determine thy will with his as David Psal. 39.9 I held my tongue and spake nothing because thou Lord didst it There must be but one will betweene God and a faithfull soule betweene Christ and a Christian. Quest. How may I know my will thus denied renewed freed and framed to God Answ. The signes of it are 1. in respect of it selfe 2. in regard of sinne 3. in regard of good duties 1. In respect of it selfe it will not runne before but will waite upon sanctified knowledge and renewed reason it will not inthrall the light of the minde to inordinate desires it will be prooving still what is the good and acceptable will of God It will resolve and purpose that so long time as it is in the flesh to walke after the will of God 1 Pet. 4.2 2. Thou shalt know it in regard of sinne 1. It is resolute in resistance of sinne and the occasions for although the will renewed admit sinne in respect of corruption yet it selfe is in great part set against sinne that it willeth it not fully it purposeth not to sinne as David I vowed I will keepe thy judgements it hath a fast purpose to cleave to God Psal. 119.104 and hates all the wayes of falshood 2. When it yeelds to sinne it is with griefe it doth not sleepe in sinne so but that the heart waketh So the Apostle Rom. 7.15 he even hateth sinne while he is a doing of it I hate that I doe 3. After sinne it riseth timely by repentance if he fall into sinne he hardens not his heart Prov. 28.14 he wills it not neither before nor after there is a strugling and a reluctation in him against it and thus you may know the will rightly framed 3. In regard of good duties it will not onely be well-doing but chearefull in well-doing he doth good duties willingly freely There is a difference in doing one and the same action betweene a good man and a wicked man the worke of the will renewed is not onely to take opportunity to doe good but seeke opportunity to doe it it will not doe good of constraint but will doe it with willingnesse he will doe it cheerefully as a good Pastour feedes his flocke not by constraint but of a willing minde 1 Pet. 5.2 Quest. Why should wee thus looke to our wills Answ. First the state of Christianity is rather a willing than a doing the will of God thou that canst doe no more wouldst thou doe lesse Secondly no greater plague can befall a man than to be given up to his owne will the holding to a mans owne will is the losse of the will and soule too Thirdly as thy will is pleased with the sinne so it shall be revenged in the sorrow of it that will of thine that will not be compelled to obey shall be compelled to suffer all the plagues of sinne by a just recompence are laid upon the will as his sinne was a resistance and renouncing of the will of God for in hell no sinner shall ever obtaine what hee would but shall ever sustaine what hee would not Thus God brings the wayes of the wilfull sinner upon his owne head Ezek. 11.21 Thirdly to keepe the soule blamelesse we must narrowly watch all our affections wherein the soule moves it selfe every where for man by his fall hath lost not his affections but the holinesse and rectitude of them for now man naturally hateth the Lord and his image in his word in his servants and graces he feares and flies what hee should most joy and delight in that is God himselfe he joyes in swallowing the pleasures of sinne the baytes of his perdition hee is angry and impatient at God himselfe as Ionas and carried with a rageing madnesse causelesly and intemperately on any occasion And therefore we must fly to the grace of regeneration which doth not abolish affections but the disordered motions of them and restores them towards their originall rectitude and goodnesse Where this worke of grace is not and where the spirit hath laid no bridle upon the affections no marvaile if that soule runne riot into all unruly lusts and make it selfe blame-worthy and guilty every moment of foule sinnes Yea where this grace is care must be to preserve it even in every affection the least disorder of any of which is enough to impure the soule and leave it under blame Now the rules of keeping the affections unblameable and then for the reasons I. To keepe thy affections unblameable thou must labour seeing they cannot be unblameable if they be not good in the rise to get a good rise for thy affections a good motion must be from a good mover labour to see who is the mover of thy affections whether the Spirit of God or the wicked spirit or thine owne carnall spirit Excellent are those affections that are moved by the Spirit of God as when feare anger love joy griefe are 1. grounded on just causes 2. guided by the rule of renewed reason for the Spirit never moves but according to the word 3. tempered in ordinate measure now they become servants of grace Whereas if thy owne carnall spirit move them contrary to the word for their subject object manner or measure now they turne enemies to God and to thine owne soule II. Be sure they be carried upon right objects onely set thy affections where Gods Spirit would set them Here first the proper object of love is God himselfe and not for his gifts but for himselfe and of Iesus Christ whom if any man love not let him be accursed and that not as a Iesus onely but as a Lord And then the things of God wee must covet the most excellent gifts and with Mary choose the better part even our part in the Gospell and word of Christ and then entirely love the friends of God all our delight must be in the Saints that excell in vertue Secondly the object of our anger is sinnes not persons nor so much the sinnes of others as our owne which are nearer us Thirdly the object of our joy is pardon of sinne Gods favour and countenance Psal. 4. It is wrong placed when it is in the creature not in the Creatour when in the gift not in the giver Fourthly the object of our patience is evills of punishment which we must patiently suffer but not evills of sinne as Moses Fifthly of our feare the true object is God more for his goodnesse than greatnesse more for his mercy than justice Mercy is with thee to be feared Psal. 130.4 more lest we offend him than be offended by him And so in the rest What a businesse now is it to keepe our affections upon allowed and warrantable objects III. In these best objects see they be most vehement and intense To doe this observe these rules First bestow on the best things the best affections thou must love the Lord thy God with all thy soule all thy heart and strength nay more thou
shew all love to their persons still All which discovers a great deale of corruption in our affections First Many hate sinnes in another and not the same sinnes in themselves and this is the hatred of the person and not of the sinne Secondly many seeme to hate evill but not out of love to goodnesse some say they hate Popery but are farre from the love of the truth they dislike grosse profanesse drunkennesse adultery but have no affection to true godlinesse hatred of evill is joyned with cleaving to good Thirdly many hate most where God most loves as persons for grace sake and two sorts of men are the butts of the hatred of this age 1. Zealous and godly Ministers because their life and doctrine reproove evill mens workes Ahab hateth Eliah Hast thou found mee O mine enemy the more they love the lesse they are loved for a Minister to hate mens sinnes or to speake the truth doth it deserve such hatred If we should love mens sinnes wee should hate their persons and if we hate not our brothers evill we could not wish his good 2. A generation of men who are so precise they will not sweare nor be drunke nor game away their time they are Iewishly strict in keeping the Saboth so zealous as they cannot abide the sent of Popery they repeate sermons pray in their families cleave to the Scripture in all things so curious and nice they will touch nothing that is uncleane But are these hated of God Nay are they not in singular favour with him 2. Are not their workes objected against them the workes of God imposed by God upon all Christians upon paine of damnation as to hate swearing to be strict in the Saboth to detest Popery to be frequent hearers of the word to set up Gods worship in the family to cleave to the Scriptures and get out of the way of evill men In this way which they call heresie must we worship God 3. All this zeale against zeale is kindled not with a coale from the Altar but fired with a flame from hell Iohn 15.19 Because I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you 4. How generall is the hatred of grace by gracelesse men that pinch and reproach good affections zeale they call distemper sorrow for sinne is but melancholy and next to madnesse love of the word is but precisenesse and more than needes love of good men but faction and partiality hatred of every evill worke but singularity holinesse a kinde of heresie purity hollownesse and all that is nought How unlike is the world to God and Christ who commended shewes of goodnesse in the young man never quenched smoking flaxe but kindled it and enflamed it and whosoever hateth grace in another first hates it in himselfe 5. How generally doe we love and cherish in our selves what the Lord hateth First hath hee not specially manifested his hatred against an outward forme of religion severed from the power and life of it Esay 1.14 My soule hateth your feasts and new Moones his owne institutions because they were severed from faith truth and inward holinesse But how generall is the profession of religion without power prayer of words not of spirit hearing without conscience of doing washing the outside when all is foule within Secondly how great indignation hath he testified against people unfaithfull in the covenant as a jealous husband hates the wife of his bosome that playeth false with him Ier. 12.8 yet how universall is our unfaithfulnesse to God the contempt of grace the slighting of the meanes the Apostacy and turning backe of the kingdome from God So as we see how our affections are swerved from the rule and what great neede we have to be stirred up to a more carefull watch over our affections Consider therefore and see the mischiefe of disordered affections First how powerfully they draw us from Christian duties as how they interrupt prayers which was the Apostles argument betweene man and wife an heart troubled with passions cannot be familiar with God nor behold his face no more than a man can see his owne face in a troubled water Consider how they hinder the powerfull working of the word 1 Pet. 2.1 Therefore lay aside all malice envie c. and then receive the word A full vessell can receive no liquor sweete water in a fusty vessell is but lost seede cast among thornes commeth to nought how they unsettle the heart in grace pulling it off from confidence in God love of the truth from exercise of grace from the joyes and consolations of the Spirit For as no man can see the beames of the Sunne when the heavens are covered with clouds so cannot the soule discerne the shining beames of Gods love when it is clouded with passion Secondly how potent are unruly affections to draw us from our duty so suddenly and violently doe they carry us into many sinnes how suddenly are great professours snatched into the love of the world and so become Apostates as Iudas and Demas How doth the love of the world draw on a number of sinnes and drowne men in lusts and perdition How suddenly was David snatched into foulest sinnes not watching his affections How was Peter pulled from his purposes and promises by inordinate selfe-love to the deniall of his Master Acquaint thy selfe with the difficulty of guiding the affections aright for though the common errour thinke it the easiest thing in the world yet the whole power of nature cannot reach it for what a divine wisdome is required holily to temper the affections and keepe them even To temper faith and feare that they enterfeare not to mingle love and hatred that they entrench not one another to holde the ballance even betweene Moses zeale and Moses meeknesse to contend for faith and not be contentious to be couragious and bolde and yet suspitious and alwayes fearefull to be christianly patient and not stoically insensible The same Spirit must afford this wisdome that appeared in the shape of a dove and of fire Consider the necessity of this care and carriage of our affections 1. In beholding the numbers of occasions which daily thrust in upon us to thrust them besides their right objects and enthrall us in pride unjust anger envie wantonnesse carnall love feare c. And were there no such outward occasions who feeles not the spirit in him lust after envie and after the world and after all forbidden fruites so as all care is too little wisely to watch and prevent the continuall disorder of the whole man by his affections 2. What great necessity is it that wise Christians difference themselves from common men it is a great weaknesse to corrupt our affections by the provocations of wicked men to shoote in their bowe to doe as they doe But the godly must be different from them not feare with their feare nor joy with their joy nor kindle anger by theirs nor curse when they
against the teacher which is an usuall bait of Satan to make all good things carelesly rejected Micaiah for this was turned out of dores as no fit Counsellor for King Ahab So the itching eare which is still desirous of novelties as the young man having heard the olde commandements would still heare more new And a tediousnesse in hearing the same things often which the Apostle calls a safe thing The latter are 1. Hardnesse of heart cast as much seede as you will among stones and cover them therewith no fruite followes for the stones hinder the rooting as we see in Pharaoh Mollifie the heart throughly and the word wil abide in it 2. Cares of the world which are as thornes to choake it All seede sowne among thornes getteth no strength but perisheth The Pharisies mocked Christ in his doctrine because they were covetous Luke 16.14.3 Voluptuous living makes men heare onely for fashion and to be like those widdowes which are ever learning but never come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3. or at least not to joyne vertue to their knowledge as the intemperate patient that heares the physitian but will not follow him II. Provide and furnish the soule with helpes to hold that which is good These helpes respect 1. Intention 2. Attention 3. Retention First the Intention must must bee cleane and sincere we must not heare for envie as the Pharisies and Iewes in Paules time nor for newes as the Athenians nor for gaine or curiosity as Felix but to receive as babes the sincere milke of the word to grow in grace thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 This intention shall be the better furthered by premeditation of the force use and efficacy of the word that it is the power of God to salvation the incorrupt seede the word of life the instrument of faith the sword of the spirit the bread and water that preserveth eternall life Secondly Attention must be used Acts 8.6 the people of Samaria gave heede to the things that Philip spake This attention is a keeping of the heart and affections to the word deliuered Acts 16.14 when Paul preached Lydia attended and the Lord opened her heart When Christ preached all the peoples eyes were fastened upon him Luke 4. Attention is the doore by which the word enters It is much furthered by a due estimation of the word Thy word saith David is wonderfull therefore my soule keepeth it Men will attend to their learned counsell when their free-hold is in question so here conceive aright of the word as a matter of life and death a matter that concernes thy inheritance in heaven thou wilt carefully attend it Thirdly Retention must follow In the body there are two nutritive powers one Attractive to draw meate into the stomacke the other Retentive to hold it there till it be turned into nourishment so in the soule And if the former draw too little the latter holds little and so the body pines and if the former draw too much that the body is not able to hold it the body pines still So here the soule must be still drawing but it must also forcibly holde it till the soule be refreshed Now this Retentive faculty is strengthened by 4. meanes 1. Meditation cleane beasts chew the cud Deut. 11 2. Consider the workes of the Lord Psal. 1.1 Meditate in his Law both day and night The acts of God must be in the mouthes of them that feare him Psal. 149. and 39.3 while David mused his heart was warmed Phil. 4.8 whatsoever things are honest just and pure thinke on those things men have therefore evill thoughts because they nourish not the good 2. Conference which is a whetting of holy lessons both on our selves and others Deut. 11. the Iewes are commanded to conferre of the word early and late Acts 17. The Bereans are commended for comparing the Apostles doctrine with Scripture 3. A full purpose of heart to practise good things Psal. 119.106 I have sworne to keepe thy law and 50.16 Why takest thou my word into thy mouth and hatest to be reformed 4. Fervent and constant prayer which is the key of knowledge gets the hearing eare and the soft heart it is a key to open the coffers of God out of which we may take those treasures which are not from our selves but from above our reach III. Chuse sure and safe places to hold good things in First in memory we must remember good things we heare Deut. 4.9 Take heed to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the things thine eyes have seene Psal. 119.16 I will not forget thy word and ver 93. I will never forget thy precepts because by them thou hast quickened me Secondly keep them in the faith of thy heart else all is unprofitable Heb. 4.2 for that onely gives them rooting in our hearts Col. 2.7 Prov. 4.21 Keepe them in the midst of thy heart then shall they be as alight in the lanthorne shining through every part of thy life This was the coffer that Abraham locked up the promises of God in and held them fast without reasoning though it was difficult and seemed impossible Rom. 4.20 and David Psal. 119.11 I have hid thy word in my heart Thirdly keepe it in the affections of thy soule love earnestly the word of God and all good things for the things that wee like not or affect not we care not for keeping The great commandement is to love the Lord with all thy heart And every Christian ought to appeale to the Lord himselfe as Peter to Christ Lord thou knowest that I love thee Iohn 21.16 And the tryall of our love to him is to keepe his commandements chap. 14.15 Fourthly keepe them in the practise of thy life and whole conversation 1. By professing good things as Christ himselfe professed a good profession before Pontius Pilate 2. By promoting all good causes to thy utmost power 3. By maintaining and defending all good things and causes 4. By suffering for good things and every way giving testimony and setting seale to them if neede be with thy dearest heart blood IV. If we would hold good things let us furnish and arme our selves against theeves and robbers 1. Our owne carelesnesse Many times we care not to understand the things of God vanity of minde worldly lusts and desire of riches partly take up the roome partly choake good things so as they are neither received nor held But if we understand not let us not be ashamed to enquire and seeke out till wee doe understand 2. Satans slynesse who steales the word and good purposes out of mens mens hearts strangely even while they looke on and consent Doe as Abraham who drave away the birds that troubled him in sacrificing Gen. 15.11 so doe thou drive away these ravenous birds that are sent by Satan 3. Temptation and persecution Much ground keeps the seede till the heate of persecution comes and in persecution falls away and
to the sanctification of the Spirit so as this is a sanctification appropriate to the elect Thirdly the forme of sanctification And that is 1. in putting off of corrupt qualities 2. In bringing in new and inherent holinesse which daily changeth the beleever into the image of God as Col. 3.10 Seeing yee have put off the old man with his workes and put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him This new quality created in the hearts of the elect by the Spirit of God whereby they can in some measure truly hate and forsake sinne and truly love the Law of God with an indeavour to keepe it is the very being of sanctification Fourthly the processe of sanctification It is begun in grace here and not perfected till hereafter in glory Which is added 1. to distinguish it from justification which is perfect in one act 2. To note the toughnesse and strong heart of sinne which is slowly weakned here and never here perfectly subdued for in the most perfect the flesh lusteth against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 3. To shew that the matter of sanctification is to be in perpetuall motion as a living water Hee that is righteous must be righteous still Rev. 22.11 4. To shew that sound holinesse never gives over till it attaine perfection perfection is a fruite of soundnesse in grace The way of the righteous shines more and more untill perfect day Prov. 4.18 For the second What it is to be sanctified throughout Answ. 1. These Thessalonians were already sanctified and therefore the Apostle prayes that they might happily proceede to full sanctification 2. This full sanctification is partly in this life partly in the life to come the Apostle intendeth both the former first as a way to the latter The through sanctification in this life is the imperfect sanctification of parts the other is the perfect sanctification in degrees The former is 1. in respect of the whole rule of sanctification which is the Law of God when a beleever can truly say with David that hee hath respect to all the commandements Psal. 119.6 and 18.22 for all his lawes were before mee and I did not cast away his commandements from me 2. In respect of all sinnes it is a through change from all sinne not a turning out of one sinne into another nor a turning from all sinnes save one as Herod but an hating of all appearance of evills yea of darling and bosome sinnes yea of right eyes and hands Matth. 5.29 3. In respect of all gifts of sanctification which the Spirit gives in part to every beleever not onely knowledge faith love which are eminent but other inferiour also as patience meeknesse temperance peace with every other fruite of sanctification 4. In respect of all the parts of the man in which the Spirit of God putteth forth this noble worke as Cant. 4.1 c. the Church is described to be faire in all parts eyes hayre teeth lippes temples c. the sanctified person must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly perfect The latter i. full and through sanctification in the life to come stands in the perfection of degrees and in these particulars 1. An utter abolishing of sinfull flesh 2. A perfect freedome from all the causes and workes of repentance 3. Perfect and speciall communion with God and Christ and good Angels and elect men 4. Perfection of all graces both in kinde and in measure 5. A perfect exercising of our graces in glory and happinesse And all this our Apostle seemes to ayme at in the last words where he mentions the comming of Christ in which he shall attaine through and full sanctification For the third What be these parts mentioned spirit soule body Answ. 1. Some by Spirit understand the third person in Trinity as Ambrose Some a third part of man But the Scripture speakes but of two namely a body and a soule and Aquinas saith the spirit and the soule differ non secundū essentiam sed potentiam not in essence but as divers faculties Others by the spirit understand the whole man regenerate so farre as hee is opposed to flesh the man considered not according to the parts of nature but according to the parts of grace So Athanasius said Spiritus est donum quod jam per baptismum accepistis the Spirit is the gift of God received in baptisme for keep this gift saith he and both soule and body wil be unblamable This exposition is not unfit yet I take another to be fitter thus It is common in Scripture for our better apprehension of our duty to distinguish those faculties which God hath put in the soule of man that we might take notice of the worke of sanctification in the severall faculties There be two parts of man a soule and a body Of the soule there are two noble faculties under which all the rest are comprehended 1. the spirit 2. the will here called the soule by a Synecdoche of the whole for the part By spirit in this and all places where the spirit and soule are mentioned together is meant that noble and eminent faculty of mans soule called the understanding or minde the Philosophers call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leader and ruler of all other parts and faculties and the most noble of all Vnder this is the conscience included which being renewed is called also by the name of Spirit Rom. 8.16 The spirit witnesseth to our spirits and Eph. 4.23 Be renewed in the Spirit of your minde 2. The other superiour faculty but not so noble is that whereby we doe will affect or desire that which wee understand and conceive to bee good This they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 under which is comprehended the will and affections So these words are used elsewhere Luke 1.46 My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour 1 Sam. 18.1 The soule of Ionathan was knit to David that is his heart affections desires 3. The body is that part of man which is the house of the soule consisting of flesh bones humours and the like Now then the whole man is sanctified throughout 1. When the minde thoughts cogitations and conscience are pure and holy wisely to think and meditate and guide safely by wise discerning of things profitable and pertinent 2. When the heart affections and desires are rightly composed and given up to the guidance of right and renewed reason when a sound heart and a sound minde meete together 3. When the whole body as the soules instrument is in all the members of it obedient to act and effect good actions according to the dictate of right reason and the command of renewed will when the members are weapons and servants of righteousnesse Or more briefly when the spirit thinkes nothing the will affects nothing the body effects nothing contrary to the will of God For the fourth Quest. Here is perfection of holinesse
indeede Did ever any or can ever any attaine to this perfection Answ. This question brings us to the explication of the fourth thing in the Text How a man may be said to be blamelesse in spirit soule and body in this life Whereto we say No man ever attained to this unblameable perfection of degrees in this life except the first Adam in his innocency and the second Adam who had sanctification in all parts and degrees for Paul a most holy man after regeneration confesseth how farre hee was from perfection Rom. 7. and Phil. 3. But a man regenerate may be said to be blamelesse and throughly renewed 1. In respect of his relation with Christ his head who is made to him sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 and in whom hee is perfectly holy and unblameable Ezek. 16.14 Thy Beauty was made perfect by my Beauty 2. In respect of open and grosse crimes which might impeach the honour of his profession so Zachary and Elizabeth walked in Gods ordinances without reproofe Luk. 1.6 so did Samuel and Iob and other holy men For though no man can be without sinne yet a man may be without crime when after his conversion hee carries himselfe so uprightly as he cannot be noted for any reigning sinne before men 3. In respect of Christian indeavour and inchoation when the beleever labours and aymes at full sanctification in all his faculties and parts for sanctification produceth holy motions in the soule and holy actions in the body See it 1. In the spirit 1. In the soule First the spirit i. the minde and understanding of a sanctified man is indued with a sound and distinct knowledge of heavenly things and he still indeavours to a further measure Psal. 119.33 34. Teach mee give mee understanding c. Matth. 13.11 To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome not to others And it is joyned with a speciall faith applying the promises which maketh his person and worke acceptable Ioh. 20.28 My Lord and my God Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God Vnder the spirit include the conscience in the purging of which the beleever striveth and loseth not his labour For 1. it is a tender conscience and remorsefull for sinne 2 Chron. 34.27 Iosiahs heart melted at the reading of the Law 2. It is calme and peaceable it blameth not nor accuseth seth it selfe but giveth good witnesse first that the person may be assured of his reconciliation with God Rom. 5.12 and 8.36 And secondly that he walketh with God sincerely 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing even the testimony of a good conscience that in simplicity and good sincerity wee have had our conversation in the world 1 Ioh. 3.21 If our heart condemne us not we have boldnesse with God The second faculty called the soule here includeth the will and affections in both which this worke of sanctification is begunne and increased 1. In the will when being renewed it is now subject and pliable to God in all things Rom. 7.18 To will now is present with mee not onely in doing but in suffering as 1 Pet. 4.9 in suffering it can commit the soule to God in well-doing as unto a faithfull Creatour 2. In the affections herein is a change being guided and carried by the minde and will renewed His love is not the olde carnall love of himselfe and the world but a new affection Love out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 His hatred which was against God and his Saints is now against the haters of God and things which God hates Psal. 139.21 His joy which was sensuall and earthly is now delightfull in doing the will of God yea in suffering it Rom. 5.3 We rejoyce in tribulation His sorrow which was for worldly losses crosses c. is now for sinne and for the afflictions of Gods people His delights which were in carnall profits pleasures corne wine or prosecuting his lusts are now in Gods countenance in Gods Law in Gods house in Gods Ordinances the Word and Sacraments and in Gods children above all persons as those that are excellent on earth His desires are answerable what ever his former desires were now he desires the presence of God the pleasing of God pardon of sinne softnesse of heart the constant fruition of the meanes of salvation with a blessed successe of them Hee desires the prosperity of Zion the salvation of the Israel of God and the comming of Iesus Christ to his full redemption Thus we see how a sanctified man profiteth and prospereth in the whole inner man But fire within will breake out and so will grace which is like fire and the body shall be a weapon of righteousnesse his outward actions shall be done in an holy manner his whole life is changed 1. For the matter of his actions Gods word is the rule of them all Psal. 119.35 Direct me in the path of thy commandements for therein is my delight 2. For the manner they are done first in humility Mich. 6.8 Walke humbly with thy God Luke 17.10 Say thou art an unprofitable servant Secondly in sincerity without guile of spirit Psal. 32.2 Thirdly with cheerefulnesse delighting greatly in his commandements Psal. 112.1 2 Cor. 9.7 as every man wisheth in his heart The Lord loves a cheerefull giver Fourthly with courage and stoutnesse Dan. 3.17 We are not carefull â—f this matter our God whom we serve will deliver us Acts 4.19 Peter and Iohn said to the Rulers Whether it be meet to obey God or men judge yee Gal. 2.11 I withstood him to his face 3. For the end first hee will approove his heart to God and lookes not so much to men for his praise is not of man but of God Secondly hee desires to please God in that hee doth Acts 11.23 wâ—th fall purpose of heart cleave unto God Thirdly he doth not good things for his private ends as ease profit credit but even against all these if he be called thereunto The 4. respect in which a beleever may be called unblameable even in this life is in Gods account and gracious acceptation Where himselfe workes and sees such beginnings proceedings and indeavours it is accepted as perfection by meanes of Christs merit promise and intercession Thus Paul saith Rom. 7.17 It is not I that doe evill Whence our Lord pronounceth of his Church that she is all faire and that no spot is in her 5. In respect of that perfect sanctification in all degrees which is growing unto and shall attaine in the day of Christs second comming when every beleever shall be free from all blame and staine and set into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God which now they have onely in desire in in faith in promise in an earnest and inchoation the Lord mercifully accepting them for that they are growing unto And thus we have expounded this worthy petition of the Apostle The summe and substance whereof is this
to grow up in holinesse as plants and children naturally grow so also doe the children of God being planted in his courts To helpe us herein we will somewhat at large consider three things 1. Meanes of obtaining a full measure of holinesse 2. Markes of one that hath attained it 3. Motives to provoke us thereunto The meanes are five I. Meditation and sound consideration concerning 1. God 2. thy selfe 3. grace it selfe First in God thinke 1. of his will 1 Thess. 4.3 This is the will of God even your sanctification We ought to follow God if he should call us through hell it selfe much more in the sweete practise of sanctification which hath a happy fruite 2. Of his promises 2 Cor. 7.1 Seeing we have these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and grow up unto full holinesse All the promises are made to the practisers of holinesse Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart 3. Of his glory which thou oughtest by all thy endeavour to promote being the end of thy life and of thy selfe but herein especially is our heavenly Father glorified when our light shines before men Matth. 5.16 Secondly in thy selfe consider these things 1. In thy creation thou receivedst a soule a body faculties and sences with parts and members from him and in him thou now livest movest and hast thy being and canst thou doe him too much service in them Doth any man build an house but he will looke to dwell in it Doth any plant an orchard or vineyard and not looke for usefull fruites to himselfe Thy selfe art Gods house thy soule Gods garden and doth not hee expect not onely fruite of holinesse but much fruite 2. In thy redemption the end of which was not onely to deliver thee from the condemnation of sinne but from thy vaine conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 redemption is not onely from the guilt and punishment but from the service and corruption of sinne and sanctification is an inseperable companion of justification 3. In thy life and present estate thou art a Christian and professest Christian religion which onely prescribes the rule of holy life whereby thou must walke thou must life like a Christian that hast communion with Christ that walkest in the light as hee is in the light 1 Iohn 1.5 that hast the Spirit of Christ which perfecteth daily his owne worke and beautifieth his owne dwelling 4. In thy death and future estate remember thou must die and onely holinesse of heart and life shall attend thy soule when all things else shall leave it and without holinesse thou shalt never see God Heb. 12.14 If death shall leave thee unholy the last judgement shall so find thee So therefore live now as thou maist ever live hereafter Thirdly meditate on the grace and worke of holinesse it selfe 1. what a difficult worke it is and therefore thou must goe seriously about it oh the worke of mortification is a painefull work a man cannot die without paine no more can the olde man sinne hath a strong heart and is loath to die and therefore as to die is no dallying matter so he that meanes to dally in this businesse shall never happily proceede in the degrees of holinesse 2. What an excellent worke it is for hereby we shall be daily partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.3 which is not in respect of the nature and essence of God which is incommunicable but in respect of the most excellent and precious qualities and gifts bestowed by the Spirit of God on those that are regenerate wherein we shall be like unto our heavenly Father and grow up to the similitude of Iesus Christ till he shall be all in all unto us II. Meanes of growing to a full measure of holinesse is in our Text Prayer First for the grace it selfe Psal. 51.10 Create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Secondly for the increase of the grace Phil. 1.9 And this I pray that yee may abound yet more and more in knowledge and judgement verse 11. being filled with the fruites of righteousnesse 1 Thess. 3.13 The Lord make your hearts stable and unblameable in holinesse Thirdly for continuance and confirmation in grace as in the Text. Ephes. 3.14 I bow the knee that yee may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man Psal. 51.12 Oh stablish me with thy free Spirit Let it be thy daily prayer as Davids Psal. 86.11 O Lord knit my heart unto thee let thy good Spirit leade mee even to the land of the living Fourthly for a blessing on the meanes of grace Psal. 119.18 Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law III. Meanes An holy use of the word and Sacraments For the word in generall Iohn 15.3 Now you are cleane by the word which I have spoken unto you and chap. 17.17 Father sanctifie them in thy truth thy word is truth Rom. 1.15 by preaching the Gospell the righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith Now there be in the word foure things which specially helpe forward our sanctification 1. The commandements and precepts Psal. 119.4 Thou hast commanded that wee should keepe thy precepts diligently These let us see what wee ought to ayme at and how farre we are off from our duty 2. The promises and comforts of it Psal. 19.11 In keeping of them there is great reward Revel 20.6 Blessed and happy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power 3. The threats and denunciations of judgement that are in it Revel 22.15 Without shall be dogges and enchanters and whoremongers and murtherers and idolaters and whosoever loveth or maketh lyes 2 Pet. 3.11 Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in holy conversation and godlinesse 4. The examples that are in it Heb. 12.1 Seeing we are compassed with such a cloud of witnesses let us cast off every thing that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth fast on us Examples of holy men will make us trust in God Psal. 22.4 Our forefathers trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them this confirmeth our confidence Godly women must shew the holy and hidden man of the heart as Sarah did 1 Pet. 3.5 Observe in the reading or hearing of the word these particulars for the decay of corruption and the increase of sanctification The Sacraments or visible words helpe forward sanctification because by baptisme we are borne into the Church and notably it both representeth and sealeth our mortification and quickning Rom. 6.4 and by the Lords Supper wee are fed and nourished in the grace of the covenant in faith love and comfortable assurance IV. Meanes Godly company That man goes apace in the grace of sanctification who is a companion as David of all them that feare God Psal. 119.63 Now godly company furthereth sanctification 3 wayes 1.
doe them Happy is that man that his conscience tells him that his will is now framed to Gods will and in regard of Evangelicall obedience which stands in true purposes and endeavours hee may say since the time of his calling unto the grace of the Gospell with the Apostle Acts 23.1 I have lived in all good conscience untill this day 3. It must be a peaceable conscience in that hee hath done or not done it is at peace with God and with it selfe This is when it excuseth the person aright both for his person and for his actions First for his person as now reconciled justified accepted Secondly his actions as having a true desire and endeavour to please God in all things Now the conscience being truly peaceable it riseth up to be truly joyfull which makes the heart merry and cheerefull as a continuall feast neither wants he any good cheare that hath it Prov. 15.15 Nor wants hee good company that hath a good conscience he can rejoyce alone without all other company or comforts The heart is held up in absence of all worldly comforts and in presence of all worldly evills and none can take away the joy of it 4. It must be a watchfull not a sleepy conscience a waking not a remorslesse conscience 1. It watcheth against all sinne both to be committed and as a faithfull monitor pulls the Master backe As also for sinne already committed and smites with remorse and biting as David I have done very foolishly Object But doth not a bad conscience shew some remorse after sinne what else did Iudas Answ. Yes but with this difference 1. A bad conscience hath some scratch on the outside and sometimes a deeper gash and an incurable wound but it never goes on to godly sorrow as a good conscience doth 2. It seekes not to the remedy but sinkes under the burden the wound bleedes to death as in Iudas Secondly a good conscience watcheth to all good duties and occasions desirous to please God in all things and at all times according to the conscience enlightened This pure clearing peaceable and waking conscience is necessary to an unblameable and renewed spirit Thirdly seeing the true evidences of the purenesse and holy temper of the spirit are holy and well guided thoughts wee must carefully looke to our thoughts and cogitations Here 1. Choose them so as thou be sure thy heart be a receptacle of holy thoughts examine them whence they come and whither they goe and by examination thou shalt finde some vaine and evill thoughts these thou must hate all of them Psal. 119.113 And if thou hatest them put away the evill of your thoughts and Ier. 4.4 Let the wicked forsake his thoughts knowing that evill thoughts are as damnable as evill actions Acts 8.22 pray if thy thoughts may be forgiven which implies guilt Some thou shalt finde wandering roving thoughts which must be taken up as vagrants and corrected lest as Dinah thou be defiled and corrupted with fleshly lusts passe them away quickly Some other thou shalt find idle thoughts but unnecessary send them away harbour no idle thoughts nor yet cast them out without censure and disgrace Some are perhaps lawfull but lesse necessary put these of till another time that the more necessary may take up the roome Some are unruly thoughts rising up against against God or men thoughts of infidelity of revenge dishonourable thoughts against Gods servants and ordinances all such disordered and proude thoughts must be brought into the subjection of God 1 Cor. 10.4 2. Watch them well being so infinite so quick and nimble and in so secret a place being also so slippery so soone interrupted and corrupted by idlenesse by society loosenesse of senses roving of affections unallowed objects therefore set a sharpe eye upon them and seeing that will not serve bring them under Gods eye keepe them close to God for as the husbands eye and presence is the best way to preserve the wives chastity so the heart betrothed to God carrying it selfe in his sight is not easily polluted with strange and uncleane lusts To enforce this watch know it differenceth from an hypocrite First an hypocrite can watch over words and actions in respect of man but a godly man watcheth over his thoughts onely the true sanctified man makes conscience of the tenth commandement for the government of his thoughts and desires Secondly it differenceth from a wicked man who dare not act many evils but none so foule but hee dare insatiably minde and contemplate them Here is a difference whereas wicked men are most carelesse of their thoughts the godly have most complained of them Rom. 7. and then have beene most truly comforted in them whiles the conscience of thoughts hath beene a true triall of their sincerity 3. Labour to feede thy thoughts 1. with the sweetest 2. with the most necessary objects First the sweetest objects are heavenly things Col. 3.1 Seeke the things which are above Iesus Christ and his merits the happinesse of heaven and the chiefe good which is God himselfe O how might the minde be fed and ravished with these contemplations what sweetnesse might a man sweeten and season the dayes of his vanity withall if he would minde heavenly things and thinke on the way thither Is it not a description of ancient beleevers to thinke on his name Mal. 3.16 Secondly the most necessary profitable thoughts are 1. to thinke often of our sinnes both to call to minde some sinne past unrepented as also to prevent some sinne thrusting in 2. To thinke on good duties to excite to some duty neglected and to apprehend occasion and season of some offered unto us 3. Of the vanity of this life and our departure hence 4. Of Gods comming to judgement and our finall account and reckoning Prov. 14.22 To them that thinke on good things shall be mercy and truth Now whereas some thinke thoughts free and others conceit liberty and impossibility and most no necessity of this guiding the conscience and thoughts To them I say First as thoughts be so are words and actions out of the heart commeth thefts adulteries therefore rectifie these Secondly good thoughts are evidences of the Spirits presence being his immediate motions wee of ourselves not able to thinke one good thought 1 Cor. 2.5 Thirdly God will call them to strict account and in judgement make inquisition after them their thoughts shall accuse or else excuse one another Rom. 2.15 Fourthly even good thoughts are recompenced David had but a thoughts to build the house of God and God rewarded it with building him an house and stablishing him a kingdome 2 Sam. 7.16 and Psal. 32. I thought I would confesse my sinne and thou forgavest me all The Prodigall thought to returne and his father thought to meete him Thus carry thy thoughts begin the day with holy thoughts and meditations which is a sweete seasoning In the night call them in to thinke of God
and holy things adde prayer to keepe them in temper 2 Chron. 18.29 Fourthly The memory must be made and kept unblameable And that is two wayes 1. When we keepe in fresh memory our sinnes and declinings so farre as to be humbled for them A corrupt memory is the corruption of the whole man Deut. 9.7 Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord to anger in the wildernesse The memory is Gods register and officer and though now there be none in office yet in the day of Christ it will bring forth the records which seemed to be lost a prelude and taste whereof wee see in such as are distressed in conscience 2. When we keepe good lessons in our memory Rev. 3.3 Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent II. Directions to keepe the soule unblamable Every man may holde himselfe bound in conscience and charged by God with the safe custody of his owne soule under God Deut. 4.9 Take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently A man would be loath to forfeit a joynt of his body by heedlesnesse how carefully doe men looke to their eyes heads hands and every member and the least part of the body and yet more carefully to the whole body and this nature teacheth every man But is not the soule that better part that calls for so much more care and circumspection and this grace teacheth us to keepe our soule above all for if a man lose his soule what recompence shall he give for it Now because that in the soule is included 1. the heart 2. the will 3. our affections all these faculties in the soule must be kept safe as the soule it selfe and layes upon us a necessity to watch them narrowly First for the keeping of thy heart the precept is â—eep thy heart with al diligence for thence issueth life or death the chiefe part of the body is heart the fountaine of life and the chiefe care is to keepe that sound so the soule the heart desires and choyces are to be chiefly intended for thence are the issues of life or death And indeed according to the well tending or neglect hereof the constant course of holinesse is either furthered or hindered Besides nature in the framing of mans body begins with the heart and the liver and other inward vitalls and comes last to the face and other outward parts teaching us the method in grace where to begin our frame keepe the heart well and unblameable and all will be well And for this end observe some rules Fist therefore if thou wilt keepe thy heart unblameable thou must keepe it humble it must be an humble and contrite heart that God will not reject and a broken heart is a sacrifice of Gods delight the soundnesse of the heart is the through breaking of it the plow of the law must rend up the fallowes of our hearts and fit it for seede this must helpe both the rotting and rooting of the weedes Ier. 4.4 This is called a melted heart in Iosiah for as golde can never be approoved and purified before it be melted no more can the heart till it be a melted heart It is called the circumcision of the heart with circumcision not made with hands Col. 2.11 wherein the foreskinne of the heart is removed sinfull flesh and beloved lusts are wounded the party put to paine and made sore as the Sichemites in parting with a peece of his owne flesh This exercise of painefull mortification of sinne is the entrance into possession of a good heart and the grounds of all soundnesse in religion whereas they onely prove unsound and rumous in religion who never were soundly humbled nor traded in selfe-deniall as that building when the foolish builder would not be at paine to diggge deepe whereby to lay a firme and sure foundation Secondly then see thy heart be not onely an humble heart but a cleane heart Blessed are the pure in heart Matth. 5. striving after inward purity as well as outward For these an hypocrite can resist an hypocrite can wash the outside and may seeme to others to be pure and blamelesse But an heart desirous to free it selfe from blame deadly hates naturall pollutions filthinesse of heart vile thoughts and lusts and because it cannot be cleane without faith which is an inward purifier it labours for the increase of faith in the meanes to apprehend Christs merits and holinesse And because the word is a meanes of purifying and cleansing the heart as Psal. 119.9 and Christ saith they are all cleane by the word he will shew himselfe in embracing the word in heeding of it and framing himselfe according to the rules of it and apply his heart unto it And because a fusty vessell is not fit for sweete waters he will still and still be cleansing his heart that it may be capable of the word And because by nature the heart is foule and doth every day contract some filthinesse wash it with the blood of Christ and get neare unto Christ to have part in his holinesse and get the beesome of the Law to sweepe it daily and by the exercise of repentance and mortification daily part with the uncleannesse of flesh and spirit Thirdly see it be a single and sincere heart called a true heart Heb. 10.22 Let us draw neere to God with a true heart void of guile of deceit of dissimulation with such an heart as Nathaniels was commended by Christ a true Israelite in whom was no guile This is the heart of Gods delight 1 Chron. 29.17 Now you shall know the singlenesse of it 1. By this it is not one heart in one estate in one company and another in another but the same in sicknesse and health on the Saboth and on the weeke day the same in tryall as in peace but if there be any difference a single heart will be better in a bad age and most carefull among a most carelesse generation true grace is like light it shines brightest in the darkest roome and like fire hottest in the coldest and sharpest weather 2. You shall know a good heart by this it cares rather to bee good than seeme so it is more carefull to have grace than seeme to have it it doth not onely abstaine from evill but abhorre it Rom. 12.9 True godlinesse and soundnesse of heart consists in the power of godlinesse it doth not onely forbeare the sinne it loved but loathes it as the sicke stomack-doth loathe that meate most that it once surfeited on and what once cast up it ever hateth it 3 It will be religious alone and if it cannot get company it will be singular â— good heart will walke to heaven alone if it cannot get company it would rather have company but if it cannot it will rather goe alone to heaven than any where else with company Ioshuah saith I will goe my way if you will not goe with me I will not goe
curse but blesse and pray nor walke in their way for as wilde beasts cannot hurt him that keepes out of their walke so wicked men cannot seize on us to wrong us if we enter not into their way and walke Consider the praise the comfort of all religious duties Yea First that the practise of all religion it selfe stands in affection and desire Christian perfection is in affection not in action much lesse speculation and contemplation and hence receives his denomination Iob 28.28 The feare of the Lord is wisdome All wise and religious walking is included under the affections of the feare of the Lord to the duties of the whole law are all comprized under the affection of Iob. Secondly the comfort of these duties riseth out of the affection rather than action Art thou a Minister whether is thy comfort more to speake of good things than to affect them what if thou hast Angelicall abilities to discourse of faith love zeale hatred of evill and thy selfe scorne and hate these things when and where thou seest them If I had all gifts and want love saith Paul I were nothing knowledge puffeth up but it is love that edifieth Art thou a hearer and wouldest have comfort of hearing what doest thou affect in hearing to censure the Preacher curiously to feede thy judgement or to enable thy discourse this will not doe it But to heare with pure intentions of feeding the soule of doing duties to get our hearts sanctified our affections whetted our obedience bettered and to get the power of godlinesse and the power of the life to come within us all which the Lord knowes is the intent of a very few Thirdly the acceptance of these duties is more by the affection than the action and the action without the affection is as a body without a soule yea where the action was gloriously performed the Lord still wanted some proportion of affection as in many of the Kings of Israel Such a one did such and such good things but not with all his heart and affection and then all the labour is lost the reward perisheth and thy expectation is frustrate And in the feeblest actions of his children the Lord sees a good compensation made of the defect by the sincerity of the affection Consider the fruite of this care worth all our labour in it for First As one disordered affection drawes on another pride begets anger anger begets envie and envie begets hatred and so murther So one good affection begets another love begets feare feare begets humility and humility is a fruitfull mother of many vertues So good affections beget good actions good actions good habits good habits a good unblamable life Secondly this care settles and fastens the affections upon solid objects and comforts if the matter of our joy love feare desire and delight be God the fruite is internall and eternall this joy none shall take away But the wicked mans heart in laughter is sorrowfull and for continuance is as of thornes crackling under the pot and so are all affections displaced on wrong objects so they lose both affections and objects Thirdly looke what way we will the well guiding of our affections seasons our lives with much sweetnesse 1. Looke at God it holds Gods affection to us how well is the Lord pleased when our desires and affections are conformable to his How acceptable is our obedience to him when wee are holy as hee is holy mercifull as hee is mercifull when we walke in love as he hath loved us when his affections are the rule of ours and so are framed to his will for all his affections flow from his righteous will 2. It holds Gods presence with us in his ordinances Rev. 2. the Church of Ephesus had fallen from her first love and yet a little sparke was left shee hated the doctrine of the Nicholaitans which he hated and therefore the Lord will not remove the Candlesticke at least if shee recover her affection And this is our case the Church of England is wonderfully fallen from her first love and why doth the Lord spare our Candlesticke and holde up our light and peace and the Gospell above all Countries about us surely though wee are fallen from our first love and zeale yet a little sparke of love is left in some poore despised ones which holds life and soule in us and some hatred of Romish Nicholaitans for by the blessing of God the body of the kingdome the lawes and doctrine of the kingdome hates the doctrine and workes of the Nicholaitans and for this weake affection yet God spares our Candlesticke But let us quicken our hatred more for as our first love is in great part gone so if our hatred of evill goe to all is gone God shall see nothing to spare our Candlesticke 3. It holds us with God in the sweete fruition of his ordinances it kindles and keepes in us love feare zeale in his service which is the life of our service and soules and in all these the affection is more respected than the action It holds us fast to the truth What is it but zealous affection that will make us buy the truth at any rate what is the truths keeper but love what else but love makes us labour for it suffer for it die for it 4. Strong and earnest affections to God make us profitable to men provokes us to mercy compassion beneficence helpefull to all that neede us 5. It makes us enjoy our selves by patience wee possesse our soules love holds God in possession charity makes us possesse our brethren and patience puts us in possession of our selves Sanctified affections uphold the heart with joy unspeakable and glorious and leade a man happily to an happy estate 6. The well guiding of affections begins the life of heaven upon earth for the life of heaven is when the soule so cleaves unto God as to become like him when wee shall never love any thing but what he loveth nor hate but what hee hateth and this perfection wee must begin even here upon earth III. Now after the spirit and soule we are to consider these directions by which the body and outward man may be kept blamelesse All of them may bee reduced to that precept in the 1 Tim. 4.12 Be examples unto others in conversation and in communication the outward man must exercise inward grace First for conversation that is either private or publicke and in both a Christian must set himselfe a patterne of godlinesse 1 Pet. 1.15 Be holy in all manner of conversation in Gods house thine owne house in thine owne closet and privacy Psal. 101.2 David walked wisely in the midst of his house Isaac in the field alone meditates and prayeth Gen. 24.63 yea the women must be in such behaviour as becommeth holinesse 2 Tit. 2.3 Rules for conversation are 1. Generall 2. Particular The generall rules are five Glorifie God in your bodies and spirits for they are his 1 Cor. 6.20
Spirit renewes us onely within and not without doth he make us beleeve as Christians and not live as Christians doth the sappe and juice of a tree onely quicken it within and not cause it produce fruites outwardly Thou hast not received the Spirit of Christ if it be not unto thee life unto righteousnesse Rom. 8.10 that is make thee lively and active in all the wayes of godlinesse Faith is not as a light under a bushell therefore shew mee thy faith by thy workes Grace is as a light in a cleare lanterne which from within enlighteneth without Now the rather must we labour for renovation without as well as within 1. Because flesh and blood unrenewed shall not enter into heaven 2. The disorder of the outward man and members argue a sinfull and disordered soule seeing the body is but a servant of the soule and doth nothing but by the Masters direction and appointment an evill eye issueth from an evill minde and a corrupt tongue moveth according to the abundance of the heart 3. No outward deformity is comparable to this of sinne in the members which makes the body to God indeed vile and contemptible as a dead and loathsome corpes is to man Fourthly to keepe the outward man blamelesse beware of all unchastity and impurity of body and on the contrary watch unto chastity and civill honesty 1 Cor. 6.13 The body is not for fornication but for Christ the Lord and the Lord for the body That is the body is ordained for the Lords use and ought to be imployed to his glory And the Lord for the body to redeeme and sanctifie the body as well as the soule and consequently to rule the body and command that as well as the soule being the Lord of the body as well as of the soule And the same Apostle saith the body is a member of Christ as well as the soule Shall I take a member of Christ and make it a member of an harlot verse 15 Can any thing be more opprobrious unto Christ than to transforme him into an harlot Can any thing derogate more from his glory and majesty or be more contrary to his most holy nature Againe Christs body was Gods Temple Ioh. 2.21 Destroy this Temple because the Deity dwelt in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bodily and of this Temple Salomons Temple was but a type So thy body is Christs Temple in which he dwells by his Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 virtually Now the light of nature teacheth to preserve Temples pure and cleane but grace much more to preserve spirituall Temples cleane and holy And therefore as Christ when he went into his Fathers Temple made a whip and whipped out buyers and sellers and money-changers who had made his house a denne of theeves so doe thou in Christs Temple which is thine owne body beate it downe and overthrow the wanton and stragling corruptions of it whip out those roving lusts which make the house of Christ as a denne of harlots and filthinesse Coloss. 3.5 Mortifie your earthly members fornication uncleannesse and all inordinate affections Eph. 5.3 But fornication and all uncleannesse let it not once be named as becommeth Saints The fifth Rule Magnifie Christ in thy body both by life and death this was the Apostles care Phil. 1.20 As alwayes so now Christ shall be magnified in my body Thy body is mortall fraile fading yea a vile body Col. 3.21 yet in this body Christ will and must be magnified Quest. How Answ. 1. By keeping the heavenly treasure of the knowledge of God and the attendant graces in these earthly vessels as Paul 2 Cor. 4.7 We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power might be of God 2. By holding out the word of life and carrying the name of Christ in an holy undaunted and constant confession and profession in the place where thou livest as Paul did through the world 3. By expressing in this frail body not the doctrine only but the life of Iesus Christ conforming thy selfe to his blessed example in humility holinesse charity piety patience and other vertues that all men may see and say surely this man is a member of Christ he lives the life of Christ he resembles the patterne 4. In this weake body of thine carry about the mortification of Christ Iesus 2 Cor. 4.10 suffer afflictions for the name of Christ and beare in thy body as Paul did the markes of the Lord Iesus Gal. 6.17 fulfill in thy body the rest of the sufferings of Christ carry the badge of a true Disciple yea if God call thee offer up thy body and life a thankfull sacrifice not in life onely but unto death if thereby thou maist magnifie Iesus Christ. Thus did the faithfull Saints and Martyrs offering themselves the sweetest sacrifice of all others Yea our Lord himselfe comming into the world Heb. 10.5 said Burnt offerings thou wouldest not have that is now after the comming of Christ but a body hast thou given me that in this my body I might offer that expiatory sacrifice of all which the other were but shadowes Even so say thou Burnt offerings God calls not for but he hath given me a body to offer unto him and give up unto him in life and death in way not of a Propitiatory but of an Eucharisticall sacrifice of praise thereby to magnifie his name 5. Thou magnifiest him in thy body when thou magnifiest him in his body as when thou admirest the graces of his servants honourest his members delightest in them that excell in vertue helpest and releevest the poore Saints all which he taketh as done to himselfe These are the generall Rules now of the speciall for speciall parts To keepe the severall parts of the body blamelesse the word is plentifull in severall precepts but especially injoynes a strait watch over the senses which are the windowes of the soule But that the discourse may not swell beyond a reasonable proportion I will onely cull out 1. two principall senses and 2. two principall organes and members of the body and give some short rules concerning them and in them we shall see it is no easie thing to keep the body blamelesse neither in them nor in the rest which I must be silent in The two senses are the sight and hearing the senses of discipline and the other two members are the hand and tongue the which being well ordered by the word much blame would be cut off from the lives of men which they now stand guilty of First for the eye to keepe it unblamable We must watch it well for you must know that of all the sciences there is none so quicke a messenger to the heart and soule as the eye by reason whereof it requireth a strait watch God hath given to the eye power to see every thing but cannot looke into it selfe and therefore hee hath given to man understanding that he may looke into himselfe by
which flowes from the union with Christ hee lyes under the guilt of all his sins Christ carries none of them away if he be put in the scale as Baltazer hee shall be found too light and wanting of his weight 3. The Spirit of Christ is given onely to sonnes he dwells not in that house where is onely a base sound of sanctification in some common gift onely suppressing open sins but not inward lusts whereas effectuall grace not onely checkes secret corruptions but daily renewes the heart and perfects the image of God Hence it is that many that seemed to answer the call fall off to nothing because they were never good whereas true holinesse is like the light clearer and clearer till perfect day And a man truly called is like a faire woven stuffe that weares most shining at the wale and ground and cannot but be best at last I. These are the markes of effectuall calling labour in them and take good paines to get them on thee rest not in a common ungrounded hope nor grutch the time to minde those things seriously For 1. What a comfort of heart and refreshment of soule will this be in the day of trouble to see Gods covenant sealed upon thee 2. What a resolution will it breede to contemne the world the pleasures and profits what a Christian courage against afflictions yea death it selfe against all motions and commotions in States in evill dayes and perillous times 3. What stability in holding our grounds of religion against all disputes in the world against all stratagems of Papists at home or abroad neither their masked distinctions nor coloured devotions shall unsettle this soule but it shall be as mount Zion stable upon sure foundations 4. How sweetely would all Gods ordinances relish and taste ordained for this end how firmely should wee holde our end and aime in our eye in all the meanes beginnings and way of eternall life when we discover daily in our selves assured and infallible markes that wee are in the right way unto it II. If we finde our selves by these notes truly and effectually called be thankfull unto God for this great worke whereby hee hath laid in thy soule such an infallible assurance of eternall life Thou lookest on such as are uncalled see thy nature in them they and thou being digged out of the same pit in their misery see thine owne thou shouldest sweare and drinke and curse and revile goodnesse as fast as they resist the meanes of grace as resolutely as they wert thou left to the power of nature as they be But now thou seest a difference made and who hath made this difference who separated thee Oh praise the Lord for his free and rich mercy who hath poured out the riches of his grace in thy effectuall calling to grace Rom. 9.23 III. Pray earnestly that he which hath called thee would also confirme his owne worke so Peter 1.5.10 The God of all grace who hath called us to his glory in Christ Iesus make you perfect stablish and confirme you to the end And adde watchfulnesse against all such as would againe carry thee away from Christ and the holy calling It is the sinne of many of whom we may marvell so with the Apostle Gal. 1.6 How soone they are carried to another Gospell having lost him that called them into the grace of the Gospell But what was their sinne to the sinne of these in our dayes For they were 1. new converts we have had the Gospell as many yeares as they weekes or dayes 2. They fell of weaknesse wee of wantonnesse wilfulnesse even against the power of the Gospell so long working upon us 3. They by joyning Circumcision and Christ together which was formerly Gods sacred Ordinance we by joyning Christ and Antichrist together reconciling Christ and Antichrist together reconciling light and darknesse together patching our new garment with olde patches and rags of Romish devotions and superstitions and as moles undermining the grounds of holy truthes for which the Lord might justly remove his Candlesticke Who will also doe it The third Argument of the perseverance of the Saints in grace removes all scruple taking the whole worke out of our hands that he who hath the glory of the beginning may also have the glory of the end For 1. As we could not begin our salvation so neither could we end it he that was onely able to lay the first stone in this building is onely able to lay the last Philip. 1.6 Hee that hath begun the good worke in you will performe it untill the day of Christ. 2. It is safe for us that it is in Gods hand to finish our salvation who hath begun it for were it put into our hands againe it would be quite lost every day and therefore the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the power of God to salvation Gods faithfulnesse preserves to salvation who are once effectually called Rom. 8.30 Whom hee calleth hee justifieth and glorifieth Philip. 1.6 I am perswaded that he that hath begun this good worke will finish it to the day of Christ Heb. 6.9 10. We are perswaded of you such things as accompany salvation for God is not unfaithfull And the reason is drawne from the unchangeable perfection of Gods nature decree will and affection to the Saints I. In his nature is no shadow of change especially in giving his good and perfect gifts Iames 1.13 and this unchangeable nature suffers him never to forsake this worke of his hands Psal. 138.8 Object God is unchangeable but I finde many changes in my selfe such dulnesse deadnesse frowardnesse as if hee should not forsake mee I feare I shall wholly forsake him Answ. All the Saints of God have found the like changes in themselves and yet all their changes nor all thy changes can never change God 2. None can wholly forsake God but such as are wholly forsaken of God but he never wholly forsakes the Saints for he hath said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Hebr. 13.5 his desertion and their falls are but for a time for God in due time puts under his hand II. In his decree of the finall salvation of the Saints hee is faithfull and unmoveable 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation that is decree of Gods election abides sure it stands on a sure foundation and hath this seale The Lord knowes who are his Object Yea God knowes but what is that to us no man knowes but by extraordinary revelation Answ. The Apostle addes a twofold impression of this seale in the heart of man by which he sets his seale to Gods faithfulnesse 1. Invocation of Gods name 2. A departing from iniquity which being fruites of effectuall calling he knowes himselfe sealed up thereby to salvation Object Stapleton saith God is faithfull in his decree so long as we be faithfull and deserve not that he should forsake us Answ. This were to make our perseverance depend
of salvation And besides for such as have opportunitie and leisure from their callings it must needs be an unanswerable sinne to neglect or contemne the offer of the meanes of their owne good while they can spend that or more time idly or sottishly or in gaming sporting vaine companionship complement or the like For here is not only a vaine sinfull expence of precious time but a prophane despising of the most sacred ordinance of God which is now as a prize in the hand of a fool but he wanteth heart Were there a true knowledge of Christ offered in the means he would be thankefully received at any time Were there any true love of Christ it would alwayes enioy him whom the soule loveth and delight at any time to beholde him through these grates but he loves him not on the Sabboth that hates him on the weeke-day Were there any hunger after Christ it would find the need of this bread of life on the week-day as hunger findeth need of foode for the body on the Saboth day hunger after Christ wold force him out of his tent to gather this Mannah in the due season of gathering if it were every day to be had Were there a true taste of Christ he would be as sweete to the soule one day as another Did ever man that truly tasted Christ on the Sabboth day preferre earthly things before him in the weeke-day or did ever man prosper by the meanes on the Sabboth that despâ—sed them in the weeke-day Were there true sence of a mans selfe it would not suffer him to bee lesse holy any day than the Sabboth onely it must be more publikely expressed it would not suffer him at any time in the middest of his earthly businesse to be earthly-minded and much lesse to bee so wedged and rivited into earthly distractions as not to bestow an houre in a weeke when God offers a publike helpe to the winding up of his heart towards heaven The objections are idle and of idle men As that there is too much preaching If it be made by Preachers themselves I should marvaile the more because I never heard men of any other trade complaine of too much trading If of private men a man might waite to wearinesse before he should heare them complaine of too much money too much land too much gaine Which plainly evidenceth that Gods word is undervalued and rejected below base profits whereby men pull the brand of Esaus profanesse upon themselves preferring every measse of broth before the birth-right and exchanging with the Prodigall for very huskes the bread of their Fathers house But so much preaching bringeth preaching into contempt say some Yea but what infant contemnes the milke because it sucketh often every day or who contemnes his meate because hee eateth every day who falls out with his apparell because he puts it on every day or who despiseth his wealth because he increaseth it every day and is not Christ in his word propounded our foode our wealth our apparell and all in all unto us Let them also make us beleeve that the light of the Sunne is made contemptible because it shineth every day Or that Daniel brought prayer into contempt when he prayed thrice every day Or David when hee prayed seaven times a day Why may they not as well perswade us that the publicke prayers appointed foure dayes in a weeke brings publicke prayer into contempt as well as preaching once in a weeke But I have no leisure saith the rich man I have many weighty occasions and employments it is for poorer men who have no such distractions to runne after Sermons To whom our Saviour makes a full answer That one thing is more necessary than they all in comparison of which Mary neglects all other things and who dare say that Mary did more than she was bound to doe or that shee did heare onely because shee had nothing else to doe or that shee was blame-worthy whom our Lord commendeth in that for the love of the word shee did neglect all other things 2. It is not indeede want of leisure but want of love and taste of the word that makes this objection for love of any thing will finde time and leisure to enjoy it 3. It is not want of time for no man but hath much more time than he useth well and none but hath much time which he spendeth worse but want of judgement to give priority to things of greatest weight and worth Is any worldly businesse of greater importance than the seeking of Gods favour and the assurance of a mans owne salvation Would any employment never so weighty make a man wholly neglect for a weeke together all meanes of preserving his body and is any so necessary as to make us neglect the health and welfare of our precious soules or canst thou with reason be straiter to thy owne soule on the weeke day than the Lord is to thy body on the Sabboth day He allowes thee to consult with a Physitian for thy body in case of necessity even upon his sabboth and doest not thou allow thy selfe an houre among so many houres in a weeke to consult with thy spirituall Physitian for the helpe of thy soule Might a Iew make a journey on the Sabboth to consult with a Prophet and may not a Christian steppe out of his doores for counsell in the week-day Nay more may a Iew performe a worke of mercy to a beast on the Sabboth day as to helpe it out of a pit or to drive it to water and must not a Christian doe so much for his soule on the week-day as they for the body of a beast on the Sabboth 4. It is not want of time but want of well husbanding the time that gives rise to this objection for he that employeth his time wisely shall never need to complaine for want of time especially for the maine businesse of his life A good husband will be sure to set out time for the chiefe points of husbandry and so will a good husband for his soule but hee that trifles out his time in unnecessaries must needes want it in necessaries And indeede they be not such necessary duties as they are pretended which engrosse and eate out mens time but for the most part unnecessary and lombersome employments such as Christ reproves in Martha which for a great part of them might be pared off and parted with were men so wise as to lighten the overburdened ship for the safety of the passengers But if men will grapple and pull upon themselves all the employments they can any way reach and then complaine that they are so distracted with many things as that they have no time left for the one thing necessary It is all one as if a man should roule and moyle himselfe in the clay and then complaine that hee cannot get out his feete 5. Canst thou finde no time for the Lords worke what
of illumination faith regeneration heavenly life sense and motion and for the most part they are never more comforted than when they are most afflicted which argueth a spirituall and inward Comforter whose joy the world cannot take away This puts beleevers in minde of their honourable and happy estate who are become temples of the holy Ghost who never comes but with a full horne and hand of blessing The Centurion thought himselfe unworthy that Christ in his base estate should come in his house How much more unworthy are wee that this spirit of glory should come into our hearts See hereby what account is to be made of a poore Christian let his outside be never so base yet he is so glorious within as God himselfe delights to dwell in him As we make much even of a wooden coffer that is filled with golde and pearles and precious things And if wee make so much of a man that beares about him a reasonable soule and because hee hath Gods image on him how much more should we make of a Christian because of Gods Spirit What a shame is it to thinke highly of a man for land in the field for oxen in his stall for money in his chest and not for graces yea the spirit of God in his heart what a heavy judgement hangs over them who account these the very offscouring of the world against whom the very Pagans and Heathens shall rise up in judgement who whensoever they spoyled Christians yet spared their Temples because of the honour of God but these destroy the temples of the holy Ghost and God will destroy them 1 Cor. 3.17 Againe this serves for the comfort of poore Christians Art thou contemned God hath more honoured thee than the world can disgrace thee Art thou in prison Behold thou hast the God of liberty with thee yea in thee Art thou in banishment What care where thou dwellest while God dwells in thee What comfort canst thou want while the Comforter dwells in thy heart Doest thou feare falling away Be not dismayed the spirit of God in thy heart will never shift his dwelling He shall dwell with you for ever Christ commands his Disciples where they finde intertainment not to shift their host much lesse will hee ever shift himselfe where once hee enters but thy heart shall be as the Temple was called Beth-gnolam an house of eternity Thirdly let this teach Christians to looke to their hearts that they may be pure and cleane for so pure a Spirit The uncleane spirit delights in spirituall sluttishnesse and many with the harlot provide their bed and all things deckt for sinne and Satan In one end he findes a gorge of drunkennesse in another a wardrobe of pride in another a stewes of uncleannesse and there he inhabiteth and solaceth himselfe But Gods spirit is most pure and although he will dwell in a poore and homely house yet it must be pure and cleanly Let us therefore honour this guest with the best roome and fit our hearts for him let us wash this roome with teares sweepe it with repentance beautifie it with holinesse perfume it with prayers decke it with vertues and hang it with sincerity feare not to make it too pure or holy care not for the scoffes of precisenesse When a great Embassadour is sent from a strange Country what care is taken to provide him a fit house and to decke it with fit stuffe beseeming so great a personage Now the holy Spirit is sent as an Embassadour from the great God to thee then prepare thy heart for him sweepe out carnall desires and lusts fill it with good cogitations that it may yeeld him fit entertainment and contentment Lastly this teacheth men to examine their sonneshippe by the presence of the Spirit with them For as the presence of the soule discovereth it selfe by the life so by the life of God and Christ is the presence of the Spirit discovered Many men while they trade in sinne wallow in lusts and become voluntaries to lusts of swearing railing drinking or any foule sinne under the reigne of which they are bondslaves will yet stoutly pleade for themselves Alas we are flesh and blood and what can we doe But know silly man know that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdome of God thou must be more than flesh and blood or thou art none of Gods For If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Thou maist as well say thou art no childe of God For if yee be sonnes hee sends his Spirit into your hearts Gal. 4.6 If of Christs body you have Christs spirit deny thy selfe a Christian if sinne must reigne But to returne to the chiefe intent of this use none we see can be assured he is the child of God but by the presence of the Spirit Quest. How shal I know that God hath given mee the spirit of adoption Answ. This question is very necessary though some thinke they cannot know their sonneship others that they neede not and so neglect it For the possibility hereof As hee that hath life in him knoweth hee hath life because he can stirre feele move walke and goe so here also And as for the necessity of it marke what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 13.5 Know yee not that Christ is in you namely by his Spirit unlesse ye be reprobates Now the markes of the Spirits dwelling with us are most of them inward not discerned by outward sence as the soule in the body is not seene or felt but discovered by the effects and operations The first is Conviction Ioh. 16.8 When the Spirit shall come hee will reproove the world of sinne And the Spirit of God rebukes sinne in us by working in us 1. sence 2. sorrow for sinne 3. an earnest desire of mercy 4. a loathing and leaving of sinne All which we may see in those converts Acts 2.37 when once the Spirit came They were pricked in their hearts and said Oh what shall we doe to be saved The second is Subjection for the Spirit dwells that is not onely abides but rules and commands and governes as the master of the house and notwithstanding the presence of the flesh still the Spirit hath the upper hand therefore wee must submit our selves to this great housholder here must be agreement in mindes and wills for if an house be divided against it selfe it cannot stand 2 Cor. 10.5 The worke of the Spirit is to cast downe high things exalted against grace and to bring every thought into the obedience of Christ by working selfe-deniall and a willingnesse to undertake whatsoever the word suggests and a constant delight in the law of God The third is Direction Ier. 31.31 the spirit of God writes the law in the hearts of beleevers and so brings in a new light and yet more Iohn 16.13 Hee shall leade you into all truth hee saith not onely This is the way
but walke in it Isa. 30.21 This note the Apostle give us Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sonnes of God Implying that we are as blinde men before conversion and afterward as children both having neede to be led The fourth is Sanctification and new creation 1 Cor. 6.11 Now you are sanctified by the Spirit of our God both enabling you by mortification to hate evill and quickning you to love that which is good which love is made manifest by the fruits of the Spirit Both are put together Gal. 5.13 Walke in the Spirit and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh The fifth is sound Consolation for hee is the Comforter 3 wayes 1. Sealing up our adoption and salvation Rom. 8.15 16. therefore called the Seale or Earnest confirming the whole bargaine 2. Strengthening in temptation and spirituall combate for the spirit of God takes our part in the strife betweene the flesh and the spirit 3. Comforting in affliction by peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost which made the Martyrs invincible The sixth is Supplication for hee is called the Spirit of supplication Zech. 12.10 and makes us cry Abba Father Gal. 4.6 Because 1. hee makes us see our misery 2. he gives us sound knowledge of the excellency of God and his mercies which maketh us fervent in prayer 3. hee lets us see God appeased toward us in his Sonne 4. he propounds the truth of God in his promise who hath said hee will heare us and 5. the merit of Christs intercession to whom the Father denieth nothing By these notes examine thy selfe So much for the first Doctrine we come now to the second which is that Those that have the spirit of God must be carefull not to quench it The Text implies that in the best the Spirit is subject to be quenched where it shines brightest and in the meanest and poorest Christian of the weakest grace much more a small sparke of fire is easily quenched and will decay if it be not blowne up and preserved And the Apostle exhorteth all Heb. 12.15 Let no man fall from the grace of God no man rich nor poore in grace high or low no man not the hypocrite who shall fall from all grace nor the sound Christian who may fall from many degrees and much comfort but is preserved from falling by the feare of falling and a care not to fall for God susteines him inwardly by his preserving grace and outwardly by the word preventing security Therefore Revel 2.25 That thou hast already holde fast till I come And 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinketh hee standeth take heede lest hee fall All which sheweth that the state of grace is lubricus ad lapsum that is slippery and in danger of falling First The Spirit comes not wee say with a wet finger nor without labour and desire he is not powred but upon thirsty grounds nor obtained without much sorrow mortification and cleansing of the heart he will not dwell in a sty nor set up his Temple in the denne of a darke and deceitfull heart Now when a man hath with such difficulty got the Spirit into his soule shall he by quenching him lose his labour suffer so many things in vaine and suddenly cast downe what hee hath beene so long a setting up Shall he be so foolish as to begin in the spirit and end in the flesh Gal. 3.3 Secondly The spirit of God with his graces are the earnest of our salvation 2 Cor. 5.5 The pledge of our inheritance Ephes. 1.14 The chiefe witnesse with our spirits that wee are the children of God Rom. 8.16 By which we call God Abba Father Yea he is that holy Spirit both in his nature being the fountaine of holinesse and in his effect making us holy By whom wee are sealed to the day of our redemption This is a Metaphor taken from Merchants who having bought some choyce commodities doe seale them for their owne to know them againe So the Lord by his spirit sealeth his owne both to distinguish them from others and to set them apart as his owne and also to make their election firme and sure by setting his owne seale and Image upon them Shall we then quench this spirit who alone preserveth our holinesse peace comfort boldnesse with God and assurance of our owne salvation Thirdly To quench the spirit is farre more damnable than to want him altogether for this is Apostasie than which nothing doth more provoke the vengeance of God against men Heb. 10.26 If we sinne willingly after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne but a fearefull expectation of judgement c. And this the godly themselves can justifie what torture they have in their soules when they have in part quenched the spirit As David roared day and night and his bones consumed Psal. 32.3 4. And Peter went out and wept bitterly Matth. 26. ult And such as now let no sorrow come neere them for their relapses shall finde the more behinde Fourthly Of all falls the fall from grace is most wofull 1. In regard of the good things which are lost even the most precious graces of faith love joy hope to which all earthly wealth is not comparable 2. In regard of the losse and ruine of the soule in such as quite fall away from grace received which is the best thing a man hath and what recompence shall hee give for his lost soule For a man to fall with a milstone about his necke into the bottome of the sea were an easier fall saith our Saviour than thus to fall 4. In regard of the wofull and miserable change in the soule of Gods owne childe who but in part quencheth this blessed spirit As appeareth in these instances 1. Change Whereas the spirit of God was the soule and life and joy of the soule now being quenched but in part he withdrawes himselfe and his presence yea the joy and comfort of his presence that a man shall thinke him quite gone and the joy which upheld the heart in all estates shall now be so cleare gone as if it had never bin there David found this change after his sinne Psal. 51.10 Create in mee a cleane heart O God and renew a right Spirit within mee therefore in this sence the spirit was gone Againe Restore mee to the joy of thy salvation therefore that also was gone 2. Change Insteed of the power and efficacy of grace all is in a wane and goeth backward the spirit of prayer ceaseth the first love is fallen from zeale decayes watchfulnesse is remitted conscience is cast asleepe the ayde of the spirit greatly lost which when David discerned hee prayed thus Oh stablish mee with thy free Spirit verse 12. 3. Change Gods children shall finde that the spirit once quenched in stead of the lively practise of piety formerly upheld they
are given over to their owne corruptions to commit grosse sinnes which even many civill men would not commit What fearefull sinnes did David moyle himselfe in when the spirit withdrew himselfe the sinnes of adultery carnall pollicy and shifting out of one sinne into another and falling from evill to worse How was Peter given up to lying swearing and forswearing for the time that a Iew might have beene ashamed on him notwithstanding all his former holinesse and gracious confession 4. Change Whereas the spirit being cherished there was a continuall feast in the soule and unspeakable glorious joy now being in part quenched hee brings a racke into the conscience of Gods childe and that conscience which before excused and justified now accuseth and terrifieth the burden of which is so heavie as all the mountaines of the world are light in comparison These terrours of conscience were the deepes out of which David even hopelesse and almost swallowed in the pit of despaire cryed to the Lord Psal. 130.1 5. Change Even the child of God quenching his spirit shall feele the smart and shame of his sinne which shall pursue him and vexe him and hee shall know what it is to exasperate the spirit Davids childe shall dye his daughter shall be defloured Ammon shall be slaine his wives ravished by his owne sonne himselfe driven out of his kingdome by Absolom Oh miserable change by quenching the spirit Fifthly Most men have the spirit of God and some motions but great is the difference betweene a godly man and an hypocrite in the one they are quenched quite in the other for the most part they are cherished and at last perfected As for example First hypocrites have knowledge as well as the godly but they quench it and fight against it therefore all good knowledge quite leaves them in the end but the godly carry their knowledge to heaven with them therefore the one is compared to the light of the Sunne which lasteth all day the other is like a flash of lightning suddenly appearing and suddenly vanishing Secondly hypocrites may be grieved for sin but it is onely and chiefly because of punishment not because of offence and they quench this griefe not willing to torment themselves before the time they runne into merry company and turne off sorrow lest they should disquiet themselves too much with such melancholy whereas the godly nourish godly sorrow and never cease sowing in teares till they reape in joy Thirdly hypocrites pretend great love to God but it is for his goodnesse to them not his goodnesse in himselfe for wages not for service but they utterly quench this love by the love of the world or pleasure or sinne and being grounded on earthly things when they faile it failes If Saul love God for his Kingdome when his kingdome failes his love quaileth too If Iudas love Christ for an Apostles place when that place will not holde him with further credit hee will for gaine betray his Master But the godly love him when he crosseth them and if he kill them they will trust in him much water cannot quench their love Fourthly an hypocrite hath many good motions the worst man living is not without some Balaam hath good desires but covetousnesse quencheth them Saul acknowledgeth his sinne and his sonne David to be better than himselfe but it was a blaze in straw suddenly quenched But the godly for the most part goe from motions to resolutions and so to practise many practises grow to habits and so to perseverance Well is it so such as have any assurance that the spirit is in them must have a speciall watch that they quench him not Then let Christians carefully avoid the meanes of quenching the spirit Quest. Which be they Answ. Three especially I. Fire is quenched when it is suffered to die of it selfe so is the fire of grace quenched 1. whē we use not our graces but let them be idle neither by them procuring glory to God nor good to men As iron let it be as bright as christall cast it by in a corner and not use it it will grow rusty and unprofitable even so will grace And the drowsie Christian though indued with good graces if he waxe idle his heart shall be like Salomons field of the sluggard all overgrowne with mosse and weedes which choake the good seede The health of the body is preserved by exercise so is the health of the soule by the exercise of grace the moth frets the finest garment when it is not worne standing water is sooner frozen than the running streame Secondly as fire dieth of it selfe when wee prepare not or adde not fit matter for the fewell and feede of it so suffer wee our graces to decay when wee neglect such meanes as God hath set apart for the strengthening and confirming of grace the case being with the soule as with the body which is in a continuall decay and needes daily repast or else it dies If a man forbeare his ordinary meales the naturall heate will decay and vigour and health and life and all so will the Christian if hee neglect the word the Sacraments meditation prayer watchfulnesse and the like Thirdly as fire must needes die of it selfe when we take away the fewell by which it should be nourished so is it in the matter of grace looke into the places where the word hath beene powerfully preached but is now removed and see if good things begun be not quite overthrowne and if ordinarily and for the general such people be not more profane than any other Many thinke they can walke many dayes without the strength of a Sermon But it was a miracle that Moses fasted forty dayes and forty nights and let Moses be away but a few dayes he shall surely finde a Calfe made Marke them that absent themselves from the assemblies of Gods people whether they doe not wither or no and fall by little and little into flat Atheisme If thou keepe not thy watch in the Temple if thou look not to the holy lights and fire morning and evening how will the Spirit be kept will thy graces in so great security be still lively While Thomas was absent from the company of the Apostles did hee not lose that manifestation of Christ which might have strengthened his weake and tottering faith and not so onely but grew hee not into a peevish infidelity that hee would not beleeve but upon his owne carnall conditions II. Another meanes of quenching the Spirit that is to be avoided is when the fire of grace is violently smothered by the contrary Sinne is as water to quench the grace of God both our owne and those of others For our owne sinnes First our sinnes of nature doe choake grace for our naturall corruption which the Apostle calls flesh doth ever lust against the Spirit and by reason of this there is never a grace of God in us but it conflicteth and is
they are so freely conferred upon us as David Psal. 116.12 Oh what shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards mee 3. To binde us to the more care in dispensing them for the greater our receit is the greater is our Lords expectation 1 Pet. 4.10 Let every man as he hath received a gift minister the same to others as a good steward of the manifold graces of God 4. To enable us to make up our accounts according to the number and measure of our gifts Matth. 25.24 the master observes the number of talents and the servant that received tenne talents must bring in according to tenne Quest. How shall I know if the Spirit be quenched or no Answ. By the application of this observation thou shalt see whether thou art gone forward or backward whether thou hast quenched or cherished the Spirit This examination shall be reduced to five particular heads in respect of 1. Graces 2. Good motions 3. Good duties 4. Sinne and 5. the Spirits worke on thy affections First examine thy selfe in graces received both for number and measure 1. If the Spirit in respect of the number of graces be quenched try thus If a man make no conscience of some points of doctrine or practise which heretofore he hath made conscience of as swearing usurie lying gaming family-duties and the like now the Spirit is quenched hee is like a man who being in decay for matters of the world doth cast off some of his traine So also when a man is not able to feede his understanding and practise as one ignorant about what he may imploy his head and hands A tree being in decay withers first at toppe because it cannot send sappe so farre from home so is the life of grace knowne to be in decay if it feede not all the parts of the Christian course Or to use our owne Metaphor As an aged man appeares by his head his white haires shew a decay of naturall heate and moysture so a Christians falling from right understanding judgement and practise is as white haires and argues a decay of spirituall heate and vigour For preservatives in this case first consider that God expects the number of talents committed unto us Secondly why should wee be like the brute beast which wants the art of numbering why should wee be as the silly bird that layeth twenty egges yet take away all but two she is as well and as painfull for them as for all and all because she wants numbring How can a Christian be so simple as to please himselfe as much with few graces as with many 2. In regard of the measure of graces try thus If a man waver and stagger in that wherein hee hath beene constant still he hath some faith some zeale some patience diligence and other graces but he wants that measure which sometimes he had now though he have an under measure in all yet hath he quenched the spirit Even as an olde man is knowne to be decayed because though hee have his whole number of parts that ever he had yet he hath them not in that measure of vigour as formerly hee had them For preservatives against this decay first consider that the Church of Ephesus is blamed for falling from her first love that degree of carefulnes which once she had Rev. 2.4 Secondly consider that we are commanded in the Scripture to adde grace to grace as dayes are added to our lives 2 Pet. 1.5 6. yea in respect of the measure and strength of grace 2 Tim. 2.1 Thirdly this is remarkable that those whose hearts have once beene heated with the fire of Gods spirit and afterwards have abated doe grow more frozen in iniquity than any other as water once hot is afterward most colde and freezeth hardest Secondly examine thy selfe in regard of good motions If these be lessened the spirit is quenched As for example when thou hast beene moved to heare the word and hast neglected it for some vaine pleasure or some small profit or sometime thou hast a motion to leave thy swearing cursing lying usurie gaming c. Gods spirit did knocke at the doore of thy heart but thou didst shut the doore against him and keptst out that heate which hee would have put into thee this is to quench the spirit Take heede lest failing thus in so necessary duties thou faile of the meanes whereby thou shouldest rise Repent and doe the first workes or else I will come unto thee quickly saith the Lord and remove thy Candlesticke out of his place Rev. 2.5 And againe Matth. 21.43 I say unto you the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation that will bring forth the fruites thereof Thirdly examine thy selfe in regard of good duties after this manner 1. If in stead of fervency in prayer thou findest thy prayer colde dead remisse formall interrupted with idle and wandering thoughts now the spirit is quenched who makes us cry and stirres up groanes which are unutterable 2. If once comming to the word thou wast wont to finde it sweete and a word of life unto thee but now thou commest with an impenitent heart a slumbering and a sleepy conscience oh certainly the spirit is now quenched who is never so sweete and cheerefull as in the word for he thawes the benummed heart and makes it burne by opening the Scripture A man in a swone if rubbing and Aqua vitae fetch him not againe his soule is gone the same is thy case if the spirit of God do not revive and quicken thee 3. In keeping the Lords Sabboths if sometimes thou couldest account thē thy delight the most comfortable day of the week but now thou formally passest them over not altogether hardened but with colde and heavie motions in confessing sinne in petition in thanksgiving if thou be slow of heart to beleeve heare and meditate in the word by this know that the spirit is quenched in thee who worketh joy and sweetnesse in the heart while it is in the presence of God and societies of the Saints 4. If after the performing of good duties thou hast sometimes found cheerefulnesse strength and good assurance thy selfe refreshed by them and better disposed but now thou findest in thee loathing or discontentment no strength or small comfort know for a certaine that the spirit is quenched some sinne or other is as a cloud hindering the beames of his sweete grace and comfort from thee Psal. 77.2 3. I sought the Lord yet my sore ranne and ceased not my soule refused comfort I did thinke upon God and was troubled I prayed and my Spirit was full of anguish Verse 7. Will hee absent himselfe for ever and will he be favourable no more Consider here what a dead carkasse is without the soule and so is all our service without the spirit Fourthly examine thy selfe in respect of sinne thus 1. If some sinne which was of great burden and weight
great and unspeakable wickednesse were it to despise so great salvation to despise the word of life of grace of light of peace of faith and the end of it which is salvation for it is the ingraffed word able to save soules Iam. 1.21 3. Manifold is the evill that overtakes a despiser of Prophecy 1. He is destitute of the Spirit who hath no being no delight to be there as the connexion of the precepts witnesseth 2. Prophecy being neglected piety is lost and men prove profane persons this was a brand of Esaus profanesse that hee cared more for a meales meate than he did for the blessing Heb. 12.16 3. Despise thou prophecy thy prayer shall be despised and all thy service is abominable Prov. 28.9 and chap. 1.28 Because I have cryed saith the Lord and yee would not heare yee shall cry and not be heard 4. It ties and fastens sinne on men yea and heapes up judgement for first it nourisheth ignorance a maine supporter of Satans kingdome secondly it resisteth faith by refusing the onely and ordinary meanes of it thirdly it barreth out repentance because this is the meanes of our regeneraration and change of heart and life fourthly it makes sinne farre more sinfull because here is a refusall of mercy and grace offered by prophecy Ioh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken they had not sinned but now they have no cloake for their sinne Fifthly the refusall of prophecy provoketh the Lord to give up men to vile affections to worke all uncleannesse with greedinesse because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 2 Thess. 2.10 Lastly it tyes on judgement as fast as sinne and wraps the despiser in the curse of God Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect much more despise so great salvation Consider the threatnings Acts 13.41 Beholde ye despisers and wonder and vanish away Beholde I will worke a worke in your dayes which a man would not beleeve for the terrour of it out of Habak 1.5 This serves to reproove 1. Anabaptists and Enthusiasts who pretend the Spirit and despise prophecy they have the Spirit to guide them and therefore neede no preaching 2. Those profane Atheists at home who despising the Spirit of grace and the word of grace live as without God in the world Many who have Iacobs voice professe in word better things yet prize the preaching of Christ as a thing of nought It is better to be casting up some account or reading some history or walking in the fields or visiting some friends or perhaps going to a play than to a Sermon Are these the sonnes of Abraham or the sonnes of God and not rather the profane sonnes of profane Esau What can hee tell me saith one which I know not As if thy knowledge could priviledge thee to despise Prophecy And what thinkest thou These Thessalonians had knowledge as well as thou for they were taught of God 1 Thess. 4.9 yet must not they despise Prophecy and wilt thou despise it We see not saith another but that all this preaching doth breede barrennesse as an immoderate raine and brings preaching into contempt As if the abundance of prophecying did priviledge the profane heart to despise it The Israelites made just such another reason Oh wee have nothing but Mannah Mannah and our soule is weary of this Mannah and yet by their owne confession if they loathe this Mannah they must have nothing else to live by they shall surely die and their blood be upon them Object Wee see not that this preaching doth any thing but breede contention among Preachers and hearers Answ. As if because a bad stomacke turnes wholsome meate into bad humours therefore good meate must be despised and because mans nature spider-like turnes wholsome doctrine into poyson therefore wholsome doctrine may be despised Many other allegations the Divell puts into the mindes and mouthes of men against Prophecy because he knowes by preaching his kingdome falls like lightening Luk. 10.18 But those that feare the Lord will abhorre them 3. Others are reprooved who can be content to heare the word read and thinke themselves in good case if they can reade the word or good bookes at home but despise prophecy and interpretation which what else is it but to reject Gods wisedome in his owne meanes who hath set us apart to pray men in Christs stead to be reconciled to God The conversion of men was never committed to mens owne private reading no nor to the ministery of Angels no nor Christ himselfe undertooke to convert the world by his owne industry but left his Disciples to doe greater things than himselfe Ioh. 14.12 Contemne Gods meanes and thy owne shall never succeede Besides will not any say that hee understands better by interpretation of things than by bare reading Yes any but grosse malice and wilfulnesse 4. Others will heare the word not read onely but preached and yet despise Prophecy because they despise the practise of that they heare as Herod That which a man cares not to keepe hee despiseth Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it and doe it Therefore beware of despising Prophecy and of receiving the grace of God in vaine 2 Cor. 6.1 but rather heartily and sincerely embrace it Meanes 1. Labour to see the necessity of it being the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 and a principall ordinance of his to reveale the great mysteries of salvation which thou canst never understand without a teacher 2. Make conscience of hearing the word often 1 Pet. 2.2 As new-borne babes feeling their want would sucke every houre of the day and night Esteeme it with Mary the one thing necessary 3. Attend at the gates of wisdomes house Prov. 8.33 It was the praise of these Thessalonians that they heard the word with all readinesse Act. 17.11 and a great worke of God in Lydia chap. 16.14 The Lord opened her heart to attend to the words of the Apostles 4. Rejoyce in it as the Iaylor Act. 16.32 Hee rejoyced that hee and all the household beleeved And the wise Merchant went away rejoycing Not to delight in the word is to despise it Ierem. 6.10 Beholde the word of God is to them a reproach why they have no delight in it 5. If thou wouldest not despise Prophecy despise not Prophets This were to despise Christ himselfe for Hee that despiseth you despiseth mee Luk. 10.10 But have them in singular love for their workes sake as our spirituall fathers begetting us unto Christ. Wee see how the Prophets of the olde Testament were esteemed even of Kings themselves as Ioash though a wicked King finding Elisha ready to die fell on his face and wept and cried My father my father the horsemen of Israel and the chariots thereof 2 King 13.14 And shall not beleevers in the new Testament honour the Prophets of the new Testament who as good lampes consume themselves to give others light But
that set not their hearts aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God Psal. 78.8 Fifthly the Rule notably directs us in points of imitation 1. It teacheth us that the rule of religion is not the foundation of any forefathers but of the Prophets and Apostles 2. It teacheth us to dististinguish of fathers some were carnall some spirituall some were inlightened and zealous some blinde and superstitious and wee must not admit any our forefathers in religion but such as had God their Father and the true Church their Mother that said unto wisdome thou art my sister Thus farre the good Kings followed David and so did Timothy his Grandmother Lois 3. It teacheth us to distinguish betweene that our forefathers have done and what they ought to have done and wee may follow them in all that they ought to doe not in all they doe Thus in looking on our Ancients must wee heede what the Ancient of Dayes hath warranted The Iewes now goe on in their blaspheming of Christ as their Predecessours did but they ought not and Papists they imitate their Ancestours in horrible idolatry blindnesse cruelty but they looke not what they ought to doe 4. To inquire whether wee may lawfully doe what our Ancestours might lawfully doe The ancient Iewes might lawfully Sacrifice Circumcise but their posterity though they doe ought not still wee must looke to our owne warrant Our Ancestours were in the darke wanted the light which we have it is lesse safety more shame and danger to us to walke as in the darke than for them 5. It affoords us wisdome to discerne between the things wee receive from our forefathers A wise man would be willing to enjoy his fathers lands goods plate jewells yea his good qualities and vertues but he would be loth to receive his hereditary diseases goutes stone blindnesse vices and shamefull blemishes so it is here But foolish and superstitious sotts as Israel going out of Egypt not onely borrow their jewells and wealth but carry away their biles botches leprosie Idolatry calves and all corruption 3. Some make humane lawes the rule of their life Why come many to Church but because the Law of the Land calls them to it not considering of Gods Law nor in conscience performing any duty Why is that horrible sinne of swearing so rise every where and that by no small oathes as it hath much adoe to be kept out of the mouthes of some Professouts but because the Lawes of the Land at least in their execution take no hold on it Gods Law runnes so straight against it Sweare not at all not by little oathes faith and troth not in matter of truth not by good things not by small things and The Lord will not holde him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine that a good heart would tremble at an oath But generally this is no sufficient rule to bindmens tongues to their good behaviour Why is biting usury growne to so great and ordinary a trade that a number of trades and tradesmen resolve themselves into it but because Gods Law is cast aside and men sticke to the Law of the Land which indeed allow it not but supposing Vsurers to be cruell enacts a Law against their cruelty What is the reason that men abstaine from Adulterie in the act but not in the eye in the tongue in the heart but because they walke by mans Law their outward man is bound by an outward Rule but they have cast into a corner this Rule which would bind their thoughts and enter into all the corners of their hearts And why else doe men abstaine from actuall murther but not from murtherous speeches and thoughts but that the law of man bindes their hands and rules them but the Law of God rules not their hearts And the like might be said of a number of sinnes The Romans had a law forbidding any Emperour to consecrate or set up any God which was not first approoved by the Senate For Tiberius Cesar hearing of the miracles and fame of Christ in Iudea by vertue of that law mooved the Senate to promulgate and relate Christ among the number of gods Whose folly Tertullian thus scoffeth Apud vos de humano arbitrio divinitas pensitatur nisi homini Deus placuerit non erit Deus homojam Deo propitius esse debet So may we say of these legall Christians whose Religion reacheth not beyond the Scepter Truth shall not be Truth nor God God unlesse it please men so to enact it and God must be beholding to man to let his word stand as a rule Against all which know that all humane lawes are imperfect rules as all men be but our rule must be a perfect rule First they neither can discover all sinne for the knowledge of sinne is by Gods Law nor give rules for fulfilling of all righteousnesse Secondly they are not internall but onely require externall obedience but the perfect rule must binde the soule and conscience Thirdly they are alterable and abrogable as their makers bee and as occasions rise but the rule must be perpetuall and endures for ever Fourthly the rule must not onely rule man in innocency but in the state of Glorification shall serve to shew the conformity of glorified creatures in their obedience to the perfect will of God their Creatour 4. Some walke by the rule of crooked and corrupt affections which as so many Lords enact so many new lawes but all contrary to the commandement and law of God Herod will not part with his Herodias and Ahab casts away the rule because it is a troubler of his estate Micaiah never prophecies good unto him And so is it in all such as hate to be reformed The Vsurer hath found a trade to live by his meanes come in easily and richly now he weighes the matter in his owne ballance and shunnes the ballance of the Sanctuary he cares for no bands betweene God and him so he have sure bands of the borrower The Shop-keeper cannot live unlesse he sel wares on the Saboth day and every man must live by his calling Now this base covetous affection ruling the heart the Law of God for the sanctification of the Saboth must not rule and order such persons So what harme is it say some to play a game or two at cards on the Saboth day will nothing but damnation serve for such an offence they like no such rule it is too straight and strait they must have a Lesbian leaden rule that will yeeld a little in the laying and not stand so straight and stiffe against their lusts Our Gentlemen and Gentlewomen will say in generall that the Scripture is the rule of good life and care not greatly if they give a little countenance to the truth but bring this rule close unto them and tell them that it calls them to amend their fashions to stoope to the simplicity of the Gospell to leave off their strange apparell their vaine
thy selfe the Agent thou art a plaine infidell yea worse than an infidell there being no cure but by faith in the Divell thou hast runne out of thy calling hast cast off the yoake of God and by the hand and helpe of the Divell hast avoided the hand of God for the present to the scandall of thy brethren and the wounding of thine owne soule II. Many addict themselves to many sports and recreations on the Saboth day Oh the Saboth was made for man and not man for the Saboth c. But bring this to the forenamed Rules 1. Where hath God commanded it Sure we are hee hath commanded the sanctification of the Saboth day which is the whole and parts Is this to sanctifie a day to the Lord 2. Whether maketh more for Gods glory in whose sight we are Saboth-dayes duties or recreations whether dare wee pray rather for blessing and successe upon in which have we more comfort and would have God to finde us in 3. Whether beseemes a Christian better who is commanded to cease from his ordinary calling and lawfull vocation because they destroy the Saboths rest and much more sports and play lesse necessary whether is recreation for rest or labour Whence wee conclude that howsoever on the Saboth wee may and must rejoyce yet our rejoycing must be that of the Iewes Nehem. 8.12 that they understood the Law namely in things spirituall and holy III. Others worke and thinke they may in their callings in the morning and evening of the Saboth as some of our tradesmen and shop-keepers Bring this common practise to this Rule 1. Gods word is expresse Thou shalt doe no manner of worke Ier. 17.21 2. Hast thou God in thy presence he rested from all his worke 3. Doth it beseeme that profession which is heavenly Savours it of heavenly contemplation or base earthlinesse 4. Art not thou runne out of thy way seeing thy calling on the Saboth is wholly to cease from thy calling and doe no worke but workes of mercy and such as serve to preserve the Ministery and Gods worship 5. Is not the example as wicked as the action and the hurt to others more than the advantage to thy selfe 6. The Psalme for the Saboth directly meetes with this objection Psal. 92.1 It is a good thing to praise the Lord in the morning and to declare thy truth in the evening and in the night season 7. If a man plow and thresh on the Saboth day hee is counted a profaner of it an Atheist and so he is and why not hee also that labours at the racke or in the mill or the boate Alasse the profanesse of our dayes that he that is drunke diceth cardeth or sweares on the Saboth is counted honest and religious enough and those that passe their Saboth worse than beasts which though they can do nothing to sanctifie their rest yet doe they nothing to profane it are applauded whilest conscionable observers of it are scorned IV. For resorting to stage-playes and frequenting of places of idle resort and unlawfull games which would men bring to the Rule they should not be so frequented as they be 1. Gods word is that such filthinesse ought not to be named among Christians much lesse acted and that we ought to passe away all our time in feare and trembling 1 Pet. 1.17 2. God is there present to take account of every idle word and there is the passing of nothing but idle and hurtfull words against God and man and an holding of mens eares to them many houres together 3. Wouldest thou willingly he should take thee at a play or at cards or dice when hee comes to judgement 4. For one speciall circumstance Are not men there in womens apparell contrary to Deut. 22.5 5. For thy selfe thou art neither in thy generall nor in thy speciall calling and therefore art out of the way of Gods protection 6. For thy brethren as thou maintainest the Players or gaming houses or alleyes in an unlawfull calling so thou offendest others by thy example especially if thou beest a Master or Magistrate that abettest such ungodly and unlawfull courses thou sinnest by example against duty and decorum Oh let unthrifts so spend their time and not thou who shouldest punish and represse them V. The last instance concerneth our fashioning our selves in our apparell and behaviours both to the strange fashions of other countries or the fantasticall fashion of our owne 1. Gods word is Zeph. 1.8 I will visite the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are clothed with strang apparell How hath God visited the late strange fashion and coulor of yellow ruffes both in the deviser and first wearers on which God hath cast speciall reproach that in scorne not only chimney-sweepers but hang-men in their office taken it up which yet some will not be warned by 2. Whether doth thy conscience tell thee that thou art assured that strange and fantasticall fashions make thee as comely in Gods eye and to Iesus Christ whose spouse thou professest thy selfe to be And whether darest thou say thou glorifiest God by them Art thou sure thy conscience is neither erronious nor doubtfull 3. For the circumstances hast thou an eye to adorne thy profession with thy body Or doth it beseeme the profession of holinesse to runne through all lightfashions The Apostle 1 Tim. 2.9 commands womeâ— to aray themselves with modestie and good works as women professing the feare of God And garments should expresse the hidden man of the heart and shew the sober fashion of our minds and not the vain fashions of forrein Countries 4 For thy own person do these fashions argue thee to be a beleever whose cheif care is to adorne the soule Or canst thou thinke the Lord Iesus can be put on together with such fashions 5. For thy brethren how doest thou scandalize them offending some provoking others and bringing a blott of levitie upon thy selfe whose good name should bee a precious oyntment and whose course in this behalfe should favour of grace and gravitie sutable to the gravest presidents of good and godly women and the most sober of thy ranke and degree Object Some will be ready to turne off all this which hath ben sayd replying thus Alas man you are too precise your selfe and you would have vs so too wee cannot put on our clothes without you nor take any recreation without your leave no nor yet with it Answ. According to the text Try all things And can he be too strict or curious that must try every thing even the least Let me see that man that thinkes himselfe exempted from this precept or any of his wayes No no there is a strict Tryall and account behind and hee shall best fit it that is strictest in Tryall afore-hand Hold that which is good THis precept is aptly knit to the former and informeth us what we should doe after we have examined and tryed the truth and hath in it 1.
Gods part as well as their owne When Minâ—sters are diligent in doctrine careles in life they hold some good but not all Private men that carry themselves soberly and civilly and are fully content with the name of honest men holde some good but they reforme not their family nor walke religiously in the midst of their houses and so are farre from holding all good This is in matter of practise So in matter of judgement The truth and every part of it is our birth-right saith Cyprian wee must not lose a foote of it but hold the least truth Many hold fast the maine grounds and articles of religion but in things of lesser moment are altogether regardlesse as Bishop Latimer thought at first that the cause of the Sacrament was rather to be dissembled than suffered for but considering better that hee must holde all that is good himselfe happily suffered in it Nay we must not onely hold truth in sense but even the words wherein the Spirit of God hath conveyed it to us not departing easily from them for wee shall finde what great mischiefe hath oppressed the Church by taking liberty to depart from the very words of Scripture and in stead of them using other improper speeches to expresse the same thing As for example The Fathers used to expresse the Pastors of the Church by the name of Priests whereupon the Romish Church builds and backes her order of Priesthood Doctour Fulke in his sixth chapter of his defence of the translation against Gregory Martin hath these words It is a folly to thinke that a sacrificing office externall can be established in the new Testament which never calleth the Ministers thereof Sacerdotes or Priests They often call the Table of the Lord an Altar and the celebration of the Supper a Sacrifice and gave a reasonable good sence but had they kept to the words of the Scripture they had prevented much mischiefe springing thence For the Romanists make advantage of their speeches wrested out of their sense to set up that blasphemous doctrine of the sacrifice of the Masse And the word Masse what Papist knowes whence it comes being neither Hebrew Greeke nor Latine nor taken from any other language of any Nation but raked out of the bottomlesse pit without all signification unlesse it agree with our English word masse that is an heape a lumpe a chaos of blasphemies and abominations The like of the word Pope a strange unknowne and mysticall name the learned Papists knew it not but confounded themselves in the Etymologie of it some from Pape the interjection of admiration some from Papa which Latine children used to call their fathers by answering to our infants dad some from the Romane abbreviation of Pater Patriae expressed by pa pa and a pricke betweene some from the Siracusans word Papas signifying a father Such follies and ridiculous and childish dotages are they faine to wander in to seeke and finde their holy father the Pope who as himselfe is a beast rising out of the earth in whose forehead is written MYSTERIE so his name is mysticall and from men not from heaven not from the Scriptures yet is the name as ancient as Cyprian and used by the Fathers Wherein we may see how dangerous it is as Beza observes to decline from the word an hayre-breadth and not to hold all that is good even the least An arrow set a little awry at first makes a great errour before it fall at the marke How happy had it beene if the ancient Fathers otherwise godly and learned men had held them to the very names termes and proper words of Scripture rather than by departing therefrom have opened a flood-gate to Antichrists delusions who as Satan creepes in the darke and getting in his toe will shove in his bulke for give sinne an inch it will take an ell and so of the Man of sinne 4. Rule Hold most carefully the chiefe good things for so men doe in earthly matters Now there be three things worth most care in keeping 1. Gods favour presence and loving countenance Psal. 4. Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us let others keepe corne and wine keepe thou this feare sinne most of all as that which would most dangerously robbe thee 2. Thine owne sincerity uprightnesse and first love Iob 27.6 I will never lose my innocency till I die 3. The Crowne of life is promised to him that is faithfull to death Hold the kingdome fast in the meanes and so strive as thou maist obtaine As the Martyrs who apprehended it through fire and flames 5. Rule Hold all that is good stiffely and stoutly against with-holders and opposers for a man shall never hold good if he doe coldly approove it Hold it as one firmely glued to it for so the word signifies Rom. 12.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cleave to that which is good things glued are not easily disjoyned God hath by this phrase glued every Christian to every truth in judgement and practise and no man must separate himselfe from it Tit. 1.9 Holding fast the faithful word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against gain-sayers Take hold with both hands against hereticks tyrants false-teachers flatterers that have laid hold to snatch it from us or as men in perill of drowning lay fast hold upon any thing they can catch to save themselves and will not let it goe 6. Rule Hold the truth constantly to the death whatsoever the issue be Rev. 2.25 Hold fast that thou hast till I come as the renowned Saints and Martyrs who have rather parted with their lives than their depositum 2 Tim. 1.14 Let us therefore labour to see into every truth and seeing it let us hold it As that famous souldier Cynegrius held the shippe first with his right hand till that was cut off then with his left hand till hee lost that too and last of all with his teeth till his head and body were severed So let us resolve every one with himselfe That which I see to be good I will holde it so long as I live or breathe my hands my heart and soule shall cleave unto it I will carry it to heaven with me The second thing proposed is the meanes of holding that which is good I. If wee would hold things approoved to be good let us avoid carefully such things as would hinder us in holding them And they are of two sorts 1. Some shut out good things 2. others thrust them out or choake them The former are 1. Presumption of our owne wisdome and knowledge Humility stands porter at the doore of discipline Psal. 25.9 God teacheth the humble Ier. 13.15 Heare and give eare and be not proud Men of conceits will heare whom they list but an humble man will receive good even from the meanest though it be an earthen vessell Naaman from his servant and Iob from his hand-maid 2. Distempered affections as rash conceit
with the broth and much lesse the uncleane meate hee knowes the broth is uncleane too the least sinne is infectious and contagious The difference then is this One loves the appearance of good more than goodnesse it selfe the other hates for the evils sake the very appearance of it 5. The fruite of this dutie commends it to our care 1. It commends our feare and zeale for God which riseth up against all sinne As by nature we hate all serpents yea the picture of an ugly viper so grace raiseth up the spirit against sinne indifferently and all resemblance of it 2. It is excellent for the satisfying of a mans owne conscience for suppose a thing be never so good yet if it appeare to me evill I sinne in doing it and must avoide it because it appeares to me so 3. It commends our charity which respects the conscience of our brother and is as loth he should fall by our hand as by himselfe 4. It is the honour of our profession and the glory of the Gospel when men cannot justly challenge us with appearances of evill for wicked mouthes are stopt and we adorne the holy profession of God which must needes suffer in us if wee avoid not shew of evill both for the safety of our good name and a good conscience We must be so far from loving liking any evil as we must utterly dislike it be disparate and separate from it whether in Doctrine or manners I. In Doctrines which have but a shew of evill we must abstaine and reject them as carefully as manifest false Doctrines for wee may easily suppe up poyson and heresies if wee can digest Doctrines which carry some shew of evill in them As for example Nestorius a wicked hereticke and as Evagrius calls him officina blasphemiae a very shoppe of blasphemy did not distinguish but separate the two natures of Christ and made one Christ not of two natures but of two distinct persons one the Sonne of God by which person all his egregious and miraculous workes were performed the other the sonne of Mary by which without the Sonne of God he wrought all those actions of infirmity as eating drinking sleeping weeping and the union of natures being dissolved for one Christ he gives us two but neither profitable for us Hee holds that wee are saved by the flesh not of the Sonne of God but of the Sonne of man and that the flesh not of the Sonne of God but of the Sonne of man is vivificall and quickening Now this negative makes it apparantly false from which we must not onely abstaine but also from such speeches as although they may have a right interpretation yet carry a shew of evill vâ—gr It is a true speech that we are saved by the blood of the Sonne of man but we must abstaine from it because of the cognation of it with Nestorius his heresie and say plainly by the blood of God as the Apostle speakes Acts 20.28 or of Christ God and man we are saved To say we are saved by workes may be truly explained but better to abstaine from it because it hath an appearance of Popish merit To call Evangelicall Ministers Priests may be truly expounded but it were better to avoid such phrases of speech because of the shew of Popish Sacrifice and Priesthood The words of heretickes saith one are to be feared and say the Rhemists if we will keepe the faith of our fathers wee must keepe the words of our fathers so say we of the faith of the Scriptures II. In practise and behaviour we must shunne such things as carry evill shewes The Iewes in their course of life must not onely not goe into uncleane houses but must not come neere them and Christians are commanded not to touch any uncleane thing Therefore all such are here to be reproved as think all Christianity stands in this if they doe no unlawfull things and so runne headlong never looking quà m malè colorata sunt what evill shewes they carry Magistrates who whatsoever they see president for in their predecessours venterously undertake it and so referre their authority to private use forgetting themselves to be publike men Ministers seeking their owne not Christs they may be idle non-residents cast up their calling and turne excepting their habit meere secular Paul refused lawfull maintenance at Corinth to avoid suspition of mercenary and covetous affection in preaching Christians in private converse must shew dislike of all appearance of evill First avoid all filthinesse and suspition of it as is said of Cesars wife such as are minced oathes adulterous lookes needlesse company with profane ones Secondly put no coulours upon sinne to digest it easier Object I may company with such and such persons to winne them Answ. Thou art liker to lose thy selfe by hazard of infection if without calling thou frequentest loose company 2. Thou art liker to lose than to winn them by intimate familiarity which is fitter to harden them Thirdly thou art in way to lose thy owne reputation as being a favourer of them and their courses Object But I may weare this and that fashion of apparrell my heart is humble and I detest pride Answ. If it were so thou wouldest avoid the shew of evill in overcostlinesse and excesse of attyre a lowly heart and a lowly habit goe together Object But we may straine at gnats and small things are not to be stucke at Answ. Little sinnes have great consequents Secondly they commonly draw greater after them Thirdly many little sinnes proove ponderous and pernitious Fourthly none are little if the shew of them be not little as our text implyeth III. Let us see this 1. In respect of Idolaters 2 In respect of profane persoÌ„s First Wee must avoid all conformity with Idolaters In service In Ceremony In neere society First In service To be present at idolatrous service is an appearance yea a kinde of approbation of idolatry And where all idolatry is forbidden all shew and appearance of it is forbidden also Besides wee must shew in our appearance our hatred of the very appearance of evill Quest. May not a man be at idolatrous service and keepe his heart to God Answ. No 1. God is but one man is but one and there is but one faith and God requires the body as well as the soule because they are both his 2. It is a deniall of Christ a dissembling of religion a betraying of truth where we ought to professe it an approbation of idolatry an hardening of the enemy by presence and silence 3. The very practise condemneth it selfe The man holds consent of heart evill then be must hold appearance of consent evill too 4. It is a reconciling of abhorring natures light and darknes God and Belial the Temple of God and the Temple of idols An impossible disioyning of the soule and body as if the one could be in heaven and the other in hell Origen said he could
presence with us confounds us unlesse the sense of his grace and favour susteine us and hence our Lord taught us to begin our prayer with this title Our Father 3. Our chiefe unhappinesse were to be neare God if hee be not at peace with us for our God offended is a consuming fire Then wee must beware of sinne which is the breach of peace betweene God and us especially before prayer let every one that calls upon the name of the Lord depart from iniquity 2. Wee must acknowledge our happinesse to consist in our peace with God Make peace with him and thou shalt have prosperity Iob 22.21 If they of Tyrus and Sidon made so much of outward peace that they by all meanes desired it of Herod and if the Iewes having by Felix obtained outward peace and quiet acknowledged it wholly in all places with all thankes much more should wee for spirituall inward and heavenly peace Secondly in our prayers we must labour to conceive of God in such Attributes as may strengthen our faith in our speciall suites Behold him not onely the God of all grace 1 Pet. 5.10 but of this and that particular grace 1. To this end the Scripture denominates him from particular vertues that in the want of any of thē we may resort to him confidently as the Scripture stileth him the God of love the God of patience the God of hope the God of all consolation of wisdome c. that in our want of any speciall grace wee may cast our eye upon these titles or Attributes 2. The Scriptures are stored with many names and titles of God that we might so conceive of him affected to us in our prayers as hee hath declared himselfe to be Doe wee begge the accomplishment of any promise come to him in the name IEHOVAH who gives being as to all things so to his promises Doe wee pray for any thing but see many things stand in the way of our good publike or private now come to him in the name of EL a strong God who can quickly bring mountaines to plaines and effect by a mighty power whatsoever he will Lacke we any blessing and are destitute of all meanes and comfort now come to him in the name of of EL-SHADDAI I am God All-sufficient and that is meanes enough Findest thou thy selfe beset with severall wickednesses and armies of wicked Angels in high places and invironed with temptations or dangers now come to him in the name of EL-TSEBAOTH Lord of hosts who hath armies of Angels to set round about the tents of his people this name of the Lord is an assured strength when the righteous fly unto it Hast thou received any blessing or promise now come to him in the name IAH as wee are commanded Psal. 135. who is thy good Lord and bountifull benefactour If the Apostles had neede thus to encourage their prayers much more wee Whosoever would have true peace must have it from the God of peace as he that would have water must goe to the well or fountaine Iob 22.21 Acquaint thy selfe with God be at peace with him so shalt thou have prosperity The Apostles in all their salutations pray for peace from God and from our Lord Iesus Christ. 1. Because God himselfe and our Lord Iesus challenge this peace to be their owne prerogative to give neither can it be had elsewhere For the former as God is called the God of peace 2 Cor. 13.11 c. so this peace is called the peace of God Col. 3.15 Phil. 4.7 as whereof he is the sole Authour For the latter our Saviour saith to his Disciples Ioh. 14.27 My peace I give unto you my peace I leave with you not as the world giveth give I unto you Where he first challengeth it to be his owne having clearely purchased it Secondly his owne to give men may wish peace but he can give it men wish the peace of God or Christ he gives his owne Thirdly hee sheweth that this peace cannot be elsewhere had not as the world giveth plainly distinguishing his peace from the worlds both in the gift and the manner of giving The world 1. gives a kinde of peace but that is a false peace mine is a true peace 2. That is a peace in externall things mine in internall 3. That is temporary and inconstant mine lasting yea everlasting For your joy shall none take away from you 4. That is given most to wicked men for the world loves her owne but this is given onely to beleevers being a fruite of faith against whom the world bends all her forces 5. That peace is against Gods glory and indeede the worlds peace is the keenest warre against God the very foment and cherisher of lusts and impiety This peace is for God and his glory and a warre against sinne a cherisher of grace and piety 6. That peace ends in destruction though men cry peace peace c. This is given for salvation and for the fruition of perfect peace 2. As this peace is onely Gods to give so is it onely the portion of the children of God who are called sonnes of peace this is onely childrens bread and must not be cast to doggs Matth. 15.26 And it is a gift of promise Gal. 6.16 Peace shall be to all the Israel of God Such onely as have God for their Father and the Church for their Mother have right unto this and that because they be sonnes Esay 54.13 Much peace shall be to her children that is of the Church and because they be beleevers for this peace is the fruite and undivided companion of faith Rom. 5.3 leaning upon the mercie of God in Iesus Christ for the pardon of sinne The wicked man hath none of this peace of God because he hath not mercy nor grace with the God of peace The seate and place where this peace resteth prooves plainly that it is a proper and peculiar gift of God and that is the heart soule and conscience which none can reach but God himselfe Col. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The peace of God must take the chiefe command in the heart and Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall preserve your hearts A military word taken from souldiers that come in to ayde an army so this peace shall bring ayde to the heart and strengthen it when Satan and sinne and temptation and persecution lay siege to it And who else can revive the heart but he that made it Who can reach comfort to the conscience but the Lord of it Who can say to the soule I have pardoned thy sinne but the Lord the party against whom it is committed and so pacifie it Who can worke faith in the heart but the Spirit of God and who can preserve this gift there being by so many enemies surprised but the hand that creates it by the power of which we are preserved to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5
his full harvest in perfect sanctification Paul himselfe being justified presently attained not perfection but laboured hard towards it Phil. 3.12 And an inseparable note of a justified person is that he longeth waiteth and sigheth to put off all corruption and misery and to put on fulnesse of grace and glory Rom. 8.23 We that have received the first fruites of the Spirit doe sigh waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our body 2 Cor. 5.4 Wee desire to he cloaâ—hed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life and verse 8. Wee love rather to remoove out of the body and dwell with the Lord. This Doctrine thus prooved unto us serves for the reproofe of sundry sorts of people First those are reprooved who content themselves with some illumination as if it were sanctification For 1. A man may be enlightened may come to a great measure of knowledge in the mysteries of the Gospell and make a profession among the Saints as Iudas and Simon Magus yet his heart and life remaine foule and uncleane 2. Through sanctification is indeede no such thing it is entire as the blood in all veines of the body so is it in all the powers of the soule and every part and member of the body 3. It is not enough to praise a Sermon or speake well of points in Divinity for wee heare the Divell speake well sometime of Christ Marke 1.28 4. Knowledge is either literall without reformation onely enlightening or spirituall enlightening and changing 2 Cor. 3.18 Therefore deceive not thy selfe sanctification begins in the understanding and minde but goes on to renew the thoughts the desires affections speeches and whole life Secondly such are reprooved as thinke civill life to be holinesse and content themselves with it as sanctification the world generally embraceth this shadow for the body and this image and livelesse carkasse for the life and being of sanctification betweene which there is as great difference as betweene a man and an ape 1. Sanctification orders the whole way and every steppe of it by the light of the word for the image of God is renewed in knowledge Col. 3.10 Civility goes not so high for the rule but depends on the reputation of men and estimation in the world he would neither be too forward nor yet of no religion It is too strict to take the word with us to guide every word every fashion of apparrell every thought than which what is more free 2. Sanctification is most conversant and chiefly carefull in religious duties which concerne God and his worship and his owne salvation this is the one thing necessary Luke 10. and the good part yet will it not be negligent in the workes of his speciall calling Civility is most in things for the naturall and civill life there is his spirit his soule his body and all and yet he must not be an Atheist he must sometimes doe religious duties but how seldome or how coldly tediously and of custome 3. Sanctification labours against the roote of sinne kills it in the birth blasts it in the budde draines the fountaine and renewes the spirit of the minde the eye of it spares no sinne but avoides the sinnes of the time of the trade his naturall and darling sinnes pluckes out eyes and cuts off hands Civility makes no great matter of the rooted and originall sinne it would stoppe some foule issues but it is loath to meddle with the fountaine it would not be noted for great sinnes foule adultery manifest theft noted lying drunkennesse c. but some gainfull or pleasurable sinne it cannot be without and as for smaller sinnes as idlenesse vaine talking evill speaking gaming lesser oathes and the like hee takes no notice of them nor is ever humbled for them 4. Civility may cover sinne but cures it not it may wrappe a clout on a wound but layes no plaister on it But sanctification is healing as well as cleansing as was shadowed in the Law concerning leprosie which was then pronounced to be cured when the uncleannesse was confessed and went no further 5. Sanctification is busie both to stocke up sin and enlarge the stocke of grace to get more strength against corruption more power to obey God in all things it markes the increase of grace and is thankfull for it it conscionably useth meanes of repairing graces decayed it renewes daily warre against the reigne of sinne and riseth to full sanctification in a most glorious victory and conquest over it Civility lets sinne alone to see if it will die it selfe it is too pittifull to kill it It is afraid of too great a stocke of grace because it is afraid of mortification it knowes a man cannot dye without paine no more can the olde man it observes as little increase as it cares for it holds it no conquest to get victory over secret lusts and so continues a willing slave unto them 6. Sanctification in all the good it doth in all the evill it abstaines hath a pure end and aymeth to please God with the displeasure of men and deniall of his owne corrupt heart will and affections Civility cares more for the offence of such men as in whose favour he would live than the offence of God is more strict in mans lawes than Gods must not displease or deny himselfe hath more care to be thought good than to bee good And thus wee see how civill men who seeme to themselves to outrunne others to heaven are quite out of the way and never set foote in the path of holinesse that leades to happinesse A civill man seemes a sheepe of Christ by his fleece but his liver is rotten Thirdly those are here reprooved who thinke this Doctrine needlesse perhaps impossible they meane not to be Saints till they be dead and never looke after full sanctification till they come to heaven and so they frame their lives as if it were absurd to thinke we could be Saints upon earth But no Saint on earth none in heaven such as shall attaine perfect sanctification in heaven are described to be such as must be written among the living in Ierusalem Esay 4.4 Thou must be such a one as must feele the power of the Spirit renewing thy soule body and spirit by which if thou findest not a mastery of all coruptions yet thou shalt finde a weakening of them all and a desire and indeavour to subdue them all with some successe so as this full sanctification shall be thy ayme and so as it shall come forward every day more than other Lastly those are reprooved who seeme to come to some measure of sanctification but either fall backe or rest in these beginnings caring for no increase in spirituall things There is no comfort at all in such standing for 1. Saving grace is alway growing 2. As covetous men never think they have golde enough so Gods children must and doe thinke they have never grace enough Therefore let us stirre up our selves
must delight thy selfe in the Lord which goes beyond love Psal. 37.4 delight thy selfe in the Lord make him thy chiefe seeke God himselfe the peace of God the favour of God the glory of God with most fervent affections Secondly love and affect all things in God and for God and God onely for himselfe thou must love nothing like him much lesse above him and least of all against him in all his creatures in all his actions in all his gifts labour to taste his sweetnesse Psal. 34.8 true love of the word is to love God in his word the true love of our neighbour is to love God in our neighbour c. Thirdly get your affections more to heaven than earth as an higher and more noble object Col. 3.2 it is not enough to affect heavenly things unlesse thou doest it with the chiefest of thy affections Set your affections on things above and not on things below that is comparatively for two Masters cannot be served with like affection we must seeke spirituall and heavenly things simply and absolutely as being simply good and to be affected and asked whatsoever become of other things but temporall and earthly with condition and limitation as being but conditionally good at the best IIII. Hate the worst things most The worst thing of all is sinne it is simply evill and so is nothing else wee must then hate sinne more than punishment sinne simply and directly resisteth Gods glory so doth not punishment makes for it it in the manifestation of his justice A wise man should rather chuse hell than Gods offence Sorrow for nothing so much as thy owne sinne count nothing so shamefull as that and thy selfe for it feare the evill of sinne more than the evill of torment because evill of sinne is more evill V. Rejoyce in nothing so much as in the pardon of sinne the righteousnesse of Christ the favour of God and that thy name is written in the booke of life Luk. 10.20 Get Gods image into thy affections frame thy affections to God for matter manner and measure to love or hate most where God loveth and hateth for so doth the man after Gods owne heart First God loveth his Sonne Iesus Christ above all men and Angels so must then the Christian esteeme Iesus Christ above ten thousand Secondly God loveth his word dearely as himselfe being a resemblance of himselfe in all his Attributes so must thou love the word as God himselfe nothing so dearely nothing in comparison Psal. 119. Oh how love I thy word all the day long it is my delight Thirdly God loveth the congregation and assemblies of his people the places of his worship he layeth the gates of Zion above all the habitations of Iacob Psal. 87.2 so must thou dearely love his house and the place where his honour dwelleth esteeming one day there better than a thousand elsewhere Fourthly God loveth his Saints so dearely that he will not dwell in heaven without them so must thou love the Saints dearely for the image and in imitation of God On the contrary the Lord hateth every sinne with an infinite hatred yea his soule abhorres it so must thou avoid and hate every evill way even all the wayes of falshood yea the appearance of evill and the very garment spotted by the flesh 2. He hateth the society and congregations of wicked men they shall not come into his presence so must we hate the company and society of wicked men Psal. 26.5 3. Hee hates wicked and false doctrine Revel 2. Thou hatest the doctrine of the Nicholaitans which I also hate 4. Hee hates the wicked manners and fashions of men though never so much approved and applauded amongst men so must thou hate the works of them that fall away they must not cleave to thee Psal. 101.3 Thou that lovest the Lord must hate all that is evill Psal. 97.10 VI. Bring thy affections often before God appeale to God and his word for the right carriage of them Ioh. 21.15 Lord thou knowest I love thee thou knowest I love thy word thy servants thy house thy glory So Lord thou knowest I feare thee as Ioseph feared to sinne against God and Nehemiah I feare God Lord thou knowest I hate sinne and sorrow for nothing so much as sinne and then bring them often to the rule of the word to confine and bound them The word teacheth that the measure of our love to God is without measure but the measure of all our love to other things is so farre as it may stand with the love of God in summo that is above all it teacheth that all earthly joy is with reference to God our chiefe joy The word will measure our anger and confine it to a small time the Sunne must not goe downe on our wrath it alloweth us to be angry but not to mingle our sinfull corruption with it Doe this the rather because our affections must be presented before God one day Now let us examine our selves and try our affections by these rules before named First Aske we our selves what it is wee love or hate whether our affections are set on the right objects and carried towards God or against evill as they ought to be 1. Hath the Spirit carried us not to a dislike but to an utter hatred of all sinne none is so bad but hateth some sinnes The prodigall hates covetousnesse The Iew can hate a Samaritane and mixt worship The Pharise can say I thanke God I am no extortioner no adulterer But just hatred excited by the Spirit is generall of whole kindes against all that is called sinne as the lambe hates all wolves and we hate all serpents none excepted The Law bound the Iew to hate all uncleannesse to touch none but that defiled onely the body the least of this uncleannesse impureth the most precious soule of man 2. The Spirit never raiseth hatred of evill but out of the love of good to which it is contrary Aske we our selves then whether doe we love or hate that which we may lawfully love or hate because God loveth or hateth it for many can dislike many foule evills and yet be farre from good Many can forbeare evill because the law of nature proclaimes against it the law of men condemne it rulers punish it shame attends it a gracelesse man can doe it So to love religion love the truth because the law favours it the kingdome embraceth it and for the present it is the safest all this is but pollicie an Atheist can doe it But grace embraceth truth because it is so because the Truth himselfe honoureth promoteth and prospereth it and commendeth it to our love and trust 3. For the manner doe wee love and hate as God loveth and hateth as he loves not vices for persons sake so hee hates not persons but vices Wee know what workes are hatefull to God but not whose persons belong unto him therefore wee must hate the workes of them that fall away but
the directions the Scripture doth afford us which be of two sorts and both of them within that in Iob 31. that because the eye is a most swift messenger unto the soule and most slippery as Iob make a covenant with thine eyes not to behold vanity And because all thy watching is too little for so quicke a member pray the Lord that he would turne away thine eye from beholding vanity Psal. 119.37 Wherein is this watch I. To pull away thine eyes from unallowed objects First beware of an hypocriticall deceitfull eye as in Prov. 6.12 there is one that twinkleth with his eye this is an eye quick-sighted to deceive his brother See thine eye be single as Christ teacheth that is such an eye as may discerne to doe that thou doest that it be just 2. by just meanes 3. doe it with all thy heart uprightly 4. within compasse of thy calling and if thou canst get this single eye the whole body will be likewise single II. There is a lustfull or an adulterous eye 2 Pet. 2.19 we reade of unchast persons that have eyes full of adultery First there be them that have eyes full of spirituall adultery gazing upon Popish pictures and images which they hang up in their houses as alluring harlots corrupters of the heart which is an opening of the doore to idolatry and a signe of a man willing to be deceived But the eyes of the Church are as doves eyes Cant. 1.14 chast and pure not gazing upon idolatrous pictures Secondly corporall adultery that delight in lascivious pictures filthy portraitures of naked men and women in whole or such parts as may incite the corruption of heart and feede it with contemplative adultery we neede bring no oyle to this flame the more lamentable it is that the Divell hath got such pictures into request in this wanton and unclean age for where can a man goe where he may looke off them which a manifest signe of adulterous eyes 2. Such are their eyes who are adulterous living pictures that so attire and disguise themselves to lay open their nakednes beyond all modestie to ensnare the eyes senses of others say not thou thinkest no hurt in it except thou be sure others thinke no hurt by it 3. Such are their eyes that reade lascivious and wanton bookes teachers of adultery and lewdnesse that frequent stage-playes with their beastly acts and actions wherein all gates and walls are cast open to the Divell beware of this eye by which death and poyson enters into the heart III. There is a covetous eye which is not satisfied with riches Eccles. 4.8 neither doth hee say for whom doe I thus labour this eye defraudes the soule of pleasure and is an evill sicknesse As Ahabs who was discontented with a kingdome for want of Naboths vineyard There be three things that never say enough the horse-leach the fire and the grave and adde the fourth a covetous eye which as Iobs Elephant Iob 40. thinkes hee can swallow the whole flood Iordan Let a covetous man have but a moate of dust or earth in his eye what trouble is it to him yet he thinkes to thrust a whole Country could he get it into his eye and see never the worse Take heed of this covetous eye there is no greater an enemy to faith and contentation or any good exercise than it is IV. There is an envious eye Matth. 20.15 Is thine eye evill because mine is good such an eye as Satan cast upon the happinesse of man when hee was fallen from his owne Take heede of this sore eye that cannot abide the light Basil saith that whereas many evills are in it yet onely one good thing goes with it it is the greatest plague to him that hath it V. There is a sleepy a dull and a negligent eye not open or quicke to behold with fruite and profit the noble workes and actions of God whereas God hath made the eye of a round figure and of quicke motion that it might easily move it selfe any way or every way in viewing the workes of God in beholding the afflictions of his people and the necessities of his brethren The second thing wherein we must be carefull in watching the eye is to labour to holde and fixe the eyes upon allowed and profitable objects As 1. God made our eyes to looke upward and hath given mans eye one muscle which the beasts eye wants that it should not fixe it selfe as theirs upon the earth yea hath compassed the eyes with browes and lids to fence them from dust and earth that though we looke sometimes on the earth yet the least dust or earth should not get into them Psal. 123.2 to shew that our eyes should be lifted up unto him and in seeing his creatures behold himselfe 〈◊〉 â—hem Esay 40.26 Lift up your eyes aloft and behold who created all these things the invisible things of God his power divinity and eternity were made visible to the very Gentiles by things created Rom. 1.20 And shall Christians onely looke on these things as they to make our selves inexcusable shall we looke upon the Sunne and not on him that made it 2. Let us fixe our eyes on the workes of God in and for his Church for the strengthening of our faith and confidence as Iohn 2.23 they that saw the workes of Christ Many of them beleeved in his name seeing the workes he did For the Lord doth nothing for or against his Church but according to his truth revealed in the word the Lord doth no worke in his Church either of judgement or of mercy but they are as it were the very commentaries of the Scriptures and therefore all the workes of God that wee can behold in or for his Church doe notably stirre up our faith in him 3. God hath allowed us our eyes to behold our brethren to behold their graces to see their good example to affect embrace and encourage them to imitate them to glorifie God for them thus our eyes should imitate the eyes of God which are upoÌ„ the just to affect protect reward them Yea we must holde our eyes upon our brethrens misery to pitty releeve them we must not turne our eyes from our owne flesh as the unmercifull Priest and Levite did from the wounded man who were condemned by the pittifull Samaritan 4. Our eyes weâ—â— given us not onely to be organes of sight but to be fountaines of teares in beholding both our owne sinne and misery and the sinne and wretchednesse of our brethren The Iewes eye beholding the brazen Serpent was a watery and mournefull eye because hee was stung by the Serpent so ours much more whose sting and paine is mortall and inward And can we beholde any creature and not see in it the expresse prints and markes of our owne sinne which still must adde to our griefe And for others Good Lot was vexed daily to see the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites and Davids
eye gusht out with rivers of teares because men kept not the word Psal. 119.126 These sinfull objects every where should be the griefe of our soules and as swords piercing our hearts which we can too easily conceive pleasure in 5. Our eyes should be ever looking homewards and heavenwards and towards the end of our way as quicke travellers gaze not on things before their feet but hasten to the end of their way This is by heavenly conversation and constant expectation of our Lords returne to take our account we should long after Christ and the place of his abode there should our hearts be where our home is our house our husband our father our eldest brother even Christ himselfe is Thus to order our eyes consider first the danger of a neglected eye in Eve shee saw the fruite was good and forgot the commandement Potiphars wife cast her eye immodestly on Ioseph and said Lye with me David saw Bathsheba washing and was all inflamed It can looke to all things else but not to it selfe that thou mightest looke to it so much more And if the eye spy not nets laid for us it selfe becomes a net Ambrose Secondly an evill eye is made a signe of an evill heart Mark 7.22 out of an evill heart commeth an evill eye and if the eye be evill the body is darke Matth. 6.23 Thirdly a man that gives his heart to God will give his eye too for God calls for both Prov. 23.26 My sonne give me thy heart and let thine eyes delight in my wayes And if thou give him not both he cares for neither and if thou give him not thine eye as well as thy heart thou wilt lose thy heart quickly the adulterous woman will steale away thy heart though thou seemest to give it to God if thou watch not thine eye Fourthly know that if thou wilt not looke to thine eyes hee that made the eye must needes see thee Psal. 94.9 he sees the least unlawfull looke Lots wife cannot turne her face backward but hee sees and smites This is Salomons argument to the young man that will walke in the sight of his owne eyes that God will bring him to judgement Eccles. 11.9 if thou wilt walke after the sight of thine owne eyes doe but know that for thy quicke and nimble and unallowed lookes thou shalt come to judgement Now the directions for the eare The heart cannot possibly be kept in good state without diligent observation of the senses no more than a Citty can be defended where the ports and gates are cast open And as in the keeping of a gate of a Citty diligent care must be taken whom they let in and whom they let out So in keeping this sense we must know 1. when to shut it 2. when to open it First we must keepe shut our eare against the voice of the tempter that Satan and sinne enter not by this wicket Eve not doing this death entred into her soule and all ours Secondly wee must keepe out the entising and alluring of sinners which are as the Syrens songs Prov. 1.10 My sonne of sinners entise thee consent not And take heede of evill rotten and poysonfull communication let no evill corrupt communication passe through thine eares for evill words corrupt good manners and the want of learning this counsell is the bane of all modesty and civility in this age for this corrupteth first the heart and then the conversation it is like fire cast into a barrell of gunpowder that sets all on fire presently A Christian must neither speake filthy language nor heare it Thirdly keepe out reproaches slanderous and reviling tales whisperings against the good names of our brethren for what difference is there betweene carrying of Satan in the tongue or in the eare A good man will not slander with his tongue nor receive it into his eares David sinned in the ease of Mephibosheth by meanes of slanderous Ziba whom he should have driven away with an angry looke Fourthly wee must not heare or give heede to false doctrine errours heresies and libertine opinions contrary to truth received Deut. 13.3.8 If thy brother thy owne sonne or thy daughter or the wife that lyeth in thy bosome or thy friend which is as thine owne soule intice thee secretly saying let us serve other Gods c. thou shalt not consent unto him nor heare him neither shall thine eye pittie him nor shew mercie nor keepe him secret but thou shalt even kill him and thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death and then the hands of all the people c. 1 Tim. 4.1.7 Beware of this itching eare which comes to Church rather to censure the Preacher than it selfe as Herod having Iohn before him sought some miracles to please his curiosity but sought not grace for his salvation and departed and left Iohn as he found him as the beasts uncleane went out of the Arke uncleane came they in and so they went out They sinne against this rule that desire novell doctrine forsake the beaten path and simplicity of received truthes and runne into new and strange conceits and confused errours troubling with the faith of men the peace of the Church and happy proceedings of the Gospell Fifthly especially beware of hearing Gods name blasphemed by oathes and cursed speeches or his religion or profession or servants dishonoured without our defence A godly heart is carefull neither to sinne himselfe nor communicate in the sinnes of others In a word in all the speeches we heare remember Iob 34.3 The eare tryeth words as the taste tryeth meates to let no words goe downe into the soule which are not wholesome else we are justly blame-worthy by neglecting this sence Secondly we must learne to know when to open the eare As 1. To heare the word of God This is called an hearing eare and an obedient eare an eare inclined to heare wisdomes sayings Prov. 4.20 Remember it is a note of him that is of God to heare his word hee heares what the Spirit saith to the Churches Iohn 8.47 hee is swift to heare Iames 1.19 2. There is a deafe eare by which men become like the idols that have eares and heare not And this being a great plague is followed with a greater the eare turned from hearing the Law Gods eare is turned from hearing his prayers his very prayer is abominable what then is his person Now would you know whether you have this hearing eare or not take it thus It is Swift Patient Wise. First swift to heare on all good occasions it knowes God hath given him two eares and on either side of the head to teach him to apprehend all occasions to gaine instruction Secondly patient in hearing our owne sinnes disgraced the coare of our owne corruptions lanced and let out our owne duties described it must be a boared eare like Christs signified by that boared eare of the Iewish servant Exod. 21.6 a painfull signe of perpetuall subjection and
pleasures of it too well Demas forsooke the truth to embrace the present world Iudas by the same corrupt affection fell from the Apostleship Ioh. 12.41 Many chiefe Rulers beleeved Christ but durst not confesse him because of the Pharises for they loved the praise of men more than God Oh that we did not so cleerely see the strength of this lett in these dayes wherein so many baulke the way of holinesse and fall backe almost to open profanesse because they neither see many men nor great men yeeld approbation or countenance to such strict courses 2. Shunne lewd society and familiarity with profane persons if we would not fall from our owne stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 3.17 18. there is not more strength in any infectious pestilencious ayre to poyson the body than in this poysoned ayre to kill the soule Society with gracelesse men is a very blasting of grace fire is not more apt to burne than we to learne their wayes 4. The labour and paines of holinesse and mortification makes many weary of the good way but consider it is not in vaine to serve the Lord and there is profit in walking humbly before him thy paines shall be abundantly recompenced a small measure of holinesse with an upheaped measure of happinesse Every man will be contented to swallow much paines for a little earthly profit and is the state of heaven worth no labour 5. Persecutions drive many away much seed which comes up faire when the sunne of persecution ariseth withereth away But against this wisdome must cast the costs and prepare to defray the charges of this great building and the same Sunne that dries and burnes up the shallow seede shall set and ripen ours Many heare holinesse reviled and spoyled of her vaile and value they heare this sect every where spoken against and would as farre forget themselves as Peter to heare that voice Thou art one of them and perhaps renounce Christ and profession and all for if even the very Disciples of Christ and all they leave him and fly when afflictions comes neare Matth. 26.56 what marvell if they that want soundnesse shrinke in the wetting 1. But here remember and looke upon Christ Heb. 12.2 who endured such speaking against of sinners not for himselfe but for thee lest thou be weary 2. Hee that is now ashamed of Christ Christ will one day be ashamed of him and then he that will no◠beare the reproach of a blast of words for him shall be filled with an everlasting reproach before men and Angells 3. Sound judgement esteemes it the greatest honour to be highly dishonoured for Christ and his causes Matth. 5.12 Blessed are yee when men revile you and speake all manner of evill against you for my sake rejoyce and be glad great is your reward in heaven Object I could better endure mens words but I shall also sustaine great losse if I should be so precise I should lose my custome trading and profits Answ. Wilt thou receive a religion and not know it to be truth or knowest it to be so and wilt not be ready to confesse and professe it according to thy place and calling even in the middest of the different conceits of men 2. The Saints knowing this to be truth did for it joyfully suffer the spoyling of their goods 3. Put together in the ballance the losse of the world and the losse of thy soule and consider whether is fitter to save if thou cāst not save both For the losse of the world is an abundant recompence promised by a sure pay-master but what recompence is there for the losse of the soule Matth. 16.26 Nay if thou shouldest venture and give thy life for thy profession if God call for it it is no lesse than thou oughtest who oughtest to strive unto blood Hebr. 12.4 and yet this greatest losse were the greatest gaine Thus to lose thy life is to save it and to save it in this case were to lose it III. Procure to our selves and exercise the helpes of perseverance and keepe them neere us as our continuall companions And for this end First let the word of God be deepely rooted in our hearts for this is a speciall preservative from declining Psal. 119.102 I declined not from thy statutes for thou didst teach me Now the word sundry wayes keepes us As first by inlightening us to see our way both to chuse the right way and decline the wrong Psal. 119.105 Thy law is a light and lanthorne to our paths Secondly by comforting and incouraging us in the good way Rom. 15.4 Through consolation of the Scripture wee receive our hope Thirdly by preventing sinne in us Psal. 119.11 I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sinne Fourthly by keeping out of sin and redressing our way Psal. 119.9 Secondly labour to preserve in thee a love of grace and holinesse let thy scope be in all the meanes of holinesse to gaine not knowledge and illumination onely but sound affection also to grow up in this as well as in that For first as a tree low and deepe rooted is stablished and continued in fruitfulnesse so when faith and grace is deepely rooted in the affection of the heart there will be perseverance Secondly it is not good words good actions or good knowledge that holdes out but good affections will Thirdly what other is the cause of so generall backsliding in the world which is the proper punishment of not receiving the truth in the love of it 2 Thess. 2.11 Thirdly feare God This is a wellspring of life to make us escape the snares of death Prov. 14.27 and 19.23 Anchora mentis pondus timoris Feare holds the heart steady as the anchor the shippe and joyne thy selfe to such as feare God delight in such as excell in vertue and grace these are able to encourage strengthen direct uphold raise and comfort thee in thy difficulties wearinesse and weaknesse and set thee forward not by their gifts onely but by their example Fourthly be instant in prayer for perseverance so our Text teacheth for it is the Lord that both beginneth and finisheth his owne worke hee not onely sets us in the way but leades us in the way and at length brings us into Canaan Fifthly looke still to the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ as a good servant hold thy selfe in expectation of the appearing so the Text Luke 12.36 Blessed is that servant whom the Master shall finde so doing Doest thou expect him from heaven and is not thy conversation there doest thou expect his comming in glory and meetest not him in grace lookest thou for him as thy head and wilt thou not as a member holde an happy union and fellowship with him expectest thou thence a Saviour and continuest thou not unto the end seeing onely such shall be saved Matth. 10.22 Now the motives to the meanes of perseverance First this is a true signe of a true friend of God who loves at all
Nay perhaps those that have built an Arke to save others as Noahs Carpenters shall be drowned themselves Yea more a man may defend the word as Iulian and receive within him the seede of the word and bring forth some fruites as the bad ground did and all this is like effectuall calling Thirdly by ineffectuall calling a man may come to see his sinne to sorrow and grieve for it to confesse his sinne be humbled for it ashamed of it to acknowledge his estate to be nought and preferre the state of the godly before his owne yea wish and desire to change estates with them as Balaam He may crave pardon of his sinne desire the prayers of Saints as Pharaoh and Simon Magus He may refraine himselfe in many sinnes as Haman He may fast and rent his clothes and lie in sackcloth as Ahab He may doe many things at the direction of the word as Herod for Iohn and yet be in the gall of bitternesse And is not this like effectuall calling Fourthly by ineffectuall calling a man may attaine to some kinde of faith can beleeve Christ a Saviour can get a perswasion that Christ redeemed him can taste some sweetnesse as if hee drew vertue from Christ can rejoyce as in a good estate as the stony ground received the seede with joy Luke 8.13 And some that being not onely enlightened but taste of the good word and power of the life to come shall quite fâ—ll away Hebr. 6.6 And some we reade of denying the Lord that bought them that is both in their owne profession and perswasion and in the charitable judgement of others This is so like effectuall calling as no man but would thinke them sheepe of Christ as themselves doe but are not Fifthly by ineffectuall calling a man may partake of the Spirit of God and be in some sort sanctified by the blood of the Covenant Heb. 10.29 Hee may attaine unto many excellent graces as joy in hearing sweete gifts in praying power in preaching a kinde of love of God humility under the hand of God as Ahab a reverencing of good men as Herod reverenced Iohn a seemely externall worship of God bounty and freenesse to uphold the worship of God and not sticke at thousands of rammes and rivers of oyle Vnto a fiery zeale for the Lord of hoasts and upholding his worship as Iehu who seemed a servant that could not abide his Masters dishonour but departed not from the sinnes of his fathers All which a man would thinke belongs to sound and effectuall calling This likenesse therefore of the one with the other makes effectuall calling the more hardly discerned Now therefore seeing this outward and ineffectuall calling brings us not into grace with God without the inward 2. Seeing it is common to good and bad Matth. 22.9 Call in all you finde 3. Seeing it is unprofitable as what profit had Ismael of his Circumcision Esau in Isaacks family or Iudas in Christs family being profane 4. Seeing to be in the Church and not of it is to deprive himselfe of the chiefe priviledges of the Church which is remission of sinnes and life everlasting We must therefore labour to finde in our selves such sure markes of effectuall calling as yet were never found in hypocrites that wee may be sure our calling is sound and saving proper to the elect a note and forerunner of eternall glory Quest. What are these markes Answ. 1. A discerning of the voice of him that calleth this implies hearing For hee that heareth not Gods word is not of God Ioh. 8.47 But besides hearing First here is a spirit of discretion putting difference betweene truth and errour good and evill Cant. 2.8 It is the voice of my welbeloved and Ioh. 10.8 My sheepe heare my voice and a stranger they will not heare Secondly there is a perswasion of him that calleth Gal. 5.8 which is beyond hearing called the hearing eare which hypocrites want Thirdly there is a yeelding unto the perswasion that it passe not without some such effect as is not to be found in any hypocrite The faithfull have an oyntment given them and see Christ in his voice comming every day nearer them than other It is the voice of my welbeloved Beholde hee comes leaping over the mountaines skipping over the hills See this in some instances The Lord pleaseth to speake and utter his voice sundry wayes outwardly and inwardly 1. Outwardly 1. In the ministery of the word and Sacraments 2. He calleth by the voice of his mercies and corrections 2. Inwardly by the still voice of his Spirit to the conscience Now wee shall see effectuall calling answers all these I. If God speake in the ordinary meanes and Ministery an heart effectually called heareth the word not onely to know it but to be directed by it not onely to consent to the truth of it as hypocrites and Divels may but to approve and like it to receive it not into the eare onely but into the affection and not into the affection of joy onely as the hypocrite but of love feare trembling and the rest and not into the affections onely but into the conscience whereby they let it in further and allow it a deeper rooting than any hypocrite can doe And therefore in the one it is an illumination like a blaze soone extinct againe in the other it is a cleare light and lampe that carries them along into the bride-chamber In the one it is like a sodaine flash of lightening as soone gone as come in the other it is like the Sun-shine that shines all the day long for direction and comfort For the parts of the word the Law and the Gospell If God speake in the Law an heart effectually called heares that voice not onely to see his sinne and sorrow for it which an hypocrite may but to hate his sinne to loathe it and leave it yea not to leave many or all but one all but our Herodias but to forsake even the most beloved and bosome sinnes Hee heares the voice of God in the Law as a rule of life not onely to restraine corruption but to drive him out to sound renovation and reformation Hee heares the voice of the Law to get out of his estate of nature and to get into the state of the godly not at death onely as Balaam but in his life and to apprehend so the end of godlinesse as he useth the meanes to compasse it whereas an hypocrite aimes at the end but either passeth over or slubbers the meanes If God speake in the Gospell an heart effectually called heareth that voice offering grace and pardon to it which because it is weary and laden this voice is as flagons of wine to revive his soule ready to faint in him but an hypocrite being not seriously humbled heares carelesly The former heares this voice as an instrument of saving faith by which he beleeves Christ not onely a common Saviour but his in speciall not to wish onely
and ill successe of their Ministers that faile them in this duty of prayer Thy prayers might have upheld him or helped them out of trouble out of frailty 5. Such as pray not for their Ministers deprive themselves of the blessing and happy fruite of that Ministery the more earnestly people pray for their Pastours the more assurance of good and happy fruite may they expect from their Ministery and often of their Ministers themselves who are worthily removed from an unworthy people that never prized them for their workes sake First This serves to reprove inconsiderate men who by neglect of this duty signe themselves to be out of the communion of Gods people they care not whether their Minister stand or fall sink or swimme leave him to himselfe take no notice of his labours trialls sufferings his person his worke his wages is no part of their care they have no hand lift up for him to God or men but perhaps both against him These are at least inconsiderate 1. That the blessing and benefit of a good Minister is invaluable and must be begged of all those that must share in the benefit One of the speciall clauses of the new Covenant is that God will give Pastors according to his owne heart and wil he give such a speciall gift to such as prize it not nor praise him for it 2. They consider not the weight of the calling the charge of soules for which who is sufficient The rage of Satan and all wicked men against this great worke never sleeping but alwayes hindering the free passage of the Gospell both with open fury and secret devises The many sharpe assaults that these leaders of Gods armies against the Prince of darknesse and his forces are exposed unto often in the forlorne hopes not onely bestowing their lives and strength in preaching the Gospell but often being bestowed for it and die to seale it with their blood Did they consider this they would pray in Peters words Acts 4.29 Lord grant thy servants that they may speake boldly thy word 3. They consider not how deepely themselves are interessed in the welfare and happy estate of their Ministers Is not the fall of the Minister commonly the ruine of the people Can the shepheards be smitten and the sheepe not be scattered Can vision faile and people not perish Can a watch-man of a Citty or Castle be corrupted or surprized by the enemy and the Citty be safe Or can a man be an agent or accessary in the corrupting and surprizing a Captaine set to keepe a Fort without treason to his Prince Even so hee that prayes not for the prosperity of every good Minister shewes himselfe in enemy to the Church and no friend to his owne salvation Secondly To reprove that cursed generation of men who in stead of praying for the prosperity of the Ministery and Ministers who being sent of God in mercie are a principall blessing 1. They repine and grieve as if some heavie scourge or plague were come upon them as the Divells did at Christs coming because they were tormented before their time It was never merry with them since there was such running and thronging after preaching now they cannot sit at ease nor have roome to bring their beds with them nothing is such a corrasive unto their hearts as to see Gods blessing and successe of a godly Ministery and the people of God flocking after his owne Ordinance This was the dust and daggers in the Pharises and hypocrites in Christ his time that they could profit nothing but that the world runne after him Iohn 12.19 Oh that such men would seriously consider that 1. Whosoever esteeme this excellent blessing a burden a plague it shall be so to them It offers it selfe now as a blessing but shall turne to the most intolerable plague that can befall them even a witnesse a bill of inditement aggravating their damnation burdening them with plagues and curses easelesse and remedilesse 2. There is not a more proper note of a Divell incarnate and a man in state of damnation than to envie and grieve at the grace of God at the prosperity successe and growth of the Gospell The Divells proper sinne Ye are of your Father the Divell his workes ye doe 3. The time hastens on thee when in terrours of soule and agonies of heart thou shalt wish one Sermon one word of comfort and know by the want of the blessing the benefit of it but perhaps shalt never finde opportunity Thirdly others in stead of praying for their Ministers curse them revile them slander them runne to the Rulers every week to disturbe them as if they were loath to be too farre behinde the Divell or not to be chiefe instruments in the ruinating of the Kingdome of Iesus Christ. Thus those that are bound to pray for their Ministers that they may be delivered from absurd and unreasonable men are most ready to make a prey and spoile of them But doubtlesse they are wicked and gracelesse men neare to a curse a wonder their steely hearts feare not some extraordinary judgement and messenger of Gods wrath every moment 2 King 2.24 When little children in their play cursed and reviled the Prophet Elisha beares came out of the wood and destroyed them how much lesse can the aged escape who teach their children by example to revile and scorne the Prophets and servants of God Fourthly others will not revile them but can spy wants and imperfections in them as indeede there is in the best can sit as Iudges on his person cast him off for one weake in gifts colde in his doctrine carelesse in his life and so turne him off But when did they pray for him that God would enable him to the worke of his Ministery that God would bestow the Spirit to deliver the word so as he might save his owne soule and them that heare him And if they faile herein are they not guilty of all his defects which they complaine of Surely would they spend as many earnest prayers for him as they doe words to taxe and disgrace him who knoweth whether the Lord might not open his heart and mouth for their comfort and profit And what reason hath the Lord to minister comfort and benefit by a man when it is never desired Thou findest no sweetnesse nor comfort in a Minister thou prayest for none How canst thou finde without seeking Secondly for instruction Seeing our want and sinne heretofore let us reforme our selves and provoke our selves to so needfull a duty daily to commend our Ministers to the grace of God as Paul and Silas were by the Church Acts 15.40 The first ground and to doe it aright 1. Wee must love them heartily our prayer must flow from love where prayer must be earnest love must be earnest first even as the love of fathers begetting us and breeding us up to Christ 1 Cor. 4. true love and prayer are ever inseparable it is impossible for a man to
it is said Thou lovest all words that may destroy oh thou deceitfull tongue How did the Divell use a tongue otherwise than in lying and deceiving for when hee speakes a lye he speaks his owne saith Christ. And God will destroy all them that speake lyes Psal. 12.3 because nothing is more contrary to his nature being truth it selfe 3. Take heed of an oily and a flattering tongue that can sooth and smooth and justifie an evill man in his evill Prov. 29.5 A man that flattereth his neighbour spreades a net for his steppes as a fowler layeth in waite to bring the bird into the net and holde him in it implying that this flattery is the Divells invisible net by which he catcheth and holdeth men fast in the snare For what man will not delight in any base lust when hee shall not onely not feare reproofe but be commended and graced in it But of all flatterers none is so serviceable to the Divell as a flattering Minister who brings whole flights of foolish birds into the snare and holds them fast to death 4. Beware of a slanderous and smiting tongue of which Ierem. 18.18 Let us smite him with the tongue because blowes and strokes hurt not nor wound a mans body more than the slanderous words hurt his name The slanderer is a monstrous creature for a tongue he hath a sting for words he carries swords in his mouth his breath is poysonfull and loathsome as gall of aspes yea hee carries a fire in his mouth set on fire from hell One compares the slanderer to the butchers mastiffe hee lies still in the shambles hee waites for the blood of the beast his mouth is ever bloodie But especially when he slandereth godly men in their godly wayes hee lies in the Divells sinne who is an accuser of the brethren Revel 12. And hee is often paid with his owne coyne that as hee sits as a moth fretting the names of others his name is wounded and gnawed on by others Whereas by the same overruling power of God a man chary of anothers name comming through his hands hath his name often defended and tendered passing through the hands of others 5. Beware of a wanton and filthy tongue addicted to unseemely and ribauldry speech full of corruption both in the speaker and hearer the one making no conscience of foule words easily comes on to foule actions the others good manners easily corrupted by evill speeches 1 Cor. 15. Say not with thy selfe Though I sometimes speake foolishly and merrily yet my heart is good I live well and honestly for all that I assure thee thy heart and tongue are both of one constitution and thou that saist thou art so honest of thy body but neglectest thy tongue carriest a world of wickednesse about thee still in that little member Thirdly use the meanes to keepe thy tongue unblameable For first it is a little member but unruly and as hard to keepe as a Citty without walls Secondly by thy words thou shalt be justified or condemned Thirdly all thy religion and profession is in vaine if thy tongue be unruled Fourthly a wholesome tongue is the tree of life How carefull will an husbandman be to preserve a tree of delicate and precious fruite Such a tree is a well governed tongue But if a man had the least sprig of the tree of life by which hee were sure to thrust away diseases paines sicknesse death and preserve himselfe in an happy healthfull undying and immortall estate oh how carefully would hee tend and charily watch it But Salomon commends a well ordered tongue to that whole tree of life Prov. 15.4 for the fruite of a long and comfortable life 1 Pet. 3.10 Quest. What are these meanes Answ. First set a watch before the doore of thy mouth and resolve with David not to offend with thy tongue Psal. 39.1 I purposed and vowed with my selfe to looke to my wayes and that I sinne not with my tongue and that man that will not sinne with his tongue must set a strong watch before the doore of his mouth And consider here first it is too much for a Christian to lodge corruption and filthinesse in his heart and yet if some uncleannesse will still hide it selfe in those deceitfull corners choake it there let not the tongue utter it nor the mouth vent it to the poysoning and infecting of others Secondly that a thought may be corrected but a word once spoken is irrevocable and therefore wisdome will examine every word first before it passe out of the mouth Secondly take lawes for our lippes from God and put them on our tongue Prov. 31. the godly woman the law of grace is upon her tongue the word of God is the bound of her tongue and speeches both for matter manner measure and end of her speeches A man cannot learne a forreigne tongue Hebrew Greeke Latine French unlesse he be taught the elements or observe the rules of speech Now to speake gracious speech is not our native language it is the language of Canaan to which wee are naturally strangers and can never get it of our selves unlesse wee acquaint our selves with the rules of it in the word of God Who can speake familiarly with God savourly of God or Christianly with men without Gods owne teaching in his word Thirdly labour to get a good heart for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. 15.18 and Prov. 16.23 The heart of the wise guideth the mouth wisely for as the shop is furnished out of the ware-house so the mouth with speech out of the heart Whence it must follow that the want of good and savoury speech argues a barren and naughty heart To speake the language of Canaan be a Iew within get a wise pure and converted heart and then thou art one of the people of a pure language 3 Zeph. 9.13 Fourthly accustome thy selfe to good and savoury speech flowing from grace in the heart that all thy speech may be the issue of knowledge faith holy affections of love joy zeale desire of godly sorrow c. and tending to the praise of God and to the exhorting instructing counselling and comforting of men as the damosell to Peter let thy speech bewray thee a Disciple of Christ a good Christian see the matter be good and pertinent the manner seasoned and bounded with godly discretion and the end tending to minister grace to the hearers The reason of this rule is First because corrupt communication slippes in for want of better communication which might have prevented it Secondly no way so expedite to breake off a bad habit than by frequent contrary acts which will grow habituall and familiar Thus much of the directions for keeping the outward man blamelesse If any thinke them not so necessary to be insisted upon or taken up carefully into his practise let him remember 1. That the heart is never renewed unlesse the outward man be reformed 2. It shall one
day be said to him Why takest thou my law into thy mouth Psal. 50.16 why professest thou religion and salvation by Iesus Christ and hatest to be reformed 3. The time hastens wherein every soule present shall be judged by that hee hath done in the body be it good or evill 2 Cor. 5.10 Vntill the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ. NOw we come to the second petition of this most excellent prayer which is for finall sanctification and perseverance in their grace received unto the end which he calls the comming of Christ. This is the fifth time the Apostle mentions the comming of Christ in this Epistle for in the end of all the five Chapters you shall meete with it to note That a Christian should never set the second comming of Christ out of sight as being a strong meanes to keepe him in a generall preparation or readinesse to be found such a one as may carry the title of a good and wise servant But in this place perswading to full and finall holinesse it is most fitly mentioned as having all encouragements and answering all objections First because this comming of Christ brings a recompence of reward to such as are exercised and holde on in holinesse the meditation of it must therefore bring forward the Apostles purpose Secondly many are the troubles and reproaches of such as resolve to holde out in the way of grace and holinesse and therefore hee would sweeten as with sugar these bitter pills by holding before their eyes the second comming of Christ who shall then giue a righteous sentence and fully acquit them on condition they persevere in their godly beginnings Thirdly whereas there is no greater enemy to sanctification than sinne and corruption those that would hold out to full and finall holinesse must carefully watch against all sinne which they shall easier resolve upon who holde this comming of Christ in their eyes seeing he therefore commeth to judge and revenge all sinne Fourthly to uphold them in the strife against sinne for whereas after long combate the godly finde little conquest against spirituall enmities and this often makes them faint and weary and ready to give over The Apostle in great wisdome holdes before their eyes that day unto which if they holde fast their grace they shall obtaine full victory over all their sinnes and never know more neither the corruption nor molestation of them Fifthly to adde courage to their labours and endeavours for increase of grace for whereas by all their diligence and care in well-doing they can attaine no great measure of grace and that little which they have is often clouded with many corruptions and sometimes interrupted they might be much discouraged if they should not be held on in expectation of the day of Christs comming wherein they shall attaine the full measure of grace and holinesse which they strove for and reape the full harvest of their labour and painefull seede-time Sixthly he mentions the comming of Christ as the period of their care and faithfull striving to be unblameable not because they should hold out their lives and labours till then but to shew that as for the present they are so they shall be at that day for in what estate the day of death leaves them the same shall the day of Christ finde them and therefore every one that would be found unblameable then must be so now Quest. Is there any doubt but that the godly shall be kept unblameable till that day or is it possible they should not persevere to finall sanctification and if they shall what neede the Apostle pray so earnestly for it Answ. Perseverance in grace is twofold 1. Continued 2. Interrupted The children of God having the seed of God which is the true grace of sanctification by the Spirit doe sometimes lose many gifts of the Spirit as wee have heard and sundry wayes quench the Spirit so as they hold not a continued perseverance in the measure degree sense and comfort of their holinesse yet they lose not all the gift of regeneration at such a time nor fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. wholly for the seede remaines but persevere by an interrupted grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is finally though they fall from their first love and some degrees yet are they restored and finally become unblameable in the day of Christ. 1. Because they are built upon a rocke against which the gates of hell cannot prevaile The Arke of Noah resembling the Church was made of square wood a square lay it any way lyes firme So the Saints abide firme in temptation saith Augustine 2. Christ hath prayed that their faith should not faile Luke 22.32 hee hath prayed for their perseverance Iohn 17.15 not to take them out but preserve them in the world and verse 26. that they may be one with Christ and God So as if God and Christ himselfe be stable in their happinesse so are they By vertue of this prayer it is impossible the elect should be deceived Matth. 24.24 And by vertue of it though Peters or any other beleevers faith may be foyled it cannot quite faile His faith may be wounded not dead his confession may faile in his mouth but his heart shall holde him whom his voice denies Gregory 3. The promises of Christ are yea and Amen for he is the true and faithfull witnesse 2 Cor. 1.20 who hath sealed and ratified them by his blood But hee hath promised that the elect shall persevere Ier. 32.39 I will make an everlasting covenant with them Esay 54.10 The mountaines may remove and the hills fall downe but my mercie shall not depart from thee nor my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee and Iohn 10. None shall plucke them out of his hand Object The promises on Gods part are firme but we faile in our condition which is that wee repent and beleeve and never depart for though the Lord marrie himselfe for ever in truth mercie and compassion Hosea 2.19 yet wee may depart and the bond is broken on our part Answ. If the bond be broken on our part then the Lord marries us not for ever 2. Contracts of marriage use not to be conditionall but simple and absolute else they are no binders 3. All conditions required in us the Lord both workes and maintaines Christ performes all conditions in his Church he makes her cleanseth her saveth her Eph. 5.25 26. 4. If the Lord depart not from us we shall not depart from him for then we depart from him when his grace departeth from us And therefore David prayeth Vphold me Lord and I shall be safe and as hee hath promised not to depart from us so he hath promised to put his feare into our hearts that wee shall not depart from him Object Though none can take the sheepe of Christ out of his hand yet they may cease to be sheepe and may of themselves stray away Answ. If once sheepe they