ones that shall learne beleeve and practise holy doctrine and follow his holy life to the end of the world for these himselfe hath honoured with this name Luke 14. 26. If any man come to me and hate not all for me hee cannot be my Disciple Act. 11. 26. the Christians and Disciples were all one If any will follow mee The Papists gather that it is in our free-will to follow or not But 1. Christs scope is not here to shew how we come to him but who they be that come and not from the cause of their comming but from the effects 2. If wee will learne from Christ the cause of our comming to him he will not have us find it in our selves but without us Joh. 6. 44. None comes to me unlesse the Father draw him his free-will drawes him not Nature drawes him not but the grace of the Father And Ver. 45. Hee that hath heard and learned of the Father comes unto me Where this comming is not ascribed to the will or study of him that is taught but to the excellency of the Teacher But a more pertinent question is how wee may know that wee are Disciples and Followers of Christ. And beside the signes in the Text wee shall discerne it by sundry markes as 1. The Disciples were called by Christs owne voice and depended on the mouth of Christ. By the word of Christ must thou also bee made a Disciple thou must be called by his voice in the Ministery Doest thou then cleave to the means of growth in grace listen attentively to the word of Christ so did the Disciples and so wilt thou But if thou carest not for the preaching of the word if thou desirest not to grow in knowledge but contentest thy selfe selfe in thy ignorance or with some confused knowledge If the word bee neere thee thou runnest from it if it bee absent thou runnest not after it thou hereby shewest thy selfe to be no Disciple 2. The Disciples being called left all for Christ and acknowledged no Master but him because he had the words of eternall life If thou also bee a Disciple thou renouncest all other Masters and all employments that will not stand with Christianity If thou be a Disciple thou knowest the truth and the truth hath set thee free Joh. 8. 31. Of a servant of sin thou art a freeman in grace The Disciples walked in a course of mortification they sought not the world nor themselves they were no swearers gamesters deceivers usurers haters of grace lyers or slanderers and if thou be so thou art no Disciple 3. The Disciples were called to be neere Attendants of Christ to abide and continue with him and performe all his commandements John 8. 31. If yee abide in my word yee are verily my Disciples that is if yee continue both in the faith and obedience of my word Art thou a neere friend unto Christ so were they Yee are my friends saith Christ if yee doe whatsoever I command you The best triall of thy friendship to Christ is in difficult costly and dangerous commandements So the Lord tried Abrahams friendship Otherwise Why callest thou him Lord as if thou wert a Disciple and doest not the things hee commands thee 4. The Disciples were glad of Christs presence and when hee was absent their hearts were full of sorrow If thou likewise be a Disciple thy soule rejoyceth in the presence of Christ in his ordinances in the directions and consolations of his Spirit thou art alive when his sweet word drops upon thy soule and thou droupest when Christ hath withdrawne himselfe from thee in any of these meanes of his presence But canst thou be a Disciple except a Judas that findest as much sweetnesse in the word of Christ as in the white of an egge that professest thou hast no comfort in the word but it is a perpetuall dropping and molestation that risest up against Christ for his word as Judas because the word of Christ detecteth thy covetousnesse pride deceit treachery other wickednesses 5. The Disciples had commission and commandement to make other Disciples and so did They were diligent in their callings exercised therin the love of God and love of men were sober godly humble walking in the steps of Christ their Lord Master spending themselves in doing good to others departing with dearest things their names their liberty life for Christ his Church So the generall calling of a Christian is to make Disciples to bring men to Christ by instruction admonition reproofe comfort herein expressing love to Christ and his members And to walke beseeming the Gospel for the honour of Christ making him our patterne and walking as he walked of which afterward In a word to be all that wee are for Christ that Christ may bee magnified by us whether by doing or suffering whether by life or death 6. A speciall badge of a Disciple is charity John 13. 35. By this shall all men know yee are my Disciples if yee love one another Every mans disciples are known by some speciall badge or cognisance Moses disciples by circumcision feasts and sacrifices The Scribes and Pharisees disciples by fastings watchings phylacteries long praiers the like But a true note whereby a Disciple of Christ may be knowne is christian love being an immediate fruit of christian faith where that fire is it will appeare in this heat and light for faith worketh by love and hee that walketh by faith walketh in love and hee that is joyned to the Head by faith is united to the members by love But art thou a Disciple and livest in uncharitablenesse envie malice slandering lying or any the like sin Know 1. A Disciple is borne of God and beares the image of his Father who is love 1 John 4. 8. this then is a birth from hell and an issue of him who is a man-slayer from the beginning 2. The Disciples had the presence leading and inhabitation of the Spirit of God and consequently the bond of the Spirit which is love the fairest fruit of the Spirit by which Christians are knit together made of one spirit But is the uncharitable wretch led or inhabited by this Spirit or by the spirit that lusteth after envie Such may say to Christ as the Jewes We are none of thy Disciples but Moses disciples or rather wee are neither thy disciples nor Moses but of Jannes and Jambres and Judas who resisted both Moses and Christ. 3. A Disciple is a member of the Church a chiefe subject in the Kingdome of Christ but a malicious man is none of Christs Kingdome for when a man is brought into the Kingdome of Christ the Lion and Lambe feed together the childe and cockatrise Now he puts off his fierce nature his lionish aspish waspish and poysonfull disposition he is now of a wolfe and devourer made
application the doctrine may bee brought home to every mans heart and the heart may bee taught in wisdome It is the life excellency of preaching to be an able Minister of the Spirit by the shril trumpet of the Word to awaken the drowsie consciences and set mens sins in order before them And otherwise let a man teach generally without application long hee shall teach and his people remaine untaught the bellowes shall be burnt in the fire but the drosse remain still A garment fitted for all bodies is fit for no body and so is it with doctrine Or as a loafe of bread set among the children but none can they get cut and given them Which teacheth people how to esteem of such Preachers as labour in application and hold the glasse of the Law before mens faces to see their spots namely not as the world doth troublers of Israel or spy-faults or invective Preachers nor as our Libertines hold them Legall Preachers No but Ministers of Gods rich mercy whose wonderful favour it is to send us a Nathan that will say Thou art the man This hast thou done Were not the Disciples of Christ Preachers of mercy and the best Evangelicall Preachers yet what sharp points had their doctrine to pricke and pierce the hearts of men to make them cry out Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saved Act. 2. 37. Be also contrary to the practice of the world who most distaste that word which comes neerest to the conscience and neerest the bad customes and fashions of times and persons Whereas indeed a good heart honours the Word for nothing more than discovering the thoughts secret speeches and practices in nothing more can it be like to God an Idiot an Infidell now can acknowledge it to bee the Lords 1 Cor. 14. 24. 25. God is in you of 〈◊〉 truth What difference between Gods word and mans if it should not reach the conscience Where were the Spirit in it if it should not discerne the spirits and divide between the marrow and the bone Lastly it discovers the practice of wicked men who shrink more at the curse than at their sin and when they cannot blame or deny what is said then to flie upon the Preachers purpose and affection So ranking themselves among those wicked ones who rebuke the Priest Hos. 4. 4. Such a one wil not appeare an Atheist therefore will approve the doctrine but he remaines an hypocrite enemy therefore reviles the person and in effect rejects the doctrine This of the first note 2. In the manner note another point of wisdome namely in matters of much importance as is the losing of the soule or else of great danger as is the winning of the world to use more than ordinary vehemency The wisdome of God speakes not of tything Mint and Cummin as of the weighty points of the Law Neither hath every Verse in the Bible a verely or a behold in the beginning or a Selah in the end But in matters of greater intention or excitation some star is held over them that he who reades may consider Our Lord expressing such vehemency here shewes it the greatest matter in the world the gaining of heaven and saving of the soule And that the greatest danger in the world is the gaining of the world by the losing of the soule Can a man grapple thornes together and not feare pricking Can a man walk on snares safely and such is the gain of the world Mat. 13. 22. and 1 Tim. 6. 10. And therefore as the end of the whole Ministery is to draw men from earth to heaven so if in any argument we the Ministers could be more earnest perswasive we had need lay weight upon this as in this our Precedent in haling men from the gaine of the world to the gain of themselves from the care of the body to the care of their soules and from the eager pursuit of all false profits to the purchase of the best and surest commodity which shall eternally enrich them to life everlasting 3. Our Saviour in the manner teacheth how naturally wee are all of us inclined to the world to seek it with all greedinesse and so have need of many and strong back-byasses In that this care is implied here to be 1. the first care of a naturall man because it is of a sensible profit benefit 2. the most vehement care in that a naturall man sets his soule light for it 3. the most insatiable in that a man would gaine if it were possible the whole world for hee that sets his heart on silver cannot be satisfied Eccles. 5. 9. And this unmortified desire for the unsatiablenesse of it is compared to the Hors-leach which is never full till he burst Neither indeed can the round world if a man had it all fill the corners of a covetous mans heart Ob. Oh but many naturall men have despised the world Some Philosophers have cast away riches and this some orders of Papists professe and therefore every man is not naturally carried after the world Answ. I answer 1. It was not hard for many to despise riches when they saw they could not attaine them 2. Some by common grace above nature are repressed and restrained for many such common gifts are bestowed on wicked men for the common good of mankinde and upholding of humane society and otherwise every man would bee a wolfe and devourer 3. The vow of voluntary poverty in hope of merit is blasphemous a fruit of pride a grosse hypocrisie and nothing lesse than poverty indeed Well said one The purse is easier left than the will and if you will you may hold it and yet leave it Every covetous man then is a naturall man where covetousnesse reigns and commands there nature swayes and they are not only under this but all their sins A covetous man a godly man are incompatible no more than a man can be in heaven and earth at one time Findest thou thy heart bowed downward and fixed on earth with full desires never deceive thy selfe with profession of religion or godlinesse for religion entertained as well as professed 1. would shew thee better things 2. affect thee with them as with thine owne 3. order unquiet and unsatiable desires True contentment with food raiment if God give no more is the daughter of godlines 4. It would make thee and all thy wealth servants of grace employed for God and thought best saved when well laid out Consider and deceive not thy selfe Againe even professors of Religion and those that in part are gotten out of the world must espy flesh and nature still at worke and returning upon them in this behalfe It is a common and too just an imputation on many who make their profession heare ill their Religion doubted of that they binde up their hands from doing good from furthering their own reckoning yet all this
opposed to all Gods commandements Psal. 119. 36. Pray for wisdome to conceive thy selfe a stranger and pilgrime here so to intend principally thy departure hence for ere long gather as fast and as dangerously as thou canst the poorest mans Omer shall be as full as thine So of the former point of instruction 2. Many Christians do not only endanger but even lose their soules for the world so our Saviviour implyeth Numbers of men to winne the world do lose their soules And though a man would thinke that no man were or could be so mad as to part with his soule on such base termes yet millions of men exchange heaven for earth and barter away their soules not for the whole world but for an handfull of earth As for example 1. He that loseth Christ loseth his soule But for the winning of the world many lose and forgoe Christ. The yong man left Christ because hee had great possessions Mat. 19. 22. Many of the Jewes heard Christ knew him and beleeved in him but durst not confesse him for that they feared to be losers in the world Joh. 12. 42 43. And thus doe all they who being convinced in themselves and having some good affections joyned to illumination yet give the day to the world and the night to Christ. Great and rich men dare not be seene in the profession when poore fisher-men come by day they dare not come by night 2. Hee loseth Christ for the world that giveth priority to the world above Christ as the Gadeâ—ens preferred their hogges before the presence of Christ and as Esau preferred the broth before the blessing He onely hath wonne Christ that esteemes all things as drosse and dung in com parison of Christ Phil. 3. 7 8. The wise Merchant that found the pearle lost all to buy it The Disciples left all for Christ. But easily may we see how millions of men undervalue Christ in comparison of the world for First what is the chiefe labour studie time costs and paines of men employed upon is it not for the food that perisheth and profits of the world in the meane time the labour for that durable food and the Manna that came downe from heaven is either none or formall sleight seldome Secondly how are the affections of men generally bent is Christ their chife joy or treasure hath Shee gained their thoughts delight they in his love more than in life Or see we not the multitude preferre the world before their chiefe joy set their hearts upon it doat upon it their thoughts runne first and last and all day long after it with unwearied delight and comfort when in the meane time they banish thoughts of Christ of their treasure portion and country in heaven How doe most men feare the losse of the world more than the losse of Gods favour their soules and salvation How doe they more grieve and sorrow in a trifling losse of the world than when by sinne Gods favour and the grace of Christ is forfeited Thirdly how do the speeches of men bewray them to bee worldlings and if the speech be according to the abundance of the heart Christ hath small roome there Esa. 32. 6. the niggard speaks of niggardlinesse and 1 Joh. 4. 5. They speake of the world and the world heareth them But how long should a man watch in vaine for a â—avorie word concerning Christ or the salvation of their soules or speake to them the language of Canaan it is Hebrew or thrust in a savory speech of God his word or grace how strange and unwelcome is it their pennes tell us that their hearts indite no good matter Is not this to undervalue Christ in comparison of the world or is this to be a pilgrim or to possesse or rather to bee wholly possessed of the word Object There is no man whose ordinary theme is not more of the world than of GOD or Christ and will you therefore conclude that there is no man but loves the world better than Christ Answ. 1. Wee are all more carnall than spirituall and therefore our thoughts and speeches will be wandring but wee must not please our selves herein but mortifie and subdue carnall words as well as desires and groane under this corruption for is it not a wofull and wonderfull errour that earth and perishing things should more affect and possesse us than the great things given us of God in Christ Secondly I grant wee have callings and earthly affaires which tye us ordinarily to speak and thinke of such things but the speciall calling of a Christian must bee ever subordinate to the generall and in all earthly businesse a man must carry an heavenly minde God gives no leave to be earthly-minded even while a man is earthly-employed Thirdly the speaking and thinking more of a thing upon necessitie doth not ever argue more love unto it but the speaking and thinking of things out of the valuation of judgement for instance A workeman thinkes more of his tooles and an husbandman speakes more of his husbandrie than of his wife or children because these are the object of his labour but it followes not hee loves them better because he doth not in his judgement esteeme these better Now let a Christian preserve in his judgement a better estimate of Christ and heavenly things and his speeches in things earthly will still preferre that and runne upon it So of the two former proofes Thirdly he loseth his soule for the world that for wealth or by wealth hinders his owne salvation as numbers doe by unlawfull getting the world falling downe before the divell for it wealth is even the divels wages for some sinne committed being either gotten or kept by evill meanes or against good conscience viz. either in the use of an unlawfull calling or by the abuse of a lawfull Of the former sort are such as live by dicing houses filthy houses and the like places of hellish resort which may be rightly called the divells houses of office And those that live by unthriftie gaines by usury magicke making the instruments of pride and sinne or a calling to which they are not fitted as insufficient Ministers who runne but are not sent because they are not gifted God need not send a message by the hand of a foole Of the latter sort are first those that enrich themselves for doing a dutie which they doe not as grosse Non-residents that feed themselves but not the flocke or for doing that they ought not to doe as Lawyers who take reward for pervertings equity and right or perhaps are fee-ed on both sides by one to speake by the other to hold their peace or as good Secondly tradesmen that use false weights measures words wares sophisticall and insufficient as many who rise by cousenage and the craft of their trades by lying or swearing or by trickes in bargaining abuse the simplicitie or necessitie of
is a prophecie of Christs Kingdome who is appointed to rule in the middest of his enemies 1. The place or countrie over which he is King is Sion v. 2. that is the Church of God figured by Sion at that time 2. His government over his Church is called a Kingdome for the similitude it hath with earthly Kingdomes and in all wee shall see the comming of Christs kingdome to bee by the powerfull preaching and obeying of the Gospell 1. Earthly Kings have royall titles and stiles of honour So for the name and title of this King hee is called the Word of God Rev. 19. 13. Even that eternall Word Joh. 1. 1. which was before all beginning but now incarnate And he is called faithfull and true vers 11. not onely faithfull in defence of his subjects but true in his promises and retributions of reward to those that valiantly fight his battels 2. Other Kings have subjects and here must be subjects which heare his voice and follow him Joh. 10. 28. called a willing people Ps. 110. 3. Elect and drawne of the Father all gathered by the word and voice of Christ and of unwilling made a willing people because his redeemed ones both by price and power 3. Other Kings have their lawes and statutes for the government of their subjects The lawes of this King are the lawes of heaven the Charter of heaven the Word of God in the two Testaments the law of entire nature renewed in the former and the law of faith revealed in the latter It is hence called the word of the Kingdome Matth. 13. 19. because his Kingdome is erected and preserved by it And these lawes are bounded with rewards to the Observers and penalties to the transgressours all these being comprehended in the promises and threats of the word 4. Other Kings ride in great state and glory both to make and execute lawes as also in their just warres for the defence of their right and subjects and just revenge of wrong-doers So this King rideth upon a white horse and every where triumpheth by his truth being faithfull and true fighting and judging righteously Rev. 19. 11. and Psal. 45. 4. Prosper with thy glory ride upon the word of truth and meekenes And how gloriously he rode on upon his word through all the world after his Ascension wee have shewed 5. Other Kings have their crownes sword and scepter but with much difference from this King 1. He hath many crownes upon his head whereas other Princes seldome have above one to note the many victories which according to the word and by the word hee hath obtained against Satan sin death hell for himselfe and his subjects 2. His sword is the sword of the Spirit the Word of God which he holds not in his hand as other Princes but in his mouth Rev. 1. 16. Out of his mouth went a two edged sword Esa. 11. 4. Hee shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips slay the wicked where the rod of his mouth and breath of his lips are all one namely his word by which sword hee subdued three thousand at one Sermon 3. His scepter is that rod of his power which he sends out of Sion that is his word as is expounded Esa. 2. 3. The law shall goe out of Sion and the Word of God out of Jerusalem But other Princes hold their scepter in their hand hee in his mouth 6. Other Kings have their guard and armie to attend them So hath he those who know the time and place of their attendance Psal. 110. 3. Thy people shall come willingly at the time of assembling thine army in holy beautie whereby wee know who they be that waite on Christ as his servants namely those that waite at the time and place of holy assemblies called his holy beautie these have free accesse unto him in his presence-chamber and follow him into their owne hearts where hee is present by his Spirit to guide and comfort them By all this plainely appeareth that where the Word is preached and obeyed the Lord Jesus commeth in glory and in his Kingdome His name is the Word of God his subjects gathered by the word his lawes the word of the kingdome his white horse on which hee rideth in triumph is the word of truth his crownes are put and held on his head by the word his scepter the rod of his mouth his sword the two edged sword going out of his mouth his attendants and guard waiting on him in the place of holy beautie Which serves to convince all the enemies of the truth as rebels to the Kingdome of Christ the greatest enemies and rebels hee hath are the hinderers of his word and ordinances let their pretences be what they will and manifestly are they discovered to be hypocrites who will say every day Thy Kingdome come and yet by all their power hinder the passage and power of the Gospel nothing is such a 〈…〉 ion to them nothing is such burden to the place where they live as Christs comming powerfully in his Kingdome themselves will not enter nor yet suffer such as would enter into the Kingdome And the like of our wilfull Recusants and such as refuse to heare the word preached which is the Proclamation of this great king investing him into his kingdome Were not he a disloyall subject that would wilfully denie his presence at the Proclamation whereby the king is proclaimed the lawfull heire and successour into his kingdome And will not the Lord Jesus reckon him an enemie that refuseth to be present while he is by publike preaching and proclamation set into his Kingdome as the Lord of his Church hath Christ any place in his heart that cannot abide to heare he should be set in his lawfull inheritance Oh that all these either secret or professed enemies of Christ would seasonably consider what a fearefull thing it is to enter into combination against Christs Kingdome and government 1. Hath his Father established him on his Throne and set his King on Sion and will the rebels displace him will they wrong and resist him whom the Lord hath set up will they pull his crowne from his head dethrone him from his government wrest the sword out of his hand breake his scepter in pieces violate his lawes and thinke to prosper in their high treasons and in taking up armes against the Lord 2. Looke on the dangerous issue and estate of enemies Luk. 19. 27. Those mine enemies that will not I should raigne over them bring them hither that I may destroy them Wilt thou not stoupe to the rod of his mouth his rod of iron is readie in his hand to breake thee to pieces as 〈◊〉 potters vessel Psalme 2. 9. On the other side it must bee the greatest comfort of a godly man when Christ comes most powerfully in his Kingdome so our Lord
as eating and drinking all must be to the glory of God or civill authority subjection marriage and duties of the speciall calling and oeconomicall duties all must bee contained within the limits of Gods word or religious duties of Gods worship publike or private Whatsoever I command thee that doe onely all the Tabernacle the whole and parts even to the smallest pinnes must be framed to the patterne in the mount or ludicrous sports recreations Gods statutes must direct which are lawfull which not how far lawfull or not and so for circumstances of time place and persons and for manner and end all to helpe matters more serious 5. David implyes in this similitude that whosoever are out of this way and transgresse these statutes they wander from the God of peace and from life are out of Gods protection and lyable to all the curses of the Law as men out of the Kings high-way are out of the Kings protection Hence it is said of wicked men Psal. 14. 3. They are all gone out of the way and the way of peace they have not knowne And as a man having lost his way knowes not where he shall lodge so such as goe on their owne wayes following the lusts of their hearts and eies are blind-folded and carried by Satan to the lodging of death even eternall These things lye in the Metaphor Then for the singularity of this way he saith thy way not wayes for Gods way is but one but by-paths are many Many are the sciences and other knowledges worthy our labour and paines but David above all desires the knowledge of this one and onely way of God and of salvation Obiect 1. The heavenly Ierusalem hath twelve gates therfore the way is not one Ans. The place speaks not of so many wayes but that from all coasts the Israel of God enters by this one way Obiect 2. Wee read of the wayes of God Acts 13. 10. Ans. Those be so many steps in the way of God but not so many severall wayes David knew but one way of statutes which he would be taught that hee might avoyd all by-paths and so come happily to the end of his way But for the fourth generall why doth David desire to bee taught of God he had Gad and Nathan the Prophets hee had ordinary Levites hee had the Scriptures why then doth hee not apply himselfe to the means to which God tyeth him Ans. 1. David had good meanes and was most diligent in the â—â—se of them he was a diligent reader and spent nights and dayes in meditation of the Woâ—rd but yet to all these and above all these he desireth Gods teaching without which all thâ—se are in vaine Paul may pl 〈…〉 nt and Apollo water but God giveth the increase 2. Hee knowes that all other Teachers can but teach the eare God alone teacheth and openeth the heart as Lydâ—a Acts 16. 14. And whereas Satan and wicked men may have a great deale of speculative knowledge and goe to hell hee desires an inward Teacher and to bee inwardly taught by the teaching of the Spirit 3. Hee here â—raveth foure things in this one petition beyond all mens teaching First teach me to attend the way of thy statutes that I may understand them and thy word be not a clasped booke unto me neither may I by missing the right scope pervert the same to mine owne destruction aâ— many abuse many places to strengthen their owne lusts v. c. that place of providing for the familie to maintaine covetousnesse and the sinnes of Patriarkes to defend the like where the right scope and sense is not attended Secondly teach mee to affect the way of thy statutes that my heart may melt as Iosiahs at the hearing of the Law and be pricked and broken with the threats of it as were those Converts that cryed Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saved Acts 2. 37. When the Promises are preached or promulgated let my heart dilate and open it selfe as the thirsty ground and reioyce that it understandeth the Word taught as Neh. 8. 13. This must we pray that the more we know the more wee may love God that the Word of God by the worke of the Spirit may be as fire not onely for the light of knowledge but also for the heat and warmth of affection c. Thirdly teach me to beleeve thy statutes for all true and comfortable knowledge is applicatory it rests not in the understanding but is a firme assent in the Will laying hold on the thing knowne And this must we pray seeing all knowledge not mingled with faith is unprofitable And then we are taught to beleeve when according to the word of the Law we choose and worship the true God for our God and according to the voyce of the Gospel we beleeve in him whom the Father hath sent acknowledging him not onely a Christ and Iesus but mine at Thomas said My Lord and my God and as Iob My Redeemer liveth and that Iesus Christ brings salvation to me through remission of sinnes Luk 1. 7. 7. Fourthly teach mee to obey thy statutes for all sound knowledge is practicall and to know Christ as the truth is in Christ is to cast off the old man with his lusts and put on the now This must bee our prayer that the Lord would so teach us his way as we may walke in it that hee would so take us into his schoole as to become both more skilfull and more holy that seeing not hearers but doers are â—ustified our portion may bee in their blessednesse that heare the Word and keepe it This was Davids ayme in this prayer Quest. But why is he so earnest being a man of so deepe knowledge and understanding already Ans. 1. A good heart inflamed with love of God can never bee neare enough love loveth and liveth in union If it be in the way to him it would get further still 2. Though hee bee taught in part yet he seeth what a small measure hee hath attained and desireth to bee taught further No marvell if hee that hath 〈◊〉 taste of this knowledge desire â—is fill and satiety He that see 〈…〉 th but in part desireth to see more perfectly Nature abhors â—acuity and emptinesse and much more grace 3. Hee is earnest to know the way to shew that he shall never come at God who cares not to â—eepe the way to him Many desire to come to God but it must be in the way of the world or of pleasure or of custome or carnall fellowship or lusts of their owne hearts All these are dead desires leading from God David will desire the way as well as the end And wee also must not bawke the meanes if we ayme at the end This of the Exposition of our Text. Now follow the instructions Doctr. 1. In that David goeth to the Lord to be taught learne
so necessary as without it the whole frame of profession would prove ruinous For 1. The Context affirmeth a twofold necessity of this selfe-deniall both in the words immediately going before for without it a man cannot bee a Disciple of Christ and in the words immediatly following for whereas every Christian must bee acquainted with the crosse no man can take up his crosse patiently who hath not first denied himselfe and therfore that is rightly set after this 2. The corruption of nature is such before grace as that a man in every thing is wholly tainted and contrary to the image of God Now all that vicious disposition must bee renounced before Gods image can bee renewed even as all old rubbish must be carried away before a new frame can be reared 3. All true wisedome is lost by the fall and an infinite lumpe of folly bound up in the heart of every naturall man Now though true wisedome be offered againe in the word yet can it never bee embraced before the other bee displaced no more than light can be manifest before darknesse bee chased away 4. The Gospel offereth Christ as a Physitian only to the sicke and diseased and as a Saviour to the lost sheep of the house of Israel And therefore necessarily must a man deny all the meanes hee can make or devise to help himselfe before hee can come to see what need hee hath of Christ. Hee must come first to discerne his miserie and lost estate before hee can beleeve and relye on Christ for salvation 5. The whole scope of the Word is that golden rule of all the Law and Prophets namely to teach us to love God Christ above all and our neighbour for his sake as our selves And therefore that corruption of nature whereby every man loveth himselfe and seeketh himselfe his owne profits rather than Gods glory and his neighbours good must bee denied before wee can take out any lesson of the word 6. No obedience can be acceptably performed to God without selfe-deniall for many commandements are hard and difficult as that to Abraham of killing his son many are dangerous that may cost a man his life as Johns Ministery did many are costly and may cost a man his whole estate Now never can any of these bee cheerfully and willingly undertaken till these strong holds of flesh in man bee demolished A man may professe himselfe a servant of Christ but little is the service he shall do him till this be done As wise master-builders therefore are most carefull in laying the lowest and first stone so must wee begin the building of Christianity where our Lord enjoynes us namely in the deniall of our selves Faile in this foundation and the whole frame of Christianity tottereth and falleth to the ground For 1. Can a servant please his Master or a wife her husband who denies not her selfe and subjects not her will to his And canst thou bee wedded to Christ and not subject thy will to his 2. Whence doe men follow the course of the world and will be taught no better they must sweare and lye and drinke and raile and serve the times and persons and pleasures but because they think it folly and precisenesse to deny themselves or their ordinary liberties to follow Christ And 3. Is it from any other cause that men thrust themselves into Gods chaire of estate to revenge their own wrongs and challenge take challenges into the field to the perpetrating of horrible murders or else basely stabbe and wound but because they thinke it disgrace and cowardise to deny a mans selfe and to put up the least wrongs 4. Whence is it else that many pretend to follow Christ but upon condition they may not deny themselves for they must be gainers by their religion which must be another Diana to bring profit to the Crafts-Masters Have those learned selfe-deniall that measure their religion by their gettings but will be sure to bee no losers by it like the Swallowes that will take their Summer with us but not our Winter 5. Whence is it that some in case of necessity can cast no part of their superfluity into the Treasury when the widow can cast in all that ever she had And Ananias Sapphira that had not denied themselves could give three parts of their estate away to pious uses and how farre are most behind them who professe selfe-deniall Nay it is the sin of many great professors that what need soever Christ in his members hath they must remit nothing of their costly apparrell full diet and following of fashions which shew them lovers of pleasures more than of God Crumbes now and then they can part withall but endure no deâ—riment no abatement These certainly have not yet denied themselves 6. Whence is all the deniall of Christ at this day but for want of selfe-deniall Why did Peter deny his Lord but because hee could not deny himself Whence are so many Apostates Demasses in our age that fall to Popery to novelties to false or no worship but for want of self-deniall They must please rise serve the times themselves and the appetites of Patrons and then farewell Christ and his truth This was the cause that many Disciples walked no more with him John 6. 66. for they could not deny their own wisdome to subscribe to his And many among the Rulers beleeved in him but durst not confesse him because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God chapt 12. 42. 43. Quest. But the duty being so necessary as without it can be no Christianity and so difficult as scarce one of a thousand is willing to undertake it what are the helpes and meanes by which wee may be forwarded herein for the Lord hath not left us destitute of meanes if wee bee not wanting to our selves Answ. True And therefore 1. Wee must not conceive it naturall for a man to crosse his corrupt nature for nature fortifies it self in all the holds It must be therefore a superiour fire that must descend to make a man hate himselfe for the love of God Christ. Regeneration is a worke of the Spirit and strength to overcome our selves is not from our selves And therefore wee must pray for the truth of this grace of Regeneration and never bee at rest till wee finde it in our selves in some degree of it encouraging our selves in that promise that the Spirit is given to those that aske him is powred on the thirsty grounds 2. Consider what an advantage it will bee to take our selves in hand before our lusts be growne strong in us and how they are farre more easily denied in the first motion and rising of them than when they have seated themselves with delight in the affections and members and are growne from motions to acts from acts to customes from customes to
children or lands for my sake and the Gospels he shall receive an hundred fold for the present houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecution and in the world to come eternall life Here is usury enough above ten in the hundred yea an hundred for ten yea for one Mar. 10. 30. Quest. But what are the signes or markes of selfe-deniall Ans. One is in regard of God it will cast a man wholly out of himselfe upon God as David Psal. 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee It will looke directly at God in all things In doing things it will doe all by Gods rule it will doe all for his glory the love of God constrains it to duty In duties of piety or charity it seekes not the owne things not private profit nor is carried by the aymes that flow from selfe-love but aymes at the Kingdome it selfe and the promoting of Gods glory in his owne salvation The second is in respect of Christ for whom hee esteemes all things losse and doung Phil. 3. 8. These inferiour comforts are but as the star-light in respect of the brightnesse of the Sun which is in his eye for Christ he can want as well as abound bee empty as well as full yea be nothing that Christ may be all in all The third is in respect of the word of God selfe-deniall bewrayes it selfe sundry wayes 1. It goes with an open heart to heare learne and obey whatsoever God shall please to teach Hee cannot bee a Disciple that brings not selfe-deniall Can he that stickes to his owne reason and denies not his owne wisedome ever beleeve that life must be fetched out of death that one man can bee healed by another mans stripes and wounds that heaven must bee fetched out of hell and a glorious resurrection out of dust and ashes Hee will never bee a Disciple that will receive the word no further than he seeth reason to do it But a true Disciple is described Isa. 32. 3. The eyes of the seeing shall not bee shut the ears of them that heare shall hearken And David desires but to be taught and promiseth to obey Psal. 119. 33. 2. It is willing to be acquainted with every part of Gods wil that he may frame his owne will unto it as knowing that every truth of God concerneth every one of Gods people and is profitable for them to know 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. and Rom. 15. 4. And hence selfe-deniall loveth reproofes and likes that Ministry best which most searcheth the conscience and in which is the most power of God judging and rebuking his owne sinne there if he be wounded he is sure to be cured But farre is he from the deniall of his sinne or himselfe that hates and stormes against him that dislikes and censures his sinne Ahab had sold himselfe to wickednes and therefore hates Micaiah because he never prophecied good unto him 3. Having heard the word it subscribes to it and dares not cavill or dispute against it be it never so contrary to nature or cross to our desires Selfe-deniall allowes every thought to be brought into the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. It checks the stubbornnesse of heart and saith as Rom. 9. 20. O man who art thou that disputest against God! who art thou that risest against the truth of God See Job 6. 24. 4. Selfe-deniall in love to the truth of the word resolves to suffer any thing rather than to renounce any part of that it is perswaded to bee the truth of God so did the Martyrs And without this readinesse to suffer disgrace and losse for the truth if wee be called we can neither be Martyrs nor Disciples wee can have no acquaintance with Christ here nor bee saved hereafter Luke 14. 26. So of the third note The fourth is in respect of himselfe Hee that hath denied himselfe will desire no way of prosperity but Gods owne nor relye upon his owne meanes strength policy diligence nor sacrifice to his owne net in successes but ascribe all his prosperity unto God it is he that gives him power to get substance it is hee that gives the fruit of the wombe the dew of heaven the fat of earth that spreads his table fils his cup c. Inadversity hee will be willingly what God will have him to bee sicke or poore pained or disgraced hee will not carve for himselfe but suffer his father to chuse his rod and not limit him for the manner or measure of correction and all this without murmuring or impatience and dares avoid no evill by any evill meanes The fift note is in respect of others He that hath denied himselfe lives not to himselfe but procures the good of others and advanceth to his power every mans wealth and good as being now a publike good though a private man He can do good to his enemies and pray for them that curse him and wrong him He lookes not on men as they are affected to himselfe but as hee ought to be affected to them And he that cannot deny and displease himselfe can never please his neighbour for good and edification which is the Apostles argument Rom. 15. 2. Let us not please our selves but our neighbour for edification for Christ pleased not himselfe c. The sixt and last note of selfe-deniall is the life of faith beyond and without all meanes of helpe Abraham denying himselfe distrusted not when meanes failed Faith leanes not upon meanes but upon God and is not tyed to meanes but to God and will say Our God is in heaven and doth whatsoever hee will bee there meanes or no Psal. 115. 3. The Prince could not deny his reason 2 Kin. 7. 19. If God should make windowes in heaven could this come to passe but it cost him his life And good Zachary could not deny himselfe but doubted of Gods word and God denied him his speech for forty weekes Luke 1. 30. As nothing gives more glory to God than faith so nothing takes so much from man Nothing makes him so little in himselfe as faith which acknowledgeth God so great By these signes wee may examine what measure of selfe-deniall we have attained and thereby know what fitnesse wee have to be Disciples Take up his crosse This is the second branch of the Precept to take up the crosse and as Saint Luke saith daily Where for the meaning consider 1. What is this crosse 2. Why it is called the crosse 3. What to take it up For the first of these By the crosse is not meant any affliction which belongeth to the common calamities of nature to which all men of all sects and professions are subject nor any thing suffered by evill doers But properly the crosse of a Christian is that affliction and suffering which is inflicted upon any
while professe a farre degree in mortification when for any thing a man can see there is little difference between them and worldlings you may observe them in their trading and calling as intent as untrusty as griping as ordinary in the mysteries and crafts of their trade as the ordinary worldling Move them to pious or charitable duties you finde many of them as barren as grudging as penurious you would thinke you had a flint in hand to fetch out water Pence are pull'd from them as their joynts and silver out of their purses as bloud out of their veins Here is a faint profession of godlines but the life the power the spirits are oppressed May we not say now their riches cares are thorns to them Oh that we were wise to discern how these thorns supplant and unroot the Word while they root themselvs undermine the counsels exhortations of it how they draw away this moisture that should preserve the growth and greennesse of Christians and keep the comfortable heat and shine of the Sunne of grace from us as thorns do Oh see and bewaile the curse of our sin that our earthly hearts should bring forth thorns and thistles to the choaking of the seed of grace and then be ever cropping or unrooting them This of the maner of propounding these truths The matter affordeth sundry instructions 1. The more a man is addicted to gaine the world the greater is the danger of losing his soule They that will be rich fall into many temptations and snares 1 Tim. 6. 9. and surely hee that walketh on snares and on many snares walketh not the safest Ecclus. 5. 12. Solomon observed an evill sicknesse under the Sun riches reserved to the hurt of the owner Pro. 1. 17. In vaine is the net laid before the bird for she is so greedy of the bait that shee forgets the danger and loseth her life So is every one that is greedy of gaine which takes away the life of the owners thereof as in our New Translation Yea so strong a snare the Divell thought this that he assaulted Christ himselfe with it and kept it for his last most violent on-sett if all other should faile him All these will I give thee Matth. 4. 9. and when this would not worke hee departed hopelesse And what else doth our Lord affirme in saying How hard is it for a rich man to be saved For first the gain of the world commonly estrangeth the heart from God from heaven from thoughts and desires of it The love of the world is an Idolatry and spirituall Adultery whereby the heart goeth a whoring from God and as the adulterer gives the strength of his body to a stranger so the worldling gives the strength and confidence of his soule to a strange god the god of the world saith to the wedge Thou art my confidence Job 31. 21. As the Idolater sacrificeth to his Idoll so the worldling is the Priest that sacrificeth to the world and Mammon And as the Idolater serves his Idoll worships it so the lover of gain bestowes his love affection service honour and time upon the world to get or increase it and thinkes all the time set apart to Gods service exceeding tedious and burdensome And is not the Idolater in danger of perdition or else an Adulterer Secondly desire to be rich and gaine the world stuffeth the soule with a thousand damnable lusts every one able to sinke it to hell This one sin brings in a band and army of wickednesses swels the heart with pride deads it with security begets a licentiousnesse and boldnesse in sinning fils the hands with wickednesse robbery the mouth with oaths curses lyes against God and conscience the house with bribes and riches of iniquity the belly with bread of deceit usury and oppression In one word it is a fruitfull root of all evill 1 Tim. 6. 10. and a covetous person is a most vicious person no sin will he forbear that may bring him in gain he is a fit anvile for the Divell to forge hammer out any mischievous device upon as in the examples of Ahab Balaam Judas Demas all carried in the violent stream of this sin to hainous acts against their consciences And doth not so cursed a root endanger the soule Thirdly desire of gaine threatens danger and singular detriment to the soul because it brings it almost to an impossibility of repentance and solvation Matth. 19. 20. It is easier for a Camell to passe through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to be saved the reason is because it commonly frustrates the meanes of repentance and salvation Our Saviour noteth it in those two Parables Mat. 13. that all the seed cast among thornes of worldly cares is choaked the thorns hinder the sun-beames from shining on the blade and stalke and unroot it within And what was it else that kept men from the supper of the great King but buying of oxen marrying of wives and other worldly occasions What pulled good Martha from the feet of Christ and from hearing his gracious words but distractions about many things which made her forget the one thing necessary Doth not our experience shew us that of all other men worldlings who are in their thousands and ten thousands are most dull and uncapable persons in spirituall things Call them to workes of justice piety mercy neighbourhood to uphold the worship of God to exercise bounty and beneficence wee speake to deafe men and shall as soon persw ade the pillars they sit by If they come to Church and heare and get a little understanding and be convinced and prick't a little the cares of the world choake all presently and their covetousnesse suffers them not to profit by any preaching as the Prophets Ezek. 33. 31. Of all men the bitterest enemies and scorners of their teachers are covetous men If Christ himselfe should come and teach them they would scorne him These things heard the Pharisees and mocked him for they were covetous Luke 16. 14. they pretended other things against Christ but it was their covetousnesse that kept alive their malice Fourthly as it keeps ouâ— grace in all the meanes of it so it eates out casteth it out of the heart as the lean Kine ate up the fat and were leane and ill-favoured still How many Apostates and Revolters confirme this truth who in their lower estate could reade pray keep the Sabbaths and their private watches with God could instruct their families and use diligence in good waies meanes but now resemble the Moone which never suffereth eclipse but at her full and that is by the earths interposition between the Sunne and her selfe Better had it been that these had never seen penny of their wealth than to have exchanged such things for it And is not the soule now in danger Quest. Is it not then lawfull to labour for riches for our selves and
ours to live well and honestly in the world Answ. God hath enjoyned man to labour and consequently permitteth him the reward of it for the sustaining and upholding of himselfe and his family Againe there is an honest care for the family which is part of a mans calling enjoyned by the Apostle if any man provide not for his family hee is worse than an Infidell 1 Tim. 5. 8. But the thing condemned is the seeking of the world 1. Out of order 2. Out of measure 1. The former when we seek it in the first place as that which wee can worst want when the unbeleeving heart saith in it selfe secretly I must attaine this and that profit and pitch of estate I must compasse such and such a project and then I will become religious and devout contrary to our Saviours counsell Matthew 6. 33. First seeke the Kingdome of God 2. Out of measure both seeking more than is sufficient and with more care and affection than is warrantable when for the matter nothing is sufficient for their desire but they are as the grave and Horse-leach and say ever Give give Eccl. 5. 9. he that loveth silver shall not bee satisfied with it And for the manner their care is immoderate cutting distracting the heart engrossing the thoughts and desires from better things extinguishing faith consuming the time deadning prayers cutting off testimonies of love resolving to part with nothing for Christ and to suffer lesse for him if it were possible and in a word not knowing any moderation Object But then we are in good case and none of us so bad Ans. It is hard to find a man not entangled for wealth or by wealth and the lesse the danger is seen the more it is All which may lead us into our selves to take notice of our pronenesse and propensity to this sin which no man willingly confesseth and those that are deepest in it and swarm with all sorts of evils flowing from it doe least discern it in themselves For why 1. The Apostle 1 Thess. 2. 5. calleth it coloured covetousnesse it maskes and hides it self by many subtle evasions 2. It is an inward sin lurking in the spirit of a man 3. The dust of earthlinesse putteth out the eye of the minde or at least darkneth the understanding that it doth not easily discerne it Yet Must we be convinced of it in our selves and of our danger by it for first while we have more care for earth than heaven secondly while wee more joy and trust the meanes than Gods promises or providence thirdly while we can compasse our gain by fraud of speech or deed fourthly while we are remisse in meanes of salvation for love of the world fiftly while wee are distracted and discontented with the things we have All the world may see our conversation is not without covetousnesse and where is he that can say his heart is cleane Let us therefore bewaile our selves who thrust our selves into such dangers by so base a vice as should bee found in none but Heathens Infidels Also it may moderate our delights in these outward things We think our selves happy beloved of God when wee prosper in the world We rejoyce in our wealth in-comes and beare up our head aloft because wee have gotten more than many others But may not many see in their wealth how they have endangered hazzarded their souls How many do highly conceit of themselves are well conceited of by others because they are rich but if either themselves or others should see how farre off salvation they are by means of their riches they would soon change their note and minde And why may they not see this Is not the Word a dead letter to them or choaked in them Is not Christ kept out his Spirit beaten out by the god of the world Are not religious duties laid aside they so much the more forgetfull of God as he is more bountifull toward them Is there not as much crop of the seed sowne in a thicket or a thorne hedge as of fruits of grace from them Likewise it may moderate our sorrows in afflictions in losses in the bitter suffrings here below seeing thereby the Lord weaneth us from the world and from the love of those things which are so dangerous to our selves Well we may as children cry when the father takes away a knife from them but it is our safety to want what may hurt us so much Lastly let it moderate our desires to use the world weinedly even as the Mariner the sea he cannot leave the sea only he must avoid the rockes and dangers Quest. How Answ. By foure rules 1. Labour to descry those rockes note the fearfull attendants of this sinne how easily it swalloweth unlawfull things what mischiefes usher it and are perpetrated for mony the poore shall be sold for shooes their faces ground justice perverted little and false measures great and unjust prices Balaam will curse Gehazi will bribe Demetrius will cry downe Paul for his Images Judas for a little mony will sell his Master and Christians will deny their profession for a vile price here is Mammon of iniquity the next odious name to the Divell himselfe 2. Consider the distance of that we desire and that we hazzard for it in the vanity of this life and the eternity of that wee expect in the basenesse of earth which we covet made to tread under our feet and the precious soule of man which is from heaven and hath no earth in it Nay God hath made the body of man upright and his face lifted up from the earth that hee might conceive how high his soule should be elevated from it And why should he take that into his heart which the Lord hath cast under his feet 3. Labour to esteeme of the world as Israel of Manna and that wealth is but for the day and if this dayes gathering or labour will serve this daies food so shall to morrowes labour supply for to morrowes meate Esteem it a moveable but God is the portion Esteem it a meanes but man lives not by bread onely Mat. 4. 4. God is our life and the maintainer of it Why then doest thou not cast over thy care to him and confine it to the day Hee gave thee thy body will hee not give rayment also Hee gave his Sonne for thy soule will hee then deny food for the body He made the mouth and will he not give meat Doest thou trust him for the salvation of thy soule and not for the provision of thy body for heaven and not for earth 4. Pray to finde the extreme need of Christ and his righteousnesse and that all other things are but conditionally necessary Pray that GOD would incline thine heart to his testimonies that it may be so much the more drawn from covetous cares which are
the gathering of wealth should be like the gathering of Manna Exod. 16. 17. whereof some gathered more and some lesse but so as hee that gathered more had no overplus and hee that gathered lesse had no want Fiftly make thy selfe thine owne friend by laying up a good foundation in good works by an hopefull and liberall seed-time for he that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and by workes of mercy further both thy reckoning and reward of mercie All which blessing and reward they wilfully deprive themselves of who neither for their Masters honour nor the good of their fellow-servants no nor for heaven and salvation it selfe will part with any thing but in stead of blessing lay up judgement mercilesse for themselves shewing no mercie So of the first meanes Secondly use riches to serve God with more cheerfulnesse and with a good heart in the midst of abundance A rich man may have more freedome to enjoy the word more time for meditation prayer reading and godly conference which time and spare houres the poore want who are bound to their daily labour and must not bee spent by the rich in riot in lusts in gaming and idlenesse but in doubling their measure of grace and labour in the meanes of grace reading hearing praying meditating so much the more as God hath freed them from the incessant labour care and travell of others For if thou hast so many spare houres thou must give account whether thou art richer in grace according to the proportion of those houres than those that have no such release from their labour But in stead hereof how have the things of the world thrust in upon many to take up their thoughts to unsetle good resolutions to resist good motions and duties to justle out the course of fruitfull conversing with God! Oh what hurt have their soules sustained in all these particulars Thirdly draw out of these outward things a spirituall use for else the beasts use them as fruitfully as wee For example when I see my selfe or others so intent to treasure in earth I must turne mine eyes upward and say to my selfe Alasse what am I doing I professe my selfe chosen and called out of the world that I am a citizen of heaven that I am risen with Christ c. and must I drowne my thoughts in earth and not seeke things above I professe the pure religion which keepeth it selfe unspotted of the world and being called out of the world I must in the world looke for affliction which ever attendeth the chusing of the better part I must not now live after the cours of the world as in times past I am crucified to the world the word to mee I cannot serve two Masters commanding so contrary things nor share my heart betweene God and the world nor have one foot in heaven and another in earth sinfull pleasures will never suit with spirituall joyes and delights Againe doe I cast mine eyes upon my own or other mens full cups and large revenues and is my earthly heart working it owne contentment in the abundance of outward blessings now must I checke it and bend it backward and say to it Alasse what will it availe mee to leave barnes full houses full chests full of treasure and carry my soule emptie away in respect of true grace And thus one way or other a good heart may still helpe it selfe by temporalls 4. Labour to hold and use them alwayes First in Christ by whom our right is restored unto them Secondly with Christ accounting himselfe the chiefe treasure and his grace and service the one thing necessary Thirdly for Christ employing them to his glory and the benefit of our selves and others his members A notable meanes by riches to further the salvation of our soules Lastly consider seriously the reason of our Saviour saying there is no profit in that wealth for which a man loseth his soule or by way of question What shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and lose his owne soule First they are not able to make his person better they make many a man worse but can make no man better or better they can make him that is of better place among men who measure goodnesse by goods but not the person better before God for did they better a mans person why have the worst most store of them how is it that my Lord Esau goeth strutting with foure hundred men at his heeles and poore Jacob comes creeping and crouching unto him why doth Pharaoh sit on the throne and his Iust is his law and Moses and Aaron humble suiters unto him why doth Nabal abound in superfluitie and David become his petitioner for some reliefe why are false prophets set up at Jezabels table and Elias the meane time in commons with ravens Or if they were so profitable to better a mans person why did not Christ furnish his Disciples with them why did hee forbid them to possesse gold or silver why must Judas have the bagge while Peter saith Gold and silver have I none 2. Though they can thus farre better a mans outward estate in temporalls thaâ— he hath what to eate and drinke and put on more than others which not onely poore men enjoy in some good measure but the very brute beasts themselves also Yet what can they profit a mans inward estate can a jewell buy faith or repentance or pardon of sinne can cloathes of gold get a suit from God or the spirit of God or the hearing of prayer nay do not riches rather hinder all these Thirdly though they seeme to profit a man for a time yet when hee hath most neede of them they faile him and prove most unprofitable and either fly away as very vagrants or if hee hold them in his hand and leane on them they become very â—eeds which breake and pierce the hand that holds them See some instances First in time of danger and Gods visitation when they have caused us to forsake GOD our helpe they prove helplesse 1. Sam. 12. 21. they are called vaine things which cannot profit us nor deliver us because they be vanities Pro. 11. 4. Riches avayle not in the day of wrath that is they cannot stop or hide from Gods judgement they cannot wall out the plague nor the sword nor the famine The full purse never kept a man from the robber nor the full chest from the theefe Indeed in time of peace and frozen securitie they may as ice beare us up a while but when the fire of Gods wrath comes they melt under us and leave us in the suds Compared therefore to the brookes of Arabia that for one time of the yeare are covered with ice and the other part dryed up with heat when the passenger hath most need of them Job 6. 16. Zeph. 1. 18. Silver and gold cannot deliver in the day of the Lords wrath nay they are so farre then from being
in the same degree of glory with the head which they are not capable of The King revealeth not every thing to the privle Councell but holds distance from them And to say they must needs see every thing in him as in a glasse because they see him that seeth every thing it is vaine and failes even in a corruptible creature for hee that sees the Sunne doth not see by that sight all that the Sunne by his beames beholdeth Others thinke the day uncertaine but the houre of an uncertaine day certaine namely that Christ will come the same houre to judge that hee rose againe in as Rabanus and Lactantius But with as little reason if I should say he may come the same houre that he ascended or shall come to judge at the same houre that hee was judged of men I shall speake as probably yet I know not no more do they Of the same strength is their conceit who say hee must come in the night because he shall come as a theefe in the night and because the Egyptians were destroyed at midnight Yet know they not whether the Master will come at midnight or in the morning watch and forget it is called the day of the Lord. The conclusion is Secret things belong to the Lord but things revealed to us and our children for ever Deut. 29. 29. Now if Christ must come from heaven then hee is now in heaven and his body not every where as Ubiquitaries teach nor yet substantiall under the formes of bread and wine as Papists That which is every where cannot come from one place to another And Christ comes not in bodily presence from heaven but visibly whether we consider his first comming or his second As for any other invisible presence of his body such as they say is in the Sacrament the Scripture knowes none And whereas they flie to a miracle let them give us instance of a miracle in the Scripture which was not visible and whereof the senses might not be judges This also serves to terrifie wicked men from sin Christ comes from heaven to revenge sin and sinners and comming from heaven to doe it it shall be done to purpose If a man were to come out of some corner of the earth with an hand of revenge the danger were the lesse and the feare not so great But the mighty God comes from heaven to doe it c. Great men may stand upon their power and priviledges and often by wealth and friends make their partie good against earthly revenge but when Christ shall shew himselfe from heaven the great worke of Gods justice shall be done to purpose And if Christ come from heaven we must look for him thence yea and long for him Phil. 3. â—0 Our conversation is in heaven from whence also we looke for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. The bride saith Come and the Saints are described to be such as looke for his appearing A loving wife cannot but looke for and long for the returne of her husband from a farre countrie A carefull servant will looke after his Master through the casements and expecting his returne will make all things readie If the bridegroome be comming let the bride decke her selfe as Rebecca espying Isaac a farre off As Joshua exhorted Israel chap. 3. 5. be sanctified for to morrow the Lord will worke wonderfull things and lead you through Jordan into the land of Canaan so our Joshua commands us to bee sanctified because the Lord in that day from heaven will doe wonders in leading us to heavenly Canaan Lastly if Christ be comming from heaven meet him in the way 1. Meet him in his Ordinances as the ancient Beleevers who waited for his comming in the flesh were ever found in the Temple A loving spouse will enjoy her husband as much as shee can in his long absence if she can heare of him or receive a letter from him or a token she is glad she hath something of him yea her love will make her meet him afarre off as farre as she can see him as the father of the prodigall and as Jepâ—haes daughter did And if thou longest for him indeed thou wilt enjoy him on earth as much as thou canst in his word which is his letters in his graces which are his pawnes and pledges c. 2. Meet him with thy affections prayers and wishes after him send thy prayers and holy requests daily as presents unto him 3. Meet him in heavenly conversation He commeth from heaven the first and second time to draw thee thither and shall hee not by all this paines gaine thy heart affection and conversation from earthlinesse to heavenly-mindednesse Begin heavenly life here First spend thy life in cheerfull praises keepe a perpetuall Sabbath Secondly enjoy God above all means and in all means hee is all now as well as hereafter Thirdly walke by the Charter of heaven the law of righteousnesse must be the rule of all and weights to weigh all in and out Fourthly wait still for further perfection of glorie stay not in first fruits In the glory of his Father Here is the manner of Christs second comming wherein it is opposed to the first there he covered and vailed his glory but now he will reveale and display it above the shining of a world of Sunnes Where consider three things and then the Uses 1. Why he calleth it the glory of his Father 2. Whether it be not his owne glory 3. Wherein this glory confisteth For the first of these Christ calleth it the glory of his Father 1. Because it is a most divine glory agreeing to none but the Father and himselfe with the blessed Spirit 2. Because the Father is the fountaine as of the deitie so also of this divine glory wherewith he hath crowned his Sonne Thence hee is called the Father of glory Eph. 1. 17. and the God of glory Act. 7. 2. the King of glory Psal. 24. 7. And Christ is said to bee taken up into glory 1 Tim. 3. 16. namely by his Father for we must conceive God not onely glorious by his nature in himselfe but the fountaine also of all that glorious life and motion which is communicated with any of his creatures 3. Because as all glory is from him so all is due unto him whom therefore his Sonne glorified and wee ought also to glorifie But was not this glory Christs owne in which he shall appeare Answ. Yes for consider him as the Sonne of God he was of equall glory with his Father in all eternitie Joh. 17. 5. Glorifie me with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was And his incarnation abated nothing of that glory And consider him as the son of man and mediator 1. hee is worthy of all glory by the desert and merit of obedience Rev. 4. 11. insomuch that hee pleadeth with his
here comforteth his Disciples in their sorrow that they shall see their Lord after a great deale of contempt and passion lifted up againe in the glory of his Kingdome A child will rejoyce in the advancement of the Father a servant in the honour of his Master especially a loving spouse in the advancement of her husband And how should we cheere up our selves and others to see the Lord Jesus honoured in a powerfull Ministerie his enemies throwne downe before him our brethren drawne by multitudes under his allegeance c. Contrarily it should be the griefe of our hearts when any thing crosseth his kingdome when any designe prevaileth against his word when any holy Ministerie is cast downe when the Lord loseth an ensigne c. Wee must also every one doe our best to set up Christ in his Kingdome and that hee may lift up and hold up his scepter every where thou prayest his kingdome may come use meanes for that thou prayest in what place soever If a Magistrate thou must punish offenders against his lawes as well as against the Kings thou must order thy government as well by his Iawes as the Kings By thy example thou must grace the word as well as by thy presence thou wilt grace the execution of the Kings lawes If a Minister thou art the Lords Scepter-bearer thou must hold up this Scepter and mace of Christ preaching the word plainly purely sincerely instantly as Johns goe next before him and make way for him as friends of the bridegrome be sure hee increase though wee decrease How doe they this that preach not at all or now and then or preach against preaching and declaime against those that most zealously advance the Scepter and glory of Christ that were not Christ too strong for them and truth stronger than all Christ should never come in his Kingdome if hee were a King he should be such an one as Ishbosheth a King without a Kingdome without subjects or lawes If thou bee a private person shew thy selfe a good subject to this King and set up his Kingdome both within and without thee Without thee thou must set up his lawes and authoritie in thy familie by instruction catechizing prayer and holy orders by which faith and the feare of God may bee planted and cherished that there may bee a draught of a Church in thine house and by Christian conference admonishing and exhorting one another to containe every one in his alleageance and subjection to Jesus Christ. Above all wee must bee carefull to set up this Kingdome within our selves and maintaine the rule and soveraigntie of Christ by his word in our owne consciences Quest. How may wee doe this Ans. 1. If as good subjects we frame and compose our selves to this Kingdome Both to the lawes of it for Christians are a people under lawes and hee that acknowledgeth not the fundamentall lawes of this Kingdome and will not bee ruled by the word of Christ is none of Christs subjects As also to the holinesse of it by daily putting on a divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. The subjects of Christ are people of a pure language and though sanctitie bee scorned and hunted with disgrace out of the world this is the King onely of Saints 2. If as good subjects we serve with chearfulnesse and joyfulnesse this King of glory With chearfulnesse for his people are a willing people and bring free-will offerings Psal. 110. and besides to serve him is to raigne all his subjects are Kings the estate of the meanest Christian is a Kingdome With joyfulnesse also Psal. 149. 2. Let the children of Sion rejoyce in their King blesse GOD that hath shewed us the way to this Kingdome who else had beene still in the Kingdome of darknesse and that hee hath made an entrance for us into this Kingdome Col. 1. 12 13. and the rather because hee hath passed by the Angels that fell and made no entrance for them yea passed by many nations and millions of men and out of all the world brought us under the subjection of this King 3. If as good subjects wee maintaine the honour and authoritie of our King and our owne liberties and priviledges obtained by him for us First wee maintaine his right when wee set up his word every where and suffer it to command and rule our owne thoughts words actions and 〈…〉 tions and bring all into the 〈…〉 dience of Christ. If we cannot prevaile that his word may command and rule others yet see it rule and command our selves Againe when wee maintaine warre and take up armes against all his and our enemies that rise up against his honour and our salvation We must be stout and invincible against all that would incroach and raign over us in stead of Jesus Christ as namely wee must levie forces and serve in his warres against the temptations of Satan the corruptions of the world and our owne lusts and the evils of our owne hearts and lives all which wee must resist instantly for the Adversary is restlesse in assaulting wisely standing on our watch and in the complete armour of God stoutly for the warre is difficult but the victory certain and glorious Secondly as good subjects we must maintaine our owne liberties Gal. 5. 1. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not intangled againe with the yoke of bondage Resolve never to come under the bondage of sinne and Satan any more it was basenesse and madnesse in Israel that being free from Pharaohs oppressions they would run back into Egypt in all haste Nor under the yoke bondage of humane traditions or yokes of Antichrist Christs greatest enemie Of all slaves and vassals let us esteeme the slave of sin the greatest and seeing the Son hath made us free let us highly prize stoutly maintaine this freedome To perswade all this 1. Consider what an absolute Monarch Christ is of what power to constraine obedience and restraine rebels he can get himselfe a name and lift up his Scepter without thee and against thee being God and man and Lord of all things but for thy good hee would take thee in as anassistant in his government and if thy service bee his his honour is thine 2. Consider what a good and gracious Lord thou servest one that no way burdens his servants and subjects but every way enricheth them by bestowing large gifts upon them even his whole Kingdome to every of them yea whose love is experienced by his death for his enemies 3. Consider his presence with his subjects in all places and occasions Hee seeth who makes his heart a presence-chanber for Christ who sets up his chaire of estate there who they be that take care nothing be done or defended against his lawes in his owne presence and who they are that suffer his word to sway against lusts The very sight of the Kings
that all true knowledge is from God whence hee is called the God of all grace and 2 Cor. 4. 6. God that commanded light to shine in darkenesse hath shined in our hearts Dan. 2. 20. the God of heaven revealeth secrets And therefore he is called light not onely essentiall in himselfe but by participation Reason 1. Gods way wants a teacher the way of sinne wants none And this teacher must not be man himselfe but God for the naturall man perceives not the things of God 1 Cor. 2. 14. nor can discerne them no more then a blinde man can judge of colours He walketh in the darke of his owne night and nature and knowes not whither he goeth Ioh. 12. 3. 5. The vayle upon the heart must be removed 〈◊〉 Cor. 3. 16. and the Father must draw or else none can â—ome to the Sonne 2. A naturall man is so farre from helping himselfe out of darknesse that hee increaseth his blindnesse every day and thickens the mist of his minde And were it a bodily darknesse â—s that of Egypt it were lesse dangerous but this is far more desperate That was on the body endangering the outward man this on the soule endangering that In that men desiâ—ed light in this they hate the â—ight and love darkenesse In that they would bee glad of guides in this refuse guides 〈…〉 orne and revile them In that they were afraid and sate still three dayes together here adâ—entrous more forward to lead then a seeing man to follow In that they were sensible of their misery in this they thinke themselves in a good case and in the way to heaven till they find themselves at the gates of hell as the Aramites thought themselves going to Elisha his house till their eyes were open and saw themselves in Samaria in the midst of their enemies So as no way can a naturall man wind himselfe out of his natural darknesse 3. True knowledge hath two things above the reach of nature First a sound Object namely holy things Prov. 9. 10. Now all the strength of Nature is too low and weake to reach them A naturall man may bee wise in naturall things or in civill actions yea wise to doe evil but to doe well in spirituall things hee is without all wisedome For nothing works beyond his ability Secondly it must have a sound Agent it must be wrought by the Spirit it is the inspiration of the Almighty that giveth understanding Job 32. 8. Flesh and blood reveales it not Mat. 16. nay the holiest men cannot reach it without Gods teaching Esa. 54. 13. they shall be all taught of God and 1 Cor. 2. 12. we have received the spirit of God that we might know the things of God Then if any want wisedome let him aske it of God with David let him goe to God for the opening of his eyes Salomon begged true wisedome and an understanding heart and obtained it of God 1 King 3. 9. And the rather ought wee to doe the like because we see in Salomon how God is well-pleased with this petition who suffers not a suit so pleasing to him to goe away unanswered And how can it bee other unto the Lord when in this request wee acknowledge the mournfull darknesse and blindnesse of our own minds the infinite depth and boundlesse Ocean of wisedome and knowledge in him and that we depend on him for knowledge which wee professe a treasure in his custody alone and that in the seeking of sound knowledge wee have an earnest desire to obey and please him And as this is a great meanes of Gods glory so also of our owne good for by this meanes as by a key wee unlocke unto our selves the rich treasury and full store-house of grace and wisdome prayer being the key of heaven Obiect But hath not God decreed unchangeably what to doe whom he will teach whom not so as our prayer or not prayer can never alter his decree Ans. 1. God hath decreed as well how to doe things as what he will doe and therefore Gods decree takes not away prayer but stablisheth it 2. God hath decreed to doe some things immediately by himselfe other things mediately by the creature Immediately by himselfe without the concurrence of the creature he decreed to create Adam Mediately by the concurrence of Adam and Eve hee decreed the being of Cain So for the effecting of many things in matters of regeneration and salvation he hath decreed that his servants shall concurre with him or else the thing shall not bee done as in this instance no prayer no teaching Never therefore seeke knowledge in the meanes without prayer to the Lord whose onely it is to give Thou commest to Church to heare the Word to get thine eyes opened to bee taught in the way of Gods statutes why now failest thou of that thou seekest but because thou seekest it at the mouth 〈◊〉 man and failest in seeking God for blessing Many heare and read a long time but the Word thrives not prospers not lives not in their hearts nor lives they are ignorant not infirmed they are prophane and not reformed And why doth that word which prevailes with others doe them no good but because one prayes for blessing and seekes higher than the Minister the other prayeth not or to no purpose And marke such as having heard the Word run out before prayer for blessing never looke the Word should prosper there ye shall never see a sound worke in such persons on whom is the brand of such prophanenesse as to flye from the face and presence of God Luther professed hee got more knowledge by praier then by all his study And thou shalt never prosper in the Word that neglectest prayer Ministers especially must pray for themselves and their people 1. For themselves as Daniel cap. 2. 17. hee and his fellowes beseeched the God of heaves for grace in those secrets and much more need we for grace to open to us the mysterie of this Kingdome Many good wits which are as laborious in study and reading are not so profitable and marvell that they cannot reach to such a gift as some other The very reason is they study read and meditate but pray not or sleightly and not craving a blessing they have none 2. For the people that God would prosper his Word to them and adde his teaching to theirs 2 King 6 20. Elisha prayed that the Lord would open the eyes of the Syrians that they might see themselves in the midst of their enemies so must Ministers be often on their knees in secret that their people may see themselves in the midst of their hellish enemies and discerne the danger so as to apprehend the meanes of their safety Thus of the first point 2. In the person praying teach mee David a man after Gods owne heart a Prophet a Teacher a Pen-man of Scripture one that had a singular measure of knowledge already yet hee
of puffing knowledge is not sound Good men never boast of sharpenesse of sight or quicknesse of understanding but see the vaile unremoved and the skales not quite fallen off They are not blinde as before but by reason of fogs and lusts and mists of sinfull affections and motions can sometimes see as little the things before them as Agar could the Well before her Gen. 21. by reason of her passion or griefe as Calvin judgeth And although their eyes be open yet they see how beavy they be and hardly kept open as the Disciples when Christ warned them to watch by reason of sleepinesse and dulnesse of flesh â—o as they may say with the Church their eyes sleepe when their hearts awake They may indeed professe with the blind man Ioh. 9 25. One thing J know whereas J was blind now J see but must adde withall yet I see how little I see even a glimmering of things rather than things themselves 2. It must follow that sound knowledge must continually bewaile ignorance and darknesse for why hath the Lord left it in us but to humble us that with the rest of the law of the members it might bee as the Canaanites to exercise us or as the pricke in the flesh lest we should be exalted out of measure by abundance of revelations Nay as light and darkenesse have a daily and interchangeable fight in nature so the soule must maintaine a continuall combate betweene knowledge and ignorance 3. It followes that found knowledg cannot be that which in sense of want or weakenesse striveth not in the meanes to a further measure that of weake is not made strong that riseth not to a further assurance or the like for all sound knowledge is proveable and the way of the just shineth more and more till perfect day Thus of the second point 3. The child of God most earnestly desireth to know the wayes of God as our Prophet through this whole Psalme Daniel though a most worthy Prophet yet read the Prophecies of Ieremie Dan. 9. 1 2. And all things are dung to Saint Paul in respect of the excellent knowledge of the vertue of Christs death resurrection Phil. 3. 7 8 9 10. But why 1. Because they know it to be the way of God and there is no other the way not onely wherein God himselfe walketh who is the most perfect pattern of his owne law but especially because it is the way hee hath chalked out for us to walke in who can walke toward him in his owne way onely as we can see the Sunne onely by his owne light and come to the Sea by his owne streames 2. They onely discerne the danger of spirituall darkenesse and blindnesse How it wraps in manifold errors of judgment false doctrines and opinions against the Word Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures Matth. 22. 29. and Prov. 19 〈◊〉 Without knowledge the minde is not good How it wraps in errors of life and conversation for so the Scriptures ascribe all corruption of manners to ignorance Paul persecuted and wasted the Church why the did it of ignorance And in ignorance the Rulers put Christ to death had they knowne they would not have crucified the Lord of glory How it wraps men under the power of sinne and delivers them as voluntary subjects in kingdome of darknesse under the Prince of darkenesse to be ruled at his will as 2 Tim. 2. 26 and when men regard not to know God how justly doth hee give them up to a reprobate sense as he did the Heathens Rom 1. 24. to commit things against reason and nature And finally how it wraps them under the curse of God both temporall and eternall My people perish saith the Lord for want of knowledge that is are in state of perdition they lye in unbeleefe for no knowledge no faith and not beleeving they are condemned already Ioh. 3. 1â— And they are lyable every where to those judgements which the Prophet prayes to be powred out upon them that know not the name of God Then for the eternall curse when Christ shall come from heaven in flaming fire hee shall render vengeance on all that know not God 2 Thes. 1. 8. and justly for death hath seized on them already they are destitute of the life of God by the ignorance that is in them their minde and conscience is dead and being strangers to the life of God they are thrust under the power of eternall death Prov. 10. 18. The foole dyeth for want of knowledge Therefore the Saints seeke after knowledge as David here 3. They see the necessity of the word of God and the knowledge thereof the Word is the food of the soule an hungry man longs after his food and a good heart hungers after the Word Hence the Prophets and men of God are said to eat up the little booke Ezek. 3. 1. and to fill their bellies with it as hungry men when they come at a good meale The word of God is the water of the Well of Life and how necessary is water how doth a thirsty man desire to be refreshed with water so doth the godly after the knowledge of God and none but thirsty soules are called or doe come to these waters Esa. 55. 1. How earnestly doe blind men â—esire to see the light so doe â—he Saints seeing what a weake â—immering and sight they have 〈◊〉 Divine things They know â—he Sunne in the heavens is not 〈◊〉 necessary to enlighten the world as is the Sonne of grace â—nd righteousnesse to enlighten 〈…〉 e Church And as without the â—unne there would be a perpe 〈…〉 all night so without God and 〈…〉 e saving knowledge of him 〈…〉 ere were an eternall night in 〈…〉 verlasting darknesse 4. They earnestly desire saâ—ing knowledge because they 〈…〉 ee the profit and high excellen 〈…〉 y of it both within themselves 〈…〉 d without them First within themselves they 〈…〉 ee Gods Image renewed in 〈…〉 em by knowledge and themselves framed to his likenesse who is light and in whom is no 〈…〉 arknesse Also they see themselves brought into better frame by it daily and changed into 〈◊〉 selfe from glory to glory with out which they could never attaine any right motion in their wils or affections nor any righâ— manner or end of doing any thing nor any happy fruit o 〈…〉 their endevours but the losse o 〈…〉 all their labour time hope and reward Secondly without them they see the worth and excellency of this knowledge above all other things in the world and that nothing else can make them truly happy Prov. 3. 13. Blessed iâ— the man that findeth wisdoms and that getteth understanding But how can Salomon prove this By two reasons The former in the 14. verse by comparing this wisdome of God with silver and gold which are so desirable but the gaine of this is better Oh but some things
out-weig 〈…〉 silver and gold and are in much more request as Diamonds Ruâ—ies and Pearles True yet these are but the shining dust of the earth but wisdome faith 〈…〉 e is better than all pearles be their price never so great Obiect But some things a man may desire above all these â—s life liberty health honor c. Ans. In verse 15. All things thou canst desire are not to bee compared to wisdome The second reason is from the â—ffects shewing what wisdome bestowes and brings with her 〈◊〉 Riches in her left hand 〈◊〉 Length of dayes in her right 〈◊〉 Honour advancement and prosperity 4 Life the sweetest of all Shee is a tree of life 〈…〉 o them that lay â—old on her And so he concluds as he began â—h blessed is hee that retaineth 〈…〉 er We see now what reason the godly have and on what just grounds they most eagerly desire with David to be taught 〈◊〉 the way of Gods statutes The Vse is three fold 1. Of incitation 2. Of reprehension 3. Of examinatiâ—n 1. It serves to incite us to thâ— holy and earnest desire after th 〈…〉 word of God without whi 〈…〉 no man can have any comfort 〈◊〉 any sound grace For first as light was the fir 〈…〉 thing in the Creation so the fi 〈…〉 word of this second Creation i 〈…〉 Fiat lux let there be the lig 〈…〉 of heavenly knowledge a 〈…〉 as the word of God let light i 〈…〉 to all his worke which befo 〈…〉 was a confused Chaos and 〈◊〉 things rolled up in blacke darknesse so till this word of G 〈…〉 let light into the soule t 〈…〉 who le man lyes in a confusion 〈◊〉 blacke darknesse without a 〈…〉 light of direction or conso 〈…〉 on You know no babe is bor 〈…〉 alive into the world but it cryes for the milke and breast and if it doe not it is still-borne So the new-borne babe in grace cryes after the sincere milke of the Word 1 Pet. 2. 2. and without this thou art not borne of God Nor the friend of Christ no acquaintance or kindred of his no Christian but in name unlesse with an hungring heart thou heare the Word and keepe it And an ignorant heart is not only a gracelesse heart but destitute of desire of grace it cannot aske grace Ioh. 4. 10 hadst thou knowne thou wouldest have asked Secondly consider the comelinesse and seemelinesse of sound knowledge in him that professeth himselfe to be the Lords Prov. 4. 9. Salomon calls it a comely ornament and grace for the head and a chaine for the necke yea and a crowne of glory And what else makes a mans face to shine but wisdome whereas what an unseemely thing is ignorance of Gods statutes to a man either as a man or as a Christian 1. As a man God having given a man a minde and reasonable soule beyond a beast whereby he hath enabled him to conceive of heaven and heavenly things and hath elevated him with a particle of Divine nature for this very end that hee should rise above the beasts in high contemplations of Divine things and in the knowledge and obedience of the minde and will of his Creator how unseemely is it that that Divine minde should bee taken up with base transitory and sinfull things that a man should thus degenerate and fall backe to a brutish condition forgetting he hath a reasonable soule which David rates in himselfe whose ignorance or inconsideratenesse in one point of Gods providence and administration makes him as a beast before God 2. As a Christian man yet much more unseemely for a Christian professeth himselfe to be a Citizen of heaven heaven to be his Countrey God to be his King his Word and Statutes to be his Charter now is it not absurd and unseemly that a man should be ignorant of the fashions lawes and customes of his owne Countrey A Christian professeth himselfe a childe of his heavenly father and his fathers house to be his house and is it not unseemely a man should neither know his father nor his fathers name nor pleasure nor how to demeane himselfe in his fathers house A Christian professeth heaven to bee his home and inheritance and the Word the deeds of that Inheritance without which he hath noâ— title to one foot in heaven how unseemely and unreasonable were it for him to cast away the deeds of his land to breake off the seales to bee wilfully ignorant of the clauses that convay such an estate unto him and his So of the second Motive Thirdly consider the delight and pleasure in the Statutes of God which are full of sweet ravishments to such as attaine them and should quicken us to the taste and feeding on them In other things we see what paines men will take to compasse their pleasure Now as ignorance is most uncomfortable fitly therefore compared to darknesse to blindnesse to falling into a pit and to lying in a blacke and stinking dungeon So knowledge and wisdome which is compared to light and the bright shining of the Sunne Prov. 4. is most delightful to the soule as the light to the eye 1. In it selfe because knowledge is the proper worke of understanding and the highest part of man and as a man naturally delighteth in the knowledge of naturall things so an enlightned minde in the knowledge of Divine and spirituall 2. And especially in respect of the Object which is spirituall things This made Salomon say Prov. 3. 17. all the wayes of wisdome are wayes of pleasure For what man unlesse he have an infinite distemper in his soule would not be ravished to know in some measure those infinite perfections of our heavenly Father whereto we are commanded to strive yea to see in some sort the unsearchable depths of Gods wisedome and knowledge and to apprehend in some measure the bottomlesse mystery of mans redemption and salvation Was it not an admirable delight when Moses stood upon the top of mount Nebo and viewed all that land of Promise yet Moses must see it not enjoy it see it a farre off but not come neare it he must dye there and goe no further But for a man to stand here on Mount Sion the Church of God and view all the promised Canaan that heavenly Ierusalem with all her towers and enjoy them together with all the pleasures at the right hand of God can the knowledge of any thing bee so delightful to an heavenly mind The taste of the Word in this one particular maketh it exceed the sweetnesse of the honey and the honey-combe if a David taste it This of the third Motive Fourthly consider the way wherein we are to walke the way of Gods Statutes the properties whereof are such as may allure us into it for 1. It is the old way which wee must enquire of Jer. 6. 16. beaten by the feet of ancient Beleevers and Patriarkes all the Prophets and Apostles
good of the receiver Come hastily without all this knowledge and offer the sacrifice of fooles Eccles. 5. 1. 3. Can God heare thee praying who rejectest his Word Prov. 28. 9. Hee that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayer is abominable Besides prayer is a seeking of God and canst thou find him whom thou seekest while thou runnest from him who seeketh thee But we have callings to follow and families to maintaine and cannot spare an houre in a week-day to heare a Sermon I say as Salomon Eccles. 7. 20. it is good to lay hold upon this but withdraw not thy hand from that worldly businesse must be followed but never so as to be worldlings and this is when the whole time is ingrossed to prophane or worldly uses and none set apart for holy or the one thing necessary Againe to feed the body men can allot two houres in a day but not one in a weeke to feed the soule as if bread that perisheth were to bee preferred before that which endureth to eternall life or the soule were to be lesse regarded than the body And can these men spend foure five or moe howres at cards dice bowles vaine Enterludes to the destruction of much time with themselves and not one howre in a weeke for their instruction Can some of them watch whole nights and dayes at Satans suit and the service of sinne and not possibly watch one howre with Christ in the day yea in many dayes Cannot they sit up one halfe howre later or rise one halfe howre sooner to redeeme one howre for their everlasting good or will they find it profitable to winne the whole world with the losse of their soules Lastly how have we heard not a few such carelesse men rate themselves on their death-beds with horrible terrors in their consciences that so wretchedly they stopt their eares at so many calls of God and neglected the hearing of so many Sermons and too late wish that they might heare but one Sermon more and now all their hunger and thirst after the world onely enlargeth their hearts sorrow and can no way ease it Others say they are not book-learned and cannot attain this knowledge But thou oughtest to be book-learned God hath given thee both a booke and Teachers and wisdome is easie to him that will understand and she invites thee into her Schoole calling the simple to be wise in heart Pro. 8. 5. and pronounceth those blessed that watch daily at hee gates vers 34. But I am so crossed in the Ministery that I cannot endure it nor will heare such and such Know 1. All the frowardnesse is in thy selfe there is no frowardnesse in the Word Prov. 8. 8. 2. Crosse thy sinne and the Word will not crosse thee but if thou wilt rather crosse the Word than thy sinne thank thy selfe God and his Word will meet with thee as in Ahabs case Now we come to the use of Examination whether God hath taught us in his way or no. The notes of tryall are three First a continuall strife to remove all the hinderers of saving knowledge for light ever fighteth against darknesse And the lets to be removed are 1. Originall corruption a chiefe part of which is darknesse of understanding Labour in mortifying naturall corruption which as a blacke cloud hinders the shine of this Sunne 2. Hardnesse of heart Heb. 3. 10. They erred in heart and have not knowne my wayes and vers 12. Take heed of an evill and unbeleeving heart to depart from the living God The light of the Sunne may shine on the outside of a stone but cannot get within it while unbroken 3. Satanicall temptation the god of the world blindeth Infidels that the light of grace should not shine upon them whom we must therefore resist stedfast in the faith No marvell if Satan can blind the wicked seeing he can raise a cloud of dust to trouble the sight of the godly themselves and let them see every thing in a false glasse all to hide the light of Gods countenance from them 4. Actuall sinnes the nature of all which is to increase ignorance and blind the minde yet further Of these some keepe out knowledge some drive 〈◊〉 out Of the former sort are covetousnesse resembled by choking thornes Luk. 8. and Ezek 33. 32. they heare but jest for their hearts goe after covetousnesse and wrath envy hypocrisie with the like which must be laid aside or there is no growing by the Word 1 Pet 2. 1 2. Of the latter sort are the foule sinnes of flesh as whoredome drunkennesse intemperancy which besot men and diminish even naturall knowledge see Hos. 4. 11. 5. The pleasure of sinne as Eve in tempting and Adam in attempting the sinne the very sight and beauty of the Apple dazelled the cleare knowledge of innocency And as the sinne of the Sodomites smote them with blindnesse of body that they could not finde the doore so doth it much more the soule of the sinner that he cannot find Christ who is the doore of life 6. Custome of sinne the pleasure of which hath begot an habit this keeps and holds under the dominion of the Prince of darknesse and the Lord will not put his precious liquor into so nasty vessels but gives them up ordinarily to reprobate sense Rom. 1. 28. Now as nature teacheth us to fight for all these so grace leadeth us into the field against them for till they be in part subdued there is no possibility of saving knowledge no more then of Sun-shine at midnight This is the first tryall The second is this As all that indisposition must be removed so there must be a disposition wrought in the party whom God teacheth in his way which where it is the Lord hath begunne to teach that man Quest. Wherein stands the disposition to saving Knowledge Ans. 1. In humility God teacheth the humble in his way and he that must receive the Kingdome must be as a little child Esa. 28. 9. whom shall I teach or make to understand not conceited persons who make Divinity onely a matter of discourse or fill their braines and speech with vaine questions and idle speculations or such as come to sit as Iudges or Critickes on their Ministers gifts but such as are weaned from the milke or drawne from the breasts It was a proud and prophane speech of Hermolaus Barbanis and Angelus Politianus that by reading the Bible they forgat Latin 2. A soft and tender heart A sure signe that God hath spoken to it For none can reach the heart to change it but onely that Doctor whose chaire is in heaven He onely can write in the Tables of the heart Ier. 31. 33. 3. A crossing of humane wisdome which nature teacheth not Selfe-deniall is a note of a Disciple For who can frame the affections to hold and fasten on such a doctrine as crosseth nature mortifieth lusts depriveth of deare
birdlime to entangle us in which while we flutter we are not able to mount aloft in heavenly meditations but having escaped we are as long in unlyming and setting our hearts as would have done the duty 3. What ever wee winne or lose wee must watch heedfully First that we lose not our patience meeknesse and love to our companions as they that scorne and quarrell and storme and rage like heathens against lucke and chance and fortune yea sweare and curse if never so little crossed as they that never heard of Religion Secondly we may not lose our goods nor waste our substance nor play away more then without any doubt or scruple of conscience we may bestow on honest delights the necessary maintenance of other things and contributions to the Church and poore first liberally provided for Thirdly wee may not lose our good name which is a precious thing nor runne into the infamy to bee accounted dicers gamesters idle persons or companions with them nor by rude scurvilous or obscene words or actions get a brand of a rude and disordered mate This they justly winne that lose their mastery and are at the command of play Now certainely in this Vse alone must all recreations become good and comfortable though corrupt nature cannot brooke to bee so confined But to those that are ready to object the use and custome of the world the Apostle answereth Rom. 12. 2. Fashion not your selves according to this world but prove what is the good and acceptable will of God And if any say Oh but others are of another practice that know more then you I say if they know not the truth of Doctrine now backed by the authority of Scripture they know not so much as I and whosoever walke not by Gods rules sinne against their owne soules And sanctified hearts will inure themselves to heavenly joyes and preferre them above carnall and little affect those which loose persons so much and so dangerously deat upon THE ABUSE OF CREATVRES VNLAWFVLL 1 COR. 15. 32. Let us eat and drinke for to morrow we shall dye WHich words containe an argument to prove the resurrection taken from an absurdity that would follow upon the deniall viz. If therebe no resurrection then let us turne absolute Atheists and Epicures and doe as they say Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye Certainly it is not unlawfull to eat and drinke to play to recreate our selves with sport pastime and musicke or to enjoy the naturall and civill comforts and blessings of God in this life For God hath ordained not bread onely to strengthen the heart of man but wine to make his heart glad and oyle to make his face shine Psalm 104. 15. things as well of pleasure as necessity things comfortable as well as profitable both to make knowne his owne bounty and large grace and to encourage his servants in chearefull obedience As for matter these outward delights are the good gifts of God so likewise are they necessary and wholesome for our selves to fit us both to the chearefull service of God and to the performance of duties in the speciall calling which are painfull and would be todious if we were not cheared and strengthened with such batts and refreshings in the way For such is our frailty here that both our minds would grow dull and sluggish and our bodies be tired out if they stood alwayes bent And therefore a mans life without pleasures and delights is like a long journey without Innes in which is all travell little or no comfort or refreshing So that not the use of these things is here condemned but the abuse onely when Christians use them unchristianly rather like Heathens Atheists and Epicures then Christians As thus First the Heathens and Atheists abused those things for that their persons were unclean Tit. 1 15. To the impure and unbeleeving is nothing pure And if thy person be not in Christ reconciled and by faith justified thou canst have no true pleasure in any thing all true joy being an effect of peace with God Rom. 5. 3. Thou that art in thy sinnes impenitent lyest under the curse of God and guilt of sinne hast indeed another businesse in hand than to follow thy pleasure thou art like a condemned prisoner going on to execution a man would thinke he had other businesse to doe then to stay by the way to eat and drinke and make merry to play at cards dice and the like The Psalmist saith Reioyce ye righteous but thou that art a wicked man a prophane carnall and carelesse wretch hast no call nor right to rejoyce but rather drowne thy selfe if it were possible in the teares of sad and timely repentance Secondly the Heathens and Epicures missed in the matter of their pleasures in that they understood only that to be pleasure which was sensuall to be seene heard tasted touched or the like And whatsoever delighted their senses that they swallowed as a warrantable pleasure So the young Atheist is said to walke in the wayes of his heart and in the sight of his eyes Eccles. 11. 9. And Salomon when he would try the life of an Epicure saith Chap. 2. 10. Whatsoever mine eyes desired I with held it not from them I with-drew not mine heart from any joy Even so when thou carest not in comparison for any higher joyes than those that runne into thy senses what art thou but a Christian Atheist And when instead of naturall honest and civill pleasures thou layest hold upon carnall and worldly delights as surfetting and drankennesse chambering and wantonnesse lust and uncleannesse unlawfull sports and recreations which thou canst not warrant by Gods word and because they please the sense and carnall minde though by Gods rules and in themselves they be hateful and to be abhorred yet stil thou followest them what art thou all this while but an heathenish or brutish Christian Thirdly the Heathens and Epicures failed in that they overprized their pleasures making their belly their god esteeming voluptuousnes the chiefe good as men that knew nothing better then the pleasures of this life And as they over-valued them in their judgement so also they immoderately affected them and excessively used them So suppose thou layest hold onely on lawfull and warrantable pleasures but settest them up above their hlace as judging them more fit to spend time upon then upon Christian exercises as reading praying meditating or more worthy then the duties of the calling all which are necessary and absolutely good but these at the best are but indifferently good good as they are used changeably good and in no high degree of goodnesse What difference is there betweene thee and an Atheist or Epicure but this thy sinne is farre greater then his he might see his sinne if he were taught better but thou art taught better and sinnest against thy knowledge Now when didst thou cast off thy calling by dayes or weekes together for
sinner but onely this blood of an infinite price power and merit Here was a rich and free mercy to part with his owne life and dearest pledge of his love and voluntarily submit himselfe to death which was of more strength then all the lives of men and Angels Wonder Fifthly admire his matchlesse love who to save our soules made his soule an offering for sinne and healeth our wounds by his owne stripes A Phyfician sheweth great love if he take a little care above ordinary though he be wel rewarded and made a great gainer by it But this Physician must be a loser by his love he must lose his glory his life he must lose heaven and happinesse and all and beyond all this be unmatchable in abasement and torment in so much that he calleth all us who are ready to passe by all to consider if ever any sorrow were like to his sorrow Here was a sound love to us who endured to be so afflicted and abased by God men and divels for our sakes when he could have prevented and refused it if it had pleased him but this love was stronger than death and undervalued his owne life to save ours Wonder and wonder for ever And let it stirre us up to love this Physician dearely for great love is a great loadstone and attractive of love What love owe we to God the Father for giving his Sonne to the death for us as it a King should deliver the Prince apparant to death to save a condemned râ—bell What great love made him not account his life deare for us Oh the deadnesse of our hearts that can heare this with so little sense and provocation to love him againe Quest. How may we testifie our love to Christ Answ. We must not love him in tongue and word onely but in deed and truth framing our love in some proportion unto his which was both in word worke and suffering First in profession and word we must magnifie his great worke of Redemption and advance it in the perfection and vertue of it as able of it selfe to purchase the whole Church a blood able of it selfe to save from the destroying Angell and make a perfect peace betweene God and us Secondly as Gods love was actuall so wee must settle our selves to his service If ye love me keepe my Commandements Hee was a servant to doe our worke his love onely made him so And shall we refuse his worke Ours was a painefull taske that he undertooke and he left us an easie yoke to shew our obedience and gives us also strength to beare it Hee hath given himselfe for us and will giue himselfe to us and shall not we give our selves to him Certainly we serve a good Lord and want no encouragement Thirdly according to his example let us not love our lives to the death for his sake Rev. 12. 11. He that hateth not his life in comparison of Christ cannot be his Disciple Luk 14. 26. The direct end of Christs life was our glory the direct end of ours must be his glory He maintained our cause to the death by his death hee now pleads our cause in heaven It is therefore not onely honourable but equall and iust that wee should sticke to him and his causes in life and death and that love which is sound is like his even stronger then death So of the Cure in respect of the Confection Now we are to consider it in the Application For what would it availe to have the most skilfull and carefull Physician and the most rare proper and powerfull medicine under the Sunne prescribed by him if either it be not for me or not applyed to the disease or sore And so our heavenly Physician hath taken care not onely for direction and confection but also for application Medicines must be received for we must not looke to be cured by miracle but by meanes Where consider 1. The persons to whom the cure is applyed 2. The meanes whereby 3. The time when For the persons the Text saith all that be sicke that is sensible and languishing under theirsicknesse And Psal. 147. 3. He heales those that are broken in heart and binds up their sores For the meanes whereby the cure is applyed it is faith we must bring faith to be healed Christ required mens faith in healing of their bodies much more must wee bring it to the cure of our soules By faith I meane speciall faith which is not 〈…〉 w Christ hystorically for so did many Ioh 2. to whom Christ would not trust himselfe viz. that he is the Son of God who shed his blood and died for sinners for this the divels beleeve and tremble Neither is it onely to beleeve him the Iews heard him saw him beleeved many things to be true but received him not But To beleeve in him stands in two things First to receive and apply him for to receive Christ and beleeve in him are all one Ioh. 1. 12. so many as received him But who were they so many as beleeved in his Name Secondly to trust and rely on him for cure and salvation Can. 8. the Spouse leanes on her welbeloved And that we may not be deceived in it this faith hath two qualities 1. It must be proper 2. Impropriate Christ. First it must be thine owne proper speciall faith Hab. 2. 4. the iust man lives by hi 〈…〉 faith The Physician makes his whole confection without thee but calleth thee in to the application and none can apply this medicine but thine owne faith It is no implicit faith of thine own nor the faith of the Church without thine owne that thou canst live by The Ministers may leave it with thee and declare it but thine owne faith must apply it Foolish Virgins they are that thinke to be received with the oyle in the wife Virgins lamps when their owne is spent the answer is We have not enough for us and you and every mans garment is short enough for himselfe the righteous receive Crownes said Leo but give not Crowes Secondly as this faith must be thine owne so it must impropriate Christ and make him thine owne This is that faith in the blood of Christ Rom. 3. 25. applying the blood specially to himselfe for life When the faith of the soule brings home Christ to his owne heart and saith with Thomas My Lord and my God and with Paul who loved mee and gave himselfe for mee and with that Father Totus Christus meus est totus Christus n meos usus impensus est Whole Christ is mine and bestowed for my utmost benefit This speciall and spirituall application was alwayes resembled in Scriptures of the old Testament by the sacrifices of the sinne-offering when the beast was slaine the Party must lay his hand on the head of it and confesse that not the beast but the Owner deserved death and the blood that was shed must
when God called Abraham to sacrifice his Isaac Abraham by offering him preserved him The way to preserve my Isaac my joy my life is to offer it to Christ for then it shall not perish but live and be increased and for my Isaac and joy a Ram shal be sacrified that is only my corrupt affections concupiscence but my joy shall none take away Verse 26. For what shal it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his owne soule Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soule IN this Verse our Saviour enlargeth the former doctrine by a second reason drawn from the unprofitablenesse of winning the world with the losse of the soul seems to prevent an objection which might rise up in the minds of his hearers thus But wee see that this is not to provide for the safety and comfort of life for those that care not for following thee live at hearts ease in plenty and fulnesse they are on the rising hand are the only gainers in the world only wee are losers and have left all and betaken our selves to an afflicted despicable condition for following of thee why might not wee looke to bee gainers too To which our Saviour directs his answer They are indeed gainers in the world but if they were gainers of the world there is a greater loss neer them than all that gaine even the loss of the soul which as it is the most incomparable loss so is it the most irrecoverable loss of all but a just punishment of that man who by losing Christ wil save his own stake For the meaning of the words What shall it profit a man That is What shall it any way better a mans estate The English is somewhat too short for the Greeke the word profit being amongst us commonly used for the increase of riches but the Greeke comprehends also the gaine of honours preferments pleasures or any other thing whereby the estate is bettered either indeed or in appearance To win the whole world This is spoken by way of supposition for no man ever wonne the whole world Alexander won much of it Ahasuerus was Lord over 127. Provinces But never any could win the whole yet suppose a man should winne the whole world this would fwell to a great bulk if wee consider both what is included in the word world what in the word gaine the world 1. By the world is meant not only the frame of heaven earth the creatures but all that a naturall mans heart can desire in the world or can wish for his full contentment such as honours pleasures all the delights of the sons of men In which sense Paul saith Gal 6. 14. I am crucified to the world the world to mee that is I have weaned my selfe from the desire of all such worldly contents as naturall men make their only portion yea I am ever dead to such desires This then is the meaning Suppose one man could gain all the world and honours pleasures that all men on earth joyntly or severally have yet what is it to the soules losse 2. In the gaining of the world is included 1. A right title 2. Possession hold 3. Fruition content â—4 A certainty of holding the whole For all these goe to a cleare gain yet were all this nothing to the losse of the soule And lose his soule That is and lose himself for so S. Luke expresseth it ch 9. 25. If he destroy or lose himselfe And so by an ordinary Hebraism the soule is put for the whole person Seventy soules went downe into Egypt that is seventy persons And the soule cannot bee lost but the whole person must perish And the soul cannot be but lost when he is offended who can cast both soul and body into hell Or what recompence shall a man give in exchange for his soul That is no exchange can countervaile the losse nothing in the world can redeeme the soule as if hee had said Devise what you can all the world cannot nor can a thousand worlds redeeme a lost soule And therefore as the losse is the greatest so it is most irrecoverable and impossible to bee made up againe Now something is observable 1. Out of the manner of propounding 2. Out of the matter propounded The maner of propounding is by a continued interrogation which not onely carrieth in it more strength than an ordinary negation but stirreth up the hearer to ponder wel weigh the matter as if he were to give his judgment and answer As if the Lord had said in larger speech Tell mee out of your own judgments best understanding let your owne consciences bee Judges whether the whole world were a reasonable gaine for the loss of the soul or whether the whole world could recover such a loss or no. Wherin note 1. That the Ministers Preachers of the Word after the example of Christ must not only be carefull of the matter what they teach but also of the manner of teaching so to instruct as to sharpen set an edge on the word so as men may bee brought to commune with themselves and enter into their owne hearts to whet upon themselves things delivered to embrace that which is good and hate the contrary Jer. 6. 27. the Prophet must try their wayes the Lord set sent him that hee might know and try their waies To try metall is to bring it to the touch so Gods Minister must bring men to the touch so touch upon their sins and drosse as the guilty person may feele himselfe touched and tryed with the reproofe Thus did Nathan in the Name of the Lord with David his King Thou art the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. Thus the Lord himself Deut. 10. 12. after he had made rehearsall of manifold benefits conferred on his people askes themselves the question And now Israel what doth the Lord require of thee as if he had said Think with thy selfe and say if he deserve not the love feare trust and obedience of thy heart and life Isa. 5. 4. after the Lord had shewed how he had chosen planted hedged and dressed his Vineyard hee summons them to give answer to this question What could I do more to my Vineyard As if hee had said Say within your selves and be Judges your selves whether your wild grapes proceed not from your selvs from your own naughty disposition not from my want of manuring One reason hereof is taken from the love of the Minister Our love must direct particular doctrine to him whom we would profit and help toward heaven Colos. 1. 28. Pauls affection caused him to admonish not all men but every man to teach every man and to present every man perfect in Christ. The other from the fruit pro fit of the Ministry wherein God gives the learned tongue that by speciall