have his command to the contrary his Word bids us not to do it How can we violate the authority of the sacred Majesty of heaven and earth How shall we be able to stand before God who is a consuming fire and commit these abominations in his sight What a good thing were it if Christians would make a Common-place-Book in their hearts out of Gods Word and by often reading of it and by that excellent duty of meditation laying it up that they may have spirituall matter to furnish their souls withall upon all occasions This is the true pondering of the Word of God So much of the Word of God as we meditate on and by meditation is concocted to the nourishment of our souls so much we have and no more This hiding of the Word within our heart is an excellent means to further the gift of prayer whereby we shall have store of matter at all times and upon all subects to render up our petitions unto God ☜ That is the best prayer that is founded upon the Word of God How sweetly doth the Spirit of God breathe forth in Davids Psalms and what heavenly expressions there are suitable for a Christians spirit to exercise his faith and comfort in God by in the greatest trials and most soul-dejecting desertions This hiding of the Word of God to wit the sweet promises which concern salvation contained therein to poor broken-hearted sinners affords abundance of peace of conscience and consolation of the spirit Saith David I have hoped in thy Word ☞ He is a true emblem of a faithfull soul A true sign of a beleeving soul who can trust God for his word sake and build upon the Word of consolation who can plead with God upon a bare word of promise Lord hast thou not said it and wilt thou not bring it to pass If we would by a lively faith suck eagerly at these breasts of consolation and dive deep into these wels of salvation and carry our buckets often to draw and look to Jesus Christ in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen for the earnest of his Spirit upon our hearts that they may be rightly applied to our everlasting comfort our souls would be satisfied abundantly as with marrow and fatness So likewise saith David Thy Word is a light unto my feet and a lamp unto my paths and in the same Psalm Psal 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Commandments are exceeding large The literall Word of God though it hath a beginning and an end in respect of the letter yet the Word of God considered Doctrinally as it is the wisdom of God the Father it is infinite like God himself and hath unfathom'd depths of the riches of Gods grace to sinners in Jesus Christ contained in it Rom. 8. O the depths of the riches of the wisdom of God how unsearchable are his works and his waies past finding out ☜ It is a rich Mine of excellent discoveries of the Almighty God which never yet hath been searcht to the full though when we come to heaven we shall know abundantly more of it than we do now and all doubts concerning it fully satisfied which do so trouble us in the body of this flesh Let men of corrupt mindes talk what they will that they fully understand the minde of God in his word by the light of the Spirit speaking within them that they can unfold all mysteries and that they need not hearken to the word any longer but only hearken to the voice of the Spirit speaking in their hearts because the light of the Spirit is a greater light they say than the light of the word I am certain that they are grosly deluded by the father of lies for the Apostle Paul that knew as much of the things of God as any Enthusiast whatsoever yet did see but through a glass as it were imperfectly till this veil of the flesh being laid aside he shall see God face to face We know in part Now if the Word of God be exceeding large larger than the perfections of all the creatures so that there is no sinne that can be conceived of but is forbidden in it and threatned with eternall death and no grace but what is commanded and exhorted to under the promise of everlasting life and the means to eschue the evil and to imbrace the good fully declared unto us without all controversie this and this only is the Word of God and ought to be the ground and rule of our faith 2. That for men to preach their own inventions When men are much addicted to Allegorize Scripture suddenly they fall into some and new fangled notions and the fancies of their own intoxicated brains or for men to Allogorize Scriptures according as their minde serves them neglecting the pure fountain of the Word of God is to build mens faith upon humane wisdom and not upon the power of God We live in a Scepticall age deadly errour and are caught as it were in a snare before they are aware What a Solaecism upon his own body Origen the father of Allegories committed by Allegorizing that portion of Scripture Mat. 19.12 is known to all those that are verst in Ecclesiasticall History wherein most Christians being troubled with that itching humour the Apostle speaks of are all for novelties and vain questions which are nothing materiall to the establishing our souls in grace and neglect the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ They are all for light but little for zeal all for knowledge but little for practice all for notions but little for truth all for further discoveries of secret mysteries but little searching into their own hearts all for those truths that may inform the Judgement but little for those truths which may work upon the affections Lord A sweet ejaculation I pray thee to give me no more knowledge than what may work upon my heart to the joyning of a hearty obedience unto it and that above all other knowledge I may seek to know Jesus Christ and him crucified to be made partaker of his sufferings and of the fellowship of his resurrection that as he rose from the grave of death so I may arise from the grave of sinne unto newness of life Lord grant that while others dive into thy secrets and search after thy Decrees and do limit thee who art the holy one of Israel by speaking of thee irreverently and ascribing unto thee those things which are not convenient and as the fly about the candle never leave prying and approaching too near till they be consumed in the pride of their own hearts and in the vanity of their own imaginations I may sincerely and humbly with all fear and reverence to thy great and glorious Majesty take thy Name into my mouth and only speak of thee as the word speaks and no further Lord thou hast said that thou art Jehovah Jchovah Jah Eheie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
last day in glory power and majesty we shall stand in need of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for the confirmation of our faith and to remember the death and sufferings of our blessed Saviour till he shall come to judgement Prayer also is a standing duty required of all Christians while they are on this side heaven that thereby their faith and hope in God might be exercised We are commanded to pray continually that is to let no time wherein this duty is required of us 1 Thess 5. 4. Because a Believer stands in need of continual food and nourishment that the tent of the word and the Bread and Wine Sacramentally so understood should be continually put in his mouth whilst he is under age in respect of that perfection and ripeness he shall attain unto when this mortal life shall be swallowed up in glory that his soul might be nourish'd up unto everlasting life Likewise here bebelow we stand in need of many things strength of grace to overcome sin patience under adversity the arm of God to support us under all our weaknesses heavenly comforts daily supplies of the spirit of grace renewed arts of Divine assistance continually bread for our bodies food for our souls therefore we ought to make our requests by prayer unto God daily for all temporal and spiritual blessings Obj. When we have the greater light what need have we of the lesser when we have the Sun-light what need have we of the Star-light when we have the light of the spirit what need have we of the light of the word when we have that which supplieth all our wants what need we pray what need have we of the Sacraments the spirit can supply all our wants without the use of the means 4. In respect of our selves the light of the spirit is to be preferred before the light of the word but seeing that the light of the word is subordinate to the light of the spirit and that the light of the word and the light of the spirit do not differ in respect of the subject matter but onely in respect of manifestation and the spirit enlightens in and by the word therefore the light of the spirit doth not take away the use of the light of the word besides the comparison doth not hold because the collation between the light of the Sun and Stars and the light of the word and of the spirit halts and is imperfect The spirit enlightens our minds in and by the word but the Sun shines of its self and not in and by the Stars The spirit likewise though it can supply all our wants without the use of means yet it never ordinarily doth without the use of the means God gives his spirit onely to those that pray for it and when we have the spirit we are still to desire God that his spirit may exert his power upon us and act in us and by us that we may not onely have the spirit but feel the operations of the spirit upon our hearts God knows what we want before we pray and can give us them without our asking but God will have us pray that thereby we might acknowledge his power his goodness his mercy and the like and that thereby our faith and patience might be made manifest If upon the account of the indwelling of the spirit in the hearts of the godly they should forbear to pray I would know of those who say so why the Spirit of God is termed the spirit of prayer and supplication as in the prophecy of Zachariah Zech. 12.10 but onely because it stirs up in us good desires and holy affections and puts words into our mouths acceptable words whereby our petitions may be accepted of God Let them likewise answer the portion of Scripture if they can in the sixth of the Ephesians 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints 5. If we should onely hearken to the voice of the spirit and to the spirits teachings in our hearts there would be no certainty of the true Religion when there can be no Character given by which the spirit of Christ might be distinguished from our owne proper spirit as from the spirit the divel which sometimes transforms himself into an Angel of light That is the pretences of a mans own spirit or of the divel in the hearts of others may seem so true and real to a man himself as if they were doctrines taught by the blessed Spirit Now how should we try the spirits whether they be of God or no but by the word of God Obj. It is a true signe of Divine instinct when of that which we believe or do we are perswaded of and rooted in without any ambiguity or doubting Ans This is a false sign for the Turks and Infidels are as much obstinated and setled in their own doctrines Traditions yea more setled then most of those Christians who pretend so much to the spirit Q. But some may say though we grant you that the teachings of the spirit do not in themselves make us to be above the Ordinances of God and the meanes of Grace yet may we not then when we come to be perfect Christians high-grown Saints and have lived under the teachings of the Spirit along while may we not then cast off the use of the Word the Sacraments and Prayer and only depend upon the Spirit for his supply I answer No. 1. Because the best grown Christians in this life are not above the teachings of the word but ought to minde the light of the Word as well as the light of the Spirit Rom. 1.14 I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians both to the wise and to the unwise Heb. 5.14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of age Strong meat the Word and Sacraments which through long custom have their wils exercised to discern both good and evil 1 John 2.13 I write unto you fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning c. 1 Pet. 1.1 The Apostle Peter writes to the elect ones and to those who are born again as appears by the fourteenth verse of the same Chapter 1 Cor. 10.15 I speak as unto them which have understanding Phil. 3.15 Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded 1 Cor. 11.26 Eph. 4.12 13. He gave some Apostles some Prophets c. Till we all meet together in the unity of the faith and the acknowledgement of the Son of God unto a perfect man and unto the measure of the fulness of the stature of Christ which fulness shall not be till after this life as appears by that place 1 Cor. 13.9 10.11 For we know in part and we prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be abolished 2. Because the highest grown Christians in this life are
superficiall piece of work and a light piece of business but the godly only we who have the Spirit of God Tit. 3.5 we only have our hearts washed with the water of Regeneration therefore we and we only have the Spirit of God Secondly Here is the way by which or after what manner they came to have the Spirit We have received it They came to have it by receiving It is not said we have purchased it or we have obtained it by our praiers or by our duties or the like or we have bought it with our money Act. 8.18 as Simon Magus thought to have bought the holy Ghost but we have received it 1. How the Spirit is received 1. The Spirit it is a free gift Luke 11.13 Gal. 4.6 As a free gift given by God to beleevers in Jesus Christ The Spirit it is a free gift God is said to give us his Spirit How much more shall your heavenly Father give his Spirit to them that ask it of him Because ye are sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father From this place we must not think our Sonship is the cause why we have the Spirit Quia pro ergo Because It is not causal but illative rational in this place or rather demonstrative for the Spirit goes before Adoption now the effect doth not go before the cause but follow it but because ye are sonnes that is to witness unto you that ye are the sonnes of God God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts crying Abba Father 2. As a promise of Jesus Christ 2. We have received the Spirit as a promise of Jesus Christ at his departure Christ when he was to leave the world promised to send another Comforter even the Spirit of truth Christ deals with his Church as a loving friend doth with his friend You know when friends are going a long journey or a dangerous voyage by sea they use to leave behind them with their dearest friends some pledge or token of their love Some leave their pictures some a ring some a good book some one thing some another with this saying When you look on this remember me and though you should see me no more yet be not troubled here is a pledge of my love which I have left with you keep it be sure you keep it and do not part with it So our blessed Saviour that he might not leave his Church all-together comfortless at his departure Luk. 22.14 15 19. first of all he leaves his Sacraments with them as lively pictures and emblems of his death and sufferings so that in the Sacrament of the Communion of the body and blood of Christ when we see the bread broken we should remember and present to our view the breakings of Christs body upon the Cross and when we see the wine poured forth remember the pouring forth of Christs blood upon the Cross and this do remembring the Lords death till he come Secondly His Peace My peace in opposition to the sottish peace that the world giveth My peace I leave with you Ioh. 14.27 Ioh. 15.26 Thirdly His Spirit I will send you the Comforter so that we are to receive the Spirit as a promise of Jesus Christ 3. 3. As a redundancy of Gods love As a redundancy and fruit of the Fathers love As Christ is a most eminent fruit of the Fathers love so is the Spirit As Christ sends the Spirit so doth God 4. 4. As a testimony of our adoption Rom. 8.16 As a testimony of our Adoption The Spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God Our spirits do nothing avail to the grace of Adoption without the comforting Spirit of Jesus Christ The Spirit of God lindx if it withdraws its testimony for a while our souls are even in Hemans case Psal 88. at the brink of despair And before conversion before the Spirit witnesseth our spirits like Nabals are sottish and secure like a dead piece of flesh insensible of the greatest evil If the Spirit comes by receiving and not by any thing in us but is a fruit of the Fathers love what a Popish spirit are they of who think to procure the Spirit by their prayers and by their duties Though Christ hath promised to give the Spirit to those that pray yet not for their prayers We are to pray for the Spirit because God hath commanded it but not to expect it for our prayers because God hath promised it The Spirit of God comes by receiving therefore whosoever thou art that thinkest by thy endeavours to have the Spirit though I will not curse thee as Paul did Simon Magus for thinking to purchase the holy Ghost with money though he had but such a thought in 's heart yet I tell thee thou shalt never have it Pray for the Spirit but look not to obtain it by thy prayers but only by the way of receiving Thirdly The spirit of the world put in opposition to the Spirit of God 1. A remotione subjectorum infertur diversitas for marum quia lapis non est idem subjectum cum plantâ ergo habet diversam formam ratio quia in omni subjecto debet apta esse organizatio membrorum ut melius forma introducenda suo munere fungatur In omni vero subjecto promiscuè sic dicto non datur sufficiens organizatio membrorum quo quaelibet forma suas operationes exerceat In lapide non dantur organa satis quo anima sensitiva quod suum est exercere exerceat Non datur organum videndi in lapide nec inplantâ By way of remotion in respect of the subject We have recived not the spirit of the world i. e. The world hath its own spirit and the children of God have theirs different subjects have different forms Now the world is not only different but divers quite another thing and other men considered with the people of God therefore have they different spirits and not only different but divers The Spirit of God makes us altogether other men and other persons than we were before When the Spirit of God comes into the heart all old things are done away and all things are become new There is a Metamorphosis a transmutation non ex hoc sed ab hoc in aliud totalitèr diversum from corrupt nature to grace from the flesh to the Spirit from darkness to light from being the children of the devil to become the children of God from the power flavery and dominion of sinne and Satan unto the glorious liberty of the children of God from the fulness of the devil of sinne and of the world to that fulness which is in Christ to that fulness which is of God Joh. 1.16 Of his fulness have we received all grace for grace that is one degree of grace after another That ye may be filled with all the fulness of
of John our blessed Saviour having termed himself the Bread of Life vers 35. And Jesus said unto them I am that Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall not bunger and he that beleeveth in me shall not thirst Verse 41. the hard-hearted Jews they murmured at him because he said I am that bread which came down from heaven The Jews who had as yet the vail upon their hearts and whose minds by their own wilfulness and disobedience Satan had blinded lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ should shine in their hearts had no other apprehensions of bread When Manna which was the type of Christ came down upon the earth there was old wondering at it and it was called Manna because they said by way of admiration Ma-hu What is this And they were very greedy for a time after it But when Jesus Christ the true Bread the true Manna came down from heaven to feed our souls there was no minding of him because his Divinity was over-vaild in his humanity they did not admire at Gods goodness as they ought to have done they rejected him He came to his own and his own received him not Indeed they made him the laughing-stock of the world And so Christ may be said to be the wonder of the world as the Prophet Isaiab saith I and my children are set for signes and wonders Isa 8.18 i. c. We are made the maygames of the world at whom all do deride and wonder But they did not admire his excellency and acknowledge him and seek to him as it behoved them to have done but as it fed the belly But Christ Jesus hath a higher mystery in it to wit that he was the true Manna the true heavenly Bread that feedeth their souls unto everlasting life In the succeeding verses 48 49 50 51. when Christ proceeds in declaring himself to be the Bread of Life that his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed Verse 52. the Jews strove amongst themselves saying How can this man give us his flesh to cat In the 60 Verse many of his Disciples when they heard this said This is a hard saying who can hear it Verse 66. From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him Hence you see what carnall reasonings and sinfull objections mens hearts do frame and invent to hinder and oppose the comfort of the sweetest and most comfortable Doctrine What more sweet to a hungry soul that longs after eternall life than to be fed and to be nourished with this Bread of Life It is an infallible sign that you are born of God ☜ and that your originall is from above and that God is your Father Christ is your Brother and that you have higher principles than the flesh and the world to walk by and that your life is hid with Christ in God if Jesus Christ the true Bread of Life doth nourish up your souls unto eternall Life For the axiom holds true in spirituall things as well as naturall A quo aliquid generatur ab eodem nutritur from the which any thing is begotten of the same it is nourished if you are born of God you will be nourished by the bread of God if your originall be heavenly your food will be heavenly if God were your Father Christ would be your nourishment and your food Therefore Christ tels the Jews who in the eighth of John vers 41. boasted that God was their Father vers 42. proved them not to be the children of God and that God was not their Father because they did not love him who was sent of God the Father If God were your Father then would you love me for I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my self but he sent me 1 Joh. 5.1 He that loves him that begets loves him also who is begotten and if we did love God the Father we should love Jesus Christ the only begotten Sonne of the Father and the Saints who are the spirituall sonnes of God begotten of the Spirit crying in their hearts Abba Father In the 44th vers he proves them positively to be the children of the devil because they serve him and do his works Christ turns all carnall things into spirituall uses and changes the nature of them and like a true Alchymist turneth brass into Gold but the Jews on the other side turned Gold into brass and of all those pretious spirituall truths which Christ had delivered unto them they had base carnall and low apprehensions of Blessed are they that by a lively faith feed heartily upon the spirituall Manna while others feed upon the husks with the swine they have bread in their fathers house In the beginning of the second Chapter the Apostle acquits himself in respect of those former contentions while one said he was of Paul another of Apollo another of Cephas another of Christ shewing there was nothing in himself or in his Ministry that could occasion such divisions Chap. 2. v. 1. I came not to you with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring unto you the power of God that is my preaching unto you was not in lofty strains of eloquence and high notions or in a plausible and alluring style fitter to please the ear and to humour mens fancies and to make them giddy and unstable in the truth or in the high flown Rhetorick of the world which is more sutable to an Orator or a Comedian upon a Stage than for a Minister of Jesus Christ not with the enticing words of mens vanities but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power that is he preacht plainly yet powerfully and effectually and feelingly to the conscience and to work upon their hearts and to inform their judgements If I seek to please men I am not the servant of Christ Gal. 1.10 That is the best preaching which stirres up the affections and desires ☜ and sets all the wheels a work and provokes us to duty and to the exercise of piety in our lives and conversations He is the best Preacher who by his powerfull delivering the Word of God can stirre up what affections he pleaseth in the hearts of his people as it is reported of excellent Bucholcer that though he were two hours in his Sermon yet none of the common people were aweary of him and that with such vehemency of spirit and earnest longing for the good of their souls he dispensed the Word unto them that he could stirre up what affection he pleased in the hearts of his hearers Neither was the matter he preacht so sublime as to make men to admire him and to cry him up Not Philosophicall notions or criticall points of Divinity or curious questions or needless Doctrines but the Lord Jesus Christ and him crucified For I have determined not to know any thing among you 1 Cor. 2.2 save Jesus Christ and him crucified Neither was his delivery and outward carriage
the Lord know the heart but by our actions and by the temperament of our body and by the exorbitancy of our affections and unruly passions he doth conjecture the bent and the frame of our spirits and accordingly suit his various temptations which is more deceitfull than any thing else yea so deceitfull that we our selves cannot know the depths of it For if our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things Now if we cannot know the things which are in another mans heart much less are we able to know the secrets of Gods breast but by the Spirit of God The Spirit is the great interpreter of Gods minde the great revealer of Gods secrets the great unfolder of the mysteries of heaven that knoweth all the counsels and decrees past between the Father and the Son from all eternity Quest. But some may say How came you by the Spirit whence is it that you have the Spirit The Apostle by way of anticipation saith in the words of my Text We have received the Spirit the Spirit is given unto us And so having done with the Context and having shewed the connexion of the words I am come to the subject matter of my ensuing Discourse We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given unto us of God In the words you have 1. Something implyed 2. Something expressed The thing implied is That only those who have the teachings of the Spirit can know the things of God In the words expressed you have these parts 1. The spirit of the world put in opposition to the Spirit of God implied in this particle But We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God 2. The end for which the Spirit of God is given or received by the faithfull to wit that they may know the things of God 3. The manner how God gives his things to wit Freely That we may know the things which are freely given unto us of God More particularly First We have the Subjects in which or the Patients in which the Spirit of God is expressed in the particle We We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God We the Apostles and Disciples of Christ together with all the faithfull of Jesus Christ Only the Saints have this priviledge to enjoy the Spirit Saith Christ I will send you the Comforter even the Spirit which the world knoweth not John 14.16 17. and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth which the world cannot receive because it seeeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you O sweet and heavenly place full of marrow and fatness to the godly but full of terrour to the wicked Art thou a childe of God the Spirit of God dwels with thee and shall be in thee Pray observe the words he not only dwels with a Saint and as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How the Spirit is in a beleever an assistant unto him but the Spirit of God is in a Saint And as Christ and a beleever is as it were all one so the Spirit of Christ and a beleever is said to be as it were all one See what a near and unexpressible union there is between God and a gracious soul Joh. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom I in them and they in me that they may be one even as we are one We shall have a likeness and a resemblance of that union which is between God the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ficut nou nota aequalitatis sed fimilitudinis ut variis locis Scripturae ostendere poffimus and Christ though not the same for substance The Spirit not only dwels but hath its in-being in every Saint And as we cannot see our own souls because they are of a spirituall nature and so not subject to any of the outward senses but we know we have a soul by the immediate operations of it We know we have a rationall soul because we understand and are able to inferre one thing out of another Anima infert unum ex hoc hoc ex alto Angclus unum post hoc one thing after another The Spirit of God dwelleth not in the Saints essentially more than in other creatures yet the faithfull have a speciall right to the essence of Gods Spirit and he dwelleth in them by way of speciall efficacy Downam An immortall soul because incorporeall and not subject to change as considered in it self but only in respect of divine power A sensitive soul because we walk eat drink and do the actions of living creatures so we cannot see the Spirit of God within us but we know we have the Spirit because it quickens it comforts it upholds it sanctifies us and stirres us up to our spirituall duty He that hath Christ hath the Spirit of Christ every Saint of God hath Christ and therefore he hath the Spirit of Christ As faith unites us to Christ on our part so the Spirit unites us to Christ on his part If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 The world is void of the Spirit because they cannot receive it As they cannot receive Christ so they cannot receive the Spirit Christ makes his abode in no soul but an empty soul Ps 107.9 Luk. ◠53 He filleth the hungry with good things but the rich he sends empty away A full stomack loathes the honey-comb and a carnall soull filled with the pleasures of sinne and with the satisfying of fleshly lusts hates the sweetness and the rich treasures of grace and mercy which are in Jesus Christ The Spirit of Christ loves to dwell in an empty soul Now the world is full of an impure spirit and while this spirit keeps the room of the heart there is no place for the Spirit of Christ O that this worldly spirit were dispossessed and cast out this unclean filthy abominable spirit that the holy Spirit of God might enter in Our hearts must not only be swept but washed before the Spirit of God will enter in You reade Matth. 12.44 that when the house was but only swept the evil spirit returned again with seven other spirits worse than before but when our hearts are once washt the Spirit of God will presently enter Ier. 4.14 Wash thy heart from filthiness O Jerusalem how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Iam. 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wicked men may sweep their hearts from that superfluity of naughtiness Saint James speaks of and may remove the excrescencies and the open breakings forth of sinne they may lop the boughs and as it were pare the nails all which is but a
demonstrativus notans ipsum verbum fieri carnem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indefinite sumitur fine ullo articulo inde notans eum accepisse totam nostram naturam and that he was not formed in the womb of the Virgin Mary but that he passed through the womb of the Virgin as water passeth through a Conduit And dwelt amongst us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek Had his Tabernacle among us There are many other duties which only the Spirit teacheth as justification by faith alone the doctrine of the resurrection of the immortality of the soul of the happiness of the Saints in heaven and of the future torments of the wicked in hell The Schoolmen with their fine-spun distinctions and criticall questions do rather darken the minde of the Spirit in these waies than adde any further light unto them Their teachings are like the way of a serpent upon a stone very slippery and uncertain 4. The evil nature of finne The Spirit alone hath shewed unto us the evil nature of sinne It condemns an evil look a malitious thought Mat. 5. He that looks upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Eph. 5.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 urbanitas apud Spiritum est vitium upud Aristoteleus est virtus 1 Thess 5. He that hâ—ttih his brother in his heart is a murderer It condemns jesting and evil speaking It is to be observed that that very word which Aristotle cals a vertue the Spirit of God terms a vice Jesting with Aristotle is a vertue with the Spirit of God it is a vice We are commanded to abstain from all appearance of evil To hate the very garments spotted with the flesh To resist the first motions and allurements to sinne Rom 7. I had not known sinne but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Unless the Word of God had told us and the Spirit of God had set down this for a certain truth that these motions to sin are sin we should never have known it or beleeved it These first motions were never counted for sinnes by any of the Heathen Philosophers or by the more refined wits of the Schoolmen only the Spirit hath pricked them down for sinnes That they are sinnes ☜ appears by this because they tempt a man to sinne If concupiscence were not a sinne it would never tempt a man to sinne for nothing bringeth forth sin formally but sinne Lust when it conceiveth it bringeth forth sin and sin when it conceiveth it bringeth forth death Ob. The wages of sin is death now if lust were a sinne it would bring forth death how then is it said that luft when it conceiveth bringeth forth sin and sin when it conceiveth bringeth forth death Resp St James in this place distinguisheth the severall sorts of sinnes There are some sinnes consummated and finished and those bring forth death but it followeth not that other sinnes bring not forth death but that they do not bring forth death to the same degree as those sinnes do for there are diversities of torments in hell and the best place in hell is very lamentable As he that cals his brother fool is worthy of hell fire Raca i.e. a fellow of no worth from the word Rik ovacuare yet it will not follow that he that cals his brother Raca is unworthy of it but that he is not worthy of it in the same degree and measure Lust it bringeth forth death but not to the same degree that sin consummated doth God judgeth the secrets of mens hearts that secret wickedness which is within us and reproves it and makes it manifest to our consciences Rom 2.16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of mens hearts according to my Gospel It is only the Spirit that condemneth heart-wickedness So saith Peter to Simon Magus Pray to God that the thought of thy heart might be forgiven thee The Laws of man do not reach to the conscience to heart wickedness to the secret inward abominations to which God and thy own conscience are conscious to Only the Law of the Spirit doth reprove this heart wickedness The Spirit of God it condemns hypocrisie when men will seem religious and would be counted true Christians though their hearts runne whoring after their base lusts When like a man at Oars they will row one way and look another Pretend for God and for Gods cause when their design is to carry on the interest of the flesh and of the devil When they will worship God and speak him fair to his face and give him a parcell of good words in a few formall words and in an externall lip-service when malice and covetousness and carnall lusts are in their hearts Matth. 23. How many woes hath Christ denounc'd against hypocrites Wo to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites Externall worship is sufficient in mans sight but God requireth the heart and the whole heart Matth. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy might and with all thy strength Hypocrisie is no sinne in the worlds account but a criminall fault a crimson sinne in the sight of God Dost thou think to mock God and to put him off with shadows in stead of substance with thy formality in stead of sincerity Gal. 5. Be not deceived do not deceive your selves and think to put off God with any thing the heart of man is full of deceit deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked Why be not deceived why I will tell you for what a man soweth that shall he reap if ye sow chaff you shall reap chaff if you sow wheat you shall reap wheat Hypocrisie is an epidemicall sinne in this professing age Consider against this sinne Cor secundum Auagramma est Camera omnipotentis Regis The heart is the seat of the great King of heaven and earth the King of Kings and Lord of Lords God hath two places wherein he most especially is resident the highest heaven and the lowest heart In heaven he is by his glorious presence In an humble heart by his gracious presence 1. That all thy endeavours will be utterly lost unless thou hast an upright heart if thou praiest never so much if thy heart be not perfect with thy God all thy prayers will do thee no good As good not at all as never a whit the better 2. Consider that God judgeth a man and esteemeth of him according as his heart is if that be sincere thou art a sincere Christian but if that be rotten thou art unsavory in the sight of God 3. God answereth a man according to what is in his heart not according to what is in his lips when he praieth to him Thou art a drunkard or a whoremonger or a covetous wretch or an extortioner c. and thou comest as Gods people do and sittest before him and
of the word of life that I speak Rom. 9. and 't is a certain truth that a godly poor man let him be unskilfull in humane Learning yet if he hath but that unction of the Spirit that St John speaks of he is able to discourse of the things of God more savingly experimentally and powersully than the greatest Clerks and Rulers of the world 1 Cor. 1.20 Not many mighty not many wise not many noble are called but God hath chosen the base things of the world to confound the honourable and the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty God did chuse for his disciples not the learned Rabbies of the world as the Scribes and Pharisees were but a poor company of Fisher-men and Tent-makers delivered this Book unto us God called Amos from following the sheep to go and Prophesie to Amaziab And this God did to stain the pride of worldly wisdom shewing that he stood not in need of an arm of flesh to accomplish his design upon the earth but that by weak and inconsiderable means in themselves he was able to bring about the greatest designes What is the reason that the greatest Scholars are most to seek in the things of God especially in those things which accompany salvation Why as Solomon speaks they leaning to their own understandings and exalting themselves in the pride of their parts and abillities do justly cause God to leave them to themselves and in the dark because they seek not after the Spirit of God which is the chief thing to be desired if they will know the will of God We usually say that he that made the Laws can best tell how to interpret them so the Spirit of God which made the Word of God for holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the Spirit knows best how to explain it We are to compare spirituall things with spirituall and the Spirit of God speaking in one place with the Spirit speaking in another if we would know the scope and intent of the Word No man can say Jesus is the Christ but by the Spirit Saith Christ to Peter when he confessed him to be the Christ Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven Now the Father as it is clear from Ephes 3.5 declared this mystery by the Spirit Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto his holy Prophets and Apostles by his Spirit As for practicall duties 't is the Spirit only that inflames the heart enlightens the minde breeds compunction and brings sundry comforts That teacheth us to despise earthly things to leath things present and to seek after things eternall to fly honours and to suffer scandals and to place our hope and confidence in God That teacheth us that great duty of mortification If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the flesh to subdue our lusts to overcome the world to live a life of faith and not of sense to endure afflictions and to resist temptations The Spirit helpeth us to pray We know not how to pray as we ought but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities by making intercessions for us with groanings which cannot be uttered He helpeth together with and over-against us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 collaborantes adjuvat The originall word imports as when another man sets his shoulder to bear a part with us in the lifting up of any burden The Spirit of God removes those clogs and weights which be upon our spirits and puts life into the Chariot wheels of our souls by raising up our affections by stirring up the gift of God that is within us that we may pray with readiness of minde And maketh intexcession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Not that the holy Spirit is a Mediator of intercessions that is properly the office of the Sonne who is therefore stiled our Advocate 1 Joh. 2.1 But because the Spirit of God doth stirre up our hearts to prayer and infuse into us holy desires stirring us up and instructing us in this duty therefore he is said to intercede for us The Spirit likewise by causing us to groan and sigh for our sinnes is said to make intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered It is the Spirit alone that must convince us of our sinnes When the Spirit shall come be shall convince the world of sinne Joh. 16.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corripio pervim demonstrationis of righteausness and judgement The Spirit convinceth plainly by a demonstration shewing Thou art the man as Nathan said to David and powerfully to the conscience It is the Spirit that unites us to Jesus Christ he is the bond of our spirituall union He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his It is the Spirit that quickens The Spirit quickneth Joh. 6.63 the Word profiteth nothing It is the Spirit that sanctifieth and that regenerates the hearts of beleevers 1 John 5.18 He that is born of God sinneth not i.e. he that is born of the sanctifying Spirit of God sinneth not that great sinne against the holy Ghost which is unpardonable It is the Spirit that is the true Comforter Hence he is called by way of eminency John 16. The Comforter The earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1.14 because of his inward testifying act upon our spirits that we are Gods children It is the Spirit that driveth out that slavish fear out of our hearts making us to come with boldness and with confidence to God Psal 51. Vphold me with thy free Spirit It is the Spirit that justifies 1 Cor. 6.10 But ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God It is the Spirit that preserves the faithfull from falling away by his preventing and establishing grace from that hope that is within them unto the day of their appearance before Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ What manner of teachings the Spirits teachings are First They are infallible teachings The Spirit teacheth truly without the least errour or deceit He is called the Spirit of truth because whatever the Spirit teacheth it cannot but be truth John 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter which shall abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth The Spirit is said to lead us into all truth Joh. 16.13 When the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dux vobis erit Dux viae He shall lead you by the hand as the Nurse doth a weak sickly childe and be a guide unto you in your way In the way of truth but what he hath heara of me that
the smoaking flax untill he bring forth judgement into victory that is he will cherish grace and knowledge though covered over with manifold imperfections and very small till they shall come to that measure of perfection which is appointed for them Reply Doth the Spirit teach successively though he will teach us all things which pertain to life and godliness What hindereth but that a childe of God may erre in many things and yet the Spirit of God be said to teach him all things v. g. A Schoolmaster is said to instruct his scholar in all the rudiments of Grammar yet the scholar may commit solecismes and false concordance and why because the Master doth not teach him all the elements at once but by degrees So the Spirit though it teacheth all things which pertain to life and salvation in time yet because it teacheth by degrees a childe of God may in the mean time fall into errour till the Spirit of God shall give in a further light into his soul declaring unto him that his tenent is an errour Secondly They are inward teachings that is they reach to the heart Many times Ministers teach but 't is not from the heart to the heart but from the heart to the head We may inform your judgments but we cannot enkindle your affections and inflame your hearts with an ardent desire and fervent love of the things delivered unto you The Spirit makes you not only to know the things of God but in love with the things of God A spirituall man can finde more sweetness in reading one of the Psalms penned by that sweet Psalmist of Israel Davia than in reading all the merry books in the world besides Another man may reade the Word of God but it is only the Spirit that can make us delight in the Law of God according to the inward man Another man may hear of the excellency of Jesus Christ but it is only the spirituall man that esteems him the chiefest of ten thousand and desires him above all things When the Spirit teacheth the soul let it be never so dull of apprehension let its affections be as cold as a stone to heavenly things let him be as Epraim like a silly Dove without a heart let him be altogether averse from any thing that is good yet the Spirit shall produce inward heat life and motion to runne in the waies of God and not to be weary to go on and not faint The Spirits teachings will make hearts as hard as rocks to flow forth with rivers of living water they will cause floods to come into the wilderness where no water is It is unexpressible what are the kindlings of love and meltings of heart in a soul towards God that hath once been toucht with this heavenly light of the Spirit from heaven What is the reason we remain so dull and so cold under such powerfull Ordinances and such plenteous showrs of grace Why I will tell you you want the inward teachings of the Spirit upon your hearts In the Word preached you may have light but you can have no heat you may have motion but you can have no zeal Where the Spirit is there is light and heat you will be burning and shining lights Thirdly They are evident teachings 1 Cor. 2.4 We reade of the demonstration of the Spirit the Spirit when it comes it makes a demonstration from the effect to the cause because the Spirit worketh in us what it teacheth The way to faith is by working knowledge in our hearts and by opening our eyes to see in what a case we are in by nature and into what a good condition we are instated into by Jesus Christ Knowledge is put for faith This is life eternall to know thee Joh. 17.3 and Jesus Christ whom thou bast sent that is to beleeve on thee and Jesus Christ We may know we are taught by the Spirit if we live in the Spirit if we walk in the Spirit if we warre after the Spirit and not after the flesh 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our Warfare are not carnall but spirituall and mighty to the throwing down of sinne and Satan The Spirits writing upon the heart is in great letters not in small so that he that runnes may reade it as it is spoken of the vision in Habakkuk grace is written in legible characters The Saints of God generally stand in their own light By others I do not understand the world the wicked world but the Saints of God The true Saints are hid to the world The life of every Saint is hid with Christ in God But one spirituall Christian may easily discern another because of that likeness which each hath one to another and the conformity both of them have no Jesus Christ their head that they cannot see those graces in themselves which to others are very plain and visible True grace loves to lie hid under the vail of humility the more it seeks to hide it self the more it is discovered The Saints are the Epistle of Christ known and read of all men The Spirit doth not teach by tipes and figures and by shadows but it teacheth the very thing the very substance We reade of the manifestation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall Ephes 1.17 So the Spirit of revelation That the God of our Lord Jesus and the Father of glory might give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him The Spirit it is our remembrancer to bring all things to our remembrance which Christ and his Apostles have spoken unto us in the word Saith Christ John 14.26 When the Spirit comes he shall bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have spoken unto you that is the things of God shall be made so plain unto them as if they had known them of old as if they were well verst in them and the things deeply rooted in their memories This is quite contrary to those who say the Spirits teachings are full of mysteries dark and obscure and hard to be understood What is this but to make the Spirit of God like the impure spirit the devil Indeed when Oracles were in use the devils answers were very obscure witness when Pyrrhus sent to the Oracle to know whether he should overcome the Romans or the Romans overcome him the answer was so dubious that he could not understand either of them before the sword decided the doubt on the Romans part Aiote Aeacida Romanos vincere posse But the Spirit of God teacheth plainly and when he speaks he speaks to the purpose If the Spirits teachings should be obscure who should interpret the minde of the Spirit there is none that can resolve the Spirits meanings but the Spirit it self this is the great resolver of all doubts and questions Wouldst thou be resolved whether thou art a childe of God or no Gal. 4. the Spirit will
many of them and speak not soberly enough of the great mystery of the Trinity bringing in Philosophicall reasons whereas these mysteries should rather be adored than searched after They distinguish were God disting uisheth not being full of vain Philosophy and needless doctrines Weems that seeing they might not see who are called men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith 2 Tim. 3.8 But by the naturall man is understood every man whatsoever that is not taught and inlightened by the Spirit As fleshly is opposed to spirituall so animall or naturall is opposed to spirituall So that whosoever he be let him have the highest perfections of nature or morality or common endowments he is an ignoramus in the things of God if he be void of the Spirit Wicked men they count spirituall things foolishness As the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God so the wisdom of God is foolishness with the world 1 Cor. 1.25 Though the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men So we reade of the foolishness of preaching in the 21 verse of the same Chapter Wicked men count preaching of the Word of God foolishness and Religion but a toy a bable and as a bug-bear to keep us in awe they cannot savour or relish any spirituall thing Besides saies the Apostle they are spiritually discerned Now wicked men who are void of the Spirit they have not that Spirit of discerning which other men have As a man who hath a vitious humour in his eye whatsoever he looks upon it is represented under that humour as if a man hath the Jaundis in his eyes all things are presented to his sight under a yellow colour So wicked men because they are sensuall and have not the Spirit as Jude speaks they look upon all things with a carnall eye and so are not able to discern aright Many times naturall men they judge of things according to their bulk and quantity they judge of the goodness of a prayer by the length of it of faith by a meer casting of themselves at all adventures upon Jesus Christ for salvation never seeing whether their hearts are purified by faith or no Indeed the wicked that have learning may perceive and know those things of the Spirit but they know them in a carnall manner not in a spirituall manner and howbeit they may reform their outward courses and cut off many acts of sin and like grace somewhat in their hearts thus farre and farther may a carnall man go being but changed not renewed Now they cannot spiritually discern grace for in regard of spirituall discerning they are in the dark even as the eyes if they would see without light the eye-sight and the goodness and the excellency of the ball will not avail to make them see so the wicked even the learned'st of them all they cannot see grace because they have not the Spirit of discerning light their learning their wit and all their good parts cannot suffice to descry the things of God as they are seen by the godly They seeing see not and hearing they might hear and not understand This knowledge of the things of God this spirituall knowledge it is called the Unction of the holy Ghost 1 John 2.20 You have an Unction from the holy One and you know all things It is called eye-salve Rev. 3.18 It is called the opening of the eyes Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold the wondrous things in thy Law It is called the lightning of the eyes Psal 13.3 Lighten my eyes It is called seeing Isa 29.18 And the eyes of the blinde shall see out of darkness Mr. Feuner in his mystery of saving grace or joyned with a true love unto him They mistake common grace for speciall grace and rest satisfied with the common graces of the Spirit never minding whether they have that prevailing degree of grace to love God and Jesus Christ above all things They are ready to think themselves the children of God because they prosper in the world and have not crosses as other men because they are quiet in respect of sinne and have no trouble of conscience upon their hearts as other men have They are apt to conclude that God loves them and delights in them because they have sometimes more than ordinary raptures of Spirit and are sometimes stirred up to prayer and the like because they have more head-knowledge than many other honest-hearted Christians have All these false conclusions come from corrupt flesh because they are not inlightened by the Spirit of God John 2.11 He that walketh in the dark knoweth not whither he goeth You are all in the dark unless you have the Spirit If the people of the world had the eyes of the children of God they could not but love grace and holiness and Christ and the Word and the Ministers for the beauty and the excellency that is in them Then they would say with David Psal 84. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness a thonsand years Psal 42.1 As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God when shall I come and appear before God! They would hate sinne for that odious nature and that vileness that is in it but their eyes are vitiated and in stead of the Doves eyes of the spouse of Christ their eyes are bewitched with the things of this world Gal. 3.1 O ye Galatians who hath bewitched you It is a bewitching with the eyes as the Greek word imports It is said of Agar that when she was in the wilderness and the Lad was ready to die for thirst that God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water So though Jesus Christ that fountain which is open to Judah and Jerusalem for sinne and for uncleanness be daily put before our eyes yet if God doth not open our eyes we shall never see it we shall never taste of the waters of life What is the reason that David prayed so often Psal 119. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold the wondrous things of thy Law Teach me thy statutes Make me to understand the way of thy precepts I am thy servant give me understanding that I may know thy precepts Why Because David knew that he could not understand the things of God unless he were taught by the Spirit When the earnall men of the world condemn the children of God for their zeal and constancy in his waies and for their preciseness in living up to the terms of the Gospel they may answer them as one did his fellow in another case for looking upon a picture said his fellow Why dost thou gaze upon it so long O saith he if you did see with my eyes and had that skill to discern as I have you would gaze upon it as long too So if you did see with our light and had that Spirit of
so neither is the soul of man with any created excellency whatsoever We all desire knowledge naturally because knowledge it is the perfection of a rationall soul What is the chiefest happiness of a Christian and the highest perfection that the soul can attain unto but to know God aright and to rejoyce in that knowledge for ever and ever Eves affectation of knowing both good and evil and to be like God in knowledge was the cause of the fall of mankinde The soul it hath a large extent and is never satisfied with the knowledge of any thing unless it laieth hold of the most infinite God who is alone able to replenish the same without the knowledge of whom we understand nothing but are compared to the beasts which perish 7. All other knowledge it is subservient to the Spirits teachings and to that spirituall wisdom which flows from the Spirit It is subordinate and inferiour to it John 17.3 This is eternall life to know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Other knowledge it may serve us about the inferiour works of Christianity how to live justly soberly honestly to carry our selves prudently in the eyes of the world and to do many outward good works of Religion but to make us to approve our hearts to God to believe on Jesus Christ to deny our selves to take up Christs Cross daily and to follow him this only the teachings of the Spirit can help us to do It is one thing to be a good man and another thing to be a good Christian Morall men who have nothing but tivility in them and a discreet carriage to carry all things squarely along in the world may be called good men who wrong no body and live honestly and demurely and are good for the benefit of the Commonwealth either in a civil or in an Ecclesiasticall way knowing how to direct all things for the best advantage both to themselves and others These may be called good men But good Christians servants of Jesus Christ the called ones of God the Father are only those who are the children of light and have the light of the Spirit residing in them The Arts and the Sciences may serve as the Gibeonites did about the Temple to perform all the inferiours works of Religion as farre as sense and reason may be a competent judge but at the service of the Altar the principail thing is the light of the Spirit Logick shews the way of defining and dividing and of demonstrating the truth or the absurdity of a thing Ethicks further us in the illustration of morall vertues Metaphysicks help us in explaining the terms of art which we use in setting forth the nature of things and being the highest and the chiefest Science how to draw conclusions from inferiour objects in subordination to the highest and to reduce all inferiour things to the first cause How to discourse of God of the Angels of the soul of the Attributes of the beings of things in a Scholasticall way To know the first principles of things with severall composed affections which arise from thence and so to finde out principles and subjects for inferiour Sciences But what is all this to the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ to the doctrine of humiliation of examining our own hearts to the great doctrine of morrification and of the Spirits in-being and dwelling in us to the comforting of distressed consciences to the edifying of the Church of Jesus Christ and to the purifying of our hearts from that inbred corruption that is within us to the renewing of the Spirit of our mindes to the obedience of the truth An humble knowledge of our selves is a more secure way to God then a searching after criticall things and of all knowledge the knowledge of God and our own consciences is the best of all 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basilius Christianae religionis finis ac perfecÌ„tio non est nuda 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui humilitatem castitatem mansuetudinem temperantiam charitatem non aâ—at etiam Christum non amat quia Christi vita nihil aliud erat quam humilitas castitas mansuetudo temperantia charitas Gerhardus All other knowledge it makes a man either a good morall man or a good Mathematician or a good Grammarian or a good Linguist or a good Statesman or a good Merchant and the like But the teachings of the Spirit make a man a good Christian Which of these do you think is the best To be a good Mathematician or a good Christian A good Christian shall be saved but a good Mathematician may be damned It is better to be a good scholar in Christs School and to learn apace what the Spirit teacheth us and daily to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ to be like him in humility meekness patience contentment charity then to grow apace in humane knowledge neglecting that knowledge which is for the good of their souls Other knowledge makes a man eminent but for one thing Aliquis in singulis nullus in omnibus but the knowledge that comes from above makes a man eminent in all things in all companies upon all occasions whatsoever he sets about The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour let him be never so rich Pro. 12.26 never so wise never so honourable never so mighty never so knowing otherwise let him be what he will be a righteous person that is acquainted with God and with Jesus Christ is more excellent than him if he hath no more but a meer scepticall scholastick knowledge in his head The light of the Spirit it enlightens the whole soul As the light of a candle presently diffuseth it self over the whole room so this light spreads it self over the whole man 9. All other knowledge it is but vanity and vexation of spirit Solomon who is said to know every herb from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Thistle that groweth by the wall whose heart was so filled with wisdom that there was none like him before or ever shall be after him who wrote abundance of Proverbs and had the faculty of deciding controversies and resolving hard questions whose heart God had endued with wisdom exceedingly yet this Solomon writes this Motto upon all things All is vanity Socrates who was the wisest man in the world according as the Oracle pronounced of him yet what doth he say of himself Hoc unum scio quod nihil scio I know this one thing that I know nothing Nothing in comparison of what the Saints know and nothing in respect of that true substantiall wisdom which will profit me at the last day Saith true wisdom Pro. 8.21 I make him that loveth me to inherit substance By wisdom we are to understand either Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jescht Substantia realitas who is the substantiall and eternall wisdom of God the Father or complexly Christ Jesus and that spirituall
fruit of the spirit While they speak of perfection and living without sin in this life Phil. 3.13 14. they cry down the Apostle Paul who thought himself not prefect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Metaphor drawn from those who run in a race who when they approach the Goale press forward with all their might their Arms and Leggs to touch it but still prest on to the mark of the price of the high calling of Jesus Christ As long as we are of the Laodicean temper and think our selves rich and wanting nothing we are never like to come to Christ to buy raiment of him and to have that spiritual eye-salve whereby we may discerne the things of God but when we are like Christ meek and lowly then we shall finde rest unto our souls God deals with men as he finds them Psal 18. With the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward Mat. 11.29 and with the upright thou wilt shew thy self upright Many times Gods people are of crabbed and knotty spirits that God for the present is as it were at a stand what he should do with them O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee Hos 6.4 O Judah what shall I do unto thee Now as the Carpenter plains the peece of wood so the Lord plains their hearts mountains shall be turned into valleys and the Lords way shall be made straight before him and of rugged spirits they shall become smooth and the froward spirits become meek and quiet that the Lord Jesus by his spirit might be pourtrayed in their hearts as the peece of wood when it is plained and made smooth is apt to receive any form whatsoever the Carpenter pleaseth so our hearts when they are once softned by the Spirit and smoothed by the planer of affliction God can mould them and fashion them as he pleaseth A meek spirit is of a docible disposition ready to receive and most apt to retain most thankfull for what he hath and ever mindfull of its own unworthiness Now here for to prevent mistaking I should shew the nature of meekness to wit what this meekness is Severall kindes of meekness but I shall only shew the severall kindes of meekness which are four 1. A naturall meekness arising out of the constitution of a mans body 2. A morall meekness arising from good precepts instructions and examples 3. A stoicall meekness which is a sameness of spirit upon all occasions this is rather a stupidity then a meekness 4. An artificiall meekness which is when men can restrain their passions though their heart is as full of envy as it can hold Such was Esans meekness to Jacob. 5. A true meekness A true meekness what it is which is a spirituall frame of heart whereby a man gives no provocation and is ready to receive any and whereby a man moderates subordinates and governs all his anger to the glory of God and to the good of others Meekness is passions jaylor True meekness is not alwaies the same but when Gods glory is blasphemed or any waies diminished then it turns to zeal and an holy anger Exod. 32.20 21 22. Moses the meekest man upon the earth when he saw the idolatry of the Israelites he broke forth into an holy anger being grieved in his spirit for the dishonour done to God 6. If thou hast the Spirits teachings upon thy heart thou art one that fearest God Psal 25. What man is he that feareth the Lord Tiberius Gaesar thought no man fit to receive his secrets and yet the Lord vouchsafeth the godly his own secrets None but Noblemen Lords and Dukes might be made partakers of State-secrets the godly are heavenly Lords and Nobles and the privy States men of heavens Court Such honour have all the Saints to know the things of God him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Mal. 4.2 Vnto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings The fear of God it puts a bridle to our lusts and corrupt affections which choak the things of God As an unruly horse may be curb'd with a bit and a bridle so the fear of God it is as it were a bit and a bridle to curb the extravagancy and the breaking forth of sinne The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil As a brick wall keepeth in the waters from overflowing the ground and banks from breaking in upon the meadows so the fear of God puts a stop to the breaking forth of many a sin which otherwise we should commit Now when the strength and the power and the dominion of sinne is taken away the Spirit comes in with more freedom into the soul When Joseph was tempted by his Mistress unto uncleanness he having the fear of God before his eyes refused her with this saying How shall I do this great wickedness and sinne against my God! Gen. 39.40 41. Because of this he is clapt up by a false slander of his Mistress into prison But the Lord was with Joseph in prison and shewed him mercy And Joseph because he feared God had the spirit of revelation given him that he could interpret dreams He expounded the chief Butlers and Bakers dream and Pharaohs dream And the Lord honoured him in the sight of Pharaoh and all his servants By humility and the fear of the Lord come riches Pro. 22.4 honour and life Daniel because he feared God Dan. 9.24 and would not consent to worship other gods the Lord revealed unto him the expiration of the seventy years captivity which was at hand And Noah because he feared God Heb. 11.7 an hundred and twenty years before the overflowing deluge came had this secret committed unto him that God did intend to drown the world for that deluge of sinne which was then in it By faith Noah being Warned of God being moved with fear prepared an Ark for the saving of his house and thereby condemned the ungodly World The salvation of the Lord is nigh them that fear him that glory may dwell in our Land The fear of Gods glorious Majesty and unquestionable authority puts the soul into a fit capacity to be taught by the Spirit As long as a man is presumptuous self-confident and thinks himself somewhat when he is nothing there is no place for any doctrine of Jesus Christ God usually puts men into great fears and terrours and then raiseth them up before he communicates himself unto them Jer. 3.33 I will put my fear before them and write my law in their hearts Severall kindes of fear There is a fourfold fear 1. A naturall fear which in it self is not sinfull because God hath put this affection of fear into our hearts So Christ feared to die 2. A servile or a slavish fear when men fear God not for his goodness but only for his justice
and his greatness Contrary to the Prophet who saith Fear the Lord and his goodness Hos 3.5 When they fear God as a consuming fire but not as a gracious Father When they fear to offend out of a sense of hell and not out of any love they bear to God 3. A filiall fear when men fear to offend God who hath been so gracious a Father unto them who hath done them so much good and shewed them so much mercy When they consider what an ocean of love was shewed unto them by God when they lay wallowing in their blood by pitying them in their condition and shewing them mercy in Jesus Christ The love of God constrains a Saint to an obedience of him And a childe of God hath such ingenuity in him and such a son-like affection to God his Father that he would not willingly grieve him for the whole world 4. A reverentiall fear so the Angels in heaven they are said to fear God because they do him reverence The Saints reverence God Rev. 4.10 casting down their Crowns before him that sitteth upon the Throne That vast disproportion between God and the creature he being the fountain and we the streams who hath his being of himself depending upon none and we continually depending upon him cannot but work a reverence and a godly sear in the hearts of those that love him and embrace him 7. If thou hast the Spirits teachings upon thy spirit upon thy heart thou wilt still desire to have further discoveries of the Spirit upon thy heart Thou wilt much be exercised in all those waies and means the Spirit useth to come down Much in private prayer in that heavenly duty of spirituall meditation much at home with thy self and less gadding abroad in thy desires and affections There was a time when the children of Israel said unto Moses Exod. 20.19 Speak thou unto us and we shall hear let not the Lord speak unto us lest perhaps we die But when was this When the Lord came down upon mount Sinai with thunderings and lightnings to give his Law unto his people But now under the Gospel when the Spirit is poured forth abundantly a childe of God rather cries out with the Prophet Samuel Speak Lord 1 Sam. 3.10 for thy servant heareth Let not Moses or thy servants only instruct me but rather do thou speak my Lord God by thy Spirit in my heart who art the enlightner of all the Prophets for thou alone with them canst perfectly instruct me but they without thee can profit nothing As Mary sate down at Christs feet to hear the gracious words which proceeded from his mouth so thou wilt wait at the Ordinances to have more flowings in of the Spirit upon thee ☜ When a soul shall remember at such a time such a spirituall truth was imparted unto me at such a time and in such a place I was convinced that such a thing was a sinne and by the power of the Spirit overcome to a forsaking of it that such a thing was a duty that I was setled in my mind concerning such a Tenet that I had a fuller assurance of Gods love upon my heart than formerly this will make the soul pant and breath after a more full manifestation of spirituall things As David cries out Psal 42.2 When shall I come and appear before God so thou wilt cry out When will the time be that I shall have another teaching of the Spirit upon my heart Psal 63.2 Lord let me see thy outgoings in the Sanctuary as formerly I have seen Let me hear thy voice O blessed Saviour for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely Teach me thy statutes shew me wisdoms path Instruct me in the way that I should walk in Shew unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit 8. He that hath the Spirits teachings upon his heart is of a heavenly minde and can perform all duties in a spirituall manner As it is impossible for a man at once to look upwards towards heaven and downwards towards the earth so it is impossible for a Christian with one and the same judgement and affection to look upon earthly and heavenly things He counts the riches and honours and pleasures of the world but as crumbs cast to dogs but as triviall things not worth the mentioning in comparison of the enjoyment of God in Christ He is resolved not to be put off with those common mercies and not to receive his good things in this life but he tramples upon all these things under the Moon as mutable and that pass away having his eye fixt upon that eternall weight of glory in heaven and upon that Crown of bliss and happiness reserved for him A simile As children when they come to be men they put away childish things bowling-stones counters and all other vain and foolish sports and pleasures and become more serious and solid weighing what will become of them and how they may live in the world so when thou art taught of the Spirit thou wilt abandon all former delights when thou wert in the flesh and count the world thy enemy which would have kept thee from Jesus Christ yea the memory of thy vain conversation when thou livedst according to the course of the world will be bitter unto thee and thou wilt count all the things of this world but toys and trifles in comparison of the true and the heavenly riches When a spirituall man hath the things of this life he doth not set his heart upon them he doth not trust in them Mat. 6.33 he looks upon them but as additionals and as a handfull over and above into the bargain of eternall life but his heart is where is treasure is even in heaven In the fulness of all things his heart is empty and in the want of all things he can enjoy all things in Jesus Christ The more the understanding is enlightned to see the excellency of a thing and the necessity of it Whether the will follows the last dictate of the practicall understanding presently the will closeth with it And though in outward things the will doth alwaies follow the last dictate of the practicall understanding for Medea said Video meliora probóque Deteriora sequor Yet the will of a Saint cannot but follow the last dictate of the practicall understanding taught by the Spirit Now the Spirit it puts a new face upon things it takes away the false painted mask which the world and our own corrupt hearts had cast upon those transitory things and that vizard Satan had put upon them and shews us the emptiness the insufficiency the vanity the mutableness the inconstancy and the perishing nature of them that they are weak inconsiderable things which cannot afford the least solid joy and comfort That the pleasures of sin and the world are but as the cracklings of thorns under a pot which blaze for the
present Eccl 7 6. but suddenly are out That all the creatures are but broken cisterns Jer. 2.13 pits which can hold nothing but muddy and defiled comforts Besides the Spirit it teacheth us the fulness of God the sufficiency that is in Jesus Christ the joys that flow in from above and what a mass of glory is treasured up for us if we continue faithfull unto the death Mark 14.25 That the time is at hand when we shall drink the new wine of eternall consolation with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of heaven hereafter When a man hath a spirit of discerning to discern between the true riches and the fading riches of this world and the Spirit hath enlightned his understanding and he sees the what things are prepared for him hereafter if he love God and keeps his Commandments He is more Saint-like and is as it were a stranger upon earth seeking rest and finding none till he come to his Fathers house and finished his course One that is taught of the Spirit can do all duties in a spirituall manner He can pray in the Spirit sing in the Spirit walk in the Spirit live after the Spirit warre after the Spirit rejoyce in the Spirit and subdue his sinnes by the strength of the Spirit His affections desires aims and intentions are heavenly You may see a spirituall man by his going by his talking by his eating and drinking by his company by his continuall course and progress in his life Watch him narrowly ☞ and you may see somewhat of the Spirit in his common carriage he doth not minde the world he lives as it were a stranger upon earth all his discourse is about his fathers business and of heavenly things He cares not so much what becomes of his body so his soul may prosper All his delight is with the excellent and with those that fear God He is often upon his knees confessing his sins and abhorring himself for his iniquities He is much with God and little with the world and if it stood with Gods good pleasure and the Churches good he could be absent from the body Phil. 1.23 24. that he may be present with the Lord. Self-deniall is the great lesson he is continually a conning sinne is his greatest burthen the world his purgatory Jesus Christ his only joy God his portion and heaven his rest Now I come to shew what are the extraordinary teachings of the Spirit that so we may know the one from the other 1. A man hath then an extraordinary teaching of the Spirit upon his heart when he is certain God will give him the same thing he asked of him in prayer in the very same kinde and manner he asked it of God when he is fully perswaded and verily believes that God will grant him the very same thing which he asked of him It is an extraordinary work of the Spirit upon the heart that must produce such a strong confidence in God that God will give him the very same thing he desires When a soul can say I know that God heareth me alwaies and will hear me in this thing and give me my hearts desire especially when there is no promise in the word made to that particular thing which he praies for As suppose thou hadst a friend sick and thou praiest for his recovery and hast such a strong confidence in God by the Spirit that thou undoubtedly believest that he shall recover such a confidence had Luther when he wrote to Myconius hearing that he was sick that without he should recover so he did according to Luthers prayer So had Elijah when he prayed for rain and Jesus Christ when he did his miracles 2. When a soul hath that Plerophory that full assurance of faith without all doubting then he hath an extraordinary teaching of the Spirit upon his heart When he can say with Job I know that my redeemer liveth Job 19.25 and though worms destroy my body yet I shall see him with these very eyes 2 Tim. 4.7 And with Paul I have fought the good fight of faith I have finished my course hence forth there is laid up for me a Crown of life c. When a soul can say by the full evidence of the Spirit upon his spirit without the least wavering or doubting I know that both in life and death Christ shall be unto me advantage When a soul can merrily and cheerfully rejoyce in the expectation of the glory of God Many precious Saints are without this full assurance till they come to die as that godly Martyr Mr Glover was who was full of fears and doubts till he came to the stake and then out of a sense of Jesus Christ he cries out He is come he is come That is Jesus Christ was come with his extraordinary comforts unto his soul the Spirit of God sealing unto him the pardon of his sinnes and the love of Jesus Christ unto his soul 3. When a soul hath such a spirit of zeal courage and magnanimity in the waies of God that though he were the Butt of the whole world and the laughing-stock of men and Angels for the cause of God and were persecuted on all sides yet he patiently can undergo it for the sake of Christ These are Saints of the first magnitude who have more than ordinary to other Saints flowings in of the Spirit upon their hearts Such were the Apostles Luther Ignatius Athanasius Gregory Nazianzen and the like Tempore Athanasii totus mundus gemuit sub Ario. The Martyr Antipas who is spoken of in the Revelation of St John Rev. 2.13 who dwelt where Satan had his seat and kept himself unspotted amongst that wicked and perverse generation and witnessed to the truth with the loss of his life had an extraordinary measure of the Spirit upon his heart 4. When men have an infallible Spirit so that whatsoever they say is truth and as it were an Oracle from God and when upon all emergencies they have Divine influences from the Spirit of grace then they have the extraordinary teachings of the Spirit When they have an infallible Spirit so only had the Apostles For they being universall messengers of Jesus Christ not tied to one particular place but to plant Churches in severall places and to pen one part of the Word of God which was to be a standing rule to the end of the world they were guided by the infallible Spirit of God so that they could not erre in things which belong to faith and piety Only the Apostles were infallible in their doctrine Popes and generall Councils may erre and have erred grosly from the faith Also when upon all exigencies they have the supplies of the Spirit of God then they have the extraordinary teachings of the Spirit so had the Apostles Luke 12.11 And when they bring you unto the Synagogues and unto Magistrates and Powers take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer or what ye shall
say For the holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say Whether the Saints in the Primitive times who suffered for the Gospel or the Martyrs in Queen Maries daies had not these influences of the Spirit upon their sad exigencies when they were brought before their cruell persecutors to answer for themselves is beyond all controversie Certainly silly men and women I mean in respect of any deep knowledge could never on a sudden express their mindes so excellently concerning the things of God had they not more than ordinary at such a time the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts witness that woman of Exeter mentioned in the Book of Martyrs with many others The times wherein the Spirits teachings are most manifest 1. In times of affliction thou art most of all sensible of the teachings of the Spirit upon thy heart In themselves they manifest nothing to the soul but the displeasure of an angry Judge intending to destroy them but the Spirit concurring along with them and shewing us the minde and will of God they are precious cordials and purgations for the sinne of our souls If afflictions could make us hearken to the voice of God and savingly instruct us and teach us those things which concern our everlasting peace why do not many wicked wretches who live under the scourge of the Almighty all their daies who have one wave of affliction after another upon them learn obedience by the rod and understand the minde and intent of God Afflictions in themselves are neither good nor evil but accordingly as they are improved by us through the help of the Spirit according to the will of God Now although the Spirit hath written the things of God long before upon our hearts yet the manifestation of those things most of all is apparent to us when God doth instruct us by his rod together with his Spirit that those graces which for a long time were not discerned by us being pressed down by affliction may send forth a precious smell in the nostrils of our God and to the sense of others We learn by afflictions 1. To see those things which we never perceived to be in us before to wit the actings of divine grace in us supporting us and carrying us along chearfully through this valley of Baca and the actings of our spirit towards God again in way of filiall affection and son-like obedience under his hand being taught by the Spirit what the mind of God is concerning them As no man knoweth the vileness of his heart till God is pleased to let Satan have his liberty to tempt him and his own hearts lusts to draw him aside So none can know the prevailings of grace upon his own heart and the efficacy of divine teachings and the triall and experience of those things which are written upon his heart till God shall bring him under the fiery triall The Spirit hath taught us that all trust and confidence is to be reposed in God alone because God alone is able to deliver us and that we may thereby be quit and set free from all those distracting fears which do molest us Psal 37.5 Commit thy waies unto the Lord that thy thoughts may be established Now our confidence in God is then most of all exercised when all other props and staies do fail us and we cast our selves under the arms of Almighty God We know not our own strength against the temptations of sinne and Satan that we are fortified with the whole armour of God Ephes 6. to wit the shield of faith the helmet of hope the breast-plate of righteousness the sword of the Spirit the Spirit of prayer and supplication the inward support and aid of the Spirit of God and the continuall prayers of Jesus Christ interceding for us at the right hand of his Father that our graces fail not in the hour of tribulation till God shall smite us with his rod. By afflictions the teachings of the Spirit of God upon our hearts are most known to others Rev. 14.12 Here we may reade the patience of the Saints the sincerity of their hearts the power of divine grace and the sweetness of the comforts of the Spirit upon their hearts when we see them cheerfully willingly and joyfully submitting themselves to the good pleasure of God 2. By afflictions we are more and more acquainted with the evil nature of sinne which hath brought such afflictions upon us with the holiness of God which cannot away with sinne and sinners and with the exact justice of God against it in so severely punishing of it with the benefit that comes by seeking Gods face and by walking up to the light which God hath put within us 3. The Spirit of God is very active upon the hearts of believers at such a time in rooting out the remainders of originall corruption and in the exciting of those things which he hath put within them 2. Near the time of death Sweet have been the discoveries of Gods Spirit upon the hearts of his children when they have been near the time of their dissolution for these reasons 1. Because near such a time Satan and all our spirituall enemies will muster up all their assaults to weaken a believers faith hope and confidence in God especially when the believer hath been a hainous sinner formerly and after his conversion hath fallen into some gross sinne to the wounding of his own conscience and to the quenching of the blessed Spirit for a time though the sin is done away by the blood of Jesus Christ and the pardon of it sealed by the testimony of the Spirit yet the devil will be pudling in this old sore and perswading him to the contrary telling him that his conversion was never reall because since he hath fallen so foully in the flesh The devil tempted Christ when he was near the time of his suffering to drive him from his hope and confidence in God his Father Saith Christ The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me Joh. 14.30 Christ was perfectly holy so that no temptation could take hold of him to overcome him ☞ or to taint him with the least sinne But we poor creatures when the devil comes to tempt us have something in us we have a great deal of unbelief abiding in us we have a body of sinne and of death and hereupon our bullwarks would easily fall our confidence in God would easily give place to unbelief were not the Spirit of God which is in us stronger than him who by way of eminency is in the world 1 Joh. 4.4 to wit the devil Now God on the other side fils a believer with continuall fresh and renewed supplies of his Spirit and with new experiences of his love unto him bringing unto his remembrance all former loving kindnesses past between God and his soul what a great work was wrought upon him in the work of conversion what various dispensations of