am more large so that an heavenly heart and the enjoyment of the light of Gods countenance is chiefly the Subject of this Treatise sublime and high matter comparatively to our dull lumpish and heavy hearts For this end doth God many times exercise his people with sad temptations that they may experimentally say Gods loving kindness is better than life For Job and many others have lived yet desired death The damned in Hell live yet annihilation would be welcome to them So that he only liveth who enjoyeth the favour of God As for the greatest worldly pleasures they are but like the fancies of distracted men So that as some who have perswaded themselves in such pleasing delights and apprehending themselves masters of such great revenews when cured of this delirium by Physicians have been displeased thereat saying they never enjoyed a better time then under those deluded imaginations Such a folly and dream doth possesse all natural men while destitute of the light of Gods countenance they are unwilling to be awakened out of this dream and to be cured of this folly But with David we call upon thee to taste and see how good God is and then thou wilt cry out with Austin Sero te amavi Domine even mourn because thou wast not acquainted with him any sooner And that thou mayest be quickned up hereunto be diligent in meditating of these holy Psalms wherein is contained flamnigera Theologia for hereby thou wilt find thy self as it were in Eliahs fiery Chariot carried up to Heaven ANTHONY BURGESSE March 18. 1658. THE NATURAL MANS CHOICE SHEWING That no unregenerate Man can ascend any higher in his Choice and Desires then the Creature Psalm 4.6 There be many that say Who will shew us any good THe Divine Psalmist at the second Verse doth in a pathetical manner reprove all his ungodly Enemies who were also Enemies to God and his Church as well as to him and his Reproof is full of Reasonings As 1. That all the earthly good and advantage they seek after is a vanity it 's a lye They will never find it to be that to them which they expect They are but a shadow which is nigrum nihil a black nothing 2. Their attempts against the godly will be frustrated for God setteth a part the godly man for himself This is his Treasure this is his Apple of his eye which he will certainly defend Thereupon he exhorts them to Repentance which is accomplished by communing with their own hearts on their beds They are to take the solemnest and most serious time to consider of their waies for all their wickednesse was committed for want of consideration Intellectus cogitabundus is principium omnis boni Oh consider this ye that forget God! This Repentance presupposed he presseth two Duties 1. To offer the Sacrifices of righteousnesse To be diligent in the Worship and Ordinances of God and that with an holy and godly cleansing of their lives from all impiety 2. To put their trust in the Lord. Even Bellarmine on this place confesseth this is added That they might not presume in their own works or in their best religious performances but must rest their souls wholly on the grace of God in Christ Now the Psalmist having given this spiritual counsell he informeth us of two different dispositions or two sorts of men For although there be various Interpretations and conjectures about the place yet I pitch on that as most genuine The first is The Natural and Carnal disposition which is in the spirit of every unregenerate man Who will shew us any good They dispise the counsell given they think that these religious duties are for no good at all therefore they manifest their desires after some terrene and worldly happinesse Secondly There is the Charectar of a gracious and regenerate man Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us Thus this text like Rebecca's Womb hath a prophane Esau who esteemed a morsell of meat above his Birthright and a holy Jacob striving within it I shall begin with the first wherein you have represented What is the heart-wish and souls desire of every man till sanctified even to go no higher then to have happinesse in the enjoyment of some creature and not God himself So that in the former part you may observe 1. The number of those who have this distempered palate many even every man till by Regeneration he is enabled to set his affections on things above 2. Their ardent affection They say that is both internally in their affections and desires as the fool said There is no God and also with the tongue externally manifesting this corrupt heart within 3. There is the object which their whole heart is carried out unto To shew us any good that is any good or content of the creature For it 's spoken oppositely to God as appeareth by the words following They do as it were desire the Devils offer which he made to Christ That the glory of the world might be shewed them and they will worship the Devil and commit any sinne that they might enjoy it And although it's true that the things of this world are but a shew the Devil doth
buâ— shew the worlds glory yet to shew here is to give to enjoy to make them to partake of it As Psal 60.3 Thou hast shewed thy people hard things which was the making of them to drink the Wine of astonishment Even as to see Heaven to see death is to partake of them Observe That no Natural or Vnregenerate Man can lift up his heart any higher then unto a worldly Happinesse and content in the Creature When you have in the most powerfull and moving manner discovered spiritual duties and the necessity of Conversion to God yet they matter it not they will say Who will shew us any good That as it is with the Swine though Pearles and precious Flowers be thrown unto her yet she trampleth them under her feet and desireth her draffe and the loathsome mire so it is with them To bring this coal of fire into your bosome let us consider several Propositions First That herein lyeth the general Character of those two Citizens which Austin speaks of one who builds up Babylon and the other who builds up Jerusalem That the one doth frui utendis and uti fruendis but the other is clean contrary The whole world consists of two sorts of men the one who are of the world the other though in the world yet not of it As John 17. Believers are said to be given to Christ out of the world As a man may be in England who is not yet an English-man he cannot speak the language he cannot conform to the custom and manners of the Nation Thus it is here the godly they are indeed in the world and are of it also in respect of natural propagation but not by divine Regeneration As the Fowles though at first God created them out of the waters yet they fly up into the Heavens and delight to be soaring in the air Thus it is with the Regenerate man he is now made a new creature old things are past away and his affections are set upon things above This earth is turned into fire But the wicked man he like our body of the earth is earthly even his very soul is in a spiritual sense so and their love to the creature is the predominant quality and so like a stone he falls into this center Now Austin of old did fully expresse the contrary inclination of these two That the wicked man doth frui utendis that is he doth enjoy as his utmost end and terminateth his appetite in such things as his utmost happinesse which only he is to use as meanes to a further end As if the Israelite should have made the Wildernesse instead of the Land of Canaan to him This is the crooked and perverse inclination of the soul wholly contrary to that Image of God which man was made in So that the very Heathens could observe that though God made man with a countenance caelumque tueri yet they cried out O curvae in terris animae caelestium inanes The body is upright but the soul is bowed down like the bodies of beasts like wormes and Serpents that crawle on the ground And therefore the wicked are the Serpents seed not only because of enmity to the godly but because they lick up and live upon the dust of the earth even upon earthly things Every wicked man he makes some creature or other to be as a God and so the ultimate end to him To clear the hainousnesse of this wretched temper consider Secondly That all the good things which the creatures do afford unto us they are but as meanes to carry us to a further end They are but as the rounds of the Ladder not to stand upon but thereby to ascend higher even to Heaven So that as the world is a Glasse to represent the invisible Attributes of God his Wisdome Goodnesse and Power thus all the comforts we can have by any creature they are to be as so many mementâ—es that there is a better and more universal good and that we have the creatures to use only not to enjoy Thus the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. They that buy as if they bought not they that use the world as not abusing it Some expound abuti as it is sometimes taken for valdo uti but howosoever he abuseth it that doth not use it as if he used it not with an holy weaned affection from it Hence then to enjoy any creature setting it in Gods room in the heart is a direct breach of that first Commandement Thou shalt have no other gods besides me And for this reason covetousnesse is called Idolatry Col. 3 5. Insomuch that every natural man hath one thing or other on which he commits Idolatry and therefore doth as highly offend God as he that worships stocks and stones giving divine adoration to them The Scripture cals that The abominable thing Thus it is when the heart of a man is fastned upon any creature as the ultimate scope and end of his desires we may say to him Oh do not this abominable thing Yea this Idolatry is more dangerous by how much it is the more secret and hidden in the heart And as the Papists have invented a world of subtile distinctions to make their Idolatry lawfull no lesse subtile is the heart of man in this soul Idolatry Thirdly Take notice that there is an higher and grosser sort of unregenerate men then happily this expression will comprehend and that is those who make such things as are formally and expressly evil the good things they would have shewed to them Such are all grosse and prophane sinners who live in the daily practice of some loathsome sinne These are a degree higher in wickednesse then those in my text though they may be reduced to them for here the Psalmist speaks of such things as are lawfull and good in themselves Honours Wealth humane greatnesse comfortable Relations these are good things in themselves and to say Who will shew us them in a mortifyed and subordinate manner to God had been no sin But when they come in competition with Gods favour they had rather have them then Gods light of his countenance this demonstrateth impiety But as for the prophane man his appetite is more corrupted for he cals evil things good he loveth those things excessively which he is not to love at all The other loveth Honey but he eateth too much of it and that kils him this eateth Poyson and feedeth of that one drop whereof is immediately mortal But to these I shall not enlarge my self Fourthly Consider this That the Schoolmen do well place in every sinne a a two-fold respect There is the Aversion from God and the Conversion to the creature For seeing the soul cannot like the earth hang upon nothing but it must have some Object or other to satiate it self with if it hath not God it hath the creature Now as soon as ever it turneth to the creature it turneth its back upon God I speak of the sinfulnesse of man
in this respect that he turneth to the creature too much leaving God Now as there is this in our corruption so in our Conversion or Regeneration there is the clean contrary there is aversion from the creature and conversion to God It doth not only make a man cast away his sinnes but also all creatures so farre as they hinder the love of God for now they are risen with Christ And as if a worm should be made a man it would no more crawle and creep on the ground thus when a divine Nature or a Nature from above is bestowed upon us Not only love to sinne but love to Father Mother or life it self is inconsistent with the grace of God in our hearts when it 's excessive Fifthly It is acknowledged by all that there is imbred in a man an appetite or desire after felicity and happinesse This Aristotle and others do abundantly confirm Man by nature hath such a capacious heart and the souls appetite is so vast that it 's more then the Horseleech or the Grave that sayeth alwaies Give The soul hath a Sheoll that is alwaies asking and never satisfyed Now then if there were a good regulated desire after this ultimate good where and in whom it was this were to be encouraged If the meaning of these in my text had been Who will shew us that which is indeed the chiefest and most reall good they might have been encouraged like those that asked what they should do to be saved But though there be in the generall an inclination to such a blessednesse yet wofull and dreadfull is the misapprehension and blindnesse of all men naturally about it so that mistaking the main end for which they came into the world it 's no wonder if at last they fall into the pit irrecoverably There were above an hundred Opinions amongst the Heathens in what true Felicity did consist but though some were not so grosse as others yet all come short of the true end That knowing of the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent in the knowledg of whom is eternal life Neither are many Christians much better then the Heathens in this respect for although they know that God is the chiefest good in the enjoying of whom through Christ is only blessednesse yet practically in respect of their hearts and lives some place their happinesse in Riches some in Honours and some in Pleasures and these to whom David speaks here that did love vanity that cryed out for earthly comforts they were not Heathens destitute of the knowledge of the true God but such who lived in the Church of Israel only they were destitute of the sanctifying power of God within There is then acknowledged in all men some innate appetite whereby they would have a full and chief good which might compleatly satiate and fill the soul Sixthly The perswasion of what is the best good and which is chiefly to be desired is wounderfully diversifyed according to the several inclinations humours and conditions of men So that some place it in one thing and some in another One saith Give me this good there is none like that Another saith Give me that good there is none like that So that these many in the text do not all desire the same yea one matters not that which another would go through fire and water to obtain The voluptuous man he doth not matter wealth or riches let him enjoy his pleasures and he envyeth no rich worldling the earthly worldly man he matters not honour and credit let him get riches and he regards not a good Name Populus me sibilat at mhi plaudo The Apostle is thought to bring all that an earthly heart can desire into these three heads 1 Joh. 2.15 16 17. For speaking there terribly against the disposition of these in my text that they should not love the world he brings an Argument from the contraries The love of the Father cannot be in such an one They can be no more together then Dagon and the Ark The hand filled with dirt and stones cannot at the same time be filled with precious Pearles He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit with him and he that is joyned to the earth is made earth with it Si terram amas terra es said Austin And hereupon the Apostle giveth some examples and instances of the things of this world that are like Jaels milk to Sisera fairly inticing but afterwards mortally wounding and although some think there is not an exact and full partition yet others do judge so And by the lust of the flesh they understand all pleasures and delights by the lust of the eye all earthly and covetous desires as Achan saw the Babylonish garment and wedge of gold which made him sinfully covet it and the pride of life that is all ambition all proud and high desires after the great things of this world Haec tria pro trino numine mundus habet This is the worlds Trinity and there is no man inordinately addicted to any creature comfort but it may be comprehended under one of these three heads Now when the Apostle had given us an Instance of these things he giveth another Argument against immoderacy after them This world passeth away They will rot in the grave when holinesse will abide for ever Seventhly That the preferring of the creature above God though it be the sinne of all man-kind and as large as Original sinne it self yet like that it is hardly discerned and discovered It 's almost unperceivable unlesse we are enlightned by Gods Spirit when we set up the creature above him It 's true there is a grosse manifest and palpable way which is seen in every covetous and ambitious or lustfull man these do so plainly make either their belly their god or their gold their god or their preferment their god that all men can easily condemn them for it because what is in their heart empties it self into foul and shamefull practises But then there is the mentall and soul deifying of the creatures when the heart is secretly stolen away and doth insensibly depend on or excessively love such a thing and this is hardly to be discerned No doubt but the third kind of hearers and so Demas were farre from thinking that they loved the world more then God So that as the nature and operations of the soul are in their Physical consideration little known much lesse in their Theological Now although the tendencies of the soul may be various and multiforme some to one Object some to another yet self is that great Diana self is the Belzebub all things in Religion even God himself is referred to self till a man be sanctified So that the heart being herein thus desperately deceitfull we are often and often to commune with our own selves whether self be renounced whether self be subordinated to God whether we can say as Mephibasheth to David Let Ziba take all
God Doth not God require we should love him with all our might all our strength So that he will not allow any love to any thing else but him Indeed when we desire any creature in subordination to him as a meanes of glorifying him and thereby brought nearer to God this is not a-against God The Schoolmen say That it 's the same gracious habit of love that carrieth us out to love God and our neighbour because of him and so it is of every creature else As we say such a great House is such a mans Now though he have many servants dwelling there yet we say it 's his House not the Servants because they are for and under him Thus if God do chiefly dwell in our hearts then though we love other things yet because this is wholly in reference to God we may truly say We love none but him But now when the love of the creature opposeth God makes us contrary to him or makes us love him or holy duties the lesse then we are to conclude That this cannot stand with godlinesse So that not only grosse sinnes practised but any creature habitually and excessively delighted in above God is also incompatible with it Thirdly Take heed of this estate because it 's a wofull snare and temptation to thee He that is inordinately affected with any earthly comfort this will upon all occasions bring him into the foulest sinnes that can be imagined He will do any thing damn his soul over and over to obtain it As Judas because he was immoderately set upon gain he betrayeth Christ though he was admonished of it though he was told in particular he was the man Though heard what a fearfull condition such a man was in that should betray Christ yet nothing can stop him but he will satisfie that corrupt appetite of his Oh then take heed again and again of such an inordinrate appetite It will be thy poyson and damnation It will one time or other put thee upon such horrrible actions as will make the hearts of others to tremble when they hear it yea such as thou wilt abhor before they are committed As it was in Hazael Am I dog said he that I should do so And truly it is very sad when God by his Providence shall suffer such advantages for thy lust to fall out us Judas had a bagge Hazael a Kingdom all which were like spaâ—kes to that tinder The Devil findes the room then garnished and swept for him Let a man professe never so much love to God and be never so forward in Religion yet if he be not mortifyed to every creature there will come a fire from without and consume this bramble Fourthly This is a fearfull estate because the word of God though preached never so powerfully and pressed over and over again yet it cannot do any good while such a temper is on thee This is the Dalilah that will alwaies entice thee Intus existens prohibet alienum You see even in our Savious preaching though none ever taught as he did Though this was accompanied with astonishing Miracles yet the Pharisees who loved the world and the glory of men they derâ—ded him Yea our Saviour told the very Disciples themselves Joh. 5.44 How can ye believe if ye seek glory of one another And therefore at another time he took a little child setting him before them that if they did not become like such they could never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven As long therefore as any thing sits too close to our hearts we cannot be Christs Disciples You see those hearers that went so farre as to receive the Word with joy and to bring forth some fruit yet it was the deceivablenesse of riches that did choak all Never then expect that any Ministry or any Preaching should ever do good to thee while this or that creature is so enammouring of thee Fifthly Take heed of this creature-affection because it 's a tormenting sinne It is not only a sinne but a torment and vexation withall Some sinnes bring a sweetnesse with them though they leave an Hell hereafter but this sinne for the most part brings an Hell with it What man is there inordinately afected to any thing that you may not call the Devils Martyr he endureth and suffereth so much He is under many vexations and through many tribulations he goeth to Hell In what a fiery Furnace was Haman though exalted so high above others And doth not Solomon the wise man pen an whole Book to inform of this that all is but vexation of spirit And what the Apostle speaks of one particular is true of all 1 Tim. 6.9 Those that will be rich they fall into many temptations and peirce themselves through with many cares They are as one Martyr in Gods cause that was by his Scholars stabb'd all over to death by Penknives Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Insomuch that if you could see the naked soul of any man inordinately affected to the creature you would see it all over wounded and scourged full of tormenting cares and fears never in any quiet or safe content at all Oh then consider what an enemy thou art to thy self Godlinesse would be great gain to thee It would make thee glad and rejoyce in the Lord It would teach thee how to have all things and how to want but while thy heart is vassalized thus to the creature no quietnesse can be in thy bones And what a folly is this to be miserable here and miserable hereafter Sixthly They are miserable who are thus craving after worldly good things because the Scripture represents all these things but as vanity As that which is a meer lye Called therefore often a Shadow which the foolish child catcheth at as some reall substance when it is but as was said a black nothing Therefore you see Solomon expostulating after this manner Why dost thou set thy eyes upon that which is not Prov. 23.5 That which at another time the wise man saith It answereth all things and calls it a defence yet here he saith It is not Even as the whole Creation may be said to be non ens comparatively to God And therefore God is called Jehova He is said to be I am what I am All creatures have not a being comparatively to him If then the best and most usefull of creatures be such a nothing to God even whole Nations are but as a drop or dust yea they are said to be lesse then nothing Isa 40.17 What folly is it to leave the Fountain of all happinesse and to catch after the shadow Oh then let the godly soul which enjoyeth God when tempted by the creature to immoderate love say as the Fig-tree and Olive-tree Shall I leave my sweetnesse Shall I part with my happinesse and blessednesse I have in God and go and tear my self with bryers For so indeed when we seek to the creatures for refuge in any distresse we do with the
Condition but God himself that formeth and frameth the soul in a right manner 2. As the coâ—dition cannot effectively work upon thâ—e so neither can they fill themselves with any comfort objectively any further then God puts into them These are streames that have water no longer then the Spring filleth them That as it is with all creatures even man himself that he hath no longer a being or existence then God giveth it to him if he withdraweth his arm the strongest man falls immediately to dust Thus it is with all creatures they do not comfort or originally help of themselves but as enabled by God The bread doth not nourish but as bles't by God The fire could not burn when God restrained it and even the garments and shooes of the Israelites did not wax old or consume while Gods blessing was upon them Thus then it is no creature hath any thing of it self to refresh us with but as God puts into it even as the Conduit-Pipe runs water or Wine as it is poured into it And thus do all creatures communicate mercies and comforts as they are quickned thereunto by God Lastly The creature in being but an instrument and having all from God doth thereby demonstrate how much blessednesse is in enjoying God himself If a drop be so sweet how much more is an Ocean If a Star be so welcome how much more is the Sun Therefore thou shouldst say thus to thy self If such a relation such a creature be so comfortable and good to me what may God himself be who is so full of all good Si tanta pulchritudo in creaturâ quanta in creatore as the Antient said If thy heart were spiritual it would ascend thus by the creature to God Sixthly Lay this above all things to heart that Heaven and glory cannot be obtained without a preeminent and transcendent affection to all others things You cannot intend the heart and affection to other things and to salvation likewise Mat. 11.12 The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Hence it is also that God requireth we should love him with all our soul and might These things then being attained only with the highest and chiefest affections and desires of the soul how can thy heart be for Heaven and the world also Hence also are those Commands that we must seek the Kingdom of Heaven in the first place that we must not labour for the meat that perisheth And hence those who endeavour after Heaven are compared to a traveller to one that runneth in a race to one that combates with an enemy Now none can effectually mind these things and other things also Can a man that runnes in the race look to the Apples or fruit that groweth upon the tree and seek to gather them Is not this the way to make him certainly lose the Crown No lesse ought our intention industry and labour to be after Heaven lest we loose the Crown of Glory Certainly this false perswasion of obtaining the Crown of Glory so easily and that Heaven may be had upon so easie termes is that which damneth thousands For how can it be that thou shouldst so eagerly attend to these thingâ— Didst thou think there is a greater and more necessary good which will require greater affections Shall the food of my body be got with the sweat of my browes and not much rather eternal Glory hereafter Seventhly Neglect not this Meditation What Heathens and superstitious persons haâ—e done in a misguided way for some notable end How have they trampled all earthly things under their feet Who hath not heard of Crates the Thebane that parted with all his wealth to give himself to Philosophy And how greatly will the wilfull poverty of some misguided Zealots in Antiquity condemn us herein I speak not of that wilfull renouncing of earthly wealth in Popery that now is for they do thereby provide a better temporal provision for themselves but I speak of the old Hermites and Anchorets who mistaking many places of Scripture as not only in preparation of spirit when God should require they did command a leaving of these things but also actually to throw away all things did thereby denude themselves of all that wealth and of all those earthly enjoyments that otherwise they had thinking that they could never be saved if they did enjoy these things Now this actual abdication of all things is not a duty therein they were misguided with a prepâ—â—â—â—rous zeal but yet in preparation of spirit we ought to part with all the earthly comforts of this world and when there may be special Commands or particular occasions then we are actually to leave all as you see the Disciples and Martyrs did Oh then do thou blame thy self for all immoderate affections to these things Think how will Heathens and superstitious Persons rise up to thy condemnation Eighthly If Christ hath reproved those who were godly for their external cares when yet notwithstanding it hath been in the root of it from all good affection to himself how much rather will he condemn those who are immoderately addicted to these things and that from a principle of aversnesse to him and wearisomenesse in his service Now for this reproof you have a notable Instance Luk. 10 40 41. where Martha out of her abundant affection to entertain Christ did not as her sister sit at Jesus his feet and hear his Word but was carefull about the entertaining him but Christ saith Thou art troubled about many things one thing is needfull and Mary hath chosen the better part You see Christ preferring a diligent attending to the meanes of grace bâ—fore all kind entertainment of himself Hence also it is that the Disciples were not allowed to have an inordinate affection even to his humanity and bodily presence They are reproved for their grief and sorrow when he was bodily to leave them because this hindered his spiritual presence If then we may not in these cases be excessive in our affections how much lesse in meer earthly things THE GODLY MANS CHOICE SHEWING That a gracious heart doth more esteem the favour of God and the light of his Countenance then any earthly thing whatsoever Psalm 4.6 Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us WE are now come to the second part of the Text and in that we have the spirit of David and all godly men expressed and that is contrary to the desires of earthly men while they thus earnestly long after some earthly good He sheweth what is that which his soul doth most thirst after and that is The light of Gods favour For the right understanding of the words there is some difference amongst Interpreters Some Popish Expositors render it assertively not imperatively Signatum est super nos the light of thy countenance is sealed upon us Thus Bellarmine and generally the Schoolmen They bring it to prove That there is something of Gods Image left in every man
all one to a blind man And thus now when a godly man sits in darknessâ— and hath no light which he perceiveth he cannot but be greatly dejâ—cted So it is here when the favour of God is not apprehended but we rather apprehend his frowns and anger against us then though we be Children of light yet we walk in darknesse David doth often pray that Gods face might shine upon him and yet even then it did shine upon him while he prayed for it otherwise he could not have had a praying heart neither could he be sensible of the want of it But he wanted the knowledge and the assurance of it So that although it be Gods gracious favour that putâ— us into a stare of blessednesse yet it is the assurance of it that makes us to rejoyce in it When David had more joy and gladnesse in his heart then all the voluptuous and earthly men of the world yet this could not be without the assurance pf Gods favour So that Gods gracious love is better then the whole world It is that which preserveth from sinne and hell It is that which keepeth off all condemnation But yet all the while till we know this our souls may conflict with sad agonies And this is the case of all the people of God who are in sad temptations and lye under heavy defections For these though under the favour of God yet not being assured of it apprehend God as an angry Judge continually against their souls Lastly Where the light of Gods countenance is there is implyed the love and delight the Lord takes in such The eyes of the Lord are often said to be on the godly as being a pleasant and delightfull Object He is never willing to turn his face from them It is true indeed there may be such a time with the godly they may either walk so negligently or commit such grievous sinnes that God may for a while turn his face from them but yet this will not be for ever God he will bring them to repentance to self-abhorrency so that they shall with the Prodigall be brought to see his face again But the constant course of a godly man being to love God and to avoid all sinne hence it is that the waies of the upright are pleasing to the Lord and his gracious eye is alwaies upon them Protection direction sanctification preservation all these are daily communicated unto them What great encouragement is the Fathers eye to his Child the Commanders to a Souldier but how much more should the light of Gods countenance put life into us The Qualifications or Characters of those who do value and desire Gods favour above all things else Having discussed what is comprehended in that expression of Gods lifting up his countenance upon a man I shall now proceed to give such Qualifications or Characters that are necesseary to such who do earnestly desire Gods favour And First They are such who have a deep and true sense of the guilt of their sinne who are wounded in heart and lye under their iniquities as their greatest burden Such as have this foundation laid they cannot have any rest or quietnesse nothing can satisfie their souls till God look graciously upon them We see this in David Psal 32. 51. there when he lay groaning under the weight of his sinnes and was ready to roar out because of God anger What is it that he so earnestly begs for but that sinne may be covered that joy might be restored to him That God would take away those sinnes which make such a sad distance between him and his soul Now David had many earthly and worldly refuges to fly unto he might have solaced himself with all kind of comforts but nothing could quiet his heart if he hath not Gods favour As all the Starres though they shine together are not able to dispell the darknesse of the night it must be the light of the Sunne that can do that Thus it is not any creature any comfort any content from them that can quiet and compose the troubled soul it must be the light of Gods favour shining into their dark hearts If therefore you aâ—k What is the reason why so many crave earthly things but as for this favour of God they prize it not they pray not or wrestle for it The answer is Most men are secure in their sinnes they have hardnesse of heart and a spiritual stupidity upon them Hence it is that they know not what stings are in sinne they know not what a wounded spirâ—t meanes They have never been in the Whales belly as it were nor in the deep waters of the soul feeling themselves ready to fall into Hell and damnation therefore it is that they judge all is well enough This full stomack needeth not the Honey-combe On then till sinne be more bitter in thy conscience the favour of God cannot be esteemed by thee Secondly Such as esteem the light of Gods countenance are many times those that are afflicted persecuted and of great exercises in this world For this is the wretched corruption of our natures that while we can take any delight in the creature we runne not out to God While we can have but the light of a candle we care not for the Sunne Therefore it is that God takes from us all our comforts He removeth this mercy and that mercy that so we may seek after God Thus God saith Hos 5 15. he would go frâ—m them they should not have the mercies they used to have But to what end doth God this That they may seek to him early in their affliction As Children while there is any day they love to be playing and sporting and will not come home till the dark night drive them Those then that are often â—fflâ—cted and chasâ—ened commonly such do highly regard the face of God Thus the Church of God Psal 80.3 being in great extremities God feeding them with the bread of teares and giving them teares to drink in great measure yea angry with their very Prayers What doth it beseech for in this great straight Verse 3. Turn us again and cause thy face to shine upon us and we shall be saved Aâ— the Sun is most esteemed after sad black and gloomy weather Thus is the favour of God most regarded when we find troubles to compasse us about on every side Hence it is that those whom God loveth he often chastens And nothing is more unhappy then constant happinesse because abundance and fulnesse of outward mercies doth take us from seeking the face of God Let not then the godly mourn away under any chastisements they lye under for if these are so sanctified that thereby the favour of God is more indeared to thee thereby thou canst rejoyce in his presence more these are the greatest mercies that can befall thee And indeed at such times the light of Gods countenance is more necessary then ever The lesse of the creature the more need to be
directly argue from Gods love to chastisements Heb. 12.6 which is again mentioned Rom. 3.19 Insomuch that thou who art never afflicted hast greater cause to fear lest Gods wrath be upon thee The Physician administers no Physick to such who are incurable Oh the wonderfull and blessed effects which the godly find by afflictions when sanctified Doth not David say Before he was afflicted he went astray Psal 119.67 2. If it should be granted that these temporal mercies thou aboundest with come from the light of his countenance yet it is only in temporal things If we do suppose that they from Gods love to thee yet this is but a common and general love It doth not at all make to thy peculiar happinesse neither doth it tend to the special favour of God It may not be denied but God from a common love to men who have been just and diligent in their waies may bestow some outward mercies as a temporal reward Thus Austin thought the Romanes had that great Dominion given them because of their justice And so the Scripture saith A diligent hand maketh rich Prov. 10.4 But what is this common love without a special What is it for God so to love thee as to make thee strong healthy wealthy and not to give Christ and Heaven to thee Oh therefore rest not in the enjoying of these outward mercies but look to that which is the chiefest of all If thou hast grace pardon of sinne and Christ thou canst not be damned but if thou have the great things of this world thou maiest have also the great torments of Hell hereafter As Ismael had of Abraham some rich gifts but not the Inheritance As Luther said of the great Turkish Empire which God hath given to wicked and ungodly men it 's but mica canis a crum that the dog may have but not the Childrens Bread 3. Let it be given to wicked men thus from a common love yet it is withall from Gods anger and hatred if you do regard them in a spiritual consideration For they are not sanctified to them they are not thereby made more holy or drawn nearer to God They do become snares and occasions of sinnes to them so that they will at the Day of Judgment even curse the day that ever they had such abundance They will cry out Oh that they had been poor miserable deformed That they had been under any calamity then that they had such abundance for that hath made Hell seven times hotter That hath been like oyl poured into the flame which hath made the fire burn more terribly That which Solomon observed of wealth Eccl. 5.13 is true of all other outward mercies Beauty Strength Honours How often are they given to the hurt of them that have them Thus David's imprecation is fulfilled in them Let their Table become a snare unto them As too much blood indangers the body especially these outward mercies are sure to be a snare to them because they hinder and oppose all those Christian Qualifications which are absolutely necessary to every Disciple of Christ Thus it 's required that a man must love Christ more then Father or Mother or life it self that he must deny himself and take up his Crosse All which cannot be because of immoderate love to these outward mercies This is the Camels bunch This is that which choakes the Word The Pharisees because they were covetous derided Christ If then you comfort your selves because God hath given you all outward fulnesse examine how these are sanctified to you What spirituall effects do these mercies bring upon you Do you not pray the worse hear the worse Are not your hearts the more distracted and divided Doth not the earth make you forget Heaven Oh then be afraid and tremble at these things rather then confidently rejoyce in them Did not Abraham tell Dives He had received good things in this life but for eternity he was not to receive so much as a drop of water Pray unto God that all thy good things be not given thee here and thou have nothing hereafter A second sort of persons who mistake about the light of Gods countenance is Such who have a quiet untroubled and eased Conscience They commonly argue thus God loveth them for they have no trouble in their hearts they have no fear or disquietnesse in their souls but they put their whole trust in Christ Such as these that die as a Lamb so people expresse it they make no doubt but this is the favour of God They thank God God loveth them and they love God They never doubted of Gods love to them They are fully assured of it Thus they take a secure and sometimes a scared conscience for that which is quieted and made peaceable through the blood of Christ And this is the condition of very many they do even rejoyce in this That they never doubted They think the godly who have often fears and doubts who are in sad temptations to be the worst of men and that it is for their wickednesse they are so Even as the wicked thought Christ to be smitten for his own sinnes and that God did in such a peculiar manner bring him to that accursed death for his high impiety Thus do the prophane men of the world censure the generation of the godly who have many times sad dejections of spirit and walk without any sense of Gods favour at all yea ready to cry out They are damned and that God hath forsaken them But to search into the bottom of this Disease which is Epidemicall First Consider There is a great difference between a stupid senslesse conscience and a serene conscience made so by the light of Gods countenance shining upon it This is not a quieted conscience by the Promise and through Christ but a stupified one which the Apostle calls a seared one that cannot feel that cannot apprehend It is with thee as mad men that conceit such and such great things to themselves when alas it 's for want of their wits and sobriety that they have such foolish imaginations Thus when thou presumest of Heaven and salvation Oh thou art sure thou shalt go thither Whence is all this but because thou hast no spiritual life or feeling within thee Oh if thou wert in thy spiritual senses if thou didst understand aright thou wouldst quickly cry out and tremble at that cursed condition thou art in Who were more abominable to God then the Pharisees yet who justified themselves more Who put more trust and confidence in the workes they did Therefore do thou search into thy heart more Whence comest thou to be thus secure and confident Is it not because thou art delivered up to a reprobate sense Is it not because thou art dead in sinne And as dead men cannot feel any pain or torment so neither canst thou Therefore if you see men that lived wickedly yet die peaceably and confidently this is not the light of Gods favour upon them
much inordinate affections and desires even to lawfull things this makes God jealous And for this thou shalt not have the comfortable light of his countenance The Church appeared with the Moon under her feet All sublunary things ought to be under the heart of a godly man But as the Sunne is sometimes eclipsed by the interposition of the Moon so is the favour of God too often obscured by minding these earthly things You see then how difficult a thing it is to keep this fire alwaies upon the Altar To keep this Lamp from going out Therefore the prophane man who never watcheth to these things who doth not seek the Kingdom of Heaven in the first place cannot have this light of Gods favour Lastly Thy quiet and peaceable conscience is not from Gods favour but because never assulted by the Devil never checked by doubts and oppositions from within David had the comfortable beames of Gods favour shining upon him but he had also sad wrestling within How often did he chide and rebuke his soul for being so inordinately cast down within him It 's a saying acknowledged by all Divines He that never doubted never believed O Lord I believe help my unbelief Though doubts are not a duty yet they will be necessary companions as corruptions to our graces Of the Joy of Saints in God and heavenly things as one Effect of the Light of Gods Countenance The Nature of it and the Preeminences of it comparatively to all other Pleasures whatsoever PSAL. 4.7 Thou hast put more gladness into my heart then they have had when their Corn and Wine encreaseth THis text declareth a Reason why David desires the light of Gods countenance above any earthly things why his wish is contrary to those of the world And the Reason is deduced from that blessed and admirable effect of it upon David's heart God being reconciled put more gladnesse into his heart then all the pleasures of the world could amount unto So that in the words we are to consider the Benefit or Priviledge it self Gladnesse It 's a rule That Omnis vita est propter delectationem all life yea all operations are for delight So that Gladnesse and Joy is the soul in its highest felicity It 's the action of the soul in flourishing Characters It 's the soul in its glory It 's Arras unfolded and spread open 2. There is the Original and Efficient Cause of it God Thou hast put Gods comforts and joy they are like himself infinite pure unmixed there is no fear or sorrow accompanying such 3. There is the manner of participation Thou hast put it into my heart This sheweth the efficacy and irresistiblenesse of Gods comfort He puts it into the heart men cannot They can only suggest they cannot put into the heart If God puts comfort in all the troubles and sad temptations which arise in the soul cannot be able to withstand it no more then the night can hinder the day from dispelling of it 4. There is the Subject or Vessel receiving it My heart The worlds joy is but in the mouth or in the phansie this is in the heart Lastly There is the aggravation of it by a comparison with all earthly joy and that the greatest which can be More then when their Corn and Wine encreaseth Judea was a Land that abounded with Corn and Vineyards And the Scripture when it would expresse a great joy calls it the joy of Harvest Yet David's joy is greater then this Now though the text instanceth in these two yet we are to understand all kind of joy The joy of the rich man of the great man of the voluptuous Let the joy be what it can be in any earthly thing an heavenly heart hath from God a better joy It 's true some Interpreters make this the sense as if David did here professe his joy because his enemies whom he reproved in the beginning of his Psalm did thus encrease As if he would say Though they hate and oppose me yet I am so farre from bearing ill will to them that I rejoyce in their abundance Yea some Popish Interpreters make a mysticall meaning as if here were a Prophesie of the delight of Gods people because of the Sacrament consisting of Bread and Wine Yea Oyl is added in some Copies of their Translations as if their extream Unction were also intended But this is indeed to make the Scripture a Nose of Wax as they call it sometimes Therefore the Hebrew Preposition Min though it sometimes signifie Of yet in many places it 's to be interpreted comparatively For rather And thus it is here Observe That the godly have more joy from God and heavenly things then all the men of the world can have in their earthly delights If a wicked man did but know what the comfort and consolation is that doth accompany an holy life he would judge all his earthly pleasures to be like the Prodigals husk He would cry out of his madnesse Oh foolish and unwise that have left this spiritual joy to partake of humane and worldly 1 Pet. 1.8 It 's called unspeakable joy and full of glory Such a joy that it can never be expressed As a Father or a Mother cannot expresse their natural affections It 's a joy which the godly that feel it cannot declare unto another but when they have said all they can still they feel more Though out of their abundance the heart speakes yet it cannot speak all it's abundance And as a godly man cannot expresse it so neither can a natural man believe any such thing he cannot be perswaded that there is such joy in it As he that hath not tasted Honey cannot judge how sweet it is Neither can a blind man think what a glorious creature the Sunne is Let us therefore first open the absolute nature and dignity of this Joy then speak of it comparatively And in the first place The glory and dignity of this joy is from two particulars in the text First It is from the Original As there is a wisdome which comes from above that is heavenly and a wisdome fleshly and devilish so also there is a joy which comes from above that is pure and excellent and there is a joy that is of the world and the flesh and this is indeed devilish But the joy which a godly man receiveth it 's from Heaven from God himself and so hath a pure and choice excellency in it It differs from worldly joy as the elementary fire from the culinary The elementary fire needs no pabulum no wood to maintain it it will not perish but the kitchen fire that must have wood or coales it will not last any longer then this fewel Thus all worldly joy that must have daily sticks and coales put to it If Friends die if Wealth be lost Pleasures denyed this joy is gone but this joy from above abides the same As long as God abides in Heaven so long that continues unlesse we by our
sinnes provoke God to take it away All the world cannot give such a joy as this is Therefore Gal. 5.22 it 's called the fruit of Gods Spirit and often Joy in the holy Ghost Hence the Spirit of God is called the Comforter And God is stiled 2 Cor. 1.3 the God of all consolations because it is he alone that workes it Men may create the world as well as of themselves get such a joy as this Hence the people of God walk many times mournfully for the want of it And there is no Samaritan can put this Oyl into their wounds David cannot alwaies say God put such joy in his heart Yea he professeth the clean contrary sometimes That his soul was bowed down that he watered his bed with teares And Joh. was almost like a damned man in Hell But of the Reason of this desolatenesse we may speak hereafter It 's enough that this demonstrateth God to be the Author of all our joy And that as all the men in the world cannot make the Sunne arise in the morning did not God appoint it that natural course so neither are any able to bring this joy into their hearts Therefore in the second place The second discovery of this joy is from the manner of working it Thou didst put it into my heart That is an excellent expression It sheweth what dominion and soveraignty God hath over the heart He can as easily put joy into thy soul though afflicted though tempted though grieved with sinne as thou canst pour Wine into a Bottle He can with a word command waters to become Wine So that as the Orthodox maintain That Gods grace in converting the heart is irresistible it 's insuperable The heart cannot resist it with finall prevalency For à nullo duro corde respicitur quippe ad hoc datur ut tollat cor durum So it 's true also in spiritual joy The grieved heart the sad heart cannot reject it because it 's given to take away the sad heart Hence we read of the people of God the Martyrs and others that they have rejoyced under their tribulations more then their Persecutors did under all their abundance How was this possible but that God did so fill their hearts that no outward or inward misery could have any room there This should teach the people of God to walk so exactly that they may not on the contrary say God hath put more bitternesse into their heart then any can have in their worldly miseries For as the joy of God is more then all earthly joy so the sense of Gods anger and wrath causeth more sorrow and anguish of spirit then all outward calamities can do A wounded spirit who can bear Thirdly This Joy which God puts into our hearts followeth upon a true godly sorrow and mourning for sinne All the joy of thy heart which doth not flow from humiliation and deep sorrow for sinne it 's but a blaze it 's like the crackling of thornes And this is necessary to be observed for the Hypocrite who never had any true sound grace yet he may have some transitory joy So Mat. 13. They received the Word with joy And some rejoyced in John Baptists light but it was for a season only And thus many in some fits yea in some holy duties find a gladnesse and inward joy upon their hearts but this never had a true sorrow go before Before Paul was admitted into Gospel joyes he was striken to the ground and had a deep sense of his former guilt Therefore the Promise is Blessed are they that mourn for they shall rejoyce Mat. 5. Therefore as the Psalmist speaks concerning afflictions it 's true also of godly sorrow They that sow in teares shall reap in joy Many desire joy they are willing to hear of a Sermon that may cause gladnesse in their hearts but then they cannot endure the preparatory unto it They do not love the Law should wound them before the Gospel heal them But this is the nature of all heavenly joy it 's a daughter to godly sorrow Verus paenitens de peccato doler de dolore gaudet And this is it which makes godly joy so welcome and so precious because the heart was mourning and humbled before thinking it self unworthy of any joy in the least manner Though others might rejoyce yet not they This then is the method God takes First the Spirit of God is a Spirit of Supplication and mourning then it 's a Spirit of Joy and consolation Fourthly This joy which God putteth in the heart it 's from spiritual and heavenly motives Therefore the duty is so often called for to Rejoyce in the Lord And it 's called Joy in the holy Ghost It ariseth from Gods favour from Gospel-Priviledges because God is reconciled because sinne is pardoned because we are justifica through the blood of Christ So that the joy of a godly man and of a natural man differ as much as Heaven and Earth For what makes thee rejoyce at any time Is it some worldly pleasure Is it not some earthly content Is it not because such and such earthly advantages befall thee Thy heart is never cheerfull and merry but from such considerations Now how different and poor and contemptible are these to this heavenly Joy For the gladnesse of their heart ariseth from the love of God from an Interest in Christ from the consideration of eternal glory These sublime and spiritual Objects do ravish the godly soul So that the delights of a beast are not more inferiour to the delights of a man as a rational man then the delights of a man are to him as a Christian What the Apostle speaketh concerning the thoughts and words of a Child comparatively to a man the same is true also in respect of joy 1 Cor. 13. Children have their joy they laugh as Children they rejoyce in their Babies as Children but when they come to be men they cannot rejoyce as Children they cannot delight to play as they did when little Boyes Thus when thou art once made godly and hast tasted of more excellent Joy thou canst not delight in the pleasures of sinne nor in the greatest advantages of the world They are below thee Thou saiest to thy self when inordinately rejoycing in these things as she did but falsly to David Thou hast made thy self like one of the vile fellows to day The godly mans joy comes from an higher Spring then the worlds doth Fifthly Hence in the next place No man can have this spiritual joy but such who are regenerated and born of God Who have a spiritual and supernatural life We see in nature that according to the several kinds of life so there are several delights and proportionable thereunto the natural and animal life the rational life the sense hath its delights and reason hath its delght Thus when a man is born again he hath his joy and his delight Do not ye read often of David that professeth the Word of God
but that is not absolutely considered For the Devils cannot trust â—n him neither may wicked men yet God is able to help them to save them but relatively as a Father as reconciled Therefore Christ Mat. 6. makes this the ground of all the trust his Disciples must have because their heavenly Father is in Heaven So that till we have these perswasions of God as a Father we are but as so many vagabond Children that know not where to have relief The Child because he hath a Father never takes care what he shall eat or drink or put on because his Father will provide all these for him Fifthly We adde That this Faith must depend on God in a lively and strong manner as David's was at this time or Abraham's when he considered not the dead Womb or did so much as stagger within himself For if thy Faith be weak if it be fainting and languishing though thou maist have support yet not such prevalent peace within thee Thou art in a Combate not in a Triumph David at another time is like Sampson without his strength he saith All men are lyers He thinketh God had forsaken him So that unlesse Faith be very vigorus though thou maiest be preserved in thy afflictions they shall not quite overwhelm thee yet thou wilt not have this peaceable frame Now the Children of God should think it not enough to rub through their troubles with agonies and Combates but with joy and quietnesse Grieve because thy heart is so much as disquieted say Oh weak wretch that I am that I cannot be as much at ease as if I had no affliction at all There remain two more Propositions to explicate this Doctrine And First When we say Faith doth thus quiet and compose the soul you must take two Cautions to season this First That Faith doth not this principally of it self for that is but a grace or habit created and infused into the soul And therefore as all other graces needs the continual quickning and asistance of Gods Spirit so likewise doth Faith Hence our Saviour prayed for Peter that his Faith might not fail Implying that grace of it self would wither and decay as well as any other if God did not preserve it Therefore the Apostle Peter doth fully expresse the manner of Faiths Influence into this Perservation 1 Peter 1.5 It 's the power of God that doth principally and efficiently keep us only it 's through Faith We are not then to conceive as if Faith of it self had such an inherent efficacy that by it's sole jurisdiction it would command the soul and say as God did at the first Let there be light and there shall be light No Faith it self needs the daily quickening of Gods grace as well as other graces Yea this grace would sooner decay then others because of the hearts contrariety to it making a man to live above the Principles of sense and common reason Insomuch that it 's no wonder to see a man love God be patient in afflictions these though not wrought by the power of nature yet have a conviction from the light of nature but so hath not Faith The second Caution is That we do not think as if we could believe it our selves as if by our own humane strength we could obtain such a peaceable frame of heart No If it could be so then David at other times and that it may be in farre lesse extreamities would not have been dejected as he acknowledgeth himself to be Neither would that man have prayed to Christ to Help his unbelief if he could have helped it himself And the experience of the godly doth abundantly confirm this in what agonies they are plunged how grievously tormented Oh how desirous to quiet their hearts They Pray they Meditate they Read and all cannot compose their souls Now if their hearts were subject to their power as the Winds and Waves are to Christ they would never endure such Conflict within This argueth therefore that it 's not in mans power to put forth such strong vigorous Acts of Faith no more then we can command the Heavens to give rain It 's God that must both plant and water and give the encrease Lastly The truth of this Doctrine doth extend even to those great Afflictions and Calamities we are in and that because of our sinnes We can evidently see what sinnes they are that have provoked God to give such a bitter stroke our own hearts testifie unto us and this argueth the greater work of Faith For happily it might be granted That in such Afflictions and Temptations which befall us for Gods cause and for righteousnesse sake we may be full of such joy and sincerity as the Apostle saith James 1. Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations And thus the Martyrs they could and did with David lay themselves down to sleep in their dark Dungeons and that the very night before they were to burn at the Stake But you will say How can this joy and confidence hold in such Calamities as fall upon us wholly because of our sinnes we behold Gods anger and our folly hath brought this on us Now in such troubles If we humble our selves unto the Lord for our sinnes and bewail them we may have such Calmes of spirit For this was David's case The Prophet had told him afore-hand that this should fall out Because of his Adultery and Murder his conscience cryed aloud in the midst of his military noise yet for all that he could thus set himself to his quiet rest How the vigorous Actings of Faith do quiet the Heart These things premised Let us consider How these vigorous actings of faith do thus quiet and appease the heart And First In that faith doth in the first place carry us out to rely on Christ as a Mediatour whereby all our iniquities and sinnes are done away If then sinne and guilt be removed out of the way there cannot be any trouble For as if there had not been sinne the earth would not have brought forth briars and thornes So neither were it not for iniquity eating into the conscience there would not be the least fear and trouble upon the heart This is the wind that makes so dreadfull an earthquake at last Wonder not then if Davids faith did compose his soul in respect of that outward danger for it had before removed a greater evil the guilt of sinne was now blotted out David is not in that case as when he cryed out that his bones were broken and that God sets his sinnes before him Oh that is a wofull condition when the guilt of sinne and afflictions both meet together when outwardly we have no hope and inwardly no hope But this faith doth in the first place It obtaineth reconciliation with God it seeth Pharaoh and his great host drowned in the sea and then it doth easily over-look other afflictions for the favour of God is able to sweeten all calamities Thus it was with Paul he
pure Worship because 1. God is greatly provoked by the contrary God may be provoked by sinfull worship three waies 2. Corrupt worship â—ends to the breach of Union between God and his Church 3. God looks upon corrupt worship as done to Devils 4. Men are prone to invent new worship Reasons to prove that all acceptable worship must have a Divine Command Quest Answ Of the foundation of practice The parts are 1. It 's directory Gods Word 2. The justifion of our persons 3. A receiving power from Christ 4. A renewed and sanctified nature Why we should be carefull of laying these foundations for every good action The â—oâ—ten foundations that men build upon in regard of practice Observ Of Ministers praising themselves In what cases Ministers may magnifie their Work and Office Observ Ministers are not to preach any new Doctrine The use of Preaching notwithstanding the fulness of the Scripture Observ Of Ministers building upon the foundation of Scripture by their preaching Gal. 3.15 A two-fold building upon the foundation Both the words of Scripture and the sense of Scripture must be attended unto Why Ministers must take heed how they build upon the true foundation 1. On Gods part 2. On the peoples part 3. On the Ministers part Directions to Ministers and people how to build aright upon the foundation Observ Of preaching Jesus Christ as the foundation How many waies Christ is to be preached as a foundation Reasons why Ministers are to lay no other foundation but Christ Object Answ Object Answ The great advantages which those people have who are built on Christ Observ What is implied by comparing the truths of Christ to gold and precious stones 1. In respect of the matter 2. In respect of the way and manner of preaching them Observ Errors not fundamental are hay and stubble Propositions to amplifie this point Why errors are called hay and stubble Wickedness in practice the fruit of errour in judgement Observ What secret sins shall be brought to light The aggravation of secret hidden sins Observ Hidden and secret wayes of false doctrine shall be made manifest What concerning errours shall be made manifest 1. The causes of errour shall be manifest 1. Pride 2. Ignorance 3. Hypocrisie 4. Ambition and affectation of high places 5. Discontent and imparience 6. Envy 7. Contemplative delight in a mans own notions II. The nature of errour shall be manifested III. The cunning subtilty in divulging them shall be manifested Observ That God hath his time for the discovering of errour Errors are spiritual judgements What is meant by fire The way God takes to bring people out of errour By the word and afflictions Which are both helpfull but differently in these respects How wandering sheep are reduced by the Word Object Answ How afflictions may help to reduce men from errour Observ Of the durable nature of Gods Truths Truth two-fold Increated and Created Created truths of two sorts Scripture truths reduced to four heads Truth willing to be tryed They grow more illustrious by the fiery Tryal The effects of truth also upon the heart will abide this tryal Object Qu. Whether any Ministers or Churches are quite free from building hay or stubble Observ Every man shal be a loser by what error soever he maintaineth Wherein they shall be losers Observ Errours in judgment may damn a man as well as a wicked life The several corruptions of the understanding that endanger a mans salvation The difference between errour and heresie The grounds of the Doctrin Observ The difficulty of salvation even to a godly man The Church is Gods Temple Observ Church Priviledges and Relations are great Obligations to Holinesse How the word Temple is used in Scripture What it doth signifie Of Gods spiritual Temple What there is in the Church alusively to the Temple Of Gods presence with his Church The significa of the word Spirit when attributed to God That the Holy Ghost is God and a Person That he is a Person That he is God Arguments Why the holy Ghost is called Spirit Of the Spirits dwelling in us What to have the Spirit dwell in us implieth The special works and effects of the holy Spirit in his Church Doubt Resolution Observ Of defiling Gods Church with errours Why errors are said to defile Gods Church How God will punish Heretiques A godly maâ—n may fall into a damnable heresie How a godly man erring differeth from a wicked man Errour and erroneous persons distinguished Why God is so provoked with corruptions in Doctrine and Worship Observ Of Eternal Damnation The punishment of losse The pain of sense The aggravations of this destruction Eternal Universal Inevitable Observ Of the Temple of God Of the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple Believers joyned in a Church way according to Scripture are Gods temple Observ Of humane wisdome what an hinderance it is to the things of Christ Carnal wisdom an enemy to the Scripture Carnal wisdom an enemy to Christian duties Observ Humane wisdome nothing to Scripture-wisdome Scripture-wisdome excels speculative wisdome Scripture wisdome excels the moral or practical wisdome of the world Observ True wisdome is but folly in the worlds account The things to be believed have these seeming follies The hope of a Christian foolish in the judgment of the world The duties of Christians foolish in the judgement of the world Observ That true wisdom is only in the Church of God demonstrated Observ All worldly wisdom is folly before God And that whether considered actively or passively I. Active foolishnesse How worldly wisdome is foolishnesse in a passive sense God turning all their wisdome into folly A two-fold humane wisdome viz. good evil Observ How God takes the wise men of the world in their own craft Object Answ Observ Of vain thoughts In what sense the Scripture useth the word vain Observ Of glorying in men How many wayes we may be said to glory in men in the general How many wayes we may be said to glory in Doctors and Teachers Observ All things are the Saints In what respects all things may be said to be the godly mans Why God made all things for the godly Object Answ Object Answ Doubt Answ Object Answ Observ All Offices are for the Church In what sense the Ministers are not servants to the Church against Brownists In what sense they are the Churches The end for which they are the Churches Observ In what sense the world is said to be a godly mans Object Answ Observ Godly men only live In what respects it is true that the wicked do not live Observ The generation of death In how many particulars death is a godly mans Observ Observ Observ In what respects a godly man is Christs Characters of such as are Christs In what sense Christ can be said to be Gods Observ Of the Natures and Person of Christ and of the hypostatical Union How Christ as a man and as a Mediatour is Gods The general Character of the godly and the wicked All good the creature affords should lead us to God the universal good All naturally desire felicity The perswasiâ— of what is the best good and which is chiefly to be desired is wonderfully diversifyed according to the several inclinations humours and conditions of men How hardly this sin is discerned untill a man be enlightned by Gods Spirit All have lost the Image of God which alone did elevate the soul And Original corruption is come in the room of it If the godly man is yet conflicting with this sinne then it must needs reign in an unregenerate man The common gifts and graces of Gods Spirit never cures this evil The point is proved from the nature of Conversion And from the restlesse and unquiet heart of every natural man Their very approaches to God demonstrate that they prefer something before him The creature is unable to help us in our greatest exigencies Immoderate love of the creature is inconsistent with the love of God Is's a wofull snare and temptation The Word is unprofitable to a man while he preferres the creature It is a tormenting sinne All the things thus affected are vanities It 's direct Idolatry It 's a debasing of a man Such as prefer the world before God cannot Pray The heart is too noble for the creature Consider that all that have over-loved the creature have experienced the vanity of it Consider the reâ—sâ—â— why God mingles gall with the Honey of every creature Consider how insufficient they are of themselves to help and comfort us Heaven and glory cannot be obtained without a preement and transcendent affection to all other things Consider how â— some Heathens and superstitious persons have trampled upon earthly things to attain a notable end What this phrase to lift up the light of Gods countenance upon a man implyeth I. Riches II. An untroubled Conscience is no Argument of Gods countenance 1. An untroubled Conscience may be a stupid seared Conscience 2. And may be accompanied with grosse sinnes 3. And without taking Gods way for the obtaining and preserving of it Causes of the eclipse of Gods face to the godly The nature of this joy How it exceeds all worldly Joy The wonderfull Effects of Faith in quieting the soul in Afflictions The Doctrine xplain ed. The Arguments by which Faith quieteth the Soul The Stoical Security The Mirth and jollity of most wicked men under Gods Judgements How it differs from a gratious Confidence God alone preserveth in safety I. II. God preserveth principally And by creatures instrumentally 1. Irrational 2. Rational men Angels III IIII. The several waies by which God preserveth his people in safety
He that would come to God must believe that he is and a rewarder of those that seek him So that this foundation must be laid as well as about Christ And it 's made eternal life to know God the Father the only true God as well as Christ John 17.12 Where the object of our faith that is fundamental is divided into that of God and of Christ the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus also the Doctrine of the Trinity That there are three and these one God is a foundation because we are baptized into the Name of these three and the knowledge of them must needs be fundamental To answer this When we say Christ is to be laid as the only foundation that is exclusive of all humane foundations it doth not exclude God the Father or God the holy Ghost but incluâ—es them rather So then we are not to preach Jesus Christ as the foundation of all our comfort peace and salvation as that God the Father and the holy Ghost are to be shut out of this No they had all their appropriated working in this great Redemption of mankind And therefore as in those places where God the Father is said to be the only God and one God that is not exclusive of the other persons but of made and feigned gods of Idols made gods by men So it 's here Christ Jesus is preached as the foundation yet God the Father and the holy Ghost have their peculiar workings also though only the second Person is the Mediator And therefore secondly Christ Jesus cannot be preached as the foundation unless the Doctrine of God the Father and the holy Ghost be also made known Hence are those expressions He that knoweth the Sonne knoweth the Father also And He that denieth the Sonne denieth the Father And he that honoureth the Sonne honoureth the Father John 8.19 John 5.23 The Doctrine of Christ as Mediatour cannot be laid down without the Doctrine of God the Father giving his Sonne to be thus a Mediatour for us and the Spirit of God as applying working and sealing all those benefits that Christ hath purchased Hence Christ doth often acknowledge the Father in that work he came to do for mankind So that Christ Jesus is the foundation but there may be a more explicite revealing of what is necessarily implied in this foundation A second Objection is Is Christ only to be preached as the foundation And are people to be built upon him Then what need Ministers preach of any thing else but Christ What need they preach of faith and repentance Especially Why should they preach of the threatnings and the curse of the Law of the torments of Hell Doth it become the Ministers of the Gospel to be sonnes of thunder Have they any work to do but to offer Christ to every one Every Sermon should it not be an Ho to every one that is thirsty naked or miserable that is burdened and laden to come to Christ Thus indeed some have runne into extremity and thought Christ was not preached because he is not alwayes proffered as a Saviour to sinners but the Law and Duties and Hell torments are preached Now to this we say many things First When the Ministers of God preach duties the work of repentance or mortification they preach them not as foundations They do not lay them in Christs room and therefore they do not crosse this Text. Doth not this Paul who is so carefull to lay no other foundation but Christ diligently exhort in other places to avoid sinne to live in the fervent practice of holy duties Who is more zealous in this way than Paul Paul to these very Corinthians hath many severe admonitions to make them humble and sorrowfull for their sinnes yet he did not lay another foundation because these are preached only as the way whereby Christ may be obtained We do not then transgresse this Text when we preach repentance to the sinner humility to the proud man heavenly-mindedness to the earthly man righteousnnesse to the unjust man chastity to the unclean man We do not forget our Office we do not runne from our Text because we preach them not as a foundation Indeed if any preach them so as to rest on them to put confidence in them this man layeth another foundation but so do not the Orthodox we preach Christ the meritorious cause duties are the way not the cause And although Christ be said to be in a different sense the way yet duties are the way Christ is the way effectively and meritorious but so are not duties Secondly Though the Ministers are to lay no other foundation yet they are to build upon this they must enlarge themselves in the explication of this foundation They must not build hay or stubble but gold and precious stone So that we are not only to lay the foundation but to adde all other things that may make us a comely building upon Christ Thirdly To preach Christ is not only to preach Christ as the Object matter but all the things Christ would have us to preach That is to be observed we preach Christ when we preach all those things he hath commanded as well as when he is the subject matter of our Sermons When Paul about the Lords Supper said I delivered unto you that also which I received of the Lord Christ Here he preached Christ as well as when he said This is a faithfull saying Christ came into the world to save sinners So that here may be a great mistake thou thinkest Christ is never preached but when he is named when he is the matter of the Doctrine and Use Yet when we preach the whole counsel of God and deliver what ever he hath commanded us to reveal to our people then we preach Christ Thus the Apostles in their voyages and journeys where they went are said to preach Christ and in those Sermons they did not onely preach Jesus to be the Messias but also commanded all other duties of faith repentance love as the Auditories did require Fourthly We are to preach duties but in reference to Christ Take any particular grace that the Ministers of the Gospel provoke men to this cannot be done without bringing the soul to Christ and therefore though the Ministers of the Gospel do not in every Sermon name it yet it is to be supposed As for example take repentance we say every ungodly sinner unlesse he repent unlesse sinne be a burden an heavy bitternesse to him and he fully forsake it he must necessarily perish Now many wayes Christ is concerned in this For 1. He cannot repent and be humbled for sinne unlesse Christ give him strength Without me ye can do nothing The branch separated from the tree hath no moisture no juyce in it John 15. Thus a man without Christ hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an hard heart a withered heart an heart without any moisture any softnesse so then Christ is here
implied 2. Repentance cannot be Evangelical and filial without Gods love in Christ Judas did repent the Scripture cals it so but because there was only gall in it and no honey only horrour and terrours and no faith to allay those waves Therefore his very repenting and despairing was a grievous sinne So then to preach such a repentance as driveth from God filleth the heart with cursed horrours and hated of God and thereby to runne to hils and mountains to cover us from God Or to put a man upon such penal and afflicting labours to the flesh that may satisfie and appease God This is to bid men bring wild and sour grapes for sweet This is to preach from Christ not to preach Christ But repentance truly preached is to have our sorrow for sinne accompanied with faith in the promises and a resting upon tht bloud of Christ Thus as it is in repentance so in every grace When we preach it we preach Christ because by him we only have ability to do it and through him only have acceptation and as we said though the Ministers in every exhortation do not thus name Christ yet this is to be supposed Lastly We do not transgresse this Text no not when we preach the Law the threatnings the torments of hell because these are to drive us out of our selves to make us see our own poverty and wickednesse that so Christ may be the more welcome Christ himself though sometimes he cals the heavy loaden to him in a meek way yet when he hath to do with such as trusted in their own righteousnesse and found no need of his Mediatorship he cals them Hypocrites he bids a woe to them he threatens them with hell And Paul tels you in his own experience he had never come to prize Christ to esteem him had not the Law discovered sinne to be out of measure sinfull then he died then he was undone then Oh miserable man that I am who shall deliver me What shall I doe And thus Peter converted three thousand by conviction of a particular sinne they had committed viz. the murder of Christ and the aggravation of it and this pricked them at heart And so Paul being called to preach of faith in Christ to Felix he presently preacheth about righteousnesse and temperance because Felix lived in the two contrary vices and also of the Judgement to come Thus he would have brought Felix to the esteem of Christ So that to preach the Law in the purity of it in the cursing nature of it to preach hell and the eternal torments thereof is necessary because this is to make way for Christ This is to put iron in the fire that so being softened it may be put into any fashion Thus we have removed the Objections and shewed you That though other things are to be preached besides Christ yet reductively all things are brought to him at last They are but as the rivers that come from the Sea and empty themselves therein I shall conclude thiâ— Text with shewing you The great advantages that people have who are built on Christ First They are a sound stedfast people not carried away as the chaff and straw is with every wind of Doctrine Heb. 13. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and for ever and then followeth Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines The Connexion is thus made by some The truth of Christ the Doctrine of Christ is still the same And therefore do you retain the same stedfast faith Oh when men are not built on Christs Doctrine but their own opinions their own conceits they have Reubens curse Vnstable like water Col 2. They that fell to the worshipping of Angels and Saints did not hold the head Look then to what thy faith thy soul is bottomed upon whether Christ be thy teacher or thou be thy own teacher Now this stedfastnesse and immoveablenesse of those that are founded on Christ appeareth in their resisting of the violence of persecution and the subtilty of heresies In the one the Devil is a roaring Lion In the other he is a glistring sliding Serpent The one is like the violent wind to the traveller that by force would pull off his garments The other like the hot Sunne-beams that by degrees maketh him throw them away Oh this is excellent comfort in the winnowing to be found wheat and not chaff in the fire to be gold and not drosse God you hear in this Text will have a fire to try all mens doctrines and if it be stubble and hay it will quickly be consumed My sheep hear my voice and a stranger they will not hear or follow John 10.5 Secondly A people built on Christ will not be formal and customary in religious duties resting upon the performance of them but carried out to Christ himself Oh who can bewail this enough How are all duties of Religion but as the picture without a substance as a body without the soul They pray and hear and hear and pray but close not with Christ in these things Thus as Rehoboam for the golden vessels that were in the Temple put in materials of brasse So whereas the people of God in their spirituality fervency and heavenly mindednesse had their hearts up to Christ Now they think all is done with the external labour of the lips or bowing of the body We may say to you thus affected in your duties as they that were looking for Christ in the Sepulchre He is risen he is not here As false teachers that brought in the works of the Law and the duties of the Law did put these in stead of a Christ so do Christians make their Duties their Ordinances their Performances a very Idol-Christ to save them but those that are built on Christ know better Thirdly Those that are setled and founded on Christ they have spiritual strength and holy vigour communicated to them in the wayes of godlinesse For though Christ be here called a foundation and that giveth only support yet in other places he is the root of the Vine the Head which denotes more than a meer foundation viz not only supporting but conveying all grace and lively nourishment to the godly heart whereby they grow up and increase to more degrees of holinesse Now this is a wofull spectacle to see a people the same both for knowledge and life they were many years ago no more understanding in heavenly things no more growth in faith in zeal in communion with God Even as the picture on the wall that is still the same not one cubit is ever made to the stature thereof Lastly Those that are built on Christ receive of the Spirit of Christ in all the works of it A spirit making thee pray with groans unutterable a convincing a sanctifying spirit or sealing and assuring spirit An auditory destitute of Gods Spirit is like a Golgotha a place of dead mens skuls or rather dead hearts They savour no spiriual duty priviledge or motive The