and rule over us wholly subjecting our selves to the Scepter of Christ Jesus as a Priest to sanctifie us to expiate our offences and make atonement for us relying solely on Christs merits We must receive him in all his Ordinances in his word regenerating renewing reforming us in his Sacrament feasting strengthening sealing up his love and the forgivenesse of our sin unto us We must receive him in his Ministers as a Prince in his Embassadors as a Bridegroome in his friends in his members as a father in his children as a husband in his wife in his precepts as a King in all his Lawes obeying them in his promises as a faithfull friend in all his words beleeving them in his gifts and dispensations as a giver in his gifts as a workman in his workmanship as the eye receiveth the Sunne in his light and the ground the cloud in the raine and dew distilling thereupon Wee must receive him in our understandings as a light in our wils as a Prince in our thoughts as a treasure in our affections as a Lord and Master fearing him as a sure foundation building upon him as a bridegroome being full of love towards him The full receiving of Christ in the Gospell fils the soule with fulnesse of grace and consolation He that doth not universally receive Christ doth not at all receive Christ He that doth not surrender all truly surrenders none to Christ He that shuts Christ out of one roome of his soule leaves his whole man to the possession of sinne Satan and the world 8. Perpetually Christ must be received once and forever the Covenant between the soule and Christ is an everlasting Covenant a Covenant of wedlocke the Covenant between the husband and the wife is for ever untill death the husband is the guide delight and object the wifes love for ever so long as life lasteth Christ must be received as the soules guide and love for ever Christ must shine in the understanding as an everlasting Sunne rule in the will as an everlasting Prince possesse the soule as an everlasting dweller and abide in the affections as an everlasting husband The soule which truly receives Christ in the Gospell is an everlasting lover of Christ as Hyram loved David ever an everlasting servant to Christ as the servant under the Law which had his eare boared abode a servant in the house for ever as the land of Canaan was to Jacob and his seed an everlasting possession so must Christ be our everlasting portion we may not receive Christ and thrust him out againe as sicke men receive a Physitian and put him off againe as soone as the disease is put away as a besieged City receiveth souldiers and turnes them off againe as soone as the siedge is removed as the Philistines received the Arke and sent him away againe when Dagon could not stand before him as Amnon received Thamar and thrust her out of doores againe hating her more then ever he loved her Such are very base receivers of Christ as receive him either for fancy novelty or constraining necessity He is a very Philistine that will rather thrust Christ from him then suffer the fall of his Dagon his base lust or corrupt affection their love to Christ when at the best was but fained and counterfeit which afterwards turnes to hatred He is no sonne but a slave no Spouse but a harlot which abides not with Christ to the end Having therefore once received Christ to seweth Christ retaine Christ in every estate abide with Christ Man changes as Ittai with David in life and in death CHAP. V. THus of the manner of receiving Christ in the Gospell the second thing is the medium or meanes disposing and inabling us to receive Christ with rejoycing and thanksgiving The meanes are these 1. A full and through deposition and putting aside of all that is contrary to Christ 1. there must be a deposition of sinne all motes distempers and blindnesse being put away out of the eye the eye joyfully receives the Sunne ignorance and errour being put out of the understanding Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse is joyfully received in our knowledge the knowledge of Christ becommeth cleare and pleasant to the soule witherednesse and infirmity being removed from the hand the hand readily receives the gift Unbeleefe which wounds and withers the hand of faith being removed from the heart man cheerFully entertaines Christ and is filled with all ioy in beleeving rebellious proud and mutinous persons being put out of the kingdome the King is joyfully entertained by the people pride imaginations and every high thing which doth exalt it selfe against the knowledge of God being cast downe and brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Christ is gladly received strange love and strange lovers being put farre from the wife the husband is cheerfully received by the wife the removall of strange lusts and corrupt affections prepares the heart to a joyfull entertainment of Christ He that doth not sorrow for his sinne cannot rejoyce in Christ He that doth not hate the former can never love the latter He that doth not empty himselfe of the one can never be filled with the other The Jebusites told David unlesse he tooke away the blind and the lame hee should not enter into the fort of Syon Unlesse wee take away the blind and the lame ignorance infidelity and all uncleannesse out of our soules Christ will never enter into our hearts we cannot receive Christ into our soules the keeping in of sin is the keeping out of Christ the holding fast of corrupt affections is the loosing of Christ Jesus as the Philistines keeping up of their Dagon wrought a removall of the Arke 2. There must be a deposition of the world in affection We must not love it in cogitation we must have no distracting thoughts about it in estimation we must not overprize but esteeme it as a thing which is not in c inquisition we must not seeke the things which are here below as if our happinesse consisted in the finding of these things in subjection we must not be the servants of the world in affiance we must not build upon them in rejoycing we may not rejoyce in them He that is married to the creature is divorced from Christ he that loves this hath no love to Christ he that is the servant of this cannot serve Christ therefore as Christ overthrew the tables of the money-changers and whipt the buyers and sellers out of his fathers house so must we whip the love thought command and delight of the world out of our hearts that we may receive Christ it is a great unhappinesse to lose Christ for the gaine of the world it were strange folly in a woman to refuse a wise a potent beautifull victorious and noble Prince and marry her selfe to a foolish impotent base beggerly and deformed captive
abilities upon Christs service He that truly feares Christ will withhold nothing which may tend to the exaltation of Christ his Church and Gospell 3. Lively sence and feeling of the necessity of Christ and his Gospell Mens exaltation of Christ is according to their apprehension of the necessity of Christ When the Elders of Gilead saw the necessity they had of Jeptha then they made him head and Captaine over them When men see and feele the want of Christ the perill of their estate without Christ then they put themselves under Christ then they exalt and magnifie Christ then they labour the setting up of Christ and his Gospell Sence of sicknesse famine siege bondage makes physicke food an army a ransomer very precious Physitians were of great esteeme with the woman troubled with a fluxe of bloud she spent all her substance upon them Christ and his Gospell are of great price with the man to whom sinne is a torment a griefe a trouble he will withhold nothing which may tend to the exaltation of Christ and his Gospell to the working out and removing of the sinne which doth molest him When Josephs brethren were in want and had no bread to sustaine them then they came and bowed themselves before Joseph and when they called to mind their great trespasse against him then they besought his favour and were very submissive to him Mans sence of his owne emptinesse drives him to Christ and causeth him to vaile and stoop to Christ to put himselfe under the feet of Christ and readily to exalt and set up Christ selfe-opinion ignorance of mans want of Christ and the Gospell is a great impediment to our setting up of Christ and his kingdome 4. Elevation and raising of the heart of man to a holy spirituall and noble frame and temper The heart of man naturally is very base carnall and earthly delighting like the swine in the mire and mud of the world rellishing and savouring nothing but that which is worldly and fleshly his spirit is very low and ignoble and his highest aime is but to ascend some mole-hill or mountaine of the earth like the prodigall he is a companion of swine and feeds on the huskes of worldly vanities his longings like the besotted Israelites is after the onyons and flesh-pots of Egypt poore things unworthy and empty things of the earth Man like Nebuchadnezzars image how ever deckt with gold and silver authority and dominion and glorious in outward appearance to the world yet his feet are yron and clay his thoughts his affections the motions and goings of his heart are very base and dishonourable The spirit of man must be therefore sublimated and refined by Christ the great refiner of the soule Mans drosse and tin must be purged out the earthinesse and basenesse of his spirit must be taken away and man endowed with a more spirituall sublime and noble disposition and temper of soule or he can never intend Christ exalt Christ and his Gospell It is recorded in Ezra that the chiefe of the fathers rose up with all them whose spirits God had raised to goe up to build the house of God in Ierusalem First God raised their hearts put willingnesse alacrity enlargement opennesse and courage into their hearts to doe the worke and then they went to build Thus God must raise our hearts innoble our spirits make us spiritually heroicall or we shall never build Ierusalem never labour the advancement of Christ and his â—ospell Christ raised Lazarus out of the grave and then he followed him Christ must raise our spirits from their earthlinesse and basenesse or they will never be serviceable to him The Spirit of the living creatures was in the wheeles and they moved where the living creatures moved Christ must put his Spirit into us or we shall never follow him never seeke his honour and the welfare of his Gospell It is said of Saul when the Lord had made him King that he went home to Gibeah and there went with him a band of men whose heart God had touched God hath set Christ his King upon his holy hill of Sion but there is no man followes him no man exalts and honours him as a King but such whose hearts the Lord doth touch with the gracious finger of his Spirit the basenesse cowardlinesse and earthlinesse of our spirits must be put away and our hearts throughly refined otherwise we cannot discerne Christ we cannot rellish Christ we cannot love Christ we cannot prize Christ we can never put our selves upon the exaltation of Christ his Kingdome and Gospell but when old things are past away and all become new when we are renewed in the spirit of our mind when the Spirit of God like Eliahs fiery charet hath taken us up from the earth and hath raised our hearts thoughts desires and affections to the things which are above then shall we rejoyce in Christ and his Gospell then shall we put our selves and all that we have upon the service of Christ and the Gospell then shall we pray for the prosperity welfare and advancement of Christs Gospell and kingdome then shall we say Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. CHAP. XII CHrist came not as the false prophets of old in his owne name he had his calling and commission from above No man saith the Apostle speaking of Christ taketh this honour to himselfe but such an one as is called of God as Aaron was and this is the second particular in the first generall part of these words Christs Calling and Commission He came in the name of the Lord Christ is said to come in the name of the Lord. 1. In respect of Ordination Christ as Mediator was appointed of old to minister salvation to Gods chosen fore-ordained saith Saint Peter before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times A lambe slaine from the foundation of the world saith Saint John slaine from the foundation of the world in the eternall preordination of God in the promise of the seed of woman to breake the serpents head in the legall sacrifices in the faith of the fathers and in the sufferings of his members in whose sufferings Christ suffered their sufferings then shadowing Christs suffering to come 2. In respect of preparation Christ as Man and Mediator is prepared and furnished with all abilities to execute and accomplish his office it pleased the Father saith Paul that in him should all fulnesse dwell fulnesse of wisedome power grace righteousnesse and worth to minister to his Church whatsoever appertained to the salvation welfare or peace thereof he having the Spirit poured out upon him above measure 3. In respect of Calling designation and investiture into his office The Lord saith Christ as Mediator hath called me from the wombe from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name and I
of old was upon Mount Gerazim the blessing is now upon the Gospell He that savingly entertaines the Gospell enjoyes a most blessed condition a condition of divine and heavenly wisedome Gods Ministers feed him with knowledge and understanding and make him wise unto salvation a condition of holinesse and sanctification the ministery of the word doth wash him like water and purifie him like fire a condition of liberty and freedome Moses freed Israel from Pharaohs bondage Gods Minister frees the soules of his children from the servitude of Satan the world and their owne corruption the word makes them free from ignorance in their understandings from perversenesse in their wils from vanity in their thoughts from infidelity servile feare worldly love and carnall joy in their affections the word makes them free to know God as the cleare eye is free to see the Sunne to receive Christ as the strong and open hand is free to receive a gift to love Christ as the bride hath an open and enlarged heart to love the bridegroome to attend Gods Ordinances to run the way of Gods Commandements as he whose feet and ankle-bones received strength by the ministery of Peter was free to stand and leap and walke and enter into the Temple and free to move and come to God by faith and love and joy as the rivers are free to move and flow unto the sea a condition of honour and exaltation the Gospell making them Sonnes of God by regeneration the friends of God by love the members of Christ by faith and heires annexed with Christ for their present title to and future participation of the same inheritance with Christ Jesus a condition of fulnesse and satisfaction they are satisfied with the goodnesse of Gods house the Gospell leads them unto Christ the Sunne in whom is all light the tree on whom growes all fruit the fountaine from whom flowes all refreshment the rocke in whom is all strength the pearle in whom is all worth and the Paradise in whom is all pleasure and peace very sweet and wonderfull gracious and overflowing are the comforts and contentments derived from Christ to Gods children under their enjoyment of the Gospell Lastly a condition of permanency and duration though the grasse wither and the flower fade yet the word of the Lord abideth for ever Though worldly fulnesse change like the Moone and vanish like a vapor and wither like the flower and the grasse yet the estate of grace into which men are called by Gods Ministers is an estate of firme and sure continuance they are sonnes abiding alway in their fathers house they are trees planted by the water side never withering they are houses built upon the rocke never sinking their graces like the light shine more and more to the day of their perfection the excellency of their estate who enjoy and make best use of the Gospell abundantly declares Gods dispensation of very great sweet and heavenly blessings by the labours of his Ministers CHAP. XV THe Lords dispensing of sweet and heavenly blessings unto man by the labours of his holy and faithfull Ministers shewes what the estate and condition of man is without the Lords Ministers even an estate of woes of myseries and curses Mans condition without the ministery of the Gospell is very wretched and miserable an estate of death without spirituall life the earth without the Sunne is but a dead and fruitlesse lump the soule without the Sunne of Righteousnesse shining in the Gospell is dead in sinnes and trespasses a tree twice dead oncce by originall corruption and secondly by actuall transgression and plucked up by the roots wholly separate from all the meanes of life he that hath not the Sonne externally in the Gospell internally in his heart ministerially in his word and efficiently in his worke of grace he hath not life Such are farre from the life of grace and sanctification as are strangers to Christ in his Gospell The woman of Shunems sonne remained dead according to the body till the Prophet came and raised him the soule of man continues dead in respect of the inward man untill the Minister of the Lord comes to quicken him 2. An estate of darknesse Man without the ministery of the word is in darknesse and the shadow of death a darke body without an eye a darke house without a Lamp The soules clearest light is nothing else but darknesse as long as the Gospell doth not shine into it to irradiate and enlighten it There was once no light in all the land of Egypt onely the children of Israel had light in their dwellings there is no spirituall and heavenly light in all the world but among Gods Israel there is light only in their dwellings who enjoy the Gospell In Judah is God knowne and his name is great in Israel God is truly and savingly knowne only by that people who enjoy the light of the Gospell 3. An estate of servitude and bondage Israel continued under hard bondage untill Moses and Aaron came to deliver them untill the Lord raised a fiery pillar to conduct them out of Egypt unto Canaan Man abides under the hard bondage of Satan and his owne corruption untill the Lord sends his Minister to free him and sets up the fiery pillar of his word to lead him out of this servile and slavish condition Man without the Gospell is in prison and hath no key to open it he is taken captive and hath no weapon to resist his enemy to procure his freedome he is manacled with many fetters and hath no hammer to dissolve and loose them Mans condition without the ministery of the Gospell is very base and servile When and where the Gospell shineth then and there as the Prophet speaketh The eyes of the blind are opened the prisoners are brought out from the prison and they that sit in darknesse out of the prison-house 4. An estate of emptinesse and barrennesse The field without the dew is unfruitfull the soule without the dew of divine and heavenly doctrine distilling thereupon beares no good fruit there is no lawfull conception without an husband all the fruit of the soule not espoused to Christ by the Gospell is illegitimate and a very abomination there is no reaping where is no sowing The soule which is not sowne with the seed of the word yeelds no harvest of grace they are barren ground nigh to burning who are strangers to the Gospell 5. An estate of pollution and uncleanesse The house without the besome is overspread with slime and cobwebs Naaman continued leprous untill he went seven times into Jordan and washed the Temple was a den of theeves till Christ came with his whip and drove them out the heart of man is an unclean house without the besome of the word sweeping it the soule of man is oversread with the lothsome leprosie of sin untill he bathe himselfe in the Jordan of
adulterated my worship with many novell and strange inventions these have drawne thy love from me and my truth and thou hast committed adultery with them When humane devices are made ingredients and compounding parts of Gods service they are in Gods account very shamefull pollutions and doubtlesse he that in Gods worship is an admirer of humane inventions is no lover of the Lord Jesus Oile will not mixe it selfe with water nor iron with clay no more will true Religion be mixed with that which is corrupt the Arke and Dagon cannot stand together Religion is not like lead you cannot bow it but like glasse breake it you may bow it you cannot mingle it and you destroy it it is no more Religion but superstition as silver mixt with drosse is no more accounted silver but drosse though it hath some silver in it Besides it is treason in a common-wealth for any man to mingle the Lawes of a forraine Prince with the Lawes of his owne Prince no King will endure it and what is this but spirituall treason against Christ to mingle humane devices and forraine traditions with Christs precepts the Lord will never endure it therefore marke what Christ saith If any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke Therefore as we are a spirituall common-wealth so let us observe the Lawes of Christ the spirituall King of this Kingdome Let us walke according to his rule And peace shall be upon us as upon the Israel of God 3. This also teacheth the Church and children of God unity between themselves A common-wealth must be at unity as one body they must joyne as one man Thus the Church the spirituall common-wealth of Christ must be as a City that is compact together that is at unity within itselfe First they must be at unity in judgement of one mind as Saint Paul speaks in all fundamentall and necessary truths as they have one word informing and instructing them one Spirit of God enlightening them so they must be of one mind of one judgement and understanding in things belonging to salvation having as Saint John saith the same anointing teaching them all things the same Spirit though not all in the same measure enlightening them to judge and to discerne aright of the mind and will of God Unity in judgement is very effectuall to breed unity in affection discord and difference in the apprehension of the truths of Christ proposed in the Gospell doth ordinarily make an unhappy breach in mens affections therefore let us all strive for one and the same cleare and through understanding of Gods revealed will as Schollers learning one lesson by one and the same rule Let us as many saith Paul as be perfect as have a true and cleare knowledge of God in Christ be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveale even this unto you God by degrees so enlightens his children that he makes them at length men of the same understanding in things profitable to their salvation 2. Labour for unity in affection let the sacred fire of Christian and mutuall love be alwayes burning upon the altar of your hearts See saith Saint Peter that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently This is an ointment of a sweet savour in the nostrils of God and men like the ointment which the woman powred on our Saviour that made the whole house where she was to cast a sweet smell Love makes both the persons and services of Gods servants very sweet and odoriferous This argues Gods gracious inhabitation in us regeneration of us and holy workmanship upon us for God is love and he that loveth dwelleth in God and God in him This is the character and cognizance of our being Christs Disciples By this shall all men know saith Christ that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another and as the heate of the body is a Symptome of life in the body and as the light of the Sun assures us of the rising of the Sun so this light and heate of love gives cleare and comfortable evidence of our spirituall quickning and interest in the first resurrection By this saith the Apostle we know that we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren As therefore our spirituall common-wealth is a common-wealth of peace our Prince a Prince of peace our Law of faith and love a Law of peace our Calling a Calling of peace and all our fellow Subjects the Subjects of peace Let us love each other and be at peace amongst our selves 3. Labour for unity in Religion As the whole common-wealth obey the King by one Law so let us worship and serve Christ by one Rule the word of God let us all walked by one Light the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles let us all build upon one rocke Jesus Christ other foundation then this can no man lay Let us all hearken to the voice of one shepheard Jesus Christ speaking to us in his word Let us all feed in one pasture the Ordinances of God Let us all be cloathed with one royal roabe of Christ his Righteousnesse for the justification of our soules Let us all invocate and call on one God in the name of one Mediator Jesus Christ Let us all worship God after one manner in truth and sincerity according to Christs owne prescription not having our minds corrupted and hearts adulterated and alienated from the simplicity that is in Christ by carnall doctrines and humane observations Let us receive all our direction from Christ as the traveller receiveth all his light from the Sun Let us yeeld all our Subiection unto Christ as the souldiers were fully subject unto the Centurion Let us have our full and sole dependance upon Christ as the house in the Parable was wholly built upon the rocke Let us seeke for all perfection in Christ as the people in the famine came all to Joseph to supply their wants and let us referre all our services to the honour and glory of Christ and so shall we give testimony of our happy union in Christs Religion 4. Strive for unity in opposing sinne and Satans Kingdome A common-wealth is united against a publike and common adversary Satan and sinne are the common adversaries of our soules against these let us unite our forces by mutuall watchfulnesse one over another fervent prayer each for other and by the ministration of holy instruction gracious admonition and Christian encouragement one towards another considering one another and provoking one another according to the Apostles rule to love and to good works The children of Israel arose as one man and went up against Gibeah The Lords people should arise as one man against the powers of ungodlinesse to suppresse the Kingdome and works of the Prince of darknesse Joab and Abishai made a Covenant to help one another against the Syrians and
will sup with him I will accept and delight in his knowledge faith repentance and new obedience and he shall sup with me I will communicate unto him justification sanctification peace the joy of the Holy-Ghost the heavenly treasure of all saving grace their blisse and happinesse is very great and comfortable who give a full and speedy entertainment to Christ comming in the Gospell It is a point of Christian and choisest wisedome according to the charge of the Prophet to seeke the Lord while he may be found and to call upon him while he is neare at hand The Sunne of heavenly light which now shineth may set and we be left in darknesse the Well of salvation now opened may be sealed up and we perish with want of spirituall water to refresh us the gate of mercy now opened to us may be shut against us Christ may withdraw himselfe and refuse to be found of us the things belonging to our peace may be hidden from us It is just with Christ to withdraw himselfe from them that delay to receive him Christ will be to them as a deafe man that heares not in the day of their trouble and afflictions who are deafe to Christ and will not heare him in his Gospell in the day of his mercifull visitation O therefore to day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts behold now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation Now while Christ is preached in the Gospell salvation pardonall mercy is offered now if ever is the time to accept it therefore as Zaccheus made haste and came downe from the Sycamine tree and received Christ into his house joyfully So let us make haste and come downe every man from all high thoughts of our owne worth and joyfully receive Christ into the house of our heart When Christ appeared unto Abraham in the plaine of Mamre in the forme of an Angell and two other Angels with him it is said that Abraham ranne to meet them from the tent doore and hasted to his tent to make provision for them he used all speed in their entertainment Thus when Christ appeares in the Gospell and comes to us by his Ministers we should run from our tent doores from our selves by Christian denyall from the world by desertion from our sinnes by mortification Thus we should run to meet Christ comming in the Gospell and hasten every man into his tent into his heart and there make all spirituall provision to entertaine him The use of hast and speed in the entertaining of Christ comming in his Gospell is more necessary and commendable then in any other undertaking 3. Cordially With much and fervent affection the heart is Christs house where he must dwell Christs throne where he must raigne and the pallace whereinto he must be received the place of the Arke was not in a corner but in the midst of the Tabernacle Christ must not be thrust into a corner of the soule his dwelling must be in the midst thereof in the heart of man he must have the best and choisest roome of mans affection this Christ requires My sonne give me thy heart not thy head barely to know me nor thy memory nakedly to remember me nor thy tongue formally to speake of me nor thy foot onely to come outwardly unto me but thy heart to love and embrace me to surrender and yeeld up all unto me This was the Apostles prayer in the behalfe of the Ephesians that Christ might dwell not onely in their care or in the tongue the outward roomes of the body nor in the head or memory the upper roomes of the soule but in their heart the middle and choisest roome of the soule of man Our prayers are but empty and fruitlesse untill wee have prayed Christ into our hearts and affections Christ commeth in the Gospell as a King of mercies to pardon us as a bridegroome to marry us and we must entertaine him with love much strong and fervent love as a malefactor his King comming to him with a pardon or the bride the bridegroome our love to Christ must be like the love of Ionathan to David a love passing the love of women our soule must be knit to Christ as Ionathan seeing what David had done for Israel in the overthrow of Goliah his soule was knit to David so we seeing what Christ hath done for us in the overthrow of Satan our soules must be knit to Christ our soules must long for Christ as the soule of Shechem longed for Dinah our soule must delight in Christ as the soule of the rich in his treasure and the soule of the bride in the bridegroome thus the Spouse expresseth her selfe shew me O thou whom my soule loveth whom I love fervently unfainedly and with a longing desire to enjoy and in the banqueting house in the ministery of the word she found her selfe sicke of love ravished with love to Christ The entertainment of Christ into the heart is the glory of a Christian as the entertainment of the King to a house is the glory of a Subject This is the fulnesse of the soule as the entertainment of the Sunne into the eye is the fulnesse of the eye the heart is an empty vessell untill Christ hath the possession of it this is the defence and safety of the soule as the being of the Pilate in the ship is of the safety of the ship the being of the keeper in the Castle is the safety of the Castle the being of Christ in the ship in the stormy tempest was the safety of the Disciples the being of Christ in the soule is the safeguard of the soule in all the stormy tempests of trouble the soule where Christ hath no dwelling lyeth open to all the assaults of Satan This brings the soule to a sweet communion with Christ in the Gospell as Iehu said unto Iehonadab comming to meet him Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart if it be give me thine hand and he gave him his hand and he tooke him up to him into the charet Thus when we come to meet Christ in the Gospell Christ looketh to the integrity of our hearts if our hearts be right with Christ and we give him the hand of faith and the hand of love then he takes us up into his charet then he takes us to himselfe then he brings us into a neare a sweet and comfortable communion with himselfe the soule which doth not love Christ hath neither cleare discerning of Christ nor gracious fellowship with Christ 4. Cheerfully Old Jacob seeing the waggons which Joseph had sent to carry him to Egypt to bring him to himselfe it is said his heart revived Man seeing Christ in the Gospell comming by the labours of his Ministers as by a charet to take and carry him of from the world to bring him nigh unto himselfe and to the
Jesus surely he is farre from the life of Christ that doth not live to Christ that mans life is of a base corrupt and earthly originall the energy operation and intendment of whose living is not to exalt and make Christ glorious he alone truly understands the end of Christs death that makes Christs glory the end of his life and thus runs the charge of the Apostle to the Romanes Yeeld your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousnesse unto God Yeeld your selves to God as souldiers to their Captaine as servants to their Master to fight for God to worke for God to doe all for Gods glory let every faculty of the soule and member of the body even whatsoever belongs unto you be dedicated unto God and imployed in the worke and service of God that service which is not universall is hypocriticall he alone is a perfect servant that puts the whole man upon the service of the Lord as all the rivers come from the sea and returne and empty themselves into the sea Thus must we returne to God and empty our selves and all that we have into God prostrate it all under Gods feet and put it all upon the service of the Lord as Moses lest not a hoose behind him in Egypt but carried all out that he might sacrifice to the Lord of whatsoever the Lord would have thus we must not love a hoofe of our hearts thoughts loves desires behind us upon sinne and the world but take of all and sacrifice all to God and his service we must with the Baptist be willing to decrease that Christ may increase to become vile and of no esteeme with men that Christ may be exalted we must with the Macedonians give our selves to the Lord. We must give our understandings to know God our wils to chuse God our imaginations to thinke upon God our memories to remember God our affections to feare trust love and rejoyce in God our eares to heare Gods word our tongues to speake God praise our hands to worke for God and all our substance to the honour of God CHAP. III. ANd a holy and gracious Christian doth thus deny himselfe and put himselfe and all that he hath under Christ 1. In regard of that carnality vanity basenesse earthlinesse unworthinesse corruption and uncleannesse which he sees and feeles in his owne flesh in his owne affections ends and counsels He sees there is an emptinesse in himselfe that his owne flesh is an empty house wherein dwelleth no good and wherein is no sufficiency to the performance of any good duty he sees that his owne heart is a City full of treason deceitfull above measure and not to be trusted he feeles a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind as Rebeckah felt the twinnes in her wombe striving the one against the other he discernes that his owne wisedome is foolish an empty lamp a bleare-eye a false light he discernes that he is brutish and hath not the knowledge of the holy he sees much uncleannesse within himselfe many spots in his soule he sees that he is like Jacobs flocke spotty coloured like Noahs Arke wherein are many uncleane beasts among the cleane like the field in the parable wherein are many teares among the wheat he sees how he is yet in part carnall and sold under sin not fully freed and discharged from the strength and working of sinne he discernes an unhappy pronenesse in his heart to consult with flesh and bloud and to propose bie and sinister low and base ends and having the sight sence and sorrowfull experience of all this he denyes himselfe as Jacob having experience of the deceitfulnesse of Laban grew weary of him denyed him his service and went forth from him Thus a gracious man having experience of the corruption and deceitfulnesse of his owne heart and flesh growes weary of himselfe denyes himselfe goes out of himselfe commeth unto Christ and puts himselfe wholly under Christ and as the Evangelist said of Christ that knowing what was in man he would not commit himselfe unto man so sanctified man knowing what is in himselfe he will not commit himselfe unto himselfe he will not trust himselfe with himselfe he denyes his owne wisedome he becomes a foole in his owne apprehension and seeks to Christ to be made wise unto salvation he looks upon his owne righteousnesse as rotten ragges and comes to Christ for justification he considers his owne weaknesse and comes to Christ as the Gibeonites came to Joshuah to rescue him from his enemies he is experienced in the vanity of all other helpers and therefore comes to Christ as the diseased woman whom the Physitians could not cure that Christ may heale his spirituall maladies Man is ever so much the more strong and powerfull in the worke of self-denyall by how much the more clearly he discernes the carnality and basenesse of his owne heart and counsell He that knowes how subject he is to miscarry when he leanes upon himselfe will readily put himselfe and all that he hath under Christ 2. In regard of the holy strong and constant bent and inclination of the heart of a gracious Christian unto Christ As every thing moves towards its proper centre and is at no rest untill it comes to that so doth the sanctified soule incline and move to Christ the true centre of the soule and resteth not untill it comes to Christ and hath the fruition of Christ there is in a gracious soule such a principle of grace such a communication of Christ such a sutablenesse between the soule and Christ such a fervent and operative love towards Christ such a vehement longing after Christ that it mightily moves to Christ as the rivers to the sea that nothing but Christ can answer it quiet and content it there is in the soule such a blessed residence such a powerfull and gracious energy and operation of the Spirit of Christ that as the wheeles in Ezekiels vision moved wheresoever the living creatures moved because the Spirit of the living creatures was in the wheeles so the soule moves after Christ because the Spirit of Christ is in the soule this makes it pant after Christ as the Hart after the water brookes this makes it thirst for Christ as the dry ground for waters this makes it follow hard after Christ as the childe with cryes and teares after the father going from it this makes it cry for Christ as sometimes Rachel did for children O give me Christ or else I dye and as David thirsted and his worthies burst through the army of the Philistines for water out of the wels of Bethel so the soule thirsting for Christ breakes through all the armies of opposition to come to Christ to refresh it selfe with Christ now it denies all leaves all passeth through
owne understanding in all thy wayes acknowledge him be not wise in thine owne eyes feare the Lord and depart from evill implying that as long as a man leanes to his owne wisdome and hath himselfe in admiration he can neither trust in God nor humbly acknowledge God nor truly feare God nor depart from evill but continues in the state of a totall and uncomfortable alienation and estrangement from God 6. Self-admiration is attended with shame and confusion at last Goliah much admired himself his owne stature and armour yet was shamefully overthrowne in the battle the Sword in which he gloried cut off his head God often turnes the instrument and matter of mans pride into the instrument and matter of mans shame Nebuchadnezar magnified himselfe above measure in his Palace which he had built but from thence he was driven to dwell and eat grasse among the beasts the Lord will make the condition of proud people most base and contemptible hee that magnifies himselfe above men is unfit for the society of men beasts and brutish creatures are the fittest conforts for ambitious self-admirers Looke then ô man upon the basenesse and uncleannes of thy Originall upon the absence of all spirituall good upon the presence and plenitude of all sin upon thy imbondagement unto Satan upon thy inthralment unto the creature upon thy servitude under many noisom lusts upon the rottennes and deceitfulnes of thy heart upon the loathsomnes of thy wayes upon the imperfection of thy best services upon the strict account which thou must make for all thy abilities and be no more a self-admirer but a self-shamer a self-condemner a humbler of thy soule and an admirer of God and Christ Jesus for all thy freely received favours CHAP. XV. SEcondly In this may we also behold the pernicious and hatefull evill of self-exaltation mans magnifying himselfe above the statutes and ordinances of God by setting up his own inventions above his brethren by thinking better of himselfe then of others hunting after the praise and applause of men striving to commend himself to men and to make himselfe glorious in the eyes of men this is repugnant to the property and practise of them that live the life of true holinesse of them that prostrate themselves and all that is theirs under the feet of Christ Jesus and evill from which the Apostle disswades us let us not be desirous of vaine glory Let us not exalt our selves above others let us not strive nor study to bee magnified of others let us not please and blesse our selves in the vain applause of others it is not humane applause but Gods approbation which ministers matter of true glorying to a Christian we should rejoyce to see God glorified but feare to heare our selves applauded least our persons be idolized least our hearts be vainly elevated and Gods glory obscured It is the crown and glory of a Christian to abase himselfe in the eyes of his Brethren for Gods exaltation but shame at last will be that mans portion who is ambitious and studious of selfe-exaltation that man hath no cause to thinke that God will at last put the crowne of glory upon his head who now takes the crown of praise from his God them that honour me saith the Lord will I honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed them that honour me by consecration of themselves to my service by subjection unto my precepts by sincere intendment of me and my glory in their undertakings them will I honour with the communication of my choysest graces to their soules with the dispensation of my blessing upon their labours by causing their way to be prosperous and by making them amiable and acceptable in the eyes of their godly brethren and by putting into the hearts of their very enemies an honourable opinion of them humble subjection under God holy walking with God and comfortable fruition of the witnesse of God is the most bright and beautifull crowne of a Christian he that can most readily suffer himself to be abased for God shall undoubtedly be most highly exalted by God but God shall cover that mans face with shame and confusion who dishonours God by false exaltation for they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed saith the Lord they that despise me by nourishing dishonourable thoughts in themselves of my most glorious and incomprehensible essence of my most sacred and divine attributes of my most wise and unsearchable counsels or of the high and holy way of my most powerfull just and gracious providence they that despise me by contemning my statutes by neglecting my ordinances by slighting my servants by profaning my name and my service or by not using and benefitting by my word by my chastisements and favours they shall be lightly esteemed accounted vile in my sight and made vile in the eyes of men he that exalts himself and his own lusts to the dishonour of his God is of all persons the most base and ignominious And self exaltation is indeed a very great and dangerous evill For 1. Self-exaltation is the root and spring of many foule impieties the unhappy mother of many cursed daughters mans pride and prophane contempt of Gods precepts is the Originall of all vices mans elevating himselfe and his owne corrupt affections and carnall purposes above the sacred limits which God hath set him leads him into every transgression Pride in the heart like Sheba in Israel blowes the Trumpet and draws the whole soule into rebellion against God as he drew Israel to rebell against David Self-exaltation moved our first Parents to eat the forbidden fruit Corah Dathan and Abiram to rebell against Moses Saul to plot the death of David Pharaoh to lay heavy burthens upon the children of Israel Absolon to labour the deposition of his Father from the throne Pride makes a man inâ—atiable in his desires contentious with his neighbours injurious to his fellow-servants slanderous in his speeches a contemner of such as are truly holy and gracious and impatient of the yoake of Gods precepts thorough pride man will not have Christ rule over him hee will not stoope and bow to Gods Commandement but exalts himselfe above God and becomes a law-giver to himself walking after the counsell and imagination of his owne heart God hath ever least possession where pride hath most sway and dominion all sorts of vices are the Subjects of the Common-weale of that soul where pride sits in the heart as a King in his throne Pride saith Augustine is the beginning end and cause of all sinne pride being not onely sin but also no sinne can could or may be without pride since sinne is nothing else but a contempt of God whereby we despise his precepts and nothing perswades man to this but pride and pride saith Aquinas is the beginning of all sinne in regard of time the first sinne of the Divell in heaven and of Adam in Paradise in regard
of the cause contempt of God the cause of sin being found in every sin and in regard of Originall all other vices springing either mediately or immediately from this the more a man exalts himselfe the more he dishonours God the more a man doth lift himself up in his own conceit and opinion the more he doth cast plung himself into the gulf and mire of spirituall pollution fulnes of pride and fulnesse of uncleannesse are inseparable companions 2. Self-exaltation is the patron and protector of all other vices this blinds men that they cannot see their sinnes this hardens men that they will not confesse their sinnes this makes men such admirers of themselves and their owne wayes that they apprehend their very vices to be virtues this makes men studious and artificiall to cloake and colour and hide their sins this makes instruction and admonition the meanes of suppressing sin contemptible and causeth man with impudency and shamelesse boldnesse to maintaine and plead for his profanenesse the soule which learnes not to be humble cannot cease from transgression pride among other vices is like Goliah among the Philistines the Philistines were invincible untill Goliah was overthrowne other lusts in the soule of man are impugnable untill pride and self-exaltation is cast downe mans labour in the worke of mortification is vain and fruitles untill his pride is mortified the spirituall conquest is never gotten as long as pride beares the dominion He that overcomes not this overcomes no lust Selfe-exaltation in the soule of man is like a Castle or Fort and other vices like houses built under the Castle which cannot easily be assaulted and beaten downe because the Fort defends them the overthrow of other vices is impossible untill the Castle of pride is beaten downe in the heart of man the Pharisees being given to self-exaltation to the seeking and lifting up of themselves were under the power of every base lust erronious superstitious covetous malicious their very piety was nothing but hypocrisie he that doth not cease from himself will cease from no sinne if he be but once put upon the temptation therefore be not wise saith Solomon in thine owne eyes feare the Lord and depart from evill implying that where there is not a cessation from self-wisdome and self-exaltation there is no feare of God no keeping of Gods precepts no disposition no care to please God no cessation from sin for conscience sake therfore take away this vice saith Chrysostome that men would not appeare to men this vice of self-exaltation and all vices are cut off without labour Vpon the death of the first-borne of Pharaoh the children of Israel were delivered upon the mortification of pride the first-borne of the spirituall Pharaoh the soules of men obtain a gracious freedome Goliahs head being cut off all the Philistines fled the death of pride is the slight of all sinne he that exalts himselfe remaines both a stranger to the life power and comfort of all godlinesse and a nurse and patron to all unclean and base affections 3. Self-exaltation is the most invincible of all vices the roots thereof are so deepe and strong and so largely spread in the heart of man it puts the soule at such a great distance from God makes man so uncapable of Christ and heavenly wisdome so weds man unto himselfe and causeth man so to please and delight himselfe in himselfe so to prize the applause of man and to slight the approbation of God that there is no disease in the soul of man so uneasily cured no weed in the garden of mans heart so uneasily plucked up no enemy in the common-weale of mans soul so difficultly overcome as self-exaltation it is the hardest taske that ever man undertooke truly to deny himselfe and fully to prostrate and put himselfe under God and Christs yoake Pharaoh did many things in the way of love and honour to Joseph he put his ring upon his hand and arrayed him in vestures of fine linnen and set him over his house but yet he reserved this unto himselfe to be greater in the throne then Joseph man may doe much in the way of outward zeale for God he may exalt God very farre above his profit above his pleasure above his peace yea above his life and yet still reserve to himselfe a preheminence above God he may cloath the naked feed the hungry and give his body to be burned in the cause of God and yet doe all this for himselfe more then for his God for his owne applause more then for the praise of God for the having of a name with men more then for the glorifying of the name of God Of all conquests selfe-conquest is the most difficult most excellent most noble and glorious he that can rule his spirit saith Solomon his proud his self-seeking and self-exalting spirit is better then he that taketh a City Man hath no greater enemy then himself he never doth more excellently then when he overcomes himselfe the overcoming of a Kingdome is nothing in comparison of mans conquest of his owne corruption pride is the first evill in mans departure from God and the last evill which is overcome in man returning unto God Shamma stood it out and defended the field when the people fled Self-exaltation stands it out like a mighty champion in the heart of man when all other lusts seeme to fly when other lusts goe out like fire that wants fewell yet this lust of self-exaltation as long as any thing of the old-man remaines in man will put it self forth and strive to soare aloft and climbe up in the thron of God Man hath most cause to watch pray against self-exaltation of all the evils which are within him 4. Self-exaltation corrupteth and destroyeth all the gifts and graces bestowed on man the evill herbe in the Prophets pot made the pot a pot of death ambition and self-exaltation in the soule of man marres all the excellencies of man turns all his gifts into a pot of death poysons all the endowments of man the more he hath received the lesse mindfull he is of God the higher thoughts he conceiveth of himselfe the more able and active he sheweth himself in evill and the more he sleights and scornes all instruction That man of all others is the fittest instrument to doe the worke of the prince of darknesse in whom abilities and a proud spirit are concurrent this like leaven sowrs the whole lump of mans vertues the tree sweetned the waters of Marah which were bitter but this like gall and wormwood sowres and imbitters those gifts and abilities which in themselves are very sweet and of singular use making vertue and the duties of piety subject and serviceable to mans vain-glory it is Gregories observation that as humility cuts the sinews of all vices and strengthens all vertues so pride destroyes all vertues and strengthens all vices pride is a very pernicious and venimous
the Lord making their shame sutable to their pride and the degree of their confusion answerable to the measure of their self-exaltation O therefore if thy gifts be more eminent then others consider it is the Lord makes thee to differ and Gods favour must be unto thee as motives to humility and meeknesse and as obligations to sincere and sound obedience 2. Remember that it is not the greatnesse of the gift but the well using of the gift that is the glory of the receiver It is not the having of any thing whether much or little but the having of Christ with it that makes it full and satisfactorie sweet and comfortable usefull and beneficiall unto man 3 Consider whatsoever thou hast if it puffe thee up and make thee swell it is not food but poison no mercy but a curse no evidence of divine favour but of severe anger to thy soule 4. Thinke upon the tenure by which thou holdest all that thou hast thou art but a tenant at will the inheritance is Christs and he may turne thee off when he list All things goe and come at his command as the souldiers at the command of the Centurian 5. Know and be assured that the glory and fulnesse of man is Christ all abilities are a very vanity and emptinesse without Christ Jesus He that hath most of Christ Jesus is of all persons the most glorious neither hath man cause of glorying and rejoycing in any thing but in Christ alone He that glories must glory in the Lord and in nothing else He must glory in the power of Christ supporting him in the wisedome of Christ directing him in the blessing of Christ making all successefull to him in the all-sufficiency of Christ putting a fulnesse into his possession whether much or little in the righteousnesse of Christ justifying him in the presence of Christ encouraging him and in the love of Christ solacing him That man hath the greatest glory and the sweetest and surest fulnesse who hath most of Christ Jesus 6 Observe and weigh well how the issue and event of all is not so much dependant upon the abundance and excellencies of mans abilities as upon the all-disposing hand of God I returned and saw under the Sunne saith Solomon that the race is not to the swift nor the battell to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding nor yet favour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all The event and issue is not according to the abilities of man but according to the decree and dispensation of God It is not in the power of the swift to escape by running nor in the power of the strong to overcome in the battell nor in the power of the wise to fill himselfe with bread nor in the power of the prudent to furnish himselfe with wealth nor in the power of the skilfull to obtaine favour with men Hasael though swift as the Hart yet he fell in running Goliah a man of mighty stature fell in the conflict with little David The Barley cake in the Midianites dreame overturned the Midianitish Hoast David a man of singular wisedome sometime wanted bread and Paul was in hunger and in thirst often Joseph a man of singular wisedome was hated of his brethren and undeservedly cast out of the favour of Potiphâ—r Mans welfare comfort and happinesse springs not from the excellency of his abilities but from Gods gracious wise and all-ruling providence A horse saith the Psalmist is a vaine thing for the battell neither shall he deliver any by his great strength Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him upon them that hope in his mercy It is not the perfection and excellency of the instrument but the Coagency of God with it that puts efficacy into it and makes it helpfull honourable and comfortable to the user of it The meditation of the subjection of all abilities under Gods gubernation and providence is of great power to purge their possessors of all self-exalting cogitations 7. Meditate upon the sudden and unexpected change which may come The river of mans abundance may be turned another way dryed up or faile like the waters of Tema and be empty like Hagars bottle The Sunne of mans prosperity may be suddenly ecclipsed and shine no more The shadow of mans earthly comforts may be smitten and vanish like Jonahs gourd Very sudden and dismall outward changes are incident to all sorts of persons Jobs riches was soone changed into poverty Nebuchadnezzars glory was quickly turned into ignominy Man saith Solomon knoweth not his time he knoweth not his time of want when he is full his time of trouble when he is at peace his time of disgrace when he is in honour nor his time of death when he is in health As the fishes that are taken in an evill net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly upon them Man hath small cause to magnifie himselfe in the presence of things subject to such sad and sudden changes Were man well studied in and truly sensible of the mutability of all abilities he would never glory in their presence he would undoubtedly walke in a holy feare and in much humility and meeknesse in the midst of the greatest fulnesse CHAP. XVII LAstly in the meditation of this we may behold and take notice of the happinesse of their estate of the sweet and gracious frame of their soules who are able to deny themselves and their owne affections and prostrate themselves and all that is theirs under the feet of Jesus Christ These men have a blessed liberty and freedome from the odious monsters of impiety self-seeking self-admiration and self-exaltation with many other evils He hath ever most freedome from the power of corruption whose heart is filled with the greatest measure of self-denyall It is a very great blessing to be truly and throughly humble 1. This works the soule of man to a very full and comfortable possession and fruition of Christ The more man is wrought out of himselfe the more he is wrought into Christ The more man is emptied of himselfe the more he is filled with the fulnesse of Christ The more man is removed from himselfe the nearer he approacheth unto Christ The more fully he participateth of Christ the more sweet and comfortable communion he hath with Christ The Altar under the Law was hollow to receive the fire the wood and the Sacrifice The heart of man which is humble empty of all spirituall pride and self-conceit is most capable of the fire of the Spirit and of Christ who offered himselfe a Sacrifice for our sinnes The soule of the humble is Christs habitation the vessell which he filleth with his grace and receives into a sweet consortship with himselfe For thus saith the high and the lofty
the soules of Gods children 4. By way of gubernation and direction The head liveth in the members acting and guiding the members to move and worke according to the dictates of the head and Christ as head liveth in beleevers his members acting and guiding framing and disposing them to move and walke and doe the things pleasing in his sight the will moves the members of the body too and fro by a commanding active power that goes from the will acting and stirring the members according to the disposition of the wil the Pilot by his presence in the ship and by his activity strength and skill turnes the rudder of the ship and guides the course therof to a quite contrary point of the Compasse the King by an influence from his Majesty authority power and Laws lives and reigns in the hearts of his loyall and obedient Subjects binding and bowing them to the observation of his Edicts That there is a commanding active power passeth from Christ upon the soules of all sanctified persons whereby he lives and reignes in them acts and moves them according to the disposition of his will turnes the rudder of their affections and guides the course of their lives to a quite contrary point then what they formerly moved and tended to hence it is that our Saviour saith the kingdome of God is within you Christ by his Spirit enlightening their hearts and effectually moving working and framing their soules to beleeve his promises and doe his will and they are said to have the Law in their hearts Christ ruling and commanding there by putting into their hearts a disposition of holy and humble subjection sutable to the holinesse of the Law And it was prophecyed of Christ that in the day of his power when Christ should be preached and his kingdome erected in the hearts of men The people should be willing voluntarily and freely subject and obedient unto Christ as the members to the head and thus Christ lives in men by his holy gubernation raigne and rule in the soules of men 5. By way of preservation and continuance unto perfection The soule lives in the body preserving the body from putrefaction continuing the body unto its appointed perfection Christ liveth in the soules of Gods children preserving them from sinne that they doe not putrifie in sinne though annoyed with sinne as the body with nasty humours and keeping them from the death of sinne that it never get dominion over them as death over dead men though it abide like a disease within them perfecting also the life of grace in them untill they come to the life of glory Those thou gavest me saith Christ I have kept and none of them is lost Whom God the Father gives to Christ by eternall election and effectuall vocation them Christ keeps in the state of grace in them he nourishes and maintaines spirituall life them he keeps in the knowledge of Gods truth in the saith of Gods promises in the love of Gods testimonies in the obedience of Gods precepts them he keeps in prosperity that they swell not in adversity that they repine not in temptation that they despaire not in all changes that they change not he doth perfect stablish strengthen and settle them he makes spirituall life more full and active strong and vigorous in them the longer Christ liveth in them the more perfection he ministers unto them the more abundantly he fils them the more he manifests the power of his grace towards them and thus Christ lives in Gods children by preserving and perfecting the life of grace in them And thus you see it is apparent that Christ doth live in Gods children by his gracious and powerfull worke of Sanctification CHAP. XXII IF you demand what is the life of Christ or Christ living in the children of God I answer it is a spirituall power or Principle of grace which Christ by his Spirit doth put into the hearts of the elect at their regeneration inabling them to move themselves to God-ward in knowing willing intending thinking loving speaking and doing the things which are pleasing unto God called the life of Christ because Christ is the Authour and the root thereof because it is a life which Christ commandeth and approveth and because hereby Christ liveth in all them that are regenerate and this is sometimes termed a being alive to God because men are hereby moved and quickned to doe what pleaseth God sometimes it is stiled a living with Christ having communion and fellowship with the grace of Christ for newnesse of life or with the glory of Christ for eternall felicity sometimes it is termed a new life a pure and unblameable life framed not after the lusts of the old man but after the will of God in his word and sometimes it is called a living unto God regenerate man consecrating and ordering his whole life after the will of God and unto his glory Christ living in man doth inable move and worke the heart of man to acknowledge God and Christ to be his Lord and himselfe not to be his owne but Gods and Christs servant 2. To frame and order his thoughts words and works according to the word of God and Christ in every thing 3. To referre and apply himselfe his whole life and whatsoever he hath to the honour of God and Christ And fourthly in all the changes dangers and afflictions of his life to depend upon God and Christ for counsell supportment protection and deliverance and this is Christs living in man and Christs keeping and continuing man in the state of grace unto the state of glory If you aske me how or in what manner Christ begins to live in man I answer 1. Christ doth awaken man as the Angell smote Peter upon the side and awakened him when he slept between the two souldiers with fetters upon him in Herods prison This doth Christ by his word without and the motion of his spirit within smite upon the heart and conscience of man sleeping between two great souldiers the devill on his right hand and the world on his left hand in the prison of sin Christ thus smiting upon man awakens man causes him to open his eyes to see his miserable and wretched estate to see the danger wherein he stands As the Prophet opened the eyes of the Syrians and let them see they were in Samaria in the hands of their enemies Thus Christ awakens man opens the eyes of mans understanding and makes him see himselfe in the hands of Satan lead away captive by him at his will in the gall of bitternesse and under the bond of iniquity poore blind naked miserable and wretched Christ makes him see the necessity he hath of his righteousnesse to justifie him of his power to deliver him of his intercession to reconcile God unto him and of his fulnesse to fill him Thus when Christ intended to live in Paul he first
Master they goe astray from Christ like wandering sheepe from their Shepheard and harlots from their husband they goe astray from the way of God like erring travellers and blinde men from their path the whole way and walke of carnall persons is a sinfull aberration from God and Christ Jesus Reigning profanenesse dissolves all communion betweene Christ and the soule of man If any man walke in darknesse and say that hee hath fellowship with Christ that man is a lyar and there is no truth in him and the Apostle testifies of such that they are a farre off farre from the life of Christ as the dead are farre from the life of nature farre from the knowledge of Christ as the blind is farre from the sight of the Sun farre from spirituall union with Christ by faith as a branch cut off is farre from naturall conjunction with the vine farre from the love of Christ as a harlot is farre from the love of her husband farre from the fulnesse of Christ as a dead member is farre from the fulnesse of the head farre from the feare and obedience of Christ as a disobedient servant is farre from the feare of his Master and far from the sweet and blessed presence of Christ as exiled Absolom was farre from the presence of his Father Davids face Very great and unhappy is the distance between Christ and all carnall persons Of such therefore the Apostle pronounceth that they are aliens and enemies by their evill works not onely aliens but also enemies The very whole of corrupt and carnall persons is an opposition against God and the Lord Jesus The gate of their hearts is â—hut against Christ their whole way a very contradiction of Christ CHAP. II. Laying downe foure grounds of carnall Mans Alienation from Christ THe Alienation of corrupt and sinfull men from Christ is very apparant and manifest 1. In regard of corrupt and carnall mans plenary and totall subiection under sinne The Scripture saith Paul hath concluded all under sinne All men and all the services of men in their unregenerate estate are concluded demonstrated and determined by the Scripture to be under sinne under the plenary possession of sinne as a house is under the possession of the dweller The whole house and all the roomes thereof are possessed and ordered by the dweller the whole of a corrupt and carnall man all the faculties of his soule and all the members of his body are possessed and ordered by sinne under the dominion of sinne as a servant under the dominion of his Lord and a dead man under the dominion of death therefore stiled the servants of corruption and dead in sinnes and trespasses Under the captivity of sinne as a slave under the command of the Conquerour as voluntary slaves borne under the bondage of corruption ignorant of and despising Christian freedome Under the love of sinne as an Adulterer is under the love of the harlot The young man in Salomon was under the power of the whorish woman she caused him to yeeld with her faire speech and forced him with the flattering of her lips and he went after her as an Oxe to the slaughter and as a foole to the correction of the stocks The corrupt and vicious man is under the power of his lusts he yeeldeth to them is led by them followes after them and fulfils the will of his flesh as an Adulterer the will of the harlot and also under the guilt and condemnation of sinne as a guilty convicted and condemned malefactor is under the sentence of the Law to dye and carnall man being thus under sinne he cannot be under Christ fulnesse of subjection under sinne annihilates Christs gracious dominion in the soule of man The more man applyes himselfe to his lust the more he is estranged from Christ He that is the friend and servant of sinne is an enemy and opposer of Christ The fulnesse of sinne leaves no roome for Christ in the heart of meere naturall and corrupt man 2. In regard of carnall mans uncapablenesse of Christ The kingdome of Israel was uncapable of David untill Saul and his house was deposed The soule of man is uncapable of Christ untill sinne is deposed There is no setting up of Christ and his Kingdome as long as sinne doth beare dominion Alexander told Darius that the world was uncapable of two Sunnes and Asia could not endure two Kings Christ will not divide his Kingdome with mans corruption the soule is not at once capable of the Kingdome and dominion of Christ and of sinne If the one reigne the other must fall there is no competition between Christ and an unregenerate heart The Fort of Sion was uncapable of David untill the blind and lame were removed The heart of man is a Fort uncapable of Christ untill the blindnesse of the understanding and the lamenesse of the affections are removed and taken away Such is the blindnesse of carnall mans understanding that he is uncapable of the knowledge of Christ as the blinde eye is uncapable of the Sun The light saith the Evangelist shineth in the darknesse and the darkenesse comprehendeth it not The Egyptians darknesse was so thicke that it comprehended not the light which shined thereupon Such is the darkenesse of unregenerate mans understanding that it comprehends not the Sun of Righteousnesse shining in the Gospell The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned The carnall mans heart is so wedded to the world and his lusts that as a woman joyned in wedlocke is uncapable of a second husband untill her former husband is dead so is man uncapable of Christ he cannot receive Christ as the husband of his soule untill his lusts are mortified and put to death Such is the infidelity of corrupt man that as Ieroboam could make no use of his withered hand he could neither put it forth nor pull it in no more can carnall man make any use of faith he cannot put it forth to the receiving and embracing of Christ and because of unbeliefe when Christ came among his owne his owne received him not and such is their death in sinne that as the dead are uncapable of the voice of the living they heare it not of the society of the living they rejoyce not in it and of all feasts and provision made for them by the living they feed not upon it Thus are they uncapable of Christ they cannot heare him speake to them in the Gospell they have no communion nor fellowship with him they feed not upon him He is a hidden Manna of whom they taste not and a sealed Well of whom they drinke not There is no sutablenesse betweene their soules and Christ all his Ordinances are unto them as an empty vessell they savingly partake of nothing of Christ in
the Israelites rejoyced in the Arke not in the Lord and vaine men rejoyce in man in the presence of man in the ability favour power and helpe of man and not in Christ Thus among the men of Corinth One said J am of Paul and another I am of Apollo looking with a humane eye upon and glorying after a carnall manner in those holy Messengers of God even idolizing and abusing the appointed instruments of their salvation robbing Christ of his glory by an inordinate dependance upon and glorying in the Messengers of Christ ascribing that to them which was proper unto Christ exalting them into the very roome of Christ so glorying in them that Christ was not glorious in their apprehension the carnall overvaluing of the instruments is a shamefull undervaluing of the Lord Jesus Hee that doth not according to the expression of the Prophet cease from man from the wisdome and counsell devise and invention art and ability of man sees little or nothing of Christ hath no comfort nor joy in Christ he that doth not cease from dependance upon man from glorying and pleasing himselfe in man from resting upon the authority of man in matter of spirituall instruction is very ignorant of Christ a meere stranger to Christ Christ ever proves uncomfortable to them whose rejoycings are in man 4. There is a fullnesse of the world which argueth an emptinesse of Christ in the soule of man The Inne where Christ was borne was so full of guests that there was no roome for Christ but in a manger a dishonourable lodging for such a glorious guest in the heart which is filled with the world there is no roome for Christ Worldly minded men give a very unworthy entertainment unto Christ the world so blinds them that they cannot discerne the beauty worth and excellency of Christ any more then an eye full of dust can discerne the brightnesse and beauty of the Sunne they see no comelinesse in Christ for which they should desire him this so fils their hearts that they are uncapable of spirituall instruction as thorns and bryars make the field uncapable of seed this beares such authority and dominion within them that they cannot vaile and bow to Christ they cannot take Christs yoake upon them they cannot set themselves about Christs worke any more then a servant can put himselfe from his Masters service into another mans worke No man saith Christ can serve two Masters no man can be the servant of God and Mammon this so alienates the heart of a man from Christ drawes the soule of man into such spirituall fornication that man can no more love Christ then a harlot can love her husband for if any man saith Saint John love the world the love of the Father is not in that man And the love of the world saith St. James is enmity with God This doth so take up the thought care study delight strength labour time and the very whole of man and doth so fetter and bind him fasten and encline him to things here below that with the invited guests in the Parable he cannot come to Christ he cannot imbrace Christ he cannot attend on Christ he cannot marry his soule to Christ this doth so distemper their palates that they cannot relish Christ The flesh-pots of Aegypt were so savoury to the Israelites that they could not long relish their Manna Christ is a distastfull dish where the world is a sweet feast this fils the heart of man with dishonourable thoughts of Christ The over-prizing of the world is the under-prizing of Christ Hee can never apprehend Christ as all in all that doth not apprehend the world as nothing the young mans over-prizing the world caused his departure from Christ the lovers of the world are very inconstant in their following of Christ if Christ and the world will not stand together Christ is soone forsaken the world alone hath their attendance service and affection So that Christ hath no spirituall and gracious being where the world hath such full possession And these foure sorts of fulnesse in man are so many cleare demonstrations of Christs estrangement from man 5. By mans spirituall emptinesse He that is empty of Christ is without Christ the Cisterne which is empty of water is without the fountaine hee that is empty of grace is without Christ the authour and fountain of grace he that is without the life of Christ who hath not Christ living in him as the root in the branches graciously enlivening him as the soule doth naturally enliven the body endowing him with spirituall principles of holy and gracious life enabling him like a living man to feele his sin as a living man his disease to rise up from the world as a living man ariseth from the Earth to feed upon the Ordinances of God as a living man upon the food which is set before him to walke in the wayes of God as a living man doth move and walke in an earthly way to follow Christ in attending his Ordinances in beleeving his Promises in obeying his precepts as Lazarus followed Christ when he had raised him from death to life he that hath not Christ thus living in him thus framing and disposing him to live to God to consecrate himselfe to Gods service to conforme himselfe to Gods precepts to intend God and his glory To live as the Apostle saith godly in Christ Jesus in Christ enlivenining him and according to Christs prescription He that doth not thus live is without Christ 2. He that is empty of the knowledge of Christ is without Christ the eye which is empty of the light of the Sun is without the Sun the soule which is empty of spirituall and heavenly light is without the Sun of Righteousnesse he that doth not know Christ as a Prophet instructing him and making him wise unto salvation as a Priest sanctifying and purging him from his corruption as a King bearing spirituall dominion within him bringing his whole man into a holy and humble subjection he that doth not know the death of Christ in the crucifying of his affections the resurrection of Christ in the rising of his soule to seeke the things which are above the power of Christ in working his heart from obstinacy and hardnesse from captivity and bondage from pride and haughtinesse to softnesse and tendernesse to liberty and freedome and to humility and meeknesse He that doth not know the beauties of Christ ravishing his soule with joy and delight in him the love of Christ in being espoused to Christ the worth and excellency of Christ in accounting all but dung and drosse in comparison of Christ and the fullnesse of Christ in feeling and finding all contentation in Christ he that doth not thus know Christ is without Christ in Christ are hidden all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom and he that hath Christ is full of spirituall knowledge as
Sin and by Christ and opening the scope of the Apostle p. 117 118. Christ mans comforter helper happinesse and the Author of mans welfare p. 119 120. Note Such alone as are truly sanctified and gracious pâ—ople are the compleate and proper Subject of that life which is heavenly and spirituall p. 121. Note All life is as no life yea as a very death in comparison of a holy and gracious life ib. CHAP. II. Declaring the holy mans prostration of himselfe and all that he hath under Christ p. 122. Doct. 1. He who lives the life of grace and true holinesse doth wholly deny himselfe his owne counsels and affections and altogether prostrates himselfe and all that is his under Christ Jesus p. 123. CHAP. III. Laying downe the grounds of Self-deny all and putting all under the feet of Christ p. 125. 6. Grounds hereof 1. The carnality vanity and basenesse which a man sees and feeles in his owne flesh affections ends and counsels 2. The holy inclination of a gracious heart unto Christ 3. The vanity and nothingnesse which a gracious man sees in himselfe and in all things without Christ 4. The holy powerfull and universall reigne of Christ in a gracious soule 5. The holy and fervent desire of a gracious soule to exalt and set up Christ 6. A gracious soules acquiescence and contentation in and with the approbation of Christ p. 126 127 128 129 131. CHAP. IV. Discovering the danger of the want of Self-denyall p. 132. 5. Sorts of Non-denyers of themselves 1. Self-Wise 2. Self-willed 3. Self-lusted 4 Worldly minded 5. Voluptuously and ambitiously affected and superstitiously devoted p. 133 134. CHAP. V. Proposing the grounds or causes of mens backwardnesse in denying themselves and putting all under Christ p. 135. 7. Grounds hereof 1. Self-prizing 2. Overswaying lusts 3. Inordinate disposition towards the creature 4. Over-prizing of man 5. Carnall judging and mistaking of Christ 6. Corrupt framing and devising of false Christs and false wayes to life 7. Ignorance of the nature and sweetnesse of Christs yoake p. 136 137 138 139. CHAP. VI. Relating certaine very great evils and inconveniences arising from the want of Self-denyall p. 142. 9. Evils issuing hence 1. Vncapablenesse of Christ 2. Alienation from the benefits and comforts of Christ 3. Vanity emptinesse and hollownesse of profession 4. Subiection and abasement under the creature 5. Annihilation of the fruit and benefit of Christs death 6. Deprivation of the heavenly fruit and soule-refreshing comforts of Gods Ordinances 7. Great and manifold losses attending the want of Self-denyall and Subiection under Christ 8. Apostacy from Christ 9. Christs denyall and relaction of such as will not deny themselves for him and his sake p. 14â— 143 144 145. CHAP. VII Perswading man to worke his heart to a full and through Self-denyall p. 147. Qualifications of Self-denyall 1 Spirituall 2. Voluntary 3. Vniversall 4. Continuall p. 148. Subiection unto Christ accompanies Self-denyall p. 149. Qualifications of Subiection 1. Holy 2. Cordiall 3. Full. 4. Perpetuall p. 149. 7. Inducements to Self-denyall 1. Christs interest in a Christian 2. The relation between Christ and Christians 3. Gods subiecting and putting all things under Christ 4. The abuse of all things which are not made subiect and serviceable unto Christ 5. Sweet and heavenly comforts arising from Self-denyall to the soule 6. The mitigation and sweetning of all disasters 8. The Contentation which Self-denyall ministers with the least earthly portion p. 150 151 152. CHAP. VIII Propounding certaine cleare and apparant characters of true and Christian Self-denyall p 153. 5. Marks or characters hereof 1. Captivation of Self-reason 2. Cessation from Mans owne Selfe 3. Full and free application of Mans Selfe to Christ 4. Humble and hearty ascribing of all Mans good to God 5. A low prizing and Christian undervaluing of Mans Selfe and all things else in comparison of Christ p. 150. CHAP. IX Setting down other marks and characters of Christian Self-denyal p. 161. 5. Other marks 1. Voluntary and cheerfull desertion and leaving off all for Christ 2. Mans pleasing and delighting himselfe in Christ under the Crosse 3. The prizing of Christs Crosse above the worlds Crowne 4. Man making it his greatest honour to honour Christ 5. A heart sincere humble pious plaine grieving at evill and reioycing in good p. 162 163 164 165 166 167. CHAP. X. Detecting divers deceits in and about the worke of Self-denyall p. 170. Man is apt to deceive himselfe in this worke of Self-denyall 8. wayes by denying himselfe 1. Superstitiously 2. Covetously 3. Partially 4. Constrainedly 5. Hypocritically 6. Sinisterly and politickely 7. Vaine-gloriously 8. Temporarily p. 171 172 173 174 175. CHAP. XI Shewing how a Christian may comfort himselfe in this worke of Self-denyall against remaining and rebelling lusts p. 176. 1. By the troublesomnesse of them to his soule 2. By the godly griefe of his heart for them 3. By his holy and constant contestation against them 4. By his being humbled for the want of humility 5. By his frequent and fervent prayer to be purged and emptied of all pride and self-love p. 178 179. CHAP. XII Laying open the shamefull and dangerous evill of Self-seeking p. 180. Self-seeking a root of 12. bitter branches being 1. Insatiable 2. Hypocriticall 3. Polluting 4. Alienating 5. Full of unlawfull meanes 6. Vnthankefull and discontented p. 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 181 182 184 185 188 189. CHAP. XIII Repeating other evils of Self-seeking p. 191. Self-seeking is 7. Attentive to evill counsell 8. Servile and abasing 9. Idolatrous 10. Self-loosing 11. Vndervaluing holy things and 12. the cursed mother of many unhappy children as 1. Imbondagement 2. Enmity 3. Cruelty 4. Causelesse Jealousie 5. Soule-torturing griefe 6. Vnsuccessefulnesse and 7. Loosing the comfort of present havings p. 192 193 194 197 198 199 200 201. Self-seeking how to be handled p. 201. CHAP. XIV Mentioning the danger of Self-admiration p. 202. 6. Evils of Self-admiration 1. Self-ignorance 2. Non-apprehensivenesse of the perfections of God and beauties of Christ 3. Ingratitude and Sacriledge 4. Vncapablenesse of Christ 5. Alienation from God 6. Shame and confusion Cure of Self-admiration prescribed p. 203 204 205. 206. CHAP. XV. Handling the danger of Self-exaltation p. 207. 9. Evils of Self-exaltation being 1. The root of many fowle impieties 2. The Patron and protector of all other vices 3. The most invincible of all vices 4. The corrupter and destroyer of all other gifts 5. Keeping the soule barren 6. Abusing God 7. Self-deceiving 8. Shamefully abasing man 9. Alienating from Heaven p. 208 209 210 211 212 213. 214 215. CHAP. XVI Opening the grounds of mans pronenesse to exalt himselfe and backwardnesse to exalt and set up Christ p. 215. 5. Grounds hereof 1. Mans ignorance of his owne corrupt and base estate 2. Mans inconsideratenesse of his receivings 3. Forgetfulnesse of mans place and station 4 Misprision of the true glory of man 5. Vnsensiblenesse of the unhappy fruits of